Since the extremely distant ancient past, people had understood wealth and how terrifying humanity's desire for it could be! They called this desire "Original Sin," and gave it a broader term—greed.
The desire for wealth and money did not necessarily represent all forms of greed, but greed certainly encompassed every desire of this kind.
People had possessed such desires since ancient times, depicting them and warning others against them.
But desire was intangible and formless.
It was not like a stone or a stick, with a concrete shape and weight that made it easy for people to avoid.
It was intangible and weightless. It was impossible to guard against a thought that suddenly sprouted in one's heart.
Perhaps one would soon notice how frightening it was and begin guarding against the spread of such thoughts, but one could not keep doing so forever.
One day, when the desire for greed reached its peak, there would be no stopping it!
A middle-aged man sat beside a flower bed, smoking. The strong tobacco smoke and nicotine within it were one of the few sources of pleasure available to men.
He looked at the friends around him, a smug expression on his face.
Those people looked at him with surprise, astonishment, and even delight! Who did not like money?
The people of the Peng Joe Empire were not desireless tools, nor were they saints. They had desires just like everyone else!
The reason they accepted the state's arrangements was that these were the nation's laws, their habits, and, more importantly, one way for them to pursue greater benefits! Once the war was won, everyone would gain something from it, though some would gain a little more—the people who had bought government bonds.
Some would gain a little less—the people who had bought nothing