Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1156 - 1149: Confront or Obey

Chapter 1156: Chapter 1149: Confront or Obey

"Compared to you, our methods have already been quite moderate. If we let those oppressed and exploited people outside come in to resolve this themselves, none of you would have a place to be buried," Luo’er said with a smile.

"Why should you take our land? Isn’t this the wealth we’ve accumulated over generations?" a landlord pointed at Luo’er and cursed loudly.

"We never said we would take your land, only that it needs to be turned over and redistributed according to your population, removing the surplus land," Luo’er said.

"This is plunder, outright plunder! You Otherworlders, why should you take our land? We won’t stand for this!" someone shouted angrily.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!"

Luo’er fired three shots into the sky again, then said coldly, "I’ll say it one more time, this isn’t a request, nor a cooperation, but a demand, an order, something that must be done. I’ll repeat, comply and live; resist and die!"

The final words were said with such gravitas that they overwhelmed those present, reducing some of the less mentally resilient noble ladies and misses to tears.

"Third, effective immediately upon the declaration’s issuance, all private militias within Lipei’s boundaries are to be disbanded. Any armed forces within Lipei must be authorized by the district government, or they will be considered illegal, and the Lipei district government will suppress them decisively!"

Ignoring the tumult below, Luo’er announced the last matter. The three demands effectively stripped these feudal landlords and nobles of their labor, land, and armed privileges, undermining the roots of their power to resist the district government, and in turn liberating a vast workforce for Lipei’s production and construction.

Luo’er was well aware that the state didn’t lack the tax revenue and labor force of a city like Lipei. The reason he pursued radical reforms was to show the Otherworlders their determination to resist the feudal and decayed class and to lay the theoretical groundwork for the Otherworld’s future revolution.

The Otherworld needed reform, and it must reform. No matter how perfect the existing feudal system was, it appeared utterly decayed in front of Earth’s more advanced system.

There had always been a strong desire for reform at the headquarters, but they had been unable to fully implement their own ideas due to objective realities. Now that they had accessed the second Otherworld Gate, which connected directly to the domestic scene, it gave them the opportunity to make broad changes.

In fact, the speech Luo’er was giving came from a higher direct department at headquarters. Not as filled with martial virtue as those in headquarters, if people from within headquarters had drafted it, their tone wouldn’t have been much different from Luo’er’s.

This was why Luo’er could act so brazenly on stage while Wang Xu and Li Si hid behind watching the drama unfold. Luo’er’s blunt methods, while direct, resonated with their preferences.

For them, there was nothing to discuss with these decayed feudal nobles and landlords. Not taking their lives was already a sign of civilized progress.

"What on earth do you want to do? Do you want our lives?" a noble pointed at Luo’er and asked in despair.

"Don’t put it so harshly. We just want you to give up what was never rightfully yours," Luo’er said with a smile, maintaining it even in the face of the angry crowd.

"How can you say it’s not ours? Our slaves, lands, armies, we paid for all of them. You say take it and it’s taken, this is nothing but robbery!" the nobles below ranted furiously.

"I don’t want to argue with you. Rather than watching you vested interests indulge in luxury every day, I would prefer to see the masses enjoy the same happiness. Listen well, everyone, I’ve given you the opportunity to choose, just don’t make the wrong decision..."

He paused, then continued, "Now, there are two paths. One is to comply with our demands, support the abolition of slavery, give up your land ownership rights, and disband your armed forces. That way, we can ensure your safety, we won’t take the wealth you’ve accumulated over generations. Live your life as you please, leave Lipei if you want, or stay if you wish; we will distribute land according to your population. The other is to resolutely oppose the district government’s demands, and we will show no mercy."

"Make your choice, those who comply, stand on the left. Those who oppose, stand on the right. I’ll give you one hour to consider. I hope to see the left side filled with people after an hour!"

Having said that, Luo’er stepped back and then smoothly exited the stage with a smile, leaving the crowd below in heated debate.

"What do you think?" Wang Xu asked Li Si.

"Not bad, unexpectedly felt pretty good," Li Si nodded and commented approvingly.

"I’m worried that some people might contact private armed forces outside of Lipei to launch an attack," Wang Xu said with a smile, then furrowed his brows, falling into deep thought. "Li Si, notify the Rapid Reaction Force on Earth to immediately deploy to Lipei to stand by; otherwise, if someone really does attack, it will be too troublesome to pass through the Otherworld Gate."

"Okay, I’ll arrange it right away!" Li Si nodded and then turned to leave.

Luo’er stepped down from the stage and saw the fully armed Cheng Ziang approaching, so he asked, "Is everything arranged?"

"Rest assured, it’s locked down tight, not even a fly could get out!" Cheng Ziang said confidently.

"What’s the mood among the people outside?" Luo’er asked with some unease.

"They look a bit confused, like they can’t quite understand, but there are still people cheering," Cheng Ziang said, looking back.

"It would be nice to see some blood," Luo’er murmured.

"That’s a bit scary, don’t you think? How about we sacrifice a couple of Landlords to the heavens?" Cheng Ziang asked with a smile.

"Forget it, for the sake of prudence, let’s not cause unnecessary panic," Luo’er rejected his suggestion as he shook his head.

"Remember, after you get back on the stage, someone might give you a hard time, so make sure to protect yourself!" Cheng Ziang warned earnestly after his smile.

"I know." Luo’er nodded.

"Fula, Xiao Fula, come out quickly!" Cheng Ziang called out.

"What is it, poker face?" Fulajie’er’s voice appeared in his mind.

"Remember, after getting on the stage, keep the shield on to protect Luo’er. Don’t let him get shot by a sniper!" Cheng Ziang reminded.

"Of course, I know that. Do I need you to tell me!" Fulajie’er responded irritably.

Luo’er, standing below the stage, watched the time, completely ignoring the noisy crowd above. After a whole hour, he took a deep breath and then signaled Feng with his eyes, and once again, he climbed onto the high platform.

Unlike an hour ago, this time the crowd below the stage displayed a clear division, with nearly half of the people choosing to stand on the left side. Yet another half stood in the middle. There were almost none on the right side, which undoubtedly reinforced Luo’er’s belief that these feudal Landlords and nobility did not dare to confront the district government head-on.

The crowd was already noisy, but the moment Luo’er stepped onto the stage, their voices grew even louder. Those standing in the middle pointed at Luo’er and spoke with agitated fervor, it seemed as if they wanted to verbally kill him.

"Why are half still standing in the middle when I only gave you two options, not three. Either live or die. What exactly do you want by neither living nor dying?" Luo’er continued with his smile.

The smile, as it turned out, had a great deterrent effect on the crowd below. If he had spoken with a stern face, hardly anyone would have paid attention to him.

"We will not submit to your unreasonable demands. We demand to be treated fairly, not to have our wealth arbitrarily taken away by you," the people below pointed at Luo’er and said angrily.

"I warn you again, the people, the land, and the weaponry do not belong to you, but to the Lipei district government. If you persist in your views, you are enemies of the Lipei district government, our enemies. We never ever treat our enemies politely, nor will we comply with any demands from our enemies!" Luo’er stated decisively.

"Then go to hell!" At that moment, a roar erupted from below, and a noble suddenly raised his handgun and pulled the trigger directly at Luo’er.