Era of Magic and Martial Arts

Chapter 403 - 387: Air Tax?!!

Liu Bo had been waiting in front of the meeting office door in advance. His hands hung at his sides, his posture straight like an old tree, steady without showing any sharpness.

He didn’t show any sign of agitation or unease, only occasionally glancing at the tightly closed office door.

Lou Duan stood half a step behind him. He was called here by Liu Bo, and he felt a bit annoyed by this, though he was also mentally prepared for it.

Liu Bo half-closed his eyes and asked nonchalantly, "Zhao Xing died last night?"

Lou Duan lowered his head slightly, expressionless: "Yes, the Patrol Office said it was an accident."

Liu Bo turned to glance at Lou Duan, seeming to genuinely believe it, and did not continue questioning this topic. Instead, he shifted the topic:

"Do you know what to say when the Members of Parliament start questioning later?"

Lou Duan took a deep breath: "I understand, since the MPs are asking, there has to be a clear result regarding the Second Prison’s issue...."

Liu Bo raised his hand to interrupt Lou Duan:

"You don’t need to tell me, just remember, every word you say inside this door cannot be taken back!"

Lou Duan quietly responded, "Hmm," staring at Liu Bo’s spotless leather shoes.

Those leather shoes were so reflective, it seemed they had never been stained with even a speck of dust, let alone mud and grime.

He cursed inwardly, "Old fox, slippery as an eel, not a drop sticks to you."

The door of the meeting room opened at that moment.

Lou Duan followed Liu Bo inside, stepping lightly, fearing to make any unnecessary noise.

His gaze cautiously swept over the faces of the MPs around the round table, each bearing an expression either calm, indifferent, or hiding unfathomable depth.

He tried to glean some clues from these expressions, but quickly found that every one of them seemed to be wearing flawless masks.

"It’s been days, has the Second Prison investigation yielded any results?" The Chief Member asked faintly.

Liu Bo stood by one side of the round table, slightly bowing his head, his expression ever as calm as it was nearly insubstantial, not uttering a single superfluous word:

"The results are in, Lou Duan, report your findings to the Members of Parliament."

Lou Duan quickly stepped forward, sharing the prepared script in his mind:

"After the Second Prison riot, I initiated a secret investigation, covering...."

Wang Xinfa coughed, staring intently at Lou Duan through his glasses, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes:

"No need to detail the process, just tell us the result. Who should be held responsible for the Second Prison riot and the resulting deaths?"

A chilling sense of foreboding surged in Lou Duan’s heart. From Mr. Wang’s uncompromising questions, he discerned an unusual stance.

"Mr. Wang seems to care little about the name I might utter... Is it because, regardless of who I name, Mr. Wang is confident that the meeting’s outcome will align with his wishes?"

Lou Duan’s mind raced, and he instinctively glanced at the other MPs, realizing each wore impeccable expressions, making it difficult to discern their positions or alliances with Mr. Wang.

Even if you could discern it, it might not be true; it could all be an act.

In this room, the finest actors of Zone 9 had gathered in a dramatic showdown.

Lou Duan reigned in his thoughts and, through gritted teeth, uttered a few names:

"Zhao Xing, Zhou Hu are the main instigators of the riot, and several other Prison Chiefs also had varying degrees of involvement."

Before entering, Lou Duan only intended to scapegoat Zhao Xing and Zhou Hu. Once inside, he inexplicably added more names, thus netting all the Prison Chiefs of the Second Prison.

Mr. Wang’s lips curved into a subtle smile:

"And what about the ’last-place elimination system’ that’s been buzzing online?"

Having decided to cut his losses, Lou Duan figured sacrificing one tail was no different from several.

He answered resolutely:

"The prison chiefs coerced Prison Director Qian Huan into signing it together."

Wang Xinfa cast a deep look at Lou Duan, waved his hand, and Liu Bo immediately led Lou Duan out of the meeting room.

Outside, Lou Duan exhaled deeply, realizing that his back was soaked with cold sweat, the damp clothes clinging chillingly to his skin.

Liu Bo patted his shoulder, a smile full of implications on his face:

"Any thoughts?"

Lou Duan had many doubts in his mind, his voice inadvertently becoming hoarse:

"It seems they don’t care about my answers?"

Liu Bo nodded: "Yes, our answers are unimportant because the rules of the game at that table are different from what we imagined."

Lou Duan’s pupils contracted as if realizing something but also not quite understanding it thoroughly.

He lowered his voice to ask: "So, where exactly is it different?"

This time, Liu Bo didn’t answer Lou Duan’s question. He withdrew his hand from Lou Duan’s shoulder, sighed deeply, and walked away.

He also wanted to know the answer to this, but if he did know, how could he have spent decades pacing outside, never making it to the table?

But some questions require you to play a round at the table to see the truth.

Inside the meeting room.

Wang Xinfa spread his hands:

"It seems the prison system has already singled out the bad apples, so the subsequent matters should be easier to handle!"

Zhang Deming frowned slightly, giving a half-smile: "That may not be the case, the internal investigation seems a bit hasty, something might be..."

Wang Xinfa ignored Zhang Deming’s question, instead turning to look at the Chief Member, suddenly changing the topic:

"I heard that the Upper City Council is planning to propose a new policy to impose an air tax on the entire Lower City. Is there any truth to this?"

A group of MPs all changed their expressions slightly, collectively looking toward the Chief Member.

The Chief Member was silent for three seconds, then nodded and said:

"Mr. Wang is correct, the bill has passed in the congress, and the specific implementation documents will be issued in due course."

The MPs’ expressions instantly became extremely grim.

Zhang Deming asked with a sullen face: "Specifically, the tax standard?"

Chief Member: "Counted per capita, the tax rate is three points, to be paid monthly by the Executive Governments of each district."

A middle-aged MP frowned: "This means the Executive Government must incur an additional fixed fiscal expenditure of 3% each month."

Wang Xinfa chimed in at the right moment:

"You miscalculated. To my knowledge, this headcount will be audited uniformly by a superior appointed inspector, and all incarcerated prisoners and Blank People will be included."

The Chief Member met the incredulous gazes of those present and nodded quietly:

"That’s correct, so for the convenience of future collections, all Blank People must be registered and filed. Of course, the welfare levels for Blank People will remain the same, but they will be allowed to purchase burial plots after death. Henceforth, they won’t be called Blank People but rather..."

The Chief Member paused and uttered a new term:

"Gray People!"