If you want to rank the moral standards of the various factions within the legion, the civilian clique staying by His Majesty the Marshal can undoubtedly be at the top.

While the Eastern Legion was still pondering how to squeeze the last drop of oil out of indentured slaves, the civilian clique had already figured out a set of methods to "systematically" convert indentured slaves into debt slaves with reference to the colonial management methods of the Southern Legion.

Don't think this is an evil thing, considering the background of the wasteland, turning people from animals into goods can definitely be regarded as a "good deed".

The poor people of the Free State of Bugerra complained at most that the advertisements for the refrigerators were too long and the iris detection devices were too anti-human, while the slaves of Borneo might not only not sympathize with their troubles, but would ask in confusion what the refrigerator and the advertisements were, and why it was not necessary to spend money to waste 75 seconds of life.

In short, the civil officials of Triumph City did not let the survivors of Westsail Harbor use refrigerators, but at least opened a window into their hopeless lives.

These civil officials first cooperated with the nobles of the Lion State, leasing the slaves in the hands of the nobles with a rent of 50 dinars a month, and then they would give the slaves an additional 50~150 dinars "reward" at the end of each month.

How much you can get depends purely on your performance at work.

Of course, the money would not be stuffed into the pockets of the slaves, but it would be recorded in their accounts, and when they had saved enough money they could redeem themselves and their families.

And after these slaves have redeemed themselves, they are also considered skilled workers, not only have a wealth of work experience, but also have a higher motivation to work.

The Legion will continue to hire them for work, and the original reward will be their monthly salary.

For the Willantes, the wages they paid to these people did not change, but instead saved the rent of 50 dinars per month paid to the nobles, which amounted to hiring a more skilled laborer at a lower cost.

For the aristocracy, the amount of slave work did not affect their income, and although it was a pity to sell the skilled workers, the ransom fee of 1,000 dinars was not a loss, which was equivalent to 20 months' income from a single buyout.

Moreover, they can also make a fortune with the labor registry, which is a packaged labor agency.

The only ones who lost were the freedmen.

Originally, they lived and ate on the estates of the nobility, but now everything was up to them......

……

West Sail Harbor.

Unlike the sweaty and busy in the past, the atmosphere on the dock today is a little weird.

The black-pressed crowd crowded the port, blocking the entire road from the dock to the warehouse, and the faces were full of pent-up anger.

They were the first laborers to arrive at Xifan Port, and every brick in this port was the embodiment of their blood and sweat, but these people were not only satisfied with trampling those bricks under their feet, but also trampled on what little dignity and hope they had.

Orissa was not the first coolie to die in the port of Sailing, or even the first freedman to die on the job, but his death was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, making the freedfolk of the entire port completely angry!

Why do they live like donkeys?

Isn't it just to be able to get that paper ticket that proves that they are free people?

Man is an animal that lives on hope for food, and can live even if he eats soil when there is hope.

"As long as you work diligently, you can be free" is like a radish hanging in front of them, for this radish and in order for their families to eat this radish, they do not hesitate to endure the whipping and scolding of the overseer, fall the root of the disease, and even crush their own backbone......

However, the old men of Xifan Harbor ripped off the radish that hung in front of them, and slammed the little hope they had to the ground.

What if you get it?

With that piece of paper, I can't handle you?

In the end, the only real free people in Xifan Harbor are those who don't need paper coupons to prove themselves.

No one would ask the Willant for that, no one would ask the nobles for that, not even the priests of Silvermoon Bay and the merchants of the southern seas, it seemed that it was because of some agreement of the Sticky Community.

Orissa spent a thousand dinars for herself, and she didn't know how much she spent to redeem her family, and she probably borrowed a little from the Willants.

However, the compensation for his death was only a pitiful eight hundred dinars!

Eight hundred!

At the worst-worst exchange rate of 1:5, you can't even exchange 200 silver coins!

This money will not be able to pay off the debt, nor will it be able to sustain the family's expenses for long.

Once he is buried in the ground, his family will either repeat his mistakes or follow the same fate as him.

Or—

You can only sell yourself and start the next cycle of despair.

If the new wind in the wasteland never blows here, the people here may be able to endure all this, and even wake up until the moment they enter the earth, and a moment of pain is not a kind of happiness.

Unfortunately, however, merchant ships from the east brought more than just wealth and technology.

And the idea of enlightening it all.

The freedmen standing here may not know much of a word, but from the priests from Silvermoon Bay, they already know that thousands of kilometers away there is a settlement called Boulder City and an Awoken named Pol.

The power of one person is small, but when 500,000 survivors are united, even those hundreds of meters high giant walls will tremble, and thousands of meters high buildings will collapse!

There are not just 500,000 survivors in Saisail Harbor, but millions!

Inspired by the power of example, the people who had dispersed as soon as the guns rang out were once again united......

They've had enough of those lies.

They have to fight for their rights with their own hands.

Najib broke out in a cold sweat in the face of the growing crowd, but he still mustered up the courage to yell at them.

"What are you doing here! Why don't you get to work...... It's itchy again, isn't it! ”

The people did not speak, nor did they come forward to provoke the Willant soldiers as they had done last time, but simply stood there in silence, looking at him with their eyes.

Panicked by those eyes, Najib swallowed a mouthful of saliva nervously, and her right hand holding the whip kept shaking, as if she had muscle weakness and couldn't do it at all.

There are 20,000 or 30,000 people gathered here, more than ten times the day before yesterday.

Not only do these people not work, but they also block the way back to the warehouse.

Now the whole port is like an alarm clock that has been broken, and the loading and unloading work has completely stopped.

If he can't unload all the goods on the docks before dark, the Willant shipowners and the local nobles will all come to him for trouble!

At the thought of that scene, cold sweat suddenly oozed from Najib's forehead, and he looked at the port guard next to him for help.

The guards were also talking to each other, as if discussing countermeasures.

"Why don't you scatter these pioneers?"

"But the docks still need their jobs."

"But it's just a hindrance for them to stay here now."

"But what if we don't have them? Relying on those slaves who grind foreign workers will not be able to finish it until tomorrow. ”

"The Governor has told us that it is our job to ensure order here...... We have to find a way to get them back to work, and we have to get them to work honestly. ”

The captain of the guard glanced at the group of laborers, his brow furrowed tightly.

He had underestimated these guys before, and although they were as timid as mice, they were not useless.

Such as enough cunning.

There have also been "freedmen" strikes in other Willant colonies, but usually in cases where there is a complete imbalance between debt interest and income, and rarely in the initial stages of the transition from indentured to debt slaves.

This was supposed to be a honeymoon period for both parties.

However, as if someone had told them where the scam would go next, they suddenly woke up from their illusory dreams.

And also learned the worst and worst bad habit of striking.

They can drive these people from one cage to another with a gun, but they can't force them to do their jobs.

And whenever this happens, even the Willantes can only weigh the pros and cons and make some compromises.

It's a pity that the governor went back to Triumph City for the New Year, and now he is probably still floating on the sea.

The captain of the guard strode up to Najib, and said as he looked at the pale latter's commanding tone.

“…… It's not a good idea to keep it in this way, so talk to them and see how you can get them back to work. ”

Najib hurriedly returned to the crowd, wanting to pick up his usual expression of authority, but he couldn't get the confidence to be vicious, so he could only lower his posture and say bitterly.

"What's the use of just standing here? What do you want, you have to give me a word! ”

With the support of his companions, a laborer stepped forward, his eyes fixed on him.

"We've got an Orissa dead."

Naji said through gritted teeth.

"We've already given compensation, what do you want!"

The labor said angrily.

“…… Too little! Eight hundred dinars is simply not enough for his family to survive in the port of Sailing! ”

"Then go back to the country—" Najib opened his mouth to retort when he was angrily interrupted.

"Don't pretend to be stupid there, the fertile land of Lion State is covered with plantations, where is there land where they can live!"

This resonated with many people, especially those who originally worked on the plantation.

If there is a choice, they don't want to come to this place to work hard.

They have the ability to farm, but they have no land to plant.

"That's right! They don't have a home to go back to! ”

"Do you want Orissa's wife and daughter to return to his old master's plantation?"

"Then what are we trying to redeem ourselves! It's not the same in the end! ”

The noise is getting louder and louder, and people's emotions are getting more and more excited.

Najib panicked and yelled desperately.

"And what do you want? Are we going to keep them for the rest of our lives? Why! ”

The moment they heard this, everyone was in an uproar, and their eyes became even more angry.

"Why!"

"Just because Orissa died while working for you!"

"We've sweated blood and sweat for this port, why don't we have a place here!"

"That's right! We don't just get justice for Orissa! We need to get our own justice! ”

"The wages of the work must go up!"

"Either give us at least 10 dinars a day! Either allow us to organize ourselves to contract the docks! Everyone competes fairly, we eat as much work as we do, and we will never rely on you! ”

The entire dock was filled with the angry roar of laborers, and even the slaves who tried to squeeze through the crowd involuntarily stopped.

Listening to the increasingly excessive demands, Najib only felt his scalp tingle.

These sky-high guys!

10 dinars a day!

It's 300 a month! This is equivalent to doubling the previous maximum salary!

It costs so much money to move a few boxes, why don't they grab it!

As for letting them organize themselves to contract the wharf, it is absolutely impossible.

It's not just a matter of interest, there are other, more difficult issues in it.

Neither the Willantes nor the nobles would agree to let these inferior people organize.

They dare to ask for the contract of the wharf today, and tomorrow they will rush to ask for the city hall, bank, and post office to be contracted together!

Whose name will be Xifan Port at that time? Is it the name of this group of rats?

Najib's brow twitched violently, and he yelled at the crowd with all his strength.

"Are you crazy! Do you know what you're asking for? Why don't you just let us give you this port!" ”

"Then you give it to us!"

The laborers standing in front of the crowd did not show weakness at all, and they did not intend to give in.

As if hearing some funny joke, Najib said with a sneer.

"To you? You're going to ruin everything here in less than a day! ”

The docker stared at him.

"That's ruined, everything here never belonged to us anyway!"

Seeing that the emotions of the crowd were getting more and more excited, the Willant guards standing on the side finally couldn't stand it anymore.

The captain of the guard walked up to Najib's side, pulled him aside, and stared into his eyes, saying word by word.

"Are you a pig? I asked you to negotiate terms with them and coax them back to their posts, but I didn't let you quarrel with them! Do you want me to teach you how to do it? ”

Seeing that Willant was angry, Najib hurriedly explained bitterly.

"Great, sir, you don't understand...... You can't give them a good face! Once they've given them a taste of the sweetness, they'll be like snakes crawling up the baton in your hand. ”

"I don't understand?" The captain of the guard sneered and patted him on the head with a smile, "How many colonies have you been to?" I've only been a foreman for a few days, so you dare to talk to me like that? ”

Najib broke out in a cold sweat and lowered her head with a pale face.

"The little ones don't dare ......"

The captain of the guard looked at the helpless fellow with disdain, and the expression on his face became more and more disgusted.

He doesn't reject obedient dogs, but this dog has to be of some use, right?

He was a guard in the Southern Army for more than ten years, and he had a lot of dealings with the local natives around the colony. Although he did not directly participate in the game of the big names, he still understood some basic consensus.

Whether it is the Southern Legion, the civilian group, or the local native chiefs or nobles, they are more inclined to fatten the cows before milking them.

It's good for everyone.

And these guys, as if they had never seen money, were eager to cut the cow's neck with a knife, skip the milking link, and lie directly on it to drink blood.

There was no time to wait for this guy to open his mind, the captain of the guard said in an unquestioning tone.

"Raise the standard of death compensation, increase their wages, but you can't give them all at once, you can bargain with them...... It's up to you. I have only one request, get back to work as soon as possible and don't make a big deal out of it, or let Mr. Governor know, you don't have any good fruit to eat!" ”

Upon hearing this, Najib immediately cried and pleaded.

"But my lord, our profit is only a little bit, and if we give them a wage increase, how can we make it......"

"Don't be a fool!"

Seeing that this guy was still playing fool with himself, the captain of the guard couldn't help but squirt, pointed at his nose and scolded.

"You are paying according to the weight of the goods! You don't pay them even a tenth of what you earn! What happens if you give a tenth? You've wasted much more time and money here! Do you still need me to teach you how to do business? ”

Looking at the foreman who was scolded and didn't dare to take a breath, the captain of the guard sighed and said in a relaxed tone.

“…… Be kind to your fellow citizens, don't push them too hard, don't always try to win the last dinar, otherwise it's not good for anyone. ”

"Yes......"

Najib reluctantly replied, though he didn't think the snakes, rats, insects and birds were his countrymen.

He's also a lion.

Even if you're not an aristocrat, you're much more noble than these guys.

At the urging of the captain of the guard, he had to return to the crowd once more.

“…… Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. We can give you a raise! But don't go too far, how about eight dinars a day? That's 240 pieces a month! Damn, I envy your wages, I can buy a little wife for 5 months! ”

Hearing that the wage had risen to eight gold coins a day, the originally angry crowd gradually became a little divided, and the eyes of some people re-revealed their expectations for life.

As Najib said, 240 dinars a month is a lot!

Not everyone is so easy to buy, though.

There were still many people who glared at the foreman who had been pushed to the front of the stage with a look of righteous indignation.

"What about Orissa?"

Najib gritted his teeth, thinking that a lot of money was scattered anyway, and it wasn't too bad, so he said in a heart.

"The Labor Registry will give his family an additional 3,000 dinars...... However, this money is not compensation, it is a donation made entirely out of goodwill and benevolence! Can't let the people who have paid blood and sweat for Xifan Port feel cold, his family should be supported by Xifan Port! ”

3000 dinars is already good!

Even if it is calculated according to the salary after the increase, it is still a year's salary!

There was finally some anticipation in everyone's eyes, but they didn't expect that these nobles were also good people, and some people couldn't help but whistle and clap their hands in praise.

This time, even those who were still indignant gradually became a little divided, and only a handful of people were still glaring angrily.

Looking at the already wavering crowd, Najib continued in a reassuring tone.

"Alright, let's all disperse, if you still want to get today's salary, then hurry back to work, or do you expect the gold coins to fall from the sky by themselves?"

As the crowd dispersed, Najib breathed a sigh of relief, but the thought of the money spent still hurt in his heart.

I hope the lord doesn't blame......

If he is to blame, he can only move the Willant out as a shield.

Let's just say that he originally stuck to the bottom line, and it was the group of Velante guards who forced him to increase his salary.

Seeing that the troublemakers had gone back to work, the Wilantes who had been lining up in front of the harbor also disbanded their ranks and went about their own business.

It's the end of the year soon, and it's the birthday after the end of the year, and they actually don't have much to do, let alone find things for themselves, and their thoughts have already drifted back home.

The captain of the guard returned to the police station, first sent a telegram to the Eternal Night Harbor [Crisis Resolved] by special line, and then reported the incident to the secretary of the governor's office.

Governor Hue returned to Triumph City and took away half of the guards of the Governor's Palace, General McLaen and other instructors also went to Yongye Harbor some time ago to take a ship, and the army of Xifan Harbor was only left with the port guards and the city defense army composed of locals, and the garrison was unprecedentedly empty.

If he could, he hoped that the Governor's Palace would borrow a team of men from the Southern Corps.

Even if it's a servant army.

The trouble is, however, that there is not a single ship on the entire route, and the ships that can be used have been sent to the east by the civilian clique, and it may not be easy to transfer people......

On the other hand, Najib, who had finally settled the matter, returned to the labor registration office, and reported the situation at the port and the wage increase to several major shareholders one by one.

After being scolded for a while, he didn't take a breath when he saw his men running in a hurry, shouting and shouting as they ran.

"My lord, something is wrong!"

Before her ass could warm up the chair, Najib felt her heart thump and stood up from her chair again, scolding.

"What's going on again? Didn't I give them a raise!? ”

His subordinates turned pale with anxiety and spoke hurriedly.

"This time, it's not the docks, it's the steel mill...... There are also cement plants. As soon as the workers in the factory heard that the wages at the wharf had risen, they stopped working and clamored for a wage increase. ”

Upon hearing this, Najib almost spit out a mouthful of old blood and cursed.

"These greedy vultures!"

As he expected.

He knew it was going to end up like this!

The Willantes don't know much about the situation in Borneo, and those mud-legged people can't get used to it, and once their days are comfortable, they will fix these moths.

When the wages at the factory went up, the workers at the wharf were afraid that they would be noisy again, saying that the work of carrying goods was more tiring, and how could they be paid the same salary as the people in the steel factory.

They don't make money anymore, they just shut down the factories in the port!

Najib was sweating from his forehead, but the director of the labour department, who was standing nearby, frowned and muttered in a low voice.

"I've always wondered if it's wrong, like someone is fanning the flames."

Najib's whole body was excited.

"You mean the Alliance?"

The director shook his head.

"That's not like, the eight poles can't hit the edge."

The merchant ships of the alliance will also come here to buy steel and cement, the port of Golden Gallen and the port of French fries are not small in demand for building materials, as well as the southern sea and Haiya Province that are being rebuilt, and so on.

Making a mess of Westsail Harbor wouldn't do them any good, at most it would be a headache for the Legion and the Empire.

At this moment, the subordinate who came to report the news suddenly moved in his heart and hurriedly said loudly.

"By the way, I heard that the few people who took the lead in making trouble seem to be members of the Silvermoon Church! And the loudest ones just now! ”

Najib immediately became angry when he heard this, and scolded loudly.

"Are those gods crazy?"

The director of the labor registration office said thoughtfully, with a slight flicker in his eyes.

"The teachings of the Silver Moon Sect have the creed of helping each other, and the reason why this matter is so big...... I don't know if it really has something to do with them. ”

The man hurriedly continued.

"Yes! I've always felt that those gods are not good people, by the way, I heard that Orissa is a believer in the Silvermoon Sect, and the few who took the lead this time often worship with him. ”

Najib's eyes narrowed, and there was an imperceptible glimmer of fierceness in his eyes.

"It's been a long time because of this ......"

It was indeed his negligence.

He almost forgot that the church is also an organization.

Not to mention that this Silver Moon Sect is not honest, not only teaching those believers to read, but also running a newspaper.

As if grasping the root of the problem, he immediately pondered in his heart.

“…… You have to think of a way to get rid of that church. ”

The director shook his head when he heard this.

"It's not easy...... We can't touch the people of Silvermoon Bay, they are the inhabitants of the Hump Kingdom, protected by the relevant treaties of the Sticky Community. If we do it to them without a reason, it's hard to say if there will be any big problems. ”

"Why do it yourself......"

Najib suddenly smiled sadly, and said slowly as the two of them looked at each other in surprise.

"It was the residents of Xifan Harbor who drove them away, so we can't be blamed for this, right?"

……

Although there are many orders from steel mills, the work is not as urgent as that of the port.

Before the guards raised by the Velantes at the port could make a move, Najib took a hundred or so slaves borrowed from the Labor Office and formed a "long stick team", promising them not only freedom and a reward of dinars, but also promised them that they would not be treated badly in the future.

As soon as the slaves heard that they had money to take and that they could be used by the master, they carried sticks and scattered the workers who had gathered together and did not work.

Looking at the rabble of rats, Najib's face showed a sinister smile.

If you don't do it, you won't do it!

It's a big deal that the steel mill is closed for two days to see who starves to death first!

With the lessons of the port, he understood that he must not hesitate in this matter, he must be tough when he should be tough, and he must be decisive when he should make a move.

It's better to strike first and then start!

Even if there are a few dead people, it is better than going to the old men of the Willant and being beaten with a stick.

After putting the troubles in the steel mill out of the way, Najib took the men to the cement factory in the same way, commanding the sticks loyal to him and teaching the troublemakers a lesson.

Under his vigorous tossing, the Xifan Harbor, which was full of powder kegs, seemed to have finally returned to its former calm, but it seemed that a greater crisis was brewing in the endless greed......

In three days, under the hard work of the dock workers, all the cargo ships blocked in the port were finally unloaded, and the dock was finally empty.

The lightly armed caravans took the letter of authorization from the Governor's Palace and slaughtered the legendary land of dreams, the Haiya Province in the far east!

At the same time, Najib, who was forced by the group of porters, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The hardest days were over, and he was finally free to do something.

Whether it is the striking laborers, or the Silver Moon Sect that instigates the lazy laborers......

He swore he would make them pay!

Time passed, and Xifan Harbor seemed to be silent for a while.

At the same time, the caravans that had first set off from Westsail Harbor to the Death Coast finally arrived at the coast of their dreams one after another.

After floating on the sea for eleven days, looking at the harbor that appeared on the shoreline, Yarman, who was standing on the deck, finally showed an excited expression on his face.

It's the port!

They've finally arrived!

The nearest unit of the Eastern Legion was stationed in Haibei City, a hundred kilometers from the coastline, and as long as they showed the letter issued by the Governor's Palace to those people, they could get those arms that were sold by the pound!

"Quick! Pull over the boat! ”

Yarman shouted to the crew behind him as he excitedly pulled out his binoculars.

However, the moment he took out the telescope and looked at the shoreline, he was dumbfounded.

I saw a series of black chariots neatly parked on the side of the container, waiting for professional suspension equipment to load them onto the ship.

The models of the cars -

Why does it look so familiar?

(End of chapter)