Chapter 93 I just want to make money now
How to make money quickly?
Everyone, including Levi, was almost driven crazy by this problem.
"Why don't we rob a bank?" Someone actually suggested this.
"Or become pirates?" Someone went a step further: "Let's rob the gold-carrying ships of the Noxian colonies. We'll be rich if we succeed!"
"Yeah!" Everyone actually thought this was a good idea: "Janna can control the storm, so isn't it perfect for her to be a pirate?"
Janna: “…”
The bluebird flapped its wings wildly to express its opposition.
She is a goddess born to protect, how can she use her divine power to rob?
"Okay, okay." Li Wei interrupted everyone helplessly: "Let's think of a serious solution."
There are only two ways to solve financial problems: increase revenue or reduce expenditure.
Open source cannot be achieved in the short term, so we can only think about cutting costs.
"I have decided... the strategy of closing the brothel, casino and glimmer shop remains unchanged, but we will have to continue the business of bonded laborers for a short period of time."
Levi sighed and decided to compromise with reality.
He had originally planned to liberate all the slave laborers controlled by the Iron Fist Gang in one fell swoop after defeating the Gang.
That's more than 4,000 people. If they don't work as bonded laborers in factories, they won't have any jobs.
The leaders simply cannot provide so many jobs at once, nor do they have so much money to support idle people.
"How about this... Let's just follow our original plan and destroy all the debts and slave contracts of the bonded workers, so that they can regain their status as free men."
"If they are still willing to work in the factory, they can do so just like before."
"We don't charge any handling fees, we just provide them with an opportunity to be employed and work in the factory."
"Doing this... can at least temporarily solve the employment and survival problems of these 4,000-plus people."
Levi was expressing his thoughts. Victor could not help but frown:
"But this will only improve the living conditions of the bonded workers to a limited extent, right?"
Yes, after the leader came, the contract workers were free.
But free men also have to eat.
These indentured workers are illegal immigrants in Piltover without legal status.
After they are freed, they have no food to eat, so won’t they have to work in factories?
The factory that the indentured workers worked in was not a factory that had been transformed and managed by the Leader, but a factory owned by a private entrepreneur in Piltover.
The treatment they receive in those private factories is not much better than that of pigs.
According to Levi's method, the life of the contract workers would be different from before, except that they no longer had to hand over their income to the Iron Fist Gang.
But their income is still very meager and their life will still be difficult.
"We can negotiate for the best treatment from the manufacturers."
"But..." All the leader can do now is to "try his best".
In order not to attract the attention of the Piltover Council, Levi cannot use force to force those business owners to make greater concessions.
The most they could do was adopt "non-violent non-cooperation," using the leader's force as a deterrent to get employers to stop beating, scolding and abusing the contract workers, and to force them to pay a little more salary.
"In the short term, we really can't provide better employment opportunities and better treatment for the bonded workers."
"There's no other way..." Levi still made this difficult decision.
Victor and others reluctantly agreed.
But Erwin felt that he had not done enough:
"You only introduce jobs, but don't charge commissions. You are acting as a labor agent for those bonded workers for free, and you won't make a penny."
"Although it has the effect of easing employment and financial pressures, don't forget that we are taking over an entire community of Zaun people, and there are still many places to spend money."
"So what do you mean?" Levi didn't know what the old business owner had to say.
Sure enough, Irving said, "Cut the salary!"
He had a reason for saying this: "You and Victor made a rash decision before, and raised the salaries of the apprentices at Hex Audio Workshop tenfold in one go."
"We can still hold on now, but what about later?"
"If Hex Audio Workshop plans to expand its production to 1,000 people in the future, do we have to pay such high salaries to the apprentices we recruit later?"
"Have you ever calculated how high the labor cost is?"
The cost of employing people is still a small matter.
The point is: "You pay the apprentices of Hex Audio Workshop such high salaries, but let the more than 4,000 bonded workers live a life that is not much better than before."
"Isn't this equivalent to artificially creating a group of 'nobles' among the workers?"
What is worrying is not the scarcity but the inequality.
The 148 apprentices in the sound workshop have already received salaries equivalent to those of local people in Piltover.
However, the more than 4,000 newly liberated contract workers could only live a life slightly worse than that of ordinary apprentices.
The two sides see each other every day, and sooner or later they will have conflicts.
"Either bring up the benefits together, or don't bring it up at all."
"If we continue to do this, it will be equivalent to splitting into two cities."
Erwin's words instantly awakened everyone.
"Indeed..." Levi sighed deeply.
Only now did he understand that it was easy to build an empire but difficult to maintain it.
At first he thought that as soon as he arrived, the blue sky would appear.
But reality tells him that money will not fall from the sky and the cake will not grow bigger by itself.
In fact, because he destroyed the Iron Fist Gang's black industrial chain, the "cake" that Levi took over was made smaller.
No matter how fairly he divides the cake, everyone will still starve together.
"Okay..." Levi decided solemnly: "Reduce the salary - but not only the apprentices, but also our leaders!"
"Including me, everyone's salary will be paid one-third of the previous amount. Let's all suffer first, and I will bear the blame!"
This decision did not cause any opposition.
Because those sitting here are all devout believers of Janna and pure idealists.
They are willing to work for free even without salary, let alone take a pay cut and reduced benefits along with the other workers.
"But... it still doesn't seem to be enough." Erwin quickly calculated in his mind: "The Walkman project hasn't started to make a profit yet, and we're almost out of money."
"In order to survive this crisis, we have to find another way to get some quick money."
"This..." Levi's head was as big as a bucket.
You don't really want him to rob a bank, do you?
"Um..." Finally, Levi looked at Caitlin embarrassedly.
Caitlin is not yet a permanent member of the Leaders Association.
The reason why she appeared at this conference was simply because... she was the major financial backer of the current leader.
"Miss Caitlin, can your family provide more support ?"
Caitlin was also helpless: "I'm sorry, I really can't ask for more."
Her mother is not a wild monster that will automatically refresh and drop a bag of gold coins every once in a while.
In Mrs. Gillaman's opinion, the money she gave her daughter for "training" was enough.
If this shrewd businesswoman found out that her daughter had squandered such a huge sum of money in less than two weeks, she would not only not make additional investments, but would also withdraw her capital decisively.
"But..." Caitlin hesitated for a long time and said, "Besides my mother, there is someone else who is willing to invest in us. She contacted me through my mother and hoped that I would convey her request for cooperation."
"Who?" Levi asked.
"Mel, Mel Midalda."
"Midarda?" Everyone was alert: "The councillor from Noxus?"
What does the Piltover Senator invest in Leader for?
That's their biggest enemy!
"Never mind." Levi didn't hesitate.
The leaders are almost going crazy with poverty, and if someone wants to give them money, of course they can't stop them.
No matter whether it tastes fishy or smelly, it's meat in your mouth.
"How much does she want to invest?" Levi asked straight to the point.
"I don't know." Caitlin said hesitantly: "Senator Mel has a request-"
"She wants to visit our territory and factory and meet you, Mr. Levi."
"We'll talk about the specific investment amount when the time comes."
