Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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Ronan began to explain his economic theories by incorporating historical context.

Simply put, debt can expand the scale of the economy and bring benefits to the people and the country.

Wang Pingzhen roughly understood and asked, "How do you solve the drawbacks?"

“I don’t know, and there may be no way to solve it, but the farmers’ associations and trade unions I envision, as long as they operate normally, can bring a certain ability to correct mistakes. Perhaps the cycle of economic crisis comes faster than the cycle of dynastic rise and fall, but does that mean we can’t develop? The West has already begun to move into a new era. If Seris doesn’t change, it will fall behind.”

Ronan expressed his helplessness, but continued to offer advice.

Wang Pingzhen fell silent.

“Even if you don’t want to, I’ll still do it. But then the Farmers’ Bank will be run by the Ju’an people. You may not know how notorious these people are in the West. Their specialty is lending money. Can you believe they’re not human? They’re just a bunch of brutes.”

Ronan unleashed his killer move.

If you're not willing to do it, then a bunch of thugs will have to do it. So, are you in or not?

Wang Pingzhen laughed, "Ha, aren't you the biggest creditor? The kind of credit money you're talking about is based on debt, and all such money is borrowed from you. People work to repay their debts, and the money returns to your hands, forming a closed loop and giving birth to your so-called market economy."

"It's not me, it's the state, or rather the central bank controlled by the state, which is the bank of banks."

Ronan said this was not a defense, but a fact.

Just when everyone thought there would be another debate, Wang Pingzhen suddenly changed the subject and agreed, saying, "Alright, I'll take this job. The country's economy can't be controlled by a foreigner like you."

“Okay, but although you have great insight in this area, you are not familiar enough with the business. I suggest that after you become the bank president, you should not take any action for the time being. If you really need to take action, go to Elena. She knows a bit about it and can make the decision.”

Ronan then gave him some more instructions.

"Don't worry, after serving as an official for so many years, I still have self-awareness," Wang Pingzhen replied.

Ronan breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, all the necessary work regarding this election has been done.

It doesn't matter who is elected at that time; even if it is Lü Delin, Ronan is confident that he can complete the construction of the farmers' association.

For his entire plan, it was enough to be able to establish the farmers' association he envisioned and to develop agriculture at full capacity; everything else could be put aside for the time being.

With agriculture thriving, everything else is just a matter of time.

If agriculture doesn't take off, everything else will be a problem.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Ronan bowed respectfully and left.

At this point, with only one day left before the first formal meeting, all parties were making their final efforts.

Zhao Jun is still working hard to garner votes, using the plan that Ronan gave him.

A group of officials, led by Xu Tianci and Wang Sizheng, earnestly advised Lü Delin to prioritize the overall situation and to run for election with a strong stance, so as not to let Pei Jinghai, that cunning fox, succeed.

Meanwhile, Pei Jinghai began to continuously coerce and entice several committee members within the navy.

Everything was proceeding according to Ronan's plan, but he wasn't sure what the final outcome would be.

Humans are not chess pieces. Chess pieces do not move on their own, but humans do. Once they move, the course of the game becomes unpredictable.

Chapter 932 The Structure of the Committee, Candidate Agreement, and Election Process

The following morning, in the same old place, the garden that provided catering, the first formal meeting of the Provisional Military Defense Committee was held.

The chairman is the highest leader.

The Chairman will be temporarily assigned nine departments: Secretariat, Staff Office, Military Manufacturing Office, Army Office, Navy Office, Special Management Office for War Economy, Military Education Office, Transportation Office, and Military Law Office.

The purpose of this meeting is firstly to elect a chairman as the highest leader, and then the chairman will make personnel arrangements.

It seems that this personnel arrangement is meaningless, because some department heads are actually a foregone conclusion, and there is no second choice. If the chairman insists on appointing someone else, the person appointed will definitely not be able to perform the job.

For example, in the Military Education Department, besides Wang Sizheng, who else could it be?

However, everyone here is a smart person. Smart people understand that an organization needs a leader, and it also needs to make compromises and give up interests to give that leader authority. Therefore, the leader must have room to maneuver. As for whether he can achieve the desired result, that is another matter.

If the leader acts recklessly, fails to perform their duties, and causes widespread discontent, then we can simply replace them with a different leader.

It's difficult to change the leaders of the government, but this is a committee; changing the leader is too easy.

"Gentlemen, let's first name our preferred candidates for chairman. We'll decide on the candidates first, then discuss the election process. Once the process is agreed upon, we'll proceed with the election."

Ronan said.

He still chaired the meeting. He did nothing and quietly took over the power to convene the meeting. No one cared about it. After all, in the eyes of the committee members who were used to the way things were done in the government, this was not a power at all.

Although everyone knew perfectly well that the candidates were Provincial Treasurer Lü Delin, Naval Commander Pei Jinghai, and Prince Zhao Junyong of the South Sea, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.

“I’ll go first. I nominate the Provincial Treasurer, Lü Delin,” Ronan said first.

Everyone was slightly surprised, but then Dinia and Isabel mentioned Pei Jinghai and Zhao Junyong in turn. They then realized that Ronan had just mentioned it casually and had no intention of supporting Lü Delin at all.

Just then, Ambriina suddenly said, "I think Tan Qifeng is good."

Her words left almost everyone dumbfounded.

Tan Qifeng was a committee member recommended by Ambrina. Although he was also an extraordinary person, he had no power or influence. He was a somewhat famous writer, most famous for his calligraphy and painting, but only in Guangdong. He didn't earn much money, but his daily expenses were not low. To be honest, many people thought it was a joke for someone like him to come in.

Ambriina didn't seem to care at all, and retorted, "Is that not allowed? Wasn't it agreed that all committee members are eligible to run for election? Isn't Mr. Lin Shi a committee member?"

"Ahem, okay, we'll make a note of it for now," Ronan coughed and said.

Actually, this was something he had discussed with Ambrina beforehand.

This somewhat joking gesture was intended to add a touch of democracy.

“That’s right, why can’t I be nominated?” Tan Qifeng, whose pen name is Lin Shi, was not intimidated at all and echoed in a somewhat playful tone.

No one paid any attention to him.

Ambrina made a joke, but no one made any more jokes after that; the same three names were nominated over and over again.

After going through this process, four candidates were selected.

"Gentlemen, let's discuss the election process," Ronan announced, moving on to the next stage of the meeting.

At first, someone suggested a vote by raising hands, but then someone objected, and everyone started talking over each other. Before long, the scene became lively.

The reason it turned out this way is simple: the way elections are conducted can influence the election results.

why?

Because Pei Jinghai and Lü Delin are people many people present can't afford to offend, a vote by raising hands? That would show who wouldn't vote for them, and that would be outrageous.

Under normal circumstances, this would be fine. Apart from a few individuals, those present weren't truly unable to offend these two, after all, they were both local "Master Huangs".

The problem is that this is not an insignificant election, but an election that will greatly affect the interests of all parties. Putting aside everything else, this committee has a special wartime economic management office and a military law office. What does this mean? It's too simple: it means to implement military control to a certain extent in certain areas.

As they argued, they started hurling insults, and as the insults continued, they began threatening each other.

Just as Lu Ming said, the extraordinary beings of Seris are outwardly pedantic but inwardly scoundrels.

The West is the same; on the surface, they are nobles, but inside they are thugs. If you can't reason with them, they'll grab a weapon and start a fight.

Given this situation, if nothing is done, the meeting cannot continue.

However, Ronan didn't rush to stop it.

Similarly, neither Lü Delin nor Pei Jinghai intended to speak. Lü Delin had already laid down, while Pei Jinghai was secretly observing. In the midst of the argument, it was possible to discern who was on whom side. Zhao Junyong, on the other hand, seemed somewhat at a loss. Although he was a precocious young man, there were few people present who he, a mere figurehead prince, could control.

After a long pause, Ronan stopped the argument and offered a suggestion.

First, the voting is by secret ballot; second, each directly invited member has two votes, and each recommended member has one vote; third, directly invited members cannot abstain.

Ronan's plan was not a fair and just one, and many people disagreed with it, but it generally won the approval of the majority.

“I think we should let the candidates speak before we start voting,” Ronan suggested.

No one objected to the proposal.

I have no objection to speaking, but the order in which people speak is another issue.

Those who speak later not only have the advantage of referencing those who speak earlier, but also the advantage of targeting those who speak later.

After some discussion, Pei Jinghai spoke first, followed by Zhao Junyong, and finally Lü Delin. Lü Delin seemed resigned to his fate, saying it was fine for him to speak last. To show his humility, Pei Jinghai gave up his place as the last speaker to Zhao Junyong and went first.

Just as Pei Jinghai was preparing to speak, Ronan spoke first, "I see that everyone is a bit tired. Why don't we have some tea and snacks, rest for a while, and then proceed with the next steps?"

We all ate a quick bite early in the morning and rushed over. We had just been arguing for a while, so we were all a bit thirsty.

Tea and snacks are prepared in the kitchen before dawn, mostly steamed items. The steamers are brought over and tea is poured in.

Dim sum is quite common in Guangdong. Business people often use it as a place to entertain business partners, drinking tea and eating dim sum while discussing business.

However, there are many people here who have not had much contact with the government. Officials are either invited to grand restaurants or private banquets, while other top gentry, although they also do business, entertain guests by arranging banquets in a garden, not in a teahouse, which would be too low-class.

Drinking tea and eating snacks eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

After morning tea, the main event begins.

Admiral Pei Jinghai was the first to take the stage.

Chapter 933 Speech: The Benefits of the Farmers' Association System, Slacking Off and Oddities

The group of committee members attending the meeting were not indoors, but outdoors, sitting around several large round tables.

After the garden attendants cleared the table, Pei Jinghai stepped down from his seat, stood to the side, and began to speak.

"There's not much to introduce. Everyone here knows who I am, and I believe you all understand that this committee was formed because, given the lack of support from the imperial court, we stepped forward on our own initiative, uniting officials and civilians to fight this war together, right?"

From the very beginning, Pei Jinghai displayed an unyielding and assertive demeanor.

"It's not just this war; there will likely be more wars in the future. To put it bluntly, there are rebels everywhere in the country right now, and we loyal people will definitely help the court suppress them."

Continue to make a high profile.

“In this day and age, war cannot be fought without a navy. I think that in this vast country, although I, Pei, am not the most powerful person in the navy, there should be no one else like me in Guangdong.”

What he really meant was that only he could handle the war.

"As for civil affairs, our committee is full of talented people. I believe that as long as I don't cause trouble, everything else will be fine."

This means that he is willing to relinquish the power to govern the local area.

"I'm done."

After finishing his speech, Pei Jinghai swaggered back to his seat.

Pei Jinghai didn't take this speech seriously at all. Although he didn't just go through the motions, he wasn't serious at all. In his view, those willing to vote for him were either there because of his status as naval admiral or because they had already made a deal with him. As for the others, they could vote for whomever they wanted. What was the point of this speech? Apart from the few individuals randomly invited by Ronan and his group of foreigners, who among them wasn't a fox or a wolf? You couldn't reason with these people no matter how hard you tried.

They only care about guns and money.

Next, it was Zhao Jun's turn.

This former emperor's younger brother should have had a chance to sit on that throne, but because he was adopted into another lineage, the young prince who had no chance of ascending the throne appeared much more polite than Pei Jinghai. At least he greeted everyone else and introduced himself. Even some of the lowly and powerless people that Ronan and his group of foreigners had brought in showed him respect, which was enough to make the right gesture.

His title was King of the South Sea. Theoretically, Nanhai County was his fiefdom, which was actually Nanhai District of Foshan City in another time and space.

In reality, however, this prince had no right to manage the affairs of Nanhai County. He could only manage the properties of the princely mansion, and none of these properties belonged to him entirely. He simply held shares in some of these properties, such as shares in a government-run ironworks and an incense factory.

This was the case for all the princes, large and small, in the Kingdom of David. Forget about land; they were forbidden from taking on large numbers of servants. They could only own shares. The successful ones owned shares in the salt fields, which could generate huge profits, easily reaching millions in assets. Those who fared moderately, like the Prince of the South Sea, were relatively wealthy, spending a hundred taels of silver without a second thought. The unsuccessful ones could only dabble in miscellaneous minor official properties, earning a meager thousand taels of silver a year—the level of a rural tycoon.

Think about how Lin Wenhua gave Ronan a gift of 100,000 taels of silver right off the bat.

"Gentlemen, although I haven't been in Guangdong for long, I've been in Foshan for quite some time and have some understanding of the industry, commerce, and agriculture here."

Zhao Jun's posture was undoubtedly much more humble than Pei Jinghai's.

"Regarding agriculture..." Zhao Jun began his long-winded speech, which was basically based on Ronan's style.

The goal is to establish a farmers' association that oversees farmers' production and daily life, and to invest through the farmers' association bank. This will involve projects such as land development, water conservancy construction, fertilizer application, and high-yield seeds, promoting intensive production in specific areas and comprehensively increasing the agricultural output value of Guangdong. At the same time, this process of promoting agricultural commercialization will lay the groundwork for the subsequent large-scale development of industry and commerce.

Of course, throughout the process, the farmers' association will also have branch associations, which are like "fiefdoms".

"In the short term, the establishment of farmers' associations may weaken everyone's power, and you may even have to contribute money and effort, but you are not allowed to expand at will, resulting in a great loss of interests. However, in reality, under the system of farmers' associations, your influence in the local area has been greatly expanded, and your wealth will also increase after a period of time."

"In the past, or rather, under the current system, your power and wealth are actually unstable. Once there is no powerful official in your family, others will take action even without the court's intervention. I'm sure you are all very clear about this."

"Take General Lin's family for example. If it weren't for such a general, would they be able to occupy the largest share of sugarcane planting? But once General Lin retires, there will be big trouble."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Lin Wenhua, who not only didn't seem embarrassed, but was also smiling quite comfortably.

Lin Wenhua thought it would be difficult to persuade his family, but his father, the head of the Lin family, who was actually his uncle by blood, insisted on supporting Ronan's approach despite everyone's objections.

The old man said only one thing: "Do you parasitic mortals know better how to govern a region than someone who turned a country of 20 million people into a Western hegemon?"

The whole family fell silent after being rebuked. Of course, Lin Wenhua thought that the reason they didn't speak was probably because they were more afraid of Ronan's amazing ability to bring down the governor in a few moves.

Zhao Jun's speech is still ongoing.

"But if it were a farmers' association, everyone would be in the same system, in a local giant agricultural enterprise with the characteristics of a monopoly group. Everyone would no longer be competitors, but shareholders of the same company. There would be no life-or-death struggle, and they would even have to unite to maintain the whole system. At that time, there would probably never be a situation like when an official like Lord Lu came to confiscate property, and everyone not only did not help, but also rushed to betray their teammates."