My wife is an immortal black snake.

Page 28

Without a word, Head Maid Monica dragged Yang Hao, whose thoughts were wandering, in another direction. If the first two sentences, which sounded increasingly terrifying and strange, didn't seem odd to Monica, then what about the last one? Hmm, no, she couldn't let this gentleman learn anything bad in such a filthy place.

Furthermore, if Lord Kosiché were to find out that you are actually interested in the Kuranta people, then this would also be a dereliction of duty on my part. Alas, taking care of this lord is more difficult than I imagined.

...At the insistence of Head Maid Monica, they took a detour to a residential area closer to the Duke's mansion, where lower and middle-class residents lived. There, Yang Hao remarked that "the Duchy of Koschche is like a sieve, allowing many spies to infiltrate," while also finding quite a few things that could be used.

for example.

“There are quite a few Gauls here, Monica, do you have any leads?”

"They might be refugees who survived the purge of the great Gallic Empire by some unknown force. Here, some Gauls possess both Gallic and Ursus travel permits, so..."

“What I mean is, there are quite a few [illegal] Gauls here. And many of them are powerful warriors.”

"...My lord? How did you—" Monica stared at Yang Hao in disbelief. She recalled that when Lord Koschche was assassinated, this man had also figured out all the assassins' identities in an instant.

"This is my ability."

Yang Hao nodded. As they passed a bar called "Lille Tavern," which was only open at night, he smiled and pointed to the sign: "I see it. The owner of this bar is a Gaul with a ducal residence permit. He uses the income from his bar, which he also uses as his residence, to take in his homeless fellow countrymen—about 1500 Gauls have received his help. This owner might need a little assistance."

"Should we send the army?" Monica swallowed hard. She seemed to understand what Yang Hao was planning—

But Yang Hao quickly stopped her. He muttered, "It's not good to waste such a good person," and gestured to Monica that it was time to call it a day. They should go back, and besides, he was hungry.

.....

Yang Hao set his sights on those illegal Gauls because he suddenly thought of something.

That is, low salaries will force civil servants to embezzle in order to survive, so high salaries, in a sense, only give those who are already honest the opportunity to refrain from taking money. As for those who want to amass wealth, without strong supervision, they will still take the bribes they are meant to take.

While Kosiché maintains stability through a reign of terror, perhaps civil servants will refrain from corruption for fear of imprisonment or job loss. But what about later? What if the economy improves slightly? Corruption will still emerge in droves. Rather than trying to fix things after the fact, why not be fully prepared now?

It was with this in mind that Yang Hao realized the role those illegal Gauls played.

First, they are homeless and now barely surviving in the Duchy of Koschei, many of whom may not even be able to find regular employment. Their standard of living is declining, and they continue to search for a benefactor who can take them in, provide them with work, and allow them to live and work in peace—Yang Hao felt that Koschei should be willing to be that benefactor, as long as he explained their role to her.

Secondly, under the scan of the [Puppet Stage], Yang Hao discovered that a large proportion of these illegal Gaul residents were [Warriors]. The rest were not [Warriors], but rather artisans with specialized skills—for example, bakers who were good at making French armor-piercing shells... no, Yang Hao was referring to baguette bakers, pastry chefs who were good at preparing French-Gaulish desserts, and so on, artisans who provided luxury services to the upper and middle classes.

They should be able to find good jobs in other economically developed areas, but unfortunately they ran into Ursus, a country where stability is basically negative... So they can't find jobs and can only stay at home idly, spending each day in despair.

Hmm... Although Yang Hao only needs those [warriors], if they can demonstrate their value, preparing a surprise for Koschche wouldn't be out of the question. I've heard French desserts are quite good; I hope Koschche will like them.

Thirdly, and quite importantly... Yang Hao hopes to hire individuals who have absolutely no connection to the Ursus people and are suitable for the role of "as objective an overseer as possible" to supervise the future administrative center. If all goes well, Yang Hao plans to improve the administrative center's benefits with the highest possible salaries to allow them to carry out internal reforms and cultivate talent.

It would be troublesome if that money were embezzled. Furthermore, if his chosen overseer was an Ursus, there might be collusion among the Ursus themselves—it wasn't that Yang Hao didn't trust Serpent Scale, but rather that Serpent Scale had more important tasks to complete. He couldn't possibly entrust Serpent Scale with such a low-level task, nor could he offer too much trust to someone who wasn't under his control.

So, after much consideration, aren't these illegal Gauls the best choice? They are warriors, they are Gauls, and they have almost no chance of getting too close to the Ursus people. Moreover, as long as I reassure those Gauls with the reward system of "objective reporting with verified evidence," then these Gauls shouldn't cause any trouble for my work in supervising the administrative center.

And if I remember correctly, many Ursus people look down on the Gauls, right? Hmm... Hopefully, a few troublemakers will emerge from the administrative center first, and after they're publicly executed, the rest shouldn't have any more thoughts of corruption, right? At least not in the short term.

[Event: Illegal Gaulish Residents]

A Gaul with a ducal residence permit is illegally harboring his fellow countrymen, and you see some opportunities, some possibilities, in them. But how exactly to proceed is up to you.

By the way, the Gauls' baguettes are delicious.

"What I want isn't bread, it's people!"

Chapter 72

On his way home, Yang Hao chatted with Monica, the head maid.

He asked Monica, who came from a noble family, what her views were on the current class environment in Ursus.

Monica initially didn't want to answer—after all, it seemed like a disdain for her transformation from a lower-ranking noblewoman to a maid and an offense to her ideals. However, when she realized that Yang Hao genuinely wanted to ask the question and truly intended to change the various problems in Lord Koschche's territory, she relented. She pondered for a long time, until they reached an intersection near the Duke's mansion, when the driver temporarily stopped the car due to a traffic light.

"...My view is that the vast majority of nobles have become irredeemably corrupt." Head Maid Monica raised her head, looking seriously at Yang Hao's thoughtful face beside her. "I was once the heir of a lower-ranking noble, so I have seen what kind of gatherings nobles hold..."

"reunion?"

"A venue for human trafficking, a place for the debauched entertainment of nobles. My lord, you can see anything at the gatherings of nobles in Ursus—if the gatherings of lower-ranking nobles are limited to human trafficking, buying and selling beautiful men and women who have been abducted from who-knows-where, or poor children used to make medicine... then the gatherings of upper-ranking nobles are far more brutal than you can imagine."

Monica's answer caused the gentle smile that had been on Yang Hao's face to vanish without a trace. His expression turned serious, and he opened his mouth, turning his head to look at the scenery outside the car window—the streets not far away were filled with either hurried pedestrians, unemployed people shouting for jobs, or children sitting on the ground with beggars begging for money.

"...Did I hear that right?" he muttered. "With people like this now..." He pointed out the window to the children begging and the unemployed: "So the nobles of Ursus have fallen so low as to hold parties and buy and sell people? If buying handsome men and beautiful women is to satisfy lust, then what about the drug? Did I hear that right?"

"...You heard me right. And I must correct you, not all nobles are like that."

"But you also said there's something worse?"

"Yes. But at the very least, Lord Koschche is not that kind of person."

"...You're right."

Lord Yang Hao sighed heavily. He seemed to have little resistance to things that seemed to belong only in absurd literature. He propped his chin up with his hand, looking troubled, and after a moment, he asked:

"So, what kind of gatherings do the upper-class nobles hold?"

...

This question was somewhat difficult for Monica to answer.

She had once been a lower-ranking noble, and by all accounts, she should have never witnessed a gathering of upper-ranking nobles—but she had the privilege of seeing one. Although she cursed herself more than once for heeding her friend's advice, thus experiencing firsthand the terror of the great nobles.

Head Maid Monica took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, recalling a few years ago, when she was still a young girl, she had witnessed that scene at Saint-Germain Castle, a city controlled by the Emperor and the Imperial Council.

"...I only remember seeing it once. Those nobles—I don't know what their purpose was... In any case, my friend and I witnessed the nobles enjoying a gathering of their own kind."

"Enjoy it, among your own kind?" Lord Yang Hao raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaware of the gravity of the situation. In comparison, he assumed that since lower-ranking nobles already possessed the [medicinal catalyst], cannibalism among high-ranking nobles seemed almost perfectly normal.

Monica knew she had to correct Lord Yang Hao's mistake.

She exhaled, then took another deep breath. A moment later, as the car started moving again, she answered:

"They devoured the bodies of sacrificial girls, still alive and bound to the dining table, while simultaneously engaging in sexual intercourse with anyone they came into contact with, like animals. Their actions were not for any utilitarian purpose; even if they would get sick afterward, they would tirelessly continue to gnaw on the flesh of the unfortunate. After the sacrifices were completely devoured, they would eat each other...eat each other. But out of consideration for the past sexual encounters, they might not truly kill each other."

"...this..."

“My lord, they can do such inconceivable things just for sensual stimulation... Those degenerate nobles don’t put their energy into their proper work or their duties. In times without war, all they do is indulge in depravity and extreme pleasure.”

"...This is so puzzling. And speaking of which, Monica, you are—"

“My friend was a sacrifice tied to the table. I went to the party because of her encouragement before she left... and because of my longing for the great nobles.” Monica sighed, murmuring in a low voice. “And then what happened? I was afraid of those great nobles I had never seen before, so I hid behind a pillar on the second-floor balcony. I wanted to wait for her to come over so we could cautiously talk to those important figures together, just like I had been taught.”

"...Monica."

"And then? Then I saw her naked, her body glistening with olive oil, tied to the dining table, excitedly turning her head to look for me... I don't quite remember whether her expression was one of excitement or fear when the first nobleman bit her... I hid there and witnessed everything until dawn the next day, when the nobles left the venue, which was now just a collection of unprocessed skeletons, and I secretly slipped away."

...From that day on, I completely lost confidence in the nobility. I used to think that only the unambitious minor nobles or those who bullied others had problems—but now it seems that the noble system of this great empire of Ursus is practically rotten to the core. I lost faith, and I spent my days aimlessly, until one day I met Lady Kosiché. She rekindled my faith in the state of the Ursus noble class, and I sincerely believed that it would be better to be her maid, her follower, than a noble—but that's another story.

Now, sir, do you have an understanding of the class system in Ursus—at least of the nobility's?

"...I've got it. I'm so glad my wife is Koschke, and not some other noblewoman."

Seeing Monica's face momentarily fall into desolation before quickly regaining its composure, Yang Hao opened his mouth, feeling that the head maid's tragic past was far too complicated and contained an overwhelming amount of information.

He never imagined that the elite class of a country could degenerate to this extent... He originally thought that human trafficking was the closest thing to the bottom line among the corrupt noble class in Ursus, but what he just heard was...

Aren't these just a bunch of perverts who do all sorts of evil things just to experience thrills? Besides perverts, who else could eat a human while having sex with their colleague, and then eat them afterward? Yang Hao felt goosebumps rise instantly at this thought. He couldn't understand what those people were thinking, nor did he intend to—after all, logically speaking, this kind of thing is more normal for an immortal who feels nothing for any kind of stimulation and seeks thrills. For a normal person?

Those perverts should all be executed!

[Event: The Fallen Nobles of Ursus]

As a member of the lower nobility of Ursus, or at least once one of them, Monica, the maid, knows many things that are unknown to others, some of the favors of the authorities, and some secrets that can never be told to outsiders.

Through her narration, you've learned some of the secrets: the perversion of the corrupt nobles of Ursus, the human trafficking being carried out by the aristocratic class, and the truth behind certain missing persons cases where the culprit remains elusive... What do you intend to do? The choice is yours.

Suggestion: These scumbags will only drive up flour prices if they live in the world. We can declare war on them by purifying the population—as long as you can make the most direct evidence public, even the Imperial Council will not be angry with your actions.

'Where am I supposed to find evidence? I can't exactly join them, can I?'

Yang Hao rested his chin on his hand and read through the newly popped-up events. He wondered if he was facing more and more problems.

Does this city also have lower-ranking nobles assisting Cosice in governing the city? Should they be thoroughly investigated?

Seemingly seeing through what Yang Hao was thinking, after a moment of silence, Head Maid Monica said that although some of the minor nobles in the Duchy of Koschche were extremely arrogant, at least they had not yet done the things she mentioned.

"Lord Kosiché also doesn't want his subordinates to have that kind of perverted behavior that affects the people. So, they haven't done that kind of thing, at least not yet."

"...I understand. Sigh, have we arrived?"

"Yes, we're home now. Sir, would you like to have a meal first, or would you like to take a bath first?"

"Take a shower first. Tell Kosiché I'm back."

"Yes."

Even after receiving this reassuring answer from Head Maid Monica, Yang Hao still felt uneasy. He thought it would be better to completely eradicate those perverts as soon as possible, lest they drive up the price of flour in Ursus.

...However, things must be done slowly. He sighed heavily, thinking that he should first improve the livelihood and stability of the duchy before he could deal with military matters.

Chapter 73

Returning to the duchy at noon, Yang Hao went straight to the bathroom and immersed himself in the warm bath. While enjoying the warmth of the hot water—which seemed to have some kind of natural hot spring agent added—he began to sort out the things he had considered when he left home that morning.

1. An inefficient administrative center. It urgently needs change, not only money but also trustworthy oversight.

2. An economic crisis that caused the stability of the people to turn negative. This is an economic crisis that has swept across the entire Ursus... Yang Hao believes that the first thing to consider is dealing with the economic crisis in the duchy, rather than considering other places.

3. Those illegal inhabitants of Gaul, they include warriors, bakers, artisans, and performers. They number between 1500 and 2000. I must make good use of them, even if it's just to temporarily make them overseers—but the warriors among them should be used to develop a second secret force, distinct from the Serpent Scales.

4. Screw the corrupt nobles of Ursus. Even the idiots in Colombia who get paid to shit are more humane than them. One day I'll purify them so that flour won't be a few coins more expensive because of their existence.

5. He knew he might not live to achieve these goals, so he needed to find a way to immortality as soon as possible. Also, there were Kazimierz-style brothels in the residential area very close to the Duke's mansion—

"Stop, stop! Yang Hao, are you blinded by pressure? Don't even think about that kind of thing! You can wait a few more decades for Margarita, and if all else fails, your immortal wife who can change her appearance any way she wants allows you to have maids... so don't even think about that kind of thing!"

Yang Hao suddenly stretched out his arms, then slapped his cheeks hard with his two thick hands to try and wake himself up. Although he admitted he'd been quite interested in things like flattery back in Colombia, was this the time to be thinking about such things? Even if he were, it was the lowest priority, wouldn't you say?

"Let's think about more important things first, okay?" He slumped in the bathtub, concentrating and gradually entering a focused state. He didn't even notice that the head maid, Monica, had changed into her maid outfit and entered the bathroom at some point, and was now standing behind him waiting for orders. He was focused on thinking about his next action plan.

"Um..."

First, the administrative center's handling of the situation and the processing of illegal Gauls must proceed simultaneously. Without oversight, administrative expenditures could be completely embezzled, and without oversight positions, Yang Hao wouldn't be able to assign jobs to the Gauls in the short term. Therefore, these two matters must be addressed concurrently and should be given top priority—after all, without good administrative efficiency, even if he wanted to implement economic measures, he could only watch helplessly as the administrative pace slowed down.

Therefore, the handling of administrative center number 1 and the illegal Gaulish residents number 3 are completely intertwined. Tonight, he might have to discuss the budget with his wife when he pays his dues, since both of these things will cost a lot of money without the national policy tree being available, and Yang Hao can only ask Kosicé for that much money.

"I hope Cosice will agree to my budget... Oh dear, I should have just taken all the pure gold from Colombia's slush fund back then..."

Although it's impossible, Yang Hao now fondly remembers the time when he was the temporary lord of Columbia, a city now called "United City," and how he almost managed to transfer the city bank's money into his own name. Sigh, what's the use of thinking about it now? Let's just start over honestly.

“Then there’s the issue of people’s livelihood…” He half-submerged his face in the warm water, staring at the steaming surface, unaware that Head Maid Monica had gone out and then brought in a bottle of chilled wine and glasses.

Yang Hao had a clue about the economic and livelihood issues. Now, the people of Ursus were neither willing to accept charity nor starve; they preferred to stand on the streets hungry, begging for work. Didn't that mean he had a large pool of excellent, cheap human resources at his disposal?

This isn't some far-fetched idea! After all, it's unrealistic to expect factories or companies to create more jobs right now. The prerequisite for them to create jobs is profitability, but the citizens who generate profit and consume those consumer goods are still hungry and struggling to make ends meet. Where would they get the money to buy the consumer goods they produce?

The key to solving this economic problem is not forcing factories and companies to provide more jobs, but rather that it is an economic problem that requires government intervention and regulation to solve – the "work-for-credit" approach.

"The people of Ursus are hardworking and resilient; they cannot accept charity. So, why not obtain material funds and consumer goods by having them work? Instead of waiting for factories to open or for businesses to hire... the government can provide a large number of jobs—but, is there anything in the Duchy of Kosichè that needs a large workforce right now?"

The Duchy of Kosiché's money and stockpiled consumer goods could certainly meet the enormous demand for work-for-credit programs. But the problem was, where would the infrastructure be built? Where would such a massive workforce be needed? Where could the unemployed be employed to contribute to construction while simultaneously creating more "hardware" industries to provide more jobs? They couldn't just send everyone to the "off-map military factory," could they? Yang Hao himself didn't even know where that place was!

And to be honest, unless there's no other choice, he wouldn't allow people to go through the vicious cycle of "building a road," then "demolishing it," and finally "building another road." This is a path that can only be used to alleviate an economic crisis in dire circumstances. Yang Hao hopes to place these rare and cheap laborers where they can create value as much as possible.

So, where is the place where they can create value?

Yang Hao slowly pushed himself out of the water. He felt a little dizzy and might need to get out and calm down.

"Sir, would you like some chilled wine?"

"Ah, thanks."

You have chilled wine? Great! Now I can continue thinking.

He went back into the bath. Yang Hao took the glass of chilled wine that Monica handed him, which she had just poured. He drank the cool, refreshing, purplish-red wine in one gulp, savoring the astringency and sourness of the grapes in his mouth, as well as the icy chill. He regained his composure, but still didn't realize that the bathroom had transformed from a space he had been enjoying alone into a space he shared with Monica.

[Event: Work-for-Credit ①]

You've decided to provide relief to the starving unemployed people of the Duchy of Cosice through a work-for-credit program, while also acquiring a large labor force. But now the question is, where should this labor force be placed?

You need to find a suitable place to put them in their workspace. Perhaps your wife can help you think about this.

Friendly reminder: Watch your surroundings.

'ah?'】

"what?"

Yang Hao looked to the side in confusion, wondering why he should care about what was happening next to him. Then he suddenly realized: if he was alone, who was handing him the wine glass, who brought him chilled wine, and who was whispering in his ear?

"Monica?!"