Darkstone Code-Chapter 701 - 0699 one pit after another
If people are not allowed to lead happy lives, the position of the ruling class will become dangerous!
Everything happening in Nagariel is proving this point. People have no interest in changes to the country’s political system; they just want to earn more money.
Some may think that this has nothing to do with the stability of the ruling class, that making money and politics are two separate matters, but thinking this way is a big mistake.
For the public, paying attention to making money while ignoring changes in the political system itself indicates that they have no sense of belonging to this country. Everything happening in Nagariel today is a disaster the rulers themselves have planted.
To better rule and enslave the public, they have sown bitter fruits.
Even more interesting is the new name of the country after Nagariel changed its system—Nagariel New Federation.
This name seems to hint at something, although it may not represent anything at all.
As tensions between the world’s two major camps slightly increased, the ship carrying Nagariel laborers safely docked at the port of Amelie Province.
Dense rows of containers were transported to the ground at the port, followed by a large number of people emerging from the containers.
The expressions on these people’s faces were not good. To save on shipping costs, they didn’t have private rooms and beds, all crowded in the containers.
Inside the containers, there was something like a swing fixed at the top, where people could sit to rest or even sleep. This was to fit in as many people as possible.
A layer could sleep underneath as well, and it wasn’t difficult to fit twenty or thirty people in one container.
The real reason these people looked so miserable was due to the sanitation issue.
Unlike passenger ships, cargo ships didn’t fully consider the waste disposal needs of passengers. A fully loaded cargo ship couldn’t manage the waste of so many people, so they could only have people eat less and relieve themselves less to reduce pressure.
Even so, over the span of three days, there would have to be at least one or two times for relief, so every container was filled with a stench. If it weren’t for the open doors of the containers, they probably wouldn’t need low oxygen; the smell alone could suffocate them.
This included various body odors, the smell when vomiting, and as it was midsummer, there was no shade on the sea; the sun nearly roasted the outer layer of containers from around seven in the morning.
The stench was unbearable not only for the Nagariel residents in the containers but also for the crew members.
Fortunately, it was all finally over.
People felt like they had come from hell to paradise, and some smiles appeared on their faces.
Akumal, with a cigarette in his mouth, watched his compatriots and had more thoughts and ideas.
In Nagariel, people’s faces showed only numbness and suffering, occasionally a bit of cunning and the ability to find joy amidst struggles, but mostly numbness.
But since the Federation people came to Nagariel, the smiles on his compatriots’ faces increased, and even opportunities they had never considered before, like going abroad, appeared in front of them.
Watching these people, he experienced a brand new realization that the importance of the economy to people and society is far greater than politics.
After all, politics is too distant from ordinary people, whereas the economy touches every aspect of their daily lives.
The leader who came to collect the people patted the door of Akumal’s truck, signaling that he could go.
At this moment, Akumal’s truck was packed with people.
These people huddled together, smelling each other’s odors, but their faces beamed with hope and joy for a new life and a promising future.
In less than an hour, a call reached the desk of the Zhuris Commerce Association’s president.
"...I hired these people from Lynch... yes, I was unaware beforehand... you can talk to him yourself!"
The call was from a Gafura person from the port city. The situation there was relatively better compared to inland, and the local animosity toward the Gafura wasn’t so pronounced. They could also recruit workers, but workers wouldn’t stay long.
Most workers would quit after three to five days or one to two weeks, and they sought another job only after spending their money, which was precisely the characteristic of port cities.
These bustling cities are full of temptations, and people don’t have the patience to sit obediently in factories all day. With the local-Gafura divide and conflicts, Factory Owners have no solution.
The inability to retain workers means no skilled or technical workers could be developed. Factory Owners have to hire such workers at a high cost, incurring extra expenses. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
When they saw many Nagariel residents being brought over, they immediately realized that this was a great opportunity.
Compared to the local people, whose tension with Gafura remains high to this day, Nagariel people, who have no ties to anyone, are more suitable for working for the Gafura.
When they found out that the shipment was intended for the Gafura Commerce Association of Juli, the phone call came through.
After hanging up the phone, the president of the Commerce Association frowned. He thought for a moment, got up, walked over to the safe, opened the safe door, and took out a copy of the contract signed with Lynch.
He carefully read through it and even called his lawyer to confirm that the contract did not stipulate that the signed laborers had to be locals.
This is a bit troublesome.
After sitting down, the president was already feeling a headache. He initially thought Lynch was bringing locals over through other means, and neither of them discussed this issue specifically when discussing the contract.
The president of the Commerce Association considered it an "understanding" between him and Lynch, completely unaware that it was actually a trap set by Lynch.
While large-scale use of Nagariel people could solve the labor shortage, it continually worsened the tension between Gafura people and locals.
But the contract was already signed... Looking at the long list of breach clauses in the contract, the president sighed with pain.
In Gafura, a signed contract, no matter how detailed, isn’t as effective as a word from a noble.
The next day, the president of the Commerce Association, along with other merchants, met Lynch in the suburbs of Juli, as Lynch had requested. First, to clarify some matters, and second, to directly take the people.
"I never thought forty thousand people could be this many. They’re completely uncountable!" The president exclaimed as he looked at the densely packed crowd.
Lynch corrected him bluntly, "There aren’t forty thousand people here; just under ten thousand. The others are still in transit. Our transport capacity is limited, and everyone will arrive here over the next five days. So you’ll need to discuss among yourselves who starts work first and who starts later."
He then showed a somewhat unpleasant smile, "Of course, you can wait for everyone to arrive before distributing them, but these people will start getting paid from today."
The president frowned, feeling a bit discontent but keeping it to himself.
This isn’t Lynch making things difficult for anyone; it’s a fact.
The local transport system was completely destroyed in previous confrontations with anti-government forces, and the entire region’s railway is entirely paralyzed.
The government has limited manpower, and repairs are painfully slow. Furthermore, all available repair capacity has been focused on the cross-border railway.
This section of railway is responsible for transporting goods from the nearest port to Gafura via land transport to Amelia, spanning long distances and taking significant time, making it currently the most important transportation line.
Until the joint military exercises end, there’s no need to consider sea transport issues.
For the short-term, without new forces filled in, it’s impossible to fully restore train transport capacity. Trucks are the only option.
Lynch’s transportation team is currently the largest and strongest in Juli, and he’s maximizing his efforts but can only achieve this level. It’s not intentional.
From Lynch’s gaze, the president of the Commerce Association discerned something else, something quite remarkable and extraordinary.
Just like when you come across someone’s gaze, you might immediately sense some of their emotions.
For example, harmful, harmless, indifferent, disgusted, ignored... He doesn’t need to speak, just a mutual gaze lets you strongly feel these emotions from his eyes.
At this moment, the president caught a slight hint of malice in Lynch’s eyes, feeling a bit hesitant and probing, "Is there something you haven’t finished saying?"
Lynch laughed heartily, "You’re very perceptive, Mr. President, but I must say your feelings are spot on."
He said, beckoning to a group of people not far away, who came running over with ingratiating smiles, "Mr. Lynch?"
"This is the president of the local Gafura Commerce Association, a local luminary. In future, your work will mainly be responsible to Mr. President..." Lynch solemnly instructed, "While carrying out your work, be sure to adhere to local laws and customs, and avoid disrupting harmony, understand?"
The group nodded repeatedly in agreement, resembling small characters from some film.
"Who are these people..." The president suppressed his curiosity and asked.
"These are the leaders of the Workers’ Union. They will set up branches locally, mainly responsible for coordinating potential conflicts between laborers and management."
Upon hearing this from Lynch, the president’s eyes widened. He looked at the young men and his expression was solemn, "I have some things I’d like to discuss with Mr. Lynch privately..."
He just stared at the young men, who sensibly withdrew without feeling humiliated, leaving the space to the president and Lynch.
Once they had left, the president’s tone revealed some resentment and anger, "You never told me about the Workers’ Union!"
