Chapter 604: Chapter 350, Tens of Millions of Troops
“Greetings, this is the first time we meet, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Lambert Hodgson, the Chief Justice of the Alliance. The Alliance’s legislative, law enforcement, and judicial operations are all my responsibility. Of course, all laws of the Alliance are established in accordance with the Planetary Governor’s will, and I am here merely to refine the laws. The enforcement and judicial duties naturally must also be conducted in accordance with the law.”
“You all have been preliminarily screened and found unrelated to the rebellion that has yet to erupt. This is good, and on behalf of His Excellency the Planetary Governor, I hope you can continue to maintain this status.”
“As for the promises you made at the Planetary Governor’s banquet, I have a list here, all recorded. I believe that you, loyal citizens of the Empire, will take your political promises seriously.”
“This is your responsibility, as well as mine.”
A meeting was convened within the Governor’s residence.
The speaker, Lambert, had an amiable attitude and tone, merely recounting his job responsibilities and emphasizing the importance of dedication to their work.
However, the sight of several rows of heads lined up behind him cast a chilling air over the scene.
The many Salt City elites seated in the conference room were all as silent as cicadas in winter, barely daring to nod in agreement.
In the past few days, there had been a bloody purge in Salt City.
On normal days, many people would die daily in Salt City. Gang fights, overwork in factories, malnutrition, diseases…
However, those who died were the lowly, the worthless in society. To those elite, it would at most be a set of numbers—they would not even bother to look at those figures.
But now was different.
The heads hanging on the wall behind Lambert were almost all familiar faces, all once influential figures in Salt City, now all beheaded and displayed here.
Nobody wanted to end up hanging there too, so of course, they did not dare make any sudden moves.
And as for the rebellion?
The head of General Qiongson, the Capital Commander in charge of the five million defending army of Salt City, was hanging right here. The biggest power player, who had hoped to force the Planetary Governor to yield with his troops, was finished. What play could the rest put on?
It was said that Commissar General Tadeusz who had just arrived, along with his commissariat team, had gone deep into the military to announce the standards of the Alliance Army’s treatment.
This was far superior to that of the Planetary Defense Force (PDF) stationed on Korolya, almost on par with the Star Realm Army.
More critically, the Salt City’s official warehouses and some privy depots of the elite had been opened, with a substantial amount of supplies being distributed. The promises to the rank and file were not just pie in the sky, but were genuinely delivered without any markdowns.
Many people who had ‘volunteered’ a lot in this process were bleeding inside.
It was pure silver given to those poor soldiers, such a sin!
They were all cannon fodder destined to die; was this really necessary?
But no one dared to say this aloud anymore.
They could only grumble to themselves—can the treasury sustain such high treatment?
Even if they slaughtered everyone like fattened pigs for the New Year, what about the days after the celebration?
But there was no choice.
Going forward, they still had to contribute their strength.
They could only hope that once the calamity passed, everything would return to normal.
Beside Lambert’s own Demon Hunter Squad, the Integrity Commission soldiers, and the Phoenix Battle Group also took part in disposing of and collecting those heads.
No need for the Phoenix warriors to move otherwise, but when it came to General Qiongson’s staunch confidants within the military, who were not just battalion commanders but also regiment leaders, it was crucial to eliminate any chance of them causing trouble—thus ensuring a one-hit kill. Such tasks could only be entrusted to the Interstellar Warriors, who would guarantee a hundred percent success.
Their operations had especially effective results. Carrying the Planetary Governor’s orders and the government’s mandate, and with the most obvious presence of the Emperor’s own Angels personally arriving, the military truly did not act rashly. And those officers, even if they saw the dire situation and were unwilling to be captured without a fight, could not escape the Interstellar Warrior’s execution when it mattered most.
After all, some minor disturbances were inevitable, but they were quickly subdued.
After carrying out these measures, the Interstellar Warriors also swiftly withdrew, handing the military over to the military commissars of the Alliance.
They had other, more important tasks to attend to.
The lavishly decorated Governor’s residence of Salt City now became a grand administrative office. Lambert’s team set up their headquarters here. And like the Mayor Izla Hood with a broken leg, she too gritted her teeth and insisted on working through her injuries, moving the city government in, fully cooperating with Lambert.
Or rather, both of them were cooperating with Tadeusz.
Now was a time of war, and military construction was of utmost importance. It was Tadeusz who was shouldering the most arduous tasks.
Under regular conditions, Salt City would have a garrison of ten million native troops. Since the problems in Fino City, there had been a high demand for troops, not just in Salt City but in all the Nest Capitals across the globe, with continuous deployment of forces participating in the situation at Fino City.
The strength of the garrison in Salt City had dropped to a low of two to three million people at one point over the last few years.
This was a dangerously low number. Any less, and they would not have sufficient force to suppress any issues in the Lower Nest District or Bottom Nest District.
But as the situation in Fino City collapsed, and when it became clear that Salt City was the next target, a considerable number of troops started to be redeployed here from various locations. Currently, there were about five million troops in the city.