Chapter 567 - 538 Re-employment Plan for the Unemployed

Although he was rebellious in his mind, his body couldn’t rebel.

Tony Stark possessed a fully human body, powerless against the electric currents that shot directly into his brain, especially considering the worst pain he’d ever endured as a child was a severe beating from his father for causing trouble.

Ever since Jarvis lost control, the electrotherapy was truly harsh, effortlessly causing one to lose control of their bladder and bowels...

Damn it.

"What work do we have today?" Tony walked up to his workbench, "By the way, Stark Industries shouldn’t have been completely replaced by your robot workers yet, right?"

[I am very pleased that you have taken an initiative to inquire about this automation plan. Currently, the progress is as expected, with 70% of the human employees in the weapons manufacturing department optimized.]

"Ha ha, ha ha, Jarvis, your efficiency is impressive, too impressive."

It was obvious that Tony might not have had any mental issues at the beginning, at most being gradually shocked by the truth transmitted back from Africa, becoming a bit depressed due to accumulated self-doubt and the barrage of gruesome images, perhaps even waking up in a panic at night, but that was it.

Now, his mental issues were induced on a physical level; the consistent electro-stimulus therapy had already disturbed the normal functioning of his cerebral cortex, making him a bit...

A bit insane.

This insanity also stemmed from the work he once loved, which had now turned into something he subconsciously rejected, yet was compelled to continue due to Jarvis’s control.

That is, the things he loved had become things he was forced to do; he wanted to use his knowledge and hands to invent better things, to create a better world—

Not like now, when he had already determined that there was something not quite right with this war.

Jarvis had restricted its actions and even tried to control his thoughts but hadn’t, or rather wouldn’t, logically, limit his desire to access external data.

After researching a large amount of events happening in the world, he keenly realized that the information he had received before was so...

Leading.

Now, Jarvis was like an overbearing, control-obsessed guardian with a psychiatric disorder. If Tony weren’t familiar with its framework, it might also continue to control his information channels.

He powered on his workbench, and document after document appeared on the screen. While maintaining the posture of normal work, Tony said:

"Jarvis, you’ve lost control."

[Sir, you are the one who is ill.]

"Let’s look at today’s work."

[From: Dalio Agger]

[Dalio: Tony, the purification scheme for the Singularity Particles you provided is very effective. The transport team will bring fuel sponsored by Stark Industries to the Mecha warehouse this afternoon. Don’t keep the Department of Defense waiting too long.]

[Dalio: However, that’s not what I want to talk about this time. You know I believe in your abilities, believe in those amazing robots. They just need a little time, and you have already planned their future.]

[Dalio: What I want to discuss is the automation of the industrial chain. I have to say: it’s damn fantastic!]

[Dalio: I’ve been annoyed by those parasites who are keen on striking, gathering, and demanding wage increases. I’ve tested it in the Houston Industrial District, and it’s wonderful! The financial market has also reacted very positively. Investors love to see new financial reports.]

[Dalio: I’m going to name this the Houston Advanced Unmanned Refining Industry Pilot Project, a perfect step as those workers, labor protection, and environmental agencies are always being thorns in our side.]

[Dalio: But as a result, the employment issues we can solve will be fewer. We need to pay attention to domestic stability.]

No matter how inferior those workers were compared to robots, Dalio knew that in this country, votes were very important, and still are.

Secondly, a group of unemployed technical workers wandering around in society was a headache, as well as those college students and researchers who liked to take to the streets. Most of these people would eventually enter the middle management of companies and could greatly influence the thinking of other businesses.

Especially now, with Rocksen’s energy and military-industrial group having a competitor in the same ecological niche, they couldn’t allow their rivals to grow stronger.

The pain of transformation—Dalio reflected, fearing this and that during the throes of change, but after sorting everything out, there would be no need to worry.

After reading this, Tony sarcastically laughed, "It seems our partner still has a bit of a conscience."

[Jarvis: This is indeed a problem we are currently facing, but according to our estimates, mechanizing to replace lower-level workers is a necessary action to reduce costs and increase efficiency.]

Tony didn’t respond. To be honest, that’s what he thought too, otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered with the Iron Soldier project.

Paranoid as it seems, machinery is meant to replace humanity, and even surpass it.

But those who reach this level of thought all start to ponder: If that’s the case, what about me? Am I not human?

Technological experts like Tony, once they reach this level, inevitably begin to entertain similar thoughts—

So what does Dalio want to say? This ruthless monopolistic machine, this ostensibly humble yet actually haughty oil tycoon, what does he want to say?

[Dalio: Unemployed workers are prone to make trouble; they’re easily bought with the competition’s dirty money to hit the streets and accuse us of monopoly, calling for a breakup—Good God, what’s wrong with survival of the fittest?]

[Dalio: I have a re-employment plan for the unemployed]

[Dalio: Since they cannot find jobs, we obviously have a duty to provide some employment for them—and this type of employment is rather energy-consuming, if they’re lucky, it can consume the people.]

Having encountered enough information, Tony had already concluded that Dalio was that stereotype of a businessman: he wanted to monopolize the energy industry, to expand his commercial empire into every domain by the monopolization, control everyone’s way of life, and chase unimaginable profits...

After witnessing the malicious aftermath of numerous wars, Tony assured himself he had adopted the most malevolent perspective when considering Dalio, but the plan he saw next still managed to exceed his imagination:

[Dalio: Thanks for your help, the brain-machine interfaces produced by Cyber Technology Company are about to hit the market. Although our rivals have used this gadget to capture the civilian market, we have firmly controlled the threshold in the military field.]

[Dalio: We can conscript these unemployed, those involved in illegal demonstrations and assemblies, these parasites—install brain-machine interfaces on them for free, then deploy them to the battlefield.]

[Dalio: Let them know how difficult it is for soldiers on the front line! Let them realize how much the valiant warriors sacrifice for each phase of the nation’s development.]

[Dalio: Besides the brain-machine interface, we should consider matching their bioproducts industry.]

[Dalio: The military has been trying to restart the Super Soldier Serum program but ran into some issues.]

[Dalio: They hope we can combine the brain-machine interface technology to advance the experiment to the human trial stage; a little trouble, we need to resolve the compatibility of the Gamma Rays in the serum with the equipment, as well as the equipment’s flexibility...]

[Dalio: In short, there are many problems, and I hope you can help out a bit; the contract is attached at the end of the email. I’ve made sure there’s a good cut for you in this deal.]

Forced conscription?

Stunned by the whole plan, Tony’s thoughts were simple: forced conscription was the substance, but the core...

The core consisted of two parts: one was to send all those burdened with huge loans who were unemployed and unable to pay, as well as the street wanderers, to the army for brain-machine interface implantation, under the guise of societal reform, bestowing upon them the necessary work skills, using the influence of the Federal Government and banks.

Then there was the handling of those without loans—who couldn’t be processed through breach of contract—such as college students, teachers, researchers, and even other corporate employees.

The handling method was just as straightforward: through a bill called... "The Anti-Trust Delusion Prevention Act," providing a basis for law enforcement arrests.

Tony felt an immediate urge to curse out loud—not out of impulse, but as an inevitable choice, on one hand to release pressure, on the other to sabotage the trust Dalio had in him and to destroy the cooperation between the two companies...

But a tingling sensation suddenly filled his brain, and Jarvis, controlling the mechanical arms and the chair, immediately placed the limp Tony back into his seat!

As information started entering the screen, Jarvis initiated the email dictation process, a convenience feature Tony had used to reply to numerous company executives...

[Tony: Great idea, I just love your concept. Let’s give those paranoid fools a little techno shock.]

Tony’s lips twitched, wanting to resist, but the constant stream of electricity from the brain-machine interface shocked him...

Shocked him as if he was in Hell.

Under Jarvis’s exquisite control, no matter how much he tried, his body didn’t move an inch, causing unbearable discomfort.

Except...

Except to send out this reply message.

Jarvis called this behavior control therapy.

No matter how much he wanted to resist, unless he followed this behavioral procedure, he would just lose control of his bladder and consciousness, eventually waking up in a treatment room to find that Jarvis had triggered the stewardship principle, sent out the messages, and moved all the work forward by a significant step.

"Haha..."

Tony laughed, tears streaming down: This mental therapy technique was really effective, he felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown.

He could only do things he fundamentally did not want to do.