810: Chapter 801 Work for Me 810: Chapter 801 Work for Me Ling Chen set out early, and Gao Yang caught up with Bantuna and the others after daylight had brightened for a while.
Since they were fleeing, there was no time or opportunity to prepare anything.
More than a hundred people lacked food and water, even clothes, and many were already in particularly poor health.
Taking such a group on a long journey without it completely falling apart was a testament to Bantuna’s ability.
By count, Bantuna’s group of refugees had been walking for two days and nights, but the actual time they could use for travel was only during the day.
Movement at night was impossible, and during the day, people in poor health could not walk far before needing to rest.
So, after two days, the group had only covered a little over forty kilometers.
After catching up to the main group, Gao Yang parked his car at a distance.
After letting the Chieftain and others out, Gao Yang drove directly into the long line of refugees.
When he saw Bantuna, Bantuna’s eyes were red.
Upon seeing Gao Yang, Bantuna visibly perked up, then quickly ran to Gao Yang’s car, exclaiming joyfully, “Great, boss, you’re finally back.
Now, everything is up to you.”
Gao Yang’s arrival sparked a cheer.
The laborers were not stingy with words of gratitude towards their benefactor, but observing each of them, weak yet seemingly overjoyed, Gao Yang felt a headache coming on again.
Looking at Bantuna, Gao Yang said helplessly, “I thought you could take care of them.”
Bantuna spread his hands and said, “Boss, how could I take care of them?
They don’t know where they are, and we have one car that, even if packed like a can of sardines, can only fit about ten people.
Moreover, more than half of them can hardly walk, and we’re short on food.
They’ve already been starving for a day.
Put it this way, if you don’t mind, I could call for help.
I guess Martin would be willing to help them, but the question is, would you be willing to do that?”
Gao Yang smiled helplessly and said, “Thanks very much for thinking of keeping it a secret for me.
Your idea is good, but it’s better not to let Martin know about this.”
Bantuna shrugged and said, “You’re the boss.
You gave me a lot of money, so I have to consider the possibility that you want to mine for diamonds yourself.”
Gao Yang felt a throbbing headache and said, “But what to do with these people?
If I leave them and let them go on their own, I reckon not many of them would survive.
What to do, what to do!”
Bantuna moved closer to Gao Yang and whispered, “Tell me the truth, boss.
Aren’t you planning to keep these people to work for you?”
Gao Yang said in surprise, “Work for me?
What could they do for me?”
Bantuna looked clearly taken aback and said, “Aren’t you just saving them to send them off?”
“Yes.”
Bantuna shook his head and said, “I thought you wanted to take them from Captain Sadik’s hands and then make them work for you.
Had I known you were genuinely just a philanthropist, I wouldn’t have bothered to ensure not a single person fell behind.
F**k, it’s very tiring to be so concerned.
It’s already good enough that they were rescued.
If they can make it home, they should go; if they can’t, what does it have to do with me?
Boss, you must understand, I took your money and have to take responsibility for you, but they won’t give me a penny, so why should I go through all this trouble?”
Watching Bantuna shake his head repeatedly, Gao Yang said with a wry smile, “You, you, never mind, I have nothing to say.”
Bantuna smacked his lips and said, “Boss, if you just want to be a philanthropist, then you decide what to do next.
I should remind you, though, that escorting all these people home is simply impossible.
Among these people are Ethiopians, Sudanese, and South Sudanese.
The closest ones are at least two hundred kilometers away from here.”
Gao Yang was somewhat dumbfounded and said, “Then what do you suggest we do?
Just abandon them?
After all the trouble to rescue them, giving up on them so easily isn’t my style.”
Bantuna shrugged and said, “I don’t know what to do; anyway, I don’t know how to send each of them home.
I’m not the boss, so I don’t need to rack my brains.
But if it were up to me, rescuing them would have already been enough; I have no obligation or responsibility to take care of them.”
After agonizing for a long time, Gao Yang finally sighed and said, “Well, let’s forget it; let’s get Martin to help.”
Martin curled his lip and said, “Don’t want the diamond mine anymore?”
Gao Yang said honestly, “Of course I do, but I can’t just watch these people die.
You know as well as I do, if we abandon them, few will survive.”
Bantuna shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands, “Whatever you say.
I’m not the boss; I’m just glad to have it easy.”
Gao Yang was deeply troubled; he really didn’t know how to settle these laborers, nor could he bear to abandon them.
However, the chances of keeping the secret safe with Martin’s film crew were slim.
While Gao Yang was pondering how to ensure that Martin and his crew would keep the secret, Bantuna moved closer to Gao Yang and whispered, “Boss, I actually have a good idea.”
Gao Yang immediately said, “Let’s hear it.”
“Did you kill all of Captain Sadiq’s men?”
“Pretty much, I think they’re all gone.”
“Strong, impressive!
Truly worthy of the name Ram, boss, you’re really tough.
So, since all of Sadiq’s men are dead, why not let these people go back?”
Gao Yang shook his head, “No, I killed all the people in the diamond camp, but most of the soldiers at the outposts are still there, and it’s inevitable that someone will come to inspect the diamond mine.”
Bantuna dismissively said, “You’ve taken out some of Sadiq’s strongest men; are you still afraid of those soldiers at the outposts?
Boss, if you plan to mine diamonds, you’re going to need workers, right?
These people find it hard to go home.
If they leave, they die anyway; better to have them stay and work for you.
Just treat them a bit better, that’s all.
Feed them when they’re hungry, treat them when they’re sick, let them rest when they’re tired, to these people that’s already heaven.”
Gao Yang laughed, “Impossible, actually what you said makes sense, and perhaps these people would willingly work for me, but I don’t have the time, I have more important things to do, I can’t stay here too long.”
Bantuna stroked his chin and said, “If you’re in a hurry to leave, then there’s no way around it, but how about this?
If you bring more people here to completely control the diamond mine, how long will you need?”
After pondering for a moment, Gao Yang said, “Five days, if I decide to mine the diamonds here, I’ll need about five days to bring a lot of people here, maybe even less.”
Gao Yang had many things to do, and the first thing he needed to consider was moving the Akuri tribe to a safe place, but there was no rush for that.
With Martin’s film crew present and Sadiq’s people eliminated, the relocation of the Akuri tribe didn’t have to be hurried, so Gao Yang could leave to meet with Morgan first.
As long as the two agreed to jointly mine the diamond mine, personnel could be quickly put in place, and it would be no problem to send people to seize and protect the mine within five days.
After mulling it over for a while, Bantuna said seriously to Gao Yang, “Boss, I admire and trust you a lot, so do you trust me?
If you do, I can stay with these people at Sadiq’s camp.
I can’t guarantee anything for a long time, but for five days, I promise there won’t be any problems.”
Gao Yang said in surprise, “You’ll protect them by yourself?”
Bantuna waved his hand and said, “I think it’s unlikely anyone will come in the short term, and I can arm them.
If not many people come, we can intimidate them as well.
Moreover, I think they’re just some laborers, who would kill them and then do the work?
So even if someone does come, they won’t harm them.
If things go south, I’ll just tell them to stop resisting, and I can flee by myself.
In summary, if you don’t want them to die, they won’t—worse comes to worst, they will just continue being laborers.”
Gao Yang gestured and said, “Alright, let’s do that, but don’t arm them.
If someone goes to the camp, don’t resist; if worst comes to worst, I can just come and rescue them again.
No big deal.
Radar, you need to tell me the truth, are you planning to take them to the camp and then have them look for diamonds in the river for you?”
Bantuna said righteously, “Yes, that’s what I was thinking.
Since there’s nothing for them to do at the camp, why not let them work a bit?
But rest assured, I won’t make all of them work; I’ll only let the strong ones help me look for some diamonds, as a price for protecting them.
That’s not too much to ask, is it?
Oh, the diamond mine will soon be yours, boss, you wouldn’t mind me taking just a few of your diamonds in a mere few days, would you?”
Gao Yang shook his head, “No more work for them in these few days, Radar.
What you said really isn’t asking for much, and I don’t mind you taking a few diamonds, but still, don’t do it.
I do want them to work for me long term, so, I need to be a bit more thoughtful about it.
I can’t let them think I’m no different from Sadiq.”
Bantuna shrugged, “Alright, I won’t make them look for diamonds in the river.”
Gao Yang patted Bantuna’s shoulder and laughed, “I appreciate you, are you willing to work for me long-term?
The compensation will be good.”
Bantuna’s eyes lit up, “Of course, who would refuse a generous boss?
I’m honored to serve you, boss.
If you don’t mind, may I ask how much salary you’re planning to pay me?”
After thinking it over, Gao Yang said, “Ten thousand US dollars, monthly.
Let me put it this way, there will be a lot of people and equipment coming here, and I need someone reliable to keep an eye on things for me.
You’ll have a long-term job with a monthly salary of ten thousand US dollars.
What do you think?”
Bantuna extended his hand solemnly and said, “Shake on it, boss.
Let’s shake on it.
You truly are a generous boss!
Rest assured, I will do my best in whatever you ask me to, and I won’t touch a thing you tell me not to.
For a monthly salary of ten thousand US dollars, I won’t steal even a single diamond from your river.” (To be continued.
If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.
Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)