Darkstone Code

How can you determine if someone is "one of your own"?

This is a complex yet simple question. It's complex because humans are inherently filled with contradictions and deceit. People will express false attitudes that go against their true intentions, and they use various disguises to cover up their most authentic selves.

In such a deceptive environment, no one can truly ascertain if someone is "one of their own."

Yet, it is also a simple question, so simple that a method to prove it was found early in the development of civilization—to prove your loyalty to a group.

How do you prove it?

If you want to join a group of bad people and prove you are also bad, then you just need to do a bad deed, like killing an innocent person.

If you want to join a group of good people to prove you're not bad, the simplest way is to take down a bad person, destroy a bad person's team.

Mikhail had the police director suddenly stand up and apologize to discover Lynch's position.

At times, Mikhail and these leader figures of Nagariel's upper society are puzzled, puzzled at how a group of foreign moral paragons use their measure of morality to attack everything in Nagariel.

Some investors even try to implement foreign practices in the local factories, talking about welfare, treatment, rest days, and they even proposed giving workers human rights!!

In a strict sense, these investors improving the welfare treatment of workers is their own business, their private matter. If they are willing to give workers a better environment, that's up to them.

But these people can become bad examples, and those enjoying these things in their factories will naturally spread what they are enjoying. This is dangerous, because what spreads is not just boasting and envy, but also thought!

If local enterprises follow suit by providing various benefits or even enhancing these workers' rights, it also means their profits will shrink, and expenses will increase.

Bear in mind that over seventy percent of Nagariel's factories are in the hands of three percent of the country's people. A welfare reform concerning factories could directly impact their vital interests; let alone human rights, causing ideological clashes that could spark more terrifying political movements.

Thus, from the outset, local rulers firmly remembered one thing: not to let filthy foreign ideas contaminate the pure hearts of local people.

Even priests in the temple stand with the rulers on this matter, depicting those foreign mainstream ideas as lies and viruses meant to destroy the glory of Nagariel, making people spontaneously refuse to understand the outside world.

Under such a mutual blockade, people in Nagariel still believe in foolish notions like curses bringing revenge or that in the next reincarnation they will become rulers, or that struggle only brings destruction!

There are countless such foolish notions.

The only comforting thing is that people really believe them.

Lynch expressed his position, which greatly relieved Mikhail, at least this investor would not foolishly sympathize with those lowly classes, engaging in some welfare treatment and human rights, thus not affecting the ruling class of Nagariel in continuing to control society.

In a relaxed atmosphere, the convoy soon arrived at the hotel, a modernized hotel.

The moment he stepped into the hotel, a civilized society waved at him, while the barbaric society reluctantly receded.

Disregarding the things on the outer streets, just this hotel alone gives no indication of standing in a backward and ignorant region.

The modern hotel's decor makes one feel like they've traveled through space, as if they suddenly returned to a civilized society.

With the help of the stylishly dressed waitstaff, Lynch and his group checked into the top-floor suite of the hotel, the entire floor being his room.

Bodyguards began to assemble various firearms, which were brought in as "exploration equipment" by being disassembled into parts.

"Boss..."

After taking a shower and putting on a new set of clothes, Lynch entered the living room, and Asir stood up proactively.

He gestured for Asir to sit down, then also sat down at the sofa side, "Let's talk, what have you found out?"

Asir pulled out several documents from his briefcase and handed them to Lynch, "After some investigation of the local area during this period, I discovered a situation that's hard to explain."

Lynch nodded noncommittally as he flipped through the documents, "Continue talking..."

Asir organized his thoughts and then began to recount what he had figured out.

The socio-economic conditions of this city, indeed the whole of Nagariel, present a very special, very primitive state, and are vastly different from some mainstream countries.

Previously, while living here, Asir hadn't noticed these things, but standing on a higher level during this return, he noticed these issues.

"The entire society's lower strata operate in a way that I cannot understand, self-sufficiently. The people at the bottom find it very difficult to earn money, and their transactions are mostly bartering, making it hard for industrialized products to enter ordinary households…"

Due to poverty and backwardness, many Nagariel people actually don't have job opportunities, a fact that Asir had thoroughly understood during this period.

At first, he thought his brother and father were cruel capitalists, but later realized that despite constant exposure to chemicals causing skin ulcers, bodily deformities, or even accidental death, people are still willing to take those jobs because they can earn "money."

The creation of money was to set a standard for measuring value, but unfortunately, the lower society of Nagariel doesn't even qualify to participate in this standard.

This sounds ridiculous, but it's actually terrifying, because "money" limits the development and progress of many families and widens the gap between social classes.

If someone studies it more seriously, they'll discover that "money" circulates solely within the middle and upper social strata; there's no lower society here.

Money might not be all-powerful, but without money, nothing is possible, like receiving education or medical services…

Skipping this slightly heavy topic, actually, in the international community, Nagariel is not considered absolutely useless.

At least Nagariel has about 220 million people, which many institutions see as a massive market. People always say that once this market matures, it will lead the world's mainstream consumption trends.

But the problem is, it may never mature because people have no money.

No money does not just describe poverty but states a fact that people truly don't have "money."

"Besides these points, people's consumption views are also greatly different from the Federation..." Asir spoke more naturally and emotionally about the Federation than Nagariel.

He misses that civilized society greatly, wishing he could return, rather than staying here.

Lynch waved, signaling him to stop, "I will continue to explore these; let's talk about people's wage demands, I'm quite interested in this."

Asir's lips moved, and there was a slightly sorrowful or some other naturally revealed expression. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed, "A dollar a day, a Federation Sol, can make people here work at least twelve hours."

"As for benefits and treatment, they have no demands, if you prepare a cheap lunch for them, they will work all the more diligently!"

Lynch's smile became apparent at this point, "See, this place is not as devoid of any value as you previously told me."

"In the Federation, a worker takes at least 220 bucks a month from a factory owner's hand, averaging more than seven bucks a day, plus we have to provide them with food valued around two bucks a day, along with various insurance and treatments."

"The cost of feeding one Federation worker can feed at least ten workers here, that's value, Asir, you have to learn to find value and then exploit value!"

"We could set up some low-threshold, low-cost, but very labor-intensive factories here…," Lynch thought for a moment, then added, "Some chemical factories can also be moved here, plus our initial idea, rough processing."

"There are abundant resources here, we can find some and package them. I believe wealthy people will like them, and certainly the most crucial thing!"

Lynch chuckled without stating that most important thing; the trade of human commodities still needs affirmation from local rulers.

Actually, he felt this wasn't an issue; for a ruling class whose hierarchy has stagnated and started decaying, without affecting their power, they are willing to obtain more wealth to satisfy their personal enjoyment and squander.

Nagariel is not an economically developed country; they have nothing significant to offer, which implies a vast trade deficit internationally.

They must rely on those "partners," selling certain specialties at low prices to them in exchange for foreign exchange, then used for consumption.

If told that the people they usually disregard can also be priced and directly create foreign exchange benefits, would they righteously refuse?

Or, calmly accept it?

This requires further probing, and Lynch won't speak so directly either; labor export doesn't seem related to human trafficking, he's merely organizing people to work abroad.

This not only eases the social burden on Nagariel but also provides a way out for Nagariel's people and opens a new financial path for the ruling class.

While speaking, the phone on the table rang, and Asir went to answer it. A few seconds later, he looked at Lynch with the phone in hand, "Boss, the people from the temple are here; should I let them in?"

Just like one cannot avoid the Federal Tax System while living in the Federation, in Nagariel, no one can avoid religion.

A few minutes later, two priests wearing very peculiar attire came to the top floor, bringing blessings from the gods and the High Priest…