Another month passed by unknowingly.
It was another evening in the cafeteria of Miyincheng Industrial Zone.
After get off work, Tryndamere came here to eat with the Iceborn warriors, just like usual.
But compared to a month ago, there are now far fewer Ice Warriors following him.
From a tribe of nearly a hundred people at the beginning, to a small circle of more than a dozen people later, and now, there are only a few core members left who are always united around him.
"Is everyone busy?" Seeing that there were fewer people today, Tryndamere asked as usual.
"Yeah. A new movie theater opened in Mithril City, and they all rushed to see the new thing." The Iceborn warriors answered calmly.
"Oh." Tryndamere nodded.
He sat down naturally: "It just so happens that there is no training tonight. After dinner, let's go to the cinema."
"Okay." The Iceborn warriors nodded in agreement naturally.
They and Tryndamere seemed to have become ordinary workers, rather than warriors and leaders of the tribe.
It has only been a month, but life on the ice field seems like a distant past. They have become accustomed to the peaceful life from nine to five and the nights with electric lights.
It seemed as if the days could go on forever in this peaceful and beautiful way.
but……
"Tryndamere." An Iceborn suddenly hesitated and looked up at him: "I received a spell message from my hometown."
The air suddenly stagnated. The expressions of everyone present, including Tryndamere, became subtle.
Tryndamere didn't even have the heart to eat.
He put down the chicken leg and looked at the Iceborn with mixed feelings.
This Iceborn mage was originally a tribal shaman of Avarosa and a close confidant of Ashe.
But now, the shaman was wearing a pair of formal blue work clothes. Not only did he wear an exquisite mechanical watch on his wrist, but he also had a beautiful gold-embroidered fountain pen stuck in his chest.
He no longer looks like an Icefield Shaman at all.
And his absolute loyalty to Warmother Ashe also...
"Tryndamere, we should make a choice." The shaman said in a subtle tone: "The news that Mithril City is accepting unlimited immigrants has gradually spread across the ice field."
"The tribes' loyalty to Avarosa is rapidly wavering. Everyone is yearning for the legendary warm and humid land in the south. If this continues, the Avarosa Alliance will soon collapse."
"So Warmother Ashe wants us to reply to her as soon as possible - to fight or not to fight?"
These are the two options Ashe gives, but...
The Iceborn warriors looked at each other in silence, then all looked at Tryndamere.
Everyone knew that they actually had a third option. However, since the people present were all diehard fans of the Avarosa tribe and loyal followers of Ashe, it was difficult for them to make that decision.
So they all said, "Tryndamere, we listen to you."
"I..." Tryndamere's voice was hoarse.
He knew very well what everyone wanted.
But Ashe was his sibling after all. How could he betray her?
"Just delay it a little longer." Finally, Tryndamere could only helplessly answer: "Just say... that the food supply in Secret Silver City is already very tight, and these Debon people will not be able to bear it sooner or later."
In the past month, he and these Iceborn warriors have been tacitly using this excuse to fool Ashe.
When his wife "called" him and asked him what he had done on the business trip, he said that he had been carefully lurking and gathering military intelligence.
Until now…
"We can't delay any longer." The Iceborn looked at each other, their eyes firm.
They said to Tryndamere: "If we delay any longer, the Avarosan Alliance may be brought down."
The shaman added silently, "It's true, Tryndamere. The situation back home is worse than we thought."
"In order to curb the tide of defections from various tribes, Warmother Ashe is actually preparing for war."
"The warriors of the tribe are heading south and will reach the border in half a month at most. They are all waiting for our news. Should we fight or not?"
This is no longer asking for their opinions.
The Avarosan Alliance has been forced into a desperate situation. It may suffer losses if it goes to war, but it will definitely collapse and disintegrate if it does not go to war.
The sooner the war starts, the better. In one night, who knows how many tribes will defect.
So Ashe was actually asking them, are they ready to lead the army?
"..."Tryndamere remained silent.
"Tryndamere, please give the orders." Everyone was looking at him eagerly.
"But..." Tryndamere clenched his fists tightly.
Everyone understood his dilemma. As the queen's confidants who had been favored by Ai Xien, they had the same concerns.
"But we are doing this for Avarosa's own good." There was no guilt in their eyes: "Tryndamere, we have been taking cultural and ideological classes here for a month."
"Don't you realize that only the Wind Leader can save the Freljord?"
Yes. Tryndamere lowered his head.
After a month of study and understanding, he now understands that the Freljord cannot rely on its own strength to get rid of the resource dilemma and enter a better life of industrialization.
It must rely on external forces, and this external force can only be a leader.
Because the leaders are a group of noble, selfless, faithful people who are free from vulgarity.
They will not be like those profit-seeking seed benzene companies that use the technological barriers they have built to raise the prices of talent and equipment to the limit, and use extremely high industrialization costs and a series of unequal trade terms to gradually drain the blood of backward areas.
The Leader will only treat the Freljordians as their own people, as brothers in need of help.
They can suppress the "invisible hand" and provide a large number of talents and equipment to Freljord through low-price subsidies or even free aid.
In this way, Freljord can complete the original accumulation of industrial seed benzene at the lowest cost and with the lowest price.
"This is a great opportunity that hasn't come once in a million years." The Iceborn said excitedly.
A 10 billion subsidy to Jiaduoduo only happens once in ten thousand years.
It can be said that it is a rare good fortune for a backward small country to encounter the rise of a leader at this time.
"We can't miss it, Tryndamere." The Iceborn looked at Tryndamere with increasingly dangerous eyes.
"Isn't Warmother Ashe's ideal to bring harmony and peace to the Freljord?"
"We are now joining the Leader, and we are also helping her fulfill her wish."
The Iceborn warriors all convinced themselves so.
Tryndamere actually agrees with this statement, and he also believes that the development of Freljord needs the support of the leader.
But……
"What about Ashe?" Tryndamere asked himself.
Ashe is the Warmother of Avarosa and the Queen of the Ice People. She is not anyone's vassal.
Based on his understanding of Ashe, she would never be willing to become someone else's vassal.
If the Wind Leader comes, what will happen to Ashe?
"No, no!" Tryndamere realized something:
The arrival of the Windleader may be a good thing for Freljord, but not necessarily for Ashe, the ruler.
This question is too difficult. It is difficult for him to make a choice.
"Don't hesitate, Tryndamere." But the Iceborn were eager to move: "Don't you see? We are the only ones left sitting here."
"If we continue like this, even if we don't surrender, others will report us sooner or later."
"..."Tindamire also knew the seriousness of the problem. But he still found it difficult to make a decision.
Ashe was his sibling. His yearning for a better life was not enough to make him betray Ashe.
He also needs something purer to support him in doing so.
Maybe that's... faith?
"Janna." Tryndamere took out the book "A Brief Account of Janna's Thought" from his arms, the edges of which had been frayed by him.
After one month of study, he has understood the contents of the book.
He has already met the prerequisites to become a leader.
Therefore, he decided to let Goddess Janna help him make this decision: "Goddess Janna, if I am already your believer, then please use your divine power to show me the thread of faith."
Tryndamere prayed so devoutly in his heart, but...
The thread of faith did not appear.
"I don't belong to Janna yet, I still belong to Ashe." Tryndamere breathed a sigh of relief.
But he couldn't help falling into deep thought.
He clearly understood Janna's theory and agreed that the Wind Leader was a good man who could save the ice field, so why didn't he have faith in the Wind Leader?
"Tryndamere!" After a long time, a familiar call interrupted his thoughts, and forced the Iceborn warriors to put away their burning gazes that were encouraging them to surrender.
It's Lux who's here.
She ate in this workers' canteen every day, and would often meet Tryndamere here.
After all, Tryndamere would always pile up a small mountain of bread on the table, and it was difficult for her not to see it.
"Are you reading a book?" Lux saw the "A Brief Account of Janna's Thought" in Tryndamere's hand, and also noticed his expression of concentrated thinking just now.
So she immediately came over like an enthusiastic teacher and said, "Do you have any questions? Do you need me to answer them for you?"
"Uh..." Tryndamere hesitated.
He was indeed thinking about a big question, a big question that would determine whether he would invest in venture capital.
"Yes." So he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Ms. Laxana, I don't quite understand why I still don't have faith. I have clearly read this book and recognized you, the Leader..."
"Haha." Lux laughed when she heard it.
Although she is young, she is now an old cadre.
She already had experience with this kind of question: "Because you don't really believe it yet."
“It’s no use just reading the theory, you have to believe it from the bottom of your heart;”
"It's no use just recognizing the leader. You have to treat us as comrades, not just good people doing good things."
"This..." Tryndamere suddenly understood.
Yes. His recognition of the leader now comes more from gratitude and support for a group of great saviors.
He did not really believe in the Janna theory, and did not have the ideal of a leader who could bring peace to the world.
"Think about it carefully. What doubts do you still have about Janna's theory and our ideals?" Lux asked in a persuasive manner.
Tryndamere thought about it seriously this time.
Then he looked up and said, "I still can't seem to understand why the reign of Janna is a historical necessity."
"After all, everything we enjoy now, this modern life... isn't it all brought about by Zibenzhu?"
“It’s obviously still very vibrant, how can it definitely die out?”
"This..." Lux frowned slightly. She knew where the problem was.
Li Wei had written in his article a long time ago that it is better to go to the factory in old Zuan to experience the "direct education of the seed benzene advocates" than to take a hundred ideological education courses.
But the problem now is... After the forced improvement by the leader, the main force of Ziben has become too "gentle".
Because Demacia's industrialization still requires primitive accumulation and sufficient profits need to be retained for expanded reproduction, the treatment that Lux gives to the workers in Silver City is actually not high.
But they are the leaders after all.
No matter how much suffering the people in Secret Silver City suffer, it can never be as miserable as the 19th century Old London-style flesh factory in old Zaun.
This kind of treatment, which guarantees daily bread and fast-growing chickens and is not as life-threatening as in old Zaun, is a paradise-like life for the Freljord people who are used to hardship.
They only felt the benefits of industrialization and the benefits of socialism with Chinese characteristics. How could they truly understand the despair experienced by the workers of Old Zuan in the documentary?
So, in Tryndamere's view, the rule of law does not seem to be that bad, while the great harmony society is too far away.
"Ms. Laxana." He asked, "What is the main issue of Secret Silver City right now?"
"This..." Lux hesitated.
But she finally answered frankly: "Reformism under Janna's leadership."
"Then..." Tryndamere was even more confused: "Since the improved genus Zinben can make us live a good life, why is it destined to die out?"
"As long as we keep improving it like you do, won't it always be vibrant?"
"Because no matter how much the genocide is improved, it can't change the distribution method based on capital." Lux answered without hesitation: "It will definitely lead to a serious polarization between the rich and the poor, and create a vast proletariat - creating its own gravedigger."
This is basic common sense for leaders, but difficult to understand for beginners.
That's what Tryndamere is like.
He asked: "Aren't people in Miyin City living well? Even if ordinary people are not so wealthy, they have bread and milk every day. How could they become the gravediggers of the Seed Ben Lord?"
Isn't this a successful improvement? Why is it going to die out?
"Alas." Lux sighed helplessly: "I really should send you to the countryside to farm, so that you can get to know this world better."
"Huh?" Tryndamere was slightly stunned.
At this time, Lux asked him, "Have you ever thought about who we sell the farm tools produced by our factory to?"
"Other noble landowners?" he tried to answer.
“Where does the landlord get his money from?”
"From... the peasants."
"Then those Demacia farmers who spent all their hard work to buy our goods, brought us huge profits, and allowed us to eat bread and drink milk every day... will their lives be as good as yours?"
"You think the changes are successful now, but what about them? Do they think so?"
"..."Tryndamere was speechless.
"Don't you realize it?" Lux reminded him solemnly, word by word: "You have a job in the factory now, which actually means you are already in the upper-middle class of the social division of labor."
"You think the improved benzoic acid is good because you are a beneficiary of today's society."
"You are actually a 'Piltoslav'——"
"And the distribution method of the seed benzene master according to capital means that for every 'Piltosian' like you who lives a peaceful life, there are at least ten 'Zuan people' who are invisible to you, silently carrying the burden for you."
“Do you understand, Tryndamere?”
Lux's questioning made Tryndamere fall into deep thought again.
But after a brief thought, he raised his head in confusion: "I understand that there are still many people suffering in this world."
"But at the same time, our technology is also improving, industrialization is advancing, and productivity is also increasing..."
Blast furnace iron smelting, fast-growing chickens, electric lights, movies... these things really shocked Tryndamere.
It is technology that has changed everything and brought him a better life.
So he couldn't help but think that the improvement of productivity alone could make people's lives better and better.
If everyone's life gets better, they won't pursue change.
If no one pursues change, the Ziben leader will naturally not die, and the Gana leader will not come.
"Yes, productivity has increased, so life will definitely be 'relatively' better than in the past." Lux emphasized the word "relatively".
"But compared to the Freljordians, the lives of the old Zaunites are good. Do you think they are satisfied?"
Tryndamere and other iceborne people who are used to suffering believe that people will be satisfied and content with the status quo as long as they have enough food to eat.
But the fact is that this satisfaction lasts only one generation at most.
The older generation feels that life is better now than before.
But for the next generation, their current lives are the worst days in their perception.
After all, human needs are layered—from physiological (food and clothing), to safety (job security), to social needs (friendship), to respect and self-actualization.
In a society dominated by human rights after productivity is improved, the poor may not have to worry about food and drink, have basic security, and be able to meet their personal social needs.
But respect and self-realization are what they will never get.
Because in a socialist society, they are poor, inferior to the rich, and labor machines alienated by socialism.
They also have dreams and ideals, but they can never be free and can only grow old trapped in day-to-day labor.
"So, is it enough to just have enough food? The unfair distribution method of the Zibenzhu will inevitably make most people become 'Zuan people' in the long run. Looking at Piltover across the canal, how can they not pursue change?"
"This..." Tryndamere was speechless.
But he was not convinced.
But he thought about it again and said, "Maybe... productivity is not high enough?"
"I saw the steam robots and automated factories in Zaun in the documentary. If one day robots can replace human labor, then those poor people won't have to do such tiring work!"
If the poor are forced to do repetitive labor for their livelihood, they will suffer and think about overthrowing the rule of law every day.
Even if we don’t change the production relations , as long as we raise the productivity high enough——
Let machines completely replace human labor, and then let the Ziben family use their highly developed productivity to "enclose" the poor, so that they don't have to work but won't starve to death, and can just lie down obediently...is that enough?
"No." Lux answered firmly.
"Why?"
"Because when productivity increases to the level you mentioned, the seed benzene-based economy will actually be dead."
"Huh?" Tryndamere was stunned.
All I heard was Lux explaining: "Without production and consumption, there would be no benzene market, and no benzene market."
"When robots can completely replace producers, and when seed companies eliminate ordinary people because they no longer need labor, what they completely eliminate are actually the vast number of consumers who maintain the existence of seed companies."
"Without consumption, there will be no benzoyl market. The benzoyl revolution will cease to exist, and the world will degenerate into a feudal society."
"The former Ziben family will become a feudal lord that occupies a vast amount of resources and is protected by a large group of mechanical slaves - just like the Alchemy Baron in Zaun."
Zaun's Alchemist Baron is actually a later upgraded version of the Ziben family.
They control extremely concentrated social wealth and have become close to the existence of "end-productive people". They replaced the political power with giant enterprises and expanded the company into a "kingdom", making almost everyone in Zaun become poor ghosts who cannot consume and become slaves of this "kingdom of giant enterprises".
If the whole world becomes like this in the future, with completely feudal alchemy barons everywhere, can it still be called the Lord of Seeds?
Of course not.
No matter what it is, when productivity develops to the point where ordinary people cannot participate in production and consumption, the main idea will disappear.
"And people certainly won't be willing to be kept as livestock by a group of mechanical overlords and become 'useless population' worse than slaves. They will only seek change."
"And those so-called mechanical lords naturally cannot extinguish the flames of anger of billions of rebels."
“The winds of change from Janna will destroy them all. In the end, the world will come to Janna’s rule.”
"This..." Tryndamere lowered his head in thought.
He tried to patch up his idea: "What if... we raise the standard of 'captivity'? Let those poor people have money to spend, eat well, drink well, and do what they want , is that okay?"
Let robots work and earn money, acting as producers; then give humans lots of money, acting as consumers;
In this way, does the Zibenzhuyi not need to disappear?
"This..." Lux had a strange expression on her face.
"What's wrong?" Tryndamere asked puzzled.
"Don't you realize that what you call 'high-standard confinement' is actually redistribution based on demand?"
When everyone in the world is no longer forced to work, they can get what they need to live a satisfactory life.
This is certainly not a society where distribution is based on work, nor is it a society where distribution is based on capital, but rather a society where distribution is based on needs.
And now that the whole world has achieved distribution according to needs, is this still the main policy?
Then, Lux asked again: "Tryndamere, have you discovered——"
"Are you being forced to make continuous improvements due to the inherent contradictions of Ziben's doctrine, and are you getting closer and closer to Janna's doctrine?"
"Uh..." Tryndamere was stunned for a moment.
yes……
Unconsciously, he had changed Zibenzhuyi into this form, making it infinitely close to the Great Harmony Society that the leader talked about.
As they chatted, he felt that the energetic Zibenzhuyi was actually exhausted by him.
"Because if we don't achieve universal harmony, the inherent contradictions of the genocide will never be resolved, there will always be people who suffer oppression and inequality, and there will always be people who long for change and the appearance of the goddess Janna."
"So, Janna's rule is inevitable, and the future is destined to belong to us. Do you understand, Tryndamere?"
"I..." Tryndamere swallowed.
Do I understand? he asked himself deeply.
Then he lowered his head and tried to spread out his hands.
A bright and shiny line was pulled out.
"..."Tindamire was stunned for a long time.
"Hey!" He finally sighed, "Ashe... I'm sorry."