Lowland Republic's capital, Antwerp City.

In the Upper House, the true power center of this country, eighty Upper House members have all gathered.

Yet, just as in every day of the past half year, the faces of these well-dressed bigwigs rarely show any smiles.

Outside, the streets are bustling with people, seemingly having gradually restored a normal economic order. However, only they know, many things have already changed.

In the last Tulip Bubble and the ensuing bankruptcy wave caused by the "credit tightening," a large number of high-quality assets in the country: mines, plantations, shipyards, factories, trading companies... were bottomed out.

Especially under Aiven's lead, the well-prepared Tulip Alliance gnawed down the largest piece of the pie.

Phaletis seized the opportunity and even acquired the largest Haliburton Iron Company in the Lowlands at a cost nearly equivalent to only one-twentieth of its original price.

The value brought by the subsequent operations of these industries will definitely not be smaller than the wealth Aiven directly harvested from the Lowlands.

Promoting bubbles, aggressive short selling, extreme bottoming out... Aiven's whole set of tactics indeed taught them a good lesson.

The only consolation is that the major bankers and capitalists of the "Eye of Wealth," with industries spread across various countries, are formidable multinational capital players.

Although they bled heavily in the financial crisis, they were not completely knocked down.

The most important thing is that their foundational "credit" once again stood the test, and their savings business in various countries gradually looked optimistic, allowing them to slightly catch their breath over the half-year.

Whether they can turn things around again will depend on today's resolution.

In the midst of everyone's anticipation.

The Upper House Speaker, Netherlands Bank Group Executive Committee Chairman, Saint William Orange, briskly stepped onto the podium.

Raising his arms high, he announced the final news to everyone with vigor:

"Ladies and gentlemen, rejoice, the Upper and Lower Houses and the government have unanimously passed the 'Central Bank Act,' authorizing us to establish a private central bank, granting us the Lowlands... sole currency issuance rights!"

Hoo——!

The entire venue let out a deep sigh of relief as if a gust of wind had blown through, and the bigwigs finally showed a faint relaxed smile.

Clap! Clap! Clap!....

Soon, enthusiastic applause engulfed everyone present.

Everything was simply because the significance of this resolution was too immense for them.

Since last winter, when a large amount of wealth, carried by precious metals, was harvested in the "Tulip Bubble."

The scarcity of metal currency and the many inconveniences of using substitute physical currencies (cloth, grain...) have seriously affected the normal operation of the Lowland Republic.

This prompted them to break out of millennia-old traditional thinking and embark on a brand new attempt, which is for the government to print and issue paper money to serve as the unified and standard legal tender of the "Lowland Republic."

The biggest difference between this paper money and the existing and circulating gold tickets is that it has no physical gold or silver to back it, making it a complete government credit currency.

Since everyone in society needs to pay taxes to the government, as long as the government accepts this paper money as proof of tax payment, it possesses the basic elements for circulation in the market.

Credit-based buying and selling allow merchants to settle credit balances between each other periodically, monthly or annually, greatly reducing the inconvenience of previous transactions.

And when these private banks replace the government in controlling this gateway, the benefits they can derive from it will far exceed the losses suffered during the "Tulip Bubble"!

There are no fools among the big bankers, just restricted by the era and vision that led to the previous major mistakes.

This "Tulip Bubble" also provided them with a new perspective, which is to proactively induce financial crises and harvest the wheat!

All they need to do is play the role Aiven previously played themselves.

Opening the floodgates, nurturing fish in ponds, tightening credit... or excessive currency issuance, inflation, rational theft—no zero-cost business is as exhilarating.

We only need to control currency issuance rights, and we don't need to care who makes the laws!

"Everyone, the first batch of sample currency has been made.

Now we have not only the government's national debt backing but also the Divine Power of the great 'God of Capital and Wealth' endorsing it!"

William Orange clapped his hands, and staff naturally delivered a portion of the yellow-green paper money to each member.

The front of the first note is printed with: a compass with its legs spread wide, and a right triangle ruler facing upwards, surrounded by an eye in pure gold, which belongs to their Association's emblem and code name—"Eye of Wealth."

The back features the Holy Emblem of the "God of Capital and Wealth."

The shape resembles a sharp longsword erected upwards, with one end of the cross-guard being a combination of gold, land, factories, raw materials, and other currency and production materials, and the other end featuring countless working humans.

The overall meaning symbolizes the "Order of the New World," and is named Florin.

"Well, Mr. Speaker, Florin can certainly circulate within the Republic, but the Lowland Republic's scale is rather small. How can it gain widespread international recognition?"

"Exactly, currency should be pegged to corresponding goods. Although the Lowland Republic is already the second largest goods exporter after the 'Tulip Alliance,' its influence is still insufficient."

"..."

Regarding the centuries-long endeavors of international bankers, they can't afford to be careless.

Everyone's focus is not limited to the small place of the Lowland Republic, but rather on the whole world, without excluding the possibility of using their influence to replicate and profit in other countries.

Because the true "Lowland Republic" is a "Deep State"; in other words, the "Eye of Wealth Capital Consortium" is the country's true ruler and ruling class.

That is to say, even if the "Lowland Republic" becomes turbulent and depressed, it does not affect the strength of the "Consortium".

Even if the land and population of the Lowlands cease to exist, the "Consortium" can still find a new Host to maintain a new order.

Capitalists have no homeland!

Now they have already taken control of all economic lifelines of this country, including the central bank, and are the true tycoon group.

This includes industrial trust titans, banking and financial oligarchs, military industry oligarchs, investment giants, agriculture giants, business tycoons, media moguls, and the big capitalist families that have been laying out plans for hundreds of years globally.

The secret to the "Lowland Republic" having enormous influence and potential power at its founding is not in its system or national strength, but in the fact that the true Consortium itself is a ruling class in the form of a super-national organization.

To speak more directly, the true national power of the Lowland Republic exists in the form of "transnational corporations", and multinational companies are the true state departments of the Lowlands.

Just like the big shots sitting in the chamber of the Upper House.

The private bank led by the Netherlands Bank Group belongs to the Ministry of Finance; "Caterpillar Industrial Company" is like the Industrial Bureau; "Maxson Pharmaceutical Company" is similar to the Pharmaceutical Bureau; "Philip Morris International Inc." is akin to the Agricultural Bureau....

Thunder God Military Industry itself is the National Defense Department, and leading higher education institutions like Reading Henley Business School are all privately owned enterprises, equivalent to the Ministry of Education, nurturing and attracting global talents for the corporate consortium.

Conversely, government institutions are merely the interest representatives and implementation bodies of these "de facto departments".

Everything is aimed at maximizing profits!

"Haha, that's a good question. Here's another proposal; please have Mr. Strauss, president of the 'National Democratic Foundation', explain it to everyone."

William Orange ceded the podium to another man, a middle-aged individual who appeared harmless and exuded an artist's aura.

If Aiven were here, he would instantly recognize this "Musician" Strauss under the "God of Music and Opera."

He gracefully bowed to this group of titans richer than nations, and then, with a naturally enchanting voice, he began to unravel the next step of their plan:

"Our next plan is called 'Flowers of Freedom and Democracy'..."

The lawmakers listened with eyes aglow.

The plan is not complicated.

Next, by leveraging the advantages of multinational organizations, they will grandly announce:

Within five years, they will provide loans to 200,000 factories in various countries; train 300,000 factory owners and financial elites; improve literacy rates among the people of all countries; in three years, help train over 100,000 outstanding teachers in various countries; halve the number of illiterate people over ten years.

And external aid is mainly divided into two directions.

One is the Southern New Continent's "Golden Palm Federation" composed of the Nimansite People, Atrean People, and Anuma People.

Of course, while providing loans to this vast potential "Golden Palm Federation," they will not specifically transport those paper bills over there; instead, they will be exchanged for various equipment and materials locally in the Lowland Republic...

This not only supports a brotherly nation but also boosts their own economy.

It's equivalent to using the national debts of both the "Lowland Republic" and the "Golden Palm Federation" to back the "Florin", causing these "scraps of paper" to break through national borders.

The other direction is the many small countries on the Source Continent.

These measures sound like great benefits for the country and the people, and likely no country would refuse them.

But at the same time.

The "National Democratic Foundation" will march under the banners of democracy and freedom, turning newspapers, poets, singers, political figures, students... all into guide parties, praising the current civilization and prosperity of the Lowland Republic.

In a nutshell, these aids are just dog food and fodder.

Starting from three main directions: political ideology, economic lifelines, and cultural education, striking lethally at every turn.

The "Golden Palm Federation," already secretly controlled, is relatively better off and will slowly shift "peacefully".

When the people in the countries on the Source Continent become elated, thinking they can prosper by following this new commercial nation, they do not realize that what awaits them is an endless abyss.

Because when the fortress is truly breached from the inside, it is the moment when the "Eye of Wealth" propels the Capital Torrent to sweep through everything, seizing control of their economic lifelines at the fastest speed, and with endless greed devouring everything!

On the surface, everyone has a sacred vote, allowing them to choose the democratic leader they favor, thereby determining the destiny of the country.

And to gain votes, democratic leaders naturally have to desperately improve national welfare to bring benefits to every voter after taking office.

But.

In reality, "democracy and freedom" have absolutely nothing to do with prosperity; the most fundamental issue remains the conflict between limited resources and unlimited population.

"Seconded! Letting the flowers of democracy and freedom blossom in all countries is our mission!"

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

Ah, freedom, how many crimes have been committed in thy name?