035 Establishing the Foundation

Of the twenty people present, Lin Yan and Hei Tu were certainly in agreement.

Among the remaining eighteen, A-Lan was the first to state her position, raising her hand in approval. After a moment of hesitation, Granny Shui also agreed. Following this, five more people raised their hands one after another, but as everyone looked at Huang Ye and saw her remaining noncommittal, they grew hesitant.

Lin Yan watched Huang Ye as well. As the most senior member of the tribe, her stance was crucial. If Huang Ye raised her hand, the majority of the others would likely follow, and the matter would be settled. After a few minutes, Huang Ye raised her hand in agreement. As expected, the rest of the group followed suit immediately.

In the end, the proposal was passed with sixteen hands in favor. Sun City now had its initial management structure: three arbitrators and fifteen group leaders—the birth of an electoral system. Although the division of power was not yet clearly defined, Lin Yan felt it was a good start; once there was a foundation, future improvements would be much easier to implement.

Next, Lin Yan proposed the plan to divert water, which everyone agreed to unanimously, as it was a great benefit to all. With the discussions concluded, Huang Ye and A-Lan decided that early the next morning, all adults should gather on the central avenue to elect the fifteen group leaders and the final arbitrator. The criteria for an adult were tentatively set at twelve years of age and older. Lin Yan was quite satisfied with this result; they had proposed the age limit themselves before she even had to bring it up.

Returning home that evening, Lin Yan told Hua Hong about the day's events. Their family belonged to Group Two, and since a leader needed to be chosen, Hua Hong would certainly be involved. A direct manager was important, as it related to the long-term development of their household.

"Anyone can be a group leader?" Hua Hong asked, stunned. She never expected that her daughter’s outing would lead to such significant changes. "You were supposed to talk to Huang Ye about diverting water, so why did you suddenly bring up elections?"

Lin Yan felt that her mother’s focus shifted too quickly. "Mother, elections are a big deal. When everyone lives together, there will inevitably be conflicts, and someone needs to manage them. Diverting water requires each group to provide workers, and having a leader will make organizing them much faster. I just brought them up together." She then asked, "Mother, do you want to be a group leader?"

Hua Hong paused and shook her head. "I never thought about it. It’s all so sudden."

"If you want to be a group leader or an arbitrator, you can run for it."

"No, no, I don't have the time. With the family so busy, and besides, I wouldn't know how to manage things. Let's just forget it."

Hua Hong felt she wasn't qualified, and Lin Yan didn't press the issue, as it was supposed to be voluntary.

"Then, who do you think from Group Two could be a leader?"

Hua Hong thought carefully. She didn't interact much with others, as she was always busy working. "I don't know. Who do you think?"

"I want Ye Zi to be the leader. She is very capable, has a straightforward personality, and is warm-hearted; she can help everyone," Lin Yan said with a smile. "Mother, why don't we call Ye Zi's family and Old Hei and the others over? We can nominate Ye Zi together."

"That sounds good. I'll go call them."

When the families arrived, Lin Yan explained the plan for selecting leaders and arbitrators, stating her wish for Ye Zi to lead Group Two. Hearing about this for the first time, Old Hei, Old Lin, and the others reacted exactly as Hua Hong had.

Ye Zi said happily, "Lin Yan, do you really think I can be a leader? What does a leader have to do?"

"Ye Zi, you can do it, and you'll be a good one," Lin Yan said with an affirmative nod. "A leader just needs to manage the people and affairs of the second group. The area from the sixth to the tenth street is the territory of Group Two."

Ye Zi was tempted but hesitant. "What if others don't vote for me?"

"We will all vote for you," Hua Hong, Old Hei, Old Lin, and Mao Mu's family declared.

Ye Ya looked at his mother, his large eyes darting around. "Our families are too small, it's not enough. We need to find more people."

Everyone looked at him; even a four-year-old understood, and so did they. They exchanged glances, and Old Lin was the first to speak: "We'll go door to door." Old Hei and Mao Mu also agreed to go, as they interacted with people often and were familiar with the households in the area. Ye Zi added, "I'll go too." She often visited others and knew the neighboring streets well. Under the cover of night, they set out to campaign for Ye Zi.

Early the next morning, people from every street emerged and crowded onto the central avenue, buzzing with excitement. Some wore rough linen clothes—short-sleeved shirts and shorts—while others were covered in leaves. They huddled together, full of excitement, discussing the day's big event.

Lin Yan woke up after eight. Seeing her stir, Hua Hong urged, "Get up quickly, everyone has already gone. You little thing, still lazing in bed."

"What's the rush? The election doesn't start until nine."

After slowly finishing a bowl of unappetizing meat broth and munching on a red apple, Lin Yan followed Hua Hong to the central avenue. Everyone was there; regardless of age, they had all been notified. Huang Ye and A-Lan took this first election very seriously and had sent people to every house to ensure attendance. Except for those giving birth at home, everyone twelve and older was required to be present. As Huang Ye and A-Lan were older and lacked the stamina, Hei Tu had acted as their representative to canvass each street.

By the time Lin Yan arrived, Hei Tu had already finished with Group Two, and the campaigning was coming to an end. The members of Group Two were gathered around Ye Zi, discussing things eagerly, waiting for the election to begin. Lin Yan watched, thinking that last night’s canvassing had gone smoothly. Seeing the members of Group Two smiling and happy, it was clear they were in favor. It seemed Ye Zi's election as the first leader of Group Two was a certainty. She wondered how the other groups were faring; it surely couldn't be this smooth for everyone.

The election began with Group One, first for the leader, then for the arbitrator. It took over an hour; two people vied for the position of leader, with Bai Yun narrowly winning by ten votes. For the arbitrator, the group unanimously nominated Hei Tu. As the tribe’s greatest warrior, he was well-liked and easy to get along with.

Group Two’s election went smoothly, and Ye Zi won by an overwhelming margin to become their leader. They also chose Hei Tu as their arbitrator. Since the most prestigious members, Huang Ye and A-Lan, were already serving as arbitrators, the third spot was rightfully his.

The election lasted all day, and it wasn't until after seven in the evening, as dusk fell, that the results were finalized. Hei Tu became the third arbitrator as expected. Granny Shui became the leader of Group Six, and Hong Ying, Hong Ling's mother, became the leader of Group Five. To Lin Yan’s surprise, every single group leader was a woman.

The first public election in Sun City had concluded. Of the eighteen members of the first management team, Hei Tu was the only man. This result was somewhat expected; the fact that he was the sole male was already a best-case scenario. It would take time to change people's deeply ingrained mindsets.

Lin Yan felt the current family structure was fine, with lineage passed through the children. However, the tribe could not afford to waste its male resources; to develop faster, everyone had to be utilized.