Helping One Another Is a Duty Between Friends

The same person can have many different thoughts at different stages and in different states.

The former Mayor Landon would rather offend the governor than relinquish his real power, but now his thinking is rapidly changing. He believes that contributing to the common people of the Federal is far more noble than coveting power, and society will naturally reward him with concrete manifestations of his value.

So when Lin Qi asked the question again, he didn't feel offended and casually nodded as he shared his thoughts, "I'm not young anymore. Don't let my youthful appearance fool you. In just ten years, some kids will call me 'Grandpa,' and even now, some people do."

"I've been seriously thinking about this lately: even if I have power, what can power really bring me?"

He seemed to sigh, as if he had suddenly grasped some mysterious thing and mastered the truth of the universe's operation overnight, thus becoming... wise. "I can't bring anything with me. Power can't make me young, power can't make everything go my way, power has many things it can't do, it makes me very tired."

"Next, I want to dedicate my time to this country. Someone has to do something for this country, good or bad, someone has to do it..."

"Actually, all of this is inspiration from you, Lin Qi ..." The mayor looked at Lin Qi with a friendly smile, as if everything he said was true. "You have solved a lot of problems for us during this time and have also given us a lot of constructive suggestions. For example, Family Workshop are different from other people."

"They only think about how much they can get from ordinary people, while you think about taking on more social responsibility. Your selfless attitude towards society has moved me and given me a purpose in life..."

These words cannot be entirely dismissed as nonsense or empty talk. In fact, Lin Qi's promotion of family-run workshops has already solved many families' financial difficulties, and as Lin Qi places more and more orders, even more ordinary families will benefit from it.

Don't underestimate the production cost of 30 to 50 cents or a dollar for each finished product. A family can earn at least three dollars in net profit a day from this, enough to support themselves.

The praise for Lin Qi wasn't all flattery.

These flattering words were so pleasing to the ear that Lin Qi almost believed them. If it weren't for the numbers in his bank account spinning wildly every second, he would have really thought he was a noble person!

No, he is a noble person, at least more noble than other capitalists. So, what the mayor said can't be considered flattery or sycophancy.

He nodded in agreement, "You're right..."

The mayor was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected such a thing to exist in the world... but his composure remained strong. "That's why I can let go. I'll leave this place to you now."

He glanced at Ferral and was indeed somewhat moved. He hadn't expected Ferral to be able to get Lin Qi to become his ally; otherwise, the mayor might not have fallen into Ferral's hands.

Don't underestimate the opportunity of a mayor who is destined to "resign." Two years of mayoral experience can make a politician's resume look very good; at the very least, it's proof of governing a region.

At this point, the mayor glanced at Ferral again and asked a question, "Lin Qi, is there anything we can do for you now that you're back?"

Lin Qi nodded. "Yes, I need information on some daily necessities factories, as well as their current production status."

Seeing the mayor's puzzled expression, Lin Qi explained briefly, "I plan to acquire some factories to resume operations. We can't just let those workers sit idle like this; we need to give them something to do. Wouldn't that reduce the burden on the government?"

The mayor was not distracted by his last seemingly joking remark; he focused entirely on Lin Qi's plan to acquire the factory and resume operations, as job opportunities were what Sabine City lacked most at the moment.

If he can actually do that, regardless of whether ordinary people will benefit from it, he would deserve high marks simply for demonstrating "we are working hard" through his actions.

The mayor hesitated for a moment, then said, "You'll have to postpone this for a while, until Ferral announces his inauguration." Ferral, sitting to the side, showed a change in expression, clearly having heard what the mayor said as well.

But he could sense something... completely different from before. The mayor was saying this on purpose, deliberately in front of Lin Qi and him, just so that he would remember this favor.

Of course, Ferral had to take the bait, because the mayor could have chosen not to, but he still gave Ferral the opportunity, and whether or not he did it out of personal favor, Ferral had to agree.

"I'm about to resign, so these things don't really mean anything to me. Ferral is different; he'll be here for another two years. If he doesn't have any notable achievements, it will be hard for him to keep some people in line."

The mayor said meaningfully, "Even those who hold power are not without challengers. What's that saying again?" He turned to look at Ferral, as if asking him a question.

The two were actually very familiar with each other, having worked together for so many years. With just a glance, Ferral understood the mayor's meaning. He quickly followed up on what the mayor wanted to say through him, "The challenger will see all powerful forces as the Avatar of evil. This is a scene from the opera ' The End of Days '."

"The End of Days" is a counter-cultural opera and is considered a classic among cult operas. It was banned by the Federal for a period of time because it promoted a very special idea. "I am justice, and my opponent is evil."

This idea was mainstream then and still is now; the male protagonist in every cultural work is absolutely a good person, and no one would portray the protagonist as a bad person. However, in the middle of the opera, a truly terrifying idea is presented in another way.

Am I truly "just"? Is the "justice" that I represent necessarily "just"? Are my opponents necessarily "evil"? Or is it that the "evil" of my opponents is only because they stand on the opposite side of me, thus becoming "evil," while I am the one who is "just"?

In the end, the hero of the opera becomes the devil, while those "devils" he defeats become heroes who protect humanity. This huge reversal, coupled with the opera's allusions to mainstream society, has led to its immense popularity, but it has also been labeled as a "cult classic."

In an era where "justice is absolute justice and evil is absolute evil," this plot twist was unbearable for many, leaving them bewildered.

Mayor Landon made this statement at this moment because he actually wanted to tell Lin Qi some deeper information about this place.

People will go mad for power, for wealth, for anything that can be called profit. If Ferral doesn't have any outstanding achievements and doesn't show Lin Qi's attitude and support for him, people will launch unjust challenges to challenge his authority and status. Although Ferral may not represent absolute justice, he will certainly face many challenges.

Lin Qi nodded slightly. "I understand. Then let's do some preliminary investigation. I might acquire at least four or five factories..."

Mayor Landon nodded after listening, but also seemed a little curious. "We're just talking privately. Is Nagaril really as lucrative as some reports and people who have returned say?"

Ferral also looked at Lin Qi with curiosity. This was the mainstream opinion in the Federal society: Nagaril was full of gold.

Lin Qi laughed after hearing this, shaking his head as he laughed, "Of course not, it's very poor there, so poor that you can buy a life for just one hundred dollars."

"But they are also rich there. For our civilized society, the most expensive cost is labor, but for a poor, backward and barbaric society, what they have in abundance is surplus labor!"

The two might not understand this, so Lin Qi gave a specific example. "If you owned a factory and were given a hundred workers who didn't need wages, what do you think would be profitable?"

Mayor Landon said almost without hesitation, "You can make money doing anything!"

Then it dawned on him that he finally understood why everyone said there was gold everywhere there. He could make money by running his own construction team, since the Natives didn't ask for any wages.

As he came to his senses, he also raised a new question, "You know Mark, my nephew, he's not young anymore, and I want him to find something respectable to do. Do you think it would be appropriate for him to go to Nagaril as well?"

This was certainly appropriate. In fact, not only Mark, but Mayor Landon also kindly suggested that Ferral's brother go to Nagaril with Mark to look for opportunities. He was very good at interpersonal relationships.

The meeting with the mayor lasted for more than an hour before Lin Qi got up to say goodbye.

Ferral drove Lin Qi to the City Hall, somewhat embarrassed, and apologized for the mayor's earlier suggestion that his brother also go to Nagaril to apologize to Lin Qi. "I didn't know he would say that. My brother will not leave the Federal."

"No, there's no need to say that. Actually, I hope more people in the Federal can clearly understand this point: there are plenty of opportunities outside the Federal ..." He took out his business card from Nagaril and handed it to Ferral. "If your brother gets there, you can contact me, and I will arrange a suitable job for him."

Ferral took the business card and kept it safe. He knew this was a process that every politician had to go through in his political career—the collusion between power and capital. You couldn't avoid it, not even a president could, let alone an acting mayor who hadn't yet become mayor.

"Thank you for doing so much for me!" he said sincerely.

Lin Qi patted his arm, equally sincere, "We're friends!"