aircannonsinc Chapter 18 Boiling the Frog in Slow Water—Loyalty Undermined by "Honor"
Chapter 18 Boiling the Frog in Slow Water—Loyalty Undermined by "Honor"
In the central business district of Mingdu, Sun Moon Federation, the building housing the Spirit Pagoda branch used to have a long queue stretching from the ground floor to the street corner for people buying spirit spirits. Today, there was a queue, but not for spirit spirits. It was made up of low- to mid-level spirit masters in mottled robes, clutching their identification documents, crowding at the entrance of the temporary service hall of the Federal Tax Bureau. Some were shouting, others hissed when their feet were stepped on, and everyone was pushing and shoving. Registering early meant paying less money tomorrow.
The holographic projection at the entrance of the hall was displaying a loop of the announcement, "Announcement Regarding the Establishment of the 'Federal Honorary Citizen' System." It stated: Anyone who leaves the old sect system and directly pays the "Special War Tax" to the Federal Tax Bureau will have their children admitted to the Federal Public Soul Guidance Academy without examination, enjoy state-subsidized prices on soul guidance devices, and be exempt from all sect-levied fees. Just those three points. You can't reason with them about grand principles, but if you say your children can go to school, things are cheaper, and you don't have to pay protection money anymore, they'll come.
"Make way! Make way, all of you!" The head of the Mingdu branch of the Spirit Pagoda squeezed through the crowd. A six-ring Soul Emperor, he held up the Spirit Pagoda token, his face flushed red. "The Tower Master has decreed! All Soul Masters must file their taxes through the Spirit Pagoda! Those who betray the Spirit Pagoda will be permanently disqualified from Spirit Ascension!"
"Cancel it if you want!" A burly man carrying a large sword pushed his way through the crowd, slamming his Federal ID card on the table. "I've been a lackey of the Spirit Tower for twenty years, getting sixty percent of my salary taken every year! The Federation said there are tax breaks for independent taxpayers! I quit!"
"I quit!" The crowd erupted. Someone threw the token on the ground, and it shattered.
The person in charge was about to arrest him. His spirit ring lit up.
"Stop." The head of the Federal Tax Bureau stepped forward, accompanied by two enforcement captains. He adjusted his glasses. "According to federal law, the Spirit Pagoda has no right to restrict a Soul Master's tax payment channels. Please step back immediately."
The person in charge turned and looked around. A dense array of Federal military police, and soul-guided armored vehicles approaching in the distance. His face turned from green to white. The foundation of the Spirit Pagoda in Mingdu had collapsed in this single day.
Shrek City, Seagod's Lodge.
Yun Ming was surrounded by urgent reports. Defections, independent taxation, and affiliated families breaking away one by one.
"Sect Master, all the families in Donghai City who are affiliated with us have just submitted their applications for independent taxation to the Federation. They say Shrek Academy can no longer protect them. The Federation has promised to give them cheaper soul-guided cannons."
The teacup in Yunming's hand shattered. Tea dripped down his fingers.
Zang Xin jumped up: "This is outrageous! Mo Runshu is poaching our talent! He's using 58% tax to force those families to submit to him! This is a calculated move!"
"It's not an open conspiracy," Yun Ming said in a hoarse voice, "it's a dimensional attack. We manage people with the rules of our sect, while he wins people's hearts with benefits. Loyalty can't put food on the table, but subsidies can."
He stood up and walked to the window. "Pass down the order: stop all levies. The academy can't afford to support them anymore."
"Sect Master!"
"This is the only way." Yun Ming turned around, his eyes bloodshot. "If we continue to exploit them, they will completely side with the Federation. Letting them become independent now at least leaves some semblance of goodwill. If we push them too far, they will become knives used against us."
Donghai City, Federal Public Soul Guidance Academy.
The main gate was brightly decorated. Boys in new school uniforms ran inside, some turning back to call to their mothers to hurry. Mo Runshu stood with his hands behind his back, Yue Mianmian beside him. Tang Wulin, dressed in a Federation cadet uniform, stood behind him, carrying a stack of books.
Mo Runshu pointed to the crowd: "Wu Lin, this is the power of order. True rule is making everyone see hope within your system."
"Teacher, aren't they from Shrek Academy? Why are they all here?"
"Because they were exploited." Mo Runshu squatted down and straightened his collar. "Shrek and the Spirit Pagoda took most of the fruits of their labor, only giving them empty promises. The teachers took their taxes, but gave them schools, hospitals, and safe streets. Those old-fashioned sects only knew how to take, not how to give, so their demise was inevitable."
An officer strode over and whispered a few words in Mo Runshu's ear. Mo Runshu's lips twitched slightly; they had finally arrived.
Tang Wulin led Mo Runshu forward by the hand. When they reached the academy gate, he glanced back. His father, Tang Ziran, and his mother, Lang Yue, stood at the back of the crowd. Tang Ziran wore an old mecha mechanic's jacket, his hands smeared with machine oil. The jacket had been worn for years; the cuffs were frayed. Lang Yue's arm was linked with his, her hair slightly disheveled by the wind. Tang Ziran nodded to him, a small nod, meaning, "Alright, go ahead."
Tang Ziran and Lang Yue were both mecha designers in Donghai City. Calling them designers was a nice way of putting it; they basically just drew blueprints. Tang Ziran worked at the Federal Military Research Institute, while Lang Yue worked at a small civilian factory. Their combined salaries, after deducting rent, food, and utilities, left them with very little each month. They also had to set aside a portion to buy nutrient solutions for Tang Wulin's training. Tang Ziran often worked late, and his mother would keep his food warm in the pot. Sometimes she'd warm it up three times before he came home. When he did, he wouldn't say anything, just wash his hands and sit down to eat. After finishing, he'd say something like, "Today was alright," or "I still couldn't figure out that thing today." Tang Wulin later realized that his father was just reassuring him, "I'm still working, I haven't been laid off."
Mo Runshu also saw the two people. He patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder: "Let's go, your parents won't leave." Tang Wulin looked back one last time before following them.
The headquarters of the Spirit Pagoda.
Qian Gu Dongfeng slammed the document on the ground: "This is outrageous!"
"Tower Master, the data on dragon-type martial souls is top secret!"
"What can we do if we don't give it to them?" Qian Gu Dongfeng slumped down. "The tax bureau has frozen the core accounts. They're insolvent; tomorrow the Federal Army will seize the headquarters on charges of tax evasion. Give them to them first. The Spirit Pagoda hasn't collapsed yet. As long as they're alive, there's always a day when things will turn around."
He looked out the window. The Federation airship hovered low, its enormous shadow obscuring the spire of the Spirit Tower.
The ancient east wind has receded. His eyes were red, and his steps were slow.
Sun and Moon Federal Parliament, Mo Runshu's office.
After reviewing the debt settlement confirmation, he sent the document into the shredder. The shredding sound was deafening.
"The 58% tax is just the beginning. Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, the frog will cook eventually. The Spirit Pagoda hasn't collapsed yet, but that's okay, we'll take it slow."
"Speaker, Yunming's military strength is still intact."
Mo Runshu turned around, his eyes changing. "What is individual force compared to the absolute machinery of the state? Order the Western Legion to move into the former site of the Spirit Tower Soul Research Center, which they have taken over, and establish the Federation Soul Research Center. Also, notify the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy that the purification surgery for the Golden Dragon King's bloodline will begin tomorrow. I want him to understand that only the Federation is his only support."