Chapter 82

Liang Ziyue felt relieved that after he raised his question, Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin did not show any unusual expressions. Wang Xiaojun did not say anything but picked up his teacup and leisurely sipped his tea. Zhang Weixin's expression remained quite calm, and he said to Liang Ziyue, "Liang is indeed a meticulous person with keen observational skills. Yes, as you said, there are indeed some subtle changes happening within the team. Wang and I have noticed this and are studying it, hoping to find the most beneficial solution. If you have any insights, feel free to share them so we can all deliberate together."

Zhang Weixin's response was quite formal. After speaking, he kept looking at Liang Ziyue, hoping to discern from his eyes, expression, and actions the motivation for coming to talk about these issues today. After all, what he was doing now still had some aspects that could not be openly discussed, and he could not reveal the truth without knowing the other party's exact intentions.

Liang Ziyue was a smart person and could sense the probing in Zhang Weixin's words. He replied, "Old Zhang, you're giving me too much credit. If I had a solution to these problems, would I need to come and talk to you? I'm just good at identifying problems, but not at solving them. That's something you and Old Wang need to handle. However, I can assure you that whatever decision you make, I, Liang Ziyue, will absolutely follow it."

Zhang Weixin seemed quite satisfied with Liang Ziyue's response, and Wang Xiaojun, who had been leisurely drinking tea, also nodded in approval. Zhang Weixin first gave a signal to Wang Feng, indicating that he should go to the door to keep watch, and then said to Liang Ziyue, "Since Liang trusts me and Old Wang so much, I'll be straightforward. First, Wang and I don't think the two situations you mentioned are major problems. Of course, I'm not saying your analysis is unreasonable, but it's not comprehensive. Yes, these two situations do have the potential to cause internal friction or division within the team. However, I don't think these negative outcomes are inevitable or even the most likely. In my view, as long as they are handled properly, the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.

Let's take the first issue, about decision-making authority. When we first arrived, there was indeed a resolution, and it was appropriate for the situation at that time. However, things are always changing. As the situation changes, the relevant policies must also change. Can you say that the policies we established at the beginning were absolutely correct and did not need to be adjusted as time passed and our endeavors developed?

I believe that the concentration of decision-making authority in a few hands is not the result of any individual or group's deliberate actions, but rather a trend. Each person in the team has different abilities and strengths. Some are good at research, some at business, some at commanding troops, and others at personnel management and strategic decision-making. Everyone hopes to engage in work they like, and forcing them to participate in work they dislike or are not good at will certainly lead to inefficiency.

We have already held several full team meetings to discuss major issues. You are observant, and if you recall carefully, you will find that at each meeting, only a few people are willing to speak openly and express their opinions, and they are usually the same few. The others are not unwilling to participate in the team's decision-making; they do not speak because their opinions or needs are already being expressed by those few who often speak at the meetings. In a sense, these few people are their spokespersons, or you can think of them as representatives or members of parliament from a previous life. To be honest, the distributable benefits within the team are already considerable, but so far, no team member has questioned the distribution of benefits. The reason for this is that their needs are being met, so the situations you are worried about will not happen."

Liang Ziyue nodded and then asked thoughtfully, "Old Zhang, do you mean that our team is actually moving towards a parliamentary system?"

Zhang Weixin shook his head and said, "Your description is not quite accurate. Our current situation is a product of democratic centralism combined with the actual environment in which the team finds itself. This form is only applicable to our current situation. What it will become in the future depends on how far the team develops. However, I believe one thing is certain: this decision-making method is only applicable within the team. In external matters, we must follow the standards of this era, including the vanguard camp of the Feilong Fort. You can't expect to apply political systems from the 17th century in the 10th century."

Liang Ziyue now understood Zhang Weixin's meaning. He realized that this familiar history professor intended to implement a decision-making method that differed internally and externally. Internally, a decision-making method similar to democratic centralism would be used, while externally, the team would present the hierarchical decision-making method typical of this era. He also understood why Zhang Weixin had been making various arrangements around Wang Xiaojun's status recently—both systems required a leader, and Wang Xiaojun was the person he considered most suitable.

Understanding this, Liang Ziyue was glad he had decided to talk to Wang and Zhang. Now that Zhang Weixin had laid out his plan, it was time for him to express his stance. He stood up, mimicking the gesture of the people of this era, and bowed to Wang and Zhang, saying, "Brother Xin, your words have enlightened me. I, Liang Ziyue, am putting my words on the line today. From now on, I will follow Brother Jun and Brother Xin, and I will follow your lead."

Liang Ziyue's statement pleased Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin. They both stood up, and Wang Xiaojun said, "It's enough that Liang can say this. As long as we brothers work together, we can certainly achieve great things." Saying this, he extended his hand and shook Liang Ziyue's hand tightly.

After that, the three of them sat down again, and the atmosphere became much more harmonious. Liang Ziyue's first question had been answered, but he was still concerned about the second issue. He asked, "I understand the issue of decision-making authority, but I am still worried about the existence of factions within the team. If Brother Xin's plan is questioned during implementation, the opposition we face might not be just an individual but a small group. That would certainly increase the difficulty of implementing the plan."

Regarding Liang Ziyue's concern about factions, Zhang Weixin appeared confident. He repeated the theory he had previously explained to Wang Xiaojun at the Feilong Fort, hoping to alleviate Liang Ziyue's unease.

After listening to Zhang Weixin's explanation, Liang Ziyue basically agreed with his views but still had some reservations. He said, "What Brother Xin said makes sense, but I still feel there is some uncertainty. If there were a way to strengthen mutual trust among all team members, so that even though they belong to different factions, they still think and work together, that would be ideal. In other words, there should be a relationship higher than factional interests, ensuring that factional conflicts are confined to the team's internal affairs and do not affect its external image or future development."

Liang Ziyue's idea caught the attention of Wang and Zhang. They had also been concerned about the potential for internal friction due to factions, but they had not thought it would be a serious problem that would significantly impact the team's development. Now, with Liang Ziyue's suggestion, they found it quite novel and decided to carefully consider it together.

After a while, the three of them still had not found a suitable solution. Then, Wang Feng, who had been keeping watch by the door, suddenly said, "Brother Xin, if you can't think of a solution right away, why don't we think about it gradually? After all, this isn't an urgent matter. It's getting late, and if you don't tell me the story of 'Dream of the Red Mansions' tonight, I might have to sleep in the living room. You don't know, Ziqi, that little firecracker, seems quite casual, but she is very enthusiastic about listening to stories. She keeps urging me to tell her more, hoping to finish 'Dream of the Red Mansions' quickly so she can move on to the other three of the Four Great Classical Novels."

"Four Great Classical Novels?" Wang Xiaojun looked at his cousin with some confusion, "How does Ziqi know about the Four Great Classical Novels? You better tell me the truth."

Wang Feng, after venting his frustration, realized he had let the cat out of the bag and had to admit, "Well... I accidentally mentioned it a few days ago, and the little firecracker used threats and persuasion to get the truth out of me. But I promise, I only told her that these were four novels that were popular overseas, and I didn't reveal anything else."

Wang Xiaojun was furious, "You still dare to say you didn't reveal anything? You've already revealed quite a lot. 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and 'Journey to the West' are one thing, but how do you plan to tell her 'Water Margin'? How will you explain the Northern Song Dynasty, which hasn't even been established yet?"

Zhang Weixin, who had been annoyed by Wang Feng, suddenly had a flash of inspiration when he heard the names of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and 'Water Margin'. He mused to himself, "'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and 'Water Margin', the Peach Garden Oath of Liu, Guan, and Zhang, and the 108 heroes of Liangshan. Yes, this could be a good way to enhance team cohesion."

He then stopped Wang Xiaojun, who was about to scold his cousin, and said, "Old Wang, don't get upset. Telling stories is a minor matter; let's put it aside for now. When you mentioned 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and 'Water Margin', I thought of a way to strengthen team cohesion."

Wang Xiaojun, hearing that Zhang Weixin had an idea, stopped scolding Wang Feng. He looked at Zhang Weixin with confusion, not sure what he could think of from these two books, but soon his eyes lit up, and he said, "You mean we can emulate Liu, Guan, and Zhang, and the heroes of Liangshan, and have a grand oath-taking ceremony for the thirty-five of us who have crossed over to 'Qingyuan'?"

Zhang Weixin nodded and said, "Exactly, that's what I mean. What do you think? Is it feasible?"

"This should be feasible in terms of practicality, but... how many of us from the modern era can truly treat our sworn brothers like real brothers, like Liu, Guan, and Zhang or the heroes of Liangshan?" Wang Xiaojun understood Zhang Weixin's idea but was unsure about its effectiveness.

Zhang Weixin waved his hand and said, "We won't know if it works until we try. If we don't try, we'll never know the result. Besides, we've been in this era for almost a year, and everyone, whether they like it or not, has already been influenced by the ideas of this era. I can't be sure about other things, but I can guarantee that all members will support the idea of an oath-taking ceremony. Moreover, I believe that the effectiveness of the oath-taking will depend on how we guide it."

"I agree with Brother Xin. Even if it doesn't achieve the expected results, it won't worsen the relationships among team members," Liang Ziyue supported the suggestion, and Wang Feng agreed with him.

Seeing that his close confidants all agreed, Wang Xiaojun decided to give it a try. The four of them discussed for a while and decided that Zhang Weixin would go and talk to the two committee members, Xu and Li, about this matter. If they agreed, they would convene all the members of "Qingyuan" to vote on it. If the proposal was approved, they would choose an appropriate time to hold a formal oath-taking ceremony. Before Zhang Weixin left, Wang Xiaojun added that if possible, they should include Master Yuxu, as a way to show gratitude for his initial hospitality. Zhang Weixin agreed and left.