Enforcer Manual
Chapter 116: Financial Crisis_1

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Financial Crisis_1

"Promote adequately?"

Not only Lu Xiang but also the other directors were full of curiosity.

Regarding this, Song Lan could only sigh deeply.

As the representative of District 17’s leadership that gets things done, this silly girl named Lu Xiang is good at everything, except promoting herself. In her view, as long as criminals are brought to justice, it doesn’t matter who faces the media or who gets the credit.

Under the leadership of such a figure, the focus of every major department in the law enforcement agency is on how to combat crime in District 17. Even if they take the blame for the Inspection Department, they only grumble a few times privately before getting back to work.

Everyone is incredibly busy, because District 17 is a city riddled with an exceptionally high crime rate.

The remarkable effort made by the law enforcement officers resulted in the steady decline of the city’s crime rate since the downfall of the Chai Ke Group. The only two remaining crime syndicate leaders have also gone into hiding and no longer clamor to take over Chai Ke’s territory and become the new underground emperor of District 17.

Without exaggeration, the achievements during Lu Xiang’s tenure surpassed those of all previous leaders of District 17.

Moreover, the Inspection Department, by merely riding their coattails, earned the title of "City Hero".

"Yes, proper promotion is also important."

Song Lan stressed.

Such is the magical era of 2166, where diligent workers may not necessarily reap the rewards they deserve. This is evident from the final budget in the document, "I looked at the department’s financial report just now, the budget for the next quarter has been slashed by half compared to now."

Indeed, after fulfilling their duty as law enforcers and cracking down on the criminals who had plagued District 17 for many years, driving out the Black Hand behind the city’s problems, they are now facing a reduction of their budget by half.

Song Lan was not distracted earlier, he was seriously studying the department’s financial budget for the next quarter.

In a city where the law enforcement environment can be described as being riddled with bullets, a 50% budget cut is quite a serious crisis. Every bullet fired by the action department, every piece of equipment and every technique needed all cost money, let alone the pensions and settlement costs of the wounded.

In the past, although the Inspection Department often hogged the limelight and blamed them for any trouble, they could at least handle the financial issues. The Foster Family and local businessmen colluded to draw some of their profits to fund the law enforcement department, which had been a tradition in District 17 for many years. Therefore, before Lu Xiang took over, the department leaders were essentially following the lead of the Inspection Department, and had grown accustomed to being their scapegoats.

After all, while the citizens complained, they received their cut without any deductions, and the danger level of fighting crime had also significantly decreased.

After all, the underground emperor of District 17 and the Foster Family had deep connections, and most of the time, before any crime-fighting action began, the enforcers would collude with the criminal group. Everyone went through the motions, fired a few symbolic shots, and caught a few scapegoats. With some exaggerated propaganda, they would claim another victory in the fight against crime.

Without a doubt, if the Inspection Department ever had the chance to publicize that they had captured the Rebel Army with a bounty of "1.73 million volts", they could instantly portray themselves as the embodiment of justice.

"Mayor Lyon resigned, High Prosecutor’s position is vacant, and the situation in District 17 remains unclear, so many businesses are unwilling to fund us anymore."

Originally, Song Lan did not like to voice his opinions on such occasions. But if they were to continue operating as they have been under Lu Xiang’s watch, he thinks that even if the criminal syndicate in District 17 is ultimately eliminated, they might all end up penniless, having to think twice before even firing a shot.

Moreover, in the circumstances of 2166, fighting crime in itself costs money.

When the criminals have equipment that is a few levels more advanced than yours, your passion alone won’t be much help.

What truly concerns Song Lan is that the big corporations in District 17 might stop supporting them and even start financing the local or "foreign" crime syndicates.

Given the high unemployment rate in District 17, most people are struggling to make ends meet. Under such circumstances, calling on citizens to donate to support their initiatives doesn’t seem very realistic.

This issue also has a lot to do with his future life.

This will inevitably result in a cut in the department’s salary, eventually turning the position of a law enforcer in District 17 into a hard and dangerous job that doesn’t pay much.

Song Lan thinks that at that point, they’d probably even be blacklisted by the United Government and wouldn’t be able to apply for funds.

"I believe the issue of our financial budget is the greatest challenge we are currently facing!"

"Chief Song is absolutely right."

The director of the Statistics Department was the first to support Song Lan’s view. Finally, a topic he can participate in. "What’s in the document is only a preliminary budget, there’s also a possibility of further reductions in the future."

At this moment, everyone present was plunged into the same predicament.

That is, after offending both the Inspection Department and the Foster Family, they were about to become penniless very soon.

"So, can the promotion you mentioned solve this problem?"

"It’s obviously impossible to completely solve this problem."

Song Lan shook his head.

To some extent, Lu Xiang is an idealist.

With clear goals and a proactive attitude towards justice, she has become an exemplary law enforcer. However, such a law enforcer is only suitable for a society with idealist principles. Unfortunately, District 17 is no such place.

"But, it can solve our immediate problems."

"How so?"

The director of the Statistics Department suddenly showed interest. After seeing that financial budget, he spent a sleepless night worrying. He had been racking his brain but couldn’t come up with a solution.

"Why did those businesses maintain a good cooperative relationship with the Inspection Department in the past?"

"That money was essentially the protection fee they paid for their illegal business."

Lu Xiang frowned, seeming to understand Song Lan’s implication, "You mean to say, we should also collect protection money, providing protection for their crimes?"

"Of course not."

Song Lan shook his head. He wasn’t stupid enough to make such a suggestion in front of so many people.

If Lu Xiang were to think that way, she would be considered as having a problem with her ideological consciousness, and would be in for a whipping when she gets home.

"Apart from the ’protection fee’, there is another reason why they wish to be seen as a ’good person’."

Song Lan said, "Even though their business violates the law, even though they monopolize and engage in unfair competition, even though they collude with crime syndicates and even commit murders for certain goals, they still desire to be seen as good people in the eyes of the citizens. To maintain their reputation as good people, they are willing to pay large sums of money."

He paused for a moment, then continued under everyone’s puzzled gaze, "So why can’t they be good people? Fact is, every criminal can be a good person before they are arrested and put in jail."