Chapter 353 The Second Housekeeper Selection
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[Keep sending powerstones, close to 200!]
Hobert understood that letting the people in his territory know of the lord's existence was a way of digesting the "Baron" aspect of the "Baron of Corruption".
In other words, if the people in the territory acknowledged Hobert as their lord, Hobert's potion would be digested accordingly.
This method of digestion wasn't necessarily limited to his own territory. If a "Baron of Corruption" opened a factory, as long as the workers acknowledged him as the boss, his potion would be digested accordingly.
In fact, opening a factory was an easier way to digest the potion than managing a territory. After all, the workers were paid and would definitely acknowledge the boss's position.
However, the "Baron of Corruption" wasn't just about people's acknowledgment of a leader; there was also the "Corruption" aspect. "Corrupting" the minds of those around him should also be another way to digest the potion.
Or rather, "Corruption" and "Baron" had to be present simultaneously for the potion to be digested effectively.
In any case, Hobert woke up in a great mood today. He took out a copper riso from his pocket and flicked it to Seel: "A reward for you!"
Seel caught the coin: "Thank you, great Baron!"
He thought to himself: My uncle was right. The Baron really wants us to spread his fame. If something similar happens in the future, we must let everyone know!
Hobert then said to Seel: "Buy breakfast, then notify Phillip to come for an interview, and make preparations. I'm going to inspect the territory today."
Seel agreed and was about to leave when both master and servant noticed a middle-aged man peeking in at the door.
Seel smiled: "Baron, that's Phillip."
"Let him in."
Phillip had a proper appearance and was neither servile nor overbearing. He seemed to have learned etiquette, as he bowed to Hobert in a formal manner.
Hobert asked: "Who told you to come?"
Phillip lowered his head and replied: "I heard that a new Baron had arrived, so I wanted to ask if you needed a servant?
"Our family has served the Barons for three generations. Even my name was given to me by the old Viscount Wright. If you have any needs in this regard, I am at your service."
Hobert nodded. He had heard before that nobility was hereditary, and positions like butlers and senior manservants in noble families were also "hereditary".
"I was just about to have Seel look for you." Hobert smiled: "I would like to hire you as my butler."
Phillip was sincerely apprehensive: "Baron, I was only a senior manservant before. My abilities may not be sufficient to fulfill the duties of a butler."
"It doesn't matter." Hobert smiled: "You should know the responsibilities of a butler, right?"
"I do."
"That's fine then. Your probationary period is two months, with a weekly salary of 5 silver Solas during the trial period." Hobert then took out his money bag: "There are 80 silver Solas inside. You will be in charge of the manor's finances from now on, and you will submit the accounts to me for review every Monday."
Phillip declined once more before respectfully accepting the money bag.
After breakfast, Hobert took Seel to inspect his territory.
...
Backlund City Hall, 8:30 AM.
At the instruction of Earl Wolfe, the servant Quincy invited Miss Jessica into the meeting hall.
Jessica took a deep breath, preparing to face the meeting in her best condition.
As expected, as soon as she entered the venue, Gusta and the other four representatives of the Chamber of Commerce questioned Jessica's legitimacy, citing Hobert's treason.
Jessica, who had seen a lot of the world with Hobert during this time, was neither servile nor overbearing: "As far as I know, none of the laws and regulations of the Loen Kingdom stipulate that the seat that Lawyer Hobert gave me is illegal.
"Although he has been deprived of all political power in the Loen Kingdom, I have not!"
At this time, Hobert's teachers and several law professors also said: "This young lady is right!"
"We can't just let the young people be at the forefront."
"We old bones all believe that her seat is legitimate."
Jessica was very touched. She certainly knew that this was Hobert's previous persistence, which had earned the support and affirmation of the legal community for what Hobert was doing.
Gusta said to Jessica in a sinister tone: "Then be prepared to accept the investigation. I believe you are an accomplice of the traitor!"
"Whether I am an accomplice or not is not up to you to decide," Jessica retorted coldly.
In fact, she had been questioned twice last week, once by the police in a normal interrogation, and once by the other party using Beyonder powers.
Because Jessica really didn't know anything, and with the bail of Lawyer Barton, Jessica was quickly released.
But today, Jessica knew that just by appearing here, she would be confirming that she was Hobert's accomplice, and she was ready to face the coming imprisonment.
Especially after seeing the four worker representatives, she felt that what she was doing was definitely worth it.
As Jessica expected, after the meeting began, the four worker representatives couldn't understand the convoluted and grammatically complex legal clauses at all.
These were still workers with a certain level of education that the Church had found.
Without Jessica's explanation, it would be meaningless for them to come or not.
It was thanks to Jessica's explanation that the law professors listened to the workers' views and realized that many legal clauses were not applicable at all.
For example, the original compensation period was within three months, but they learned from the workers that if compensation was not received within a month after a work-related injury, the worker might starve to death. Or the worker's family would be broken, and then the worker would starve to death on the street.
In this way, the compensation would lose its payment object and would no longer need to be paid.
So the law professors withstood the enormous pressure and changed the three-month compensation period to three weeks.
The meeting lasted from morning to afternoon, and the previous bills were almost unrecognizable.
After the meeting, Jessica saw the police waiting outside. Gusta had already called the police during the meeting break. If it weren't for Earl Wolfe's obstruction, the police would have probably taken Jessica away at noon.
Faced with these police officers, who were obviously from special departments, Jessica was relieved. Just as she was about to be arrested, a man with a scar on his face, wearing a suit, stepped forward and showed his credentials to the police:
"I am Borgia of the Special Operations Department! I am under orders from my superiors to protect Lawyer Jessica. She can accept your questioning, but I must be present."
Another gentleman, wearing glasses and looking like a university professor, also showed his credentials, stating that he had received the same order.
Their credentials, in addition to the police badge, also had the emblems of the Church of the Evernight Goddess and the Church of Steam and Machinery respectively.
The following experience was more magical for Jessica.
The police, or rather the people from MI9, did question her, but the scarred face and the university professor sat beside her. The MI9 people were very polite, so polite that Jessica felt it was a bit unreal.
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