The most hardworking outstanding employee can regain their freedom!!!
When this "Pie" was announced, the suppressed emotions of all the samurai present were ignited and exploded.
Not all the samurai here had families—nearly half were alone, unburdened by familial ties.
These individuals might put in some extra effort for better food after having their fill, but they wouldn't give 120% of their energy.
Because they had no goals, no hope, they could only idle away their lives. But now, Luo Xia had given them a goal, given them hope.
Life is precious, love even more so, but for the sake of freedom, both can be cast aside.
The temptation of leaving Udon and regaining their freedom was a poison the samurai had to drink, a trap they had to step into.
Even if the hope was slim, they would still fight desperately for it without realizing it.
At this moment, watching the samurai's increasingly heavy breathing, Luo Xia knew their internal competition switch had been flipped.
"Now, those who wish to become employees of my Udon Co., Ltd. can come forward to receive a portion of meat, a bowl of red bean soup, a rice ball, and a dumpling—to start your new lives!" Luo Xia's voice boomed through the Den Den Mushi, resounding across the sky.
"Want freedom? First go mad, charge forward without regard!"
The samurai exchanged glances, and in the next second, at least a thousand of them moved, rushing forward in a frenzy.
"Fight once, live for your family, only by fighting can you live well!"
As these words fell, over two thousand samurai burdened by family ties stepped forward with reddened eyes.
"Sleep on the floor today, be the boss tomorrow!"
The remaining prisoner samurai and craftsmen from the Weapon Factory all joined the queue for food.
No one knew who first repeated the phrase "Sleep on the floor today, be the boss tomorrow," but after that, it became unstoppable.
These three slogans seemed to possess a certain magic, spreading widely among the samurai and igniting their fighting spirit.
"Boss Hyogoro, this new manager of Udon seems like a decent guy, a thousand—no, ten thousand times better than that bastard Queen," Blood-Writing Omasa said excitedly.
"Indeed, just letting us eat our fill is already miles better than Queen, not to mention eating well, letting our families eat well, and even promising freedom... This man is somewhat handsome~" Cho remarked.
"Ah~" Hyogoro sighed.
"Boss Hyogoro, why the sigh? Isn't this a good thing?" Tsunagoro asked, puzzled.
"He is indeed different from Queen, treating us well. But this kindness might be intoxicating poison, gradually eroding and dismantling our will!" Hyogoro vaguely sensed something.
Given time, once they grew accustomed to this life, the samurai's backbone would break. They would lose their spirit of resistance, and this country would have no future.
"Is it really that serious? Boss Hyogoro, I would never be bought by the enemy's petty favors. If he gives us something, we'll take it, but when the day of prophecy comes, we'll act as we must!" Yatappe said confidently.
It wasn't just him—at this moment, most samurai thought the same.
They wouldn't be swayed by small favors. They would keep their original intentions, never forgetting the grudge against their homeland.
What the Samurai didn't know was that the moment they made this decision, they had already unknowingly stepped into the trap Luo Xia had set.
Every gift in this world comes with a hidden price. Once caught in this web, there would be no turning back for them.
"Wahhh, this is amazing~ Now everyone can eat their fill~ Thank you, Luo Xia~" Yamato cheered excitedly in her sweet, naive voice.
"Heh," Luo Xia chuckled softly. The simple-minded Yamato would never guess his true intentions.
"Big Bro is truly incredible! With just a few words, you've tamed those stubborn Samurai who were like stinking rocks in a latrine!" Page One praised enthusiastically, giving a thumbs-up.
"It's too early to say they're tamed. Some bloody measures will still be necessary," Luo Xia murmured quietly.
"Um... Lord Luo Xia..." At that moment, Jailer Babanuki and others timidly approached, their faces filled with uncertainty.
With the reforms in Udon and the establishment of the company, the jailers found themselves at a loss, unsure of their future roles.
"Page One, explain it to them," Luo Xia instructed.
"Got it, Big Bro!" Page One gathered all the jailers together. "The Samurai are the workers at the bottom, while you all are the management. Workers have their benefits, and the management won't be left out either!"
With that, Page One unfurled a scroll listing over a dozen benefits for the jailer management.
These included paid leave, pleasure district team-building activities... but what truly caught the jailers' attention was the promotion pathway to Headliner status.
Each of the hundreds of Beasts Pirates jailers would be assigned a squad of ten Samurai. At the end of each year, the jailer responsible for the highest-performing squad would be promoted to Headliner.
Not only would the Samurai be driven to compete fiercely, but the jailers would also be pushed to their limits.
The rules didn't prohibit jailers from participating directly, so some ambitious pirates, frustrated by slow progress, would inevitably step in secretly—forming eleven-man teams against others' ten. And then...
After hearing Page One's explanation of the management benefits, the jailers were electrified, eagerly rushing to form their groups.
Only Jailer Babanuki, Deputy Jailer Daifugo, and a dozen others remained—they were already Headliners.
"Kaido plans to establish the Tobi Roppo positions between the Three Disasters and the Headliners, with several vacancies remaining. As my trusted subordinates, you must strive for this!" Luo Xia nodded meaningfully.
"Yes, Lord Luo Xia!!!"
Babanuki and the others immediately understood, nodding excitedly.
Even without considering the Tobi Roppo position, merely being Luo Xia's trusted subordinates was enough to thrill them.
Now, everyone in the Beasts Pirates knew that although Luo Xia held no official Executive title, he stood above even the three All-Stars. He was destined to become the Beasts' Vice-Captain, second only to Kaido.
To be the Vice-Captain's trusted subordinates was an immense honor for them.
If forced to choose between becoming Tobi Roppo or the Vice-Captain's confidants, they would unhesitatingly choose the latter.
"Yamato, Ulti, Page One, and Babanuki—I appoint you all as the company's patrol supervisors. You will fairly oversee each squad's performance, ensuring no cheating or false reporting occurs!"
"Mm!" Yamato nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! Big Bro! We'll definitely complete the mission!" Page One responded loudly.
"If I catch them cheating, I'll smash them to pieces!" Ulti ground her silver teeth.
Luo Xia nodded in satisfaction. At this point, his Udon reform plan was basically in place, and all that remained was to reap the rewards.
The results were immediate and evident from the very first day. The output on just the first day equaled what used to take two days in the past.
With full stomachs giving them strength, hope for better days, and clear goals driving them, the prisoner Samurai worked with exceptional diligence. The entire Udon Mining Field was bustling with activity.
From day to night, the prisoner Samurai voluntarily worked overtime, the constant clanging of mining tools ringing nonstop, loud enough to keep people awake.
In the end, it was the management who couldn't take it anymore and called for a stop. Luo Xia introduced new regulations strictly limiting working hours, finally bringing some peace.
Without designated rest periods, some would have undoubtedly worked straight through till dawn.
"Lord Queen, something feels off. That guy's management of Udon seems to be genuinely better than how we used to—"
Smack!
Queen the Plague slapped down the subordinate who dared voice such discouraging words, sneering coldly.
"Those Samurai aren't so easily tamed. Once they're well-fed, they'll just rebel!"
On the third night after the new regulations were implemented, a Samurai escaped from prison.