Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1212 (First Update)

After a brief period of lockdown and protests, the unrest in Romania eventually subsided.

Regent Victor von Doum sat in the Romanian Parliament Palace day after day, while a company of Hell Knights patrolled Bucharest and enforced curfews, filling 70% of the palace's empty space with ammunition supplies, spare parts, heavy tanks, and war engines—a show of force intended to make it a military camp. For the Hell Knights, if Bucharest were to betray them and rebel, they would obey the Emperor's will and retake it—however, the Hell Knights overestimated the instigators' resolve; Regent Victor von Doum's orders were carried out without resistance.

The city's internet communication was opened to a limited extent, and all goods entering and leaving the city had to be inspected. Immediately, the protests ceased; no one gathered in the square where the emperor had received the surrender document from the Romanian president. Subversive and incitement tactics relying on the internet lost their power, and those hiding behind their screens dared not openly take to the streets alone. Simultaneously, investigations into former Romanian officials were also underway, which was the reason the regent had remained in power for so long.

Every day, a large number of civil servants from Bucharest or its surrounding counties and cities are escorted into the Romanian Parliament Palace by the Knights of the Fire and the Black Armor Guards using transport planes or armored vehicles. These officials, who are under pre-arranged control, have only two possible fates: either they remain in the administrative system or they are thrown into prison. These officials include, but are not limited to, former senators and members of the Chamber of Deputies, former presidents and former prime ministers, and so on.

Every day, the regent would update the residents of Bucharest on the progress of the purge, and trials and punishments would be broadcast on television daily. However, the family-style corruption brought about by neoliberalism had spread throughout Romania, making a thorough purge an extremely difficult task. The list of 20,000 people on the purge order signed by the emperor was far from encompassing all corrupt officials.

Regent Victor von Doum unilaterally expanded the list to over 20,000 names, including private companies linked to the former Romanian government. This included family corruption involving officials' relatives, the "revolving door" of politics and business, monopolies, tax evasion, selling out national interests, illegal transfer of state assets, and funding of illegal civilian violent groups. Every day, Bucharest residents witnessed gunships of the Hell Knights circling the city, giants in powered armor and armored vehicles storming gang hideouts, and newly established law enforcement seizing large sums of illicit funds. The city, and indeed the entire country, was gradually becoming cleaner and more efficient. Even after martial law was lifted, the protesters in Bucharest did not regroup, as if the previous impassioned protests were merely an absurd dream.

Behind this movement, known as the "Reform of Truth," was the tireless work of Regent Victor von Doum, who worked twenty hours a day. During this time, the documents he processed could fill three of the largest rooms in the Romanian Parliament Palace. The impact of these documents was not limited to the city of Bucharest; even the most remote and dangerous counties bordering NATO, Botoshani and Maramureș, were within the scope of this reform.

He thoroughly integrated the emperor's reforms into the Romanian administrative system. A large number of officials from the Ministry of the Interior were stationed in Romania to establish the Romanian Provincial Ministry of the Interior, which oversaw administrative affairs, strengthened centralized rule, and crushed all obstacles to implement the emperor's industrial structure plan for the Romanian provinces. Including Romania in the First Expansion War was itself a strategic consideration, as Romania is the largest oil producer in the Balkans and also the most developed country in heavy industry.

The Emperor placed high hopes on the Romanian provinces. Regent Victor von Doum implemented the plan to construct massive ecological farms to increase the labor force's share in the primary sector. Simultaneously, he relocated the military production departments of Wakanda, the Mars Foundry, and the Immortal City to Romania to boost its heavy industry output. As the front line against NATO in Latvia, tanks, armored vehicles, and other military equipment produced in the Romanian provinces would be directly sent to the war zone to arm the corps stationed there. The militia defense system of Latvia, Albania, and Bochum was also implemented in the northern administrative region of Romania. The "Unity Truth," as a tool of the Emperor's rule, was brought into the army and schools by political commissars and preachers who came to support him, ideologically arming the Romanians.

When the two-month lockdown ended and Regent Victor von Doum was recalled to Latvia, he couldn't resist taking a nap on the plane. His departure didn't signify the end of reforms; in fact, the Ministry of the Interior was steadily working to eliminate the ills of each administrative region within the Romanian provinces. Victor von Doum's death list was a quota prepared to purge local powers and illegal armed groups. Compared to other parts of the Balkans, Romania had far fewer armed forces, but as a province bordering NATO, it suffered more severe infiltration. The economic development it gained from the EU, almost at the cost of its sovereignty, was gradually shrinking. Therefore, the emperor who led the Romanians to rise again became a hero in the eyes of some.

The emperor greeted Viktor von Doom with a bottle of strong liquor.

"You have successfully gained popular support for us in Romania, Victor." The Emperor poured him a glass of wine. As he waited for condensation to slowly form on the crystal glass, he continued, "You have exemplified the spirit of ruling the country with truth; the work in the Romanian provinces will no longer be difficult."

"The Northern Military District needs more defense capabilities. The deployment of air defense systems and biological warfare units must be accelerated, and the production rate of genetically modified soldiers must keep pace with our expansion. I don't think NATO's attitude towards us will improve after the US election." Viktor von Doom patiently waited for the pure condensed water to slide down, then removed his iron mask, picked up his glass, and downed it in one gulp. He let out a long sigh, his cheeks flushed from the high concentration of alcohol. "This time, your diversion of Romanian grain to support Albania has already caused discontent among some people. If you do it again next time, the previously stabilized Romania will face problems again."

"This is not a problem. The coordination of Wakanda, the Martian Foundry, and the Immortal City is complete. Romania's manufacturing industry will undergo an industrial upgrade. Romanians must know they live in a mutually supportive community. The high-speed railway connecting Albania, Bochum, Latvia, and Romania will drive economic development, and Albanians will feel grateful to the Romanians." The Emperor also picked up his glass and took a sip. "Romania also needs a naval base and shipyard to deal with the situation in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Currently, using drones for anti-submarine and anti-ship missions is insufficient for our needs. The existing naval base and shipyard need to be expanded and renovated to accommodate the berthing and readiness of our aircraft carrier..."

Stephanie Malick stood by, watching the Emperor and Regent discuss matters for a full twenty minutes. Whenever the Emperor needed a document, she would promptly hand it to him, to the point that Stephanie Malick thought the Emperor might not realize that it wasn't Diana Lister or the Royal Guard assisting him with his work. The Emperor's words implied a handover of duties. Stephanie Malick knew that the Emperor was about to embark on a personal trip to South America to resolve a terrifying problem that could cause a global catastrophe. Regent Victor von Doom would temporarily sit on the throne and exercise the Emperor's powers until the South American problem was completely resolved.

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(End of this chapter)