32 – 32. Public Opinion Manipulation
In my past life, my mother was a political broker.
During elections, she manipulated internal party nominations, connected businesses and the political sphere, and, in return, received various requests.
It was one of Mom’s specialties to manipulate a certain politician, turning them into a social outcast or even feeding them rice and beans.
Surprisingly, this was said to be the highest paying job.
While anyone could attempt small-scale election manipulation if they were prepared for the consequences, turning one person into trash was different because of the difficulty involved. Even if the target was considered real garbage, it was just as challenging.
The method used in such cases was called “lifting.”
It was the act of placing someone in a visible position to attract public attention.
There were even cases where they deliberately pushed someone up as a prime minister candidate or ministerial candidate in order to manipulate them.
I wondered why they would go to such lengths… but I understood. No one would pay attention to the flaws of an unknown person.
This job was also necessary to send Anais to ruin.
“After all, she doesn’t have any presence right now.”
It was true that health syrup sold well. Wasn’t it said that people were lining up to buy it before it was even on the market?
But even so, it was nothing more than a product sold on the street.
The daily sales were only about four thousand bottles.
Moreover, most of the people who purchased it were from the middle class. They were not the impoverished who were too busy to eat, but they were not a presence that could have a significant impact on public opinion either. Unless there was a situation where deaths were occurring due to side effects, it was different.
“Just leave her alone, and she’ll soon gain popularity. Maybe even more than Morphin.”
Anais was already in the process of increasing production.
In a month or two, it would sell tens of thousands of bottles every day. When it reached that point, the nobles and bourgeoisie who held economic power could not ignore it.
There would be an overflow of people trying to stick to Anais and make themselves visible, and the number of people wanting shares in the syrup manufacturer, Gordon LeNox Corporation, would also increase significantly. Even if they weren’t interested in health syrup, they would be attracted by its profitability.
I just wanted to speed up that process. There was no point in waiting, as it would only make the aftermath worse.
Explaining it with this reasoning, the villainess nodded her head willingly.
“So, you’re the one who will do that job?”
Certainly. Attacking now would only result in the third princess attempting to retaliate from the Chancellor’s position… and it would be difficult to make it a public issue in the first place. Since no one has any interest in health concerns, it’s challenging to generate public discourse.
Well, how many commoners would actually care if a few of them die? They would probably think it’s not their problem.
That’s why we need to force them to care. I will personally take action to raise awareness about health concerns.
I can also help with that.
Seems like they don’t want to wait around in the palace. I was well aware of Sienna’s proactive nature. She wouldn’t ignore something interesting like political maneuvering involving her half-sister.
Your Majesty, I will handle this matter personally.
Are you surprised that I’m not staying quiet?
Not at all. After all, you’re not the type to stay still when told to. Your Majesty, you have other tasks to attend to. It would be easier if you could assist me.
Sienna finally had a satisfied expression.
Alright. What should I do?
Please go to the military headquarters. You can criticize the health concerns there.
Well, you know that the military atmosphere is not good these days. There have been clashes with the elves, and in the midst of that, how can I talk about health concerns… Ah, no. So, you’re telling me to go there?
That’s correct.
She was quick-witted, so I didn’t have to explain everything in detail.
Usually, Sienna’s agility would annoy me, but this time, it didn’t bother me. It’s an incredibly useful talent in situations like this.
Alright. Alan, let’s move.
Once we divided our roles, Sienna and I immediately took action.
Sienna headed towards the military headquarters.
And I headed to the securities exchange in the capital city.
In a world reminiscent of the 17th century, there were fewer than 100 listed companies, and half of them were trading companies. The trading volume of bonds was even larger than that of stocks.
But there was no doubt that this place was the heart of finance.
The attachment of individual investors to their money was also remarkable.
“Allen Maydoff…!?”
“Really?”
The fact that everyone’s attention turned to me as soon as I entered the lobby was evidence of that. Of course, it must have been because of Morphin’s success.
I planned to use this attention to sway public opinion.
**
The stock exchange was also a social gathering place for those with money.
As I sat quietly in the gallery, people started approaching me.
“Mr. Allen, I’ve been wanting to meet you desperately. Now I finally have the chance! If you allow it, I would like to propose a mutually beneficial offer to each other! I have connections in the Republic of Tour, and if Mr. Allen agrees…”
“Are you finally expanding your business? Are you here to raise funds? Yes, Morphin is too excellent a product to be used only in the military! …Of course, I haven’t tried it myself, but that’s what I’ve heard. They say it’s a god-given product at military hospitals.”
“I am acquainted with a person who is familiar with Mr. Allen!”
People begging for unexpected partnerships, people expressing their anticipation for listings, people muttering about unknown relatives.
There were more than fifty people, indifferent to my notorious reputation, who were begging and fluttering around. And their numbers were increasing even at this moment.
“This number should be sufficient.”
As I listened to the pouring words, I finally spoke up.
“Ladies and gentlemen. I’m sorry, but I didn’t come here to promote the listing of Maydoff Pharmaceuticals. And I didn’t come here because I need someone to partner with.”
“Still, such a good medicine…”
“I am satisfied with military procurement.”
“Ah…!”
Sighs echoed from all around.
It was easy to imagine how much talk about morphine circulated among the wealthy individuals with money. After all, with a dru*g worth $1000 per gram surfacing and no chance even to spoon it up, how much agony had they endured during this time?
“If I leave like this, it’s no different from being mocked and running away.”
Various faces, still staring at me as if unable to let go of regrets, came into view.
It was time to throw in a plot twist.
“To be honest, I came here to prevent Gordon Lex Pharmaceuticals from raising capital on the stock exchange. They manufacture Mrs. Chandelier’s health syrup. Perhaps some of you have heard the product name.”
Immediately, there were murmurs of recognition. It seemed like everyone, being money-handlers, had some knowledge. Well, that made the conversation easier.
“We need to prevent the health syrup from becoming a trend in the empire.”
“What…?”
“No, it’s not the syrup that’s the problem… About six months later, you’ll be able to find health syrup in all cities of the empire. Maybe neighboring countries will import it. By then, it will be too late, so we’re trying to prevent the influx of investment in advance.”
“…”
Mostly puzzled reactions for now.
However, a few eyes among them had already started to roll busily. Empire-wide distribution, imports from foreign countries – they must be considering the possibilities of such words.
It was a natural reaction. After all, the CEO of a company that raised sales by 2.5 billion dollars with just one military contract was now praising a health syrup that had just appeared in the world.
If I were to praise the efficacy of the health syrup, I would only get strange looks in return. Instead, my intention was to actively devalue that product.
Very actively.
“Ladies and gentlemen, despite its name, health syrup is a harmful medicine for the human body. I felt a sense of crisis watching people standing in line to buy syrup medicine. If left alone, it might be treated as an essential medicine to have in every household.”
“Of course, taking it might make you feel temporarily healthy. Pain disappears, fatigue lessens, and your stomach doesn’t growl, how wonderful is that? However, if you take it without thinking, you might end up becoming a pauper.”
“Sigh. Saying this might sound disrespectful, but I believe Lady Anais Chandelier is engaging in a dangerous gamble, risking the lives of citizens. Why on earth such a product!”
I did my best to tear apart the health syrup. Sometimes, I would sigh or glare at a frustrated person to seek their agreement.
Of course, the most important thing was the conclusion.
“Oh, just to clarify, I’m not trying to restrict the health syrup. After all, it’s a product made for military use, so why would there be a need to restrict it? I’m just concerned about the health of the citizens under the system.”
“Ah… Yes, of course.”
“I simply want to prevent the reckless consumption of medicinal herbs that should be prescribed with extreme caution. I hope you all will cooperate.”
At this point, people started looking at me with suspicious eyes. It seemed like they believed I was really trying to restrict the health syrup.
The people surrounding me were a group driven by money anyway.
Since I had confirmed the marketability of the health syrup, I couldn’t help but feel interested. There would surely be people who not only showed interest but also wanted to invest.
If my speculation was correct, someone would soon start asking questions. And indeed, someone already started.
“Um… Alan, sir?”
“What is it?”
“Is that health syrup something only Lady Anais, I mean, Mrs. Chandler, can make?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Who else would dare to manufacture such a dangerous substance? But why are you asking about it? …Don’t tell me.”
“Oh, no! hahahaha.”
It couldn’t be anything else. They must have been considering taking matters into their own hands. But since I had answered that it was exclusive to Mrs. Chandler, there was only one route left.
“Soon, there will be people flocking to Lady Chandler and her owner, Lady Anais.”
Naturally, I wasn’t the only one manipulating public opinion.
From Noble mtl dot com
By now, Siena would have gone to the military headquarters to expose the truth and oppose the military production (which was never discussed in the first place) of the health syrup.
Within our blatant restrictions, the presence of the health syrup was destined to gain sudden prominence. It would become a favorable stage for that attention.
All I wished for was that the Third Princess would enjoy her short-lived heyday to the fullest.