Empire of Shadows

Unconsciously, time had already arrived in October.

While reviewing the third-quarter ledger, Lance unexpectedly discovered a very interesting matter.

The wages of the workers had increased.

He put down the ledger of the labor service company. The number of laborers currently registered with the labor service company had already exceeded forty thousand.

Because of the labor service company’s consistently good and excellent reputation, plus the background of the Lance Family, it had already become the largest labor service company in Golden Port City.

Many newly established companies had also begun to get used to dealing directly with Lance’s labor service company, instead of dealing directly with the workers.

This would be more convenient, faster, and more trouble-saving.

The labor service company’s side was also constantly upgrading. Now it was also managed by a professional manager.

Originally, Lance had only treated the labor service company as a start-up business, but now that its scale was getting larger and larger, and its value was also getting higher and higher, to continue to use the people in the gang to manage it would limit the development of this enterprise.

And a more professional manager could better control the changes in the market, and from it find better development methods and directions.The registration of forty thousand people showed this point.

“Have the wages generally risen now, or have only a portion of the industries risen?” Lance looked at the manager in front of him.

Thirty-five years old, a high school graduate, had worked for seventeen years, but had self-studied the university curriculum.

At this time, the federal schools were not yet sure how to deal with these people who had self-studied the university curriculum, so there was no corresponding examination system. The schools could only recognize that they had self-studied all the content and had passed the examination.

As for a degree or a certificate, there was none.

However, even so, it was still very remarkable. This showed that this manager was a very ambitious person.

He nodded. “Yes, Mr. Lance. The price for heavy physical labor has risen by an average of one dollar and twenty cents. For some of the jobs that require a certain amount of technical skill, such as welders, operators, and the like, the salary has risen by about two dollars and fifty cents to five dollars.”

“Some very special positions, for example, doctors, nurses, their income has risen even higher.”

“I’ve read some analytical articles. People generally believe that this is related to the outbreak of the war.”

Lance agreed with this view. Four million young people had left society. How many young people were there in the entire Federation?

The vacancies left after these people had left needed to be filled. The assembly line of a factory would not stop just because someone had joined the army. It would not wait for these people to be demobilized.

After being saturated for many years, the labor market had begun to have a gap, and with the outbreak of the war, the manufacturing industry had begun to shine, and more jobs had appeared. The rise in workers’ wages was also within expectation.

This was actually a good thing. It had tightened the reins on the Federation’s road to depression and had begun to make a U-turn on the spot.

Every month, the labor service company could provide Lance with a profit of about 25,000 to 30,000. This income was actually already very considerable, about 500,000 a year.

Compared to his other businesses, this amount of money was not much to look at.

However, what he valued was definitely not the money, but the influence!

“I’ve been thinking about something recently,” Lance took out a cigarette. The manager quickly prepared to listen to his instructions, sitting with his legs together, and even took out a pen and a notebook, intending to record Lance’s words at any time.

Lance cleared his thoughts. “We need to provide security measures for the workers, not in terms of retirement, but in terms of accidental injuries and the like.”

“Of course, in terms of pensions, we can also consider helping them to join the federal government’s social security system, to let them connect with the people from the Social Welfare Bureau.”

The manager couldn’t help but raise his hand. Lance nodded slightly, signaling that he could speak.

“Mr. Lance, I’ll interrupt for a moment.”

“If we are to provide commercial insurance for these workers, we will face two problems.”

“The first problem is that a considerable number of them are still illegal immigrants.”

“The insurance companies refuse to insure illegal immigrants. You know, sometimes some people will go a bit too far…”

“I’m not sure if our workers are willing to accept an extra expenditure of money to be put into insurance, and doing so will reduce the company’s efficiency.”

Lance knew a little about this.

When the president had signed the conscription order, he had mentioned that illegal immigrants had to enlist to obtain legal status. So in fact, these were still illegal immigrants. They had not chosen to enlist to obtain legal citizen status, but had continued to work as illegal immigrants.

Doing so had its pros and cons. After all, going to the battlefield would mean death. People would be afraid, and Lance could understand.

Although their income was not high now, and sometimes they had to deal with the刁难 of the immigration bureau, at least they were safe.

As for the matter that the manager had said that the insurance companies refused to insure, it was actually also done by some vicious criminal gangs.

They would insure those illegal immigrants, and then find a way to injure them, cripple them, or even kill them, to defraud the high insurance premiums.

At first, the insurance companies had not realized this. After the insurance companies had suffered several heavy losses, now the insurance companies refused to insure illegal immigrants.

Although they could also do this with federal citizens, if a federal citizen died, the dual investigation of the insurance company and the law enforcement department was in itself a deterrent.

If an illegal immigrant died, they died. The law enforcement agencies were not willing to waste resources on these illegal immigrants, and the insurance companies had no direction for investigation at all.

His concerns were normal.

Lance sat there and affirmed his problem. “You’re right. So next time, listen to me finish first.”

“We won’t go for commercial insurance. We can set up our own insurance company or something similar. They can pay an extra dollar a month into their insurance account. This way, in case of an accident, we can provide them with some medical security.”

“A few hundred is enough to cover their work injuries. A little more is also fine.”

“As for the company’s efficiency…” Lance pursed his lips. “You know, I have other businesses. I have never expected this company to bring me an unimaginable profit.”

“Compared to the… hundreds of thousands I earn from here every year, I would rather you bring me hundreds of thousands of registered workers.”

“The number of registered people is your performance indicator, not how much money you have earned for me.”

The manager quickly recorded what Lance had said.

The economy had already shown clear signs of recovery. The war was indeed a good thing. It had greatly stimulated the vitality of the manufacturing industry.

More than a dozen countries on the Tanfit continent had already fallen into war. Their production had been destroyed, and their manufacturing had been put on hold. The only way for them to obtain goods was to import them.

Like Slad, it might seem that it was still producing with all its might, but all its production was for the war. Almost all the factories that were suitable for modification were producing things for the war.

Bullets, shells, even the bearings and belts on the chariots, they were all revolving around the war.

The things that ordinary people use in their daily lives can only be obtained through imports.

The Federation’s export volume was soaring. So much so that some of the merchants on the Dantra Republic’s side were also importing goods from the Federation.

Congress knew this, the Department of Commerce knew this, the merchants knew this. Only the ordinary people didn’t know.

They pretended not to know and transported the things to a port in the middle, and then the delivery was completed. Although the two sides were fighting to the death on the front lines, in the rear, they were exchanging what they had for what they needed.

This kind of trade was actually not against the rules, because what was being sold was not things for the war.

Not guns and ammunition, not shells and tanks, but just ordinary daily necessities.

The federal government did not say anything, because these businesses had supported a large number of factories and a large number of workers.

The Dantra people also did not say anything, because they did indeed lack these things.

The new industrial district that Mayor Williams had built was being constructed at a very amazing speed. Many factories had been in talks with City Hall about settling in during this period.

Although there was no heavy industry, light industry could provide more jobs!

Of the more than two million permanent residents of Golden Port City, at least one-third were of the working class.

How much did forty thousand registered workers account for?

Not even 10%!

“The wages have increased a little now. Although it’s only a little, more people will consider starting to work. You have to do a good job of guidance.”

“We can talk directly with the factories. Recently, many factories have settled in on the City Hall’s side. You can take the initiative to contact them.”

“We help him complete the supporting work for the workers, which saves them the trouble of dealing with the workers’ union.”

After listening, the manager asked, “Will there be any trouble?”

“If the workers’ union’s side starts to make a fuss, it might be a trouble for us.”

Lance couldn’t help but laugh twice. “Go and have a talk first. When the workers’ union comes to us, we will talk to them then.”

“It’s nothing more than a matter of interests. At that time, I will solve it.”

“Don’t be confined to Golden Port City. We also have to expand outwards. You can go and establish offices in the cities within Likalai State. We need to expand our influence on a larger scale.”

“Among the working class, and among the capitalists who use workers.”

Lance flipped through the document on his desk, letting it close. “I won’t look at the rest. The number of new workers this year is the same as last year. Logically, this is not right, but I will still give you a chance.”

“Let me see your ability,” he stood up. The manager also quickly stood up and followed behind him carefully.

“Go and have a good talk with the workers. Tell them these decisions. If they are not willing to participate in this accident insurance, don’t force them either.”

“Anyway, if there is anything, communicate with me in time. Ensure that the contact is smooth. I hope you can give me a surprise next year!”

Lance walked to the door and signaled for him not to follow him out, and then he left.

Many of the workers outside the door took the initiative to bow and greet Lance. Lance also responded to them enthusiastically, without any airs at all.

Just as the saying goes, from the workers, to the workers!

(End of a Chapter)