A slightly corpulent middle-aged man stood up, speaking with considerable authority.
The current de facto ruler of the Land of Demons, based on the intelligence they have gathered, is Chiba Hakushi, the Minister of Military Affairs of the Land of Demons. He is the actual controller of the military and holds power surpassed only by one individual in the Land of Demons.
In other words, he is the most powerful figure in the Land of Demons.
Because the Witches of the Land of Demons throughout history have implemented a strategy of unification without direct governance.
Therefore, to bring in the support of the Land of Demons and establish a stronger commercial empire, persuading Chiba Hakushi to join is essential.
He believes that as long as enough benefits are offered, it's a foregone conclusion that the Land of Demons will become one of them.
Even the great countries cannot completely ignore the connections and wealth they have built, let alone a newly emerging strong nation like the Land of Demons that urgently needs allies to stabilize its position.
◎
After smashing two gangster strongholds and disrupting part of the interest network built by illegal industries, neither the Isolated Island Merchant Alliance nor the Daimyo, the actual ruler of the Land of Waves, reacted, not even showing symbolic resistance.
As a result, after causing a brief commotion, the matter passed quietly.
This was somewhat unexpected for Ichihime and left her a bit confused.
If the Daimyo of the Land of Waves did not react due to an uncertain stance, it would still be considered normal. However, the direct party harmed was the Isolated Island Merchant Alliance, which made Ichihime feel that it was somewhat abnormal for them to show no response.
If a large force from the Land of Demons had entered the Land of Waves, it would be understandable for them to swallow their complaint, but only a small portion of the Land of Demons' troops was concentrated in the Land of Waves, and the lack of reaction from the Merchant Alliance left Ichihime puzzled.
This confusion did not last long for Ichihime, as Tazuna soon began formally leading workers to build the factory.
Ichihime also instructed the purchased newspaper in the Land of Waves to report the event within the country.
However, most people showed no reaction to the presentation that this would help drive the industrial capacity of the Land of Waves. Their only thought was whether the Land of Demons needed to hire more workers.
Under the suppression of illegal industries like gambling, drugs, and vice, many domestic industries in the Land of Waves were severely squeezed, and with the rampant piracy, countless people were left unemployed in the country. Many had the strength to support their families but lacked the means to do so.
When faced with the future of the country or their own hunger, they readily chose the latter.
Ichihime fully understood this.
After revealing that more workers would be hired in the future, she provided no further response and shifted her focus to Tazuna.
On Tazuna's side, after initial anxiety, he found that no one came to interfere with the construction site. The work proceeded for several days without interference, and threats like those previously left at his home did not appear, allowing Tazuna to rest easy and fully concentrate on building the factory.
Wages are paid monthly, and the site provides three free meals a day. Although the food is not particularly exquisite, as long as it fills the stomach, the workers on the construction site do not dare to ask for much more.
For such a generous employer, although there are a few slackers, most workers work with twice the enthusiasm. Ichihime naturally gives strict warnings to those slackers, stating that their wages will be cut.
Providing these workers with an overly lax environment is not advisable, as no matter how much they are supported, they are ultimately just people struggling for a living and do not yet have the power to truly change this country.
The critical factor is that the timing is not yet right.
Building a factory to boost the industry of the Land of Waves, acquiring a newspaper, and working to control certain public opinion within the Land of Waves are efforts to avoid falling into a passive position in public discourse.
Next, it is about establishing a disciplined organization, conducting ideological guidance, and penetrating from the bottom up.
Only after that can true action be taken.
The strength or weakness lies in organization.
This is the difference between strong and weak.
In this era where people only sought to fill their bellies, Ichihime was not naive enough to expect these grassroots people to follow the same path as the Land of Demons.
Pure propaganda is too pale, and their mobilization ability is poor. Only through intense stimulation and resistance will the grassroots people in this country become proactive.
"We really have to thank you, miss; if it weren't for you, our workers' families would be going hungry again this year."
During the noon break, Tazuna, sweating all over, came over to express his gratitude to Ichihime.
Ichihime waved her hand and smiled, "The merchants of our Land of Demons value equitable and fair contracts above all. This is the compensation you deserve for your labor. To be honest, the industrial capability of this country is too poor, and the construction machinery is very old."
She pointed to an old crane not far away, which was rusty and had many operational inflexibilities.
Moreover, the crane was very large, with many parts appearing overly bulky.
This would affect the efficiency of factory construction.
Tazuna could only smile helplessly at Ichihime's unabashed critique, "There's no choice. Our Land of Waves is a small country, and domestic merchants are not particularly wealthy. Besides those pirates outside, even fewer people are willing to invest here... Sigh."
At this, Tazuna could only sigh gently.
Although life in the past was tough, it wasn't as difficult as it is today.
But in recent years, as pirate forces have run rampant, many illegal industries have emerged locally. Many impoverished families have had to sell their sons and daughters, and gang forces gradually became prevalent, a unique feature of the Land of Waves.
This led to the contraction of other industries, causing many to become unemployed and lose their income sources.
Ichihime ignored Tazuna's complaints and recalled something, "By the way, I've found the people who threatened you with letters that day. It was a group of gang organizations hiring ninjas to do this.'
"Gangsters?"
"Yes, although I destroyed a part of them, those gangs were not the masterminds. The actual masterminds are others, still under investigation."
Ichihime nodded.
"Why did they threaten me? Ordinarily, I don't meddle with them, and whenever we meet, I keep my distance, not wanting involvement."
Daunting gang power, Tazuna wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble. Avoiding these powerful gangs was his only choice.
"They are targeting me; they don't want my factory to be smoothly built in the Land of Waves, taking away interests from them. Using intimidation or coercion is just to ensure their interests aren't harmed."
Ichihime replied.
Tazuna did not probe further as these matters were not something an ordinary person without power or influence like him could resolve.
Knowing too much would also put him in a dangerous position.
He had a daughter and grandson to raise, a family burden that rested solely on his shoulders. Being cautious in life was always Tazuna's life philosophy.
His current task was to honestly and diligently follow Ichihime's guidelines, leading the workers to build the factory until the contract was fulfilled.
As the break ended, Tazuna picked up his straw hat, blew the dust off it, put it on his head, and walked toward the construction site.
Ichihime watched Tazuna leave, her gaze lingering on his back. She furrowed her brows momentarily but then shook her head, seemingly displeased with Tazuna.
"Though his mobilization ability and reputation are remarkable, due to old age and having wasted half his life, he has lost the drive of his youth, which remains a problem. After thinking it over, I still feel he's not quite suitable, but he can barely be listed in the backup plan. Besides, the Land of Fire has yet to act; should we first deal with the Isolated Island Merchant Alliance?"
Sitting on the construction site, Ichihime began to ponder seriously.