Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

This put even more pressure on Markowitz.

Just as Markowitz was pondering how to steer the conversation away from the topic, Qi Yan himself contradicted himself:

"Not quite right. Maria can be trained to sing Renai Circulation later... cough cough, no, no."

I mean, this money should be used for more important things…

Although Markowitz couldn't understand Qi Yan's ramblings, he quickly nodded in agreement.

In his swaying vision, he noticed that Qi Yan suddenly focused his gaze on him.

Markowitz shuddered: "I can't sing..."

"Who asked you to sing?" Qi Yan rolled his eyes. "I'm planning to use this card to buy Rhodes Island!"

Markowitz: "...The Doctor probably won't agree."

"Why won't he agree?" Qi Yan asked in return.

Markowitz paused for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening, and his heart and lungs almost stopped.

This is blatant money laundering!

"Well... we can talk about these things later. If you'd like, you can pay the doctor to dance for you, no problem."

Markowitz tried to adapt to Qi Yan's rhythm: "Before that, I'd like to ask, Mr. Qi Yan, do you have any thoughts about... striving for a higher position?"

"Strive to improve?"

Qi Yan looked up in confusion: "You mean we should go talk on the ceiling?"

Markowitz: "..."

Even the music from the bands playing passionately all around paused for a moment.

Markowitz tried his best to keep up with Qi Yan's train of thought: "It's not the ceiling of this restaurant, it's the 'ceiling' of Casimir. Would you like to come and see the Federation?"

Qi Yan suddenly understood:

"After all that, they just wanted to recruit me. All this complicated stuff, I'll just agree, okay?"

"You agreed so readily?" Markowitz suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

"When have I, Qi Xiaobai, ever hesitated when changing jobs?" Qi Yan retorted.

Markowitz choked for a moment, then forced himself to say:

"Joining the Federation will definitely require Mr. Qi Yan's efforts. Of course, we know that Mr. Qi Yan is very capable, and we will give you the utmost respect."

You are free to act as you please normally. If you encounter any problems that we cannot solve, we will ask for your assistance, and you will be rewarded handsomely afterwards.

Qi Yan nodded repeatedly, looking like he knew it all:

"I know well the saying 'obey orders but not summons,' just like Erlang Shen!"

"Erlang...Shen?" Markowitz clearly didn't understand. "Is it the title of a certain deity?"

"Never mind that, I've already accepted your offer to recruit me." Qi Yan said, as if to say, "Leave it to me. If anything happens to the Federation in the future, I promise to be the first to react... uh, to react, and I will absolutely protect the personal safety of all the Federation's major tycoons!"

Markowitz was skeptical.

Everything went too smoothly, making him feel like there was something he hadn't considered.

"When do we report for duty?" Qi Yan asked.

Markowitz was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts and quickly waved his hand:

"There's no such thing as reporting for duty. We absolutely trust and respect someone as strong as you..."

"That won't work!"

Qi Yan interrupted Markowitz directly: "Wouldn't that make me, Qi Xiaobai, look like I'm just a useless person?"

"No, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I'm not eating this meal. Come on, let's go to the Federation building. I need to call a board meeting!"

Markowitz was speechless.

This was the first time he had ever met someone who wanted to start a meeting with the boss right away.

However, he didn't dare to say a word against Qi Yan, and he believed that the people on the board of directors would not have any objections either.

Before they could even settle in, they immediately got up again.

The band followed the two as they walked to the restaurant's entrance, bidding them farewell with energetic music.

The ride-hailing driver had never seen anything like this before. With the background music playing, he almost lost control of his emotions and stepped on the gas. It was only when he saw Markowitz's murderous gaze in the rearview mirror that he broke out in a cold sweat and managed to calm down.

The board members of the business federation have been somewhat uneasy since last night.

There was no other reason than that, as the strongest hyenas they had raised, the Wuzhou Alliance had suddenly become somewhat disobedient, and even seemed to be connected with the deaths of several of their companions. It was hard for them not to be afraid.

The assassination attempt by Xuan Tie Dawei was something their defense forces couldn't withstand.

This is why they collectively couldn't hold back and unanimously decided to take back Qi Yan's line of work, attempting to find a stronger person to suppress the Xuan Tie Grand Master.

Some of them also noticed that the knives they were using were too sharp and could pose a great danger if they were out of control. However, given the current situation, they had no time to think of a solution.

When they received Markowitz's message and learned that Qi Yan had agreed to recruit them and was even as enthusiastic as a newbie just entering the workforce, they were excited.

All board members immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed to the federation building.

Only when they were with Qi Yan did they feel safe, without worrying about a heavy iron arrow suddenly falling from the sky.

In the conference room of the Federation building, as the last board member rushed to the scene, everyone held their breath and carefully observed the white-haired figure who naturally sat in the main seat.

Qi Yan crossed his arms, sat in the leather conference chair with a powerful straddle posture, and nodded in satisfaction:

"Now that everyone is here, I'll just say a few words."

All directors: "..."

No one stepped forward to criticize Qi Yan for his improper words and actions; they were all observing what Qi Yan was really up to.

Qi Yan didn't care about any of that. Without uttering a single wasted word, he went straight into his favorite part: the speech.

“I actually understand in my heart that the reason you sent Xiao Ma to find me in such a hurry is because something happened to the Federation and you need me to cover for you.”

"No problem. As long as I, Qi Yan, am here, no one will dare to lay a finger on any of you here. I've made my word clear: you are all honest people. I see and appreciate your respect, the money you give me, and the support you provide!"

The directors' eyes darted around, their minds filled with excitement.

Their plans these past few days seem to have worked perfectly!

Qi Yan suddenly changed the subject: "I have to say a few words to everyone here."

“Mr. Qi, please feel free to speak!” A tall, thin director quickly chimed in.

Qi Yan was very satisfied with the man's sensible performance, nodded at him, and continued:

"If you ask me, you people don't know how to do business at all. You call yourselves business people and talk nonsense about capital!"

You have absolutely no idea what capital is. Take the Great Knight Territory as an example; you've been busy and seemingly very capable, but you haven't even built the most basic capital ecosystem!

"Capital...ecology?"

The moment this unprecedented term was uttered, the board members were completely dumbfounded.

Qi Yan nodded: "That's right. You see, mountains and forests have their own ecosystems, wetlands have their own ecosystems. Everything needs its own ecosystem to gain a foothold and have the ability to withstand risks and shocks!"

Look at yourselves now! A mere Radiant Knight, and you're already causing you endless headaches. You're nothing!

One of the directors, somewhat indignant at the criticism, retorted in a low voice:

"If it weren't for the interference of the Supervisory Committee, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Soliciting excuses!" Qi Yan hissed. "No matter what you say, it all comes down to your own lack of strength!"

I know you're not convinced, but hold on, let me explain in detail what the capital ecosystem is!

Chapter 462 The streetlights are ready

"I ask you, do you know what the most profitable industry is?"

Qi Yan's deep and serious voice echoed in the meeting room.

The board members looked at each other, all feeling that Qi Yan was showing off his limited skills in front of an expert.

One of the directors said confidently, "Weapons, of course!"

"Yes, it's a secure job with stable supply and demand, but it's not the most lucrative," Qi Yan immediately disagreed.

Immediately, someone nearby spoke up:

"I agree. In my opinion, the most profitable sector is definitely healthcare!"

"Yes, it's a basic need. As long as you're human, you can't escape birth, aging, sickness, and death. But the money you earn is tied to your conscience, and conscience is something that will eventually run out." Qi Yan shook his head in denial.

The atmosphere in the meeting room gradually changed, with people constantly suggesting what they thought were the most profitable industries.

But everyone will eventually be refuted by Qi Yan and others, who will cite examples of what they consider to be the most profitable industries.

Just as everyone was having a heated discussion, Qi Yan tapped on the table to draw their attention.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Qi Yan, with a serious expression, said decisively:

"You're all wrong. The most profitable industry is people!"

"...human traffickers?"

Some people, looking surprised and uncertain, asked questions.

"Bullshit!" Qi Yan retorted angrily. "The most profitable industry is the industry of managing people, the industry of labor. Labor is the foundation of all capital, and people are the true source of our wealth!"

The board members were deeply shaken, as if they had suddenly realized some ultimate truth.

Qi Yan suddenly stood up and said passionately:

"You people, you've formed some kind of federation, but you haven't really united. You're all acting on your own, making money using the most primitive methods. No wonder you're so incompetent."

Knights' duels? Opening betting odds? All you know is how to exploit your wage slaves and then use these tempting methods to recoup the money they've earned. To me, that's utterly foolish!

The board members were speechless, all staring expectantly at Qi Yan, hoping he would continue speaking.

Qi Yan was very satisfied with the reactions of these people.

He nodded, placed his hands on the desk, and began to give his opinion:

"In your eyes, infected people are just laborers working in mines, ordinary citizens are just office workers doing odd jobs, and knights are just arrogant and stupid clowns."

But in my opinion, they are not different in any way. They are all resources, and each of them is a huge gold mine waiting for us to mine!

First and foremost, the factories must be reformed!

Factories are divided into different levels. The lowest level, the original parts factory, is only responsible for producing and processing raw materials. This type of production requires the least technical expertise and can recruit a large number of uneducated and inexperienced young men.

These kinds of people are characterized by their large numbers, gullibility, and high motivation. A few promises of benefits will easily lure them in. Then, set them a seemingly reasonable but ultimately unattainable goal, and they'll work themselves to the bone to climb the ranks!

The board members nodded in agreement, finding Qi Yan's analysis to be very insightful, even more detailed than they had anticipated.

Qi Yan's speech was far from over:

"Next is a more advanced factory, which is responsible for secondary processing of the original parts into semi-finished products needed by various industries. This factory can be smaller in scale, with higher requirements for production technology and cost, and recruits seasoned veterans who have stood out from the original parts factory."

These seasoned veterans are no longer so easy to fool, but most of them have started families, so we can exploit them as much as we want. As long as the wages are right, they won't dare to utter a single complaint.

Furthermore, we'll set up additional subgroups, each competing against the others. The subgroup leader won't be chosen based on merit, but rather on who is most sensible. This combined strategy will trap them in an endless cycle of competition, allowing us to reap the benefits!

The room was filled with gasps of breath, and some people even started taking out pens and paper to take notes.

Qi Yan became more and more excited as he spoke, putting one foot on the chair and raising his arms to shout:

"Then, we used media and social media to promote some final product factories and jointly selected a group of top 100 companies, also known as big factories!"

Welfare benefits, we'll provide them! Livelihood security, we'll provide it! Social status, we'll provide it!

This not only keeps truly skilled people in their hands, but also gives all workers the illusion that as long as they work hard, they will one day become employees of a prestigious large factory!

Once the hierarchy of contempt is established, all that's left is their own internal strife, and we will reap a continuous stream of high-quality and obedient labor!

But... listen up, this is important, but this is only the first step in building our ecosystem!

The meeting room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. People even lowered their voices when taking notes, afraid of disturbing Qi Yan's speech.

At this moment, they became the most attentive students on this land, eagerly awaiting Qi Yan's teaching.

Qi Yan did not disappoint them, teaching them step by step: