Munitions Empire

"That's right, it has indeed changed, but... it hasn't changed enough! It hasn't yet become unrecognizable, nor has it become ghastly and terrifying... When the day comes that it truly metamorphoses into what it should be, you'll realize... that no one but us likes war," Tang Mo said with a self-deprecating laugh.

He was never a good person to begin with. He could feel immense pity for a child, yet he was incapable of taking responsibility for all the children in war.

It was only with the boom of guns that his career might take off—war was actually the driving force behind human progress, and it was only through conflict that humans were willing to advance at all costs.

What's an arms dealer? A true arms dealer sells cannons to both sides, then hoards bandages and stretchers, while finding ways to spread hatred among humanity.

So he didn't mind becoming the original sin of this world, because often the original sin is also the hope of this world.

When darkness reaches its extreme, it becomes a dazzling light, yet behind the light there is always a patch of darkness that it cannot illuminate.

This world is never just black and white; between these two colors, there is a vast expanse of despair-inducing gray.

Tang Mo had always walked within this gray area, and he had grown accustomed to the feeling. He had no psychological burden, because even if there were no him, there would be Shireck, and others worse than him to fill the void. Read exclusive content at m_v-l'-.net

He didn't mind the war, nor did he dislike peace; he simply whispered in the ears of those who longed for war, urging them to take up arms. And behind those who yearned for peace, he provided the rifles and cannons to protect them...

He was willing to sell medicine and stretchers to those who stirred up war, and he was also willing to sell bullets and bayonets to those messengers of peace— that was all.

A servant walked in, gave a slight bow to Tang Mo, and then said as a reminder, "Sir, it is time for you to enter the hall."

"Let's go! Let's see who our honored guests are today," Tang Mo said to Wes before leading him into the cheering venue.

"Mr. Tang has arrived!" The servant cleared a path and announced loudly to the sparkling hall, his voice causing a brief silence throughout the banquet hall before everyone began to clap their hands.

"Hurrah!" Everyone was applauding, making way for Tang Mo to walk leisurely to the center of the hall.

Standing amidst the crowded guests, the businessman who had just been discussing investment strategies with a friend was taken aback with delight as Tang Mo passed by, greeting him, "It is truly an honor to meet you."

On the other side of the path cleared by the crowd, a bejeweled young girl clutched her chest, her face flushed with courage as she blurted out her introduction, "My name is Aileen... Sir..."

They behaved as if they were starstruck fans, screaming crazily, even more fervently and devoutly than when they saw Susan.

After all, he was their fashion godfather, the man who led them in luxury, telling them what the life of the rich was like.

Cannons and warships— those were concerns for the ambitious and the vulgar. They were only concerned with what mattered to them; they were only concerned with how to spend money to elevate their own nobility.

They spared no expense to purchase any product made by Great Tang Group, including Great Tang Group's cars, Great Tang Group's fine hunting guns, Great Tang Group's shoes and gloves, Great Tang Group's suits and dresses, and even Great Tang Group's jewelry and mechanical watches.

In short, as long as the product had a connection with Great Tang Group, the price wouldn't be cheap—or rather, there might be a cheaper version available, but everyone wanted their own "customized" version.

Can't let it be, can you? If you're using a Model T car and I'm using a Model T, how can we distinguish between higher and lower classes? Thus, the Model T car had its luxury version, super luxury version, prestige custom version, super-prestige custom version...

After all, there was no stopping these people from squandering the real gold and silver in their pockets, was there? And so the model names of Great Tang Group's cars began to get messy.

The biggest change was on the lower left side of the car's rear, where markings like TC, TCD, and the like appeared, providing a direct visual distinction between the price tags of each car...

On the stage, Susan, who had thrown Tang Mo a coquettish glance, continued her performance uninterrupted, her song now switching to the more lively "Brunas"

"Brunas! Brunas! You are a city that never sleeps! The singing..." She sang her heart out on the stage, while Tang Mo engaged in soft conversation and mingled with celebrities in the fashion circles.

There was laughter and merriment all around, with no sign that Great Tang Group's warships were already assembling off the coast, with war practically having already broken out.

Soon, the serious business at hand arrived. The host walked up to Tang Mo with deference, whispered a few words in his ear, and then strode back onto the stage.

Susan had just finished singing and had gone offstage to touch up her makeup and change her clothes. The host stepped onto the stage, spread his arms, and announced loudly, "And now, please welcome the father of fashion, Mr. Tang, to introduce his brand-new inspiration!"

"Everyone here is very busy, so I won't take up too much of your time... I hope you enjoy yourselves here! Brunas welcomes you all..." Tang Mo lifted his wine glass, gesturing towards everyone.

"Hahaha!" Everyone at the event laughed, crowding around Tang Mo and admiring the young man with the handsome black hair.

Tang Mo didn't keep them waiting too long, and without even stepping onto the stage, he stood there and began, "This summer should be a sky-blue summer. Beautiful things always easily move people. When a sky-blue dress is paired with glittering gems, the beauty becomes natural and complete." Tang Mo was merely spouting nonsense.

Even he had no idea if sky blue paired with gems would actually look good, but he had the capital to talk nonsense.

After all, inside the Leite Kingdom or, frankly, in the fashion circles of many kingdoms, everyone was waiting for him to talk nonsense. His words were treated as edict, as the highest standard.

There was no helping it, just like those so-called fashion moguls who draped themselves in rags yet claimed they embodied beauty. When they had money, fame, and people relying on them to make money, true beauty somehow became less important.

The truth was quite magical, because whether you actually designed or not didn't really matter. Once the concept of beauty became linked with money and fame, it could never remain pure.

Its so-called evolution, devolution, or even mere change, was nothing more than a prestigious excuse to indulge consumerism.

Why has aesthetics become more niche? It's because the process of aesthetic judgment is about distinguishing social classes. It inherently involves filtering and catering.

What's that? This bag costs 2 million? It's so beautiful! How dare you say this white, transparent, and shiny thing is a plastic bag? Stop joking! What you're carrying is a plastic bag, what I'm carrying is an aura of noble elegance, modest luxury!

In the end, it's all nonsense. People believe the nonsense from Chanel and Armani, but no one cares about the common folk's complaints—that's the difference.

"Ah! Sky blue! Just hearing it makes one tear up!" A female tycoon from the clothing industry had already shed tears, having heard rumors that this year Brunas was pushing sky blue, so she had stocked up in advance.

Half of her tears were moved by beauty, and the other half were excited by money—she was going to make a fortune, at least 1500 Gold Coins in one summer.

Models who had been prepared in advance walked out one by one, showcasing their beauty and likewise demonstrating the brilliance of the upcoming summer to everyone.

The applause never stopped, as jewelers from other kingdoms, fabric merchants, and famous tailors all saw profit and hope here.

"For franchising matters, you can talk to John; he is the expert in this area, isn't that right?" Amidst the clinking of glasses, Tang Mo introduced to those seeking collaboration, "The fashion business of Great Tang is managed by him; I am actually just a layman."

"How can you say that, sir! If you are a layman, then we are just a bunch of ignoramuses, hahaha!" A very famous tailor from the Dorne Kingdom offered a sycophantic laugh.

"You all think too highly of me," Tang Mo quickly brushed off the compliment with a modest wave, indicating he wasn't as remarkable as others claimed.

However, the topic soon shifted to licensing and collaboration, as everyone wanted to open a fashion store under the Great Tang Group on their own turf, and they were willing to share a portion of the business profits with them.

To expand his influence, Tang Mo naturally agreed to the general idea of propagating Great Tang Group's fashion concepts and swiftly lent his verbal support.

"Well, let's start testing the waters in Dorne and Suthers; after all, we are so poor that all we have is money," Tang Mo joked, but his words were what everyone wanted to hear.

"Hahaha! Sir, you really are joking," roared a businessman with laughter, as if he had heard a very funny joke.

Everyone there knew very well that if Tang Mo claimed to be poor, then they all were mere beggars on the verge of starvation.

They'd work themselves to death for a year to make 10,000 Gold Coins, and that was considered decent. Worse yet, sometimes they only made a profit of 3000 or even 2000 Gold Coins a year.

But it was well-known that the high-end products of Great Tang Group were priced in tens of thousands of Gold Coins, with collaborations often in the hundreds of thousands. Projects with investments over a million Gold Coins were common.

That is why Great Tang fashion became the true fashion: because of capital! An exceedingly robust capital! A vast capital that people feared and revered...

After all, who would pick a quarrel with money?

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