"I heard the Finance Minister is quite troubled recently, with many citizens going to his place to protest?"
In the office, the Pri Minister’s sudden question montarily stunned the assistant who was sorting out docunts.
In the past, the Pri Minister didn’t care much about affairs (he appeared infrequently in the text), often just reading the newspaper, sipping coffee or tea, and representing the Emperor in so out-of-town engagents when necessary.
Sitting or standing on site, he would then read the speech entrusted to him by the Emperor.
This is also the origin of his "mascot" nickna, as he rarely expressed his own ideas, often just serving as an ornant, a symbol.
Now, his sudden question caught the assistant a bit off guard; however, he quickly reacted, "Yes, reportedly soone even threw stones and smashed the Finance Minister’s house window."
"That’s truly frightening!" The Pri Minister showed an expression... of anger?
The assistant wasn’t sure he saw anger, because he vaguely noticed a slight smile when the Pri Minister lowered his head, which quickly vanished upon closer inspection. He couldn’t tell if it was his imagination.
The Pri Minister frowned slightly and pondered for a mont, "Protesting and demonstrations are normal, but such violence should not occur; notify the Police Station to disperse these crowds and inform them of the reason."
The assistant’s response took a few seconds longer; his thoughts clearly couldn’t keep up with the Pri Minister’s, needing to seriously think for a few seconds to uncover hidden issues.
Once he understood, he suddenly felt a bit hot, "Wouldn’t this... anger those protesting citizens?"
His voice was light and low, not expressing resistance to the order but rather an addition.
The Pri Minister looked up at him, "Do you think tolerating these irrational protests is the correct choice?"
"If they can throw stones today, they might shoot inside tomorrow. Do as I say."
The voice wasn’t loud, but the pressure was substantial; the assistant knew he’d made a mistake and imdiately obeyed, jogging out of the room.
The Pri Minister shook his head as the door slowly closed; years of silence changed more than just him, even the sensibility of assistants around him had beco so low.
What he wanted was precisely to provoke those protesters, otherwise how could the drama that followed open?
A few minutes later, the Director of the Imperial Capital Police Station received a phone call.
"Hello, I am..., regarding yesterday’s events, the Pri Minister expressed great concern."
"Empire citizens’ demonstrations should be a way to express their attitudes and opinions, not a ans to foster violence; hopefully, you can disperse the crowds quickly and bring stable order to the Imperial Capital."
The Police Station Director holding the phone receiver showed little expression; it was all nonsense, but out of courtesy, he responded slightly, "It’s not that we don’t want to act, but rather too many people, causing potential disorder."
"We’ve already deployed police officers on duty, incidents like this won’t happen again."
The person on the phone was not satisfied with his response, "You don’t need to explain what you’ve done, you need to disperse those people; they have deviated from the definition of a protest under Empire law, evolving into a violent group."
"For the safety of the Ministers, you should take responsibility as the Police Station Director, this isn’t a discussion, it’s an order."
"Or are you unwilling to execute?"
With unprecedented firmness, the Police Station Director sensed sothing amiss; everyone knew the Pri Minister was now a re decoration.
Almost all national policies and state affairs discussions and decisions were directly negotiated between the Emperor and the Ministers, with the Pri Minister mostly just listening in, occasionally voicing his opinion, rarely adopted.
Now, with the sudden aggressive stance from the Pri Minister’s Residence, the Police Station Director realized a storm was coming.
He shuddered, realizing his level couldn’t resist in such high-level struggles, imdiately responding solemnly, "I think I know what to do, I will quickly disperse the crowd outside the Finance Minister’s house, ensuring the safety of the Empire Ministers and their property."
Three minutes later, directives were issued from the Imperial Capital Police Station, including cooperation requests to the other departnts.
Gafura Empire had a total of nine police departnts; the First Police Departnt was responsible for routine police work.
The Second Police Departnt consisted of ard police tasked with suppressing riots; this wasn’t a free country, sotis unruly citizens caused trouble.
The Seventh Police Departnt was the secret police, responsible for arresting dostic criminals posing threats to national security.
Other departnts had their duties, replacing the military’s local role to so extent.
During the previous war, there was even societal appeal suggesting using police as soldiers instead of the army facing embarrassnt.
Though the police didn’t support this idea, they preferred not risking their lives, this still reflected the police’s significant power locally, even surpassing the army.
The First and Second Police Departnts responded quickly, deploying armored vehicles and ard police to the incident site to handle the situation.
anwhile, the Finance Minister wasn’t as apprehensive at ho as outsiders imagined.
Although he stayed inside, his deanor lacked anxiety or panic; anger towards his subordinates’ inefficient response was evident, but not fear.
He didn’t believe citizens would storm his residence; invading a noble’s private residence was a severe cri in the Empire, punishable by lifelong imprisonnt.
If serious consequences arose, he might directly face the nobility’s exclusive punishnt - execution by hanging.
Executed in front of a large audience on Empire Square; while such treatnt seed a form of honor to so, it didn’t an anyone wished to be hanged publicly.
Years ago, there was a saying circulating among gangs, "If I die, I want to be hanged," expressing ambition for their profession’s future.
The Finance Minister not only ignored those outside, but even arranged people to further push actions; now he was racing against ti, willing to do anything to win more ti, regardless of dignity.
He aid to portray himself as a victim to gain sympathy points; if he could get slightly hurt, even better; yet now wasn’t suitable for him to appear.
It’s like soone punches you and imdiately apologizes, you’ll never forgive them, your anger demanding retaliation.
But if they run after hitting you, waiting three to five days, then soone persuades you to let it go, and they co forward to apologize, you might feel it’s not a big deal, might even chat with them.
The citizens’ money was recently deceived due to Finance personnel corruption, these people were furious, even if the Finance Minister now knelt to beg their forgiveness, repaying their money, they wouldn’t listen and would curse him.
However, waiting until their emotional peak passed, coupled with investigation results, and presenting himself as aggrieved or injured, seeking forgiveness, citizens might forgive him.
Of course, he would propose corresponding asures to address the untransferred money and plans for other accomplices.
Thus, the urgent matter wasn’t showing anything; that would only aggravate the chaos.
Winning these tis and acting pitiful to gain so support would grant him more ti to resolve issues.
He’d conduct internal cleansing, dispose so individuals, and resolve the issues.
He’d already arranged talks with major listed companies’ influential shareholders, hoping for cooperation to boost the index.
The operational thod was simple, frequent trading to maximize factors, raising key stocks’ prices, halting the downward financial index trend and elevating it again.
This was beneficial to listed companies, raising stock prices, boosted shareholder wealth, including their noble backers, whose fortune expanded.
Once resolved, he’d find a few minor subordinates to scapegoat, appropriately accepting external interference, like the Emperor implanting confidantes to navigate through the crisis.
He had various ways to gradually turn the situation around.
He’d contemplated the entire plan throughout the day, believing the plan was flawless, just waiting for results.
But then, the noise from outside made him frown, hearing synchronized footsteps, nonexistent among ordinary people, indicating external forces intervening.
He imdiately stood up, walked to the window, noticing ard police...
Those police held weapons resembling long-handled hamrs, though in militaristic terms the hamrhead was tal, now wrapped in rubber-lined tal.
Hitting a person was painful, but unlikely causing irreversible effects, like smashing heads; it rely knocked people unconscious.
The neat police formation advanced step by step, followed by patrol cars broadcasting, demanding imdiate dispersal and departure, or facing legal consequences.
Wide-eyed, the Finance Minister stared at these individuals; he couldn’t believe, why were the police ddling when even he hadn’t reported the incident?
He swiftly turned, wearing an expression ready to devour, returned to the desk, picked up the phone, dialing the Police Station Director’s number, but unfortunately, there was no answer.
If only he watched the window a bit longer, he’d notice the Police Station Director was within the formation...
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