Leite Kingdom, King City, within a luxurious manor, the old Prime Minister sat tensely in his place, looking at his grandson.
His grandson, now 20 years old, was a very promising young man. He graduated from the Theological Academy in King City with a degree in economics and had a bright future ahead of him.
However, the demand for economic talent in the kingdom had become much more stringent, ever since Simon from Brunas became the Minister of Finance, the entire economy of the kingdom rapidly evolved in a direction that was opaque to all.
Among the kingdom's revenue, a considerable portion of Gold Coins had started to be replaced by colorful paper notes issued by the Great Tang Group.
These paper notes were initially unwanted by everyone, as real "hard money" like Gold Coins was preferred for settlements. But with a series of crafty maneuvers, the entire Leite Kingdom seemed to be gradually accepting this unprecedented form of "currency."
At first, it was for disaster relief funds. Simon actually took out all the paper money stockpiled in the warehouses that no one wanted and distributed it directly to disaster victims for relief and consolation.
This made the upper echelons of the kingdom very worried, fearing that the disaster-affected refugees would create trouble because the kingdom's disaster relief funds were not genuine silver and Gold Coin—after all, the kingdom had only reluctantly acknowledged this money out of consideration for the Great Tang Group's reputation.
Nobody thought these notes could be spent, nor did they regard them as real money. Plenty of people also complained that the Great Tang Group was engaging in fraud or that Tang Mo was maliciously expropriating wealth.
As it turned out, the Great Tang Group, in coordination with Simon, transported a large amount of disaster relief materials to the affected areas, and then it became possible to actually purchase things with those colorful, worthless pieces of paper...
When people were able to buy grain, daily necessities, and meat with paper money, and even pay taxes with it, they started to find these notes that could easily be stuffed into a pocket extremely convenient.
In the past, transporting two hundred Gold Coins often required a carriage, hiring bodyguards, and enlisting trustworthy friends and family to oversee the shipment.
Now, a wealthy merchant only needed a wallet to carry the equivalent of hundreds of Gold Coins in broad daylight, as no one could tell how much money he had.
With a sufficient supply of goods ensuring the purchasing power of paper money, which could actually be exchanged for food and other necessities, people began to widely accept the fact that the paper notes in their hands were a form of currency.
In Brunas and Dragon City, one could no longer see real Gold Coins in circulation. Instead, paper money had taken over, and everyone had gotten used to using this form of transaction.
Even many merchants from Leite, Dorne, and Suthers began to find it cumbersome to repatriate their earned Gold Coins. They left their Gold Coins with Tang Mo and, upon returning to purchase goods, simply traded with the paper notes they had on hand.
However, the old Prime Minister was not anxious about his grandson's future, for his grandson was now a student of the esteemed Simon, learning from the kingdom's Minister of Finance, and had even become one of the few financial geniuses within the kingdom.
What truly troubled the old Prime Minister was the birth of his "great-grandson," the child of his grandson, due today.
But now, the grandson's wife lying in the delivery room was in very bad condition, showing signs of a situation that might end in one death or two.
The old doctor nodded slightly and said, "I have done all I can, and the patient's condition is very bad, so... if they think they have a method, let them try."
A doctor's heart is a parent's heart; without even a shred of medical morality, this old doctor wouldn't have been able to practice medicine in King City for so many years. He was really not the kind to be petty and jealous with some unknown figures.
Then, an entire childbirth team from Brunas got out of the automobile and entered the mansion, taking over the care of the mother in labor.
Over an hour later, the previously critical birthing process was brought under control. Then, the old obstetrician couldn't help but walk into the delivery room, eager to witness the miracle himself.
About ten minutes more had passed when the old Prime Minister couldn't resist sending a maid to check on the delivery room; she reported back that Miss Fanny, though very weak, seemed to be showing signs of improvement.
Although she wasn't sure what characterized a sign of improvement, she knew that the well-known old doctor from King City, who was visiting the delivery room, was utterly engrossed, oblivious even to her entering and inquiring.
In the end, it was a female nurse who told her that Miss Fanny was getting better but was still in great danger and needed observation and continued guidance and treatment.
Another two and a half hours passed, and still, no uplifting news came from the delivery room. Instead, Simon had taken up residence in the Prime Minister's home and wasn't leaving. Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|-novelhall.net
That evening, just before dinner was finished, the cries of a baby finally rang out from the delivery room. This was a full five hours after King City's best obstetrician had declared Fanny beyond help.
A nurse came out of the room, holding Miss Fanny's child and reported with a smile to the Prime Minister, "Congratulations, my lord, both mother and child are safe. Miss Fanny has given birth to a boy."
"Gods above..." the Prime Minister collapsed back into his chair, letting out a long breath. And his grandson, after glancing at his child from afar, saw the baby taken back into the delivery room.
When the Brunas doctor, who was perhaps only forty years old, emerged from the delivery room, an elderly man in his seventies was trailing behind her, bowing.
Like an apprentice, the old obstetrician asked quietly yet persistently, "Is disinfection in the delivery room really that important?"
"It is a necessary measure to protect both mother and child. Do not take it lightly just because disinfectants are expensive; it can easily lead to medical accidents! Everything here is too backward; it must be improved," the female doctor rebuked without mincing words about King City's medical conditions.
"I was trained by my teacher until I could practice independently... but I've never learned any, you... no, your knowledge. May I... continue to follow you?" the old doctor asked awkwardly.
"If you don't see an issue with it, neither do I. Also, you must have some apprentices, right? Have them come too; I need hands," said the female doctor while letting her assistant wipe her hands.
"Yes, yes!" the old doctor replied, flattered. "I have many apprentices; I'll have them all come to help! Besides, I can donate my assets! I also know many people, I can help with..."
The old Prime Minister watched thoughtfully as Simon spoke, "I owe you a favor! Minister Simon... or rather, I owe Mr. Tang Mo a... very big favor."