Chapter 235: Archimedes' Chessboard
In the highest tower of the Snow City, Menma took a small sip from his teacup, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Although he now had more free time, it was impossible to spend it all on experiments.
Under normal circumstances, Menma still preferred to stay here in his office, quietly enjoying his tea and finding some leisure amidst his busy schedule.
After all, with the guidance of a living fossil like Katsuyu, most of the history of the ninja world was no longer a secret to him.
He had ample time to perfect his future plans.
As for the Land of Demons, he had already sent people to investigate. He believed it wouldn't be long before news came back.
"If the priestess truly possesses the ability of prophecy, she should be able to know my intentions in advance."
Menma's gaze shifted down to the documents on his desk.
This was information regarding the recent development of the Robin Group.
During the period of primitive accumulation, sufficient capital was the most crucial link.
Economics determines politics, politics influences the military, and money is the main expression of economics.
Only then could the economy determine the superstructure, which in turn feeds back to an organization, and to a country.
Whether it was the research and development personnel for developing technology, or the armed personnel for protection, the Land of Snow had more than enough manpower.
And as the main source of funding for the Land of Snow, the commercial activities of the Robin Group were also on the right track.
The Crimson Moon organization remained dormant in the shadows, while the Group attracted attention on the surface.
All the products produced and sold by the Group were developed under Menma's guidance and were new things that had never appeared on the market in the ninja world.
They were mainly advanced technological products such as projectors and televisions. Currently, the main export targets were the countries near the Land of Snow, such as the Land of Grass, Land of Ghosts, and Land of Bears, as well as the two major countries, the Land of Water and the Land of Earth.
For some reason, the Land of Fire was very resistant to the entry of the Robin Group, so for a while, there was no opportunity to open the doors of the Land of Fire's market.
However, they couldn't stop Menma, who had the memories of economics from his past life.
Just then.
Click!
Kuramako walked into the office without even knocking.
"Here, news from the Land of Waves."
Under Menma's slightly helpless gaze, she plopped down on the sofa in a most unladylike manner and tossed the letter in her hand onto Menma's desk.
"Honestly, you're already being called Lady Tamamo. You could at least try to be a bit more reserved."
Menma sighed, then opened the letter and scanned it briefly.
"Oh? That fellow Oyashiro is quite efficient."
Although he seems a bit roguish, he's quite reliable when it comes to serious business.
But even an old sly fox like him would feel a chill from that plan.
Menma looked with great interest at how Oyashiro En was beating around the bush in the letter, subtly trying to ask for benefits.
"...Menma."
Kuramako closed her eyes and tilted her head up. "What you're doing will force many people to their deaths, won't it?"
"Hey, hey, no way, no way."
Menma didn't even look up, saying with a smile, "Since when did the all-evil Lord Kuramako become so soft-hearted?"
Although he said that, after a chuckle, he still shook his head and explained, "Don't worry. My plan will not harm those simple-natured civilians."
Besides the "Iris Rainbow Flower Bubble," he actually had another half of the plan, ensuring that this "bubble" could only be popped by him.
Three years ago, Menma had been waiting for this day.
The Land of Snow's welfare and social security system for its people had already laid a solid foundation, closely integrating the military, government, and commerce.
But apart from the Land of Snow, which was shrouded in the light of the Crimson Moon, other countries were still managed by the one country, one village system.
In Menma's view, such a system not only had fatal flaws but also created conflicts between different classes.
They had become severely detached from the foundation of the people.
The one country, one village system established by the First Hokage had further stabilized the power of the daimyō and nobles, but in the process, it had inadvertently cast the common people into the dust.
The connection between the ninja villages, which represented military power, and the central government and the people was actually based on monetary transactions like a simple exchange of goods between merchants.
Such an employment relationship could be called pathological and distorted.
In Menma's eyes, those commoners were a force that had yet to be developed and utilized.
The Shadow Guards of the Land of Snow had always been selected from various places. Only after formal training did they form a network, spreading throughout the Land of Snow and even other small countries.
Sometimes, an inconspicuous and seemingly weak ordinary person could also be the eyes of the Land of Snow, monitoring the enemy.
And the footsteps of Menma and the Crimson Moon would naturally not stop at one country.
The next matter might be more difficult than destroying a ninja village.
His next target was very clear.
—The Land of Waves.
Weaken the power of the nobles and landlords, and guide the common people to resist and fight.
For this, he had been preparing for three years.
"After investigation, the Land of Waves is the country with the most severe class conflict."
"Smuggling, illicit drugs, casinos, arenas… Beneath the extremely insane prosperity of the Land of Waves is a pool of wine and a forest of meat established by merchants, officials, and nobles, all to provide them with so-called entertainment."
Menma took out a map and looked at the location of the Land of Waves.
It was a small island country located between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, but its territory was large enough to accommodate a population of hundreds of thousands.
"If our plan succeeds, the Land of Waves will become a sharp blade that we thrust into the heart of the Land of Fire."
Of course, the most important thing was to guide the people of the Land of Waves to resist the nobles and merchants who were all in cahoots.
"What are you going to do?"
Kuramako shook her leg and asked, "Those ordinary humans who have been oppressed for so long won't just awaken their resistance because of a few words… huh?"
Seeing Menma hand another document to her, Kuramako's face became puzzled.
Seeing this, she had no choice but to take the document and scan it.
The first thing that caught her eye was the bold black font at the top.
—Worker-Peasant Professional Skills Association Project Proposal.
"Phase One: All worker-peasant forces in the unified Land of Waves will form a cooperative organization for mutual aid and self-rescue, named the Worker-Peasant Professional Skills Association."
"Provide living supplies to members who join the association, arrange work positions uniformly, and pool the labor of workers and peasants to create, with advanced technology…"
There was also a so-called "Phase Two."
"It feels so troublesome."
Kuramako crossed her arms, a helpless expression on her face. "So, is there anything you need me to do?"
She recognized every word in it, but put together, it gave her a headache.
"We still have to give the young people some opportunities to perform."
Menma smiled and shook his head. "I have already sent Uchiha Shin and the Lightning Light Squad to the Land of Waves to cooperate with Oyashiro."
"Although this plan can't be called the most advanced choice, for the workers and peasants living at the bottom, it is definitely enough to improve their quality of life several times over."
"Alright, alright."
Kuramako stood up lazily. "To directly meddle in the sovereignty of another country, I should say, as expected of you."
"Since you don't need my help, I'll be leaving then."
After Kuramako left the office, Menma also stood up and came to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Under the moonlight, he stood at the highest point of the Snow City, his eyes gazing into the distance, the corners of his mouth slightly curved.
A gluttonous feast was brewing there.
"It's time to add some fire to this carnival."
The peace and balance of the ninja world are about to be broken. How long can this false peace be maintained?
Gulp! Gulp!
Oyashiro En stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass of the box, drinking from a wine glass in a most un-aristocratic manner.
At this time, Kurama Unkai had already left, as if he had never been there.
But Oyashiro En knew very well in his heart that his every move was under surveillance.
"...Ha!"
Oyashiro En scratched his head and said to himself with a bitter smile, "Using a small country as a test subject, what a luxury."
It seems that Lord is no longer satisfied with the small territory of the Land of Snow.
Small countries as the chessboard, and they are all the chess pieces.
"But, even if I am a chess piece, I am the piece second only to the King."
Oyashiro En let out a deep breath, suppressing the stray thoughts in his heart. "First, I'll complete the task assigned by the Lord, and then prepare to evacuate the Land of Waves."
From that Lord's scheme, this corrupt Land of Waves would soon become a battlefield for the major powers.
If a small fry like him got caught in the middle, he might suddenly evaporate one day.
"After all, I'm just a merchant."
Oyashiro En walked to a safe, entered the password, and took out a scroll.
On the scroll were the names of the great merchants, officials, and nobles of the Land of Waves.
Every name was well-known.
These were the people controlling the direction of the Land of Waves from behind the scenes.
As the owner of the largest arena in the Land of Waves and the president of the Wedge Real Estate Company, Oyashiro En naturally had many ways to get this list.
However, the "big fish" behind these "small fish" were not something an ordinary merchant like him could investigate.
Oyashiro En didn't feel too disappointed.
After all, the ones jumping the highest were just pawns used to divert attention, a group of profit-driven merchants.
The real people hidden behind the scenes were the nobles and high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire, and perhaps even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire himself.
Those guys and the "small fish" of the Land of Waves were not on the same level at all.
In front of them, no amount of money was of any meaning.
Oyashiro En scanned the scroll up and down and soon locked onto one of the names.
—Iwana Jinjin.
A guy who was very kind on the surface but smuggled people behind the scenes.
Greedy, stupid, lazy, lecherous, arrogant…
His only redeeming quality was that he was good at being reincarnated, having an avuncular relationship with a high-ranking official in the Land of Fire.
Most critically, his uncle was already dead, and he was now on the verge of bankruptcy.
"Hmph, then I'll choose you."
Oyashiro En sneered and leaped down from the window, like a giant bat in the night.
And his appearance had already changed to that of a middle-aged man with a scar on his face.
Coupled with a pitch-black hooded robe, no one could recognize his true identity.
The commerce in the Land of Waves was very developed, and the trend of the Iris Rainbow Flower had already begun.
Those greedy speculators had long seen the business opportunity and were buying up and hoarding the Iris Rainbow Flowers from retail investors on a large scale.
Waiting for them to breed bulbs, although the special effects were somewhat diluted, the price still soared all the way.
An Iris Rainbow Flower of good enough quality could even sell for a high price of a million.
But…
Such a trend was only circulating in a few cities in the center of the Land of Waves.
"In the eyes of that Lord, this level is far from enough."
Oyashiro En's figure moved stealthily in the shadows, thinking to himself, "Popping this bubble now might earn a few hundred million, or even a few billion, but it's still not enough to severely damage those merchants and nobles."
"Therefore, that Lord has prepared another, terrifying plan."
Combining two disastrous methods, Oyashiro En didn't know what the effect would be.
But since it had nothing to do with him, he naturally had no intention of holding back.
SWISH! SWISH!!
Oyashiro En soon arrived at a luxurious mansion.
The faint light flickering inside the house told him that Iwana Jinjin was not asleep.
Having changed his appearance, he pushed open the window and jumped in.
"Who's there?!!"
Seeing Oyashiro En's fierce, scarred face, Iwana Jinjin's obese body, soaking in the bathtub, trembled with fear.
"Damn it! Guards! Where are the guards?!"
Iwana Jinjin had arranged for at least a dozen samurai. Normally, this shout would have alarmed countless people.
But after howling for a long time, no one came.
Seeing this, Iwana Jinjin was instantly panicked.
"This… where are the guards? You, what do you want?"
Oyashiro En ignored Iwana Jinjin's words and instead took out a pot of Iris Rainbow Flower from a scroll.
The originally panicked Iwana Jinjin's eyes went straight the moment he saw the Iris Rainbow Flower.
This color, this fragrance, this feeling…
An undiluted, original variety of Iris Rainbow Flower?!
This is a good thing that even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire might not have!
"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
Oyashiro En placed the Iris Rainbow Flower in front of Iwana Jinjin and said with a blank expression, "It seems you've recognized it."
"Then I'll get straight to the point. I want to make a deal with you."
Hearing this, Iwana Jinjin felt his heart pound violently.
"You mean… you want to sell this pot of Iris Rainbow Flower to me?"
In Iwana Jinjin's eyes, this Iris Rainbow Flower was money, power, and status!
As long as he bought this pot of undiluted, original variety, he could use this Iris Rainbow Flower to produce second and third-generation bulbs.
The money from selling the bulbs could not only pay off his debts but also allow him to join the ranks of the true nobility.
At that time, those who had bullied him, those who had laughed at him, would all be trampled under his feet!
"Buy this pot of Iris Rainbow Flower?"
Oyashiro En shook his head with feigned disappointment. "So your ambition is only this much? Then let's forget it. If you're not prepared to be envied and killed, you are not qualified to cooperate with me on this business."
With that, he picked up the Iris Rainbow Flower and turned to leave.
"Wait! Wait!!"
Iwana Jinjin subconsciously grabbed the corner of his robe and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean? Is there something even more profitable than hoarding Iris Rainbow Flowers?"
The corner of Oyashiro En's mouth, who had his back to Iwana Jinjin, curled up.
This stupid fish has taken the bait.
"Let me tell you a story first!"
Oyashiro En turned around, his tone once again becoming calm. "Legend has it that in a country in the far west, there was a great drought one year. The common people had no food to eat, but the daimyō and ministers feasted and played all day long."
"And there was a wise man named Archimedes who thought hard about how to save the people. So one day, he played a game of shogi with the daimyō…"
(End of Chapter)
---
Read up to 25 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*