Chapter 81: The Tailor, the Union, and Three Questions
Chapter 81: The Tailor, the Union, and Three Questions
"Mr. Lance, your physique is remarkable. I assure you the clothes I tailor will look splendid!"
An elderly tailor from the Empire was taking Lance's measurements. With more money at hand this time, Lance had decided to order two sets of outfits for everyone.
The weather was cooling down, and the recent rains brought a sharp sense of autumn's chill that lingered for a day after each downpour. Additionally, unified attire would foster "corporate culture"—a strategy well-proven by capitalists, who demonstrated that indoctrination didn’t always require lectures.
The old tailor was also from the Empire. His neighbor had immigrated to the Federation earlier, boasting of earning over a hundred dollars a month. When returning to the Empire, the neighbor exaggeratedly claimed, "In the Federation, you can find money just by lowering your head!"
He painted the Federation as a land overflowing with opportunity and wealth, where even fools could achieve the Federation Dream as long as they were willing to work.
Some believed him, others doubted. The old tailor belonged to the former group. Having known his neighbor for over 30 years, he trusted the man wouldn’t lie to him.
Despite his family's objections and the deteriorating situation in the Empire, he sold everything and moved to the Federation with his family.
What greeted him was far from the golden land described. He even struggled to find food. The neighbor who claimed to earn over a hundred dollars a month? He worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant, earning 22 dollars a month with a free lunch. Take it or leave it.