Becoming an Emperor Starting from the World of The Wandering Earth

"I know that many people are having a tough time lately. Electricity prices have gone up, factories have closed, jobs have been lost, food supplies at home are almost gone, and we don't know how we'll get through tomorrow."

Murphy's voice wasn't loud, it was even a little calm, but every word hit Jose's heart like a hammer blow.

"I know that some of you are cursing into the radio right now, cursing those who sit in their offices making decisions on a whim, cursing this messed-up world."

José's lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

"I can't stop electricity prices from rising, and I can't change UEG's decision, but there's one thing I can do."

There was a moment of silence on the radio.

"I hereby announce that, effective today, all communities directly powered by Motech will have their new electricity pricing temporarily suspended and will maintain their existing prices until further notice."

Jose was stunned.

"At the same time, on behalf of Mo's Energy, I promise that over the next three months, Mo's Energy will fund the difference caused by the increase in electricity prices. This money will come from my personal reserves and will not be passed on to any customer, nor will it cause any worker to lose a single penny of their wages."

Murphy's voice remained calm on the radio.

"I know that three months won't solve the fundamental problem. But I hope that in these three months, you can live like human beings, have some breathing room, and at least be able to sleep soundly tonight."

José's hands were trembling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Murphy. I am a businessman, and I also need to make money. But I always remember one thing: when I was going through the toughest times, someone helped me out, so today, I want to return that favor to everyone."

"That's all, thank you for listening to me."

With a hiss, the radio switched back to its original channel.

That glib voice rang out again, but José could no longer hear it.

He sat there, staring at the radio, and suddenly his eyes reddened.

In the next room, his wife came out carrying their child, her face also showing a dazed expression.

"His dad, what was that just now...?"

José didn't say anything, but simply stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The sky outside was overcast, with a faint glimmer of light shining through the clouds.

After a long silence, José finally spoke, "Three months."

His wife didn't respond, but simply hugged the child in her arms tighter.

José turned around, looked at her and the child, and suddenly smiled.

The smile was forced and unsightly, but it was indeed a smile.

"Go and cook the remaining beans at home. We'll have a big meal tonight."

Meanwhile, at the Mo's Energy plant, in the third-floor office.

Murphy leaned back in his chair, and on the screen in front of him, Skynet was refreshing lines of data at a visible speed.

"Master, the press conference livestream has ended. The current online public opinion monitoring results are as follows:"

"The discussion volume on related topics on local forums increased by 378% in one hour, with positive comments accounting for 91%, negative comments for 3%, and neutral comments for 6%."

"Keyword analysis shows that Murphy, good people, God, three months, subsidies, and survival are the most frequently occurring keywords."

"Crowds have gathered around the relief windows. Based on the footage, most people appear to be in stable condition, and some are praying towards the factory..."

Murphy stared at the last few words, a slight smile playing on his lips.

prayer.

This is exactly what he wanted.

"Skynet".

"Yes, Master."

"Notify the media relations department to prepare the copywriting and have them publicize the news of the electricity price increase in the Houston industrial area."

"I want Hughes, Austin, Dallas to all know that electricity prices are going up, factories are closing down en masse, and large numbers of workers are rapidly losing their jobs."

"I want them to know that what happened in Houston could happen there at any time. Oh, and be careful to control the pace; don't spread things out too quickly and make it seem like someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Is Houston enough?

That's not enough. Murphy's real ambition is the whole of Texas.

However, it's clear that Betty and her few friends can't completely throw Texas into chaos.

No matter how great Betty is, she's just a representative.

Their reach is limited; their authority doesn't cover the entire Lone Star State.

They've already pushed themselves to the limit by causing trouble in these industrial areas around Houston.

But it doesn't matter.

Murphy leaned back in his chair, staring at the light on the ceiling, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

As a human being, he understood people far too well.

Humans do indeed possess many admirable qualities.

Resilience, unity, and wisdom can unleash astonishing power in dire circumstances.

But people can also be stupid.

Foolish enough to believe everything you hear.

No evidence is needed, no verification is needed, and not even any logic is needed.

As long as someone says it, as long as enough people say it, and as long as it sounds scary enough, they will believe it.

In Murphy's previous life, there were countless similar incidents.

That's human nature.

When you panic, your brain becomes useless.

What Murphy needs to do now is spread the news about what happened in Houston like a virus.

It's not fake.

He doesn't need to fabricate anything, nor does he need to make up any outrageous rumors.

Electricity prices in Houston have indeed increased.

Factories are indeed closing down en masse, and workers are indeed losing their jobs in large numbers.

These are all true.

It couldn't be more real.

He just needs to let more people know about these real things.

Let the people of Austin know, let the people of Dallas know, let everyone in every city, every industrial area, and every barely functioning community in Texas know.

Let them know what's happening in Houston.

Let them know that those who work in factories just like them, earn similar wages, live in similar houses, and lead similar lives, suddenly lost their jobs, income, and hope overnight.

Then, they'll start thinking.

I wonder if my situation is the same.

He wondered how long his boss could hold on.

I'm wondering if I'll be able to pay my bill next month.

I wonder what I should do if it really happens to me.

Once this idea is planted, it will take root, sprout, and grow bigger and bigger.

No proof is needed, not even evidence.

All it takes is some discussion, plus a little bit of encouragement.

Those small factory owners will start asking each other, "How's it going on your end?"

I heard that over twenty businesses have already closed down in Houston, I hope it won't happen here too...

After get off work, the workers would squat at the factory gate smoking, their words filled with worry: how many more days could they endure this?

Those who are already struggling to survive will fixate on any slightest disturbance, then pass on their fear to the next person willing to listen.

Panic is like wildfire.

It doesn't need anyone to deliberately set it on fire; as long as there's wind and dry grass, it will burn on its own.

The fire grew larger and stronger until it engulfed the entire field.

Murphy doesn't need to set the fire himself.

All he needs to do is make that gust of wind blow.

Tell Skynet's propaganda department to turn those reports, those data points, and those interviews with unemployed workers into the most eye-catching material and release them little by little.

It's not about throwing everything out at once; that's not called adding fuel to the fire, that's called stirring up trouble.

You have to put it in little by little.