The essence of human society is a brutal elimination contest.
The fierce competition in business led to the collapse of Michael's factory, leaving a staggering debt of 420 million.
Michael was eliminated.
As a merchant and a gambler, one must accept defeat gracefully—it's hardly a big deal.
That night, Michael fell into eternal sleep.
What was thought to be the end, however, turned out to be the beginning of a strange journey—he found himself transported to the year 1370.
The dawn of the capitalist age, in the northern German city of Lübeck, took root in the life of a young man named Edward Von Stein.
This young man, with a strong build and blonde hair, was tragically beaten to death in the back alley of a tavern.
When Michael's soul transmigrated, it merged with the memories of this unfortunate brother.
[Brother, from now on I'll live your life. Such a golden age—why hide in the shadows? Be a merchant!]
[A scarcity economy, I've actually crossed into a world of scarcity.]
[How frustrating! Had I known I'd transmigrate, I should've studied science. I'm just a humanities major, for heaven's sake...]
[No, calm down. Even if I can't create a steam engine, it's only 1370. With the mindset of an industrial and infrastructure fanatic, even hand-operated factories can drive prices down to rock-bottom.]
[Wait, driving prices to rock-bottom is actually a bad idea—long-term, the result will be bankruptcy. I can't repeat the same mistakes as in my past life.]
[If I succeed in this life, I swear, I will use all my power to prevent the rise of an over-supply economy.]
Edward's mind raced with excitement as his thoughts spiraled.
God had given him a second chance at life, and now he would lead humanity to live it all over again.
As for why he could do this? Simple. He was a modern man in an ancient world, with knowledge far beyond anyone of this era.
...
April 1st, 1370. Clear skies.
Edward strolled through the streets of Lübeck, bathed in the morning sunlight, searching for opportunities.
A very real problem was weighing on him—he only had a handful of copper coins left in his pocket.
He needed a job.
The city's core was built with brick, while only the slums had wooden buildings.
As Edward assessed the materials needed for urban construction, he unwittingly found himself at the bustling port.
The port was filled with workers unloading cargo, the air thick with the sound of industry.
The body of Edward's transmigrated self was capable of physical labor, so he could muddle through for a few days, until he found something more fitting for his talents.
As he pondered, he searched for work at the docks.
Even working as a sailor could suffice for a while...
After wandering the docks for a while, Edward's brows furrowed.
In a scarcity economy, it seemed that as long as one was willing to work hard, there should be enough to survive.
But the wages were shockingly low.
It turned out that by 1370, merchants had learned to pay workers only enough to get by, just enough to stave off hunger.
This practice kept the lower classes from advancing, while making them more docile, as those desperate for money were easier to control.
As a modern-day merchant, Edward recognized this as a common tactic, though in the modern world, it had been taken to new extremes—piecework, the 996 work culture, even housing prices kept artificially low to discourage young people from striving for more.
But what these merchants did in this era seemed like child's play to Edward.
He wasn't willing to sell his labor at such a bargain.
Shaking his head with a sigh, he left the port.
...
Lübeck, the port city, Jewish district.
Edward walked into a luxurious goldsmith's shop.
A goldsmith's shop, in this time, was the precursor to a modern-day bank.
In financial history, it wasn't until 1407 in Venice that the world's first bank, the Venetian Bank, was established.
Before the era where everyone worked for the bank, Jews had been the ones engaging in money-lending and saving.
The truth is, Jews were particularly tenacious when it came to making money.
During the Black Death from 1347 to 1353, countless lords blamed Jews for the plague, and many were slaughtered.
Yet, within just 20 years, the Jews had not only recovered, but also become wealthier.
Such was the resilience and mystery of this group—today, though they comprise only 1% of the world's population, they control 60% of the world's wealth, and have become almost godlike figures in the modern world.
In his past life, Edward had dealings with these large-nosed individuals.
They were difficult to get along with and incredibly shrewd.
In this life, however, for survival's sake, Edward decided to reluctantly join the Jewish financial syndicate and introduce his modern financial knowledge into this world.
In 1370, perhaps starting the world's first bank in Lübeck could be a good beginning to change the course of history.
With that thought, Edward confidently stepped into the goldsmith's shop.
He saw a stout man with monocle glasses.
"Hello! Are you hiring? I'm good at math and have a lot of knowledge in finance and management, with plenty of practical experience," Edward asked.
The man looked up and appraised Edward, [Young man, you seem to know a lot. What's your name?]
"My name is Edward Von Stein."
[That name sounds like that of a German nobleman, doesn't it?]
Edward recalled the memories of his new self, "My father was a baron who owned a manor. My older brother inherited the manor, so I've come to the city to make my own way."
[Ah, we only hire Jews here. Sorry...]
Edward nodded, thanked the man, and turned to leave...
...
Trust is paramount in human society.
Especially in this era of Europe, where tribal bonds were a way to establish trust.
Later, to further strengthen trust, marriage alliances were formed.
The famous Habsburg family, known for conquering the world with their lower halves, made fortunes through such alliances.
Edward was not a Jew, and therefore had no chance at this seemingly respectable job.
It was all about trust.
Edward's original path was to join the military.
After his brother inherited their father's manor, the proper route for a second son in the Holy Roman Empire was to take up arms.
However, the rise of the Hanseatic League, Lübeck's sudden emergence, and the wealth flowing into coastal cities like Hamburg were drawing young people from all over Germany.
The era of merchants had arrived!
Common folk were the private property of their lords and forbidden to emigrate, but the offspring of nobles, especially second sons, were free to move and were flocking to coastal cities.
Countless commoners, willing to become beggars, sought escape and made their way to these cities.
But soon, the second sons of nobility realized a problem.
Without their family ties, they lacked the foundation of trust.
How could they compete fairly with the common people and survive in the city?
Commoners could work at the docks and earn their keep with hard labor.
The second sons of nobles couldn't do that.
Quickly, they found another way—enter the underworld, just like Edward's original self, who was raised tough and strong, with martial skills to match.
But now, as a merchant, Edward refused to descend into the criminal underworld. He had crossed time to change the world, and he would not fail to fulfill that purpose.
However, the biggest problem now was that he was running out of food—only seven copper coins remained after buying bread.
With a sigh, Edward returned to the shabby room he had rented in the slums.
To his surprise, two burly men were standing at his door, waiting for him.
One of the men sneered, "Edward, we didn't finish you off yesterday. Looks like I went easy on you."
The other man added, "I heard you were seen walking the streets—I didn't believe it. But here you are, still alive."
The first man spoke again, "Don't worry, we won't hurt you this time. Your debt is wiped clean. Our boss wants to see you—come with us."
The second man chimed in, "The boss has a task for you, and he'll pay you for it. With money, you can continue gambling…"
Edward's face darkened. The troubles of his original self were far from over.
The original had been a heavy gambler, who, after arriving alone in Lübeck, had quickly gotten involved in the underworld and earned money. Eventually, he was lured into the hands of the second sons of nobles.
Over time, he had succumbed to various vices, especially gambling.
In the tavern's basement, he lost everything at the gambling tables and fell into debt he couldn't repay. He was beaten to death by the tavern's enforcers.
These two thugs were no pushovers—Edward's original self couldn't have beaten them, let alone the modern-day merchant Edward.
Perhaps, though, these familiar figures, though scoundrels, could be used as stepping stones to rise.
Realizing there was no escaping this encounter, Edward decided he must turn this crisis into an opportunity.