People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

He'd been waiting for this moment!

Ernst nodded and stated:

“Mr. Jeston, now I’m assuming you’re the manager of a commercial street in Sherag—Hinterlea, don’t laugh, who cares if it exists or not!—assuming you’re Sherag… well, that does seem a bit odd, you’re the manager of a commercial street in Columbia. The situation in this area is complicated.”

"It's simply divided into a pyramid shape. At the bottom are ordinary vendors who run businesses, pay taxes legally, and also pay protection money to gangs; the second layer is the local gangs, who collect protection money from the vendors but also help maintain order in the neighborhood and pay tribute to you; at the top is you, who possess absolute power in this commercial street and can suppress vendors or gangs at will. But you have to compete with other commercial streets, otherwise you will lose in the next management election and lose everything."

"Now, the story begins."

Ernst paused, and after Jeston had sorted things out, continued:

"One day, something happened in the commercial street under your jurisdiction."

"The protagonist of this story is a shop manager in your commercial street. He spent ten yuan on materials to open his shop and could earn one hundred yuan. Thirty yuan went to rent and utilities, twenty yuan to taxes, and ten yuan to protection money, leaving forty yuan. He considered that to be his hard-earned money."

"But one day, a stranger who had never been seen before opened a shop next to his. He was quite straightforward, or rather, full of a sense of justice. He sold the same things for fifty yuan, so customers liked him."

"But the shop owner knew very well that his neighbor couldn't possibly afford the utilities, taxes, and protection fees at that price. He felt he couldn't let his protection fees go to waste, so at that point, he contacted the local gang."

"The local gangs were planning to smash up the store, but before they could do it, they got the news to you first."

Ernst stared into Jeston's eyes and asked, enunciating each word clearly:

"What would you do in this situation?"

Chapter 114 I Will Encourage Him

What would you do at this moment?

Jeston frowned deeply. Just like last time, Ernst had given himself a "short answer question" that seemed like a "multiple choice" question.

As a leader of Columbia's commercial district, what would I do if this happened in my jurisdiction?

Jeston's first thought was to investigate; he had to find out the details of that shop!

According to Ernst's requirements, even if the shop didn't pay any protection money, he would still not survive after paying the full amount of rent, utilities, and taxes.

Because he only sells for fifty yuan, and the rent, utilities, and taxes are enough to cover these incomes, not to mention the cost of his goods, which is another ten yuan.

He suffered a net loss on those ten dollars!

No shop can afford such a loss—not only is it impossible to make a profit, but it will also lose money.

Merchants are driven by profit, so this shop must be problematic in nature.

Having decided on his course of action, he began to speak:

“Prime Minister Ernst, I think if I were the manager of this high street, I would prioritize investigating the background of this shop and where its owner came from.”

Ernst nodded.

Jeston is right. For someone in a position of power, even if they possess absolute military force, acting rashly is certainly not the best option. The correct approach is to begin an investigation immediately.

Ernst was generous; he didn't concern himself with the "time issue"—that investigations take time and gang actions could happen at any moment—but Jeston didn't react in time to try to stop the gang.

He continued, stating:

"So, your investigation concludes that the shop owner is indeed an outsider and suspected of being a spy. What's your next step?"

Next?

Jeston paused, somewhat confused by Ernst's meaning: "Now that we know he's a spy, why don't we just use force to suppress him and arrest the shop manager?"

Ernst didn't answer immediately, but instead asked meaningfully, "Are you sure?"

As we all know, the time when people are most insecure is when they give an answer they think is correct, and are then asked "Are you sure?" by a teacher or interviewer.

Jeston was no exception; he wavered for a moment and immediately changed his answer:

"No, I'll let the local gangs handle it. I don't need to do this myself."

Ernst maintained his smile and asked again, "Are you sure?"

Jesston hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

He couldn't see anything wrong with his actions. The gang was already planning to take action anyway, and it had nothing to do with him. Even if the other commercial street managers behind this spy shop owner wanted to investigate, he could simply ask the gang to send a minor leader to take the blame. The other commercial street managers were already doing shady things, so they certainly wouldn't want to make a big deal out of this. What could he possibly lose?

But Ernst’s next words shattered his self-perceived perfect illusion.

He said slowly:

"So, because the gang intervened, smashed up the shop, and beat up the shop manager, the shop closed down a few days later."

"However, the news of gang members in a shopping street in Colombia smashing and looting shops without restraint also made the headlines a few days later. Because of the lack of security, fewer and fewer tourists came to your shopping street. Because of your poor performance, you lost the next election for the management of the shopping street. Your position as the manager of the shopping street was taken away by someone else, and you lost everything."

“Game over, Mr. Jeston.”

Ernst calmly recounted the ending. Jeston's face was filled with disbelief.

His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a word.

This outcome is quite reasonable. Allowing the gangs to take action might achieve the goal of driving out spies disrupting the market, but it would also expose the problem of disorderly conduct. With so many shopping streets in Colombia and such fierce competition, no wealthy customer would want to shop on a street with poor security.

In the long run, the decline of the commercial street became inevitable, and his downfall was a natural consequence.

But what other options are there? Should he take matters into his own hands?

Perhaps sensing Jeston's thoughts, Ernst immediately added, "You know for sure he's an outsider, but he's only suspected of being a spy; there's no concrete evidence. If we directly take action to suppress him, there's no doubt that expelling foreign investors and the xenophobic nature of the commercial district market would be a very bad thing."

Jeston was completely dumbfounded.

Letting the gangs run rampant won't work, and taking direct action won't work either. Are we just going to leave this spy alone? Just watch him disrupt market order? Watch him force surrounding businesses to shut down?

Jeston couldn't understand why dealing with just a merchant could cause so much trouble.

But after racking his brains without finding a solution, he suddenly realized that since his answer hadn't satisfied Ernst, then his work was probably...

"Mr. Jeston, you've been accepted."

Ernst stood up with a smile and, to Jeston's astonishment, extended his hand to him.

“But I’m not…” Jeston was still a little confused.

But Ernst shook his head: "No, I'm already very satisfied with your answer."

Knowing to investigate first, think twice before acting, and being aware that it's best not to get involved when doing something bad, so as not to leave any evidence against oneself, is already quite good.

The way to be an official lies in being mindful of danger, adapting to change, and knowing when to retreat. Jeston has recognized two of these, and at least in his position as a member of the Prime Minister's Guard, he is already competent.

Jeston stood up excitedly and shook Ernst's hand.

He really wanted the job and was incredibly grateful for Ernst's appreciation.

But amidst his excitement, the question still lingered in his mind.

Before leaving the office, he gave Ernst a deep look, his eyes filled with admiration.

He knew that Ernst must have an answer, although, as he said, the answer might not be unique, but he must have a more complete answer than his own.

"That's the difference between me and Prime Minister Ernst."

"There's still so much for me to learn in Kjerag!"

Jeston left the office, leaving only Hintleya and Ernst in the room.

During the interview, Hintley remained silent, but she witnessed the entire process and pondered the question Ernst had raised.

To be honest, her thinking was very simplistic, even more so than Jeston's.

After hearing the question, her first reaction was—isn't that shop owner disrupting the market?

Just like the knightly tournaments, the knightly tournaments initially organized by the Commercial Federation were for retired knights who were struggling financially. The main focus was on visceral, hand-to-hand combat, showcasing the martial arts skills of knights previously only seen on the battlefield. The selling points were passion and violence, with a touch of bloodshed.

If I had to put it in a way, it's like the Roman Colosseum in Earth's history.

But later, some genius suddenly invented "spectator-style knightly competition".

That is, abandoning those bloody competitions that may cause physical discomfort and are unsuitable for children and women, and instead having a group of handsome men and beautiful women take the stage, wearing armor that prioritizes aesthetics over defensive effects, and wielding swords, spears, and halberds that are more beautiful than piercing. They use martial arts that are more for show than practical use, combined with Originium Arts that prioritize special effects over offensive power, to put on a live fashion show on stage.

Such "competition" is an insult to the sanctity of the word "competition".

But ironically, it actually became popular, gaining popularity not only among a wider audience but also overseas. Ultimately, it gradually replaced the original form of knightly competition.

The end result is that retired knights are unemployed again, and knightly competitions have evolved into what they are today. The majority of knightly competitions are for entertainment, while the competitions that test skill have become "more energetic performances," with match-fixing rampant.

Such competitions used to be only seen in a small number of infected arenas or in underground tournaments.

Wait... something's not right?

Hinterlea seemed to realize something and looked at Ernst.

Ernst didn't have mind-reading abilities and didn't know what Hinterlea was thinking, but when Hinterlea looked at him with surprise and confusion, he could more or less guess what Hinterlea wanted to ask.

"You want to know what I'll do?"

Ernst said:

“I will encourage him.”

Chapter 115 People-Oriented Approach

“I will encourage him.”

Ernst said matter-of-factly.

Hinterlea was understandably taken aback.

Ernst was not surprised by her reaction; in fact, he was quite surprised when he first heard this story from an elder in his previous life.

For someone who disrupts the market, even if it's known he might be a spy, why doesn't the government do anything? They actually encourage him?

He still clearly remembers the senior's answer: "That's how elections work in the West. Votes are more important than anything else."

Ernst then shared these words, along with his own insights accumulated over the years, with Hinterlea.

He might not talk about others, but Sunshine Rainbow Little White Horse is one of us.

"Hinterlea, have you noticed that this story is actually a game of animal chess?"

Seeing Hinterlea's confused expression, Ernst paused for a moment, then realized what was going on.

"I'm sorry, but the meaning of the Animal Chess game is that, assuming the large scale eats the small scale, the small scale eats the shrimp, the shrimp eats the plankton, and the toxins of the plankton can kill the largest large scale."

"Based on this principle, have you noticed anything amiss?"

Hinterlea frowned and pondered for a moment, then quickly gave her the answer: "Because there are no plankton in this triangle?"

Ernst nodded and asked persuasively, "Yes, on the surface, it seems so, but in reality, is it really not true?"

Recalling Ernst's answer to Jeston, and her own earlier reflections on the analogy of knightly competition, Hinterlea immediately realized where the seemingly missing "plankton" in the question stem was.

"You mean, residents? Yes, residents of the commercial street!"

Ernst affirmed with satisfaction, “Yes. Residents, or to use my preferred word, the people. The people who live on this commercial street.”

“They are customers, shop owners, gang members, and managers themselves. They are at the very bottom of this pyramid-shaped power structure and the most neglected group of people. But without them, the shops would not have any business, the gangs would not have any members, and the managers would have no one to manage. They are the true foundation of this pyramid.”

Ernst looked at Hintlaya, guiding her step by step, and slowly said:

"And they are also planktonic organisms that can poison large scales."

Although Ernst was well aware that in the social conditions of Shelag, trying to become a communist would be like Chen Rui cosplaying as Empress Lei—pleasing neither side, this did not prevent him from using the knowledge and skills he had learned in his previous life to build Shelag.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it; it's a very simple principle.

In modern times, however, he has a more well-known and concise summary term: people-oriented.

It is based on the fundamental interests of the vast majority of the people.

“Cityraia, please listen to my question again. As I said—but suddenly one day, a stranger who had never been seen before opened a shop next to his. He was quite honest, or rather, full of a sense of justice. He sold the same things for fifty dollars, so customers liked him.”

"Because customers like him, I encourage him. Because 'liking' implies support."

Ernst Road,

"From the perspective of a commercial street manager who needs votes to survive, there is only one thing he needs—votes!"

"Customers love honest shops where you can buy something for fifty yuan. So, as a manager with absolute power, what I need to do is take all the credit for this shop manager."

“I have absolute power, and I will encourage this shop, stand up for it, and support it.”

"If any gang dares to rebel against me, I'll cleanse them out. As long as I can be re-elected, there are plenty of people willing to be my lackeys. I can also use this opportunity to gain positive reviews for eliminating the evil forces that have been entrenched for many years, and incidentally cultivate a more loyal force."

"The shop owner resisted me, but so what? What I did was for the greater good. Everyone wants good quality and low prices. Besides, there's only one shop here. The only ones affected are the neighbors who sell the same goods. At most, it will affect the industry of this one product. But how much of my shopping street does this product represent? How many people do they represent? For the sake of my support, this small sacrifice is nothing."