I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 338: I’ll be a mess (7)
The revolution cannot topple a nation just by forming a revolutionary organization.
To take over an entire country through a communist revolution, you must either pull the majority of workers and soldiers to your side, or infiltrate the leadership with spies, as North Vietnam did with South Vietnam. This way, when the time comes, you can prepare to turn the entire country red.
‘A revolutionary organization alone cannot conquer the Baron’s territory.’
But as with any endeavor, even if the journey is long, you have to take it step by step to reach the destination.
We need to form a revolutionary organization and expand our influence if we are to turn the Kingdom of Lyon red.
Ah, of course, a communist state would be of no benefit to me.
I have no intention of going that far, not even a tiny bit, to be honest.
“Your Excellency the Minister of Commerce, what urgent matter do you need me for today?”
The Minister of Commerce sighed and looked at me.
“I know it’s not something I should bring up with you, someone who is neither a bureaucrat nor a legal noble, but I urgently needed your wisdom, so I asked you to come.”
“As a noble of the Empire, if I can be of any help to Your Excellency, I should come immediately without hesitation.”
“You truly are a model noble of the Empire.”
“It is an honor.”
“Actually, there was an incident in the Lyon Kingdom's Nans Baron Territory. The rioters killed the Nans Baron’s Bailiff, and the local guards slaughtered the rioters.”
An incompetent person would either flinch or make a suspicious smile upon hearing about the crime they instigated.
They wouldn’t realize that such obvious reactions would lead to their downfall.
In cartoons, movies, novels, and even in real life, such foolish reactions often end up with the person getting caught.
Such trivial actions give away the weak spots of second-rate villains.
Someone like me, operating in the shadows, wouldn’t be so easily shaken by such things.
‘To truly throw me off balance, bring me something like Chloe's chest suddenly shrinking to an A-cup. That would throw me off balance for sure.’
Then, no matter how calm I am, I wouldn’t be able to maintain my composure.
“That incident indeed occurred.”
The Minister of Commerce showed a look of surprise as he continued.
“The Imperial Direct Domain, as well as factories and trading companies in other territories, have been quite concerned about this incident. Aren’t you worried at all?”
Our trading companies and factories have no room for communism to infiltrate.
Our territories, like our trading companies and factories, won’t allow communism to spread either.
Even the bloodthirsty Stalin and the Communist Demon King Marx wouldn’t dare spread communism in the Rothschild territory.
Our territory has wages more than double compared to others, so would people even entertain the idea of a rebellion here?
“There’s no way the workers in our territory would revolt, right? Same goes for our trading companies and factories.”
“Certainly, that has nothing to do with you.”
“Moreover, this revolt has nothing to do with our Empire either.”
Upon hearing that, the Minister of Commerce’s face relaxed immediately.
Having witnessed sabotage actions by workers in territories like the Sforza Duchy, and having taken the responsibility for cleaning up the mess, the Minister had suffered immensely.
No wonder he was worried it might happen again.
But since I said this revolt had nothing to do with our Empire, he was relieved.
“I’ve heard that the Lyon Kingdom is treating the peasants and workers worse than livestock. They’re making them work over 13 hours a day.”
“I was shocked when I heard that too. While we’ve had workers working 13 hours before, I just brushed it off. But to make the peasants work like that... Deus, my God.”
During the Industrial Revolution, workers were made to work up to 14 or even 15 hours a day.
What’s more surprising is how they thought they wouldn’t die from that.
Why was it possible to make people work these long hours? Because there were no regulations or traditions to stop it.
‘Even during the Industrial Revolution, peasants worked only 8–9 hours a day.’
The reason for that was the traditions that had been passed down since the Middle Ages, which guaranteed them basic rights.
If a country, whether it’s the Toscana Empire, the Lyon Kingdom, or any other nation following the Deus religion, breaks these long-established traditions, it’s as bad as a government forcing everyone to mix mint chocolate sauce into all the kimchi in South Korea.
“Worker revolts are like plagues. Once they start spreading, they spread as fast as the Black Death.”
Communism spreads more easily than any plague.
Why? Because it takes root in people’s negative emotions—inferiority, anger, envy, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) jealousy—towards capitalists.
‘There’s no person who doesn’t have those emotions.’
If a cousin buys land, they might treat me to beef. If a friend becomes a professional, I might boast about it at a drinking party.
What is human nature?
People always want to belittle others when they see someone succeeding, to bring them down.
Even if I’m not like that, I’m sure there’s always someone around me who is.
That’s why, after turning 20, even if I worked at a big corporation, people advised me to lie and say I was working at a small business to maintain friendships.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
Because my friends might get jealous and break off the relationship, or worse, they might try to mess with me out of jealousy.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
A thought system based on these emotions is powerful, right?
“However, in our Empire, under the great leadership of His Majesty the Emperor, nobles, merchants, artisans, peasants, and workers alike are enjoying prosperity like never before. It’s a peaceful state.”
“Your loyalty is truly remarkable.”
“I’m merely stating the facts.”
“......”
Well, why does he look at me as if I’m some traitor like Lee Wan-yong or Park Je-sun, people who sold out their country?
I’m merely acting for the benefit of the Toscana Empire (mostly my own benefit).
And I’m following the high ethical standards of the British Empire.
The interests of my country come first, so I’ve made sure that potential competitors who could challenge our interests are kept in check, even sowing religious reforms to stop them from ever threatening us.
I’ve spread a mild form of communism in the Lyon Kingdom to ensure they can never surpass us, and I plan to make other countries into colonies as quickly as possible.
Why does this minister see me like that?
Honestly, someone like me should be praised by politicians of other countries as a model to follow, not seen as some demon from hell.
Sigh, I should take out my frustrations by injecting a bit more red into the Lyon Kingdom.
“The worker revolts are the last resistance that comes from feelings of being exploited when they have nothing left to protect. It’s like a desperate charge by an army cornered by the enemy.”
“A final charge, the thought of it is terrifying.”
A unit that decides to make a final charge is likely to be wiped out.
However, those who charge, prepared to die, are incredibly powerful.
In a world without assault rifles or machine guns, if 500 men make a final charge, they might kill 2,000 or 3,000 of the enemy.
If they’re lucky, they might even defeat an army of 20,000.
The Minister, being a legal noble, probably understands this from his military experience.
“But a final charge only works when there’s no other way to survive, right? And right now, the peasants and workers in the Toscana Empire are living better than they ever have, so why would they do something as crazy as a final charge?”
“Indeed, as you said, this revolt won’t affect our country.”
“I think it would be best to use this opportunity to emphasize loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Human nature is more base than noble.
Even if I’m a billionaire, I’d still feel frustrated and angry when I see someone with a thousand times more money than me.
Clergy might emphasize shedding this filthy nature, but politicians should not.
They should use this nature to solidify their support base and focus on advancing the country.
“Let’s publish an article highlighting the miserable reality of the workers and peasants in the Lyon Kingdom, showing how happy it is to live in the Toscana Empire, under the great leadership of His Majesty the Emperor.”
In South Korea, commoners earn more than professionals like doctors or lawyers in Southeast Asian countries.
So when they visit Southeast Asia, they feel like they’re wealthy—no, they can live as rich people there.
Some tourists even enjoy indulging in this reality, savoring it.
‘My role is to accept instincts and channel them in a positive direction.’
“And I plan to write an article stating that exploiting workers leads to inciting revolts...”
No matter what anyone says, the Ministry of Commerce is essentially mine.
Ninety percent of the staff in the Ministry are under my influence.
So if I create something like a ‘labor inspectorate’ or a similar department...
I could legally mess with other competitors, right?
