Munitions Empire-Chapter 910 - 833 you can’t escape either

Chapter 910: 833 you can’t escape either Chapter 910: 833 you can’t escape either When it came to the tobacco industry, it truly was an enormously profitable sector. Since its inception, all enterprises in Tang Country had been expanding, and among the fastest-growing companies was the Great Tang Tobacco.

For the world, tobacco wasn’t monopolized by the Great Tang Tobacco of Tang Country, but it was an undeniable fact that the tobacco from the Great Tang Empire sold the best.

Nowadays, Tang Country supplied more than 90% of its domestic cigarettes and controlled at least 70% of the global cigarette market.

Over the years, the covert network that Tang Country had spread was not to be underestimated. Although on the surface it appeared unrelated to many industries, these industries indeed secretly belonged to Tang Country.

Controlling these businesses were local gangs, and these gangs were the seeds spread by Tang Mo years ago: These seeds had now sprouted, bloomed, bore fruit, some even growing into towering trees.

Inside the factory, machinery roared, tirelessly rolling paper after paper, wrapping the processed tobacco, and adding brand new filters.

This was Tang Country’s newest cigarette factory, of course using the latest developed equipment. These filtered cigarettes were also a brand new product developed by Tang Country.

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Some newspapers, in line with the updating and replacing of Tang Country’s cigarette production equipment, had already begun to hype up the notion that smoking was harmful to health.

Chemical institutions in Tang Country, along with some universities, had published papers, proving that smoking was harmful to the lungs and an extremely dangerous habit.

However, the allure of tobacco was tremendous; for many, smoking had become a part of life, an addiction that couldn’t be given up.

Soon Tang Country’s newspapers and broadcasts launched a new wave of fervent propaganda, claiming that Tang Country’s scientists had invented a new material that could filter out over eighty percent of nicotine and other harmful substances.

This special material would be mandatorily installed in Tang Country’s cigarettes to ensure reduced health damage to smokers.

The brand new material was the latest product from Tang Country’s chemical industry, not available in other countries. Thus, to smoke the safest cigarettes, one had to purchase products from Tang Country.

Tang Country’s propaganda department went full throttle, deeming the now obsolete unfiltered cigarettes worthless, while the filtered cigarettes began to sell like hotcakes.

Now, the wealthy who valued their lives weren’t stingy with themselves, especially since these filtered cigarettes weren’t particularly expensive.

The truly costly ones were special brands produced by Tang Country’s cigarette factories, which used specially treated tobacco leaves to ensure a milder flavor and lower health impact.

Such cigarettes were expensive, so much so that the average wealthy individual might not afford them. However, for the truly wealthy, it didn’t bother them to set themselves apart with a standard of luxury.

The concept of luxury goods had already taken shape. Tang Country controlled the discourse in every field; in everyone’s minds, anything from Tang Country was the best.

Tang Country didn’t ignore the lower-end market either. Just taking the tobacco industry as an example, locally produced mid-to-high-end cigarettes had almost taken over the global market.

To buy good-quality cigarettes that were slightly more expensive, one only had a few options introduced by Great Tang Tobacco, as other brands couldn’t fetch good prices due to their outdated technology.

The situation was frustrating. Local small tobacco factories simply couldn’t compete with Tang Country’s cigarettes, and even if their prices were a bit higher, customers would criticize them fiercely.

Some people didn’t care about their health; they just wanted to smoke a cigarette, one that was affordable and cheap.

After all, the world is harsh. Some people wouldn’t live long enough to fill their lungs with nicotine before dying from disease, hunger, or being shot.

For these people, expensive filtered cigarettes were too luxurious, and the pricy ones were equally unattractive.

Scaring those who don’t want to die with the idea that smoking is slow suicide only works on them. Those who no longer care about their lives, or have no control over their destiny, won’t be deterred by such claims.

In their own words: If it’s suicide, there’s no need to choose a costly way to go.

So for these people, a cheap cigarette that they could afford anytime, easily pulled out from their pockets to stick in their mouths, that was a good cigarette.

Seizing this gap, local small cigarette enterprises began producing those unbelievably low-priced, cheap types of cigarettes.

These factories mixed “sawdust” into inferior tobacco, then added various types of odd plant leaves in proportion, masquerading as tobacco leaves in the cigarettes.

Then, without installing any high-tech filters or such, they simply used the outdated cigarette manufacturing equipment exported from Tang Country to produce products that looked the same as the cigarettes from a few years ago.

Of course, while they looked the same, the taste varied widely, to the extent that some couldn’t even be called cigarettes.

But these cigarettes were very popular among the general populace, especially those who were poor to a certain extent: because they were cheap enough that even the people buying them couldn’t believe they could get cigarettes at such prices.

And these local tobacco factories were actually controlled by local gangs; without some underworld connections, people really wouldn’t dare get involved in these money-making projects.

Many leaders of these local gangs were actually spies from Tang Country, and even many of them wore rings engraved with dandelions on their ring fingers.

They colluded with local officials, bribed the City Lords, and got local nobles to buy shares, forming a massive interest network to ensure the industry’s security.

Not just cigarettes, but alcohol too—if someone wanted to get involved in the alcohol industry, they often had a gang background.

On the surface, many of the big bosses of distilleries were well-known local businessmen, but behind the scenes, the shadowy presence of an organization called Silver Fox loomed over these men.

What others didn’t know was that a large part of the huge profits from these money-making industries ended up funding Tang Country’s overseas intelligence operations, bribing officials from various countries, and inciting local resistance movements.

Modern people all knew that the tobacco and alcohol industries were highly profitable. Typically, such enterprises were controlled by the state and paid hefty taxes.

However, in the current world, where nobility rulers were just beginning to industrialize, they had yet to realize how profitable these unassuming industries could be.

They didn’t know the kind of enormous beast they had unleashed! If they knew how much profit they had missed out on, they would regret their stupidity for the rest of their lives.

In fact, to put it bluntly, Tang Mo was using enough money to establish a navy fleet to build his intelligence network. As profits from the tobacco and alcohol industries continued to grow, so too would Tang Country’s investment in its intelligence network.

The amount was astronomical: and that’s why Tang Country’s intelligence officers dared to brazenly use luxury cars to offer bribes—they really had money and were ordered to spend recklessly!

…

While some people enjoyed the prosperity of the tobacco industry, others suffered. After all, happiness seemed to be a constant quantity in this world.

“Look at the newspaper! If you dare to sneak cigarettes into your pocket again, I’d rather give up the money and order a ban on cigarettes!” Alice said these words with none of yesterday’s little daughter’s demeanor.

Yulin was also very worried about Tang Mo’s health, “Your Majesty! It’s not that we’re trying to criticize you! Previously, you smoked so many cigarettes without filters… aren’t you worried about your health?”

Yue’er also chimed in, “Sisters are doing this for your own good… Now that you know smoking is harmful to health… then you should stop.”

“This… this is all for promoting the filter… really, truly…” Tang Mo fumbled for an excuse, feeling guilty.

He hadn’t expected to shoot himself in the foot with this. When it came to backups, he estimated he was the ancestor of smokers in this world.

It was he who had gone through great pains to launch the cigarette product, and he also became the first “victim” of modern cigarettes.

Watching Alice toss a pack of top-quality cigarettes that even the nobles couldn’t buy outside directly into the trash, Tang Mo, a seasoned smoker, felt his heart bleed.

To be honest, he wouldn’t be as upset if he lost a Dongfeng-3 missile—after all, a missile concept is vague, but watching a box of good cigarettes go into the trash gave a real visual impact…

“You can talk to us about finding two more sisters—but smoking… no!” Alice dusted off her hands and lifted her chin as she spoke to Tang Mo.

“Sigh…” Tang Mo wanted to struggle a bit, but seeing the equally determined Yue’er, and Yulin barely suppressing a smile, he finally sighed.

“You must quit smoking; we’ll pass the orders to your personal medical team later!” Seeing her interim victory, Alice wore a triumphant smile.

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“Daddy, no… smoking.” The naïve voice of the little Prince came from his arms, and Tang Mo admitted defeat. He felt he might have to say goodbye to cigarettes for life.

Or rather… never see them again.

“Heh…” Watching Tang Mo’s troubles, Wes couldn’t hold back a laugh. Then he realized the three women in the room had turned their gazes toward him.

“Done for…” he lamented in his heart.

Sure enough, the next second, Alice’s voice carried over, “As the Guard Commander to Your Majesty, you have to quit smoking too!”

“Right! If you smoke, doesn’t that mean you’re trying to harm His Majesty?” Yue’er added insult to injury with a laugh.

“Quit it, quit it!” Yulin almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“That’s right! You have to quit! Where do you think you’re going?” Tang Mo finally found a brother in misfortune, “We’re all going down together!”