Strength of One's Own
"Mr. Zhang, this is our mine protection team," Lu Hang said, following closely behind.
He seemed to have noticed that the new boss was quite concerned about safe production in the mine, which was not surprising at all, as a stable production environment is essential for generating continuous profits.
Who wants their business to be constantly in turmoil and shut down from time to time?
Zhang Yang stopped and looked.
Not far away, a group of young men with buzz cuts, wearing camouflage short-sleeved shirts and bulletproof vests, were lined up neatly.
Ten in a row, at first glance, there are about a hundred people.
This is the mine protection team he assembled himself at the mine.
The mine protection team consisted mostly of their own people with black hair and black eyes, but there were also some strong black people mixed in. Everyone carried a riot shield and an AK47.
In Africa, guns are something you can get if you have money.
As for the AK47, it's inexpensive, reliable, and widely available. Many militias in Africa carry one, and mine protection teams also use it, so it's perfectly normal.
"Call someone."
"Hello, Mr. Zhang," the mine security team of about a hundred people greeted in unison.
The combined voices of these hundred or so young and strong men were quite imposing, though some of them spoke with somewhat broken Chinese accents.
Zhang Yang smiled kindly and nodded encouragingly.
This group of mine protection teams is also one of the important forces in maintaining normal production in the mining area, both externally and internally.
Externally, it can deter some scattered militia groups in the vicinity.
Internally, some local workers in the mining area may not be as honest as they seem on the surface. There have been instances of them disobeying management and staging collective strikes before. Having such a mine protection team can effectively suppress these people.
Unfortunately, in the chaotic land of Africa, you can't make money or protect your finances without having your own power.
Zhang Yang, accompanied by his entourage, toured the vast mining area.
Inside the production area, mining equipment and machinery operate day and night.
From the extraction of raw ore to crushing, ball milling, mixing, filtering, and finally the production of concentrate, endless production lines and tireless workers make up the entire production area.
Those Chinese who are willing to leave their homes and go to Africa are naturally not going to work as front-line workers. Most of the Chinese present are engineers, on-site production managers, or technical workers in mining-related fields.
The workers were all local laborers.
Bite!
The host has been placed inside Africa industry, triggering a random mission.
The host has detected that some local employees in the mining area are slacking off and cheating. Please remove these employees.
Task Reward 1: The loyalty of all members of the current mine protection team is maxed out and remains constant.
Mission Reward 2: All members of the current mine protection team will have their shooting skills upgraded to Mastery.
This··
Zhang Yang appeared outwardly unchanged, but inwardly he was slightly stirred.
Triggering a mission wasn't surprising, but what surprised him was that the system had assigned him this mission.
To be honest, when you're in a foreign country, you have to give up something to gain something. My own mining company is big and powerful, so naturally there are many things that leech off my company. Sometimes, in order to maintain a stable and sustainable external environment, it's not a bad thing to turn a blind eye to these things.
After all, if we don't touch them, there will only be more people trying to cheat and take advantage of us, and at most we'll lose some money. But if we do take action, locals might cause trouble, and there's even a possibility of kidnapping or other retaliation against our own employees.
Not worth it.
However, the system couldn't tolerate any impropriety. It couldn't stand these idle people lingering in the mining area and sucking its blood, so it had no choice but to do as its system father instructed.
After all, there are quite a few benefits.
A mine protection team of 100 men, absolutely loyal to them, and this team has also been blessed with mastery-level shooting skills by the system.
In Africa, having such a force means it can unleash considerable power.
Because a mine protection team of 100 people can easily expand, with one person leading five, turning 100 into 600 or even more... There's no pressure at all, and there's no need to worry about managing the team. Each member is an absolutely loyal elite; what pressure could there be in leading a few expanded mine protection team members?
He doesn't need to develop into any local armed force; he just wants to protect his own little territory and his own interests.
"By the way, what are the benefits for the locals?" Zhang Yang asked casually, pulling his attention away from the system.
"They are paid very well, far exceeding the local average. Working here is something many locals would love to do," Lu Hang explained from the side.
"What's the workload like for the locals? Can the workforce be further reduced?" Zhang Yang asked casually.
In fact, putting aside system tasks, from the perspective of a qualified capitalist, the company's interests should naturally be the top priority, and costs should be reduced where necessary, without any deliberate exploitation.
"Mr. Zhang, actually... we can indeed reduce manpower." Lu Hang wiped the sweat from his forehead, "But this is also part of the exchange. The reason why several villages around the mining area have remained so stable is because some villagers have been sent here to work. If we reduce or lay off people, I'm afraid they will cause trouble."
"This won't do." Zhang Yang glanced at Lu Hang. "If we're afraid of causing trouble, we won't lay off anyone. If we keep those people around, more people will follow suit. How will we manage people then? We need to make an example of them."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Zhang, it was my oversight." Lu Hang quickly replied, "I'll take care of it right away."
"What are you planning to do?" Zhang Yang glanced at him and continued to ask.
"It's definitely inconvenient for us to manage it directly. We can promote some respected locals and entrust this matter to them. Those who stay can have their wages increased appropriately, which can significantly reduce overall labor costs," Lu Hang explained his approach.
Using barbarians to control barbarians, that's how overseas companies manage local people.
"Well, don't be afraid of causing trouble. The mine protection team is just for show," Zhang Yang said.
Mines are already highly sought-after in this area, attracting countless people eager to profit. It's impossible for everyone to come and take advantage of the situation.
Today it's this village, tomorrow it's that village... Are you kidding me?
The group walked through the mining area and arrived at the office area.
Zhang Yang climbed the steps and walked straight into the office building that Kaiwei Mining had built here.
The office building is located next to the production area, offering a panoramic view of the entire mining area.
Zhang Yang walked straight into his office and looked down at the mining area's production status through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A large stack of data reports was delivered to him, categorized and arranged, for him to review.
Not long after, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Zhang Yang looked up and glanced at him.
The door opened.
Lu Hang led in several black men in work uniforms, but with somewhat apprehensive expressions.
"Mr. Zhang, these people have always been exemplary and have a lot of prestige among the workers. Letting them handle the layoffs shouldn't cause too much of a backlash."
Zhang Yang glanced at the few backup lackeys in front of him.
Then, he opened his mouth with a string of fluent local words.
Lu Hang, standing to the side, was shocked.
The boss really is the boss.
He's been here for so long, and sometimes he still relies on a translator to communicate. But when the big boss speaks, there's absolutely no communication barrier!
Sure enough, the locals who had led the way became quite excited.
"Do you know why I called you here?" Zhang Yang asked in a friendly tone, after all, he wanted to show friendliness and make them feel valued.
"Mr. Zhang, we know that some people down below have been slacking off and not working properly, so we need to lay off a group of people." Several Black men bowed and scraped, saying, "Mr. Zhang, you need us to do this."
"Yes, the specific conditions are all here." Zhang Yang didn't elaborate. "Compensation, your promotion benefits, and the benefits for those who stay... Can you guarantee they won't cause trouble?"
The group of Black men exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Zhang, yes, my father is quite influential and respected in the village. Besides, they brought it on themselves. I will communicate with their families."
"Okay, do a good job." Zhang Yang nodded and told them to get on with it.
In order to complete the system task, those people will be fired whether they cause trouble or not. The only thing to do is to find the locals to handle this matter. It would be better if they could avoid causing trouble. If they do cause a commotion, then we'll just have to deal with whatever happens.
In the mining area, the Chinese management does not directly interact with the grassroots employees because they cannot communicate effectively. Instead, they communicate with local management at each level.
Naturally, the task of clearing out a group of people was also handled by the locals themselves.
The specific list was compiled and then distributed. The personnel changes, involving more than two hundred people, proceeded smoothly without any major incidents.
There were certainly disturbances and unrest.
However, with the mining security team watching intently with guns at the side the entire time, and the people being cleared out being locals among them, the small disturbance vanished without a trace. In particular, after these people were cleared out, everyone noticed that the mine's production was not affected at all; on the contrary, the remaining workers' enthusiasm for work increased even further.
"Mr. Zhang is wise!"
All the senior executives at Kaiwei Mining started praising him.
Zhang Yang smiled, but only stared at the group of mine protection team in front of him.
After a significant number of personnel were dismissed, the system-triggered mission was naturally completed without a doubt. The fully armed hundred-man mine protection team in front of him became extremely loyal to him and was given the skill of proficiency in gun shooting.
With a little training and a significant investment in equipment, these individuals are no less capable than elite special forces.
Special forces operations typically involve a squad of a dozen or so people, but he has over a hundred, a whole company. This means he's only focused on protecting the mining area; if he wanted to pull off something more sophisticated, he could easily become an armed force capable of completely overwhelming any surrounding armed groups.
"Train my people, and the price is negotiable," Zhang Yang said with a smile, glancing at Chris beside him.
This girl may seem quiet, but she actually served in the Royal Marines and was a true elite among elites, a master among masters.
"Mr. Zhang, train them?" Chris smiled.
Over the past few days, her interactions with Zhang Yang have become less rigid and formulaic, and Zhang Yang has increasingly revealed her true emotions to him.
The smile she wore at that moment was clearly the kind of smile one would give when facing a rabble of utter disarray as a top-tier special forces member.
This isn't just targeting Zhang Yang's mine protection team, but rather any rabble.
"You think they're not good enough?" Zhang Yang countered.
Although the people in front of us are a diverse group, they now possess at least two unparalleled qualities.
To be absolutely loyal to him is to be absolutely obedient to him.
Shooting proficiency equals hitting the bullseye every time; everyone becomes a sharpshooter.
With proper training, this mine protection team, despite its name, could become an elite force among elites. How could they be looked down upon?
"Mr. Zhang, professionals should do professional things. Your mine protection team just needs to do their job well. There's no need for further training. Of course, I don't think they're suitable for my training methods either," Chris said with a faint smile.
"Right? By the way, can I borrow your AR15?" Zhang Yang reached out his hand directly.
Chris gave Zhang Yang a deep look, then handed him the AR15, which was still warm from her hand.
Although this gun was invented in the 1950s, it remains one of the most popular automatic weapons in the West, especially in the civilian sector. To this day, it is still widely used in the military, private security departments, and by mercenaries.
Zhang Yang gripped the gun, resisting the urge to fire the bullets at any target he desired, even with his eyes closed.
Yes, once you understand one thing, you understand everything.
With his current strength and absolute control over every inch of his muscles and bones, becoming a sharpshooter is just a matter of moments.
"Come here," Zhang Yang casually beckoned to one of the mine security team members.
That person immediately stepped out of the group, facing Zhang Yang's words without the slightest hesitation.
Chris, who was standing to the side, was taken aback.
This Mr. Zhang seemed to have a much better grasp of his mine protection team than she had imagined.
"Try your aim." Zhang Yang handed him the AR15.
In Africa, on the land of Gango, there aren't many rules; order and laws have long been mere decorations in the eyes of some. And within this vast and enclosed mining area that belongs to him, Zhang Yang, to some extent, can do whatever he wants.
At this moment, there is a specially designated area within the mining area for his mine protection team to train.
There are training grounds and shooting ranges, of course.
"Yes, Mr. Zhang." The member of the mine security team borrowed the gun, bowed slightly, and then raised the gun in his hand with an extremely professional posture.
Click-clack!
A burst of bullets was unleashed without the slightest hesitation.
The bullseye in the distance was instantly pierced by countless bullets.
"Mr. Zhang!"
After firing a magazine, the team member, holding the gun, bowed and handed it back to Zhang Yang with both hands.
"Here you go." Zhang Yang looked at Chris, who was still in shock, with interest and handed the gun back to her. "How about it? My mine protection team, are they up to par?"