Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

However, these thoughts could not be spoken aloud, so when faced with the "rooster's" question...

Pantalone simply looked into the "rooster's" eyes and gave a meaningful smile.

“When assets can be exchanged for labor, then as long as workers work more hours, those sacrifices are worthwhile, and the efficiency of ‘self-disciplined machines’ is sufficient to satisfy everything.”

"When we have an industrial chain that works 24 hours a day, then these small contributions will eventually allow me to get back more of what I have put in."

"If the mayor insists on a definite answer, then I can only say that this is merely one of the plans needed for Her Majesty the Queen's great cause of defying the laws of nature."

"But you should know that even if I agree to help you control the public opinion pressure, it can only be a temporary solution. I don't believe that simply suppressing public opinion will solve your problem."

The rooster looked at Pantalone and asked its second question.

Faced with the question posed by the "rooster," Pantalone's thoughts at that moment were very simple—

Why does this old man have so many problems?

Are all of you like this during the winter?

Although he really wanted to say that, he had to suppress his emotions because he needed the other party's help to resolve the matter.

He recalled the universal answer Columbia had given him when she asked him about this matter before he set off.

So he replied with a calm and unhurried smile.

"There's no need for you to worry about that, Mayor. Once the plan is implemented, those people will naturally have no more complaints. If you insist on asking for clarification, I can only say... it's part of the plan."

"Part of the plan..."

Upon hearing this answer, the rooster couldn't help but think, "I understand."

Just as he expected.

This is also part of Pantalone's plan, meaning that beneath this operation that he cannot understand, there must be a deeper meaning hidden by Pantalone that he is unaware of.

Just how many more plans does Pantalone have in store?

He found that he truly couldn't understand his political rival.

However, he did understand what Pantalone meant by the industrial chain that made workers toil 24 hours a day without rest.

This made him sigh that the guy in front of him was indeed the same executive "Rich Man" Pantalone he knew. This value system of extracting maximum profit from blood and tears at all costs was really his style.

Even though 'autonomous machines' can achieve work efficiency many times greater than that of humans, Pantalone's plan still ultimately relies on people to operate.

Even if the relentless work day and night doesn't cause physical exhaustion, the mental strain is undeniable.

Although it may not be immediately apparent, the mental oppression it inflicts can, in a sense, numb and ossify a person's thinking.

On the other hand, this kind of high-intensity labor is enough to ruin a person.

In a sense, this practice is no different from mind control.

Thinking about this, he felt that he might have guessed what Pantalone was thinking. The "rooster" who had pulled himself out of his thoughts looked at Pantalone's meaningful eyes and felt that he understood what Pantalone meant.

"I see. I think I understand what you mean. You make up for your losses by making everyone work at a high intensity and extract more profits from it."

"I must say, Mr. Banker, your values ​​are even more distorted than mine, the mayor."

Looking at the "rooster's" knowing look and hearing the other person's assessment of him, Pantalone silently typed a question mark in his mind.

He remembered that this was supposed to be his line, right?

Chapter 90 The Organizers of the Parade and the Neo-Fengtian Liberal Cult (3k)

After that, Pantalone was unclear about what the mayor had imagined.

But after these negotiations, Pantalone did receive a promise from the mayor, who assured him that he would help him control the public opinion surrounding the matter.

Pantalone wasn't worried that the mayor would accept the gifts but not fulfill his obligations, given that the agreement between the two was only verbal and not contractual.

After all, this is not a physical or monetary transaction, so if either party breaches the contract...

Then the other party can naturally retract their promise.

That's what political deals are all about: it seems like you've lost something, but it also seems like you haven't lost anything; it seems like you've gained something, but it also seems like you haven't gained anything.

Even so, Pantalone still felt a pang of pain, since the investment was all hard-earned money he had squeezed from the people of Mondstadt.

His adopted daughter, Yura, is a descendant of the Lawrence family, an old noble family in Mondstadt.

Yura is from Mondstadt, and he is Yura's adoptive father.

He's basically a Mondstadt native too.

Squeezing money from the Mondstadt people is the same as squeezing money from him, which is bound to cause Pantalone deep pain. However, it is all worth it for the sake of the plan.

Anyway, once everything is done, he can get the money back with just a little effort.

That's what the economy is all about; with just a little bit of money being transferred from one hand to the other, you can create money out of thin air.

Finance, isn't it amazing?

Just after Pantalone finished his meeting with "The Rooster," his Fools' intelligence agents brought him back a message about the organizers of the recent Winter March.

Although he knew that Arecino was undoubtedly the mastermind behind this, he also knew that Arecino would not get involved herself, and she wouldn't even let her people infiltrate the situation as shills to stir up trouble.