On the bustling streets.
A group of soldiers knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing in apology, their faces bruised and swollen, their clothes filthy, looking very pitiable.
The citizens were all shocked; they had never dreamt such a thing could happen.
The troops of the Governnt were very arrogant, never treating the common people as human beings; they bullied them as they wished, and even if soone was accidentally killed, no one would be held accountable. In Heavenly Water City, the lives of ordinary citizens were the least valued, with a great number of them dying unnatural deaths each year.
The polarization in Heavenly Water City was severe, with the officials living luxuriously fulfilled lives, while the common people led miserable, desolate ones. The chief culprit for all this was He Hentian.
He Hentian, while drawing in the officials, oppressed the commoners at the bottom. If he were in a bad mood, he would go on a bloody rampage. Over the years, at least tens of millions of citizens had died at the hands of He Hentian, which just showed how cruel-hearted he was.
...
"All of you, scram!" Gao Fei waved his hand, "Go back and nd your ways, be good people."
The soldiers picked themselves up from the ground, helping each other as they walked off into the distance.
"Do you all believe in now?" Gao Fei said with a smile, looking at the citizens around him, "I will abolish unreasonable regulations and severely punish bullies who humiliate the people! In a word, I will make sure you lead good lives! I an what I say!" At this point, Gao Fei paused, "Everyone is welco to supervise ! If I fail to do so, you all can point at my spine and curse ! Or even hit , I definitely won't fight back."
"Wuu wuu wuu..." A woman suddenly burst into tears.
"Hey, why are you crying?" Gao Fei asked in surprise, "Did I say sothing wrong?"
"No, my lord didn't say anything wrong, I am just too overwheld. Having hoped for so many years, I've finally seen a kind-hearted City Lord, and I am so happy." The woman suddenly fell to her knees, crying out loudly, "I implore your lordship to uphold justice for !"
Where there's one, there's two; where there's two, there's three...
"Thump!"
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The other citizens also knelt on the ground, loudly crying out, "We implore the City Lord to uphold justice for us!"
When tens of thousands of citizens knelt down together, shouting in unison, the scene was indeed very moving.
Gao Fei was shocked and said hastily, "Stand up! Speak while standing up! Don't kneel on the ground! I promise you, I will definitely uphold justice for you!"
After receiving Gao Fei's assurance, the citizens gradually stood up, then eagerly began to share their grievances...
Gao Fei listened patiently. At first, his expression was relatively normal, but as he heard more, his face turned grim, a rage churning inside him, "Despicable! Bastards! These wretches have gone too far! They have no humanity whatsoever. My fellow countryn, rest assured, I will certainly uphold justice for you! Anyone who has bullied you, I will punish them without rcy!"
"Thank you, my lord!"
"Thank you, City Lord!"
"You really are a clear sky and great master!"
The citizens knelt down again, many began wiping away tears, having been oppressed for so many years. Gao Fei's arrival had brought them hope.
"Get up! Get up now!" Gao Fei pulled up the commoners in front of him, "You can all go back for now. Once I've thoroughly investigated the situation, I will give you all a satisfactory response."
With Gao Fei's persuasion, the commoners gradually left.
After all the commoners had gone, Gao Fei quietly exhaled a breath of stifled air, "He Hentian, oh He Hentian, look at the great sin you have committed! Aren't you afraid of going down to the eighteenth level of hell after death? Even if you hold grievances in your heart, you shouldn't take it out on the common people. Haven't they offended you! Madman, you are a madman!"
In the following ti, Gao Fei continued his undercover investigation. Whenever he saw soldiers bullying the commoners, he would step forward to stop them. By the end of the day, the number of soldiers he had dealt with reached into the thousands, which included three officers.
He Hentian did not show himself the entire ti; it seed he was very concerned about keeping his promise and did not want to give Gao Fei any handle.
When it grew dark, Gao Fei returned to the City Lord's Mansion.
"Sir!" Chen San and Liu Qing hurriedly greeted him, "Why have you co back so late?"
"Ran into so issues," Gao Fei briefly recounted the day's events.
"Despicable! Detestable! Shaful!" Chen San and Liu Qing were filled with righteous indignation and burst into curses, "Sir, you are too kind-hearted. If it had been us, we would have simply slaughtered those soldiers, not sparing a single one!"
"Did you encounter any troubles today?" Gao Fei asked while walking towards the back courtyard.
"It went relatively smoothly," Chen San replied, "We've posted the notices at every street junction. Many commoners ca up to look, but judging by their expressions, they seem... to have little faith in you..."
Gao Fei nodded, "That's within expectations. I've just arrived, and I haven't achieved anything yet, so it's understandable that I don't have the commoners' trust. By the way, how did it go with hiring the cleaners?" The City Lord's Mansion, although dilapidated, had many buildings and needed people for cleaning. Gao Fei, Chen San, and Liu Qing were too busy with many other matters and simply did not have ti to clean.
Liu Qing chuckled bitterly and shook his head, "There are many who are willing to do exhausting and dirty work. At first, they accepted my recruitnt, but when they heard it was for work in the City Lord's Mansion, they changed their minds, refusing to co even if it killed them." Liu Qing said this with a belly full of anger.
Gao Fei frowned, "Is the City Lord's Mansion as fearso as a flood or ferocious beasts? Why are so many people afraid?"
"I'll try again tomorrow. I refuse to believe that in such a big Heavenly Water City, no one would be willing to work at the City Lord's Mansion," Liu Qing said resentfully, "At worst, I'll double the wages."
"Double them, no, triple them," Gao Fei declared, "Increase the wages by three tis! And provide room and board. I don't believe that with such favorable conditions, we still won't have any takers."
"Triple the wages?" Liu Qing's eyes widened, "Isn't that a bit much? I think doubling it would suffice."
"Don't fret over money," Gao Fei waved his hand dismissively, "Money is an external possession; it can be earned back after being spent."
"Alright then, we'll do as you say, Sir," Liu Qing agreed.
"Hire as many people as possible, assigning them to different tasks. So to guard the gates, so to clean, so to dispose of waste, so to cook, so to tend flowers and plants. Oh, and hire so strong n to patrol," Gao Fei thought for a mont before adding, "Also hire so craftsn to repair the houses, paying them double wages."
"There's no need to be so specific," Liu Qing argued, "One person can take on several responsibilities..."
Gao Fei raised his hand to stop Liu Qing, "The people of Heavenly Water City are living in hardship. As their city lord, it is my duty to help them as much as I can. I wish I could employ the entire city, but alas, the Mansion can only accommodate so many."
"Sir, you truly have a kind heart," Liu Qing praised, "Having you as their city lord is a stroke of luck for these commoners."
"Indeed, it is their good fortune," Chen San echoed, nodding vigorously, "A great fortune!"
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