NOVEL WEB Chapter 108: Defense Contractor
Over the next few days, thanks to the efforts of more than a dozen HR staff members,
The company's more than five thousand new employees were reassigned based on their specialties.
Those with engineering backgrounds—over a thousand people—were assigned to the technical group. These people would intern at the newly acquired Alfa Romeo and several other Italian companies, and later be sent to major American companies for internships, or even to American universities for further study. In short, everyone would be put to their best use.
Then there was the liaison group, mostly made up of liberal arts graduates. These people had to learn German, especially technical German. Officially, this was to facilitate communication with prisoners and the repair of German equipment. In reality, it was preparation for the future, as large numbers of German technical experts would eventually come to North Borneo, and these people would become professional translators.
As for those with only a high school education, they were directly assigned to the defense group for rigorous military training. After all, going deep into a war zone was dangerous—they needed to be armed and have some combat capability. Of course, they also needed to learn German.
In Pierre's plan, the task force was never just…
It's not simply a search team, but rather a talent pool—a reservoir of skilled individuals for the future development of North Borneo. We must ensure that everyone's abilities are put to good use.
After the teams were formed, training was naturally required. Once they donned American-style uniforms and picked up carbines, they were transformed into a special detachment under the Allied Command. To foster a sense of belonging within the team, Pierre even designed a team flag—a blue dragon on a red background—and a round armband, also featuring the blue dragon emblem.
The reason for choosing the blue dragon was that, in terms of traditional Chinese geography, Borneo lies to the southeast of China, which corresponds to the position of the blue dragon.
...
At noon, the blazing sun scorched like fire, making the rocks burningly hot.
But people's hearts burned even hotter…
"Payroll's here!"
Tian Qiu shouted in the barracks:
"Liangzhe, hurry up, it's payday!"
Wang Mingyuan rushed to the dormitory door and called inside:
"It's payday! I heard they're paying us from the day we left China—two whole months' salary, all at once!"
"Boss is awesome!"
For a moment, the barracks were filled with cheers, and for good reason… Zhenhua Company's wages were high!
Two months' salary—that's a hefty sum!
It wasn't just the ordinary staff who were excited—even Sun Delin, a colonel in the army, was stunned for a good while when he received his envelope and saw the thick stack of US dollars inside.
"These… these really are US dollars…"
He was so surprised because he never expected to actually receive his salary in US dollars!
Even if someone had said they'd pay in dollars, nobody would have believed it—after all, talk is cheap.
Just then, Zhao Xiyong walked up to him with a broad smile.
"Deputy Commander Sun, how much did you get?"
"I'm at the management level—$120 a month, so $240 for two months…"
$240!
Officially, the exchange rate was one US dollar to 20 fabi (Chinese legal tender), but on the black market, it could fetch up to 50 yuan. And that was only because the government had been buying up excess currency with gold to stabilize the value.
"One month's salary is about 6,000 yuan. Back when I was at the Ordnance Department, I couldn't make that much in an entire year!"
Sun Desheng was momentarily stunned by Zhao Xiyong's words, then replied,
"Officer Zhao, you're management too! Your salary isn't any less than mine!"
His remark made Zhao Xiyong burst out laughing.
"That's right, that's right. Who would have thought that this job nobody wanted would end up being such a windfall for me…"
The reason Zhao Xiyong said this was because nobody wanted the assignment—not only was there no money to be made, but it also meant becoming a company employee. Who would want to give up a high-ranking post at the Ordnance Department to become a staff member at some company?
With no connections, Zhao Xiyong was drafted into the role. As for Sun Delin, he was also conscripted—he was supposed to be leading troops to retake Myitkyina from the Japanese. But after being wounded at the front and sent to the rear for treatment, he had barely recovered when, due to a lack of suitable senior officers among the dispatched personnel, he was drafted as well.
Who would have thought that this unwanted job would come with such a high salary?
"Yes, yes, the pay is good—not just for us, but for the men as well."
Patting Sun's shoulder, Zhao Xiyong said,
"Deputy Commander Sun, the war will end someday. When the war is won, staying with the company might not be a bad path for everyone. Besides… $25 a month in pay!"
When he mentioned "$25," Zhao Xiyong couldn't help but draw out the words:
"You could never earn this much back home…"
He shook his head and sighed,
"But staying on won't be easy! When the time comes, who knows if they'll even keep us…"
In reality, retaining people is simple.
From start to finish, Pierre was never worried about anyone interfering with the special detachment.
Why? Because their pay was guaranteed—the detachment's salaries were paid by Zhenhua Company. While it wasn't as much as the $50 a month that American soldiers got, a monthly wage of $20 plus a $5 battlefield allowance was still more than most could afford to pay.
Of course, if the Americans weren't footing the bill, even for Pierre, supporting several thousand people would be a considerable burden. And back home, it would be impossible to grant such high salaries to just a few units.
Money was one aspect, but more importantly, he knew history: after the victory in the war, demobilization would be inevitable. In fact, even now, the country had already started reducing troop numbers to improve combat effectiveness. After the war, the scale of demobilization would be even greater.
Clearly, this had nothing to do with the special detachment.
What exactly was this Allied Command Special Detachment?
First, it wasn't an army unit—it was a defense contractor.
As for these officers and soldiers from home, from the day they left India, they were no longer in the military chain of command, but employees of Zhenhua Company, operating on the battlefield as defense contractors.
Even if the military had promised to restore their status as soldiers once they returned home—
At that point, the company would actually be their only option.
So, Pierre was never worried about the future of the special detachment. Since these people had come here, there was no way they'd leave. Of course, it wasn't that they weren't allowed to go back, but that they wouldn't want to—because in Borneo, they could have a future…
The dream job and income.
While the task force was being divided into groups, organized, and undergoing adaptive training, the Allies also launched Operation Dragoon, aimed at liberating southern France. Hundreds of thousands of Allied troops successfully landed in southern France.