The World Online

In order to form a special force, other than the need for candidate selection and a training base, there was still one more requirement they needed to meet—the innovation of weaponries.

They would equip the troops with accessories such as canteens1, backpacks, marching boots, first aid kits, and engineering shovels, in addition to the Shanhai City metal-laceration medicines, military grain pills, and military tents. While the main weaponry would consist of armors, Tang Swords, god arm crossbows, and Qingfu horses. There were also plans for the future development of a military knife.

Hence, the formation of a special forces was a comprehensive project. If they succeeded, it would result in an overall enhancement of the Shanhai City military. It would push the military on the fast path of becoming elites.

The idea of an elite route had long lurked in Ouyang Shuo’s mind, but he didn’t implement it before. Now, with the military forces taking up one-tenth of the population, it brought an immense financial burden to the territory.

At the same time, if they had too many manpower join the military, the industry and economy of the territory would stagnate. Ouyang Shuo’s planned to regulate the number of military forces to 1/15 or even 1/20 of the total population.

Gaia, 1st year October, 12th, Western suburb of Shanhai City.

In four days time, the Construction Division had established a temporary military camp for the 3,250 candidates and the instructors.

With Viper as the leader and Cobra as vice leader, the instructor team would commence the first round of screening tests.

The foundation of the specials forces was physical fitness. In modern military screening, the basic physical fitness test included five-kilometers weight-bearing runs, single parallel bars, 400-meters barrier run, push-ups, and many other exercises.

Currently, all these tests were unfamiliar to the soldiers.

Therefore, the instructor team did not commence the screening immediately. Instead, they started a round of adaptive training. They took this opportunity to also get familiar with the physical fitness of the candidates and draft the training programs accordingly.

According to Ouyang Shuo’s request, other than adaptive training, the instructor team would also provide basic foundation training such as military drill formation, emergency assembly, housekeeping, and the other recruit training.

In truth, the temporary military camp actually acted as a recruitment camp.

Ouyang Shuo did not only want to form a special forces. He also wanted to inject the ways of modern military into the marrows of the bones of the Shanhai military. He aimed to enhance and discipline them and also teach them to use more logical scientific knowledge to solve problems.

For this reason, Ouyang Shuo had laid down the military behavior code of conduct long ago. Unfortunately, Ouyang Shuo was only a layman regarding this matter. He couldn’t even practice it himself, so how could he implement it within the military?

The arrival of the instructors acted as an opportunity.

Even if they disqualified the candidates from the list of special forces, these disqualified candidates could still bring along what they had learned in the camp back to their respective units and popularize it.

Under Ouyang Shuo’s command, every regiment needed to at least send a major and five captains to join the training. The training would mainly focus on them, and they would also become the backbone that spread the training across the Shanhai military.

Due to the candidates being the bests of the soldiers, a small discussion between Ouyang Shuo and the instructors took place. They decided that they would set the training period to one month. After one month, the candidates would go through the first round of screening selection.

The day they formed the recruitment camp, Ouyang Shuo personally went to the camp and gave a speech. He emphasized the importance of discipline and requested the soldiers to strictly follow the commands of the instructors. Otherwise, he would see to their punishment according to the military law.

After he settled all these matters, Ouyang Shuo would pour all of his focus into the upcoming Moon Island naval battle.

In between these events, a little interesting incident took place.

Song Jia suddenly returned to the manor to look for Ouyang Shuo. She said, “Wuyi, I want to recommend you a person.”

“Who is it? What person can make our Dongli Sword Sect Leader, Song Jia, personally come down from the mountain?” Ouyang Shuo teased.

Song Jia hammered him and coquettishly said, “Brat Woodsy, I am trying to help you, and you dare to tease me!”

“Alright, alright, alright! Say, who is it?” Ouyang Shuo raised both of his hand in surrender.

“Didn’t Tan Xiaoli and Meng Feifei come the past few days? I took them into the Dongli Sword Sect. After they settled down, they also brought their families into the territory. Guess what? The father of Meng Feifei, Meng Zhida, is not an ordinary man at all. He was part of the senior management team of the Bank of Jiao State. I think he can fill in your urgent need of finance professionals. That’s why I purposely came down the mountain to tell you this,” Song Jia explained.

As the Four Seas Bank expanded from day to day, Ouyang Shuo sought real-world talents to take charge of Four Seas Bank. He wanted to put an end to the rough and primitive operating mode and change toward a more systematic and fine form of management.

The professionals stationed in Shanhai City were all talents in theoretical research and science. None of them were financial experts, and they had no experience in any bank or financial institution.

The Song Family had these sorts of talents, but in order to avoid arousing suspicion, both Song Jia and Ouyang Shuo consciously avoided the topic. They did not think of asking the Song Family to help.

However, as time went by, this matter had become a troubling issue for Ouyang Shuo. Song Jia knew of it very well. Therefore, after she learned of the background of Meng Feifei’s father, she rushed down the mountain without a second delay.

Ouyang Shuo was gratified, he nodded and smiled, “The one that knows me the best is my wife.”

“You are saying random things again.” Song Jia felt a little helpless, but affection filled her eyes. The fact that she could help out Ouyang Shuo made her very happy.

After Song Jia returned to the sword sect, Ouyang Shuo sent someone to invite Meng Zhida over to the Lord’s Manor.

This invitation surprised Meng Zhida. Although he knew that Shanhai’s lord was his daughter’s old schoolmate, the thought of asking for a job had never once crossed his mind. Rather, he had prepared himself to pension off in Shanhai City.

Ouyang Shuo welcomed Meng Zhida in the hall.

Meng Zhida, 45 years of age, was at the prime time of his life. The long-term work experience at the elite level gave him an unique internal temperament and charismatic personality, a man of calm and passionate, persistent yet elegant.

This was the first time Ouyang Shuo had met Meng Zhida. Immediately, he had a very good impression of the man that stood before him—a financial elite that could command the wind and the clouds in the real world. He smiled and said, “Uncle Meng, have you grown accustomed to life in Shanhai City yet? Forgive me if there was any bad receptions.”

To the players, Ouyang Shuo would not usually put on airs. Not to mention that Meng Zhida was Meng Feifei’s father, an elder of Ouyang Shuo.

Meng Zhida looked at Ouyang Shuo with deep feelings.

The young man that stood before him was of the same age as his daughter, yet their achievements were as far apart as heaven and earth. At such a young age, he climbed up the ladder and made himself the world’s greatest lord without any big background or support. His every action and every move brought about wind and clouds, stirring storms and rains—truly a young overlord. The more commendable factor was that his success did not blind him. He did not turn into an arrogant man. Instead, he remained modest and polite, which was really amazing.

“The reception was great. I still have to thank you for taking care of Feifei.” Meng Zhida smiled.

The two started with casual talk. Other than daily life topics, Ouyang Shuo also asked Meng Zhida for advice regarding economic issues and also the management and operation of the bank.

As they chatted, Ouyang Shuo realized that Meng Zhida was indeed extraordinary. He had his own unique insights regarding economic and financial issues. His words and advice could easily clear away the bafflements in Ouyang Shuo’s head.

Ouyang Shuo did not hesitate anymore. He was determined and said, “I would like to let uncle handle the headquarters of the Four Seas Bank. Are you willing to help me?”

His heart skipped a beat. Although he knew that Ouyang Shuo had the intention to offer him an official’s job, he didn’t expect for Ouyang Shuo to offer him such an important position.

He had not arrived in Shanhai City for long, but his occupational habits gave him some understandings of the Four Seas Bank of Shanhai City. In addition, through the conversation they had and Ouyang Shuo’s seemingly unintentional disclosure, he could see the bigger picture clearer. The Four Seas Bank played an important role within the system of Shanhai City.

For Ouyang Shuo to offer him such an important role during their first meeting, Meng Zhida was at a lost for words. He didn’t know how to evaluate this young overlord. Was he capricious and reckless, or was it simply great confidence? It was hard to tell.

However, in terms of his personal wishes, taking charge of Four Seas Bank was way better than pensioning off in Shanhai City. As an experienced senior banker, the chance to oversee an ancient bank and implement modern ideology into it was very attractive and meaningful.

Not to mention that if he handled the Four Seas Bank well, he could improve his family’s living conditions in the game. It could also benefit the evaluation of his achievement values.

Meng Zhida gazed Ouyang Shuo in the eyes, calm and steadily he said, “I am honored to have your trust, and I shall not decline your sincerity.” Then, he stood up, bowed, and greeted, “Greetings to the marquis!”

A simple greet and bow, yet it changed their status forever.

Ouyang Shuo was flustered. He quickly stood up and avoided the bow, as words came out of his mouth, “There isn’t a need for uncle to act like this.”

Meng Zhida shook his head with great determination and said, “Since I have accepted your offer, I am now your subordinate. I must not break the rules and customs.” After he finished these words, he solemnly bowed and greeted Ouyang Shuo again.

Ouyang Shuo was helpless. He could only slant his body and accept Meng Zhida’s bow.

Meng Zhida was the first player to hold such an important position within Shanhai City’s administrative system; it was an history making event. The professional expert group members were only advisors, so they were fundamentally different from Meng Zhida.

Therefore, Meng Zhida clearly knew the impact his appointment as an official would bring to the other players. There was also another reason why he insisted on keeping the customs. He did so in order to protect and maintain the authority of Ouyang Shuo as the Lianzhou Marquis, the lord of Shanhai.

If he relied on his status as Ouyang Shuo’s elder and wantonly sabotaged the rules and customs of officialdom, his colleague and the other officials would surely crowd him out. It would make it difficult for him to integrate into the officials. Hence, in time he would definitely be taken off of his position by Ouyang Shuo even if Ouyang Shuo wasn’t too willing to.

Ouyang Shuo clearly knew the current situation deep down in his heart. Things would not turn and revolve around his personal will.

While he was the one building the bureaucracy system, yet it also bound him. He couldn’t compromise the rules and customs of the officialdom. In short, he couldn’t arbitrarily act on his own free will anymore.

Before, these matters were all hidden in the dark. However, Meng Zhida had now shone a bright light on it and revealed the truth.

However, Ouyang Shuo did not foresee that his appointment of the manager of the Four Seas Bank today would bring the bank to the world stage, where its name will spread across the oceans.