The abandoned territory had been captured by the Tang Empire. It was now connected directly to the Tang Empire's main territory, Shanghai. The people who stayed in the territory chose not to move to Shanghai even though they had been told that Shanghai was much better than Zhenjiang.
Li Shuang and Cao Jingyi let them stay and made Zhenjiang their operation base for the time being. The expansion team stayed in Zhenjiang to clear the zombies around the territory to ensure the ordinary people's safety. They had to stop for the time being, so the territory was safe from the zombies.
Most of the survivors in Zhenjiang were below level 50. The highest ones were the former members of the Zhenjiang Survivor Establishment, which was still below level 350. Those people still had not adapted to the new world, even though it had been eight months into the game.
Because of that, Li Shuang ordered the expansion team to stop their mission for the time being and stay in Zhenjiang until further instruction.
A group of a hundred people returned through the north wall of Zhenjiang. They returned from clearing the zombies in the north.
"I think we have cleared all the zombies around Zhenjiang, right?" Wan Yongzhen spoke to the person next to him.
"I think so too," Zhen Yang responded, "Then we will continue our exploration on the next day, right, Captain Gan Shuo?"
"I am not sure about that," A commander of a thousand Tarriors motioned with his head to look at the crowd in front of the smart base, "Look at those people. They come back to protest again. I think we will not continue our mission the issue is solved,"
The ten Captains under Gan Shuo looked in the direction. They could hear the yell and cry, protesting something about freedom.
"We saved them, gave them food, cleared the zombies around the territories, yet they still ask for more?" Wan Yongzhen shook his head as he could not understand the train of thoughts of these people.
The root issue was that these people did not want to sign the System Contract to be part of the Tang Empire's people. They felt like their freedom was robbed by the Tang Empire by signing the contract and refused the contract.
No one forced these people to sign the contract, but they had to leave Zhenjiang if they did not want to sign the contract. Li Shuang announced it a few days later, leading to this protest.
The contract itself was just telling them to follow the law regulated by the Tang Empire, and the offender would be punished accordingly. These people did not agree and made an absurd proposition. They were willing to sign the contract if the representatives from Zhenjiang became part of the lawmaker. So these people proposed for the Tang Empire to recruit their representatives to be the lawmakers.
From the proposition, everyone could understand that the representatives from Zhenjiang wanted to rise in rank quickly by using the thousands of masses. Just a simple trick that was easily read.
"It's understandable from their point of view because the Zhenjiang Survivor Establishment's leaders abandoned them," Gan Shuo shrugged and replied with a neutral tone, "However, they are quite lucky that The Emperor is not here. If His Majesty is here, the issue will be solved quickly."
"That's true," Zhen Yang nodded, "We just need to do our job and let our superiors solve the issue. If they order us to drive them away, then we will do it."
Inside the smart base
Cao Jingyi and Li Shuang faced four people, the representatives of the Zhenjiang Community. These fours were the chosen leaders from the thousand people of the Zhenjiang Community.
"I am sorry, but I have to inform you that we can't agree with your proposal. You only have two choices, sign the contract and become part of the Tang Empire, or leave Zhenjiang," Cao Jingyi straightforwardly said as soon as they sat on the chair. This was the third day of the negotiation, and the Zhenjiang Community did not back down from the proposal.`
"We will never agree to that!" A man in his late thirties refuted, "First of all, Zhenjiang is ours in the first place. If someone has to leave, you all have to leave Zhenjiang. Second, if you want all of us to join the Tang Empire, then you have to fulfill our request!"
The man had a jumbled beard and messy hair, and his name was Peng Qigang. Peng Qigang was the loudest among the four representatives, and most of the time, he was the one who talked with Cao Jingyi and Li Shuang.
"Then we will do this in a hard way," Li Shuang stared at Peng Qigang, "We are patient enough to prolong the discussion to three days, trying to persuade you all, but if you don't agree with our conditions, then you have to leave Zhenjiang whether you are willing or not. Also, Zhenjiang belongs to the Tang Empire now.
If you want to take it back, then you must defeat and drive us away from your territory."
"Can we talk it out, Ma'am?" Pu Jiaobai smiled forcefully, "Can you just put one of us into the lawmaker team you mentioned? You don't have to put all of us into the team, but just one. We just want the assurance to ensure that we will not be bullied or abandoned."
"I understand. If you want assurance, then you should sign the contract. In the contract, You can read what the Tang Empire's responsibilities are to the people who sign the contract," Li Shuang shook her head, "Whether one of you or all of you want to join the lawmaker team, then you have to participate in the test. The Tang Empire does not forbid you to join the lawmaker team.
However, we can't just let anyone enter the team; we need to check whether you have the qualifications, thoughts, and capability to join the lawmaker team."
"I told you that I have the qualification to join the lawmaker team. I am a graduate of law school, and I can help you to shape the ideal law!" Peng Qigang raised his voice.
Cao Jingyi massaged the space between her eyes, "Are you deaf or what? Did you not hear it? You can take the test to join our lawmaker team after you sign the contract. I don't know which part you don't understand. If you really have the qualification, then just take the test. I am delaying days' worth of work just to persuade you guys, but my patient has run out now.
Make your decision!" She scanned the other three, ignoring Peng Qigang's glare.