Don’t raise unruly people in extreme cold weather

Chapter 852

"Have you heard? The regent of Victoria is going to build a new energy tower in the city. It is said that even our slums can enjoy thermal heating!" In a dilapidated courtyard in the slums of Marcel City, several women wearing patched aprons sat around an almost extinguished brazier.

There were only a few faint sparks in the basin, faintly visible under the ashes - this was their helpless move to save fuel. After all, here, every piece of firewood was worth more than gold.

"All-Father!" A haggard-looking woman carefully used tongs to push away the ashes, revealing the dark red charcoal underneath: "If it can really be realized... maybe this winter..."

She stretched her red, frozen fingers towards the charcoal brazier, trying to get as much heat as possible.

"Don't dream!" The wrinkled old Martha suddenly spat, and looked around vigilantly: "When have those Victorians ever been kind to us? The money for building the tower is not squeezed from us!"

As she spoke, she moved her frozen feet towards the brazier, and her worn wooden shoes made a harsh sound as they rubbed against the ground.

Irene, a young mother holding her baby, interrupted timidly: "But...if it is really possible..."

Her words were interrupted by a biting cold wind, and the baby in her arms immediately began to cry anxiously.

"Silly girl!" Anna, a sturdy washerwoman, lowered her voice and yelled, while nervously glancing at the alley entrance: "My husband heard at the construction site that the surrounding land will be expropriated for the construction of the tower. They are going to drive us out of the home where we have lived for generations to make room for those damned Master Victoria!"

Her rough hands subconsciously touched the half-cut wood chips in her apron pocket, but in the end she was reluctant to throw them into the brazier.

The sparks in the brazier dimmed a little.

Old Martha skillfully re-covered it with ashes. Since the Victorians occupied this place, every piece of firewood has become a luxury.

Last winter, Tom the blacksmith was beaten to death in the market for a bundle of firewood.

"Remember last year they promised to improve the water supply?" The haggard woman smiled bitterly, twisting the frayed edges of her apron unconsciously. "As a result, the water bill has tripled! Now my son John has to queue up at the public well before dawn every day..."

She suddenly fell silent because there was a crisp sound of charcoal breaking in the brazier - which meant that the last bit of warmth was about to disappear.

Irene's eyes suddenly turned red, and her voice choked with sobs: "We...we can't even afford a brazier...Yesterday Pierre took the last door panel..."

She didn't finish her words, but everyone understood where the crumbling door had gone.

The cold wind came in through the cracks in the wall, blowing up the ashes in the brazier, just like their drifting hopes.

After a long silence, old Martha stood up tremblingly: "Let's all go! Keep these sparks, and you can heat up yesterday's black bread in the evening..."

Her hunched back looked particularly thin in the cold wind.

The others also stood up silently, and before leaving, each of them looked at the dying charcoal fire with reluctance - that was the last mercy that Quanfather left for them in the severe winter.
-
"My Lord Regent, the French in the city are very opposed to the energy tower construction plan. There are rumors that we will expel the French in the area where the energy tower is to be built." An official reported the situation to Perfect.

He looked a little nervous; after all, he was newly promoted.

And his predecessor is embedded in the wall of his office, which is also his predecessor's office.

Ultimately, Perfecto couldn't help himself, and while replacing the governor and the local garrison commander, he also built the two insects into the wall.

Along with them, there were a large number of other officials from Marcel who were just sitting there doing nothing. Some of them were built into the most prominent positions on the energy tower, mainly the governor of Marcel and some officials who were extremely resented by the people.

Others were built into their own offices as a deterrent to their successors.

As one of the most powerful alchemists in Victoria or the human world, Perfecto, who can even remove one of them, can even build these people into the wall while keeping them alive, and then use various confessions every day to make his successors burst out with extremely high work efficiency.

From the current perspective, this is an excellent means of supervision.

Horror Statue: Work efficiency +50%
This is the greatest role of those guys built into the wall in Perfectot's eyes.

It has to be admitted that the role they played after being built into the wall was greater than when they were outside.

In response to the officials' timid report, Perfectcott simply said, "I understand."

Perfect had expected this attitude of the French people towards Marcel.

The atrocities committed by previous officials against the people of Marcel: forced labor, heavy taxes, arbitrary arrests... those idiots turned the entire Marcel region into a living hell in order to enrich themselves.

How could these scarred French people now believe Victoria's sudden change of "goodwill"?
However, Perfect didn't intend to waste time trying to comfort or explain.

The attitudes of these people don't matter at all, her plan will not change because of anyone's opposition.

If they obeyed obediently, Perfect would not mind if they said a few strange words, and would even tolerate some of their small non-cooperation.

But if these French people are tactless and want to rebel after Perfecto has improved their living conditions and they have enough food, then Perfecto would not mind launching another larger-scale suppression or even a purge.

Perfect did improve the working conditions in the mines and the living conditions of the French for the sake of efficiency - but this was a purely pragmatic decision.

Those insects' stupid exploitative methods seriously affect productivity, that's all.

As for the emotions and thoughts of these French people, they are not important to Perfect.

As for whether these "favorable treatments" would make the French grateful, a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of Perfecto's mouth.

She knew only too well that once a hungry person has been given bread, the next step is often to ask for more.

She didn't mind giving them some food to fill their stomachs, or a warm place to stay, but if these people dared to take her pragmatic policies as weakness...

The official was acutely aware of the change in the atmosphere in the room and swallowed unconsciously.

"Go down." Perfectcott suddenly spoke, interrupting the official's random thoughts: "Continue to monitor the movements of the France community and report daily."

Her eyes fell back on the document, as if the brief murderous intent just now had never existed: "Remember, I want accurate data, not hearsay rumors."

The young official bowed and left in a hurry as if he had been pardoned.

(End of this chapter)