Truth be told, Andoain's death didn't shock Jeanne to her core. She had never known the man well; hearing that a distant acquaintance had met such an unexpected end simply left her with a quiet, melancholic sigh.
Before long, her attention was completely pulled away by Reunion's ongoing recruitment drive. The recruitment process across the slums was going so smoothly it almost felt surreal.
It seemed as though every faction in Lungmen was quietly facilitating their departure. The local authorities almost looked eager to see these impoverished, Infected citizens vanish from their city, even offering subtle assistance behind the scenes to speed up the move.
"How are there still this many people?" FrostNova marveled as she watched the endless line of Infected and slum dwellers. "I know our city is great, but seeing this many eager to pack up and leave... just how miserable were their lives here?"
Ever since the first batch of departure reports arrived from Chernobog, more and more locals had been rushing to sign up.
"It's simple," Jeanne said calmly, watching the crowd. "A steady job, fair wages, and a chance at a life far better than starving in the gutters. That alone is enough to draw anyone in."
The impoverished citizens of Lungmen were desperate to rewrite their destinies using Chernobog as a stepping stone. That desire alone drove them to swarm the recruitment posts in droves.
"You're going to have your hands full once you get back, though," FrostNova remarked, recalling a recent conversation with Talulah. "Talulah mentioned that small-time syndicate groups are starting to pop up over there. Looks like a few shady characters migrated right along with the crowd."
Jeanne winced, rubbing her temples. Technically, managing the city's internal affairs fell squarely on her shoulders, but she had been somewhat distracted lately, getting wrapped up in Rhodes Island's affairs. Hearing FrostNova bring it up made her feel a sudden urge to groan.
"We can just leave that to the military police," Jeanne sighed. "They know how to handle syndicates. Half the outfits in Lungmen only settled here because the military police chased them out of Ursus in the first place."
While Jeanne and her companions were discussing their plans, three uninvited guests had just arrived at Wei Yenwu's office—guests who represented nothing but trouble in his eyes. Yet, the ruler of Lungmen had no choice but to greet them with a polite smile.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Wei Yenwu asked, eyeing the three figures cloaked in grand crimson robes.
He knew all too well that an unannounced visit from the Grand Court never boded well. His eyes sharpened slightly beneath his measured smile.
"We come on official business. We would hardly make such a journey for personal matters," one of the visitors replied coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I see. Is there anything I can assist you with?" Wei Yenwu offered, keeping his guard up even as his grin remained warm.
As long as this wasn't about his private family affairs, Wei Yenwu had little to fear. Even if someone behind the scenes was trying to stir the pot, he wasn't about to let them push the Chief Executive of Lungmen around.
"In that case, I have a question for you, Chief Wei," a tall, heavily built man among the trio stepped forward, skipping the pleasantries. "Why have you allowed those Ursus people to carry Yan citizens away to Ursus?"
Wei Yenwu's eyes flickered slightly at the confrontational tone, but his expression remained unfazed.
"Allowed them to take Yan citizens? I have done no such thing," Wei Yenwu explained smoothly. "I merely permitted them to repatriate Ursus refugees who fled to our borders over the years. As you gentlemen well know, the political climate in Ursus was quite turbulent in recent years, leading many displaced souls to seek shelter in Lungmen."
Wei Yenwu had never promised Jeanne that she could take Yan citizens freely. He had only agreed to let her take any Ursus refugees willing to leave.
Of course, given that Lungmen had never bothered to complete a census for the slums, telling who was a native Yan citizen and who was an Ursus refugee was an impossible task. It was up to the refugees to sort that out themselves.
"Do not play word games with us!" a sharp voice cut in. "Those Ursus recruiters are openly taking Yan subjects! As Chief Executive, your turn of a blind eye constitutes a gross neglect of duty!"
The speaker made no attempt to hide his disdain, his words laced with the heavy implication that Wei Yenwu ought to step down and account for his failures.
"Yan subjects, you say?" Wei Yenwu raised his voice, his tone taking on a colder edge. "May I ask if you have their official Yan household registries on hand? Without household registration, they are merely unregistered vagrants who drifted into our borders. These displaced masses place an immense strain on Lungmen's resources! As I recall, Yan law mandates state subsidies for managing regional vagrants. Why, then, has Lungmen never received a single coin from the central treasury for their upkeep?"
Wei Yenwu's retort hit hard, and he had every right to be confident. Lungmen had built its modern prosperity without relying on handouts from the imperial court. He had forged this city with his own hands.
"According to the imperial code, individuals without registered household records are legally classified as displaced vagrants," the tall man named Taihe interjected, checking his colleague's outburst. "A regional governor holds full authority over the handling of unregistered vagrants. Chief Wei has not violated his duty."
"Taihe, you—!" The sharp-voiced envoy stared at his colleague in utter disbelief, rendered speechless by the sudden pushback.
"However," Taihe turned back to Wei Yenwu, his tone shifting slightly, "we are still talking about Ursus. Chief Wei, can you guarantee that our people will not be exploited after moving there, or that this migration won't be used as a pretext to undermine Yan's interests?"
Their primary duty was to evaluate Wei Yenwu's governance and ensure his policies did not compromise the security of the empire.
"On that front, I can offer full assurance," Wei Yenwu replied firmly. "They are merely reclaiming their own refugees. Should anything happen to those refugees once they return to Ursus, how could that possibly fall on Lungmen's shoulders?"
Wei Yenwu stuck firmly to his narrative. He knew his city inside and out, and he was well aware of just how many refugees had flooded in from Chernobog over the years.
"If that is the case, we hope this matter concludes without incident," Taihe said neutrally. "We shall remain in Lungmen for a time, until those Ursus recruiters have departed."
With that, the three envoys turned and swept out of the office.
Once the door clicked shut, Wei Yenwu dropped his polite facade, staring grimly at the retreating backs of the Grand Court officials.
He pondered who was trying to pull the strings against him. Judging by the envoys' aggressive stance, someone was definitely fanning the flames from the shadows. Fortunately, that individual's influence appeared limited; otherwise, this visit would have been far more troublesome.
For now, he needed to keep the city quiet. As long as no major incidents broke out before these court envoys took their leave, they wouldn't have any concrete grounds to penalize him.
While Wei Yenwu didn't fear the Grand Court, he preferred to avoid unnecessary headaches and endless bureaucratic squabbles.
"Once they leave, the next phase of Lungmen's expansion can finally begin," Wei Yenwu muttered to himself, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window at the sprawling skyline, his eyes gleaming with anticipation for the city's future.
"Chief Wei, someone is here to see you," a polite voice called out from behind the door.
"Who is it?" Wei Yenwu asked casually without turning around.
"It's... someone from the Guard Bureau..."
"I'm not seeing them!" Wei Yenwu's face darkened the moment he heard the Guard Bureau mentioned. His mind instantly jumped to his niece, Ch'en, who had confronted him multiple times over his handling of the slums.
Ch'en was one of the few who vehemently opposed the mass relocation of the slum residents. To someone determined to reform Lungmen and improve the lives of its poorest citizens, this move felt like a cheap cop-out.
Though Wei Yenwu had previously silenced her arguments with cold pragmatism, he was in no mood to deal with another heated debate right now.
"Chief Wei, it's me," a calm, familiar voice sounded from the doorway.
Wei Yenwu turned around, remaining silent for a long moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "Come in."