Enforcer Manual
Chapter 81: Long-standing Resentment_1

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Long-standing Resentment_1

Under the spotlight of the masses, the city-wide meeting proceeded as scheduled.

As the final meeting during his tenure as mayor of Lyon City, the leaders of various departments who attend held their own views and strategies.

Despite the collapse of Chai Ke Group which helped the mayor regain his reputation, his competition this time was particularly strong. His re-election was still uncertain, and it was high time for them to choose sides.

Yet, the citizens at the grassroots level had much simpler thoughts.

"If the employment issue in the 17th district is not addressed, I’m definitely not going to vote for him again,"

A security guard at a snack stall gulped down a shot of liquor, slammed the empty bottle on the table, and said, "I see through their lies now. We can’t believe a single thing they promised during the election. Ever since he took office, the employment situation has not only failed to improve but, year by year, it got worse!"

And that was the real concern of every 17th-district-citizen.

As for the power reshuffle that might follow the mayoral election, it felt beyond their everyday life.

Most jobs in the 17th district treated people like machines, exploiting their potential to the limit before ruthlessly dismissing them.

Their duties as the operation department of the Law Enforcers mostly involved issues with the executives of large companies, as if the department only served the privileged few.

"What’s more, what does the downfall of the Chai Ke Group have to do with them? Back then, the Inspection Department opposed this proposal. If it weren’t for Dominas bypassing the Inspection Department and devising an internal plan to arrest Chai Ke, that guy would probably still be hopping around."

"Shush, lower your voice!"

Song Lan, who had been lounging in a deck chair, enjoying the early morning atmosphere, couldn’t help but intervene.

This was not a private gathering, but the venue for the meeting. The mayor of Lyon City’s conference room was just a few tens of meters away.

If these words travelled into the ears of interested parties, they were likely going to be saddled with the blame once again.

The initial plan was merely to set up a snack stall near the green belt for shift-workers to rest. Before the city-wide meeting started, Valerian had prepared the snack stall, and the security personnel onsite were incredibly helpful when they heard that the Psychology Department was going to move a vending machine to the venue.

On the first day of the city-wide meeting, everything should have been thriving. However, Valerian’s baffling actions led things astray.

She had brought a case of treasured Vodka from home.

The effect of the vodka was dramatic. The security personnel around the snack table were mostly flushed and animated. A shot of the powerful liquor coupled with a feast of snacks made it hard for them to contain their opinions about the city-wide meeting.

The atmosphere was palpable.

"What’s there to whisper about?" said one who appeared intoxicated, raising his voice rather than lowering it. "Even if the mayor were here, I’d say the same thing to his face because I’m stating the facts."

As he spoke, he slapped his firearm onto the table, a gesture showcasing his overbearing attitude.

Song Lan prepared himself for an upfront confrontation with the mayor.

As the saying goes, in wine, there’s truth. In some ways, it reflected the sentiment of the 17th district’s law enforcers towards the mayor of Lyon City. They were always given the hardest tasks but never the recognition. They were often blamed for the inexplicable actions of other departments.

"It’s not that serious, not that serious."

"Old Song, I tell you, it would be better if you were the mayor."

So passionate in conversation, even Song Lan’s title had changed.

The departments with good relations usually address each other as brothers. Calling him "Old Song" demonstrated recognition and respect towards him.

That sentence soon gained approval from the crowd. In regards to "people’s livelihood", Song Lan’s achievement speaks for itself. The establishment of the snack stall made the formerly dull security work interesting.

A group of people, after their shift, gathered together, drinking and enjoying good food while discussing anything and everything. They rarely had such an opportunity.

?

What are you all agreeing on?

Song Lan had a big question mark over his head. He treated his colleagues well, why would they want to harm him?

Could these words be shouted so casually?

He scanned anxiously, stretching his neck to see if his words were heard by any passing staff. Only then did he sigh in relief.

"Valerian, look at what you’ve caused!"

He had to criticize Valerian’s actions: "Who allowed you to bring vodka?"

"My grandfather once said, a gathering without wine loses its spirit," Valerian defended herself, holding up a tablet in front of Song Lan.

Her grandfather’s era was in the aftermath of war, where small-scale local encounters were the norm. Grandpa and his comrades carried guns during the day, traversing war zones. They’d find a hidden place to light a fire and camp at night. They sustained themselves through the harshest days with the help of hard liquor.

"My grandfather also said that vodka could enhance one’s combat power."

A shot of vodka drove the fear away, made the shooting more accurate, and the agitated feeling filled them with endless strength.

So, she had done the research prior to the gathering.

"You go and put away the liquor for now, it’s not time to release unrest."

Obviously, vodka is a double-edged sword.

While it grants courage in battle, it could also make one chatty and restless when there is no enemy around—even while eating snacks.

Speaking of battle, Song Lan wondered how "Mister Mouse" and his men were preparing?

Ever since he returned home that night, he didn’t contact them again; the High Prosecutor Dominas hadn’t mentioned the matter in his messages either. So, he assumed the formation of their undercover team had been fairly smooth. With the border cities having direct contact with the "outside world," there were no shortage of desperate souls who would do anything for money. As long as they were paid well, they could find anyone.

In his view, "Mister Mouse" was the epitome of a fool with too much money.

After studying Dominas’ mindset, Song Lan felt that inciting "Mister Mouse" to attack the venue wasn’t exactly because he believed this motley crew could hold the key personnel of the 17th district hostage. The probability he considered was that the High Prosecutor wanted to ruin the reputation of the Law Enforcers in charge of venue security.

Or perhaps Dominas was planning something else while "Mister Mouse" and his men were causing a scene.

He thought the latter was more likely. After all, Dominas was an "interference" Ability User. At this moment, most of the key personnel of the 17th district were gathered here. If he wanted to use his ability to achieve certain goals, there couldn’t be a better opportunity than this.

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