Chapter 125: A Rose With a Price

William once again became the subject of coverage on the first three pages of the newspaper, an honor most ordinary people would never receive. A lucky few might make the papers after death through an obituary, but aside from that, the vast majority would go their entire lives without ever seeing their names in print.

The value of a human life can be immense, yet somehow it never outweighs the weight of a newspaper. That was amusing, or perhaps it was simply the truth.

A policy is never approved merely because everyone agrees it sounds reasonable. It takes time. It requires consideration for every corner of society.

First comes the advance messaging, allowing the public to gradually become familiar with the issue and the policy itself. Then comes deeper and deeper coverage, repeated again and again, guiding people from curiosity to acceptance, and from acceptance to habit. Once that happens, few people feel the policy is particularly objectionable.

Even those who dislike it usually just dislike it. They do not react as though they have been violated. The first violation always provokes outrage. Emotions run hot. But after enough repetitions, people stop caring.

That was why newspapers were covering William’s Secondhand Auction initiative on such a massive scale. The goal was normalization, helping those who might dislike the idea gradually accept it.

Article after article described the program as a policy that provided enormous benefits and convenience to ordinary citizens. They emphasized that local businessman William was willing to shoulder the responsibility himself. Not only would he sell secondhand goods at reasonable prices, but he would also purchase unused items from households and redirect them into the hands of people who actually needed them.

Spend less money. Get more value. That was the message the newspapers were selling, and quite a few people found it genuinely appealing.

It wasn’t only the newspapers in Sabine City. Papers in several major cities across the state had begun pushing the same narrative, while advertising space William had purchased started carrying notices about secondhand goods buyback programs.

After a certain period of time, the Economic Trade Company would gradually establish branch offices throughout the state and begin collecting goods.

For many families, it offered a glimmer of hope. Things they had once bought impulsively and considered worthless might now be turned back into cash. During an economic downturn, that extra money could help them hold on a little longer. As a result, more and more people found themselves hoping that Interstellar Trading Company would successfully establish operations in their communities.

A great many people saw those newspaper stories.

So many, in fact, that an “old woman” saw them too.

She looked to be in her fifties, though in reality she was only in her forties.

A woman from an ordinary family could never compare herself to the ladies of high society. She had neither the money nor the time to care for her skin, maintain her appearance, and preserve her youth.