“Competition among large companies is becoming increasingly fierce recently. As a result, some children from impoverished backgrounds have been given a rare opportunity to improve themselves.”
The Dark Witch spoke in a tense voice.
"But what about the original middle class? What about their children and future generations?"
……ah
It took Hayden's brain a full five seconds to process what was happening.
Tragically, he had said similar things to those Russian gangsters just a few hours earlier.
The so-called middle class is essentially a bunch of dogs eating the bones dropped by the gods of capital. However, recently, the gods have decided that instead of feeding these ungrateful dogs, they'd rather kill the dogs and use the bones to make soup. So, in the past six months, several large companies have begun vying for the markets and resources previously held by the middle class.
Many middle-class families, including Eric's, were caught up in this mess and slaughtered by large corporations.
Faced with increasingly ruthless large corporations above and competition from impoverished children below, the decline of most middle-class individuals is inevitable.
How to prevent social mobility decline?
"I am over four hundred years old. The Black Market Queen beneath New Asia sounds impressive, but in reality, she is nothing more than a lackey of the gods."
The Black Witch continued in a cold tone, but in her youthful appearance, Hayden could see the ancient, profound look that only someone who had lived for a long time possessed.
"Why didn't I become a god? Because climbing up is too difficult, even just staying on the ground is difficult. My natural defects mean that I am basically unable to climb any higher."
She was clearly referring to the pact she made with the Great Demon four hundred years ago, and the time curse that came with it. That flaw made it almost impossible for Abigail to rise any further and stand on equal footing with the gods of the new century, most of whom did not consider her a threat—yet even so, the old witch would have to work hard to maintain her current position.
Otherwise, why would she still be busy with her business every day?
Needless to say, the rest of the middle class is in a similar situation. They not only have to avoid falling, but they also have to find ways to keep climbing, or at least ensure that their descendants can continue to climb.
However, in reality, although middle-class parents generally have high hopes for their children's future, the chances of their children achieving great success are actually much lower than the chances of their parents succeeding. As market structures change and competition among large companies (the "gods") intensifies, opportunities for the middle class to find loopholes and climb the social ladder will become increasingly scarce, and the ladder to godhood for mortals is almost broken.
The market is limited, and almost all industries with significant opportunities are already controlled by giant corporations. Where is there any chance for ordinary people to start anew and challenge the gods?
"Sock and Magina, one an old orc who struggled his whole life, the other a family that struggled for three generations of mother and daughter, both only managed to climb to the upper middle class. No matter how hard they tried, they could never become gods. Their sons and daughters are already Lesser Coordinators, enhanced humans, just one step away from becoming gods. However, this one step is not something that a middle-class family that started from scratch can easily cross."
Abigail shook her head as she finished speaking, a deep sadness in her eyes.
"That's why these two middle-class families chose to marry someone of equal social standing. They both want to continue to elevate the social class of their offspring. Adjusters of the Protoss level are just too expensive; one family couldn't afford to support one even if they went bankrupt—so why not have two families support the same one?"
Hayden finally understood.
He finally realized the truth amidst the extreme terror.
The reason why Mr. Sok needed to prepare so much money for his son Andrei's wedding was not because the woman deliberately wanted so much money, but because both families really needed that much money.
Both families wanted their children's next generation to rise to the ranks of the gods.
Since both families are getting married so that their offspring can improve their social class, they naturally need money, and they need to prepare that much money before the wedding to avoid being cheated by the other party.
They need to use this prepared wealth to ensure that the children of the next generation after the marriage between the two families can become gods.
That's why Mr. Sock needs money!
Even if it means selling the shop and retiring to the countryside, it still has to raise this money!
Quality education is a commodity; the wealthier you are, the more access you have to a good education. However, educational level is only one part of the equation, and it may not even be the most important part anymore.
Because in this era, the greatest wealth parents can leave to their children is to first use money to help them acquire powerful genetic modifications.
They must spend money to buy "genius" status for their children in order to gain an advantage in future competition!
070: The Price of Blood
Long, long ago, the world was ruled by the Old Gods. They were slave owners, nobles, and emperors.
Although the Old Gods possessed immense power, those at the top could not directly control the lower human races. Instead, they created and united a so-called middle class, using the help of this middle class to rule and exploit the lower classes.
In other words, the so-called "middle class" is actually a tool and conduit created by the Old Gods at the top to effectively manage the lower classes.
Later, with the development of technology and society, new gods of capitalism emerged. The gods who ruled the world changed their appearance, and the composition of the middle class naturally changed as well. The ancient "priest class" still existed, only in a different form. Some people from the lower classes also rose to the middle class through their own efforts, becoming the so-called "middle class." They were ambitious and confident in their abilities and future—but in any case, the essence of the middle class remained unchanged.
Today, the gods of capitalism have stretched out their boundless hands to squeeze oil from the middle class in all sorts of ways—whether it's seizing the petty bourgeoisie's market, the trap of consumerism, or various anxieties—and put the money into their own palms.
What should parents who have worked hard for a generation, or even several generations, to become middle class do to prevent their offspring from falling back to the lower rungs of society?
First and foremost, it's about providing the best possible education for your child. If one parent can stay home and care for the child without having to work, that already provides a relatively good home education.
In terms of school education, it's even simpler: quality education is a commodity, and the wealthier you are, the better education you can receive. These days, good public schools are rarer than naturally occurring giraffes; only a select few can get in through their own merit. If you want to attend a good private school, of course you have to be able to afford the tuition. If you can't afford it, and you're not a naturally gifted genius, then sorry, you can only enjoy ordinary education.
Hayden was already an extremely rare talent, a natural genius who gained admission to a prestigious public university through his own abilities—a feat no less difficult than that of a poor scholar passing the imperial examinations in ancient times. Even so, his parents paid the ultimate price to ensure he could complete his university studies safely; otherwise, he would have had to drop out in his second year.
Furthermore, does receiving a good education guarantee good grades? No matter how hard an ordinary person studies, there are only 24 hours in a day, and human energy has its limits. Therefore, academic performance is something that cannot be forced to achieve.
At least, this principle will always hold true within the realm of mortals.
Even the most talented mortal cannot study diligently for a full 24 hours every day.
However, the gods... well, they're a different story.
For example, elves are one of the most common types of gods. They only need four hours of sleep a day to fully recover from mental and physical fatigue, and their bodies remain at their peak condition after puberty, never aging until they gradually begin to decline in their late thirties. Even then, wealthy elves can always choose to purchase rejuvenating potions.
Are there any gods who don't need to sleep? Of course! The Vajrapani they faced half a year ago was said to be able to focus on training and fighting for years without any rest or even distraction. It only needed sufficient energy replenishment and equipment maintenance to continue fighting.
While the Protoss are a special case (after all, they're not particularly good at other things), generally speaking, their learning ability, resilience, focus, energy, and health far surpass those of mortals. Unless your child is a naturally mutated genius, competing with the Protoss in school will be quite difficult.
Therefore, every middle-class family will eventually fall behind in the competition.
Unless they also become gods.
They either climb up and join the capitalist elite, or they fall down and drop from the so-called "middle" back to the lower rungs of society.
The middle class has no third option.
Which middle-class person who has worked so hard to climb up from the bottom would want to see their descendants, or even their own generation, fall back down and become just another ordinary person?
"The matter you got involved in this time is essentially the same."
Abigail tapped the pipe lightly and sighed.
"What you are seeing is the anxiety of the middle class, and the phenomena that stem from that anxiety. They hope to combine the wealth of two middle-class families to create a descendant who will ascend to godhood."
"As for why the young man who was clinging to you was jilted, it's actually quite simple—his family has gone bankrupt and can't afford to have their genes modified for the next generation. So what's the point of this marriage? Of course, it's best to break it off as soon as possible, so it's a good way to part ways amicably."
Hayden rubbed his head. He understood.
The middle class fears instability the most. The lower class, having nothing to lose and nothing to live for, are fearless. The truly upper class is not so easily shaken by instability. Only middle-class families are easily impoverished by economic crises and changes.
Six months ago, Hayden himself got involved in the "Bo Xun" incident, causing drastic changes in the New Asia market recently, and even indirectly affecting the economy of the entire Americas. It's normal for the owner of the Socks to be worried and afraid because of this. It's like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you fall back. Of course, none of them want their children to fall from the bottom, instead of continuing their life's effort to climb up.
The enhanced human race is not stable enough—Eric, whose family suddenly went bankrupt, is now even considering becoming a mercenary—so only by making his descendants true gods will Boss Sok no longer have to worry or be afraid.
This is the essence of its anxiety.
...What could Hayden do about this horrific social phenomenon?
He's not a god. Rather, given the current state of affairs, even the gods probably can't change this social situation. In fact, they might be happy to see it happen.
Hayden rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache. He almost wanted to take a puff of Abigail's pipe to clear his head.
However, this is not a good thing.
"Thank you, ma'am. Without your guidance, I still wouldn't understand the essence of this matter."
He sighed, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.
"This era is disgusting."
The over 400-year-old loli witch shrugged: "I understand this better than you do. But I still have to remind you that the old feudal gods from hundreds of years ago are no better than the new capitalist gods, and kings and generals are not things that modern people should miss."
She took a breath of incense, then sighed.
"Let alone ancient times, even in the era when I was born, for most of the time, most people were starving and freezing. Today, the situation has changed a lot. The new gods of capital have created more wealth under their rule than all the wealth created in all previous ages combined. Those who eat the scraps of capitalism can at least survive. This is not a metaphor, but reality."
People who have lived through different eras will naturally have different views on life. Being able to eat well and stay warm is indeed a kind of happiness.
Although Hayden listened to her obediently without arguing back, he remained noncommittal. He now held Abigail in considerable respect; this little old witch was indeed quite capable—but that didn't mean Hayden had fully accepted her views.
"On the other hand, there is actually another way to elevate one's social class through marriage..."
He casually mentioned it, changing the subject.
"Yes. If you are a super genius or super cute, a mortal might be able to marry into or be adopted by a god and rise in social class. Marriage between humans and gods is an ancient tradition that dates back to ancient times."
The Dark Witch raised an eyebrow.
"But how many people are so talented or so adorable that they were chosen by the gods? Are you talking about Adam? We all know that his outstanding performance was achieved by cheating."
Interestingly, although Abigail's wealth came from a pact with the devil over four hundred years ago, and she is now Adam's subordinate, she doesn't seem to think much of Adam, and it's unclear why.
Hayden doesn't yet understand the details of the relationship between Adam and the devil, but he doesn't intend to delve too deeply—knowing too much can be detrimental. Adam probably made some kind of pact with some great devil to cause trouble within the divine race, but what does that have to do with Hayden?
Dogs fighting, bystanders can just watch the show.
He thanked Abigail again and promised to help her again in the future before leaving in a hurry.
No sooner had Hayden left the Veela bar than he called Karen to tell her what Abigail had said.
Now that things have come to this, and we know that Mr. Sock's decision to sell the shop wasn't because he was cheated, but because the social reality is really that terrible, and that so much money is really needed to prevent the class from slipping down, then it's pointless for Hayden and his friends to meddle: they can't exactly raise a mountain of gold and give it to Mr. Sock just to keep him from closing the herbal medicine shop, can they?
Hayden certainly wouldn't do that. It's ridiculous and completely pointless.
As for Karen... although she can be quite frightening when she goes crazy, Hayden doesn't think she would do that.
So as soon as she answered, Hayden poured out everything Abigail had told him.
Therefore, Hayden did not anticipate Karen's reaction after hearing the story.
"Simply put, we no longer need to get involved in this."
Hayden said this to her on the phone,
"Both sides were willing participants, and the annulment was also based on rational judgment. They were afraid of falling into a lower social class and wanted to get married to raise a divine offspring together, which was their own choice. We have no place to interfere, so let it go."
What will Karen's reaction be when she hears him say that?
Would you feel unhappy, annoyed, or even angry?
Anyway, it should be nothing more than that.
At least that's what Hayden predicted.
However, Karen on the phone screen did not react strongly after he finished speaking; in fact, she seemed somewhat indifferent.
[Hey, it’s true. 】
She even gave a cold laugh.
Hayden wasn't stupid; he immediately realized, "You already knew?"
I don't know for sure, but I've been investigating and have basically figured it out.
Karen shook her head.
In the end, it was just that both families wanted to convert to Buddhism.
She used a rather unusual word this time. Hayden couldn't help but blink when he heard it.
梵化
This was originally a ritual in an ancient Indian religion.
During the reign of the ancient gods, India had a social hierarchy known as the "caste system," which strictly divided people into different groups based on their caste. With the rise of the new capitalist Mithraic gods, the importance of the Indian caste system in economic activities has greatly diminished. This is generally known, and even if not, it's easily found online, so I won't elaborate further.
The real point is that, although the caste system seems rigid, there are actually ways to improve one's caste. That is the so-called "Sanskritization".
People of lower castes can achieve Brahmanization and elevate their caste by abandoning their lower caste lifestyle, learning to follow the "Dharma," devoutly studying religious scriptures and performing rituals, giving up their original dietary habits, eating more clean vegetarian food, imitating the customs of higher castes, and emulating the Brahmins. In this way, through the efforts of one or several generations, the entire family can achieve Brahmanization and elevate their caste.
When a false thing is imitated for several generations, it becomes real. This is a classic example of the magic of the law of similarity. The only minor problem is that it costs a lot of money for a lower caste to imitate the lifestyle of a higher caste.
If you're so poor you can't even afford food, how can the lower class possibly have the resources to imitate the lifestyle of the upper class? You at least have to become middle class first to have that opportunity!
That's why Hayden thought it was quite clever for Karen to use the word "Vaticanization" to describe this incident.
In ancient times, it took a generation or even several generations of effort and wealth accumulation for people of lower castes to rise to higher castes; the same is true for middle-class people today who want to climb higher and become gods.
By accumulating wealth throughout the family, imitating the gods, and eventually becoming gods themselves, what else is this but "Brahmanization"?
"That's a pretty good word choice."
Therefore Hayden said,
"But what exactly are you trying to say, Karen?"
Karen did not answer his question directly.