Chapter 388: Gray Citizen

Gray Citizen — just the sound of it is more high-level than Blank Citizen; after all, they've upgraded to having the qualification to purchase a cemetery plot, haven't they?

Burial after death — that's a high-level privilege only possessed by animals that have evolved into humans.

The conference room was deathly silent; within the halo of the crystal chandelier, the councilors' faces were iron-green turning black, as if they had collectively lost their parents all of a sudden.

"The Upper City Council is truly compassionate, registering all Blank Citizens into the archives — this policy is a tremendous merit that makes the ancestral graves of countless Blank Citizens in the Lower City smoke with green smoke."

Zhang Deming gnashed his teeth in a sigh of admiration, then forcibly suppressed his anger and asked the crucial question:

"Then wouldn't the Executive Government's finances become even tighter at that time?"

The Chief Councilor's face showed no ripple; he said blandly:

"Correct, so the Nine District Executive Government must also streamline efficiency, cut redundant staffing; some unimportant departments or proposal items must be abolished."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly grew even bleaker; every councilor seemed to feel a knife hanging over their head, ready to carve their flesh.

Abolishing unimportant departments was one thing — after all, most departments weren't their "turf."

But proposals — which one wasn't proposed or pushed by the councilors present? This cut would be harder to accept than cutting off their very lifeblood.

If their lifeblood was cut, they could at least install a mechanical one, even become more "advanced"; but once a proposal was abolished, a councilor's political life would suffer a critical hit, even drop dead.

Zhang Deming's face darkened further; his fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the tabletop, emitting a low "thump-thump" sound, like a silent protest, also like suppressing some emotion about to erupt.

The air grew colder and colder, as if even breathing could condense into frost.

In the silence, a councilor finally couldn't help but clear his throat, attempting to break this suffocating deadlock:

"Chief Councilor, the so-called 'unimportant' proposal items... what will the specific abolition standards be?"

The Chief Councilor still wore an air of lightness, as if discussing what to eat for dinner, not proposals deciding countless people's fates.

He gently stroked the Power Ring on his left pinky; that ring set with an Upper City Exclusive Black Gemstone gleamed with cold light under the lamps:

"Specific standards are still under discussion, but it can be affirmed that all decisions will prioritize efficiency, centered on the overall interests of the Nine Districts."

The atmosphere grew dead silent; no one cared about Second Prison's matter anymore.

A mere prison — whoever wants it can have it; keeping it would only meaninglessly drain the Executive Government's soon-to-shrink money bag.

The holographic projection clock on the wall silently jumped its digits; every second seemed to be counting down the political lives of certain people.

At this moment, Wang Xinfa suddenly laughed heartily:

"Let me explain the Chief Councilor's words for everyone again; simply put, proposals that can bring in money are good proposals, while those that continuously lose money naturally need to be abolished."

He paused aptly, smiling as he looked toward the Chief Councilor, a dangerous signal flickering in his eyes:

"Chief, did I understand correctly?"

The Chief Councilor narrowed his eyes slightly, gave Wang Xinfa a meaningful look, then slowly nodded:

"Broadly correct."

Once these words were spoken, Wang Xinfa's smile deepened a few degrees.

He reached out, pulled a document from the file bag beside him, and slapped it onto the table with a *pa*.

The councilors all leaned in, their gazes unanimously landing on the exact center of that document.

At the top of the document, a line of handwritten title leapt onto the paper; the ink was dense black, the brushstrokes penetrating the paper's back, striking straight into everyone's eyeballs — "Eight-Cornered Cage Beast Fighting"!

Wang Xinfa added a sentence:

"Everyone look, how is this proposal? Can it in the future help our Executive Government replenish and offset the deficit caused by the Air Tax?"

Zhang Deming frowned:

"We're discussing the Air Tax issue now; what are you doing pulling out a new proposal? Even if you want to jump the gun, this isn't how you do it, right?"

Zhang Deming's mouth was impolite, but his hand moved fast, reaching straight for the document on the table.

Some other councilors were comparatively still too young; their hand movements were half a beat slow — by the time they reacted, the document had already fallen into Zhang Deming's hands.

Zhang Deming coldly laughed as he flipped open the document, coldly laughed as he turned pages, coldly laughed as he closed it again.

He cold-laughed the whole way, seemingly dismissive of this proposal, yet he didn't throw it back on the table for a long time, instead brazenly pinning it under his own elbow.

The crowd of councilors stared at Zhang Deming with man-eating eyes.

Zhang Deming seemed not to see; only then did he coldly speak:

"This proposal is simply the world's greatest absurdity; old man has reviewed it for everyone, so I won't take it out to pollute everyone's eyeballs."

Before his voice fell, Wang Xinfa actually pulled out another document from his bosom.

He casually tossed the document back onto the table; this time no councilor's movements were slower than another's — they pinched the document's corners, dead-set not letting go, yet all afraid of tearing the document to shreds.

The scene was just like a flock of vultures fighting over carrion, also like stray dogs fighting over food beside a trash can.

The Chief Councilor coldly snorted: "Any rules left? What kind of appearance is this?"

The councilors smiled embarrassedly; a quarter-hour later, the document was finally passed around to everyone; each face showed a pensive look, silently looking at Wang Xinfa, expressions varied.

Wang Xinfa didn't care what they thought, or which step each had thought to.

【Eight-Cornered Cage Beast Fighting Plan】 — ah no, now it should be called 【Octagon Cage Fighting Beasts Proposal】; behind this isn't merely a money issue, but one that can concern the Nine Districts' stability and prosperity.

He unilaterally turned the topic back to the very beginning, saying faintly:

"I feel the Second Prison matter needs to give the public a result as soon as possible; since the Prison System has produced the truth, our Executive Government ought to respect the Prison System's investigation results — what do you all think?"

Wang Xinfa actually had two sets of rhetoric prepared in his heart: one respecting the Prison System, one not respecting it.

Unexpectedly, the Prison System this time was quite sensible.

The conference room fell silent for three seconds.

The councilors exchanged a glance, then one by one successively raised their right hands, all showing Wang Xinfa their most approving and kindly smiles.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

"......"

After the unanimous vote, Zhang Deming slowly stood up, walked to the window, and pulled it open.

The blinding "sunlight" instantly surged into the conference room, illuminating every speck of smoke and dust in the room.

The crying of the prison guards' family members across the street likewise drifted into the room, the crying of the prison guards' family members across the street made all the councilors frown at once.

Zhang Deming asked in a deep voice: "With this handling result, I worry they may not be convinced."

Wang Xinfa's expression remained unchanged; he had long since made his calculations, and said lightly:

"Give them a bit more pension, compensate them with some merit points, and finally present them with a few Martyr Medals—that will do. If they still cause trouble, it means their family bonds are too deep to bear separation, and our Executive Government has an obligation to help the martyrs' families reunite."

……..

End of Chapter