The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1458 421: The Kind-Hearted Princess Aileen (Part 2)

However, the actual situation was completely different.

There wasn't just one Campbell Duchy on the Aus Continent, and although not everyone ate well, grain was the least of their concerns.

Due to the flourishing import and export industries, the Royal Family subsidized Thunder City citizens' tables with part of the industrial taxes, causing grain prices in Thunder City to not rise but instead become cheaper.

You might ask, what does this have to do with him?

It's hugely relevant!

Not only because he could save an extra copper coin, but because he could gain greater bargaining leverage with labor costs!

If 400 copper coins could keep a person alive until the next month, why should he pay an additional 500 copper coins as wages?

Thunder City had no shortage of people, especially those peasants who suddenly gained freedom overnight.

Those folks had nothing but strength, and someone would always be willing to accept lower pay just for stability.

Of course.

Horace was merciful.

Considering that most families in the Campbell Duchy had two children, with a non-working wife, making a total of four people, 1600 copper coins were more reasonable than the 1800 copper coins from last year.

That's 400 loaves of bread.

They should be content.

On his way to the textile factory, Horace was pondering this. If he could save 2 silver coins per person, a hundred people would mean a net profit of two gold coins!

Operating a weaving machine wasn't complicated work; most of the heavy labor was done by machines. He even felt that the few hundred employees at the factory were somewhat redundant.

However, just as he was thinking about how to get these laborers to willingly accept pay cuts, a harsh metallic scraping noise suddenly caught his attention.

Not far away, a steam loom had stopped, and his heart instinctively panicked, but then he felt joy.

A young man had operated it carelessly, and his arm got caught in the transmission device. Half of his arm was now a bloody mess, the white cotton yarn stained bright red, a horrific scene.

The rural workers were stunned, and finally, a few skilled weavers were the first to react, quickly rushing over to stop the machine and lift the young man, who had lost his right hand, out.

"Quick! Find a healer!"

"Hand me the thread! We need to stop his bleeding first!"

"Oh, Saint Sis above..."

Saint Sis above—

This was a perfect opportunity!

Horace became excited, putting on an angry facade, and yelled at the stunned foreman next to him.

"Get him out of here quickly! Don't let his blood jam the gears! Look at what you incompetent fools have done!"

Seeing the suddenly appearing boss, the berated foreman instinctively shivered, stammering a response.

"Sir, he's injured and needs treatment..."

"Of course I know he's injured, do you think I'm blind? He's just hurt, not dead. The adventurer's guild healer has plenty of ways to fix him!"

"But... but even the healer can't restore newly regrown bones to exactly how they were—"

"What? Were his bones worth a lot? Or do you want me to compensate him? Stop dreaming, he's lucky I'm not charging him for the damage to the machine!"

Horace disdainfully glanced at the young man who had fainted, speaking viciously.

"Get up, stop playing dead! Clumsy fool, you're fired! Go to the accountant's office, get your pay for this month, and then get out of my sight!"

These words were like a pot of icy water poured over everyone's heads, and they all started to show angry expressions on their numb or confused faces.

The relentless labor from day to day had already fueled their anger, and now, someone had added fuel to the fire.

The surrounding workers stopped their tasks in unison. The mechanical roar gradually quieted, and the entire workshop fell into an eerie silence.

"What? Are you all planning to rebel?"

Seeing this, Horace was not afraid at all; instead, he raised an eyebrow with interest and waved to summon the textile factory's security.

Two burly men with clubs came over, standing on either side of the boss.

With backup for support, Horace arrogantly raised his chin and said in a harsh voice.

"I'm telling you, if you don't want to work, get out of here. Thunder City has no shortage of people like you! I must have been too good to you all. From today on, everyone's salary drops to 1600 copper coins! If I catch any of you slacking off again, you'll have to wait until you're starving to death!"

1600 copper coins!

As soon as Horace's words fell, everyone on-site, except for the security guards, was in an uproar.

A year ago, their wages were still 2000 copper coins, then it dropped to 1800 copper coins.

For the sake of the children at home waiting to be fed, they swallowed their pride.

However, they never expected that their concession only let this miser take further advantage, reaching into their pockets again in less than a year!

"1600 copper coins!? What a joke, this isn't enough for us to live on!"

"Don't push us too far!"

"You might as well have us work for free!"

Seeing the crowd grow angrier, Horace remained oblivious to the looming danger, still speaking confidently.