The casino's physical facilities were all ready. Now it was time to begin the experiment.
"Yan!" Uchiha Tekka pointed to the clan members behind him. "These are the people I selected over the past while."
"There are twenty in total: fifteen ninja, seven of whom have awakened the One-Tomoe Sharingan, and five ordinary clan members."
Sitting in his office, Yan looked up when he heard the voices.
His gaze passed over Uchiha Yan as he spoke.
"You all know why Tekka brought you here, right?"
"We do!" A middle-aged ninja in the crowd nodded in reply. "We're here to cooperate with an experiment the clan is conducting. If it succeeds, it'll make the Uchiha Clan stronger."
The clan members around him echoed their agreement.
"We volunteered, so please don't worry, Lord Yan. If anything goes wrong, it won't be your responsibility."
"That's right. As long as it makes the Uchiha Clan stronger, we're willing to do anything."
"Please don't go easy on us just because we're from the same clan, Lord Yan."
"..."
"I won't go easy on you, so you can rest assured!" Yan smiled faintly, took a stack of papers from the second drawer on the right side of his desk, and tossed them onto it.
"One copy for each of you. Sign them!"
Uchiha Tekka quickly picked up the papers and handed them out to the clan members.
"Lord Yan, what is this? What's a contract?"
"Yeah, it says five million ryo here. What does that mean?"
"Hey! Yours says five million ryo? Mine only says eight hundred thousand."
"..."
The clan members looked over the contracts, their faces filled with confusion.
They recognized every word, but somehow they couldn't make sense of them when they were put together.
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Yan tapped lightly on the desk.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sound echoed through the modest office, drawing everyone's attention.
"This is a contract," Yan explained.
"The amount listed on it was determined by your overall circumstances."
Yan rose from his chair and leaned back against the desk, his face expressionless as he continued.
"By 'overall circumstances,' I mean things like your assets, earning potential, and how many people are in your family."
"Take the clan member who's getting five million ryo, for example."
"He's a ninja, he's awakened the One-Tomoe Sharingan, and his relatives own some businesses in the clan. Naturally, his overall rating is high."
"As for those getting only a few hundred thousand ryo, or even less than a hundred thousand, I don't need to explain why, do I?"
Yan's voice rang through the office, mingling with the oppressive atmosphere.
His blunt words stabbed deep into the hearts of some of those present.
They silently lowered their heads, their expressions hidden from view.
Meanwhile, the others couldn't help but let faint, almost imperceptible smiles creep across their faces.
They took it as a sign that Lord Yan approved of them.
They felt they were different from everyone else!
Seeing this, Yan's lips slowly curled upward. He pressed his advantage and continued.
"This money is a gift from me. You don't have to pay it back."
"You can gamble with it, or spend it on food and drink. But you can only spend it here. That's all written in the contract."
"And even if you spend it all, that's fine. We won't force you to gamble."
"I have just one requirement: you must spend at least six hours here every day."
"You can also help out if you want. I'll pay you a thousand ryo a day."
At that, the clan members stared at Yan in astonishment.
They'd thought they were here to suffer, but they hadn't expected to get such a good deal.
He was giving them so much money, letting them spend it however they pleased, with no strict conditions.
"So if I understand Lord Yan correctly, I'm rich now!" The clan member with the largest amount was thrilled. "Five million ryo! It'd take me at least twenty years to earn that much if I worked without eating or sleeping."
"I'm jealous!" another clan member with a large allowance teased him with a smile. "I only got three and a half million."
"I've got it worse. I only got one million!"
"Well, I'm a little better off than you. I got one and a half million!"
"..."
Their chatter filled the office. Some complained, but the air of superiority in their voices was unmistakable.
The clan members with their heads bowed lowered them even further, their hearts seemingly torn to pieces.
And so...
In that strange, seemingly enthusiastic atmosphere...
Class divisions and conflict quietly came into being.
After the clan members left, only Yan and Tekka remained in the office.
"Tekka!" Yan sat back down, clasped his hands, and smiled. "Did you figure out what I was trying to do just now?"
At Yan's question, Tekka scratched his head awkwardly and replied.
"L-Lord Yan!"
"I think I understand a little, but I'm not sure I really understand!"
"Then tell me what you think," Yan said gently.
His words washed over Uchiha Tekka like a spring breeze, easing his doubts and giving him the courage to speak freely.
"Lord Yan, are you trying to split the clan members into two groups and set them against each other?"
"Yes and no." Yan nodded, then shook his head. "I'm splitting them into two classes."
"Classes?" This unfamiliar word left Uchiha Tekka's mind reeling. "I don't really understand!"
"Classes are different groups within society, divided according to differences in economic, political, and social status," Yan explained with a smile.
"In the casino, the clan members with larger allowances belong to the higher class."
"They have enormous amounts of wealth, but they can only use it in the casino. As time passes, and the lower-allowance clan members serve as a contrast, it's only a matter of time before they start spending recklessly."
"Because of that, they'll feel superior to everyone else."
Yan smiled faintly, paused, then continued.
"Imagine that one day he loses everything and becomes just like the clan members he used to look down on. Do you think he could accept that kind of psychological blow?"
Yan's simple explanation made a light suddenly flash through Uchiha Tekka's mind.
Everything he hadn't understood before now made sense, but the conclusion he reached sent a chill down his spine.
Looking at Yan's faintly sinister smile, Uchiha Tekka couldn't help shivering. His awe of Yan deepened.
Using this method to awaken the clan members' desires—this guy was a devil!
"Lord Yan!" Uchiha Tekka's voice grew even more respectful. "You truly are a genius!"
"The same method can be used on the clan members with smaller allowances."
"Let them experience the lavish life of the upper class, then drag them straight into hell."
"Under the influence of such intense emotions, the clan members will be more likely to awaken their Sharingan!"
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