Chapter 398: 400. Chapter 394: Opposition and Apple Trees

400. Chapter 394: Opposition and Apple Trees

"He did this... he will lose a lot of money."

Hunter and Charlie sat together, and what they had in their hands was some simple explanatory content about the "Umbrella Plan."

It was sent back by people in the branch of the Imperial District.

It can't be counted as an undercover agent, it can only be said to be people on their route. After all, Charlie is finally "New Jincheng Orthodox," and he is supported by the Bay Area behind him. There will always be some people who want to leapfrog progress, and there is no problem standing on their side.

Looking at the explanation in his hand, Hunter couldn't understand it. His height in politics was obviously lower than Charlie's.

What he saw was just the surface, but he couldn't see the actual inner core, but Charlie was developing into a politician, and he could see some things hidden under the appearance.

"This is his power!" Charlie sighed with some emotion.

"Everyone knows that he reduced the fees on the police side and needs to spend a lot of money. He will definitely lose money."

"Your eyes only stay on the surface of the fact that he will lose money, thereby ignoring his irreplaceability!"

"Those small merchants and hawkers paid less money, and they will always support Lans."

"The police got clean and stable income, and it doesn't involve illegal and moral risks. They will also rely more on Lans."

"Everyone relies on him. He tightly united the police, the people, and the gang he represented!"

"If someone wants to deal with him, it is those people, those police who are more intense than his own resistance!"

"This is his power!"

Hunter was a little unbelievable. "Is he really that powerful?"

Charlie nodded heavily. "Very powerful, and the means are very... rough, and also very high, just using money to smash."

When Hunter heard this, his expression eased a little. "If it's just smashing money, can he be richer than those old men in the Bay Area?"

The Bay Area is the symbol of wealth in New Jincheng, but Charlie's expression didn't relax significantly, still so serious.

"They are reluctant to take out this money!" His wise eyes had already seen through everything.

The Pier Management Company was to save 300,000 in wage expenditures a year, which led to the New Jincheng Pier strike.

Now let them take out millions every year to put into the police's pockets, they are even more unwilling!

They would rather do nothing than take out their profits and share them with those at the bottom!

This is why he knows the core of Lans's approach, but it is very difficult to replicate.

Lans has various criminal incomes, he has many bars, but Charlie has nothing. In this matter, he has no way at all!

Hunter's eyes were a little hard to understand, whether it was the matter of the Bay Area people being reluctant to take out money, or the threat to Lans.

"He...", he looked at that page. "I don't quite understand, Charlie, will he shake our power?"

Charlie nodded and said, "When everyone benefits from this plan, the entire New Jincheng police system must listen to him!"

He supported his forehead, looking a little headache. "You have to understand, the Bay Area values us not because we are obedient."

"There are too many dogs in New Jincheng who are willing to be obedient. We have value because we control the police system!"

"Once we lose it, we lose our value."

Hunter also seemed to realize the seriousness of the problem. He thought for a while and asked, "Can we cooperate with Lans?"

Charlie continued to shake his head. "Are you willing to put everything you have in someone else's hands?"

This also determined the potential opposition position of both sides, and it is a contradiction that is difficult to reconcile.

Let Lans spend so much money for Charlie and be a wedding dress for him, Lans certainly will not agree.

Let Charlie and Hunter give up their basic disk of interests in New Jincheng, they certainly will not be willing.

So unless someone takes the initiative to give up, they will inevitably stand on the opposite side!

In fact, both sides know this point. Their "conflict" was upgraded the moment the Umbrella Plan appeared!

Just past noon, Ma Duoer brought Griggs and Abel back. Besides them, there was another person, Martin.

Martin Griffith is a core member of the Griffith family. After Count Griffith was secretly executed, the young Count (the eldest son of the Count) inherited everything of the family and started a new round of confrontation with imperial power.

From the current point of view, the Griffith family is in an absolutely weak environment.

The royal family deprived the Griffith family of their noble titles, deprived them of their territory, recycled everything, and stamped them with the label of "rebels."

This surname is actually no longer a noble officially recognized.

However, they don't admit this point themselves. The young Count sold all assets that could be cashed, led more than four or five thousand soldiers to continue to deal with the royal family.

People in the family think that now they need to escape the royal family's pursuit while continuing to accumulate strength, recruit more losers in this political game, and fight against the royal family together.

In addition, getting external support is also very important.

Martin, as a core member of the family, was sent to the Federation by the young Count to see if he could find some people willing to support them.

Whether it is money, supplies, food, or even support in terms of international political stance, it is okay.

At least better than nothing!

Imperial people who have a good life in the Federation are only a minority, so most people don't have a good life, so when Martin heard that there was a small accident on Lans's side, he hurried over.

Martin is a guy who looks like he has noble upbringing. His aspects all show noble temperament, but Lans doesn't like this very much.

"Please sit."

Martin said "thank you" and sat on the chair.

Griggs and Abel stood outside the room. There were only Lans's people in the room, and Ma Duoer.

"Mr. Lans, may I ask a very presumptuous question, why did you leave the Empire and come here?" Martin tried to master the initiative. After a simple greeting, he put forward his question with a purpose as soon as he opened his mouth.

Lans pondered for a while. "To avoid being sent to the battlefield for no reason."

Martin nodded in agreement. "Yes, many people left their hometowns because of this."

"The royal family has decayed, and even the system of the Empire has decayed."

"The will of the royal family overrides the will of the people. They trample on the dignity of the people and don't care about the life and sacrifice of the people, just for their own private interests."

"Huge changes are taking place all over the world, whether it is the Federation or the war breaking out on the Tanfei Continent."

"The new world pattern is moving toward us, and the Empire has reached the time when it must be reformed. If we can't change the status quo of the Empire, it will fall behind."

"Falling behind means becoming food on the plate of the strong."

"Mr. Lans, we all love our motherland. None of us hope that it will become food on the plate of the strong, and the Empire is also urgently needing a reform to break the shackles imposed on it by the royal family and nobles for so many years!"

"Only by breaking the shackles will the Empire usher in a new life and have our own living environment in the wave of the coming era!"

"On this point, I believe you must be very clear."

Lans nodded slightly. "I agree with your point of view."

Actually, many federal people haven't felt the sense of crisis yet. They even feel that the Tanfei Continent and the Federation are separated by a wide ocean, and no matter how lively it is over there, it has nothing to do with the Federation.

But in fact, a small number of people are very worried now. The reason they worry is that once the national forces on the Tanfei Continent complete integration through war.

Then when their development encounters a bottleneck next time, when they choose to continue to expand, it will inevitably affect the world pattern!

A monster that has completed integration through war is a disaster for the whole world.

But this point of view is not bought by anyone now. They feel it is not very possible.

Hearing Lans willing to accept this point of view, Martin breathed a sigh of relief. "The Empire needs your help, the people of the Empire need your help, Mr. Lans!"

The last words Martin said made Lans laugh out loud. "Mr. Martin, you are a person who can speak, but have you considered a problem?"

He showed a listening look. "What?"

"If the Griffith family completes revenge, will the young Count ascend to the throne and become the new emperor?"

"If you ask us to help him move the mountain of the royal family from the heads of the people today, and then sit on the heads of the people yourself, why should we waste so much wealth and resources just to change a mountain?"

"Anyway, we, the people, have always been pressed under the mountain. Who is this mountain actually makes no difference to the people!"

"A mountain is a mountain!"

Martin was stunned. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer this question.

Although they are all pessimistic and think that the Griffith family may not be able to complete revenge, they can only go to the dark on one road now.

Then, what if they really complete revenge and defeat the royal family? Will the young Griffith ascend to the throne?

Isn't this a matter of course?

Isn't this what they are risking their lives for at this moment?

Is it possible that after defeating the royal family, let others be the emperor?

Looking at Martin, not knowing whether he was pondering or didn't know how to answer, Lans said with a tone of ridicule. "Mr. Martin, we are not as noble as we think."

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"For the sake of interests is for the sake of interests, don't always take the people as chips."

"Whether you want to overturn the royal family, whether it is for revenge or to become the royal family, that is your business and has nothing to do with me."

"I only care about what benefits I can get if I support you."

Originally, Martin didn't have much hope. Lans said it too thoroughly, but suddenly the situation turned around, and he felt that there might be hope.

"If we can really succeed in revenge, Mr. Lans, you will be titled as a noble!"

Lans shook his head. "I will very likely not return to the Empire in my life. Even if you title me as a Prince, it doesn't make much difference to me."

"Come with something practical."

The new emperor's ascension will certainly title nobles on a large scale. It looks like nobles are very valuable, but in fact, they are not very valuable, because there are too many.

The Griffith family cannot title every noble with real power. Most of them are symbolic.

Not only do they need to pay for their own noble decency, but they also have to be monitored and guarded by the royal family. It is better not to have this kind of noble.

Martin didn't expect that the noble status couldn't attract Lans. You know, for real Imperial people, if they can become nobles, even the lowest-level nobles, they are very enthusiastic and yearning!

It can be said that becoming a noble is the "ancestral wish" of every Imperial person!

So in his eyes, Lans has been "federalized," but this is also good.

He pondered for a while. "I'm not sure what you want, but it seems you already have your own ideas. Why don't you say it?"

"We can discuss it, maybe we can all accept it?"

Lans didn't be polite either. "I want trade monopoly."

"I don't care about other places. The trade monopoly of alcohol, tobacco, fur, spices, wood, etc. in these states on the East Coast of the Federation must be in my hands."

Martin shook his head after listening. "This is impossible!"

"Your requirements are too many, and this involves the problem between national trade! I can't agree to your requirements!"

Lans had to show a regretful expression. "Then there is no way. You can't give what I want, we are very difficult to talk about."

Martin frowned. Fundraising in the Federation is indeed not easy. There are many people who donate five or ten dollars, but there is still no one who can solve their real problems.

He was even considering, if it really doesn't work, talk to the federal government.

He is not sure now whether the federal government is interested in their anti-rebel force. After all, their number is too small, only four or five thousand people.

But they are fighting against the orthodox ruling group of the Empire that nominally has hundreds of thousands of troops. Of course, if they are split, and the noble's military strength is returned to the noble, the royal family has been hammered to the present, and its strength has been greatly reduced.

Even if they are still forcibly conscripted, the number of troops directly under the royal family may be less than 100,000.

This is not an unbridgeable gap, and those nobles will not help the royal family block the knife until the situation is completely stable.

So there is still a great opportunity!

Just talk to the federal government, their requirements will certainly be more excessive.

Martin made the last effort and attempt. "I... if it is only one of the special items, I can consider it."

Lans showed some smiles on his face. "Mr. Martin, you are a wise man. I am glad you can see the reality."

"We must have an apple tree first, Mr. Martin, this is your pragmatic performance."

Apple trees and apples are a small story in the Empire, similar to a fable. It is said that two brothers were chatting on a haystack after finishing farm work.

They talked about planting an apple tree, and then when the apple tree bears fruit, they can eat apples.

The elder brother said he wanted to have a few more, because this idea was put forward by him.

The younger brother said he should have a few more, because most of the time farm work was done by him, and taking care of the apple tree must also be his work.

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The two brothers argued endlessly, and even fought for who could have a few more apples in the end, and fought with bruised noses and swollen faces.

When they made trouble to the village head, the village head asked them to take everyone to the apple tree to help them distribute apples fairly, but the two brothers said the apple tree had not been planted yet...

The core of this story is to tell people not to fight for some illusory interests, because fighting to the end is meaningless.

Lans used such a small story to tell Martin not to bargain for things they don't have now!

"Mr. Lans, you are not wrong at all, everything must have an apple tree first, so now let's discuss how to plant an apple tree!"

He paused as he spoke. "We need money, ammunition, weapons, food, and even medicine!"

Lans's eyes flickered slightly. "I can provide you with 100,000 federal Sol in cash every month."

100,000 federal Sol in cash can indeed alleviate some of the difficulties encountered at present. Although it is not the strongest currency, it is indeed easy to use, especially in Xiang Yalan.

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However, Martin still wanted to strive for more benefits, "Don't you think 100,000 a month is very little?"

"It is not that I am overly greedy, Mr. Lanse. You must know that you are asking for exclusive trade rights, and I believe it should receive more assistance."

Lanse did not deny it, "That is indeed true, but Mr. Martin, you have not actually obtained these rights yet, nor have you transferred them to me."

"If you can perform better in your confrontation with the Imperial family, for example, by possessing a piece of territory, instead of being chased around, let us see the hope of your successful revenge."

"Then this assistance will increase!"

"How much money I can give you every month depends entirely on your performance within the Empire!"

Martin considered this for a long time. He had to admit that what Lanse said made a lot of sense, "You have convinced me, Mr. Lanse. Then this assistance..."

He felt a bit embarrassed; the family was indeed in urgent need of these things right now.

Lanse did not delay either, "We need to sign an agreement, preferably with the personal signature and seal of the young Count Griffith, to ensure it is valid."

"I believe you know better than I do how to write it..."

Subsequently, Martin indicated that he would immediately arrange for someone to return to the Empire to bring this agreement, but he hoped Lanse could pay him at least one month of assistance in advance, as he needed to send some ammunition back.

Right now, what they lacked most was ammunition and food. Without these, the soldiers would have no combat effectiveness; with them, they could continue to contend with the Imperial army.

It was only 100,000; Lanse could still bring that out.

"Please convey my respects to the young Count Griffith. I believe your revenge will surely be successful!"