No one responded to Qin Siyang's words.
Joint Mining was the largest company in the mining industry, and the United Merchants' Association was the largest merchants' association.
Qin Siyang himself was Joint Mining's third-largest shareholder and the United Merchants' Association's second-largest shareholder.
And Joint Mining's largest shareholder, the Huan Family, its second-largest shareholder, the Yu Family, and the United Merchants' Association's largest shareholder, the Zhao Family, were all his staunch allies and committed opponents of Zone 1.
Qin Siyang raising taxes was effectively taking a knife to his own thigh.
Chu Zhongxiong shook his head with a smile. "Minister Qin, you're digging into your own pockets again to plug the United Government's budget deficit."
Olof said, "Minister Qin, much as I admire your character, doing this could very well provoke dissatisfaction from all sides."
"There's nothing to be dissatisfied about," Qin Siyang said. "The number of Sequence Ability Users is growing rapidly. Mining companies and merchants' associations are setting new sales records every day, and shareholder dividends are rising by the second. In just one week, my dividends have increased by thirty percent."
"Thirty percent?!"
"That much?!"
"Yes." Qin Siyang nodded. "According to Uncle Shan En's estimates, once universal sequence stabilizes, dividends will increase at least twentyfold."
Olof swallowed. "Twentyfold... isn't that a little exaggerated?"
Chu Zhongxiong's eyes widened as well. "It certainly sounds exaggerated, but neither you nor I own shares in mining companies or merchants' associations. And if that's Shan En's estimate, the actual figure should only be higher, not lower. You all saw what he was capable of when we worked together on those policies."
Remembering how Shan En had rushed from one crisis to another two weeks ago, helping calculate costs, everyone nodded.
Indeed, he was reliable and cautious. He would not make empty claims.
Qin