Chapter 57 Backdoor Listing

Good man...Levi was speechless:

I was counting on you to help me deal with the Iron Fist Gang. So, secretly, you are a big client of the Iron Fist Gang?

"Dad!" Seraphine looked at her father in disbelief.

The perfect image of her father as a kind and benevolent person seemed to be about to collapse.

“Ahem… there’s nothing I can do about it.” Erwin said with a red face, “Seraphini, you don’t know…”

"The contract labor business is divided according to the sphere of influence of the gangs. The area where our factory is located is the sphere of influence controlled by the Iron Fist Gang."

"Everyone is hiring the Iron Fist Gang's bonded laborers. If you don't want to hire from them, you can't find anyone else."

“But…” Seraphine bit her lip in a dilemma. “Dad, can’t you just not hire indentured laborers? They are so pitiful…and you’re still with those gangsters, exploiting them like this?”

"How can this be said to be my fault..." Erwin felt a little guilty: "They have become slaves. Even if I don't rent them, won't they still have to work in other factories?"

"And now everyone is hiring bonded workers. If we don't hire bonded workers, we will only have a few places for apprentices... If we can't reduce the labor cost, the products will be more expensive than those of our competitors. How can we run this factory?"

"Nini, I can't do anything about this. I have to keep the factory alive so I can earn money to treat your illness and give you the best life..."

Erwin mumbled a bunch of reasons.

But when he saw his daughter's big, innocent eyes twinkling, he was speechless and could only lower his head in shame.

"Okay, Mr. Erwin, I understand the situation." Levi sighed in understanding and brought the conversation back to the point: "Since our opponent is the Iron Fist Gang , then we will..."

"Let the leader take care of it and save the wages for the contract workers first."

"Huh?" Erwin didn't understand:

I have analyzed this before. This is not a long-term solution.

If the issue of their personal freedom is not resolved, temporarily putting their salary on deposit will be the same as never being paid.

The contract workers themselves are aware of this. If this continues for a long time, they will have objections.

"Having opinions is a good thing. When engaging in struggle, we are not afraid of the public having opinions, but we are afraid that they are too numb and not angry."

"The key is guidance. We have to tell them where to direct their anger."

"Will this work?" Erwin asked. "The Iron Fist Gang is not a pushover. They dare not vent their anger on the Iron Fist Gang, but only on you."

Although it was the Iron Fist Gang that persecuted the contract workers, it was the Leaders who showed them kindness.

But Erwin understood human nature. He knew that if things continued to develop like this, the resentment of the contract workers would eventually be directed at the leader.

A little bit of rice is a favor, a big bit of rice is a grudge.

"So that's why we need your guidance?"

"They don't dare to vent their anger on the Iron Fist Gang, not because they have no conscience or backbone, but because they don't have fists."

"In that case, let's find a way to arm the workers - give them fists, and help them regain their backbone!"

Levi's words startled Erwin.

"You want to arm them? But I talked to Professor Victor, and he said that you only plan to carry out propaganda among the apprentices, and don't want to mobilize them to fight..."

"I have no intention of sending them charging into battle to fight wars they are doomed to lose."

"But victory can only be considered a victory if it is earned by oneself ."

If one can see that the bad guys are gone and the victory of the struggle just by watching TV at home, then the fruits of the victory of this struggle are destined to have little to do with these spectators.

"So they can still fight those wars that can be won, and it is necessary for them to fight them."

After reflection, Levi realized that even if there were gods and saviors in this world, he could not regard himself as a savior too much.

Mortals can shed less blood or even no blood under Janna's protection, but they can never fight less or even no battle.

Otherwise he can only educate a group of God's people, not Davarishi.

"We are in hibernation now, so it is safe."

"But being too safe, without enemies and a sense of urgency will make everyone ignore the cruelty of the struggle and fail to be truly vigilant and united."

Every group needs concrete enemies.

The imminent threat from the enemy is the best education in class consciousness.

"So..." Erwin pondered, "You plan to make the Iron Fist Gang the enemy?"

"Yes."

"But the Iron Fist Gang is not that easy to deal with."

"Don't worry... With Janna here, we can defeat them."

"I'm not worried about that." Erwin questioned worriedly: "You have to know that the Iron Fist Gang has a background! And even if they don't have a background, you mobilized such a large group of apprentices to fight against them..."

"Don't you think that the noise is too loud?"

The Piltover Council can tolerate Zaun gangs with backgrounds, but they will never tolerate an uncontrolled Zaun armed force.

What's more, this is a team of workers that has never appeared in Runeterra before.

If this matter gets out of hand, then...

Elwin could already imagine the horrifying scene of Piltover law enforcement officers coming to surround his factory.

"Don't worry! As you said, the Iron Fist Gang is a Zaun gang, but Piltover can tolerate the existence of the Iron Fist Gang."

"Why? Because they have a background and are under control. Besides, the gangs themselves can't become big, and the Piltover guys are not afraid of them at all."

"So - Mr. Erwin, we can definitely form a 'gang' too!"

"Huh?" Erwin was shocked by the idea. "You mean... using the name of a gang as a cover to form a team belonging to your leader?"

"Yes." Levi answered affirmatively.

Sooner or later, the leader will have to be armed. Even if it is not for the purpose of training the team and educating the public, he and Janna cannot help fight every battle in the future.

Now, with the apprentices as the backbone and the Iron Fist Gang as the enemy, and using the gang's name to build up the team, the leader's power can be expanded as soon as possible.

"But this doesn't work at all!"

"To form a gang in Piltover, you must have a background."

"The Iron Fist Gang has a background, do you? Even if you do, can it be bigger than the Iron Fist Gang?"

"Yes." Levi replied, "There is someone who may be able to support us."

"Who?" Erwin was surprised: "Who has such great ability that he doesn't even care about the background ?"

"Caitlin Gillaman."

Levi thought of this noble lady who looked mature and sharp, but was actually more naive than Seraphine.

She actually believed what her congressman mother had spread to the outside world, believing that Piltover was a civilized society ruled by law and that the law could solve all problems fairly.

But reality will always slap idealists in the face and make them wake up.

Some people, when they wake up, will lie down and become salted fish.

Some people will be more persistent in approaching their ideal.

Caitlin is the latter.

"After she hits the wall in her fantasy 'rule of law society' and wakes herself up... she will probably be willing to use our power to 'enforce the law outside the law' against the Iron Fist Gang."

Levi predicted this with confidence.

But Mr. Erwin just asked in shock: "Caitlin Gillamaine? That Gillamaine?"

"Yes, it's Jiramane from the Piltover Council. I know her well enough and I'm sure I can convince her to stand on our side."

"This..." Erwin was silent for a long time.

It was as if he was too shocked to speak.

Then he just asked, "How old is Caitlin?"

Levi: “???”

"Nineteen... maybe twenty. I'm not sure."

"Go to hell!" The old father jumped up and said, "Just ignore what I said before—"

"Stay the fuck away from my daughter!"

…

Additional note: This is the heroine of this book list.