LOL: Summoner of Goddess Janna

While Levi and Seraphine took some time out of their busy schedule to interact intimately, the people of Zaun were also spending the New Year in their own way.

"Boss, let's order some pickled devil..." Chuck was about to find a seat at the door of the restaurant.

"Long time no see, Chuck!" Zelie suddenly jumped out like a rabbit and patted her old friend on the shoulder from behind.

"Zelie?" Chuck was slightly startled: "Are you back from Ionia?"

He looked at Faxiao, whom he had not seen for several months.

I saw that Zeli, who used to dress like a little girl from Zaun, had now changed her tattered jacket into a straight white navy uniform.

Zeli's clothes are neat, her shoes are shiny, and she is tidy from beginning to end. Even the originally messy green twin ponytails were combed much neatly.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing is the two brand new medals hanging on her chest.

One of them is a commemorative medal for the Zaun Navy's complete victory over the Noxian Imperial Navy in the Balua Sea and its overall victory in the naval battle;

The other Blue Bird Medal is a reward from the Leaders Association to those soldiers who fought bravely and performed meritorious services on the battlefield.

Chuck had read it in the newspaper, so he probably knew.

Zeli appeared on the streets of Zaun with the appearance of a meritorious warrior. When she appeared in the Demon Swamp Frog restaurant, she immediately attracted the respect and envy of everyone.

"You...changed so much." Chuck was surprised.

"You too." Zelie sat down in front of Chuck and shouted to the shop owner at the top of her voice: "Uncle, give me a piece of raw pickled marsh frog too!"

"You need to add alchemical dipping sauce! Today's magic swamp frogs didn't grow up in smelly ditches, so they wouldn't be authentic without adding dipping sauce."

"Okay!" the store owner responded from a distance.

Then, Zelie turned back to look at her younger brother: "Chuck, you still said that I have changed a lot - look at you, you look more and more like a student brat from Piltover."

A year ago, Chuck was just a street kid from Zaun, a poor child laborer who was sold by his mother to an alchemy factory.

Later, he was lucky enough to be rescued by Levi, and was temporarily assigned to work in the Hex Audio Factory by the Leaders Association, which was only founded at the time.

Later, with the liberation of Zaun and the formal establishment of the Leader's regime, the education and welfare systems under the Leader's rule became formalized and improved...

Chuck was forced to leave the factory because of his young age and went to a free school specially opened by the Leader for out-of-school youths in Zaun of this age group to provide them with remedial knowledge of science, magic and culture.

After half a year of off-the-job study and spending a lot of time in the ivory tower... Now Chuck is not only wearing a neat student uniform and has a fresh and clean short haircut, but he is also a bit more skinny in his movements. He smells like a city student - he really doesn't look like the wild boy who used to hang out with Zeli on the streets of Zaun every day and "open treasure chests" in garbage dumps.

"That's not bad..." Zeli said.

Although Chuck looks like a Piltover brat now, all the children of Zaun know that the "Piltover brat" they talk about is actually a complimentary term.

After all, if possible, who wouldn’t want to wear neat and beautiful uniforms and go to school to receive education like the children of Piltover?

"That..." Compared to Zeli's concern for her friend's appearance and temperament, Chuck was more concerned about her current situation: "Zeli, when did you come back?"

"I..." Zeli came back to her senses and couldn't stop talking: "I just came back."

"You know, I am serving in the navy this time, responsible for controlling the Hex electromagnetic gun. But our leader's navy only fought one battle and defeated the Noxian navy, which claims to be the best in the world. All wiped out.”

"Speaking of which." The girl stretched out a green-white finger, and bursts of lightning flashed bilibilily on her fingertips: "At that time——"

"I guided the firepower of the Blue Bird Avatar, and with one full-power Hex railgun, I killed the flagship of the Noxus Empire Navy from a distance of 80 miles."

"After the whole battle, the enemy fleet didn't even see our ship, and we were completely annihilated."

"It's amazing." Chuck sighed at the right moment.

Zeli is a mage and a rare natural awakening thunder elementalist. Hearing her legend that was difficult to replicate, he was indeed envious of her small achievements from the bottom of his heart.

At this time, Zeli continued to say: "For more than two months, we have been doing insignificant escort and patrol work in Ionia."

"The superiors have determined through research that the Imperial Navy can no longer pose a threat to us, so I retired and came back."

"I have nothing to do when I come back. I originally wanted to find you at school, but I didn't expect to meet you here."

Chuck listened patiently to Zelie's ramblings, and then continued with a smile: "That's a coincidence."

"Yes." Zeli wiped her nose guiltily.

"Hahaha." A laugh appeared at an inappropriate time.

It turned out that an old acquaintance of the two teenagers, the owner of the Demon Swamp Frog restaurant, came to serve them in person.

Everyone lives in the same community, and Zeli is almost the only person born here with both parents. She is also a well-known community treasure who has a cheerful and outgoing personality and likes to interact with people.

So many years ago, when Zelie and Chuck were still little kids, and the shopkeeper was just an inconspicuous roadside vendor, they knew each other.

"What a coincidence?" The shopkeeper put the two plates of raw pickled devil's frogs on the table, and looked at Zelie jokingly and said: "Chuck, it would be strange if you couldn't meet her on the street. Woolen cloth."

"As soon as this girl came back, she ran around the streets in her navy uniform, showing off the two medals on her chest everywhere. From morning to now, I don't know how many times I've seen her wandering around the street."

"Ahem..." Zeli's face flushed and she covered her shiny medal: "I, I just haven't been back for too long and I got lost."

"Hehe." The shopkeeper smiled and said, "I'm keeping an eye on you, girl."

"Tell me, from the grandma selling fried bananas on the street to the customers who come to our restaurant for dinner, who has never seen you or heard your story about 'sinking the imperial flagship with one cannon from 80 miles away'" Of?"

"Well..." Zeli's face turned red, and her green hair glowed with white lightning in embarrassment.

"You, you all know?"

She thought she was looking very low-key.

"Haha." Chuck couldn't help laughing.

"Zeli was like this before. The last time she was 'lost' on the street, she had the homemade Walkman hanging on her waist from discarded parts." He added a few words. .

Seeing the electric light flashing on Zeli's head, she was so embarrassed that she didn't know whether it was about to short-circuit or explode...

Chuck was a little scared and changed the subject: "Um, Zelie..."

"You just said that you have retired from the Navy? Not on leave, but on retirement?"

"Yes." Zeli seemed to have finally found a hole in the ground that she could crawl into, and answered hurriedly: "The mass-produced electromagnetic gun driven by Hex gems has been successfully researched."

"Now the navy doesn't lack my humanoid electromagnetic gun, so I retired and came back."

"After all, I am not a soldier, but a graduate student in the Scientific Equipment Department. I heard that Mr. Victor has recently proposed the idea of ​​a miniaturized electromagnetic rifle, and he needs my ability to help with experiments."

"Being a scientist?" Chuck thought for his friend: "That would be good too."

Zeli is not only gifted in magic, but also a scientific genius. She has learned scientific knowledge from her parents, who are alchemical engineers, since she was a child. Being a scientist is also in line with her long-term life plan.

"What about you?" Zeli asked in turn: "What do you want to do after you graduate from school?"

"I..." Chuck thought for a moment.

Then he said seriously: "I want to be a worker."

"Pfft -" Zeli almost sprayed the devil's swamp frog meat she just took into her mouth onto her little face.

"Ahem..." She put the food down with difficulty, and then looked at Chuck in confusion: "You... want to be a worker?"

This topic is a bit delicate to talk about.

Although Zaun is a purely industrial city, over the past two hundred years, Zaun workers have been among the lowest status people in the city.

Even the young gangsters, the kiln ladies who work as services, and the orphans who pick up garbage can look down on the poor people who work in factories.

Because everyone knows that this work is not done by humans.

In the authentic old London-style factories of Old Zuana, workers are considered long-lived if they live over 30 years old. Only those who really can't survive and will starve to death if they don't work will be reduced to working in factories.

So over time, being a gangster who followed the Alchemist Baron to dominate became the ideal profession for the people of Zaun.

The workers, who are the cornerstone of this advanced industrial city, have become the despised and pitiful bottom class of society.

This situation did not improve until the leader emerged.

Workers have personal equality, legal protection, and huge improvements in welfare benefits, and their social status has also been greatly improved.

but...

Although this improvement is huge, it only goes from 0 points to 75 points. Passed, but not good enough.

Everyone knows very well that in today's Zaun, workers are still not an ideal first-choice occupation.

Doctors, teachers, soldiers, police, journalists, writers, scientists, artists, engineers, self-employed people, including business owners who have been hit hard by the leaders and now can only shrink their tails and behave...

Which of these professions is not more popular than workers?

"Well..." Zelie hesitated a little: "Chuck, why is your ideal just to be a worker?"

"What's wrong with the workers?" Chuck asked.

"Uh..." His tone was relaxed as if he was joking, but Zeli was suddenly speechless.

It's hard for her to say that workers are inferior in terms of economic status.

She is the leader. This is not in line with the political correctness of the leader.

"No -" Zeli suddenly woke up.

If she insisted on describing the ugly as beautiful, the fat as thin, and the sick as healthy for the sake of so-called political correctness, then she would be violating the leader's greatest correctness - seeking truth from facts.

Leaders must be realistic.

If we don't seek truth from facts, we won't be able to recognize the current problems clearly.

These problems may not be solved now. But if it can't be solved now, just pretend it doesn't exist, and then there won't even be a possibility of solving the problem in the future.

"Chuck, you also know. Even now, being a worker is not an ideal profession." Zeli was about to say.

"Hey, that's what you said." Before the shop owner could walk far away, he couldn't help but interrupt after hearing this: "Now that everyone is equal, what's wrong with being a worker?"

"Tch!" Zelie glared at him: "It's so good to be a worker, so uncle, why don't you go and trade with Chuck?"

"You go work for Chuck, and Chuck will help you open the store."

"Ahem..." The shop owner was so embarrassed that he couldn't speak.

His Demon Swamp Frog Shop is booming. A lot of silver wheels come in every day. What kind of factory does it go to?

"Look -" Zeli rolled her eyes: "Even those selling magic swamp frogs look down on you."

"There's no way..." The shop owner started talking about his best theory:

"After all, we are still far from a harmonious society. We are still a market economy. Private ownership not only exists objectively, but also has strong vitality."

The shopkeeper's tone was a little tangled.

This issue involves the route of the leader. He didn't quite understand either.

Let alone him, if all the leaders come to hold a meeting and debate, they may not be able to come up with a perfect result.

In short, the current Leaders Association is still following the moderate path of market economy plus policy intervention.

Because Li Wei and most of the Leader cadres believe that with the current level of productivity and the objective fact that most of Runeland is still in a feudal agricultural society with zero industrialization... the Leader has made great progress in production relations. The steps should not be too big.

The advantage of a planned economy is that it can concentrate its efforts on major tasks, which can help backward countries quickly achieve industrialization, while improving their independent national defense capabilities and ensuring their own security.

But now the most advanced industrial technology in Rune Land is in the hands of the leader. In this magical world, the leader's national defense strength relies more on the goddess Janna, rather than on the industrial level of the Twin Cities.

The leaders have no need to achieve rapid industrialization and are naturally unwilling to take risks and choose a planned economy with which they are unfamiliar.

Therefore, the market economy under policy intervention, an economic form that combines planned regulation and market regulation, became their carefully considered choice.

But when making corresponding choices, you have to face corresponding problems.

The problem with the plan is that the leader’s limited computing power cannot keep up with consumers’ complex and ever-changing product needs.

The problem with the market is the almost inevitable polarization between rich and poor.

"Alas, there is no way..." the shopkeeper sighed: "The market economy allocates each factor according to its role in production."

"This is destined to mean that workers who possess the fewest factors of production and are at the bottom of the market distribution system cannot earn more than those in the middle and upper reaches of the profession."

"Redistribution by leaders relying on taxes, welfare, public services, etc. can only raise the lower limit of workers' benefits. As for the upper limit..."

The upper limit is there.

No matter how much work a worker does and how skilled he is, he cannot surpass that of a prosperous restaurant owner.

"Perhaps, this girl Zeli is right." The shop owner admitted his mistake and looked at Chuck.

He also believes that since Chuck has a rare opportunity to receive education, he can set his goals in life more ambitiously.

"No, you got it wrong." Chuck shook his head.

He finally had a chance to speak.

"It's not that I can't understand reality. I just recognize my own abilities."

"I have no talent for magic or science. The ideal of a scientist is too lofty for me. Being a skilled worker is my best choice."

Chuck said calmly.

"This..." Zeli and the shopkeeper were both silent.

Only then did they realize that they were not ordinary people. One of them is an extraordinary mage and scientific genius, and the other is also a successful businessman.

And Chuck is just an ordinary person, the most ordinary kind.

Their experience in making progress may not be transferable to ordinary people.

"But you can't lie down either..." Zelie said: "Chuck, I believe in you, as long as you work hard..."

"Lie down?" Chuck laughed: "Haha, what are you thinking! I am the leader, how can I lie down?"

"Actually, I just want to use this method to practice my ideals as a leader."

"This..." Only then did Zelie remember that Chuck was also the leader.

And like her, he was an "old man" who had joined the Wind Leader Association nearly a year ago.

"That's right!" Zeli immediately thought of a way out for her friend: "What leaders lack most now are grassroots cadres with firm beliefs like you. Since you want to practice your ideals, why don't you take the civil service exam? "

Although the salary of civil servants is not higher than that of workers, and under the leadership of a group of workaholic leaders, the work is not easy at all.

But in today's era of vigorous development of leaders, the promotion opportunities and room for advancement of civil servants are far greater than those of working in a factory.

"Because you are wrong, Zeli." Chuck said: "What leaders lack most is not grassroots cadres, but skilled workers."

"Huh?" Zeli was slightly startled: "Leader is short of skilled workers? Where is the shortage?"

The most indispensable thing in the Twin Cities is workers.

"But what about Ionia?" Chuck asked seriously: "What about Noxus, Demacia...what about other places in Runeterra?"

"This..." Zeli fell silent thoughtfully.

Chuck continued to sigh: "Zelie, you still stand a little too high."

"You think there is no future as a skilled worker, but have you discovered..."

With a stable job, a moderately prosperous income, good remuneration, and excellent benefits, you can spend your life peacefully——

This is a good life that the people of Zaun in the past, and most people in Runeterra now, can't even imagine.

"What is this good life based on? It is based on the excess profits brought by Zaun's advanced industrialization level."

"Now that we are living a good life ourselves, do we have to forget the people who are suffering and poor outside of Zaun?"

Chuck sighed deeply.

"I understand." The shopkeeper on the side seemed to see something.

"Chuck, you want to participate in the 'join industry and support the second line' plan proposed by President Levi, right?"

Levi pointed out a problem very early on, that is, there is no essential difference between the current Zaan and the previous Piltover.

And he has always been worried that when this generation of Zaun people with faith and ideals passes away, the new generation of Zaun people will enjoy the best welfare in the world and forget where this welfare comes from. ..

Will Zaun in the future become another Piltover?

Will apprentices from other places appear in Zaun's factories again?

Will discrimination against non-local students appear again in Zu'an's universities?

Will the pain that he and his sister experienced, and what happened to this generation of Zaunites in Piltover, will happen again to the Shurima and Ionians who come to work here in the future?

In the future, will the rural farmers of Demacia and Noxus sacrifice their entire lives for the identity of a Zaun resident?

.......

definitely will.

Levi knew the answer. This was the rule and he couldn't completely avoid it.

But he has ways to mitigate it.

First, keep your faith.

The education of Janna's thoughts can train Zaun people to be leaders, not upper-city lords.

As long as the leader's beliefs remain unchanged, medical, educational, industrial and other resources will not be overly tilted towards the city of Zaun.

Therefore, there is a second method - transferring resources to support backward areas.

The Zaunites are never poor.

Even if there were no policy inclinations or the advantage of being a capital city, the Twin Cities would be at least as good as Singapore with just the Hinanomon Cross-Sea Canal.

As long as there are no problems with distribution, the Zaun people cannot be poor. They will always be the de facto "uptowners."

So how to reduce the de facto inequality between Zaun and other economically backward regions?

Of course, we must do our best to help backward areas develop industry, increase productivity, and make all parts of the world as wealthy as possible.

“But to industrialize the world, we need massive amounts of skilled workers.”

"But skilled workers are not like leader cadres who can be trained 'out of thin air' from the grassroots front lines in Ionia - they must receive complete scientific education and vocational training."

"Currently, only Zaun and Piltover have the ability to provide this kind of training."

The shop owner recalled the article he read in the newspaper.

Only then did he understand why Chuck said that what Leaders needed most now was not cadres, but technical workers.

"That's why you determined to become a skilled worker?" Zelie looked at Chuck in shock.

"Yes." Chuck nodded: "I have signed up to participate in the 'Talent Cradle Plan' for second-tier construction."

"After I finish my studies, I may go to Ionia or other places - it all depends on the organization."

"Chuck..." Zelie and the shop owner were both shocked and speechless.

Now even a fool can see that the identity of the residents of Zaun will be an extremely valuable thing in the future.

But for the sake of his ideals and beliefs, Chuck took the initiative to leave Zaun and join the second-line construction.

This departure may last a lifetime. Never come back.

"I admire you!" The shop owner patted Chuck on the shoulder: "Young man, you are good."

He knew as much theory as Chuck did. But there is a gap between theoretical masters and real leaders.

"Chuck!" Zelie also looked at him with admiration.

"Hey..." Chuck muttered helplessly: "What did you do to me? It's like I was exiled. I go to support the second-line construction, and the treatment is not bad."

Levi doesn't like to talk only about dedication and not about treatment.

Good people shouldn't have guns pointed at them. Just because the leaders are willing to sacrifice is not a reason why they deserve to suffer.

Therefore, those workers who support the second-line construction enjoy higher subsidies than local workers in Zaun——

The money will be deducted from the transfer payment provided by Zuan. Let those "uptowners" in Za'an who are unwilling to go also make some contributions.

"Um...Okay." Zeli finally restrained her subtle look at the martyr.

But faced with Chuck's decisive choice, she couldn't help but feel sad: "Alas. It seems that we will be separated in the future."

"No, there's Hex flying through the door." Chuck smiled.

"You're lying... There are only a few cities in the world that have Hex Flying Gates."

"It doesn't matter. Even if it doesn't happen, we'll build it brick by brick."

"..." Zeli was speechless.

After a long time, she finally said: "Happy New Year."

"Huh?" Chuck looked at her confused.

The people of Zaun don't celebrate the New Year. He couldn't understand.

"President Levi taught me this." Zeli said, "I was showing off on the street before...well, I met him when I was lost."

"He said Happy New Year to me."

Zeli didn't understand it at that time either.

She thought that President Levi had contracted Old Piltover's bad habits and had begun to celebrate meaningless New Year's holidays.

But Li Wei told her that the Zaun people could have a good year now. The mission of their leaders is to let people all over the world live a good year.

The Zaunites now have a New Year's holiday, but countless people around the world suffer and starve on this day.

Therefore, this "Happy New Year" is not only a good blessing between people, but also a warning to the leaders - the struggle has not yet been successful, and comrades still need to work hard.

Yes...

Although Levi privately did not allow Seraphine to sublime.

But as the president of the association that focuses on theoretical work, he is sublime in front of his subordinates, and he does it one by one.

The little girl Zeli is only 15 years old this year. As soon as she was educated by this "old-timer", she took his words as a life creed and took them deeply into her heart.

"I remembered, but I didn't do it. And you, Chuck...you're the real leader."

"That's it!" After hearing this story, Chuck was also deeply inspired.

He stood up and stretched out his arm to Zeli formally:

"Comrade Zeli, Happy New Year!"

"Well, happy new year!"

The two hands were clasped together.