Liu Yiwu's meeting with Shen Cong covered four areas.

Duties. Shen Cong could be as involved in his position as he chose. If he preferred minimal engagement, attending Military Committee sessions was sufficient. Everything the Xinyi City Camp Administrator was supposed to handle could be left to the existing management team — he could be a completely hands-off figurehead. That said, when Xinyi City's defense required it, he would be expected to step up.

Benefits. Standard salary and welfare. Access to Command resource allocation. There were corresponding obligations, of course: if he obtained new "more vital" Activity fruit strains, a portion of the seeds would need to be provided to the Command.

Conduct. Observe the law. Broadly comply with the Eastern Theater Command Public Order Regulations. Murder, arson, robbery, and rape were strictly prohibited.

Politics. No factionalism or private cliques. Follow the Command's core political line: "unite all forces to rebuild our homeland." No apocalypse cult activities. Human interests paramount, always.

Liu Yiwu also made no effort to conceal a personal request: he hoped Shen Cong would support the equality policy and not align himself with the priority-first faction.

Shen Cong agreed.

His reasons were straightforward. He had no deep ties to the Command's political infrastructure and no meaningful base of his own. The priority-first policy wouldn't prioritize him — it would hand more resources to other evolved individuals, nurture class stratification, and concentrate access in the hands of a few. That outcome worked against him.

With Shen Cong's agreement secured, Liu Yiwu visibly brightened and talked at length — mostly Liu Yiwu talking, Shen Cong listening without expression. Then the Commissar indicated he had other business to attend to and departed the Heping Town farm ahead of the rest.

Zhao Weiliang stayed behind. He caught Shen Cong's arm and steered him aside for a private word.

"Honestly," Zhao Weiliang said, with the tone of a man who'd been carrying a thought for a while, "my standing committee seat — that's your doing. Politically speaking, New Hefei is now ranked roughly on par with Huai'an City proper. The Huai'an City…