```
It turned out that life was indeed more important than money: the wealthier one was, the more one cherished it. After weighing the pros and cons, everyone felt the protection fees had to be paid.
Being able to have a base in an unfriendly foreign land, whether one started from scratch or inherited it from ancestors, was no mean feat.
By draping the tiger skin of Austria over themselves, they could not only survive the immediate threat but, more importantly, avoid taking sides in this war.
Compared with the Japanese Army's plundering, taking a political stand was truly fatal. After all, residing in Southeast Asia where anti-Chinese movements often erupted, being robbed was not a rare occurrence, and everyone had experience in dealing with it.
Even if they were robbed by the Japanese Army, it was only a loss of some visible wealth. Political alignment was different; a wrong bet could result in the death of oneself and one's clan.
