"Um, if I may be bold, can I say something?" one of the researcher women asked hesitantly, looking at Zack with uncertainty in her eyes.
"You can speak freely, senior," Sasha replied, seeing her worried expression and wanting to encourage her.
The researcher nodded gratefully, took a deep breath, and spoke clearly.
"Effort is not equal to value. A farmer could work the entire day in the fields, or a person managing household work could labour from dawn to dusk. Their effort is absolutely there, no question about it….. But the value produced is different from others high value jobs.... even though the food and the housework is really important it still can't match up to other jobs"
"We researchers put in our full effort, and our results can change the lives of everyone in an instant. Our work's value is much higher…. Or let's say a doctor…..their work's value is way more than any of us here. So how would it be fair to have nearly the same Effort points for each different profession???? And if they are not same then what is the difference it brings to the table??"
Everyone nodded at her question, because it did indeed seem like certain professions produced more valuable results than others.
She added again, becoming more confident. "This also connects to Young Master Oliver's earlier question: Why would anyone want to become a researcher or a doctor, giving so much effort while learning for years, if they could just do an easily learnable job and get similar rewards?"
The senior researcher lady bowed in apology to everyone for her blunt usage of words, worried she might have offended someone.
Her question made everyone fall quiet. No one seemed to have an answer for quite a while. The silence stretched uncomfortably as people thought hard about this fundamental problem.
"Boss, what should we do? Is there no answer to this?" Subordinate Woman asked in confusion, her brow furrowed with worry.
Zack just smiled at her and kept staring intensely, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Huh? Boss, stop staring at me like that and tell me!" Subordinate Woman protested, getting embarrassed under his intense gaze. Her cheeks flushed pink seeing his beautiful eyes.
"I don't think you will! Hahaha" Zack simply said this cryptic statement and just laughed.
"What does that mean, Boss?!" She huffed frustratedly but cutely, trying to figure out what he meant by that strange comment.
Then she heard Grandma laughing hard from across the room.
"HO HO HO! Such a haughty brat, talking about values!" Grandma called out with glee. She gestured to the maids and butlers standing along the walls. "You all, come forward!"
They approached nervously, not sure what was happening.
"If this system comes into play, who among you will want to continue working your current job, and who among you wants to try following the hard path of becoming a high-value person like a doctor or researcher?"
Some people raised their hands to keep working their current jobs. But others also raised their hands, indicating they wanted to work harder and pursue difficult careers.
Grandma nodded approvingly. "You see, people can't sit still. Well, if they're old like me, then sure, we're happy to rest. But young people can't sit still! They'll always want to do something, to prove themselves, to grow beyond their current capability."
"Some are happy with what they have and what they do, content with their lives. But others also want to try harder things, to challenge themselves. That's how people are different. That's human nature."
Grandma's expression became sharper as she looked directly at the researcher. "Now let me ask you the same question. If you could go back to your childhood, and if this system was already in place, would you choose to become a researcher, or a farmer, or a housewife?"
Grandma smirked while asking, knowing exactly what the answer would be.
The lady researcher looked a little scared. Her eyes were already becoming teary as she thought about the question seriously. After thinking for a while, she slowly nodded...Yes, she would still choose to be a researcher.
"See? You already gave your own answer!" Grandma declared triumphantly. "And you should thank your mother and all the other people who gave you a comfortable environment to live in, a relaxing life that allowed you to pursue education and aim for such high value jobs….So is your work really that valuable compared to your Mother???"
"The fact that you're judging people value itself shows the very problem with the money system! You've learned to look down on certain types of work. Humph! Ungrateful brat!"
Grandma humped loudly, scaring the researcher lady, who was nearly at edge of crying.
"Grandmother, don't be so rude!" one of the expert sisters said, bowing in apology and moving to confront her grandmother.
"Haha, don't take her words too much to heart, child," Queen Mother said with a warm smile, trying to calm the nervous researcher down. "She means well, even if she's harsh about it."
Zack leaned forward toward Subordinate woman with a casual smirk. "So, will you go work for someone else now that you have a chance to do anything different???.... You can go scale the vast oceans if you like or? Or write a novel while shutting yourself down for many days! hehehe"
Rugged Woman also laughed and was whispering something in Zack's ear from the other side, giggling mischievously.
MOOOO! "I don't think I will! HUMPH!" Subordinate Woman pouted cutely, finally understanding what Zack had meant earlier. She wouldn't change her path even if given the chance.
Rugged Woman kept teasing her from Zack's other side, enjoying her reaction.
"Ahem… As for how much each profession should get Effort points, that is something we will discuss gradually," Queen Mother said in a calm, measured voice. "We will make sure the system is fair and that clear standards are established for determining how different professions are integrated into this new system….. The goal here is to create a balanced framework for every kind of work. Yes some jobs can have tremendous effects but there are many other factors into it, so we will slowly discuss and frame a perfect formula that can fairy tell the value of their work"
.
"Everyone, even if everything seems to be going well with this plan, I think it's wise to test this system out on a smaller scale before doing anything drastic," Miss Eva spoke up thoughtfully.
"Many times, my husband and I thought an idea was great, but applying it gave us bad results. We realized afterward that we'd missed something obvious that we should have caught earlier."
Others nodded in agreement and began talking among themselves about how to properly test the system first.
"But Master Zack, why is normal money only applicable to import and export? How will you manage the difference between the two systems?" Maid Nima asked who was sitting beside Chieftess Anihoa.
"Well we still have to do business with outside world and the only people who can do is the people with ambition...It's a pathway for ambitious people," Queen Mother answered, taking the question. "As you all know, this island has limited growth potential. If a person wants to reach higher milestones beyond what's possible here, the only way is to go outside this Island or work in import and export."
"And normally, we can't be completely cut off from the mainland either. The point of this system is to encourage people to do more innovation since they could rack huge Effort money through it and reduce our consumption of goods from outside...which we do far too much of right now. We want to create a self-sufficient system using this system and also with some exchange method we will make sure Effort system can be balanced with outside system."
"That way, we will slowly grow self-dependent and our money can be saved for getting unique items from outside that we can't produce ourselves."
"But Queen, what about supply and demand?" one of the officials spoke up, standing behind the Queen and having listened to everything carefully. "If more people rise up economically, meeting their demands would be a challenge in itself."
"The basic necessities…. Food, clothing, housing, raw materials and energy tools…. All these will themselves become a burden. And taking into consideration of the treasury….. it will be greatly reduced by this! How do we handle that?"
Zack, hearing this important question, tapped Subordinate Woman's arm gently. She immediately stood up, checked her notebook carefully, and spoke in a loud, clear voice.
"For that challenge, we have decided to take help from several people. First of all, Big Sister Sasha and her colleagues have been working on several research topics in the food section, housing, clothing, energy tools, and other basic necessities field….. These things have to be improved and changed to make them better and more efficient while integrating to our Effort System."
"We have noted several people who can help with this, and we'll ask for more volunteers during the main meeting. We think this improvement project will take most of the time and money initially, but if we can reduce dependence on any of these basic things, it will greatly benefit our city in the long run."
"Honestly, energy tools are the best way to reduce dependence on imports, but we don't have enough people who could help us with that specialized work. For example, just creating basic useful energy tools would be so much easier if we had energy users with many different kinds of power. But everyone knows only high Crown people in those Big empire have access to these kinds of rare powers."
Subordinate Woman paused for a moment, catching her breath after the long explanation.
"Right! If we could just get rid of these energy tools...which are, by the way, FUCKING WAY TOO RIDICULOUS IN PRICES!!! AAAA, MY BRAIN IS HURTING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT! MY SHOP IS DESTROYED! I WANT MY COMPENSATION!!!"
Tool Guy suddenly remembered his losses and broke down emotionally. But no one gave him a shoulder to cry on as they continued discussing the serious problem, completely ignoring his dramatic outburst.
Suddenly, Oliver's eye twitched as he noticed Zack smiling directly at him in a very particular way.
GAH! YOU BASTARD!!! Oliver roared in frustration, already knowing what was coming.
"My dear friend….. my brother," Zack said sweetly, his voice dripping with false sincerity that brought shivers down Oliver's spine. "I think you should listen to a very good idea of mine."
"NO, YOU BASTARD! I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN! I ALREADY PROMOTED MY BUSINESS EVERYWHERE!!" Oliver spoke with tears forming in his eyes, knowing his hard work was about to be taken away.
"You also know your current business has limited opportunity for future growth," Zack said reasonably. "Let's make that a secondary option for you. Why not do shipping business with me instead?"
"It's highly profitable, and only you can do it with me. You'll have a MONOPOLY! You'll become RICH! So rich that you'll never have to worry about money ever again!"
Zack spoke dramatically, his voice echoing through the room with infectious enthusiasm.
NOOOO!!!! MY IDEAAAA!!! AND THERE IS NO WAY QUEEN MOTHER WILL ALLOW MONOPOLY!! MY IDEA WAS UNIQUE IN THIS WHOLE CITY!!!! I AM AWARE, THAT IT HAS LIMITED POTENTIAL BUT IN FUTURE AS OUR CITY GROWS THEN IT WILL BE A HIT!! NOOOO!!! MY FUTUUREEE MONNEEEYYYY!!!!
Oliver slowly lost his willpower in the face of such pressure. His beloved original idea became a temporary second option in his mind, pushed aside by visions of greater good.
Subordinate Woman giggled, seeing this. "Don't worry Brother Oliver, we trust you, as long as you do the work perfectly you will be taking most of the business. There are still some works done in how to avoid monopoly in different sectors but ultimately your Effort and work will be acknowledged" Subordinate woman gently turned around and giggled seeing Zack face then continued.
"Boss has some ideas on how to tackle Energy Tool problem, but since it will bring all pressure on Boss shoulders, I request Queen and others to find a better solution for the Alternative of Energy tools... There has to be a better, more sustainable way to solve the energy tool problem. But for now, with the help of Boss and Brother Oliver, we can achieve the goal of depending less on outside imports on basic Energy tools!!!! Right, Brother Oliver? Hehe."
Subordinate Woman smiled sweetly at him, her innocent expression somehow making Oliver's brain hurt even more with the realization of what he'd just agreed to. Zack also smiled hearing her words while nodding toward Queen mother.
Subordinate Woman proudly skipped her way back to Zack's side. Just as she was about to sit down, Queen suddenly spoke up.
"Ara, what is this?" Queen Mother said with exaggerated sadness. "My son's potential future wife has accepted everyone here so warmly, but she's addressing me so distantly. I'm so sssssaaadddd!"
Queen Mother pouted dramatically, dragging out her voice like a heartbroken maiden.
GAH!
Subordinate Woman froze completely in place, her body going rigid with shock and nervousness of what's about to come.
Rugged Woman also shivered beside her but her face got more paler than Subordinate woman, because sitting here in this meeting was already making her incredibly uncomfortable.
She had never come into contact with such high-level important people before in her entire life. And now, suddenly, she was sitting directly in the Queen's palace, surrounded by leaders and top officials. Truthfully, only because Zack was beside her, she was able to maintain her composure at all.
Inside, however, panic churned endlessly in her chest. In the span of a single day, she had leapt from the very bottom of society to its highest circles. Just yesterday she had been living in a personal hell, struggling merely to survive. Now, suddenly, she had nothing to fear for tomorrow, no desperate plans to make, no hunger waiting around the corner. And it was all because of him.
Rugged woman glanced toward Zack, who noticing the pale look on her face offered her a warm smile, gently taking her hand and giving a reassuring nod.
Gaaah! So handsome!!
Flustered, she quickly lowered her head. But there her gaze fell upon the beautiful, spotless clothes she was wearing. They were the finest garments she had ever owned, far beyond anything she had imagined wearing in her life.
For a moment, she felt as though she had stepped into an entirely different world… one that didn't truly belong to her.
And now the Queen herself…..The same woman she'd only ever seen from the very end of a crowd, a distant figure of ultimate authority…..was asking her to do something she'd never even dreamed of. She wanted to kneel every time she saw the rock leaders and the Queen, but knowing her position beside Zack, she just sat quietly, not speaking much during discussions. Most of what they talked about didn't even make sense to her, she feels so stupid sitting here but she doesn't want to leave Zack side so she could only smile and hide her awkwardness.
"Ara, still not saying anything?" Queen Mother again spoke sadly, her voice gentle. "Sighhh, are you angry with me because I made you meet with Nat? I'm so sorry. I didn't know things would escalate that badly."
"No, Queen, AH! I mean, Queen… Queen… Queen Motherrrr!" Subordinate Woman finally spoke, stuttering badly in her nervousness. She only managed to get it out after receiving an encouraging nod from Zack.
Queen Mother smiled happily at finally hearing the proper address. She called Subordinate Woman forward and hugged her tightly, wrapping her arms around warmly. She patted her head affectionately and whispered in her ear.
"My daughter has many flaws, I know that…... But she's a good girl at heart. Please don't hate her, okay, dear?"
"Queen Mother, I don't hate her even a little bit," Subordinate Woman whispered back softly, feeling the genuine love radiating from the Queen. "She is Boss's life, and his life is my life. I could never hate someone he loves."
"What a good-natured child you are," Queen Mother said warmly, pulling back to look at her face. "I hope she learns from you, even just a little bit."
Queen Mother cupped Subordinate Woman's face gently with both hands and kissed her forehead tenderly, blessing her.
Subordinate woman could only nod, her emotions too overwhelming for words. Feeling the weight of everyone's gaze upon her, she turned and offered a graceful bow, silently expressing her gratitude. One by one, the others acknowledged her gesture, responding with kind smiles and gentle blessings.
As people gathered around her, the warmth of their attention filled her with an unexpected joy. Unable to contain her excitement, she began hopping lightly in place, laughter slipping through her composure. Her thick, wavy hair bounced with each movement, adding a playful charm to the moment and filling the room with a sense of warmth and shared happiness.
Still seated, Rugged woman watched the scene unfold before her, feeling even more out of place as her mind struggled to process everything happening around her. The emotions, the attention, the sudden change in her life…..it was all becoming overwhelming.
Then she felt it: a soft, warm hand resting gently on her bare shoulder.
"Ah, Boss!"
Startled, she looked up to see Zack beside her. He was lightly touching her shoulder, his thumb moving in a small, reassuring motion, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
"Boss, I…" she started to say, her voice shaking.
"It's okay…..Don't think too much about it," Zack said gently. "She's an elder, and in her eyes, everyone is equal. You're here with me, so don't worry about anything else."
His encouraging words calmed her racing heart.
Rugged Woman slowly stood up, her legs feeling unsteady. She carefully fixed her outfit with trembling hands and walked forward toward Queen.
Gazing at the Queen's eyes, she immediately got nervous and looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with such a powerful figure.
But before she could gather her thoughts, Subordinate woman rushed over and took her hand. Their fingers intertwined, clasping tightly. The firm grip carried a quiet reassurance, silently telling her she wasn't alone.
PPPPhhheeeeww.
"Queen….Queen Mother, I… I will do my best to not disappoint you!" Rugged Woman spoke with all her strength. Her voice wasn't loud, but she made sure her words came out clear and firm.
Queen Mother stood silently for few seconds then came forward, rising her hands, she gently touched Rugged Woman's short hair, bringing it behind her ears with tender care. Then she lifted Rugged Woman's face upward, making her look directly into her eyes.
Seeing eye to eye, Queen mother spoke with deep sincerity.
"Thank you for always saving my Zack. And thank you for protecting my daughter. I will be forever grateful to you for that."
"Zack has decided to keep you beside him... and whether or not you two get together it's up to you guys, all I can say is trust him completely and support each other. And if possible, teach my daughter some things. She's a little naive due to her limited life experience."
Queen Mother's next words shocked everyone in the room.
"To be honest, among all three of you girls, you are the most intelligent one... Your life experience far outreaches both of theirs. So, I want you to take the lead among these girls. Guide them in their life and protect them with your strength."
"And I don't want you to act so meekly in front of everyone, you are truly beautiful, so stand tall and be confident. I am trusting you to take care of them all. Can you do it my sweet daughter?"
Queen Mother's words hit Rugged Woman's heart like arrows of warmth. Her deepest worries slowly melted away as tears formed in her eyes. She nodded heavily, unable to speak for a moment.
Only after few minutes when her heart calmed down.
"YES, QUEEN MOTHER! I WILL!" Rugged Woman finally spoke her voice thick with emotion. She smiled genuinely that lit up her usually guarded face.
"Hehe, good girls," Queen Mother said warmly. She patted both of their heads affectionately, treating them like her own daughters.
Everyone came and just like before gave their blessings to Rugged woman and all ladies gave a tight hug to both of the girls.
After everything, both women walked back to Zack's side, their hearts full, their eyes wet with happy tears. They sat down beside him and looked at him with love, Zack smiled and just patted their heads lovingly.
Queen mother smiled seeing this then she turned to Sasha and spoke "Why don't you and your senior researchers explain what you've accomplished so far?"
The meeting continued, but something fundamental had changed. Two women who'd felt like outsiders had just been blessed and accepted by the Queen herself. Their place beside Zack was now officially recognized by the highest authority in the land.
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END OF CHAPTER
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Author Blabbering
If you can speak Wrong lies about yourself....Than why not say Wrong truth about yourself??
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