Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3067: Susan’s Outburst

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Five Regions, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, TSR Tower, Penthouse Office

Anna and Jill were both taken aback by Susan’s outburst. Neither of them had ever seen her like this. For a moment, they were more hurt than angry. They hadn’t expected Susan to think of them that way. Anna was the first to speak.

“Is that really how you see us? As two spoiled princesses?” she asked, her voice carrying a hint of hurt. “And what about you? The savior of the commoners?”

“Yes,” Susan answered without hesitation. “I do think of you as spoiled princesses.”

Her bluntness stunned them both.

“You might have received the best education and training in management and economics that anyone in the New Empire could ask for. But neither of you knows what it’s like to struggle outside these walls, desperately searching for a single job while watching someone else complain about the position their wealthy father or family handed them.”

“And then, after struggling just to get by, those same people have the nerve to call you lazy bums when they’ve never experienced even a fraction of what you went through.”

Susan’s expression hardened. She was far from being done.

“You can recognize that merit pooling might create divisions within the Empire in the long run. Fine. But you’re completely overlooking the other side. You can’t see that your merit-loan system could create just as much resentment among people who are already less fortunate. You keep looking at the numbers. I’m looking at the people who have to live with them.”

“Even now, after I’ve pointed this out to you, you still won’t understand. You’ll just say that people who contribute more deserve to be rewarded more.”

Susan’s voice was firm, but no longer angry. It carried the frustration of someone who had been watching the problem grow right in front of her.

“But what makes you think a common employee doesn’t want to contribute more? They do. The problem is that they often can’t.”

“There simply aren’t enough opportunities within their abilities or circumstances. And when, by some miracle, an opportunity does appear, the people with high merit and influence use their connections to hand it to their own people. Those people then accumulate wealth, authority, and influence while contributing far less than the position demands. And who ends up carrying the burden? The New Empire and the commoners. Then those same commoners get blamed for contributing less and asking for more.”

Susan’s eyes hardened as she clenched her fists.

“Don’t think for a second that this isn’t already happening in the New Empire. I’ve already had Hive Spirit compile a list of cases and share it with both of you. The cases I personally discovered, I used my authority to correct the situation and warn those responsible.”

“I wanted to punish them. Believe me, I did.” She took a breath as she gestured toward the list. “But I couldn’t. Not when our forces are already stretched thin, and most of those cases, while unacceptable, weren’t serious enough to justify severe punishment. Look at how long the list is. If I punished everyone on it, we’d barely have anyone left to defend the New Empire.”

“I understand why they’re doing it. They want their families, friends, and people under their protection to be safe and at the same time they want them to succeed. I understand that instinct.” Her expression softened ever so slightly before her voice hardened again. “But not at the expense of everyone else. Not at the expense of the common people. Not while I’m here.”

“That’s enough about that. Let’s get back to your proposal.” Susan pointed toward Anna and Jill. “You both know that departments and organizations receive a percentage of the merits earned by their members. Those merits are pooled so the department can use them to improve itself and support its members.”

“Want to bet how much of that pool will actually reach the regular employees who work for the New Empire like cogs in a machine. And how much will end up benefiting the people who already have wealth, power, influence, and connections? The very people who choose to remain safe and successful while doing the bare minimum instead of carrying their share of the responsibility.” She paused, her expression turning pointed. Susan shook her head. “I have nothing against them. I’m human too. I understand where they’re coming from. If I had children or a family of my own to protect, I might have made the same choices.”

“I’m pointing them out because I want you to understand that your merit-loan system isn’t nearly as flawless as you princesses seem to think it is.” She looked between Anna and Jill. “If you still can’t see what I’m trying to tell you. Then you’re only proving that my impression of you was right.”

Susan no longer hesitated. She finally spoke her mind, tearing apart the logic behind their proposal that those with higher accumulated merits should receive lower interest rates on their merit loans simply because they had contributed more to the New Empire’s growth and therefore deserved greater appreciation. She didn’t pull her punches. Once she started, she went all out, taking repeated shots at both Anna and Jill without the slightest hesitation.

“We get it, alright?” Jill finally said with a nod. She clearly accepted Susan’s arguments. “But you didn’t have to make it so personal. And for your information, the way you keep calling us ‘princesses’ makes me want to smack you. So, in the future don’t act surprised if I smack you around for calling me princess.”

She wasn’t going to let Susan’s mockery slide, even if she agreed with the substance of her argument.

“Since we’re being honest…” Sansa began, her gaze drifting over Jill’s figure before settling back on her face. “I’d like to add that just looking at you makes me want to puke princess.”

Jill’s eyebrows twitched. Her white lab coat did little to conceal the figure beneath it, and Sansa’s pointed stare made it painfully obvious that the insult was anything but subtle.