What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 624, Article 74 (3600 monthly votes in July)

The loud noise woke everyone up. Upon hearing that there was a fire, they immediately grabbed whatever they could find and rushed out. By the time Wang Wu saw it, the flames had already been extinguished.

Under the dim yellow incandescent light, the ground at the corner of the warehouse still smelled strongly of kerosene, and blue shards of glass reflected light faintly.

Wang Wu stepped forward, picked up a piece, and noticed a pile of empty wooden crates just a few meters away. Looking further over the fence, he immediately realized what had happened:

That must have been a group of inexperienced attackers trying to set the pile of wooden crates on fire with homemade Molotov cocktails, but because of their inexperience, they missed and only managed to make one Molotov cocktail.

Even if no one puts out the fire, the warehouse won't catch fire; the flames will extinguish themselves in less than ten minutes.

"Hey! *&￥@^!"

The guards outside the fence had already surrounded them. Although they couldn't understand what the guards were saying, it was clear that they wanted to drive them back to the warehouse.

Only their henchman knew a little Chinese, but he only appeared briefly during the day... Wang Wu could only wave his hand:

"Everyone dispersed, but the brothers on night shift continued to keep watch."

Although it was a false alarm, Wang Wu couldn't help but ponder:
If it were a deliberate act by Lecce, the method would certainly not be so crude. Such a simple piece of work is more likely to have come from some reckless and audacious young thug who might have exhausted all his skills to make a Molotov cocktail.

But if it's the latter, it means it's not that someone wants to harm them, but... that's really bad.

He secretly decided that he must contact Wu Long again as soon as it was light, and at least move them to a safer place.

The warehouse was too close to the street, and given the appalling state of the infrastructure in the warehouse, with the desolate wilderness just behind it, it was practically unsafe.

……

At daybreak, Geigin immediately held a press conference to announce the news of the warehouse being attacked with incendiary bombs, and expressed to the media his doubts about whether Lec deliberately threatened the personal safety of the employees, and once again demanded the release of the detained employees.

Meanwhile, more details of what happened in Jakarta on April Fool's Day have been released. The world has learned that hundreds of military police and students clashed and died. Calls for calm have been made and various parties have issued messages urging tourists to avoid dangerous areas and stranded people to leave immediately.

This warehouse arson incident has put immense pressure on Lucas, who was forced to respond that the fire was caused by aging wiring, but said that people would be moved to a safer location.

At this very moment, Hu Li suddenly released the original contract for the Mionas oil exploration project online and to the media, pointing out Article 74, the contingency plan clause: -
When dangers arise in the oil development area due to force majeure, such as natural disasters, war, or violence, Gekin has the priority to dispatch his own transportation to bring the dispatched personnel back, and shall not be liable for any losses caused thereby.
Additional explanation: Considering that local conditions may prevent normal regulation, vehicles picking up employees should be allowed to enter the employees' location without procedures, with the personal safety of employees as the primary objective.

As soon as the terms were announced, Hu Li immediately stated that the conditions for their effectiveness had been met and that she was willing to hire a foreign passenger ship belonging to a certain charitable foundation from the local area of ​​Zhuawa at a high price to take the person away.

When asked by reporters whether this clause was too coincidental, Hu Li's answer was also very straightforward:

“We took into account the potential risks when the economic crisis occurred last year, and this clause is legally binding as it was signed by all three parties!”

This explanation is quite convincing, after all, the economic downturn in Southeast Asia didn't happen overnight.

However, when the terms were announced, both Sean and Luke were completely baffled and quickly went to look up the contract, which was thicker than a dictionary.

The contracts signed by multinational companies are extremely complex. Generally speaking, there are common templates in the industry. As various strange things and loopholes are discovered, they are constantly improved and expanded. They basically take into account all aspects and have a frighteningly large number of pages. In addition, the number of multilingual versions is even more astonishing.

After finally finding the clause, Luke and Sean discovered that not only was it there, but there was also an additional note explaining that the clause added at the time of signing had been confirmed by all signatories as required, and there was no issue of deliberate concealment.

Lec quickly questioned Serginho, who remembered that there was such a thing and had hesitated because its content was somewhat sensitive and ambiguous. But at that time, Geigin insisted, and Serginho ultimately did not think there was a big problem and signed it.

Fortunately, Sean was very experienced in manipulating contracts, and he gave Lecce some advice:
First, the questioning clause lacks objective applicability, and since the current emergency situation has been declared, it is not recognized.

Second, the conditions for the denial clause to apply are met, since the local public security is clearly very good!
The tug-of-war thus entered its second round. While using delaying tactics, Lec was also trying to get Geigin's employees to give false testimony. As long as they were willing to accuse Geigin of illegal activities, they could immediately gain the upper hand.

Many of the former trainees who were released by the training school also want revenge. It is suggested that the detained employees be taken out one by one and coerced or lured.

After all, with a total of nearly 500 people, how many of them are timid and unable to resist temptation?
This tactic was undeniably ruthless. On the very first day of its implementation, it caught Wang Wu and Wu Long completely off guard. They had no confidence that everyone could withstand the intimidation and temptation, knowing that if things continued this way, they would inevitably run into big trouble sooner or later.

If things continue like this, Lec's success will be inevitable, and if a few employees lie and give false testimony, Geigin will be in a very passive position.

However, the external environment is changing too fast.

The bloodshed on April Fool's Day ignited a long-simmering powder keg before anyone could even react.

International organizations downgraded the local tourism safety level three times in two days. On the third day, even foreign journalists were injured and dared not leave their hotels, relying on informants to relay the shocking chaos via radio.

Through the scattered photos and videos that have been released, people see fire, rain, shattered glass, and tearing air.

The land degenerated faster than anyone imagined; widespread chaos quickly escalated to the point of power and water outages, gangs taking the opportunity to loot shops, and street brawls.

On April 4th, the words "outsiders have swindled our wealth" reached everyone's ears, but the authorities turned a blind eye. The cunning rioters, who had been feeling uneasy for a long time, seemed to have received tacit approval, and a ferocious beast was unleashed to sweep across the land.

……

Squeak.

The heavy fire door was pushed open, and Lec, accompanied by his bodyguards, shoved a sailor inside. He patted the sailor on the shoulder with apparent satisfaction, then shoved a roasted pig's trotter into his hand before casually pointing:
"You, come out here!"

As the sailor who had been called was led away, everyone in the spacious room immediately surrounded the man who had just been released, their eyes lingering on the greasy pig's trotters while they asked:
"Did you say that?"

The person who was asked shook their head, and everyone seemed a little more at ease. The pig's trotter was quickly divided among the nearby companions as usual.

Wang Wu, sitting in the corner, saw this scene and his face darkened.
Since receiving guidance from those former Hong Kong triad leaders, Lec not only kept picking people up individually, but also happily sent them back each time with a small gift, thus sowing suspicion among everyone.

Adding provocative remarks, such as the promise of release if one were to accuse a former leader, makes the current situation extremely dangerous.

After nearly two weeks of agonizing waiting, the group's trust was on the verge of collapse.

Please don't...

Through the not-so-thick walls, Wang Wu could feel the commotion outside again. After the warehouse fire, they had been moved to a school auditorium, which was closed for classes but closer to the core area.

There's no other way; the infrastructure in Bitong County is too backward, and even a more remote location wouldn't be able to accommodate so many people—we can't just keep arranging for them to stay in a high-end hotel, can we?
What Wang Wu didn't know was that just yesterday, when the looting of any vulnerable areas that might contain wealth had already begun, the resorts and hotels where they had once spent money recklessly had been destroyed by a swarm of thugs. The management had long since absconded with the money, and the ordinary waiters had also left with all their belongings, leaving only a scene of devastation.

As the noise grew louder, Wang Wu realized that the commotion outside seemed to be directed at them. He quickly went to the sealed window, peered through the crack, and gasped in shock at what he saw outside:
A swarm of "locusts" was swarming down the street, and Lec was on the front lines with his bodyguards trying to stop them.

Lec isn't stupid. If Geigin's employees are killed or injured without explanation, the problem will be huge, and he will definitely be made a scapegoat afterward!

He tried to use his prestige to drive the crowd away, but he seriously underestimated the violence that, once it started, would not stop.

Finally, the loud banging into the air calmed the restless mob down, and they reluctantly left.

However, at the next street corner, before the crowd dispersed, an ordinary-looking, skinny young man touched the hundred-dollar bill Johnny had given him and shouted at the top of his lungs towards the school:

"It's them! We all know those people inside are very rich. They spend more every day than we earn in a year. They do it all by stealing our oil and taking back what belongs to us!"

A few simple words immediately set the rioters on the edge. They had all witnessed these employees' extravagant spending in the area, and their eyes turned red with rage, turning them into a frenzy.

But when they thought of Lecce's soldiers, did anyone dare to take action?

The skinny young man immediately shouted:

"When it gets dark, we'll sneak in through the back door. There are too many of us, so once we break in, no one can stop us! Burn them alive, burn these damned thieves alive!"

"But General Lec..."

Someone asked worriedly.

"Ha, that coward, he's a traitor who's in cahoots with those people!"

The rioters, now fearless, immediately became excited, emitting all sorts of strange screams, as if they wished for night to fall immediately.

Unbeknownst to them, a dilapidated tractor in the distance began to slowly dissolve, transforming into an old truck.

The staff on Miãos Island have little to worry about, but for the sailors from Biton County who will be facing danger, Bumblebee has always been their absolute safety guarantee.

Neither this region nor this era has the ability for a final short video to spread globally, so under these circumstances, the Autobots can also serve as quite excellent stealthy assassins.

At this moment, Wang Wu was anxiously thinking about his next move. Looking at the increasingly dark sky, he knew that a great calamity was probably coming, and he was already making the worst-case scenario plan.

As he leaned against the wall, he suddenly felt as if the wall behind him was moving, and it became more and more obvious. When he turned his head, he found that it had been covered with cracks and bulged inwards, as if it was being pushed by a huge force from the outside and was about to break.

Confused and shocked, he tried to pry the loose stones from the crack, but saw no suspicious person through the gap.

Continue moving the broken bricks, and soon a large enough hole for an adult to pass through will appear!
The other sailors around were astonished by what they saw. After sending someone to stand guard at the door, Wang Wu cautiously peeked out, and then... there was a mountain of gasoline cans, dry rations, several Browning cigarettes, and a note under a compass. The note contained words pieced together from newspaper clippings:
Leave your coat and identification behind, pour gasoline inside, destroy the documents after review, and leave from here along Highway 245.

Although it was hard to believe that all of this had happened so quietly, Wang Wu suddenly perked up, and the fatigue and anxiety of the past few days vanished!

However, his companions were already tugging at his trouser legs, so he quickly crawled back in and had the hole blocked. Then, Lec walked in with a gloomy face and announced that there would be no food for the night. Everyone had to be quiet and obedient. Finally, he checked whether the welds reinforcing the windows and doors were secure before closing the door.

Some people have already realized the problem:
"Oh no, why didn't Xiao Ma come back with him?"

Everyone around felt a chill. A few minutes later, someone near the window peeked through the crack and saw something, then shouted:
"Little Ma drove the jeep, traitor!"

Wang Wu's heart tightened, and he immediately understood:

Lec should have realized that he couldn't stop them and couldn't take hundreds of people with him, so he was preparing to run away. The little horse that was kicked out was probably frightened by what had just happened outside and had obviously decided to give false testimony.

If Little Ma were willing to cooperate with Lec, even if all of them died, the truth could be distorted and they could be fooled with other reasons... Fortunately, they received support!

To further confirm his suspicions, about ten minutes later Wang Wu went to push and bang on the iron gate, but the guard's loud shouts did not come.

He rushed to the podium, announced that the company's support had arrived, and took out a note asking everyone to follow the instructions on it!

Soon everyone began to take off their extra clothes and throw away their identification documents, and orderly crawled out of the hole to begin their work.

An hour later, the last person escaped the school and fled to the designated location. By this time, the auditorium was filled with gasoline vapor. Bumblebee quietly stepped forward, forcefully stuffed five heavy oxygen torpedoes into the auditorium, and carefully punctured the fuel tanks.

Fifteen minutes later, as night fell, the bumblebees lying on the hillside saw countless dark masses rushing into the school, using various tools to break down the sealed doors and windows, and soon swarming in through the gaps.

A T6 drone with a camera was filming the scene below from a low altitude in the distance. After most of the rioters stormed into the empty auditorium, the entire stage was reduced to rubble and obliteration with a deafening roar.

The bumblebee leaped up and hopped into the school in a few steps through the darkness.

……

At the same time, Hu Li once again invited reporters to the press conference. Unlike before, the background of the press conference was a huge projection screen, and a series of shocking pictures were being played in turn.

The above shows the devastation unfolding across Sulawesi. Due to the chaos in the area, information transmission has been difficult, and this is the first time journalists have seen such a wealth of on-site photographs.

It appears to have been shot from a height of over ten meters, just enough to capture the details clearly, to the point that some reporters even vomited on the spot upon seeing certain parts.

Hu Li leisurely played through the photos before posting the last few:
The scenes depicted hundreds of people crammed into the warehouse like refugees, being served meager portions of soup, soldiers reinforcing the welded-on windows, and countless rioters surging in; simply playing the scenes in sequence evoked a flood of thoughts in everyone, and some realized that it represented the tragedy unfolding before their eyes.

"For the past 15 days, we have been trying to resolve the misunderstandings that have occurred in the Mionas oil field in a fair, reasonable and mutually satisfactory manner, but the facts have repeatedly shown that Geigin's concessions are putting hundreds of our employees in a difficult position, treating them as suspects and subjecting them to the most unbearable injustice in history, despite their efforts to advance humanity."

Now, even their personal safety cannot be guaranteed. Continuing to wait will only tear countless families apart. We cannot accept this uncertainty and have decided to implement the rescue in accordance with Clause 74.

Hu Li paused here before continuing:
"Because it was difficult to hire fishing boats willing to take on the task in the chaotic area, we decided to seek help from the Goose City Fisheries Association and request them to send a boat to Sulawesi to pick up our staff!"

(End of this chapter)