Under the bloody repression and cruel exploitation, a distorted and morbid social ecology quietly took shape on this desperate land of Dongjin.
With the outbreak of the "baby boom," the status of the Yingzhou women who were sent to the Kingdom of Stars also underwent subtle changes.
They were no longer merely spoils of war and tools for reproduction, but became the mothers of "imperial heroes." They gradually established themselves in their respective families and even gained a certain degree of influence.
Thus, the "remittance economy" came into being.
Dongjin, a dilapidated residential area.
What was once a middle-class neighborhood has now become a slum. But today, the Tanaka family home is filled with a festive atmosphere.
The lady of the Tanaka family was excitedly unpacking a package from the Kingdom of Stars.
Inside the package were beautifully packaged nutritional supplements she had never seen before, several brand-new clothes, and a small bag of genuine "deep-sea crystal rice" that emitted an enticing aroma.
Most importantly, the package also contained a money order from the Imperial Bank of England.
The string of numbers above is enough to ensure that their family will not have to worry about food for the next year, and they can even buy some luxury goods from the black market.
"It's Masako! It was sent back by Masako!"
Mr. Tanaka was so moved that tears streamed down his face. His daughter, Masako Tanaka, had been sent to the Kingdom of Stars a year ago to marry an imperial officer.
Inside the package was a letter, transcribed using a special voice converter.
"Father, Mother, I am doing well. My husband is very good to me. I have given birth to two sons and a daughter for him. They are all healthy and lovely. My husband has been repeatedly commended by His Majesty for having so many children, and he is now a major."
“We live in a very big house with robot servants. The food here is very plentiful, something I never dared to dream of before. Take this money and these things and use them; don't be stingy. I've heard about the situation at home. Please take good care of yourselves.”
Upon hearing the news that their daughter was safe and well, the elderly couple wept with joy.
However, the last paragraph of the letter complicated their feelings.
"Also, Mother, please tell Keiko (Masako's younger sister) that she must study Chinese diligently. I heard from my husband that the Empire may launch a new round of 'cultural exchange program' next year. If Keiko is selected, I can ask my husband to help her marry into a good family. This is her only way out, and also our family's only way out."
The letter and the package caused a huge sensation throughout the community.
People looked at the Tanaka family with envy and jealousy. They saw a path to paradise, a path that, though humiliating, was real.
Marrying a royal is no longer a disgrace.
It became an investment, a sole hope to change the family's fate.
As a result, an unprecedented and distorted industry sprang up wildly in Dongjin—"bride schools".
These so-called schools were actually training centers. They were run by well-connected people from Yingzhou (Japan) who specifically recruited teenage girls and taught them Chinese, imperial etiquette, cooking, and... how to please men.
Countless families are going to great lengths to send their young daughters to these "bride schools," hoping they will stand out in the next round of "selection" and become the next "Masako Tanaka."
In a bride school called "Future Hope," dozens of young-looking girls, dressed in uniform maid-like outfits, are practicing the standard imperial kneeling ceremony under the guidance of a strict female teacher.
"Keep your back straight! Smile gently! Look softly into your eyes!"
The female teacher used a ruler to strike a girl who wasn't performing her duties correctly: "You must remember, your future husbands are heroes of the empire! They are noble masters! Your value lies in providing them with the most perfect service and bearing the healthiest offspring! This is your glory, and also the hope of your families!"
The girls gritted their teeth, endured the pain, and tried their best to achieve the most perfect posture. In their eyes, there was no sadness or resistance, only a morbid longing for the future.
They do not see themselves as commodities; they see themselves as "the hope of the future" and "the saviors of the family."
Dongjin society has been completely distorted.
The men toiled like animals in the mines and on construction sites; their only value was their physical strength.
Women were seen as a "strategic resource" for changing their fate. The entire society began to depend on remittances sent back by daughters who had married far away.
The male-to-female ratio has also reached an astonishing 10 to 1.
Walking down the street, you can hardly see any young women. All that's left are numb men and aging, anxious women.
As Wei Zheng looked at the report on "bride schools" and "remittance economy" in the governor's mansion, a cruel smile appeared on his lips.
“Very good,” he said to his adjutant. “This is exactly the result I wanted. A society that is internally divided, with distorted values, and places all its hopes on us is the most stable and easiest to govern.”
"Pass on my orders: officially certify and support these 'bride schools.' Provide them with basic Chinese textbooks and food subsidies. Make sure all Yingzhou people understand that actively integrating into the Empire is their only way to survive."
"In addition, draft a new 'talent introduction plan.' Besides young women, young people from Yingzhou who are talented in science and engineering can also pass the assessment to become 'second-class citizens of the Empire' and work on the mainland. What we want is not only their wombs, but also their brains. We must squeeze every last bit of value out of this island and contribute to the rise of the Empire."
"Yes, Your Excellency! You are truly... insightful and far-sighted!" the adjutant exclaimed sincerely.
Wei Zheng waved his hand, signaling him to step back. He walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the city, which was lifeless yet “orderly” under his iron-fisted rule.
He knew that he had succeeded in turning Dongjin from a country into a large ranch that continuously provided the empire with women, slaves, and resources.
And he was His Majesty's most loyal rancher.
The Kingdom of Stars has now been completely transformed.
The massive resources, technology, and talent plundered from Dongjin acted as the most powerful catalyst, causing the empire's technology tree to climb at an unbelievable speed.
The capital of Chengtian has expanded several times over, becoming a super metropolis full of cyberpunk style.
Skyscrapers hundreds of meters high pierce the clouds, and between them flow anti-gravity lanes. A massive holographic projection plays empire propaganda films and the glorious image of His Majesty day and night above the city.
The "Yan Jing" mineral vein in Beihai has been fully developed.
Three "Heavenly Punishment" class interstellar battleships, powered by the new generation "Dragon Flame" engine, have been secretly built.
They lay silently in the dock, like three colossal cosmic beasts waiting to devour their prey.
The Ministry of Agriculture, using gene-editing technology seized from Dongjin, cultivated the "God-given No. 3" series of crops, which have higher yields and richer nutrition, and completely solved the problem of feeding the empire's growing population.
Medical technology has also made groundbreaking progress. Thanks to various life science technologies, the average human lifespan has been extended to 150 years.
Many diseases that were considered incurable in the old days can now be cured with just one injection of gene repair fluid.
The empire was presenting an unprecedented scene of prosperity.
And Lin Feng, the creator of all this, has reached an unprecedented peak in prestige.
In the empire's propaganda, he was no longer a mortal, but a "god walking among men" and "the star-ruler ordained by destiny."
His portrait is hung in every home, every classroom, and every factory workshop.
Before eating, people would even offer a brief prayer to his portrait, thanking him for all that he had bestowed upon them.
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