Half an hour later.
There were no applause, no cheers.
The second group meeting had ended.
However, the shock in everyone’s hearts did not diminish at all. Everyone felt as though they were dreaming. Recent developments had been happening too fast. In just two months, power dynamics had shifted, unexpected events, one after another. This already amazed them beyond belief. But never in their wildest dreams did they assume that the new leader would actually start a bank. It was even more unbelievable than a pig climbing a tree.
However, all they could do was hope that the new leader could fulfill his promises. This meeting made many think that they had discovered something new, therefore, they accepted it easily.
After Ling and his soldiers had left,
everyone else slowly left the hut.
Wei Hao followed closely behind Li Sheng, not saying a word.
They did not get far
before Wei Hao could not hold it in any longer once there were fewer people around.
"Old Li, what do you think, are Asia Dollars reliable? What should I do?" Wei Hao looked slightly anxious. The introduction of any new policy would require time to test its pros and cons. Being a shrewd businessman himself, he couldn’t help but worry.
Seeing Li Sheng’s nonchalant manner, even looking a little excited, Wei Hao thought Li Sheng knew something he didn’t.
Li Sheng looked at the box in his hand, smiled faintly, and nodded: "Yes, it’s reliable. When I get back, I’m going to convert all my money into Asia Dollars."
"What? Have you gone mad, converting all your money into Asia Dollars? Why?" Wei Hao asked in surprise.
Has Li Sheng lost his mind?
But Li Sheng’s response made him understand.
"Because it has Chinese characters on it." Li Sheng responded lightly.
"Chinese characters?" Wei Hao murmured. He opened the box and took a good look at the bill, and froze in surprise. He believed Li Sheng’s reasoning. He himself felt a deep connection to it. Even though he was born here, his blood was still that of a Huaxia. His identification with Huaxia never changed. Li Sheng was a Huaxia enthusiast, so was he, just a bit more impatient.
Wei Hao looked at his long-time friend, gritted his teeth, and said: "Alright, I’ll also convert all my money into Asia Dollars." For Wei Hao, this was not a desperate decision. His assets were not all here; he also had investments in Myanmar and Thailand. At most, his assets here only constituted half of his total wealth. So why not take a chance with his old friend?
Upon hearing this, Li Sheng looked at Wei Hao and smiled, "Hehe, a wise choice. Leader Ling has come prepared this time. No one can stop him and his supporters. The sooner, the better. You might get some unexpected returns in the future."
Wei Hao’s expression changed. He looked around to make sure no one was close by and asked: "The supporters? What else have you heard?"
"Buddha said, it can’t be told, it can’t be told." Li Sheng responded mysteriously. He knew that being cautious was a rule of survival. Being discreet in words was even more so. The most important part was, he, himself, did not know the details.
Now he was certain that this Leader Ling was not an accidental occurrence. He couldn’t be one of the forces around here. Could a force that only knows how to battle produce such high-quality currency?
Impossible!
He speculated that someone or a huge entity was backing this new leader. A man or a nation.
If it were one person, this new leader would absolutely be promoting individualism in his territory and preparing to run away at the first sign of trouble. But this new leader did not do that. He did not advocate personal worship or buy a large amount of weapons. Instead, he focused on economic development, large-scale infrastructure, and establishing a legal system, among other things.
This Ling was definitely not the biggest boss, there must be someone else behind him.
As for which entity it was, Li Sheng was unsure.
There were too many possibilities.
Yet, it could be a particular few nations: firstly, the United States; secondly, Myanmar; thirdly, Huaxia; fourthly, Thailand; fifthly, Laos.
Without specific information, he had no reasons to exclude any countries. Any of them could have motives or abilities to facilitate such actions.
Therefore, he decided to just act mysterious.
However, no matter what, Li Sheng knew one thing, that was, the opposing party was not just after the money in their hands, they had larger plans. Therefore, adhering to the powerful entity or national thigh did not seem like a bad idea under the circumstances.
All the above are merely Li Sheng’s hypotheses. Most of the villagers were actually of the same mind. They directly credited everything to the Myanmar government, believing that the bank was opened by the Myanmar government and that they were the ones supporting Ling.
There were those who were excited, those who were disappointed, and those who were confused. But they all knew one thing – they could only follow Ling till the end.
...
After saying goodbye to Wei Hao.
Li Sheng rode his motorcycle back to the village. In the past, all the roads here were dirt trails and traveling on a motorcycle was bumpy. Now, he felt the touch of civilization as he rode on a smooth cement road.
In the past, he hardly ever left the village, nor did he have a motorcycle. However, ever since he became the village head under the new leader, he not only received a decent wage and various benefits but also a means of transport – this motorcycle. Its monthly fuel consumption within a certain range could even be reimbursed, and repair services were free, which left many in the village green with envy.
As one of the first few to receive such "privileges", Li Sheng felt only one thing - pure elation.