Chapter 117: The Art of Disruption
Seeing that Jasmine wasn’t swayed by her attempts to deflect blame, Adele finally confessed what had happened. After listening to her explanation, Jasmine couldn’t help but facepalm. Should she criticize Adele for her lack of laundry skills, or praise her for at least trying, or be grateful that Adele hadn’t attempted to wash her delicate lace-trimmed nightgowns and dresses?
“I didn’t mean to! I saw you wash them so easily, so I thought I could do it too. But those little clothes… the lace ripped with the slightest tug…” Adele’s voice was initially weak and apologetic, but as she continued, she gained confidence, finally accusing Jasmine, “It’s all your fault for leaving me alone for so long! This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t gone away!”
Jasmine replied calmly, “Then next time I’m away, Miss, please don’t try to wash your own clothes.”
Adele was even more annoyed. “Then what should I do with them? Just leave them piled up, waiting for you to return?”
It wasn’t an entirely unacceptable solution, but Adele, with her slight germaphobia, couldn’t tolerate the thought of her clothes accumulating and developing a musty smell. Jasmine wanted to suggest asking someone else to do it, but Adele was so shy that she had even considered washing them herself instead of asking another maid for help.
Seeing that Jasmine couldn’t offer a solution, Adele smirked triumphantly. “So, you can’t leave me alone anymore! And you can’t be gone for so long! If you have to go, you have to take me with you!”
In the end, Adele was still acting spoiled. Jasmine couldn’t help but smile at her childish demands. “Alright,” she agreed. “Unless it’s an emergency.”
After Jasmine’s return, Adele’s work efficiency increased significantly. With Jasmine by her side, Adele felt that the nights were darker, the moon brighter, and even her tea tasted better. Jasmine’s presence had a calming effect on her, making everything easier.
The researchers she had brought back were all talented individuals. Within days of their arrival, the thirteen-year-old boy with thick glasses approached Jasmine and Adele, carrying a stack of documents. They had initially been uncomfortable upon arriving at Deli Farm. They had expected to be taken to a secret Human Resistance Army base, but instead, they had found themselves in a place where multiple races coexisted peacefully.
After a few days, they had come to appreciate this unique environment. And after confirming that Adele was truly committed to interracial harmony, the young boy had finally presented his findings.
Humans had short lifespans, both in Jasmine’s previous world and in this one. Their lives were fleeting compared to the vastness of time, but their creativity and intelligence were unmatched. Look at this world. Vampires had ruled for ten thousand years, and yet their technology was still so primitive. But in Jasmine’s previous world, humans had achieved so much in just a few centuries, transforming from an agrarian society to a modern civilization.
If given the same amount of time, perhaps the humans in this world could also achieve great things.
This young boy, despite his age, had a deep understanding of vampires. The documents he had brought outlined a plan to disrupt the vampires’ banking system.
He placed the heavy stack of papers on the table and began explaining his findings to Jasmine, Adele, the Commander, and several key members of the Human Resistance Army.
“First, we need to understand the foundation of the vampire banking system.”
Jasmine’s cheat abilities hadn’t enhanced her intelligence, so she didn’t understand what the boy was talking about. The other Human Resistance Army members were also confused. Even those who had studied this topic found it difficult to grasp the underlying principles.
Only Adele seemed to be following along. “Is it… blood?” she asked hesitantly.
The boy nodded. “Yes. The essence of the banking system is that currency is a representation of blood. Vampires sell their blood to the bank in exchange for currency, which they then use to purchase goods and services, including blood.”
Hearing this, Jasmine understood: it was simply a system of exchange, a concept she had learned in high school. In her previous world, currency was backed by precious metals. In this world, it was backed by blood.
The boy continued, “This system has been in place for almost a thousand years. It’s a very sophisticated system, but it has a fatal flaw. What if… the amount of currency in circulation exceeds the amount of blood stored in the banks?”
“It would lead to a collapse of trust.”
Adele, the six-time champion of the academy, was quick on the uptake. The boy was pleased with his student. He nodded. “Exactly. Our goal is simple: to disrupt the bank’s exchange system.”
It sounded simple, but it was incredibly difficult to achieve. Otherwise, the banking system wouldn’t have survived for a thousand years, even extending its reach to otherworldly beings.
The key question was: how?
But the boy already had a plan. He picked up a one-hundred-denomination banknote from the top of his stack of documents. His eyes gleamed with confidence. He had been studying the vampire banking system ever since he could remember. The vampires wanted to perfect their system, but he was a mischievous child, and he had seen through their facade, harboring a deep hatred for the vampires who had raised him. He had long ago discovered the flaw, but he had never had the opportunity to exploit it.
Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he wouldn’t let it slip away.
“Counterfeiting.”
The vampire banking system was backed by generations of brilliant minds, who carefully controlled the amount of currency in circulation, even the annual release of new banknotes. A single misstep could lead to a collapse. But they had never encountered… counterfeiting.
The boy’s words made Jasmine realize: she had been stuck in a rut, assuming that banknotes were difficult to replicate. But in reality, although banknotes had been in circulation for over a thousand years, the printing technology was still relatively crude. It was only due to the vampires’ technological monopoly that no other race possessed the ability to produce currency.
Adele was worried. “Can we… really counterfeit banknotes?”
“Yes, we can.” The boy’s voice was firm. “You have us. We are the most advanced researchers of this era. We have experts in papermaking, ink production, and printing. I’ve been studying the banking system for years. I know which banknotes are easiest to replicate. Counterfeiting might be difficult for those without the necessary skills, but for us, it’s child’s play.”
His confidence was infectious. Adele chose to trust him. After all, this was someone Jasmine had brought back. She trusted Jasmine, and she trusted those Jasmine had brought with her.
It sounded simple, but putting it into practice was another matter. They needed to acquire various materials and build the necessary machinery from scratch. Adele allocated a site in a nearby valley for the research institute, and the Commander selected loyal members of the Human Resistance Army to work there. With everyone’s efforts, the institute finally began to take shape.
But this was just the beginning. They had a long road ahead of them. First, they needed to build the machines necessary for counterfeiting. They had no existing equipment, so they had to start from scratch. Acquiring the necessary materials was a challenge, requiring Adele to use various methods.
It was a difficult process, but they eventually succeeded. A year and a half later, the first perfect counterfeit banknote emerged from the printing press. Adele wanted to celebrate, but unfortunately, she had to leave for Golden Castle. Miss Golden was getting engaged to the young Green boy.
After all these years, the young Green boy was now seventeen years old, about to start his first year at the vampire academy. The Golden patriarch, fearing that something might disrupt their plans, had decided to hold the engagement ceremony first, with the wedding to follow after the boy’s graduation. As Miss Golden’s cousin and former classmate, Adele had naturally received an invitation.
She couldn’t refuse, so she had to go to Golden Castle. And of course, she had to take Jasmine with her. They boarded an airship, and after several days of slow travel, they finally arrived at the airship port in Golden territory.
Then they transferred to a Golden family carriage, continuing their journey.
Golden Castle was grand, comparable in size to Blake Castle. Adele was assigned a suite, next door to her younger sister. Her parents, of course, had their own rooms. Adele’s mother, before her marriage, had been a Miss Golden, and she occasionally visited, so her room at Golden Castle had been preserved.
This wasn’t Adele’s first visit to Golden Castle. She had stayed here before.
Several years had passed, and the Blake Second Miss had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She was two years younger than the young Green boy, only fifteen this year. Learning that Adele had arrived, she knocked on her door, accompanied by her maid. Given her personality, Jasmine had expected her to bring a low-ranking vampire maid, but to her surprise, the maid accompanying her was the human girl who resembled Jasmine.
However, unlike Jasmine, the Second Miss’s maid had long, flowing hair, not short hair like hers. The Second Miss seemed to have matured, even curtseying politely to Adele and addressing her as “Sister.”
The last time Jasmine had seen her this well-behaved was when she had wanted to tag along with Adele and Jasmine to the village below the castle. But despite her impeccable manners, her attitude was still somewhat haughty. After all, tsunderes were common among vampires.
It was worth mentioning that the guest room came with a servant’s quarters. This was understandable. Guests would naturally bring their favorite servants, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to share the servants’ quarters with the host family’s servants.
After curtseying, the Second Miss said to Adele, “Sister, look! Haven’t I raised my maid well?!”
Jasmine almost burst out laughing.