How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 118: The Race (3)

"Hmm..."

"What's wrong, Baron?"

"Ah, Vicente."

At Vicente's words, Raleigh seems to come to his senses and puts down the tablet he was fiddling with.

Between them, a campfire was burning, and the walls and ceiling of the wigwam (traditional Pennacook dwelling made of tree bark) were enveloping them cozily.

"No, I was just... amazed."

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Raleigh couldn't take his eyes off the tablet he had put down.

Inside it was written a long list.

Numerous tribes, tribal confederations, and the names and ranks of their chiefs and grand chiefs were listed.

That's right.

Names and "ranks."

"It's truly amazing. How could our leader have thought of such a thing..."

"Isn't he a person who transcends ordinary wisdom? Surely, the one who sits beside the Lord's throne sees what people cannot see and knows what people do not know."

"Even so, isn't it truly astonishing?"

Raleigh still couldn't forget each and every one of his amazing words.

"Remember. Bronze, Pure Silver, Gold, Platinum."

"Bronze, Pure Silver, Gold, Platinum."

"Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond."

"Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond."

After listing the names of various precious metals and gems, he said:

"This will become the designation attached after the tribe's name from now on."

Ah.

"Those who have made the Lord's authority flourish in this land will receive a higher name, and those who have served this holy community will receive a higher name."

Aah.

With his wisdom, he wondered what use it would be. It seemed beautiful but just a name.

But as soon as they put his wisdom into practice, a miracle happened.

Many people entrusted themselves to the holy and blessed Virginia community, offering gifts.

And those many people brought more people into the community, making them participate in new gift exchanges.

Raleigh looked at Vicente and said:

"This... is like a parable from the Bible."

"Well, that's right."

So many tribes voluntarily submitting themselves.

As Raleigh and Vicente were conversing, a young man who had recently become the grand chief of this place enters the wigwam.

"You've waited long. I apologize for the inconvenience to our guests. There were tribal matters that needed to be resolved."

"Not at all, Grand Chief. For us, it's an honor to be invited like this."

At Raleigh's words, Grand Chief Nanepashemet opens his mouth.

"...So, what exactly is this proposal of yours?"

At those words, Raleigh and Vicente swallow hard and slowly... open their mouths.

"You are... very fortunate. If you start now, this tribe can start right away at the Gold rank."

"Yes. And if you bring in other tribes, it won't be long before you can easily upgrade to the Ruby rank."

"...Hmm."

That's right.

They were in the process of attempting the world's first multi-level marketing.

==

"Issei, this isn't what mom is doing is multi-level. Huh? Network marketing? I'm telling you it's not that either!

"...Originally it was called network marketing, but because there are so many low-quality and trashy scammers in the industry, our company doesn't use that term anymore."

"Really, it's not that illegal multi-level scheme, I'm telling you! So from now on, please call it by its proper name, 'business referral marketing'."

"That's right. Issei's mom, this is truly a good business model! If someone isn't greedy, they just buy and use their own products, and the commission comes back to them! Companies save on marketing costs, customers use good products at a cheap price..."

"Kuaaaaaak! N-no! You can't make money from that...!"

"Uh, N-Nemo? What's wrong?"

"...Nothing, Eleanor."

Ah... bad memories came to mind.

Mom, p-please, please...

Don't buy strange things like shampoo. It's not cheap, and it's not good quality, so why are you stockpiling it...

Being so gullible, you fall for nonsense about easily and comfortably making money by farming Shine Muscat...

...Sigh.

I blew the bad memories away with the wind, shaking my head slightly as if the physical motion could dislodge the unwelcome thoughts.

Some people suffer from trauma, some people are consumed by trauma. I'd heard that somewhere before, and it resonated deeply.

I consumed trauma. Turned it into fuel, into motivation, into a twisted form of knowledge.

If I can't avoid multi-level marketing, I might as well become multi-level marketing itself. Transform the very thing that caused my pain into a tool under my control.

Multi-level sales, network marketing, business referral transactions... whatever you call it, the essence is the same. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet—or in this case, as suspicious.

A proposes to B to try and sell this product, making a "business referral." The friendly smile, the casual coffee meeting that turns into a pitch.

B accepts it, and B proposes the same to C and D, C proposes to E, F, and G, forming a "network." The web spreads, each person reaching out to friends and family, stretching the connections thin.

And so, as the proposer takes a portion of the profit from those they introduced, a pyramid-like marketing with multiple "levels" is formed. The money flows upward, a trickle becoming a stream for those at the top.

That is multi-level marketing.

Adding various clauses here can make it as evil as an outright Ponzi scheme, or removing some spiciness can make it like a Ka*ao game that was popular in the early to mid-2010s.

Yes.

If I've experienced many annoying things because of multi-level marketing, if I've been stressed because of multi-level marketing...

I become multi-level marketing.

...Of course, I don't intend to ruin anyone's life, so I didn't make it like a Ponzi scheme.

I slightly mixed multi-level marketing with Ka*ao games and removed the spiciness.

==

"Isn't this... a structure where we can never surpass those who started before us? This will surely bring calamity..."

"Ah, how wise you are. Many people have such concerns. Clearly, it's a structure where those who start first have an advantage over latecomers."

As Raleigh interrupts Nanepashemet at the right moment, while he is confused, Vicente continues:

"That's right, Grand Chief. But isn't it natural for someone who starts running first to be ahead of someone who starts running later?"

"...Well, that's true."

Vicente distracts the chief's mind with a somewhat similar but slightly different argument.

Meanwhile, Raleigh subtly shifts his position, pretending to adjust his uncomfortable posture, and moves toward the entrance of the wigwam.

Thus, Nanepashemet's escape route is naturally blocked. However, he doesn't even realize the sophisticated encirclement refined by 21st-century multi-level marketers.