Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

Chapter 338 - 323: Governor Lanci Serving the People_1

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away from the Royal Capital Gedaria of Aestheland Kingdom, in the Protoss Empire’s Xue Yuan Province, the afternoon was also clear and bright.

The city walls, weathered by the years, still stood tall, embodying the rich history of Chinston City. A group of people were leisurely walking along the path on top of the walls.

In the middle of the group, a man dressed in a suit was walking with his hands clasped behind his back. Sunlight shone on him, casting a golden glow around his silhouette.

He was deep in thought and often looked into the distance. His strides were steady and powerful, as if he was feeling the heartbeat of the earth.

Behind him, a group of lords from various city-states in the province walked. Even though they held considerable authority in their own territories, they were expressing deep respect towards the man — the governor.

"High-quality development is the primary task of our comprehensive construction in Xue Yuan Province."

Lanci was making a series of important deployments while carrying out intensive field surveys in the local area.

The subordinates around him nodded respectfully, their eyes always centered on Lanci, ready to take any enquiries or instructions from him.

Sometimes, they would lower their heads slightly in introspection or avoid the governor’s peripheral gaze.

Earlier at noon, two hours ago, the governor had held a short meeting with these lords at Chinston City Hall. In the meeting room, Lanci listened to reports and gave invaluable advices.

He first affirmed the work of Xue Yuan Province over the past year, attributing it to the hardworking efforts of all people involved. Afterwards, he delved into the strategic importance of the province in the Protoss Empire and the responsibilities it needed to carry.

He pointed out that, due to its geographical location, Xue Yuan Province had a vast potential in both eco-protection and tourism development. Therefore, provincial development plans should prioritize security and environmental protection, ensuring that when eradicating the Phantom Gang, the local environment isn’t compromised and sustainable development is maintained.

Lanci emphasized that future development in the province should be based on local resources and features. He encouraged the investment of capital and technology into relevant infrastructure development. Moreover, he urged all levels of administration in the province to strengthen cooperation with city-states, learn from advanced experiences, and strive to improve local operational efficiency and management level.

In the end, he expressed his belief that with the combined efforts of the entire Xue Yuan Province, it will certainly become a region blending ecological beauty with economic vitality, thereby making its due contribution to the development of the Protoss Empire.

Even though the Governor was serious throughout the session.

His thought-out and piercing advices made the local lords recognize their problems and make promising commitments.

Now, after the meeting, several lords were still accompanying Lanci, walking atop the city walls of Chinston City.

Discussing the fine details of their work.

"... I don’t plan to stay in Xue Yuan Province for too long, I will depart once I’ve arranged the work plans, and the next time we meet should be in the Imperial Capital, Herram."

Lanci was planning to stay in Xue Yuan Province for only one or two more days; the next part of his journey would be to the North Border Province, which was much farther away.

Lanci stood upright, his seasoned eyes gazed at the plains of snow ahead, and his deep voice echoed in the cold air,

"Change your mentality, if you think the cost is too high now, then we need to increase the benefits, to motivate everyone to do good."

"But... how can we increase the benefits of capturing the Phantom Gang?"

One lord, puzzled, stepped forward and asked.

This was undoubtedly what troubled them the most.

Suppressing bandits required a great deal of fiscal and manpower resources, and the resulting merits were unremarkable. The main reason the lords hadn’t reached an agreement before was disagreements on who should bear the responsibilities.

And now, the governor was telling them that the benefits of capturing bandits could be increased?

If it’s feasible, it could fundamentally solve their predicament.

"Issue a public bulletin."

Lanci replied casually, offering direction.

"A public bulletin?"

Lanci nodded, continuing to speak:

"Starting from today, all prisoners in the city jails of Xue Yuan Province will be allowed to work outside the high walls under proper supervision. They will engage in various public services, learn the value of honest labor, provide services to the community, and contribute to the common taxpayers."

"?!"

The other lords were taken aback by his words.

Even though the Protoss Empire had Demon Slaves, even adapting convicts into slaves required complex registration, audit and certification procedures, and the costs involved in applying contracts and restrictive magic were substantial.

However, in the legal code, there was indeed no prohibition against using jail convicts for "rented labor work".

And the definition of this "work" was quite vague.

In Xue Yuan Province, the vast expanse of resources was just waiting to be tapped, and with an ample supply of labor capable of working in freezing conditions, wealth could roll in like a flood!

This wasn’t capturing criminals, it was trafficking them!