"Dad?!"
Miss Sparrow covered his mouth and widened his eyes.
With an anxious look on her face, she put her hand on her father's strong and thick arm and said with concern:
"Louis Family Why do you do this? Maybe outsiders don't know that you are so good to your employees, but even though the business has been poor in recent years and you have suffered several losses, you have not canceled those welfare systems... Black City's workers love you so much that even the parliament has awarded you a medal?"
"Aurora, you don't understand."
Mr. Fuz shook his head.
"If no one investigates further, the parliament will naturally be happy to see the results, but the 'twelve-hour working day' is a system enforced by the empire. Now that Louis Family plans to report it, the parliament will not be able to help us cover it up. After all, Mr. Layton Lewis once served as a senior executive of the 'Chamber of Commerce' in the capital 'Muse City'. Even if he retires now, he still has a certain influence. The local council does not want to offend him."
"Then... what should we do?"
Miss Sparrow gripped his father's sleeve tightly and bit his lip.
"Otherwise, you should temporarily restore the 'twelve-hour work system' first. If the workers know that you will be imprisoned, they will understand you... When this incident is over, I will buy some food and supplies on your behalf to comfort the workers. By the way, the valuable accessories and clothes you bought for me can also be pawned and used as compensation to the workers."
"Alas." Mr. Fuz smiled happily and touched his daughter's head. "You have grown up and are a qualified lady, Aurora... but this matter is not that simple."
He said, remained silent for a moment, and then said:
"Louis Family What they want is my collection, the 'Christmas Pocket Watch Fisher'."
"That broken pocket watch..." Aurora was slightly startled.
Of course she knew about the pocket watch her father talked about, because it was a token of love that her mother had pawned after she eloped with her father when she was still alive.
It is not only a limited edition collection made by the famous imperial watchmaker "Fisher Atom" and is extremely valuable, but it is also the sincere love of my mother who gave up everything and gave it to my father.
With the support of my mother, my father once sold his pocket watch and used that pot of gold to build his current family business. However, his living conditions gradually improved, but my mother died of illness at an early age... My father spent a lot of money to redeem the pocket watch as his only memory of his mother.
The value given to it cannot be measured by money at all.
"That's my mother's only relic!" Aurora bit her lip.
"I know, how could I not know..."
Mr. Fuz endured the pain and frowned.
"But if the conditions of the Louis Family are not met, everything we have will be in vain, hundreds of workers will lose their jobs, and so many families will fall into the quagmire of life... This is the power of power and status. Dad has worked hard for decades and has long understood this truth."
"But... how can we guarantee that Louis Family will not continue to use this to blackmail you in the future after taking the pocket watch?" Aurora worried. "Today they only want the pocket watch, but tomorrow they may intensify their extortion efforts."
"I have to hand over my pocket watch first..."
Mr. Fuz shook his head.
"From next week, I will restore the 'twelve-hour work system'. Most of the workers will blame me for this, but... alas!"
As he spoke, he covered his face with his hands, as if he was trying to control his emotions.
Aurora said nothing, she silently gave her father a hug.
She knew only too well her father's pain.
My father is different from other factory owners and capitalists. He was originally a worker, and he can deeply understand the hard work and life needs of workers. Therefore, after opening the factory, he has been working hard to obtain benefits for the workers. This may be because my father wants to give a clear conscience answer to his former self.
But now, the answer may turn out to be very bad.
"Dad, let me deliver the pocket watch when the time comes..." Aurora said softly.
*
*
*
Late at night.
Record Society secret apartment fourth floor attic, exercise room.
Whoosh--Whoosh--
Hoo ho ho!
Mr. Stork, who had taken off his hat and was only wearing a shirt with his cuffs rolled up, was waving a practice stick. His movements were fast and methodical, and he swung the stick to create a series of afterimages and sounds in the air.
Suddenly, Mr. Stork stabbed out with a stick, the air screamed, and accurately hit the head of a dummy target.
With a bang, the head of the target dummy flew up and fell to his feet.
Mr. Stork looked at the concave fake head, was slightly startled, and then murmured:
"When did my staff skills improve so much... Could it be the effect of the mysterious lake in <Black Lake>? I didn't expect that the enhancement of 'Gnosis' could also drive staff skills in disguise! This is such an unexpected surprise!"
He smiled with satisfaction, and a look of hope flashed in his eyes.
"Maybe one day, even if I can't step into the mysterious realm, I can become a 'master of stick magic'..."
*
*
*
The next morning.
Gilan was sitting alone on the window seat of "Swan Café". On the table in front of him was a tempting breakfast, three plates and a drink: "Roasted Lamb Sliced Sandwich", "Fresh Fruit Salad", "Fried Chowder Platter" and "Essential Coffee".
The chowder platter consists of two slices of fried bacon, a fried egg, a pile of fried tomatoes and mushrooms, two sausages and three slices of white bread with butter.
The entire package is named "Swan Set C" and is worth 6 Pfennig 8 Melang.
The reason why he didn't order the most expensive "Swan Set A" was simply because he didn't like fish.
In addition, as he reached the second stage of the exercise technique "Yellow Bile", he found that his food intake had increased a lot. This C meal was large and filling, and could barely satisfy his appetite.
'It's another beautiful day for new students. Let's consider this expensive breakfast as a reward for myself today.'
As a human being, you must have a sense of ritual.
Gilan picked up the cutlery, looked solemn, and said silently in his heart.
Immediately, he started to eat.
Taking advantage of boredom, I opened the morning newspaper at hand on the desktop.
In the newspaper publication named "Forest Post", the headline published a piece of bombshell news:
"The threat of Federation from the East! Please be vigilant to the people of the empire!"
The subtitle is. "The situation between the Bremen Empire and Ovena Federation is tense, and war is about to break out!"
Gilan raised his eyebrows.
Chewing food in my mouth, chewing the words "Ovena Federation" in my heart.
'This Federation seems to be another large country adjacent to the east of the Bremen Empire. These two countries do not deal with each other very much. There are often frictions. In diplomacy, they are mostly bickering and full of gunpowder... Is there really going to be a war?'
He couldn't help but think.
But Gilan According to the experience of the previous life, it is difficult for a war between countries to actually start a war when the strength of both sides is balanced... In most cases, it is mostly a matter of talking and using various means to exchange interests.
"Did you hear about it? At the 'Buao High-Level Meeting' a while ago, Ovena Federation's diplomat team actually led a scantily clad song and dance troupe into the capital, 'Muse City', and performed obscene performances at 'Four Directions Palace' in front of our Propaganda Department chief Staven and a group of military officers..."
Several gentlemen were drinking coffee and chatting at a table.
"A blatant provocation and insult? This is too much!"
Another man with a pencil mustache grabbed his hat and said angrily.
"It is said that the head of state hates fancy singing and dancing. If he knows about it, it will definitely make those guys with oily heads and pink faces like Federation look good!"
"I heard from friends in the local council that Federation seemed to have built large-scale military camps in border cities a few months ago, and seemed to be preparing to gather troops and take action..."
The long-haired gentleman at the table had a solemn face and worried eyes.
"Great Forest Region happens to be in the eastern part of the empire, bordering Federation. If there is a war, we Black City will be the first to bear the brunt."
"Don't worry, Commander-in-Chief 'Leitch Mesa' began to implement 'Steel Wall Fortress Plan' as early as nine years ago, using the entire Great Forest Region as the empire's strongest defense line. The defenses stretching for more than 400 kilometers are impregnable... If a war really breaks out, Federation will pay a heavy price!"
Mr. Pencil Hu knocked on the table and said in a deep voice.
"They can't, let alone dare not tamper... Don't forget the 'Second War of Honor' seventeen years ago. The head of state not only recaptured the northern colony 'Posivia', but also severely damaged the Ovena Alliance, avenging the Blood Sea of 'First War of Humiliation' more than forty years ago."
"Yes, the Head of State is the beacon of our 'Hiru nation' and the greatest leader in the history of the empire. With him here, neither the Eastern 'Ovena Federation' nor the Western 'Stuttgart Empire' can even think of getting any more benefits from us!"
The other gentlemen expressed their admiration.
As their discussion grew louder, the guests in the coffee shop, regardless of whether they were gentlemen or ladies, invariably stretched out their hands, crossed them in front of their chests, and made an "X" sign... as if to pay high respect to the head of state.
Gilan was startled. He looked around and frowned slightly.
In order to avoid being out of place, he had no choice but to put down his knife and fork, cross his arms as well, pretend to be one of them, and blend into the inexplicable fanaticism.