Capítulo 1348: Chapter 189: The Cunning Cultural Attaché
Mayor Bakarjin was busy handling a pile of trivial paperwork in his study, the fireplace roaring and dispelling the chill of the Druiysk winter.
The stuffy air in the study was filled with the sll of old paper and a faint scent of ink.
His pen was gliding over a report when a sudden knock on the door interrupted him.
“What is it?” The mayor looked up, a hint of impatience in his voice. He hated being disturbed, especially when he was spending so much effort covering up the local fiscal holes and resource misappropriations.
In recent days, he had been accompanying Colonel Hestingov through Druiysk’s streets and alleys, City Hall, the municipal school, church, and court, and even the garrison’s barracks.
Although there were several minor incidents along the way, such as soone secretly tailing them outside City Hall, seemingly waiting for a chance to lodge a complaint. During the municipal school inspection, a teacher accidentally revealed so inappropriate remarks while explaining a lesson, causing the Colonel to frown slightly, apparently doubting the overly idealistic teaching thods.
What troubled Mayor Bakarjin the most was when they had just left the church, and Hestingov calmly questioned a farr who had lodged a complaint with City Hall. However, the farr appeared extrely nervous and at a loss, with even so incoherent words, so in the end, he couldn’t articulate a coherent narrative.
Fortunately, Colonel Hestingov kept his promise and did not overly trouble Druiysk’s local officials over these trivial matters.
But correspondingly, this loaf also required the heads of each departnt to write their inspection reports themselves to hand over to him to take back to St. Petersburg.
Outside, the servant cautiously opened the door, his face full of anxiety: “Sir! Sothing’s wrong! The gendar… A gendar captain brought people, saying they want to see you.”
“Gendar captain?”
Bakarjin’s pen paused in mid-air, a small black blot spreading on the paper from the ink.
The word gendar was to him more piercing than the winter chill. He instinctively touched his forehead, as if to check whether cold sweat had started to bead yet.
“Is it a new gendar you ntioned? Not Colonel Hestingov?” The mayor’s voice was slightly dry.
“Yes, Your Excellency. They are already at the doorstep, and they look… very formal.” The servant’s tone revealed unease, his gaze was sowhat wandering, as if not daring to et the mayor’s eyes directly.
“Are they subordinates of Colonel Hestingov?”
“That… I didn’t ask, but even if I did, they definitely wouldn’t say.” The servant swallowed saliva: “You know, those are gendar lords, each colder than a knife.”
Bakarjin quickly stood up, tugging at his slightly loose collar, trying to steady his breath.
He knew so of his “small actions” were not entirely concealed, especially regarding tax funds and local grain allocation.
If the gendar had any evidence…
He dared not think further.
“Let him in,” Bakarjin finally said, trying to sound calm, but the slight quiver in his tone betrayed his inner fear.
The servant nodded and left, while Bakarjin paced the study. His mind rapidly calculating the possible reasons—was it that his recent secret dealings with a landlord were exposed? Or were the inconsistencies in last month’s grain allocation records discovered?
No matter the reason, he had to prepare an explanation in the shortest ti possible.
But in an instant, Bakarjin rembered Colonel Hestingov residing in the guest room next door.
What was there to fear?
It’s just a gendar captain!
As long as Colonel Hestingov stood by his side, could a captain really overturn the situation?
Bakarjin had just reassured himself, but in a flash, he felt his confidence waver.
However…
Regarding the gendar, nobody could say for sure.
Previously, when handling affairs in the provincial capital, he heard others ntion tales of internal gendar struggles.
Although the gendar had ranks, since most maintained direct communication lines with higher-ups, and most gendar officers could directly communicate with the Third Bureau headquarters in St. Petersburg, occasionally, low-ranking gendar would impeach higher-ranking ones.
If this newly arrived gendar captain didn’t possess Colonel Hestingov’s cunning sociability but was a complete dunce, then what?
The more Bakarjin pondered, the more anxious he beca, hastily shaking the bell on the desk to summon the servant, ordering: “Peter, go and check if Colonel Hestingov is asleep. If not, please ask the Colonel to co by, just say… just say I’d like to invite him for a cup of tea.”
“Understood, sir.”
The servant hurriedly closed the door and left; the study once again echoed with Bakarjin’s murmurings.
“If this gendar captain truly has a fiery temper, would he reveal my secrets on the spot?”
Bakarjin cursed his stupidity inwardly.
Although Colonel Hestingov seed elegant, he wasn’t entirely a die-hard ally. This guy appeared indifferent to local affairs as if willing to let them handle it all, yet the more this kind appeared, the more they liked to protect themselves.
If nothing was exposed, naturally, everything was fine for everyone, but if sothing went wrong, he’d surely be the first to abandon ship.
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