This Game Is Too Realistic-Chapter 522.1: Theres Only One Thing I Want To Do

Chu Guang could understand Charlie’s complaints.

The more chaotic things became on the frontlines thanks to his little players, the more strained the situation was back at home.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that in the past few months, every department related to money, from the bank to the Finance Department to the Merchant Guild, had been busy cleaning up after the military. The fact that there hadn’t been any major disruptions in production or the economy so far was largely thanks to inter-departmental cooperation.

Of course, the most critical factor was that Chu Guang had fulfilled his initial promise, to end the war before the end of the year.

"Let’s start with the first issue."

As he spoke, Chu Guang turned to look at the tense Sun Ruicai sitting at the table and continued calmly, "Do you remember the last question on that exam?"

Sun Ruicai was briefly stunned, but quickly realized which exam Chu Guang was referring to. He immediately responded, "I remember! The question was... If we borrowed money from a group of marauders, should we repay it?"

Chu Guang nodded. "And your answer?"

"I wrote that we should..." Sun Ruicai replied nervously. "I felt that even if we paid it back and then took it back by force, it would still be better than defaulting. Otherwise, others might worry that borrowing from us would get them labeled as marauders."

Chu Guang nodded in approval and then turned to Charlie.

"Unfortunately, he was the only one whose answer was even remotely satisfactory. Some examinees just argued back, saying the New Alliance would never deal with marauders, so the question was invalid. Others argued that we should just keep the money since no one would sympathize with marauders. But if it were that simple, we wouldn’t need a Finance Department. We could just hire a secretary and let them manage everything."

Marauders, unlike Mutant Humans, weren’t something one could identify at a glance. In fact, the label could be used as a catch-all excuse.

Seizing the assets of a marauder and declaring someone a marauder because they were a creditor would lead to very different consequences.

Of course, Chu Guang said he was only half satisfied because there was actually a better answer.

Rather than robbing the creditor by force, it was far more elegant to devalue the debt through proper financial means.

Charlie coughed lightly. "I wasn’t saying we should default... That was just an exaggeration to emphasize how serious our financial situation is right now."

Chu Guang smiled and nodded. "I understand how you feel. Of course we’ll repay the debt. Defaulting isn’t something we can afford to do. Which brings us to the second issue... How we should repay it."

He turned to Sun Ruicai and asked, "What’s the total we owe by the end of the year?"

Sun Ruicai immediately answered, "The total debt is 510 million chips, with terms ranging from 20 to 50 years. Principal and interest due by year-end is 10.17 million chips!"

Chu Guang nodded, then suddenly sighed, "That’s too little."

In fact, both the total debt and the amount due were far too low!

If the year-end payment had been 100 million, Malvern, the director of Boulder Town Bank, would have been waiting beneath the airship before Chu Guang even stepped off.

There was no way they would send someone like Afrni or Xia Yan to welcome him after standing out there half the day.

Sun Ruicai was stunned and so was Charlie.

"Too... Too little?!"

"Yes," Chu Guang nodded, looking at them with a pained expression. "You’ve been too hard on yourselves while I was away at the front. Earlier, Department Head Sun said that military expenditures account for 76.9% of our total budget. Even if military production is currently a large part of our economy, this financial report is deeply unhealthy."

"Huh? Do you also know it’s unhealthy?!" Charlie couldn’t help but exclaim.

"And that’s with the logistics departments being as frugal as possible..." Chu Guang continued, looking at him as he continued, "That’s exactly the problem. If the deficit from military spending is 900 million, then what if we matched that with 900 million in infrastructure spending? Wouldn’t that bring the military proportion down from 76.9% to 50%?"

After hearing what Chu Guang said, Charlie was completely dumbfounded. Sun Ruicai’s jaw practically dropped.

What kind of shit analogy is this?!

And weren’t they supposed to be discussing how to repay debt? Why was he scolding them for not spending enough?

"I was joking to lighten the mood, but the logic still stands." Seeing that neither Charlie nor Sun could form a coherent reply, Chu Guang grew serious again and continued, "I worked so hard out there to secure loans so the people of the New Alliance could live better, not so you could all tighten your belts to pay them off. So when you tell me the next three years will be about shrinking the debt before we expand again... It honestly breaks my heart."

"If it ends like that, why bother fighting this war at all?"

"An individual can reduce debt by cutting back, but a collective must never do so. Debt is a rope. Once we’re tied up by it, we become the debtor’s slaves. Solving this by shrinking our spending would mean what? That for the next three to five years, the New Alliance would be working for Boulder Town?!"

"Is that how the victorious party should behave? We’re the ones who owe them, so we’re their bosses!"

Charlie stared at Chu Guang in stunned silence, completely baffled by his logic.

One moment, debt made one a slave. The next, being in debt made one the master?

Department Head Sun, on the other hand, seemed to grasp the idea from a different angle.

"You’re saying... Debt is a rope that they can use to bind us, but we can also use to pull them toward us?"

Chu Guang sipped his water, soothing his throat and softening his tone. "Exactly."

"That’s why before we discuss repaying the debt, I need to change your mindset. For us, austerity isn’t an option. If we want to repay the debt and maintain the New Alliance’s credit, we must not cut spending. On the contrary, we need to spend more!"

"But how we spend matters. We can’t emulate the nobles of Boulder Town, and we certainly can’t copy Ideal City’s model. We need to use our own approach."

After a pause, Chu Guang continued, "My objective now that I’ve returned from the front is simple."

Charlie swallowed hard. "... What is it?"

Chu Guang smiled. "We need to share the spoils of war with the citizens of the Alliance!"

Sun Ruicai blinked in confusion. "Share the spoils of war?"

"That’s right," Chu Guang nodded. "Our victory wouldn’t have been possible without every citizen’s support. Our army didn’t win with fists alone. We’ve secured two vassal states and two trading partners. Residents can already feel the drop in food prices. Where they used to trade an hour of work for less than a pound of corn, now they get a whole kilogram... but that’s still not enough, not for a victor!"

His voice rose.

"The dinner table of a citizen from our New Alliance should not be limited to corn and potatoes. Corn on the cob is fine for pigs, cows, and sheep, but humans need meat, eggs, and milk! They should be able to afford it, get it easily, and eat it however they like!"

"And it’s not just food! Last winter, we stuffed old banknotes into quilts as makeshift insulation. I promised that would be the last time, and I intend to keep that promise. This year, everyone will sleep under real cotton blankets, wear clean, warm clothes and leather boots, and live in homes where the wind can’t enter from the cracks of their walls!"

"And that’s just the beginning!"

His voice echoed through the conference room, bringing with it a majesty no one could copy.

Sun Ruicai felt a heat rising in his chest. Beneath the table, he couldn’t help but quietly clap.

After all, wasn’t that the very promise, that everyone could live well, that convinced him to end his wandering and stay?

He felt a pang of shame for having even briefly thought about paying the debt by spending less.

Paying debts was honorable, but as the head of the Finance Department, it was his duty to find a better way for the New Alliance.

Unlike the visibly moved Sun Ruicai, Charlie remained still, simply staring at Chu Guang.

He had to admit, the man had a charisma that could shake hearts.

If it had been a public speech rather than a closed-door meeting, the applause might have lifted the ceiling.

People would cheer for him, chant his name, even worship him as a living god, willing to give their lives for him...

And in truth, many already had. Joining the Guard Corps was practically every young man’s dream.

In the wasteland, what could be more tempting than food and warmth?

Yet what he promised wasn’t just survival, it was dignity. A life where everyone could live with dignity.

Even the city lord of Boulder Town wouldn’t dare make such a promise. In fact, only Ideal City might be capable of actually delivering on it.

Charlie thought for a moment and then let it go. That, after all, wasn’t even the biggest dream Chu Guang had painted.

Compared to rebuilding a new Ideal City or restoring the Prosperity Era, what he spoke of was actually a modest promise.

Chu Guang smiled at Sun Ruicai and raised a hand slightly, signaling he wasn’t finished.

After a short pause, he resumed in a gentler tone, "I sometimes ask my assistants to observe how our citizens live... Of course, without invading their privacy."

"For example, there’s a young woman working at a trade station. She works six days a week, from 7:00 in the morning to 7:00 at night, with just one hour for lunch. She only gets to return to her village by Linghu Lake on Saturday evening and must leave again Monday morning for work."

"In the past, we were short-staffed, so our workers had to endure it. But now, we’ve made it through the hardest days. I believe it’s time to give them back what’s rightfully theirs."

"That’s why, even while I was still at the frontlines, I sent an order to the station manager, demanding a 50% increase in staffing, cutting daily working hours to eight normal hours, and introducing more flexible shifts."

"This policy has been in effect for two weeks, and it’s working."

"Employees are more enthusiastic and more patient with customers. Merchants respect our people more. Our staff enjoy better lives. After work, they don’t collapse in exhaustion. They can read at the library, stroll through food streets, or socialize with friends. They can do the things young people should be doing."

"And it’s not just about one person, it’s about everyone. The matter with the Trade Station is just a pilot test. From now on, all factories, institutions, and facilities in the New Alliance, whether public or private, must follow this model. I intend to make it a law, and I’ve already budgeted for doubling expenditures to make it happen."

Chu Guang looked at both Charlie and Sun Ruicai and added, "And we won’t stop at giving citizens more time. We must make them wealthier too. Our current minimum wage is 1 silver coins per hour. That no longer keeps up with our economic growth. I plan to raise it to 3 silver coins next year, and gradually raise the median wage to 5 silver coins."