The crowd laughed, because in their eyes, what Yang Qi said was simply inconceivable. In this profit-first society, all anyone cared about was personal gain. They didn't give a damn about the suffering of the lower classes; their only concern was how much they could benefit. Even if people froze to death on the roads, what did that have to do with them?
Therefore, Yang Qi's words failed to resonate with them. He hadn't expected them to accept his philosophy anytime soon, nor did he need them to. They just had to follow his rules to get things done.
"To be honest, you're still too young, too naive," the King of Jingnan said dismissively. "Do you think we don't see people suffering and dying? See families destroyed and lives lost? But, so what? Their suffering enriches us. Isn't that for the best? Without those poor wretches, where would we be?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, all of them thinking Yang Qi was out of his mind.
