You're Strong But Now You're Mine
Chapter 156 - 155: Qing Lan Still Needs Further Transformation

Chapter 156: Chapter 155: Qing Lan Still Needs Further Transformation

This night, everyone in Xuanzhu County had a sleepless night.

Even if you slept like a dead pig, you would be called out to watch the commotion—no, the fireworks—no, well, in short, to see the big bosses in trouble!

Half City was ablaze with fireworks that could be seen across the entire Xuanzhu County. Fortunately, Half City was located outside the county, with city walls as barriers. Otherwise, it would be hard to say whether the fire would have spread into the city, though the city walls facing Half City were blackened.

The sounds of firefighting echoed through the night sky, with the Patrol Execution Guard, various merchant guilds, and the Governor’s office all sending people to fight the fire, even the gangs sent people to help. It was truly a concerted effort, a united front against the disaster, everyone working together to fight the fire, and if the Imperial Court still cared about Dongyang District, the Xuanzhu Governor’s office might have sent a report titled "Nationwide Firefighting" to claim credit.

However, in reality, the ordinary people remained relatively calm.

If anyone planned to help, there would be someone next to them advising:

"Ay, don’t rush. Nobody lives in Half City; they’re all rich people’s factories. No need for you to help with the firefighting."

"But it seems like they lack manpower..."

"Ay, have you read the ’Youth Daily’? Rich people’s homes have faucets with clean water inside. We drink the unwanted well water. They can fill a pool to swim in. What use is it for you to carry a bit of water? Sit here and watch; once the rich open a faucet, the fire will be extinguished."

Then the fire did not get extinguished by the next day.

However, daylight meant the Martial Artists would escape the nighttime weakness, improving firefighting efficiency by dozens of percentage points. Plus, Half City was surrounded by water on three sides; although the river water was stinky due to industrial pollution, it was useful enough to quickly draw water and extinguish most of the visible flames.

Then Half City became both stinky and charred, like a burning landfill.

However, given some people rejoiced at the factory district’s burning, naturally there would also be those who were indignant about it.

"Boss Zhou! Boss Zhou, open the door!"

"The factory’s gone; do we still have jobs, will salaries be issued?"

"Pay the money for this half-month first!"

"Master Zhou, our family is waiting for rice to cook. Please give the money for this half-month first."

"Why did those damned ones have to blow up the factory!"

Vehicles slowly passed through the streets, the doors of many merchant guild shops in the outer city tight shut, while workers gathered outside shouting loudly—they were supposed to start work at the factory early in the morning, but now, if they were to go, they might as well only do the heavy labor of rebuilding.

"It’s too tragic..."

Upon hearing Qing Lan’s sigh, Le Yu rubbed his eyes and asked, "What’s wrong?"

"So many factories are gone, certainly leaving many workers unemployed," Qing Lan said, looking out the window. "These people relied on factory work to survive. Now how will they live? And how will their families survive? Many might have to sell children, wander in displacement..."

Unknowingly, Qing Lan clenched his fists: "Backlight Particle, they are the kind of chaos-seeking bandits that fear a stable world! Why must they attack Half City? Why must they shatter everyone’s livelihoods, and why must it happen on the day the young master is on duty..."

Le Yu wasn’t mad at all. He’s not a White Night Walker; why should Qing Lan’s cursing bother him?

But since this plan was Le Yu’s idea, he argued in his defense: "But don’t you think the root cause of these events is Silver Blood Association’s attempt to lower wages while increasing worker exploitation? The rebellion of Backlight Particle is essentially resistance from the workers against the factory, making Silver Blood Association aware that they cannot act unchecked."

Qing Lan shook his head: "But Silver Blood Association just wants to earn a little more money from them, while Backlight Particle is destroying the environment, preventing everyone from having their meals!"

Le Yu shrugged: "If Silver Blood Association continues to act like this unrestrainedly, the workers will sooner or later be unable to eat."

Qing Lan doubted: "How can it be? If workers cannot eat, how can the factory have anyone to work?"

"Then establish a threshold," Le Yu said calmly. "Suppose Bright Young Men start to decline physically at age 34, reducing work efficiency, then only employ young men, and their wages would only allow them to fill their bellies or buy a drink to numb themselves. As they grow old, they will be dismissed. Although the young turn old, new young people are emerging, allowing factories to never lack workers."

"If compared to machines, workers are the parts and gears of the factory machine. As long as the machine moves, whether parts and gears break or not... If they break, just replace them with new ones."

Qing Lan subconsciously covered his mouth, shaking his head to reject this speculation: "How could it be..."

"Why not?" Le Yu retorted. "Previously, when the realm was not chaotic and the Imperial Court could still intervene in Dongyang, Silver Blood Association dared not act recklessly. But now, with chaos in various districts and the Imperial Court weak, Silver Blood Association has long been eager to act."

"My brothers might have been just scapegoats for Silver Blood Association... the workers frequently revolt because they can eat. Silver Blood Association has long wanted them to starve."

"If Backlight Particle’s attack this time really forces Silver Blood Association to restrain themselves, it would already be a victory."

What Le Yu said actually lacked much evidence; most of it was his guess.

It is indeed quite interesting, while flipping through Jing Zhengwei’s many years of memories, he suddenly discovered something: the year the old emperor was assassinated and died, many merchant guilds under Silver Blood Association hoarded supplies simultaneously, causing prices to soar, creating public outrage. However, soon the Governor’s Office and Silver Blood Association reached a consensus, resulting in normal circulation of goods and a slight drop in prices—yet still more expensive than before.

Probe-type price increase with success.

Then Silver Blood Association demanded the merchant guilds owning many factories to manage their workers and servants, to prevent further worker revolts. Jing Family bore heavy pressure due to this. Yet this demand was essentially a choice for Jing Family: either feed workers well, or extract from workers to prevent unrest.

The choice Jing Family would make was almost undoubted.

Therefore, Jing Zhengwu and his people stepped on mines, beginning tentative wage cuts, only this time running into a steel wall.

Even if Jing Family doesn’t lead, Silver Blood Association would sooner or later implement similar measures—each district caught in war turmoil, influx of displaced people, and the harsh reality pressuring them to intensify the squeeze on the lower classes. How could they feed them with their own flesh?

Meanwhile, Silver Blood Association’s true purpose emerges clearly: aware that their basic platform for power-grabbing is their means of production, factories, and workers, they will go to great lengths to stabilize this platform, expanding the servant system, and engaging civil-military collaboration to suppress revolts, which is a normal operation based on this reason.

However, due to the presence of Backlight Organization and White Night, suppression within Silver Blood Association never bore much fruit; either there’s revolt here or protest there, just like invincible wildfire. Chaos in the realm is also Silver Blood Association’s opportunity—if the Imperial Court cannot interfere with them, they may freely test the workers’ limits.

The best scenario is to lower the workers’ limit as much as possible, just barely allowing them to stay alive, yet making them too busy working to resist and think, transforming them into gears and parts knowing only about living and working, altogether severing potential risks from Silver Blood Association’s basic platform.

Class conflicts in Dongyang District have grown to the degree that they could erupt anytime, and such eruptions often mean the dissatisfied raising their fists toward those with vested interests. Solving class conflict lies in two approaches: easing conflicts to lower fists or not resolving conflicts but solving those dissatisfied—ensuring they cannot raise fists.

Silver Blood Association follows the latter path.

Actually, Le Yu always held pessimism toward White Night in Xuanzhu. If Bright Young were still in the era of swords, spears, and halberds, holding pitchforks might have given hope to overturn Silver Blood Association, but the problem now is the era of firearms and executions—facing Silver Blood Association supported by Heyang Army, without equally powerful armed forces, no matter how many times White Night rebels, it would only bring about bloody suppression.

Le Yu didn’t think of a solution to break the impasse; he was merely playing it by ear.

"But, but..." Qing Lan stammered nervously, seeing the noisy workers outside, she happily exclaimed like a student who caught a glimpse of the right answer during an exam: "But the Backlight Particle’s attack on the factory, no matter how justified they feel, the ones paying the price are these poor people! They’ve lost their jobs, if their hands don’t work, they don’t eat. How will they survive?"

"There will be jobs." Le Yu said calmly: "If the factory is burned down, it’ll naturally need to be rebuilt to produce machinery. At the very least, they can carry bricks. Before I left, I had the steward inform the factory manager to start rebuilding."

Qing Lan pointed out a flaw: "But others may not rebuild the factory! In a place where Backlight Particles can come and go and attack at any time, will other companies still be willing to build factories here?"

"Of course they will."

"Why?"

"When you have cockroaches at home, do you abandon your home for other places?" Le Yu laughed, "What’s more, to the Silver Blood Association, Xuanzhu County is even more important than a home. Elsewhere, the association is just a moneybag for both government and military, to be exploited. Only in Xuanzhu County can they unite and stand as a tripartite force against the other two sides."

"Compared to attitudes elsewhere, Backlight Particles are not a big problem for the Silver Blood Association. Not only will they build factories, but they’ll build more and bigger, using workers to confront the Governor’s house and the Heyang Army!"

"Speaking of which." Le Yu curiously glanced at Qing Lan: "Do you have a grudge against the Backlight Particle? I noticed you keep trying to badmouth them, I thought you’d be secretly cheering for them."

Qing Lan avoided eye contact: "I... I don’t think as much as you do, young master, so it just angers me seeing them destroy so many people’s livelihoods. Also..."

She lowered her head and idly played with her fingers, "Aren’t the Backlight Particle your enemies, young master? It’s because of them that you got..."

Le Yu suddenly understood—so Qing Lan was badmouthing White Night to ingratiate herself with me.

Sigh, even someone as miserable as Qing Lan has learned to say what people want to hear, and what ghosts want to hear.

She’s obviously a member of the proletariat, yet she stands on his side, the capitalist’s, condemning the Backlight Particle just to gain favor with him.

The Silver Blood Association really turns people into ghosts!

Le Yu originally thought that by promoting Qing Lan to editor-in-chief, letting her regain confidence and happiness from work, she should be almost reformed by now.

When Le Yu tires of playing—he means playing the role of Jing Zhengwei—he’d give Qing Lan a large sum of money before leaving, so she could start a new life anywhere she wanted.

But now it seems, Qing Lan’s reformation road is still long, and Le Yu must continue to uproot that sense of inferiority in her heart!

Le Yu patted Qing Lan’s head, "Sigh... don’t worry about me when you speak, boldly express your own thoughts. See how I curse the Silver Blood Association so casually, learn from that. Even if you curse the Silver Blood Association in front of me, curse anyone, I won’t blame you, no need to deliberately say things to flatter me."

Qing Lan glanced at him, her lips moved: "...Dumbass."

"Ah?"

"I didn’t say anything."

As the car drove into the inner city and slowly stopped, Mi Die, who was driving, said: "Young Master, we’ve arrived."

Le Yu stood up, "Li Sang, come with me, Mi Die, continue to send her to the newspaper office."

"Young Master." Qing Lan grabbed his hand, "Can I go with you?"

"This is not the Jing Family, you certainly can’t go." Le Yu waved his hand, "Go on, go on, don’t think about skipping work, you’re already late for work coming with me to the inner city, go obediently to the newspaper office."

Qing Lan worriedly said: "Young Master... you have to come back."

"Originally there was no danger, but you keep making it sound ominous. What’s there to worry about? Worry more about yourself." Le Yu closed the car door, a bit exasperated, "Goodbye!"

Watching the car turn around and drive towards the outer city, Le Yu turned to Li Sang and said, "What’s there to worry about, do you think I would encounter danger in the inner city?"

"...Right." Li Sang nodded.

In front of Le Yu was an ordinary courtyard, a vulgar sign reading ’Bring Wealth and Treasure’ hanging prominently at the entrance, with the street number 88 marked on the wall beside the door.

He approached and took the door’s brass bell to knock, quickly a well-dressed middle-aged man opened the door: "Is it Patrol Execution Guard Chief Jing’s eldest young master?"

"Yes."

"Please come in, everyone is in the main hall."

The middle-aged man led Le Yu, while Li Sang was taken away by others. Where he was going now, no bodyguards were allowed.

Reaching the main hall door, the middle-aged man gestured without entering, "Please enter."

Le Yu calmly stepped over the threshold, entering the excessively large to the point of being somewhat dimly lit hall, with the morning sun behind him—

Eighty-eight pairs of eyes simultaneously turned to look at Le Yu as he entered the room.

Before him was a hall as large as an auditorium, with four large round tables placed in four directions of the hall, the only skylight casting light directly on the center space cleared by these four tables. Each table was flanked by twenty-two people, totaling eighty-eight people.

They were the representatives of the Eighty-Eight Guild.

This was the Silver Blood Association.

Le Yu scanned the room quickly, locating his target, and went over to stand with them, "Scapegoat’s team, gather up!"

Qin Le Yin: "♪(^∇^*) Wei Shao, you’re here."

Quan Xin: "(°ー°〃) What’s this scapegoat about?"

Luo Zhen: "（○｀ 3′○）None of my business."

Lan Jianbo: I don’t know if I’m supposed to be the scapegoat, but I know someone among us has to be."

Ting Zhaozao: "（´Д`）I never should have played Monopoly with you guys..."