Chapter 51

"Sorry to let you down, Mr. Steele. This soup just feels so fancy and pricey. It's my first time having something like this, and I don't even know how to eat it," Emma said, looking a bit embarrassed.

Lucy, on the other hand, gave Emma a disdainful glance while sipping her soup gracefully.

"Fancy? Pricey?" I raised an eyebrow, not disappointed in Emma, but surprised she hadn't tried this kind of food before. Ever since we set up the plantation in Tortoise City, I'd ramped up the production of all sorts of veggies, using Elf Tea's superpower to speed up plant growth. The plantation had grown a lot, especially with tomatoes. I figured everyone in Tortoise City should've had a taste by now. If they had points, they could trade for these foods. So why was Emma saying she hadn't eaten them before? "Are you talking about tomatoes?" I asked.

"Yeah, this beautiful fruit costs at least 100 points. I have to make furniture for three days just to afford one tomato. So, I can't bring myself to buy it," Emma said, taking a careful sip of the soup and closing her eyes in delight.

"Emma, what do you mean?" Lucy asked, clearly annoyed.

"Lucy, I'm just gathering info to report to Mr. Steele, no other intentions," Emma replied calmly.

Sophia frowned and turned to me, "Should we rethink the prices?"

"No need," I said flatly. The prices weren't the issue. But high prices did seem unfair, making residents feel like they were supporting the inner city elites. It might not be a problem short-term, but if it went on, loyalty would drop, and resentment would build up. If that resentment wasn't addressed, it could lead to class conflict, and that could mean a rebellion.

Sure, with Tortoise City's current population, a rebellion was unlikely. But in the future, we might have thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of residents. By then, those who didn't know the full story might go nuts attacking the inner city because they felt it was unfair. That would be a huge risk.

I said calmly, "We're not making any big changes to the current prices. Scarce resources will stay expensive. Even if some resources become more common, prices will only be adjusted slightly."

Sophia frowned again, not quite getting my point.

I explained, "If you buy a tomato for 100 points today, and tomorrow it only costs 10 points, wouldn't you be upset? Sure, these are small items. But what about houses? If you spend 10,000 points on a big house today, and tomorrow it's only 1,000 points, your property's value drops, leading to an economic crisis."

In another world, economic crises happened all the time. It could be due to currency devaluation, war, or other reasons, even scandals involving big corporations. When a society had a financial system, economic crises were inevitable. When they hit, people's wealth shrank, whether from inflation or other reasons, and money lost its value.

If I tried to explain economic crises to them, they'd probably just get confused. And honestly, it was not my area of expertise. In another world, I was all about special operations, but I did pay attention to the economy. Military pensions weren't much, so I had to be careful with my bank investments.

As expected, Sophia shook her head, not getting it. But I noticed Emma seemed to be listening closely and understanding.

"Mr. Steele's words make a lot of sense. If my property value dropped, I might do something drastic," Emma said thoughtfully.

"Exactly. We need to handle pricing matters carefully in the future. Those points might have been earned by residents at great risk," I added. Then I took a bite of meat, chewed slowly, and told Emma, "Emma, come to my office later. I have something for you to do."

"Mr. Steele, are you hiring me?" Emma asked, clearly excited.

"Yes, there's something perfect for you," I replied.

After our meal, we went our separate ways. At the mayor's office, Emma stood in front of me. "Mr. Steele, what do you want me to do? I can handle anything."

"Do you know why I hired you?" I asked.

"Because I'm smart?" Emma guessed.

"No, it's not about intelligence," I said.

"What do you mean?" Emma looked puzzled.

"Smart people don't show off their smarts. You've just got some tricks up your sleeve," I explained patiently.

Emma looked a bit disappointed. "Thanks for the compliment."

I smiled at her. "But you're qualified enough to be my secretary."

Emma looked surprised. She'd never heard the term 'secretary' before.

I explained, "A secretary is someone who follows me around, handles tasks, helps me socialize, and conveys messages. Whatever I need done, the secretary does, even if it's a bit much."

"Are you talking about a lover?" Emma asked suddenly.

"No, don't overthink it," I said calmly.

Emma pouted, clearly letting her mind wander.

"Alright, let's get serious. The issue you raised about prices today reminded me of something important. I take this matter very seriously," I told Emma, looking her in the eyes.

"Do you have a solution? But if the current supplies can't meet demand even if prices are lowered, it will still affect the inner city's authority," Emma said.

"It seems you've thought this through," I smiled. Sophia was right; Emma had good ideas.

"Yes, but I can't find a solution. Even if prices are fair, there will still be a supply shortage. But high prices hurt the residents' feelings. And I don't want the inner city to become frugal because of this," Emma replied.

I nodded. Emma was right; I couldn't give up a good life because of these issues. "So..." I dragged out my words, and Emma looked at me, eager for the solution. "I need you to become a thief," I said with a smile.

"What?" Emma's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why? Why do I have to become a thief?" Emma frowned, clearly displeased.

"My dear Emma, you're my secretary. If I need you to be a thief, then that's what you'll be. Got it?" I reminded her of her role.

"But... I don't understand," Emma said, still frowning.

I got it. Emma was a smart, well-educated young woman. Asking her to be a thief seemed a bit much. But I didn't want her to be just any thief.

"A tip for your first day. Next time, figure it out yourself. If you don't get it, find a way to understand. Got it?" I paused for effect. "You're going to take some items from the inner city warehouse and sell them in the outer city at low prices, claiming they were stolen. But keep it minimal—just ten items a day." I was teaching her like a parent to a child.

"Why do we have to do this?" Emma asked, even more confused.

"To regulate prices. If some goods are abundant, steal more of them to distribute. This way, it won't affect the prices in Tortoise City, and everyone can benefit," I explained.

Emma's eyes lit up as she finally got it. "I promise to complete the task!"

I smiled and patted her hair. The sweet scent of her shampoo filled the air. "Don't tell anyone about this. It has to be discreet. If you're caught, I'll have to stop the task, and you might get fired. I'll protect you, but your reputation might take a hit. So, Emma, are you willing to accept this task?"

Honestly, it was a spur-of-the-moment idea. It would be tough for Emma to pull off without getting caught. But I couldn't think of another way to regulate prices, and this seemed the most effective. Even with a growing population, it would still work.

Emma thought for a moment, then her eyes sparkled. "Is there a reward for this task?"

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want to be your lover!" Emma said suddenly.

I was taken aback. I really questioned her motives for applying to 'Big House.' She kept bringing up the word lover. "Please consider this. If it's too much, I can be your secret lover. As long as we have this relationship, I'll take the task." She smiled sweetly, dimples showing.

"Are you serious? This task isn't easy," I wanted to confirm.

"I'm sure of what I want. I'm waiting for your approval," Emma said seriously.

"Okay, I agree. You're an interesting girl. If the task fails, you'll still be my lover, and I'll always protect you," I said with a smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Steele. Thank you for this opportunity." Emma blushed and gave me a light kiss.

It all happened so fast. I touched my face, stunned. "I'm curious, why do you want to be my lover?" I asked.

"Because it's Lucy's greatest wish, and I want to fulfill it for her. We're good friends," Emma said directly, but I was still puzzled.

Emma's new role as the mayor's secretary in the inner city caused quite a stir among the outer city residents. Grace mentioned that Lucy had been working harder, researching how to make delicious food every day. I began to understand the dynamic between Emma and Lucy. 'Are they competing for something?' I wondered. They were indeed interesting.

To facilitate Emma's 'theft' of goods, I brought in Margaret and shared another plan. "When we get to Wasteland City, I want to sell a large quantity of goods at slightly lower prices to quickly close the deal," I told Margaret.

Margaret lay against my chest, lazily stretching her arms. "Do you need crystals urgently now?" she asked.

"I do need them, but it's not urgent," I replied. "I just want to build a reputation quickly. Dear Margaret, would you like to be the 'thief leader'?"

Margaret was slightly surprised but then chuckled. "Are you asking me to steal goods from Tortoise City and sell them in Wasteland City at a lower price?"

"Right, and sell them below market prices," I responded.

"It will help with quick sales, but we won't make much money," Margaret replied.

"Trust me, we can make money. We just need to manipulate a bit." I leaned in mischievously near Margaret's ear, tickling her, while revealing my plan.

Margaret's eyes widened. "You're really wicked." Then she gently pushed me away and said, "It's a fun game, I agree."

"Also, I hope Emma can assist you in managing the goods. Is that okay?" I asked.

"The girl who likes to play tricks?" Margaret furrowed her brows slightly, not seeming to like Emma.

"Emma does like to play tricks, but she's also a good assistant. At least she can read and help you manage the accounts." I smiled, not telling Margaret about appointing Emma as a 'thief' as well. The fewer people who knew about this, the better.

"Well, it doesn't matter. By the way, will selling goods like this attract attacks from others?" Margaret was a bit worried.

I understood Margaret's concern. If someone found out that Tortoise City was selling a lot of high-quality goods, and many of them were stolen, they might have bad ideas about Tortoise City. With the current goods in Tortoise City, it was enough to trigger a war. For example, the huge Elf Tea tree, the vast plantation, and the Undine in the large pond. Each of these was a strategic asset that could drive countless people crazy. Tortoise City's defenses were weak, and everything here was of high value. I could imagine how busy the city guards were every day.

"Don't worry, Tortoise City won't get close to Wasteland City. And with me around, if anyone dares to have any bad ideas, I will make them pay with their lives. Besides, Tortoise City has a secret weapon. I probably won't even need to personally intervene," I said confidently.

"What secret weapon? Why have I never heard of it?" Margaret immediately became interested and looked at me.

I replied lightly, "The tortoise, Jack."

Margaret looked very puzzled after hearing my words.