-What do you have to say now?
Andrew asked coldly.
He only met these people for less than five minutes, and they managed to piss him off like no one else before.
-You really are the emperor.
A gray-haired man with a calm demeanor and cold eyes stated.
-Yes, I am, and you just made fun of me and caused trouble for my empresses while I was gone.
So tell me, what should I do with you now?
Hearing his words, most of the group turned pale, understanding how much trouble they were in now.
-I read your files, and let me give you all a reality check, before you say something stupid.
Andrew didn't wait for them to answer.
-You are no longer CEO's, politicians, billionaires or whatever you were before the event.
So stop trying to flex your nonexistent power and influence.
Right now you are nobodies and as far as I can see there is no value in keeping a bunch of old people who still think they are big shots, just because they were somebody in the past.
Truth be told I would gain more by selling you as slaves than keeping you in the empire, especially with your attitudes.
He paused for a moment to let them digest his words.
-I'll give you one chance to convince me not to sell you all back.
Set the control to level 3.
Andrew ordered and momentarily the bunch of arrogant people started trembling in fear as they didn't want to go back to being slaves.
There was however one man who was not afraid or at least he didn't show fear in any way.
It was the same grey-haired man who spoke earlier.
-Your majesty, I am General Taylor, US Air Force.
I am sorry for our earlier behavior.
The man said without changing his expression.
-I know that there is nothing excusing us, but I think that you could use our expertise and experience.
He stated.
-Well general, the problem is that your experience and expertise are more or less useless to me.
For example, your experience would be useful if we were fighting on the surface of the planet, but we are in space, and believe it or not I think that a navy admiral would be way better than you in this kind of environment.
Additionally the Air-force is useless even on the planet since the point defense weaponry is now so advanced that even drones suffer heavy losses in combat not to mention crewed fighters.
As for the rest of you.
Andrew turned his gaze to the rest of the group.
-What good are you when there are no companies to run, no stocks, no shares, the money is worthless and the technology is so advanced that all we need is to get the resources to build whatever we want, and even that is managed by drones.
He asked.
Truth be told, he didn't have much hope for this bunch of snobs from the start, and even considered telling Tanera not to buy such people in the future.
Nobody spoke as they just realized that they were indeed useless.
-So what, are you going to sell us back into slavery, just because you don't know what to do with us?
The same woman who made fun of him asked.
Her file said that she was a CEO of a consulting company from England.
-I'm considering it.
Andrew said.
-I see nothing that could change my mind in this regard and as far as I can tell you bunch are just a pain in the ass which I don't need, especially with all that is happening right now.
-Sooner or later, you will need to start some sort of internal economy for your empire, we can be useful to you then.
Another man this time in his forties and clearly an Asian, but Andrew could not say from which country, said.
-There won't be any internal economy, no free market, nothing even remotely close to what we had on earth.
My empire won't need anything like that, especially with the amount of resources we currently have at our disposal and the technology to build anything we want and recycle it if it breaks.
-You're talking about communism, there were many who tried that and you most likely heard of the results from your history lessons.
A guy Andrew recognized from television as a politician said.
-Their problem was that they tried to tell everyone that they were equal and some were more equal than others.
I don't have this problem.
Additionally, the population of the whole empire right now is at about 250 000 beings, from many races, and even if all the territories who want to join us will do so, the population should not exceed two million.
The empire spans about five thousand light-years in this galaxy and not much less in the Milky Way and is still growing, so unlike the others that tried this, I won't have a problem with resources.
Not to mention that without using the money and with access to anything anyone wants, there won't be any incentive to accumulate excessive wealth as it would be pointless.
-This won't work, without any incentive, there is no way that anyone would work if they don't need to do so.
Another man, who was a billionaire in the past said, shaking his head.
-Want to bet?
Andrew smiled for the first time since this whole farce started.
-There is a population of more than five thousand humans on earth right now, and they are working just fine without a pay of any kind.
If they want a house all they need is to point out where to build it, if they need equipment, they just need to send a request, and as for their work, they are doing what they want to do and as far as I can tell they are happy with their current lives.
What's more, they are providing a lot of food and other resources from Earth on their own.
-Yeah like I believe that.
The politician said with a sneer.
Andrew simply displayed a list of personnel on earth.
-Choose a person, we can contact them and then you will be able to ask them yourself.
General Taylor made the choice, contacting a totally random person.
-Howdy, your majesty, would you care to sample the beef we will be sending up soon?
A man in his fifties dressed like a cowboy and sitting on a horse asked happily.
-I would love to, but that's not why I'm calling.
Andrew smiled.
He knew the rancher named Jeff Walker who was now having fun in Texas raising cattle and catching any cows he could find along with a few of his friends.
-If there is anything I can do to help, just say so and it will be done.
The rancher said.
-I have a bunch of people who wish to ask you a few questions if you have the time.
Andrew explained.
-I have all the time in the world.
The cowboy answered with a grin.
-So folks, what do you wish to know?
The man asked.
-How do you feel about working without pay?
The politician asked.
-If it was in the past I would say I'm a slave, but right now I'm a free man and I do what I love.
Moreover, there are no taxes, no banks, no forms to fill, no stress.
If this is not paradise then it's damn close.
The rancher answered.
-But you have to send whatever you produce to the empire, how is that not a tax?
A man who was a bank owner in the past asked not believing what he just heard.
-Oh that?
That's not even worth mentioning.
We all need to eat, alien or human and that's the purpose of my work, to feed us all.
Besides what would I do with all this meat, milk, cheese, and other stuff.
Not to mention that his majesty always tells us that we are sending way too much already, but the way I see it we don't send enough.
The rancher's words shocked them all as they never expected that a man could give most of his production away and still claim that it's not enough.
-On another note, your majesty, if you could find us two or three more veterinarians we would be very thankful, the five we have here are overworked as it is.
Jeff said with a broad smile.
-I'll see what I can do about it.
Andrew promised, also smiling.
-Thank you your majesty, if there is anything I can ever do for you just call me.
The man tipped his hat and closed the connection.
-Want to call a few more people?
Andrew turned to the bunch of former elites.
-Yes one man's point of view does not prove anything.
The consulting firm CEO's said.
-Then choose a person and get on with it.
Andrew said pointing on the list.
Soon they spoke to another person and heard more or less the same thing.
After three more calls they all understood that this young emperor's idea was working, and the people were actually happy to work when they didn't have to worry about any material needs and there was no one above them demanding impossible results in the name of profit.
Moreover there was no crime, as the fourth person they called who was actually a sheriff appointed for his small town explained.
-Since we can have whatever we want, there is no reason for anyone to resort to crime.
The man said with a smile.
-Well, are you convinced now, or do you still want to waste my time?
Andrew asked when the last call ended.
-Alright so it works for now, but what will you do when the population increases?
The politician asked in a defeated tone.
In his eyes this young man was the best politician he had ever seen, having the support of his people without even trying.
Hearing his words Andrew simply laughed.
-Earth is the only populated planet so far, and within the empire there are at least three dozen planets that are inhabitable by humans and more that can become homes for other species or be terraformed.
With the expansion we are experiencing now, there will be even more planets and with recycling, our resources will last for millennia if not longer.
Additionally without any reason for hoarding wealth, there is no risk of overdrawing on resources, meaning that there will be more than enough for everyone.
Andrew explained.
-Alright so your system works and there is no need for our expertise.
So what will you do with us now?
The general asked.
-That depends entirely on you.
Andrew said seriously.
-If you will continue to be a pain in the ass, then I will get rid of you, but if you want to live like the others on earth, then be my guest.
There is no other option, so choose wisely.
The former elites were silent, understanding now that their days of having prestige and power were over.
Defeated, they agreed to be sent to earth without any fuss.
Andrew deactivated their chips once again before they left, barely believing that it took him more than an hour to put them in their place.
However despite their agreement to go back to earth he still didn't trust them and gave a heads up to the small towns they wished to settle in.
After that he started the real work, trying his best to do as much as he could before the diplomats arrived, since he was almost certain that he would need to deal with them personally and it would take a lot of time and effort to do so.