To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 419: Chapter 253: Brothers (First Update)_1

In the following days, Kevin was constantly hesitating and conflicted.

He considered himself a very ethical noble and should not feel jealous, yet he could not contain his emotions.

Every time he saw Drey, a black fury would ignite in his chest.

When the other man spoke eloquently with others, when he chatted with Kevin’s own children, when his wife’s children looked at Drey with admiration, Kevin felt like the other man was the sun, rendering him utterly insignificant.

But what was even more infuriating was that he found himself actually admiring his own brother.

Even though his brother stole the attention of those around him, even though he ground his teeth in hatred every night, when Drey greeted him, he could not help but smile before continuing with his jealousy.

Overall, it was bearable, as long as he did not look at the other man.

The Cultural Salon was left for him and Tang Mo to manage together, with occasional invitations for grand nobles to visit.

Thanks to these two, the Cultural Salon was doing well, and some scholars took an interest in it, treating it as a center for cultural and scholarly exchange.

The salon, which had started in a study, grew larger and larger; some high-ranking scholars even rented a house in Kevin’s villa, settling there and discussing various issues.

Kevin naturally welcomed this development.

The day for the nobility assessment was drawing near, and a great number of high-ranking nobles would decide whether the lower nobles qualified for promotion. Most of the high nobility had visited the salon, and some were even regular visitors.

With them as his endorsers, Kevin believed he could elevate his family to the rank of a fourth-level noble this year.

Then, his family’s industries could expand further; perhaps they could even hire a group of Priests and claim a nearby township as their own territory.

However, just as he was preparing gifts and planning to make a big move, he received startling news.

The quarry had gone on strike.

The quarry where Drey had previously worked was one of the industries that Kevin valued most, with its high output and thus better-than-average treatment he offered, so it never occurred to him that the workers would strike.

At this critical juncture for the nobility assessment, the strike was doubtless a stain, and if mishandled, it could cause others to doubt his management ability and use it against him.

Immediately sending the butler to deal with the matter, Kevin soon learned the reason behind the strike.

Nobody knew how to operate the steam engine anymore, the new Head had made a mess of everything, and the schedule didn’t take into account each person’s strengths.

If it was just those issues, it might still be manageable—workers could strive to overcome these problems.

But, in an effort to make a mark, the new Head increased the quotas by 30% and, when a quota wasn’t met, beat a woman with a child so severely, she almost lost her sight.

The workers’ fury was ignited; they seized the Head, demanding compensation and an apology, but he remained defiant, threatening to “dismiss everyone” and spouting nonsensical threats like, “As long as I live, you shall die.”Upd@te by n0vgo .c0

As a result… the workers survived, but the Head…

Angered, the workers smashed their tools and began to riot, starting a large-scale strike at the quarry, with tensions escalating by the day.

If the situation escalated further, the strike could easily turn into a rebellion, and Kevin could kiss his hopes of ascending to a fourth-level noble goodbye.

While there was still a chance to turn things around, he immediately sought out a noble friend experienced in quelling strikes.

Upon hearing of the strike at Kevin’s friend’s quarry, this friend revealed a meaningful smile and then said, “It’s simple. Just seal off the passage and shut down the barrier. In two or three days, the Shadows will take over, and everyone will be dead. After that, reopen the passage and the barrier, and send in the Corpses Collector.”

Then, the friend handed Kevin a business card, placing it in his hand: “This is the Corpses Collector I used to deal with frequently. They work fast and discreetly; within a week, your quarry can be operational again.”

“And the workers…”

“Is Yifate short of people? Don’t worry about the Law Enforcers either, the Corpses Collector will handle it.”

Finding Kevin still in a daze, his friend patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’ve wanted to tell you before, you’re too nice to those workers. They are just tools, and renewable ones at that, cheaper than machinery. Speaking of which, the prison is selling some interesting gadgets lately, some of which can significantly reduce labor costs. After dealing with this batch, you might want to check it out.”@@novelbin@@

After a brief conversation, Kevin excused himself and returned to his villa with the business card.

Locking himself in his room, Kevin could not have imagined such a possibility.

If it had been before, he might have just done it.

But now, the thought of his brother Drey, who had grown up there—if his former friends all disappeared, what would his reaction be?

He was so clever that he would surely investigate the truth, then find the real culprit, and ultimately, filled with hatred, confront Kevin himself.

With a long sigh, he decided against it.

Calling for Drey, he said, “The quarry is on strike; take care of it. Soothe them if necessary, raise their wages if you must. But don’t report back to me; it would just upset me.”

Thinking about those greedy workers managing to get money from him, Kevin felt terribly uncomfortable.