The stadium roared. Like a wild beast locked in a cage, he emitted streams of rage and uncontrollable power. The "fans", like the spectators of the ancient Colosseum, gathered to taste "bread and circuses". Towering over all this teeming anthill, in the VIP box, our old acquaintances settled down - the television king Ivan Ivanovich, the alcoholic king Vasily Vasilyevich, the "computer genius" Alex Gotman, and, of course, the main director of the upcoming football performance - football tycoon Nikolai Nikolaevich …
- Just look! Look at this! Thousands of people are united by one impulse, one idea, one striving. They have only one thought in their heads now, and it dangles there like a penny in an empty suitcase. And we managed to bind them all with this one thought and make them come here, bring their money and sacredly believe that an event of a global scale and significance is taking place here now! - Shaking his clenched fists, Nikolai Nikolaevich inspiredly told his colleagues about the boundlessness of his power and genius.
- We shouldn't have gathered here, - Ivan Ivanovich answered him lazily, - well, what is there to look at?
- How is it, what for? - Nikolai Nikolaevich turned sharply to Ivan Ivanovich - On the possibility of manipulating the mass consciousness. It's just incredible. How can millions of people around the world be convinced that twenty hamsters kicking a ball across the field is incredibly interesting, and most importantly, important for humanity. Well, then, dear Ivan Ivanovich, would it ever occur to you that kicking the ball across the field is a super important, almost historical event?
- Okay, Nikolai Nikolaevich, we have already understood that you are a great master of your craft, a puppeteer from God. Well, or from the devil, I don't know. Maybe let's go from here then? There is nothing for us to look at, - Ivan Ivanovich replied, just as lazily and reluctantly, as if he was being forced into a conversation.
- Where are we going? Now the fun begins. Now, every time the ball hits the goal, there will be … in general, you will see what will happen. You should see it at least once in your life - as adults, seemingly adequate people … in general, now you will see everything for yourself, - Nikolai Nikolaevich said impatiently.
- And beer! The beer is whipped! - Vasily Vasilyevich said enthusiastically, - we allowed them to drink beer at the stadiums at this match. Isn't that great?
- And these simpletons are happy. Carry money and pour poison into yourself. Do they have no brains at all? - Alex commented on Vasily Vasilyevich's delight.
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- What kind of brains are there? Do you know what beer does to brains? Take an interest. Just not with articles from this Internet of yours, where we have paid for everything for a long time, and there, apart from stories about the benefits of alcohol, there is almost no adequate information, - said Vasily Vasilyevich.
- But what about the Common Cause, or this new project of their followers “Think Yourself / Think Now”? - Alex said with a malicious smile.
- Yes! Then I found a scythe on a stone. For what year we have not known what to do with them. But to be honest, our main audience doesn't even watch their films, because they don't need it. They both drank and will drink. We brainwashed them well. They consider every teetotaler to be almost a schizophrenic. And those with their name "Think here, Think here" generally shot into the milk, look at this crowd in the stands, do you really believe that any of them will want to "think"? Yes, they will vomit faster from this word than from beer? - the alcoholic king laughed, and suddenly became serious. - But we must admit that these projects are very hindering the process of alcoholization of our youth. So the supply of "fresh meat" to which we can sell our rubbish has dropped significantly recently. But nothing,we have them more … - Vasily Vasilyevich shook his fist at the activists of the "Common cause" and again turned to the football field.
- Here! Here! Begins! - Nikolai Nikolayevich rubbed his hands happily when the stands exploded with shouts, screams and squeals, and the players ran on the field.
- And you like it? Ivan Ivanovich asked with undisguised disgust. - It feels like I'm in some kind of oasis of primitive society.
- These are primitive people. Some instincts and nothing else. They are divided into "tribes" - each tribe has its own scarf of a certain color. And as in primitive times, these savages are ready to kill each other just because they belong to different "tribes", - Nikolai Nikolayevich described in detail the features of his business.
“Listen, but there are a huge number of so-called“patriots”among them who are sure that winning the championship will benefit their country,” Alex entered the conversation, pointing his finger at the fan, painted from head to toe in the colors of the flag.
“We call them" patrioluchs "because they can't see beyond their noses. For them, the "prestige of the country" boils down to the one who has the best ball possession. Like children who have learned the rules and are now trying their best to win in someone else's scenario, not really thinking about the questions why adults come up with such games. As a result, they do not understand that this "prestige" is earned on the anti-popular cause and supports the entire current system of competition and enmity. They live according to the principle “the end justifies the means,” which we have been instilling in them since childhood,”Nikolai Nikolayevich explained in a businesslike manner.
- Well, have you shown us everything? Can we go? Ivan Ivanovich asked with obvious irritation.
- Why are you all in a hurry? Watch and have fun. You should have seen how these savages were ready to kill each other at the entrance for an extra ticket. Every second of them could sell their mother to take your place in the VIP-box. And you do not value your happiness, - Nikolai Nikolaevich laughed.
- By the way, with this popularization of football, we have a new segment of consumers - lazy dreamy teenagers. They themselves are too lazy to go in for sports, so they sit at game consoles and win championships for days, - Alex entered the conversation again.
- Yes, these computer games are generally a good thing. Especially for teenagers. All young people want to assert themselves, to feel like “gods”. So it’s better to let them sit at home, get stupid playing games, than they will create different problems for us in real life. Like these activists of the "Common Business", they go to schools, conduct sobriety lessons, - Vasily Vasilyevich raised the "sick" topic again.
- You can't do that, Vasily Vasilyevich. Don't take care of yourself at all! We'll figure it out with them somehow! And if not, then we will declare crazy or something else will come up with. This is great for us. Whoever cannot be slandered through the media - we simply declare abnormal. Because only abnormal ones can not drink alcohol, - said Ivan Ivanovich, and a malicious smile spread across his face.
- By the way, yes, we have already advertised these football players so much that teenagers pray to them like idols - each has an "icon" of some ball-maker hanging over the bed, and a T-shirt with his name and autograph in the closet, for which he paid the money he had saved for several years. Such are the idols of the youth. Everyone wants to kick the ball and get millions, but don't give a damn about the rest,”Nikolai Nikolayevich said, not looking up from watching the raging stands.
- Yes, we work in a good tandem - teenagers were seated at consoles, adults were broadcast the match on TV, and all social, economic, political problems seem to disappear. No one else cares about anything. In the meantime, they "tu-tu" will scream at the stadiums, but behind the TV - we will raise the retirement age, and promote all other things, - added Ivan Ivanovich.
- And for this case, we also sold them beer for a couple of billion dollars. How, after all, our business is harmoniously thought out - one area perfectly complements the other and supports it, - noted Vasily Vasilyevich.
- And most importantly, they, - Ivan Ivanovich condescendingly nodded towards those galloping in the stands in insane ecstasy, - sincerely believe that this is normal, that it should be so, that everything they do is their "choice" and in general - normal leisure. And those few who see and understand what is really happening, they call madmen. Madmen call normal people madmen. Incredible! - Ivan Ivanovich said thoughtfully.
- Yes, all because "normality" is determined by the majority. And if we have convinced the majority that it is normal to follow the kick of the ball while drinking beer, then everyone who will not do this is a priori abnormal.
- Exactly! Exactly! - Nikolai Nikolaevich exclaimed with delight, - it's great invented, isn't it? Well, admit it, Ivan Ivanovich.
- Great, but we don't need to look at all this. Otherwise, we'll become the same as these, - Ivan Ivanovich nodded contemptuously towards the people galloping in the stands.
- Here! Here it is! What is it, huh? - Nikolay Nikolaevich turned to his colleagues when the ball flew into the goal, and thousands of people merged in one insane scream. - Adults are happy that the ball flew into the gate as if they were given a million each. What is it, huh? This is how their consciousness should have been corrected?
“Yes, you have done a colossal work,” Ivan Ivanovich said wearily.
- Madness … - Alex whispered, took off his glasses and covered his eyes with his hand. - It's just madness …