Chapter 121: Terror Envelops
During that terrifying storm, the inner city was, of course, affected as well.
However, compared to the outer city, the inner city, which had a much more rational and modern construction plan, didn’t fare too badly.
The sturdy buildings weren’t easily blown over or washed away; while flooding did cause the city to soak in water for a while, reliable drainage channels and sewers quickly cleared the water after the skies cleared.
Even for the people in the inner city, a few days of stoppage didn’t lead to hunger.
They generally had stockpiles of food and savings at home.
But their days were far from comfortable.
It’s just that the way they were uncomfortable was different.
If, at present, Osena, the head of civil affairs, was the one in charge of Revival City’s outer city, and the overall tone of the outer city was post-disaster reconstruction and thriving recovery,
then the inner city’s most powerful person was Lambert, the grandson of the former council president.
The tone he set for the inner city was one of terror politics.
Lambert, whose family was nearly wiped out, had already transformed into a vengeful wraith—at least, that’s how the inner city residents saw it.
This terror politics had begun even before the storm.
After Norris was captured, based on the testimonies of him and Bradford, two prominent former Alliance council members, soldiers took people away every day.
Those who were taken disappeared without a trace.
Those responsible for the arrests weren’t even known by anyone in Revival City.
These troops, directly under the Governor’s command and dispatched from Wei Xing City, were utterly impartial and without personal ties; there was no way to even inquire privately about the status of those detained.
The inner city was now like a murderous game; each night when one closed their eyes, upon opening them, someone they knew might have been summoned and never returned.
Saying people were anxious was an understatement.
A rumor started spreading within the inner city: the vengeful wraith intended to drag all of Revival City into hell as a funeral sacrifice for his family.
The storm that had nearly destroyed the city became a time when people’s minds could finally rest. At least, for those with something to hide, this was the case.
At least in the storm, they didn’t have to worry about soldiers coming to take people away.
However, when the storm stopped, the atmosphere of terror swept back in, and the inner city residents began to tremble again.
Lambert had become a name used to scare children into silence at night within the inner city.
“Is it really that terrifying?” Listening to Osena’s teasing over the communication line, Lambert was somewhat at a loss between crying and laughing.
“Isn’t that how it is? I’ve heard the stories! Don’t try to deny it!”
“You can’t just say whatever you want!” Lambert continued to argue, “I’m only following the Governor’s orders. I don’t need to use my power for personal vendettas because… well, because according to the Governor’s orders, all those involved in my grandfather’s death are enemies of this city. Targeting them is official business. As for others, it’s not like I’m venting my anger on them; they simply have committed a lot of bad deeds. According to the Governor’s standards, they have sins to atone for.”
“And how will they atone for these sins?” Osena asked with some curiosity.
There was no harm in explaining, so Lambert answered, “Some of the worst offenders will have their crimes announced at a public trial in three days and will be executed publicly. Others will be sentenced to various periods of labor. Those sentenced to labor will be sent to work as free laborers in the Wasteland Society’s mines or to operate sewing machines in government-run textile factories powered by inmate labor.”
“And how many people in total?”
“Uh… around two thousand.”
“Two thousand…” Osena couldn’t help but click her tongue, “The inner city only has about a hundred thousand people in total, right? You detained 2% of the population; no wonder you have such a reputation in the inner city.”
“They brought it upon themselves.” Lambert snorted coldly, unwilling to continue discussing the matter.
He didn’t act solely out of personal motivation. The Governor had ordered him to act to clean up the inner city thoroughly. If nearly all the production assets were to be confiscated and transformed into government-owned assets, how could it possibly be accomplished through peaceful means?
The decision of who among the most severe offenders required execution and who needed long-term labor wasn’t based solely on their crimes but also on their influence.
Those who submitted neither quickly, fully, nor resolutely enough bore greater guilt in proportion to their influence.
However, there was no need to discuss this with Osena.
Changing the subject, he said, “I understand the favor you asked for. I’ll pick a group of people with ‘minor sins.’ They were going to be released anyway. By treating them with a mix of grace and intimidation, they—who were once utterly frightened—will suddenly have a chance to serve the Governor and gain more important roles and opportunities than before. I imagine they’ll weep with joy.”
“Uh…” Osena pictured the scene in her mind.
It would indeed be quite tearful.
Lambert paused and then continued, “But, you should also be careful. Although these people are competent and have no major issues with their backgrounds, they were still subjected to a crackdown. I can’t guarantee they won’t harbor resentment towards the Governor or the new government. Be cautious in using them.”
“I will.”
…
After ending the call with Osena, Lambert gathered his materials and went to find the Governor.
When he arrived, Gu Hang’s secretary Zhang Chao asked him to wait a moment; the previous meeting was running over time.
Lambert waited patiently, and after a while, he saw Yan Fangxu and Tadius walk out.
He stood up and greeted them, and the two quickly returned the gesture before passing by each other.
They didn’t exchange any words; as the two key military leaders under the Governor’s command, they appeared rushed, evidently with many things to attend to; Lambert himself was eager to report to the Governor and had no time for small talk.
Upon entering the Governor’s office, he was about to salute but was stopped by Gu Hang.
“No need for formalities, let’s get straight to business.”
“Understood.” Lambert dared not delay; he stepped forward and placed a stack of documents in front of the Governor.
As the Governor looked through them, Lambert began his report.
The main content included who he had recently apprehended, who needed particular attention, and who was somewhat uncertain and required the Governor’s decision.
As he listened, Gu Hang made a few amendments to the documents before passing them back to Lambert.
“Follow these instructions.”
“Yes.” Lambert acknowledged and added, “I’ve finished my report, so I won’t keep you any longer, Governor…”
In the middle of his farewell, Gu Hang interrupted, “Hold on, there’s one more matter.”
“Your public trial will be moved up to tomorrow. After your trial concludes, I’ll use the same venue to hold a commendation ceremony for our military forces.”
Lambert paused, then quickly replied, “Understood; I know what to do.”
Although he said so, it would still be a bit troublesome. With the schedule moved up by two days, many preparations had yet to be made; it seemed he and his subordinates would have to work overtime tonight.
Gu Hang was obviously aware of this and reassured him, “Alright, go prepare, and thank you for your efforts.”