I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’m a Mother-in-Law, But I Don’t Want Family Conflicts Episode 69

Audio-visual teaching materials had almost disappeared in modern times, but in this world, they were often used at the Academy.

She had used half of the money I gave her to create this chart board.

I had demanded that she must use high-quality paper, invest generously in the quality of the materials included, and even hire painters if illustrations were needed.

The first task in preparing a presentation was effective audio-visual materials.

“Wait, if it’s Goldrail…”

As the merchants began murmuring, Jane overwhelmed the audience with a sharp voice different from before.

Start with the main point, capturing everyone’s attention in a brief moment.

“Merchants who are leading this corrupt market. The evidence of the crimes you have committed is contained right here.”

“What…?”

“I report to the beloved Duke Layton. Please make the right choice for the prosperity of Layton Territory.”

It was an audacious and bold statement she could make only because she knew Mikhail would not punish her.

She turned the first page of the pristine white chart board.

[Investigation Report on Tax Evasion and Trading and Account Book Manipulation Practices]

What Jane had prepared was not trading company promotion or bribes, but an accusation targeting all the enemies gathered in this place.

When all competitors disappear, the last person remaining becomes the victor.

Evaluation meetings or solicitation of money and goods – she had never even considered such things from the beginning.

* * *

‘…You must become the whistleblower.’

In truth, Wilhelmina’s plan was a gamble with too much risk.

Reporting fellow merchants was equivalent to declaring that she would never do business in that regional market again.

This was also the reason why trading companies didn’t report each other even when they knew each other’s dirty secrets.

If it was a corrupt practice everyone committed, it was much more practical to turn a blind eye and participate rather than expose it.

‘Even if you report them, they’ll just pay bail and be released anyway.’

Crimes committed with money were repaid with money – that was the commercial law of the world.

Unless they had seriously offended a noble, they could receive reduced sentences by offering their wealth.

Conversely, the whistleblower received no protection and was subtly ostracized from the market.

Unless it was a decision made for revenge, it was fair to say there were no well-intentioned whistleblowers.

Wilhelmina intended to exploit that gap.

The morning after getting a positive answer from Jane, Wilhelmina explained the plan in detail.

‘First, we need perfect materials. Show irrefutable evidence at the evaluation meeting. Very provocatively and scathingly. As I said, the timeframe is three months – is that possible?’

It meant to uncover the corruption the trading companies were hiding and document it.

Jane, who already had experience with this several times, nodded her head.

With sufficient time and budget, it was entirely feasible.

‘The second thing is finding someone to import materials for us. Since we can’t use Goldtrail’s distribution network, we’ll have to find our own. If that’s difficult, there’s also the option of appointing an agent…’

‘No, it’s possible.’

Jane wore a complicated expression, wondering if this was coincidence or if Wilhelmina knew everything and was speaking deliberately.

As it happened, some of the materials needed for the business had to be imported from the Eastern Region, and Jane had very close connections there.

Rohan was supposed to return from his leave before spring arrived, so asking him would easily solve the problem.

But even after understanding the entire plan, she still couldn’t grasp Wilhelmina’s purpose.

When Jane expressed her curiosity, Wilhelmina pondered for a moment before bringing a book from the study.

It was a fairy tale book titled 【The Shepherd’s Wisdom】.

She had seen Mirinai carrying it around before.

‘Do you happen to know the plot of this book?’

‘No, I’ve never read fairy tale books…’

She had read many educational books, but had never encountered fairy tales.

Wilhelmina briefly summarized the plot for Jane.

The protagonist was a shepherd who had lost his sheepdog. He pondered how to protect his sheep while driving away wolves. He didn’t have money to get a sheepdog, and he didn’t have enough hands to guard the sheep alone. So what he chose was…

‘To tame a wolf.’

He brought a clever wolf and raised it as a new sheepdog.

True to fairy tale fashion, the clever wolf could speak and repented of its wrongdoings through conversations with the shepherd.

It realized that protecting sheep together with the shepherd was more righteous than hunting helpless sheep.

It protected the sheep by informing the shepherd about wolf behavior, and used its excellent legs to run across the prairie and guide the sheep.

It was a fairy tale blatantly infused with human notions of justice about the beautiful friendship between a wise shepherd and a repentant wolf.

After hearing it all, Jane understood Wilhelmina’s meaning.

‘You’re telling me to become the nobles’ wolf.’

‘No, to become a wolf of “justice.”‘

She closed the fairy tale book and illuminated reality.

‘But you won’t get a fairy tale ending. You’ll never be able to return to being an ordinary merchant. Goldtrail will become subordinate to Layton or other nobles, and you’ll become an object of hatred among fellow merchants. Even so…’

‘I’ll do it.’

She had already prepared herself for such glares.

Jane had no other options left anyway.

To achieve both revenge and her dream of becoming a merchant, this was the best path.

Confirming Jane’s firm resolve, Wilhelmina smiled bitterly and spoke.

‘Good, then….’

‘…let’s exterminate the wolves.’

Three months from then.

Jane stood in this position, having sharpened her desire for revenge.

Feeling Wilhelmina’s gaze directed at her, Jane opened her mouth in front of the 20 wolves.

“In one year, 42 cases of market manipulation, 15 cases of false account book registration, 121 fake employee registrations, 31 cases of false crop supply records… All of these are the evil deeds committed by the twenty people before my eyes.”

“What are you talking about…!”

“First, the Milksy Merchant Group.”

Before the merchants could even retort, she turned the chart board to show the data.

“Although potato production has recently surged, they engaged in false transactions to minimize damage and manipulate market prices. Of the potatoes supplied by the Milksy Merchant Group, 40% are purchased by a trader called ‘Tickle’ who has never conducted business once in the past 3 years. And the owner of this Tickle trading company is….”

From somewhere, she pulled out a long pointer and pointed to the picture of a cute-looking child.

“Jake, nephew of trading company owner Royk. He’s only five years old, but they established a trading company under the child’s name.”

A shell company. It was an act she had vaguely recognized before, but it became concrete through the concept Wilhelmina had taught her.

It was the act of using a trading company that only existed in name to increase transaction volume and manipulate market prices.

Of course, only the transaction amounts were recorded in the account books, but no money had ever actually changed hands.

“All the purchased potatoes have been disposed of. They dug up the ground around the Northern Lake and buried them. The location is as shown here, so if you investigate, you’ll be able to find them immediately. Such a large quantity couldn’t be hidden right away. They’ve already taken root in the ground too.”

Thus Jane reported the evil deeds of the twenty trading companies one by one, in detail.

The amount of data was so vast that no matter how much she turned the chart board, there seemed to be no end.

As classified information that no one could guess how she obtained poured out endlessly, the merchants couldn’t help but be shocked.

She perfectly knew information that even trading company executives didn’t know.

‘It becomes easy once you get the hang of it.’

No matter how large a trading company was, it was difficult to manage even the lowest-level employees.

When she pretended to be a fellow merchant, they easily opened their mouths, and when necessary, she spread money around.

Intelligence gathering, infiltration, tracking, and persuasion.

She dug up corruption by any means necessary.

It was the moment when Jane’s talent, which even Wilhelmina hadn’t predicted, shone brightly.

Of course, it wasn’t her achievement alone.

“It, it was something that happened by coincidence! We just made a mistake in recording the employee roster! We’ll immediately interrogate the person in charge….”

“Well, the trading company that was competing with you doesn’t seem to think so.”

“…!”

‘When evidence is lacking, find competitors. They’ll welcome you with open arms.’

The competitors in the market were useful informants.

To hide their own crimes, they unhesitatingly reported others, and driven by the desire to defeat competitors, they even testified about past evil deeds.

Fired trading company employees and harmed farmers went without saying.

There was no corner to escape to. No data to refute with.

As time passed, the merchants realized there was no way to counter Jane’s accusations.

First, they had to return to their trading companies.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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