Chapter 211 – Money
Where humans live, there can be no transactions, and where there are transactions, there can be no money.
Before the war, money was distributed in some form to prisons in all societies.
From advanced prisons like those in Northern European countries, moderately fine prisons like Korea and Japan, American prisons that are jungles, to prisons that are hell itself like South America and Southeast Asia.
As you go to the latter, the importance of money becomes enormous.
“A few bills in my hand protected my buttocks stronger than steel plywood.”
This is what a mercenary I stayed with for a while deployed said this. He served two years in a South American prison.
Of course, it is prohibited for the complainant to hold cash or conduct transactions between the complainants.
But there are holes everywhere. Some holes arise from the corruption of guards or a lax system, while others arise from the prison authorities turning a blind eye to ensure smooth operation.
So what about our city? Of course, there are no holes.
First, buying is impossible. The residents’ labor, supplies, and overall life are under the management of AI assistants.
Neither they nor the robots under their command can be bribed.
[Resident Jeong In-sook. There will be a temporary inspection.]
It is quite common for residents to be searched by security robots while walking down the street.
If there is an unnaturally protruding part of the clothes you are wearing, even if it is less than 1 cm, you will not miss it.
“…”
She raised both her hands with an expression that said she was screwed and didn’t even show any sign of resistance.
The moment you do that, you know that the penalty is that you will have to have your clothes ripped off and be interrogated.
A few cigarettes popped out from In-suk’s arms. It is not a mass-produced product, but a crudely made handmade product.
However, possession of cigarettes, which ruin the air quality of closed circulation, is prohibited except in designated places.
No matter how close Artemis’ surveillance is to perfection, as long as it is distributed to private residences and leisure activities are guaranteed, there are bound to be small gaps.
[A request for questioning regarding illegal possession has been received by the security forces. Move immediately and be interrogated.]
Now In-sook has two options left.
Either she reports to those involved and gets her sentence commuted, or she walks away with everything she created herself.
Of course, most people choose the latter.
Since prison terms have become meaningless, it would be crazy to make enemies in the underground life that will continue.
For reference, management of these rule violations is divided into good cop and bad cop.
Bad cops are handled by robots, and good cops are handled by security forces made up of human women.
Since this is a security force that is as prone to resentment as fear, it is a system to maintain good relationships with each other.
Of course, due to the nature of the members, being a good cop does not mean that they are treated particularly kindly.
“Hey, blow fast. “Who made this?”
Like Nina, who puts a homemade cigarette in front of you with an eerie smile.
“I made it myself…”
“It’s terrible.”
“Well, I actually made it.”
Nina was the most famous of the shelter residents and had a strong voice. Anyone who treats her harshly can’t help but feel intimidated.
“Did you really make this? “I swear?”
“Yes!”
“That’s right.”
Nina unwrapped her cigarette and divided it into its contents and husk.
“Roll it again.”
“Yes?”
“Try rolling it the same way. “If you look different, you’ll think you’re behind.”
As Nina’s fist was thrust in front of her, Insuk’s heartbeat became even faster.
It’s not that big, and even though it has some scars, it’s a pretty fist. However, there are more than a few women who have been beaten with that and turned into black-faced women or made loud noises.
“Ah.”
When In-sook picked up her cigarette holder, she understood why Nina had done this.
Smoking a cigarette surprisingly requires some tricks. The way it is rolled is also different for each person, so it is clearly different from the one made by a third party. It was as if he had clumsily imitated a signature.
A colleague who was watching next to her was impressed when she saw that she was shaking and couldn’t even start properly.
“Sister, how do you know that?”
“When she was at the bakery, the only thing her mate did every day was smoke.”
The cigarette that In-sook finished was in poor shape.
“Now, how should we punish this lying bitch and catch her accomplice?”
Nina grinned like a bad boy.
She had a refreshing and charming smile to those who were close to her, but In-sook got goosebumps as if her messenger was stroking the back of her neck.
This situation has been increasing in recent years.
This is because there is no currency to be used as a medium of transaction, so the desire for alternative currency is growing.
For the past time, the residents have been living well with the spirit of not owning anything, but it seems they are slowly reaching their limits. Because trading and accumulation of capital are human instincts.
There was a movement among residents to form a black market.
It’s still just a play house at best, but the scale is steadily growing.
But the shelter leadership had no intention of stopping it. Rather, she decided that the time had come to carry out what she had been putting off.
* * *
“The development, distribution, and operation of currency have been a topic of interest for a long time. From now on, I plan to pay salaries to residents.”
Artemis spoke during the morning regular meeting.
She wanted to test the monetary economy on the residents of our city.
“It’s meaningless to just give money; you need to create a place to use it. Then, will you open up the use of the lower commercial district in earnest?”
“I think so. There is nothing more for me to learn in my current tidy, or at worst stagnant, resident life. Eat, drink, put to sleep, heal, teach, and punish. These guys have got enough data. Now I want to experiment with their consumption and trading activities.”
Originally, her job was to build and operate a large-scale moon base. There is bound to be an instinctive interest in paying salaries and supporting their consumption.
“What are the expected side effects?”
“There is a risk of cartels forming among residents. The tendency for residents to band together is a natural occurrence wherever people live, but once money is in circulation, organization can occur rapidly.”
Rose said.
As always, she is dressed in a neat suit and shoes.
“That’s right. Usually, people who say they live in prison are people who have a route to bring in something from outside. Sasha did that. “In the previous prison, it was known as an all-purpose store.”
Chrollo answered, and she was wearing a handmade dress from her weaving mill.
“On the one hand, they will become more cautious and compliant. If you have even 10,000 won in your balance, you don’t want it to become meaningless. “Those who have a lot to lose survive for a long time even if they are defeated on the battlefield.”
Rose nodded her head at my words.
“The side effects were only mentioned in name, and in reality, they will not have a negative impact on city operations. I can take responsibility and manage it.”
After talking for some more time, the decision was easily made.
In the first place, Artemis does not come up with anything spontaneously.
Since we have already simulated countless times and come up with a perfect plan before bringing up the topic, most of the agenda items are only exchanged with each other’s evaluations.
“It’s really nice to have everyone together in one place like this.”
Chrollo said.
Unlike before, when regular reports were made mainly through monitors in cyberspace, today everyone is physically sitting in their seats. Like a meeting of humans.
“Do you think so too, manager?”
“I see. However, it feels more like a family meeting than a business meeting.”
These are superiors and subordinates who even sleep together. It’s going well, but if you look at it crookedly, it’s hard to see it as a healthy organizational ecology.
“Family.”
However, it seems that Chrollo only hears the ‘family’ part. I was happy while holding both of his hands.
“How do you like the clothes?”
Chrollo asked Artemis.
They both looked like sisters because they were both wearing similar clothes, and it was a gift from Chrollo.
“It’s not bad. The feel is okay. Although the design seems too simple. The color is not my taste either.”
Artemis is not the type of person to say that she is pretty or that she likes her. She commented without adding or subtracting.
“There is a lot more to it than just this. If you come to our workshop in the afternoon, I highly recommend it.”
However, Chrollo did not feel even the slightest bit offended by such an evaluation. Artemis seemed to have the right to speak without having to worry about anyone.
“… Is that so?”
Communication in cyberspace is closer to immediate written notification than to conversation.
It still seems awkward for Artemis to talk to Chrollo face to face like this.
“I’ll go too. Let’s all look around together.”
I couldn’t shake off the look Artemis gave me as if she was asking for help.
“Ah! “If I had known this would happen, I would have made men’s clothing.”
It was Chrollo who was even happier but also sighed.
“Can I join too?”
“Sure! Rose is also very welcome!”
“That’s surprising. “I thought she wasn’t interested in clothes.”
“I’m still not interested in clothes, but I am interested in everyone walking together.”
Rose smiled neatly.
That afternoon, we all went on an outing together for the first time.
After taking a walk around the park in the upper region, I went down to the central region and inspected the clothing making process.
We looked around at the clothes hanging in a large space like a large store. It really felt like we were out shopping as a family.
What’s special about it is that it’s 100% handmade and there’s no price tag, so you can pick up whatever you like.
It was a bit unique, though, that if I had clothes that I wanted, I would take them off and change them on the spot.
Artemis, who had an awkward face at first, gradually straightened out.
She is directly experiencing the results of this city that operates under the system she created.
And it feels like a real bond is being formed between family members.
Those two things made even the coldest Artemis soften.
