An Era of Hardship

Lin Qi's well-intentioned, yet truthful, joke prepared both men for what they were about to discuss. By this time, they had left the City Hall, entered the parking lot, and gotten into Ferral's car.

The small, enclosed space seemed to offer people a greater sense of security. Ferral rolled down the car window slightly, lit a cigarette, and said, "Did you know that the Labor Union is planning another protest recently?"

Lin Qi shook his head. He had only been back for a few days and had no interest in the workers' situation. Moreover, he didn't have any friends in the Labor Union' union and wasn't interested in it, so he naturally didn't know that the Labor Union was about to cause trouble again.

In fact, the Labor Union's unrest is mostly due to the fact that life is too difficult now, with an unemployment rate as high as 20% putting the entire Sabine City in a terrible situation.

People walked listlessly down the street. Some tall men were so thin that they were just skin and bones. They had to sit down and rest after walking a few steps. Their lack of strength made even walking a burden.

The Sabine City is now quite safe. The veterans who filled the vacancies in the Police Station after the police strike are much more effective in their duties and much tougher in their attitude than Police Station regular recruits.

They were already familiar with most of the police officers and prominent figures on the streets. In some ways, they did this to better solve cases when they occurred, but it also created some problems, such as leaks or favors.

But now none of that exists. The police have cleared the streets in an unprecedented way, and the people on those streets have to stay in their houses. The rest of them don't even have the energy to commit crimes, which has greatly improved public security.

But these changes cannot alter the fact that people are out of work, and work is more important than anything else in times like these.

Even some newspapers have reported some astonishing news, such as a teenage girl sleeping with a chef in his fifties just to get a job as a waitress.

For example, in a family where two generations of women were arrested for illegal prostitution, the judge, society, and public opinion relentlessly pursued them, to the point that the mother and daughter chose to commit suicide together.

Too many things come together to make it clear that without jobs, society cannot truly stabilize. This is the purpose of the Labor Union's march: they want the City Hall to provide them with some jobs so that some very poor families will not turn to crime.

From a moral and ethical perspective, this demand is normal, even noble, but the way it is made is not so likable, and the mayor is also very troubled by it.

"The mayor told me that you've come up with a new way of employing people to work for you..."

Before Ferral could finish speaking, Lin Qi interrupted him, "No, it's not an employment arrangement. I must correct your and the mayor's misunderstandings on this matter. We are cooperating!"

Lin Qi patiently explained his cooperation model with these people to Ferral. These people were not his workers; these family-run workshops were micro-enterprises in themselves, while Lin Qi was a separate enterprise.

He places orders with these micro-enterprises; they are partners, not employers!

"... So, this isn't an employment relationship, and I'm not required to guarantee their working hours, income, or any social security benefits. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ferral's expression was somewhat strange. He hadn't heard the complete story from the mayor, but the mayor's tone wasn't very friendly, as if... he thought Lin Qi was a scoundrel.

Ferral had initially found it a bit strange, but now he had the same thought: Lin Qi was a fucking bastard.

When people talk about the cruelty and ruthlessness of capitalists, they often mention laws such as the 《Minimum Wage Law》 and the 《Worker Protection Law》, which protect workers from arbitrary exploitation and oppression by capitalists.

No matter how capitalists want to treat these workers, they must follow the rules and carry out their ugly and despicable exploitation and oppression within the framework of those rules.

However, Lin Qi has now jumped out of this framework. Ferral doesn't know whether to call him a genius or a bastard. Ferral believes that capitalists all over the Federal will like Lin Qi's new idea, which can save them a lot of money.

Ferral himself also had some concerns. Once capitalists started using this method, it would mean that a large number of workers would lose various protections, and they might not even be able to pay Social Insurance.

Ferral raised some questions, and Lin Qi patiently explained that in order for people to start accepting this kind of thing, they first had to understand that it was not actually exploitation.

The so-called "Piecework System" is essentially a process for ordinary people and families to create and realize their self-worth. If they are willing to work hard, they can earn much more than they did when they worked in a factory.

But if they are unwilling to create and realize their own value, and they choose to be lazy or do nothing at all, then they will get nothing.

"Society is not a baby carrier. It may be cruel, but it also has a kind of fairness that cannot be found elsewhere, true fairness."

"If what you give and what you receive isn't fair, then I find it hard to believe that anything in this world can be called fair!"

"Moreover, my friend, whether any system or method will truly continue will be answered by the reaction of society itself. What is suitable will persist, while what is unsuitable will quickly disappear."

"None of us know whether my method will work or whether it is suitable for the development of society and the times. This needs to be verified, but I think it is a good method!"

Ferral smoked several cigarettes in a row, unable to find any arguments to refute Lin Qi's fallacies. In the end, he could only sigh with a wry smile, "I find myself convinced by you!"

Lin Qi followed up with, "The more a principle is debated, the clearer it becomes (conclusions that have been repeatedly proven are the ones that have guiding significance)!"

"You always have some special vocabulary..." Ferral paused for a moment, "The mayor means that if you can persuade the Labor Union to adopt your approach, perhaps you could talk to them first!"

This statement implies that the mayor has conceded on this fundamental issue. In fact, he had no choice but to concede. Among people of working age who are willing to work, one in five is unemployed. What does this mean? Of the 800,000 people in Sabine City, there are approximately 150,000 who are of working age and willing to work, but currently 30,000 are unemployed.

These 30,000 people affect approximately 100,000 families and impact the lives of 200,000 to 300,000 people. This index is already alarming. If the unemployment rate continues to rise, or remains at this level, it is very likely that the Sabine City Hall will be dissolved and re-elected by the people, or it may even achieve self-governance, until finally the city is abolished.

The unemployment rate in Sabine City is significantly higher than in other places, mainly because the Listoan Group collapsed. The mayor thought that by investigating the problem and keeping them on the job, more people could be prevented from losing their jobs.

But the worse the problem, the more troublesome it becomes. In fact, even if the Listoan Group didn't leave, they wouldn't be able to start construction.

They have been falsifying their financial statements for years, and in reality, they have been losing money every year. Even if the mayor and governor don't touch them, they won't last long and will eventually go bankrupt.

Now that the mayor is backed into a corner, he finally remembered Lin Qi's earlier suggestion.

Lin Qi's spirits lifted. "When should I talk to them?"

"There will be a big parade the day after tomorrow, and then again the day after tomorrow. You can talk after the game ends. You can choose the location yourself, but the union wants it to be held in the Labor Union office building."

When Lin Qi heard this, he chuckled softly and nodded slightly. He discerned something else in Ferral's words.

He could have spoken directly with the Labor Union to prevent the protests, but the mayor showed no intention of bringing it forward. The Labor Union even wanted the negotiations to take place in their office building, which suddenly gave the whole thing a strange, political flavor.

The mayor wanted to demonstrate his ability and influence; the fact that he was able to suppress the protests as soon as they broke out showed his competence.

As for the protests?

Please, this is the Free Federal. Marching and assembling are the freedoms granted to citizens by the Charter. They can even spontaneously start marching and assembling without notifying the Social Services Bureau, and the police and other agencies cannot disperse them. They even have to help them maintain order because this is a manifestation of the precious spirit of freedom in the Free Federal.

These bastards hold protests all the time, like on weekends when they protest that the capitalists don't give them beef in their lunches. Now that things are so bad, there are protests all over the country, and nobody blames the protests that broke out in Sabine City.

As for Labor Union and other worker representatives who do not consider themselves workers, they also hope to demonstrate their influence.

The City Hall arranged for people to resolve the issue as soon as the protest began, which only shows that the local Labor Union is doing a very good job in terms of cohesion and influence. The local union leader may be rewarded by the union leadership, or even promoted to the Socialist Party, becoming a minor politician! Compromise?

No, it should be called illicit relations.

Sensing a hint of disdain on Lin Qi's face, Ferral chuckled dryly. "Is there a problem?"

"A problem?" Lin Qi snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "Of course there's no problem. I'll convince these people!"

"That's good. Although the mayor didn't say it explicitly, I can tell he takes this matter very seriously!"

After the two parted Lin Qi returned home. Several days later, the place remained clean and tidy. Even when he was away, the maid would come to clean the place regularly to ensure it was spotless.

She was even more focused, meticulous, and agile at work than before, and her skirts became shorter and her cleavage lower—all in an effort to keep her job! In this era and in this environment, life is tough for everyone!