How Am I Still Alive?

Lu Ping'an and Wang Xi'er have been dating for almost a year.

When we first met, I thought she was a charming princess with a high status and a famous vase. Looking back now, she was the one who supported the development zone for the past year and a half.

As the executive deputy director of the development zone management committee, she is the de facto leader, and the entire development zone is her brainchild.

She is not in charge of a series of tasks such as investment promotion, public security, taxation, refugee resettlement, welfare, etc., but at least she is responsible.

In fact, Lu Ping'an saw her ability on the Green Planet. It can't be said to be very strong, but at least it is above the passing line.

"What Wang Xi'er is good at is doing big things with the resources she has. She will try her best to use the connections, money and even favors she has to achieve her goals."

This is a person who is good at using others. As Wang Xi'er said himself, Lu Ping'an doesn't like such a "scheming girl", but as a partner with related interests, before both parties collapse, he is better than an incompetent person. Too much.

The key to her ability to prosper in the development zone, to become a supportive administrative backbone on Green Planet, and to be able to survive the "airship-to-jet-ski" project in the development zone lies in her truly special identity.

She is a member of the royal family, a member of this kind of aristocracy and royal family, but she is eager to make a career and get rid of the shackles of her own destiny. She does not rely on both sides to eat both sides. Although she is very greedy and easy to get rid of, at least she has eaten well before. .

". But now that the conflict is intensifying, if you still want to eat both sides, it means offending both sides. They will soon set themselves on fire and roast you. When the time comes, no matter which side you are on, you will be used as a sacrifice."

What Lu Ping'an said is reality.

Her bloodline status allows her to borrow the power of the clan and royal family, and her political position can utilize the resources of the ancient city and its institutional advantages. But in the final analysis, the two parties are still in the honeymoon period before, with no deep conflicts of interest and some friction. A middleman like her is needed to mediate.

But next, both sides will definitely have to compete on various occasions.

The ancient city must divide and digest it, and completely turn it into an economic engine, a potential military resource, and a talent market for high-quality labor. The Saphos clan must be divided and looked at. What ordinary Saphos and senior Saphos pursue is In fact, it is not the same thing at all. They have created infinite conflicts of interest themselves.

The Saphos people who were able to survive the end of the world in the Ark were originally the elite of the clan, including many musicians, artists, high-quality craftsmen and other middle-class people. Of course, there were also various writers, outstanding businessmen, jurists, etc.

However, their "craftsmanship" is obviously not adapted to the local conditions here.

Under the premise that a few industries can make money but are experiencing crazy involution, they may be able to adapt to the new needs of this era through technological innovation, but it will take more time to adapt.

And these "craftsmen" have been in this world for less than two years. They need to settle and polish, but they may not have the time and resources.

"I heard that your royal family plans to collect tithe tax?"

The royal family and nobles are professionals when it comes to being a bad person.

"Where did you hear the rumors about the tithe tax? It's the trinity tax!"

These words stunned Lu Ping'an.

He had tried his best to overestimate the extent to which these guys were not human beings, but he did not expect that they could actually do this.

"Trinity tax? If you earn six hundred and pay two hundred, can you still live?"

"If we don't do this, how can those princes and nobles maintain their luxurious lives, and how can they run businesses and projects to make money?"

There was vague disdain and anger in Wang Xi'er's eyes, but more importantly, there was still deep helplessness.

This Trinity tax is not a direct one-third tax, but after deducting social security, basic living expenses, and local taxes, plus a "population tax" for the nobles, the remainder is probably only three-thirds. The second one.

Why does it dare to accept it? In fact, it is quite simple. The previous Kingdom of the Phosphorians was not a system where everyone was equal. Looking at the expansion, the Kingdom back then was a superpower. Considering the size of the Silent Mountain World, the total population was probably several hundred million.

So, if a population of hundreds of millions supports thousands of princes and nobles, it may be hundreds of thousands to support one person in power, and now tens of thousands to support a few hundred, and a few hundred to support one, is really not an exploitative effort.

Moreover, many of the people who spread phosphorus were originally vassals of a certain noble, and heavy taxes have never stopped. Perhaps in the eyes of some people, leaving you alive and having money to eat is already a great kindness.

"Are these people crazy? The kingdom back then had a stable social structure and customs and rules, but now."

"Part of it is real waste, and part of it is more dangerous than real waste. They are anxious, they see the flames, so before igniting it, they have to create some industry and squeeze even more crazily."

".Make a decision early, Wang Xi'er, I feel you are dead."

Wang Xier opened her mouth, but in the end, she could not deny this "reality".

When things go smoothly, everyone gets rich together, and all conflicts can be suppressed. But when times get tough, they become beasts biting each other and eating each other's flesh.

In the kingdom era, the exploitation of civilians and craftsmen by nobles was a matter of course in their laws. But now that these civilians have experienced the baptism of local culture and customs, how can they accept the "master" of this level always above their heads? superior.

There must be many people who spread phosphorus and have left the development zone and this system to make a living and develop outside. In a sense, they are similar to the new capitalist aristocrats of the earth, and they have a natural and mortal enemy relationship with the old feudal aristocrats.

And the feudal lords here are actually hopeless. It's not that there are no talents among them, but the inertia of "luxury life" and "massive investment to seize industry" is what these greedy people can't stop. They stopped and waited for others to get their hands on it. No amount of property was enough for them to share.

"The exploited lower class will definitely rebel, and the upper class will maintain their own rule and interests and suppress it, while the ancient city government outside hopes to divide this place and eventually engulf and merge it. Wang Xi'er, this is not the hell difficulty for you, this is simply the completion difficulty. No hope at all.”

She knew she was in a desperate situation and was gradually being dragged into the abyss.

The development zone that he controls is the head of the "local government" in name only. If his own people want to control him, the civilians below will oppose him if they want to get a better life. Even the nominal superior ancient city government will swallow him up. Drop yourself.

In the entanglement between the three parties, no matter how good Wang Xier's ability to carry water is, she will eventually be pulled into the whirlpool and torn apart by the "behemoth". It is only a matter of time before she is willing to be a puppet. Even if she is willing to be a puppet, the other party has a more suitable and trustworthy candidate. , her past neutral and independent stance has instead limited its "upper limit".

But is it really hopeless?

"Originally, it wasn't available, but now it is, but I refuse."

The princess's mood towards the "knight" in front of her became more and more subtle. Perhaps, this person could indeed be called the knight on the white horse, but it was definitely not her own.

A puppet with an embarrassing status? The unlucky guy standing in front of the stage who is destined to take the blame? If you have an eighth-level rule-level power, you can defeat cleverness with force, but become the target of three parties.

However, Lu Ping'an had no reason to help her, or to be precise, he was on the human side and couldn't help her.

His ecological niche has become a mutually restrictive pair with Wang Sixiang's. If you don't move, I won't move, and if you leave, I will leave. Without this check and balance, the ancient city would not dare to exert pressure.

Wang Xier was a little hesitant and uneasy.

What can she give? Myself? If you just become someone else's vassal, you will just become someone else's puppet.

Perhaps, she should be grateful to Lu Ping'an for giving herself another possibility instead of being dragged down helplessly.

It seems that without Lu Ping'an's intervention, the best outcome for him would be to take the blame and step down after "a certain mistake", and then become a bargaining chip in a political marriage.

Perhaps his biggest mistake was that he "did too well" and made this originally fringe project become the jewel of competition within the clan.

She sighed, knowing that she seemed to have no choice, at least the partner in front of her needed her.

If what Lu Ping'an said is true, maybe this is really an opportunity. With Lu as an ally there, he can really pull out a phosphorus-spreading tribe independently.

"Let me think about it"

"What are you thinking about? You are in a mud pit. Jump out of it as soon as possible."

"Let me think about it more. At least give me some time." Wang Xi'er was tired and angry at the same time. Don't I want to lose face?