Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

Chapter 338 - 323: Governor Lanci Serving the People_1

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from the Royal Capital Gedaria of Aestheland Kingdom, in the Protoss Empire’s Xue Yuan Province, the afternoon was also clear and bright.

The city walls, weathered by the years, still stood tall, embodying the rich history of Chinston City. A group of people were leisurely walking along the path on top of the walls.

In the middle of the group, a man dressed in a suit was walking with his hands clasped behind his back. Sunlight shone on him, casting a golden glow around his silhouette.

He was deep in thought and often looked into the distance. His strides were steady and powerful, as if he was feeling the heartbeat of the earth.

Behind him, a group of lords from various city-states in the province walked. Even though they held considerable authority in their own territories, they were expressing deep respect towards the man — the governor.

"High-quality development is the primary task of our comprehensive construction in Xue Yuan Province."

Lanci was making a series of important deployments while carrying out intensive field surveys in the local area.

The subordinates around him nodded respectfully, their eyes always centered on Lanci, ready to take any enquiries or instructions from him.

Sometimes, they would lower their heads slightly in introspection or avoid the governor’s peripheral gaze.

Earlier at noon, two hours ago, the governor had held a short meeting with these lords at Chinston City Hall. In the meeting room, Lanci listened to reports and gave invaluable advices.

He first affirmed the work of Xue Yuan Province over the past year, attributing it to the hardworking efforts of all people involved. Afterwards, he delved into the strategic importance of the province in the Protoss Empire and the responsibilities it needed to carry.

He pointed out that, due to its geographical location, Xue Yuan Province had a vast potential in both eco-protection and tourism development. Therefore, provincial development plans should prioritize security and environmental protection, ensuring that when eradicating the Phantom Gang, the local environment isn’t compromised and sustainable development is maintained.

Lanci emphasized that future development in the province should be based on local resources and features. He encouraged the investment of capital and technology into relevant infrastructure development. Moreover, he urged all levels of administration in the province to strengthen cooperation with city-states, learn from advanced experiences, and strive to improve local operational efficiency and management level.

In the end, he expressed his belief that with the combined efforts of the entire Xue Yuan Province, it will certainly become a region blending ecological beauty with economic vitality, thereby making its due contribution to the development of the Protoss Empire.

Even though the Governor was serious throughout the session.

His thought-out and piercing advices made the local lords recognize their problems and make promising commitments.

Now, after the meeting, several lords were still accompanying Lanci, walking atop the city walls of Chinston City.

Discussing the fine details of their work.

"... I don’t plan to stay in Xue Yuan Province for too long, I will depart once I’ve arranged the work plans, and the next time we meet should be in the Imperial Capital, Herram."

Lanci was planning to stay in Xue Yuan Province for only one or two more days; the next part of his journey would be to the North Border Province, which was much farther away.

Under the condition that the Magic Power Rail Train is not running yet and without accounting for the severe weather, the journey from Xue Yuan Province to the North Border Province could take several days.

Lanci needed to ensure his return to the Imperial Capital Herram by mid-April.

By then, in late April, there would be the long-awaited bishop elections.

The lords accompanying him, the nobility, all had the qualifications to attend the Upper House and hold a vote with substantial weight.

At the same time, Sigrid had already gathered many votes, and she was quite pleased, praising Lanci for the favor he had restored to Sikder. She encouraged him to continue working hard to make Sikder a happy girl.

Of course, if Lanci becomes a member of the Lower House through election, he will also have a vote, and the weighting of votes in the Lower House is relatively higher.

The Lower House in the Protoss Empire holds a clear advantage in the division of authority, and has the right to discuss numerous bills first. The aristocratic Upper House only has the right to delay approval for one month, and it is only responsible for the Lower House.

Listening like attentive followers to Lanci, the lords looked worried at each other when they heard that he would be leaving soon.

Eventually, hesitantly, they voiced their most concerning question.

"Governor Rocky McCarthy, what are we to do about the Phantom Gang after you leave?"

If Governor Rocky McCarthy himself were present, directing them to annihilate the Phantom Gang, they would certainly feel reassured.

But if he were to leave, even if he prepared a comprehensive plan for them before his departure, they would not be sure they could coordinate and implement it properly, nor could they ensure timely and effective actions against the Phantom Gang.

When it comes to execution, everyone may again prioritize their individual interests, ultimately choosing the plan of action that maximizes their own profit, hence abandoning the optimal solution for collective interests.

"The problem of dealing with the criminals in Xue Yuan, which should not be postponed, in my view, is mostly due to you all not being able to agree on the costs and benefits."

Lanci stopped, let out a breath visible in the cold air, and said.

Previously in the meeting room, he did not disclose his strategic plans and had planned to share them with the lords now.

"..."

The other lords all hesitated, following his lead to a halt.

Being pointed out so accurately about their root problem left them speechless.

"Of course, I don’t mean to blame you... I just think that justice shouldn’t be a losing business."

Lanci stood upright, his seasoned eyes gazed at the plains of snow ahead, and his deep voice echoed in the cold air,

"Change your mentality, if you think the cost is too high now, then we need to increase the benefits, to motivate everyone to do good."

"But… how can we increase the benefits of capturing the Phantom Gang?"

One lord, puzzled, stepped forward and asked.

This was undoubtedly what troubled them the most.

Suppressing bandits required a great deal of fiscal and manpower resources, and the resulting merits were unremarkable. The main reason the lords hadn’t reached an agreement before was disagreements on who should bear the responsibilities.

And now, the governor was telling them that the benefits of capturing bandits could be increased?

If it’s feasible, it could fundamentally solve their predicament.

"Issue a public bulletin."

Lanci replied casually, offering direction.

"A public bulletin?"

Lanci nodded, continuing to speak:

"Starting from today, all prisoners in the city jails of Xue Yuan Province will be allowed to work outside the high walls under proper supervision. They will engage in various public services, learn the value of honest labor, provide services to the community, and contribute to the common taxpayers."

"?!"

The other lords were taken aback by his words.

Even though the Protoss Empire had Demon Slaves, even adapting convicts into slaves required complex registration, audit and certification procedures, and the costs involved in applying contracts and restrictive magic were substantial.

However, in the legal code, there was indeed no prohibition against using jail convicts for "rented labor work".

And the definition of this "work" was quite vague.

In Xue Yuan Province, the vast expanse of resources was just waiting to be tapped, and with an ample supply of labor capable of working in freezing conditions, wealth could roll in like a flood!

This wasn’t capturing criminals, it was trafficking them!