In Norton's sixty-third year, under immense mental pressure, the Pale God altered the policies of the entire Southern Continent. (Don't project your own experience onto reality; it's different.)
Ultimately, Norton did back down.
Moreover, he becomes more and more cowardly as he gets older.
The reasons for this were not only the hatred and growing resistance he faced from the entire Northern Continent, but also the sense of oppression that came with the passage of time as he grew older.
Because God exists, God coming is certain; this fact has already been established. As time goes by, it naturally means that the day of God's coming is getting closer day by day.
In addition, there was the sun, which had begun to weaken over the past century. This sunlight, which he could truly feel growing warmer day by day, was like the real Grim Reaper, drawing ever closer with each passing day.
This relentless sense of pressure, this clear feeling of the cleaver descending upon his neck—this is the root cause of the immense fear and pressure that plagued the Pale God Norton.
Under this pressure, Norton's past acts of depravity served as a constant reminder of his impending doom, like the scythe of death.
Under this intense pressure, and in a self-deceptive state of mind that wanted to "make the Southern Continent prosperous and strong, thereby proving my Norton," he brazenly issued the order for "reform," dividing and regulating the vast corporations that had developed under public ownership over the past decades, transforming them into divine assets, and carrying out a considerable degree of open reform.
Specifically, this manifests in several ways: abandoning the old system of equal distribution based on work, instead adopting a talent-driven approach, eliminating a significant number of parasites who relied on past policies and personal connections to slack off and live off others, opening up the economy and overall development, introducing capital from the East Continent and Northern Continent, introducing a market economy, and utilizing deities for macroeconomic regulation of the market economy...
Its development path bears a striking resemblance to that of Norton's long-forgotten predecessor.
However, the fundamental tone of the country has not changed; its true basis remains the theistic ideology with deities as the supreme leader and only one class in the country.
However, the specific manifestations are different.
The old policy of slavery was, frankly, indeed good.
Its advantage lies in the absence of disparity; everyone, whether a farmer or a city worker, belongs to the same class, with the same income and the same job.
The Holy Empire allocated housing, jobs, food rations, and all necessary items, which meant there weren't any significant differences between them. At most, some people could find relatively easy jobs by relying on their family and connections, thus living off others.
However, the actual individual share and housing allocation will not differ significantly because the Church directly controls the distribution.
This has resulted in the absence of class antagonism and wealth disparity within the Holy Empire over the years. Everyone is on the same level, with similar wealth. At most, people might be hostile towards you personally if you don't work, but they won't be hostile towards the Holy Empire's government because of a huge wealth gap or oppressive relationship between them.
But now, with the complete reformation by that Pale God, everything has changed.
Apart from a certain number of state-owned companies that were transformed into state-owned assets, allowing these lucky employees to earn a living, all other factories were converted into private ownership. Workers were either laid off or retained to continue working in the factories based on their professional skills.
In the past, those who lacked ability, relied on connections to get by, or had extremely poor interpersonal relationships either got rid of the factory under the pretext of being "optimized" or continued to climb higher through connections.
The specific developments of the situation need not be elaborated upon; the various events that occurred during this period are extremely common in historical texts from that era.
To ensure that this transformation would not lead to starvation, the high and mighty God, Pale God, used divine authority to forcibly control the prices of food and daily necessities in the Holy Empire. This was to guarantee that even if people had no income for five years, they would still have the right to survive with the back pay they received when they were laid off.
It must be said that Norton has always shown unimaginable tenderness towards the truly underprivileged.
However, not everyone can appreciate his good intentions.
Just as the America still has a large number of conservative and racist "rednecks," the Holy Empire also has a large number of stubborn, conservative people who are unwilling to change.
These people gained status and benefits under the old system by using their own set of theories, but they also fantasize about continuing the circle of status they built in the past in this new era in order to consolidate their status and interests.
This group is also the least supportive of, and the least adaptable to, the idea that a Pale God is bound to reform!
With the start of the Pale God's reforms, Norton's reputation began to change.
Norton 68, five years after the Norton Reforms.
The entire Holy Empire has undergone a complete transformation compared to the past.
Various new industries have sprung up, and private enterprises and private business owners are thriving.
In this suddenly open environment, it's almost as if a pig sitting on the cusp of a gust of wind could take off.
Specifically, this means that by purchasing goods in coastal cities and transporting them to eastern cities, one can make a guaranteed profit.
While the rigid lifestyle of the past ensured a comfortable life with enough food and clothing, there were very few products that could add variety to life. Now that restrictions have been lifted, all sorts of new and exciting options are flourishing.
The increasing variety of products and the competition among them have further expanded the industry and market. The originally dull and monotonous lives of the people of the Holy Empire have begun to be Baptism by new things, which has also led to the emergence of a new group of wealthy people and the re-emergence of social classes.
Those with true insight and courage had already foreseen this raging storm, and one by one they left their comfort zones to start businesses or embark on other paths.
These stubborn and conservative individuals, unwilling to relinquish their past reliance on interpersonal relationships, family connections, or seniority to gain fame and fortune, find themselves unable to adapt to the changed society. They feel envious and resentful seeing everyone around them getting rich and living better lives, yet they remain huddled in their own circles, afraid to step out. They can only transform their endless jealousy into hostility towards the Pale God who initiated the reforms, and begin a frenzied and extensive denunciation of that Pale God.
"I told you that Pale God is a fool! He knows nothing about governing a country!"
"Isn't this just handing over all the wealth we've accumulated to individuals? Pale God, you son of a bitch!"
"What's the difference between this life and the country when the Holy Empire Parliament was in power? We're going to become their slaves again. What the hell is this Pale God? What the hell is this real god? Now it seems we're nothing but lackeys of capital!"
"I used to kick Leonardo from that village whoever walked past my house and tell him to get lost. But these past two years, that bastard's been making a fortune doing some illegal business. Now he's built a house and bought a car. What the hell does he deserve? Let me tell you, even if he's a big boss now, I'll still look down on him. He didn't earn his money cleanly; he's exploited countless employees to get his wealth. I don't want to associate with him!"
"You've hit the nail on the head, my dear brother! And that Karen from the factory, damn it, that disgusting bitch who used to sweep the floors back then, now she's opened a small clothing factory? Where did she get so much money when she was just a floor sweeper? She must have hooked up with the factory manager back when she was sweeping the floors!"
I'd be disgusted if that bitch gave me any money she made through dishonest means!
Alas, how has the world become like this? Those of us with true integrity and perseverance are now disliked by society!
"Hey, you bet! Jack, I remember back in the factory we were pretty tough! We could yell at the factory manager whenever we wanted! Every pretty girl in the factory would give us a second glance. That Leonardo DiCaprio was a scoundrel, but I beat him up three times with my guys and he didn't dare utter a sound. And Karen, the janitor, I'd grab her butt every time I walked past her. How could those lowest-class, spineless scum compare to us?"
Damn it, it's all that Pale God!
Heated arguments could be heard almost daily in every corner of the Holy Empire.
The most prominent example is the classic conservative who gained certain benefits and status in the past through brute force and the old slave system, but now remains stagnant and has fallen from a powerful figure to a member of the lower class.
Those who truly dare to venture out have already gone out to make their way in the world. Whether they die out there or end up penniless and homeless, it is their own choice.
The truly honest people have already begun to travel around looking for work, and are honestly starting to work again and continue to strive.
Only these self-important individuals, who held a certain social status under the slave system due to the system and social environment, are now being labeled as conservatives and subjected to relentless daily denunciations.
Just like the rednecks who couldn't amass great wealth without slaves and ship slaves, the old system gave these incompetent and arrogant people a fairly good situation, but now, after undergoing reforms, they have been completely thrown back to the status quo.
In reality, the lives of these traditionalists today are not necessarily worse than they used to be.
Thanks to the reforms of the Pale God and the stimulus of the market economy, productivity has developed to a considerable extent.
The Pale God Norton, fearing that God would descend and question him about why he had wreaked havoc in the Garden of Eden of Eden, had been conducting macro-level regulation. The monthly salary of these people could now buy three or even five times the amount of supplies distributed in the old days.
In addition, the booming economy has led the Pale God to stop levying taxes on the entire population. Instead, taxes are waived for those with incomes below a certain level, ensuring that they can support their families with the bare minimum income. Large taxes are levied only on large, registered companies and enterprises to offset the taxes levied on the lower classes, especially farmers.
Competition-driven upgrades and progress are highly productive, resulting in a quality of life for people that far surpasses that of the slave era.
But why is that Pale God now met with such vehement condemnation? The specific reason lies in something that resonates most deeply with human nature: 'greed and envy'.
The thugs and hooligans who were once looked down upon in the village have now gone into business and transformed into wealthy bosses. The opportunists and swindlers who were once despised in the factory are now rolling in money and making a fortune.
These honest people, who have always followed the rules of the old era and are dishonest at heart but lack the ability to do evil, can now only work under them and suffer humiliation, receiving meager wages and having to be subservient to them. This is a huge insult to their former status and treatment!
Although they have gained three or even five times more than before, and although they live a richer and more fulfilling life than before, they still feel unbalanced whenever they see those they used to look down on living in high-rise buildings, driving luxury cars, and dating beautiful women!
They would rather go back to the days when every family could barely afford to eat than see those who were once worse off than themselves now enjoy wealth and status far exceeding their own.
This is even more painful than killing them!
And this is the root cause of their current insults against that Pale God!
They lacked the ability to become wealthy, and they didn't have the courage to venture out. They only dared to reminisce about their glorious past within their own self-imposed boundaries.
And this is their last resort in attacking that Pale God!
Unfortunately, the Holy Empire truly had a god.
Moreover, this god not only hears their wanton insults and grievances, but also possesses a heart that has long since lost its humanity over a thousand years of life...
This kind of person even has mental illness...