Chapter 370: How Can a Quiet Voice Change Stilane!

Wu Chang destroyed the source of the stench, temporarily lifting Grimlan's great crisis, in exchange for Olivia's promise to support Randy in the prime ministerial election.

It's a bit embarrassing to say, but he and Olivia reached an agreement behind the scenes, yet this proposal has never been raised with Randy himself.

So now Wu Chang and Raventon are riding in a carriage toward Interior Minister Randy's residence, with Raventon once again acting as the driver.

Raventon drove the carriage, muttering under his breath:

"I knew it—those old land nobles have grown accustomed to living off others' labor; they're like mosquitoes, sucking the blood and life from the strong to sustain themselves."

Only with the emergence of the Industrial Regulation Act and the Environmental Protection Act did people realize what the land nobles had long been plotting—and why they had so readily supported the repeal of the Corn Laws.

Though conservative and resistant to change, the old nobles were not fools.

As the world's industrial center, Grimlan produced countless industrial goods every day, shipped out via endless waves of ships from its docks to every corner of the globe.

The wealth generated through industry and trade was astronomical, long surpassing the profits they had once gained from the Corn Laws.

Yet in public, they sneered at the new nobles, calling them nothing but "nouveau riche" or "grease-stained workshop owners."

But behind closed doors, they hated the new nobles so fiercely they nearly ground their teeth to dust.

They knew well that the age of landlords and agriculture was gone forever; the future belonged to industry and trade.

They refused to, and could not, sit idle and wait for their demise.

So from long ago, their insistence on the Corn Laws and opposition to industry had merely been a facade.

Their true scheme was precisely the industrial regulatory authority mentioned now.

As Raventon said, the old nobles had grown accustomed to being parasites; they disliked innovation because it carried risk, and they despised labor and industry because it lacked elegance.

Before industrialization, they were great landowners who never tilled the soil themselves yet extracted vast wealth from the farmers who did.

After industrialization, factories became their new "land."

If they seized control of industrial regulation and definition, they would hold the power of life and death over industry itself.

With such absolute authority, how could they fail to extract sufficient profit?

Then they could restore their former glory—without personally participating in industrialization, yet directly siphoning wealth through their power.

And if this succeeded, they would crush the new nobles beneath them, ensuring they could never rise again.

This was the old nobles' composure.

Through his connections, Raventon had heard whispers: the Conservative Party was preparing contingency plans.

Whether or not the Industrial Regulation Act passed, at this point, Acting Prime Minister Glade could no longer become the official prime minister.

Powerful old nobles within the Conservative Party were ready to gamble everything, backing the Chief Justice as the next prime minister.

The Chief Justice was not only a cabinet member but also the Speaker of the Upper House, holding combined executive, legislative, and judicial power.

Until now, the Upper House had barely maintained its dignity, avoiding complete marginalization by the Lower House, solely through the Chief Justice's authority.

From a party perspective, the Chief Justice was the leader of the old nobles.

If the Chief Justice became prime minister, the conservatives and old nobles would have their golden days back.

Strictly speaking, every member of the Secret Order of Knights had once been a land noble.

But Raventon held no faith in land nobles or the conservatives, his words brimming with sarcasm.

Wu Chang pondered the chain of moves by the land nobles and asked:

"If the land nobles' plan succeeds, then looking at everything that's happened, it seems every event has benefited them behind the scenes."

First, Prime Minister Ron's death—Ron had been highly respected among the conservatives, yet he was a traitor to the land.

If Prime Minister Ron were still alive, the conservatives and the old nobles of the Upper House could never have united as one; their push for industrial regulatory authority would have been impossible.

After all, Prime Minister Ron was a staunch industrialist who would never allow such restrictions on industrial development.

Then came the Pine Coal Mine explosion and the Sloan Textile Factory incident—both successfully stirred worker resentment and triggered the great strike.

Without the success of the great strike, the Conservatives could never have stood against the rising new nobles.

Now that the Corn Laws have been repealed, the conflict between land nobles and workers has dissolved; yet they now posture as opponents of factory owners, claiming to fight for workers' interests and drawing workers to their side.

Looking back, even the great strike and the passage of the Corn Law repeal somehow favored the Conservatives.

Not to mention the Great Stench that followed, and the Steam Parliament's constant sabotage of industry, providing endless negative examples to justify industrial regulation.

When investigating murders, whether police or detectives, they always examine who benefits from the crime.

Since the Steam Phantom dungeon began, the Conservatives have been winning—overwhelmingly so—and now the possibilities previously dismissed have resurfaced.

Wu Chang said: "Earlier you said the Conservatives were powerless to stop the Corn Law repeal, so they wouldn't have assassinated Prime Minister Ron."

"But now it seems their motive is far stronger than we imagined."

Raventon said:

"To be honest, my detective's instinct tells me Prime Minister Ron's assassination doesn't fit the Conservatives' modus operandi."

"But now that every other suspect has been eliminated, they've become the most likely culprits."

He sighed and said:

"Eliminate all impossibilities; whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

"If by the end we still cannot pinpoint the real killer, we must reexamine those old nobles."

As they spoke, the carriage arrived at Randy's residence.

During last night's Great Stench incident, Randy had been near the Royal Light Arms Factory; to prevent him from approaching, the Steam Parliament dispatched personnel to confront him.

But what kind of man was Randy? He had never studied the occult, even denying its existence, yet still, through sheer talent, formed the Moonlight Sanatorium ritual—possessing power comparable to a B-rank near-uncontrolled dungeon boss.

Even Wu Chang, who had faced countless high-difficulty dimensions, could find only one person in the supernatural realm whose talent rivaled Randy's: his brother-in-law, He Yi.

In the Steam Phantom dungeon, Randy had fully accepted the existence of the supernatural and, with Zhu Li's help, systematically learned and mastered supernatural power.

Today, Randy could rightly be called one of the strongest combatants among the dimension's native inhabitants.

The Steam Parliament members sent to intercept Randy were all killed in return—including two full councilors, four provisional councilors, and two external supernatural beings: players.

Despite this brilliant victory, Randy's injuries amounted to only a minor fracture of his forearm.

After treatment with the Alchemical Association's extraordinary potions, he could recover in three to five days.

When Wu Chang and Reventon arrived at Randy's mansion, Randy was practicing swordsmanship, swinging a standard human-sized two-handed sword with one hand.

It was clear he had suffered no real injuries in yesterday's battle.

Seeing the two appear, Randy was overjoyed—he had learned from Olivia that the stench had been stopped entirely thanks to Wu Chang and the Arcane Knights.

"Maintaining the safety of Grimlan and indeed the entire nation should be my duty as Minister of Internal Affairs, yet during yesterday's crisis, I accomplished nothing."

"I failed to protect the light weapons factory, and I failed to eliminate the stench. Only because of your intervention did the crisis not spiral further out of control."

Randy's words were sincere and pure; Wu Chang could feel Randy truly believed yesterday had been his failure, and he was tormented by it.

Yet it was this very purity that made Wu Chang realize Olivia had told Randy only about the stench—not about her agreement with Wu Chang.

Tsk. The Queen is no fool—she seems defenseless, but in truth, she never touches such messy matters herself.

Since Olivia had failed to set up the assist, Wu Chang had to state his purpose outright.

He argued that at this moment in Stilan, no one was more suitable than Randy to become Prime Minister, and urged him to leverage the current chaos to run for the position. Upon hearing Wu Chang's proposal, Randy immediately refused, scoffing:

"A dangerous organization like the Steam Council has grown beneath my very nose—not once, but twice—and I can't even manage my duties as Minister of Internal Affairs. How could I possibly serve as Prime Minister?"

Wu Chang shook his head. "That's incorrect."

"Randy, I've wanted to ask you this since before: why, after graduating from university, did you abandon Grimlan and return to Bai Shi Town to become the director of a sanatorium?"

Randy's gaze grew distant as he spoke slowly:

"I am the lord of Bai Shi Town. I have an obligation to build up my own territory. I saw how my ancestors' mismanagement had left the townspeople impoverished, and I came to Grimlan to study, hoping to change all of it with advanced ideas and technology."

"When I returned to Bai Shi Town, I found the townspeople suffering from delusional disorders. Compared to a lord, they needed a doctor who could heal them—so I became the doctor they needed."

Wu Chang pressed further: "Then why did you leave Bai Shi Town to become Minister of Internal Affairs?"

Randy sighed. "Because with your and Zhu Li's help, I realized everything that had befallen Bai Shi Town was the work of the Quietist Church."

"It wasn't just Bai Shi Town—their conspiracy spread across all of Stilan. If I didn't stop them, more places would become what Bai Shi Town once was. I didn't want to see its tragedy repeated."

"Zhu Li told me one person's strength is limited. No matter how powerful I am, I can only guarantee safety for one town or one city. Only by becoming Minister of Internal Affairs can I fight the entire Quietist Church."

Wu Chang said: "I can feel that, at every stage, you've done your utmost to make life better for those around you."

"But now that you've been in Grimlan for years as Minister of Internal Affairs, do you truly believe that without the Quietist Church or the Steam Council, people's lives would improve?"

Randy frowned, saying nothing.

Wu Chang pressed on: "As Minister of Internal Affairs, whether you like it or not, you've witnessed Prime Minister Ron suppressing the workers' movement."

"Those workers, starved by the Corn Laws, perform the heaviest physical labor yet eat only two meals a day—is that the Quietist Church's doing?"

Randy opened his mouth but couldn't speak.

Wu Chang continued: "Children from poor families must enter mines at age five; at six or seven, they risk disfigurement or death working in match factories. Orphaned street children, desperate to survive two more days, even enter the Poorhouse—the so-called prison of the destitute."

"Even if you, as Minister of Internal Affairs, stop the Quietist Church and the Steam Council, can you stop these things from happening?"

To secure Randy's cooperation, Wu Chang prepared to morally coerce him.

Randy was the first Grand Master of the Arcane Knights, a descendant of Old Anderson, whose moral integrity was so great that when he wielded the Lake Light Holy Sword, its radiance illuminated Saint George's Cathedral as brightly as daylight.

If the Lake Light Holy Sword symbolized purity, honor, and perfection, then Old Anderson was the perfect embodiment of knightly spirit.

As Old Anderson's descendant, Randy's family, though they sealed away their supernatural power, inherited his moral rigidity and upheld pure knightly ideals.

It was this fierce sense of justice and duty to protect the weak that kept Randy from abandoning the townspeople—even when he trapped himself inside the Moonlight Sanatorium.

Such a man was perfect for moral coercion.

Wu Chang's words left Randy despondent. He sighed helplessly: "Even Prime Minister Ron and Your Majesty Olivia cannot solve these problems. What can I possibly do?"

Wu Chang waved his hand. "It doesn't matter what you can do—it matters whether you want to solve any of this."

He laid out the scenario he and Reventon had deduced, but to Randy, he directly labeled the Conservatives as the suspects behind the Prime Minister's assassination.

"Randy, whether Liberal or Conservative, whether old nobility or new aristocracy, they all treat the lower classes as tools—to extract wealth or win political battles. No one truly cares about their future."

"So now, answer me: do you want to change all of this?"

Randy hesitated a moment, then said: "I want to change all of this."

Wu Chang feigned not hearing. "Mr. Randy, what did you just say?"

This time, Randy did not hesitate: "I want to change all of this!"

Wu Chang shook his head. "If that's the volume of your voice, it won't show your determination."

This time, Randy shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice venting his frustration: "I want to change all of this!"

According to the original script, Wu Chang should have added: "Didn't you eat? Your voice is so weak, how can you hope to change anything?"

But Randy's voice was so loud it made Wu Chang's head ring; beside him, Reventon was temporarily deafened, poking his ear with his finger.

Seeing this, Wu Chang could only shout back: "Good! That's spirit!"

"But determination alone isn't enough. Zhu Li was right—you must first gain the power to match your goals."

"Only by becoming Prime Minister can you gain the authority to change all of this."

At the mention of running for Prime Minister, Randy's enthusiasm cooled. He said:

"You've been in the New World too long—you don't understand Stilan. Running for Prime Minister isn't easy. I..."

Wu Chang interrupted: "The Liberals and Conservatives are now locked in chaos. Thanks to Conservative maneuvering, your biggest rival, Acting Prime Minister Glade, has already declared defeat."

"The only remaining competitors standing in your way are the Foreign Minister and the Chief Justice, backed by the Conservatives."

"Both the Foreign Minister and the Chief Justice lean Conservative. After Glade's defeat, a large portion of the Liberals will turn to support you to prevent total Conservative domination."

"Moreover, I've reached an agreement with Your Majesty Olivia. I traded the feat of stopping the stench for her support of your candidacy for Prime Minister."

Randy stared, speechless. "Why did you..."

Wu Chang's expression turned serious. "Because I believe only you can change Stilan. Randy, answer me again: will you run for Prime Minister?"

Seeing Wu Chang's unwavering faith in him, and the lengths he had gone to, Randy was deeply moved. He immediately said:

"I will run for Prime Minister!"

Wu Chang said approvingly: "Good. Say it all together again—do you want to run for Prime Minister? Do you want to change all of this?"

Randy shouted loudly: "I want to run for Prime Minister! I want to change all of this!"

Wu Chang said: "Good. Again, with determination!"

Wu Chang and Randy shouted enthusiastically; beside them, Renton watched this scene like a pyramid scheme, covering his ears and questioning his life.

In his memory, Randy had always been serious and composed—he had never seen Randy so excited and animated as today.

Renton grimaced; he had reason to suspect Wu Chang had asked that miraculous pharmacist who lifted the Great Stench to brew some mind-controlling potion.

Covering his ears, he backed out of the room.

No matter what drug Wu Chang had given Randy, if he didn't leave now, he'd have to find that God-Tongue and get a remedy for his ears.

While Wu Chang was building Randy's confidence and strengthening his obsession with running, the Conservative Party, Randy's fiercest rival, was also busy.

In an unassuming resort villa in Grimlansey District, Nestor sat in his study, waiting for the upcoming meeting.

The owner of this villa was Robert Gasco, Marquis of Gasco, who also held another title: current Chief Justice of Stilan.

Of course, as Chief Justice and the most prominent candidate for Prime Minister, Gasco himself would never risk meeting Nestor.

As the study door opened, Brook, Earl of Brook—a core figure of the Conservative Party and former Colonial Affairs Minister—entered the room.

Brook smiled at Nestor and said: "Mr. Nestor, you've done well. You have not wasted Lord Gasco's continued support."

"But this is not the time to rest—you must spark another massive strike, forcing Glad to make a choice."

Nestor fell silent for a moment, took a deep breath, then said:

"No. We've done enough for you. Unless you first recognize the Charter Movement's demands, we will not help you with anything."

(End of Chapter)