Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Having poured something out intensely, Bunge briefly caught his breath and regained his composure.

"But you know what?"

Official’s mannerism. Official’s sense of futility. He knows it all. Having experienced it countless times until this age, he damn well knows it.

"If you’re not one of those common ordinary people, listen well. You third-rank and below secretaries, what was the reaction when you said you were coming to the Far East? Everyone laughed, right? Said you got on the wrong track and were going to civilize dirty yellow people. That you had the wrong superior so you’d never get a good position. And now with Witte’s agricultural reform in full swing? Have you all heard them say that while Nikolai Bunge and his subordinates failed at reform, the next Finance Minister succeeded because of his ability?"

"...We’ve heard it."

"Chairman! It’s too unfair. We laid the foundation, resolved the deficit, and set up all the plans!"

Yes, these are the ones who came all the way to this empire’s end, taking two months, driven by that resentment and indignation.

If they didn’t have a dagger in their hearts, they wouldn’t have endured here for years.

"Yes! You came all the way here to prove the value of the names your parents gave you! To show that we’re different from those collapsing zemstvo bastards and central bureaucrats who just put decorations on fully-made cakes and hold their heads high! That no matter how much reform they do, what achievements they make, we’re better!"

That’s why everyone came to the Far East, the lowest part of the empire, gritting their teeth. Did they just come to sightsee? For seven long years. They’ve poured in their days and nights for seven years to reach today.

Now the preparations are complete.

In the past, this place gave land to anyone who came. Just to increase settlers.

After Bunge came. He made it so anyone could come here to work. To increase the resident workers.

And today, as the money received from Qing gradually runs out. At last, Bunge’s preparations have come to an end.

"My officials."

"Yes, Chairman!"

"My state-led free market economic development system ideologists!"

"Yes! Chairman Bunge!"

"When even the soldiers here in the Far East laugh at this long name we gave ourselves, do you think those bastards in Europe will acknowledge your seven years of endurance?"

"No!"

"They’ll still laugh!"

At some point, everyone had stood up and had the same look in their eyes as Bunge.

With each of Bunge’s pressing questions, the officials unanimously clenched their fists and spat out their answers.

"So let’s turn this Far East upside down! Those warm-backed, well-fed European nobles! Central bureaucrats! Let’s show them enough to crush the nose bones of all imperial citizens! In our officials’ way!"

"Waaaaaah!"

"We shall prove it to the whole world! We shall prove it without fail!"

"Long live state-led free market economic development system ideology!"

Those who had entered the realm of fanaticism, with no trace of official reason and intelligence, responded to Bunge’s speech with their whole bodies as if possessed by another personality.

As shouts that were difficult for an old man’s eardrums to handle filled the narrow space, Bunge finally opened his mouth again, not as chairman but as the leader of these fanatics.

"My gentlemen. From today, if work becomes so hard that tears might fall, rather pluck out your eyes and let blood flow. If you feel like you might die from overwork, commit suicide honorably without disturbing your colleagues. And after death, don’t go to heaven or hell, but remain as a ghost to watch until the end."

Then, a huge cloth behind Bunge fell to the floor, revealing a single word written on a large board.

[War Special Demand]

"How we survivors will change this Far East."

That day, Bunge became the god of Far Eastern officials.

==

"It’s almost evening but the budget still hasn’t been executed."

"Well, since Chairman Bunge recently stepped in personally to stop financial leaks..."

"Even so, I’m the Governor of Amur. We can’t be even slightly negligent in border defense. Just for today, I’ll have to go and argue myself."

Although Roman’s excessive military expenditure and construction far exceeded normal border defense levels, he thought this was already due to the Far East’s special circumstances.

’Moreover, construction industry greatly helps economic revitalization!’

Roman, who had studied economics somewhat clumsily, left the Governor-General’s office prepared to have it out with Chairman Bunge today, using this as justification.

A newly constructed five-story building just three minutes away. This place, practically a devil’s tower, was usually bustling with officials coming and going like corpses, but today it seemed a bit quiet.

"Even better."

There won’t be any interference from underlings while going to meet the head of that den.

’I am the Governor of Amur preparing for His Majesty the Tsar’s war. No matter how important the Far East’s economy and industry are, they can’t compare to war.’

Chairman Bunge, who lived his whole life as an official, might see the military as just a waste of money, but Roman couldn’t agree.

Without military defense, the Far East’s economy couldn’t exist either. He only hoped that Chairman Bunge would understand this fact, at least today.

After taking a deep breath to inject confidence, Roman strode forward in his military boots.

However, when Roman opened the building’s door and entered, officials were coming out of the conference room after a seven-hour meeting.

"Ugh! Such humiliation! Disgrace! Insult! We shall surely repay this!"

"Ngh! I shall never forget who our main enemy is!"

"Huh-huh-huh-huuuk! Chairman!"

"...?"

Officials coming out with swollen eyes, all crying and sniffling.

From fresh-faced youngsters in their twenties to elderly folks nearing retirement, various age groups were wailing in unison, causing Roman to freeze in confusion.

’W-what’s going on? Did they get caned inside?’

Such a wise, sage-like person wouldn’t use such violence, would he?

Moreover, the officials still emanating unsubsided heat. Everyone is equally elevated.

’Humiliation? Disgrace? Enemy?’

What on earth does this mean? Could some incident have occurred without his knowledge?

After the officials left, Roman carefully looked inside the conference room, leaving his aide behind.

There, Chairman Nikolai Bunge sat alone with his head down.

Burned pure white,

Like the Chairman who seemed about to turn to ash and scatter in the air.

"..."

Roman turned away, unable to approach him.