"Of course," Draco said.
"Distinguishing between the two and doing it is difficult; there are too many scenarios and situations. To do both is to stand in the middle."
"What's in the middle?" Trillian asked.
"The middle ground is flexibility, which can also be described as adaptability, or as analyzing each situation specifically—either way is fine."
"It's about distinguishing when to stay out of trouble and when not to. Like yin and yang, yin and yang alone aren't enough; they must be able to transform into each other at any time."
Hermione knew Draco had finished speaking, so she turned to Kraven, signaling him to continue recounting the history of vampires.
Kraven picked up the thread, "Now that we've finished talking, let me continue with the aftermath of the vampire story. As mentioned earlier, many lower-ranking young vampires, unwilling to be slaves for generations, have begun to retire en masse."
"The lower-class vampires are collectively giving up and refusing to engage in competitive labor, leading to a growing job shortage and causing the basic functioning of the clan to crumble. This has completely alarmed the vampire elites."
"In order to maintain order within the clan and suppress the laziness among young people, the upper echelons of the vampire clan, including their propaganda department specifically responsible for controlling public opinion, were all mobilized urgently to launch a large-scale propaganda campaign, vigorously promoting the idea that lying down is shameful and striving is honorable."
"If you're tired, go check out the farmers' market at 3 a. m.; if you feel hopeless, look at how delivery drivers earn millions a day; if all else fails, you're just being paid by outsiders."
"But only those who are truly alone can lie flat." Draco first pointed out the most realistic prerequisite for lying flat.
"If you have a complete family, you'll rarely be able to lie down comfortably."
"You want to lie down because your family won't allow it. Of course, there are families that will allow it, but deep down you'll feel it's not right. It's really good to have a family that can provide a safety net."
Draco then shifted the subject, speaking of the limitations of ordinary families, "Many ordinary parents themselves have limitations in their understanding,"
"My vision is limited, so I can't pave a special path for my child; I can only follow the most conventional route."
"In this situation, forcibly planning a special life trajectory for a child is more likely to lead them astray. Following the mainstream path is the safest choice. But everyone is crowding onto the same road, and the difficulty of breaking through is self-evident."
Draco a simple example. "It's like people who eat crabs; they're paving the way. It's also like farming: this year watermelon prices are high, so all the farmers grow watermelons; next year, watermelon yields are high, and prices drop."
"So if you want to make money from farming, you need data. If there's a lot of demand for a particular crop, then you can grow something else. Of course, you also need to ensure there's a market for that crop; if no one buys it, it's all for nothing."
"Farming itself is definitely not profitable, and the risks are quite high. As the saying goes, when it comes to things that actually make money, think about it, what skills do you have to even get a chance?"
Trillian asked, puzzled, "Why doesn't farming make money?"
Before Draco could speak, Kraven interjected, "Think about it, if farming were truly profitable, wouldn't everyone rush to farm? But if everyone farmed, supply would exceed demand, which would in turn make farming unprofitable."
"It's precisely because farming doesn't make money that we can let farmers earn a little bit. It's about making a living; every little bit counts."
Draco added, "The reason farming isn't profitable is because the profits are divided up at each stage of the process."
"Upstream, there are merchants selling seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural machinery; midstream, there are agricultural product buyers, wholesalers at various levels, and offline retailers; downstream, there are food processing plants that process primary agricultural products into snacks, ready-made meals, and other commodities for sale at a premium. In contrast, in the entire industrial chain, farmers only bear the most arduous production burden, yet receive the least profit."
"Of course, if they can make money, that's their skill. If no one can make money, then the farmers will also suffer losses."
After listening, Hermione couldn't help but sigh, "Farmers not only have to bear the risks of natural disasters like droughts, floods, hail, and pests, but they also have to passively bear the risks of rising raw material prices upstream, price pressure from midstream suppliers, and fluctuations in downstream markets. It's so tough for them."
So, does that mean the production stage isn't profitable?
Trillian summarized, following her train of thought.
"No, not exactly." Draco shook his head.
"Look at how manufacturing is booming in various countries, isn't it? If it weren't profitable, no one would set up factories to produce goods. It's just that the most basic form of production, like farming, doesn't make money."
"Alright," Trillian said helplessly.
At this point, Draco steered the conversation back to the topic of "lying flat" versus "involution," offering an unconventional perspective. "Actually, those who 'lyse flat' should be encouraged to strive and engage in moderate involution."
"Why?" Trillian asked, her eyes wide.
"You'll understand if you think about it from a different perspective," Draco guided. "The more people willing to strive, the higher the degree of market competition, and the more the production capacity of all industries will expand."
This means that the supply of goods on the market has increased significantly, and with supply exceeding demand, prices have been suppressed. As prices fall, those who are willing to lie low can buy necessities at extremely low prices, indirectly enjoying the benefits of this competitive environment.
"Isn't this a good thing? Shouldn't competition be encouraged?"
Draco finished with a smile and asked one last question.
"Phew!" Trillian suddenly realized, "Thinking about it now, that makes perfect sense. Young Master, you see things so clearly."
"Actually, even those who 'lie flat' want to have something to do, to be able to do something," Draco said, speaking up for them. "The reason they like to oppose involution is because involution means one person does the work of several. If there's no involution, then the work will be divided up, and they'll have a chance to get work."
"I see..." Trillian now understood.
"In other words, this is also a kind of struggle!"
"Yes," Draco nodded. "So, those who lie low aren't just working for their own Fawley, but also for the benefit of other 'oxen and horses.' The two sides are never truly adversaries."
"That's right." Kraven pointed out the common prejudice, "The reason why cattle and horses dislike people who lie down is because, why can you lie down while I have to work myself to the bone all day long?"
"It seems there's no need for hostility now," said Trillian.
Draco seized the opportunity presented by the topic of opposition to say, "Nothing should be in opposition, such as men and women, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, right and wrong, useful and useless, good and bad. As long as there is any sign of opposition, we should stay far away from it."
"It's like various circles," Trillian said, "The entertainment circle, the cultural circle, the art circle, the music circle, the sports circle... the fans in them will crush one another if they like one."
"Right." Draco snapped his fingers. "The circles are for dividing factions and creating conflict; don't go in."