Chapter 806: Deep Helplessness
Before the Supreme Administrative Council of the New Beginning Realm disintegrated, how would the Demon Hunter Association dare to threaten the government like this? Even a local Administrative Council would never have been threatened. No matter how poor or backward a place was, the Administrative Council always represented the official power, and its significance was entirely different.
Once they made a move against a local Administrative Council, it was tantamount to declaring war on the entire official power of the New Beginning Realm. The strength controlled by the government back then was not to be underestimated; whether it was overt power or the hidden forces it commanded, both were incredibly formidable.
It was precisely for this reason that the government could stand firm in the New Beginning Realm. Otherwise, it would have been annihilated countless times by other forces long ago.
However, the situation was different now. With the Supreme Administrative Council disintegrated, some smaller local Administrative Councils lost the protection of their superiors. Consequently, they were oppressed everywhere, becoming incredibly passive. Some Administrative Councils were even directly annihilated by other forces due to their insufficient strength.
Lecheng was inherently a small place. Its limited resources, coupled with inconvenient transportation, had kept it impoverished all this time.
If a place couldn't prosper, its Administrative Council naturally couldn't hope to be strong. It was perfectly normal for them to be ridden over by others; this current situation was a vivid example.
The weak get bullied—this was an eternal truth. The reason the Lecheng Administrative Council was being ridden over by two Demon Hunters was, plainly put, due to its own insufficient strength. If it possessed power capable of making the other party wary, how would they dare to be so arrogant!
At the Lecheng Administrative Council, Deputy Captain Zhou met with Lecheng's highest official, the current Administrative Chief of Lecheng.
Deputy Captain Zhou also wore a worried expression, though unlike the Administrative Chief, he wasn't seated in a chair but stood opposite him.
"Administrative Chief, although Bai Xue is not human, she has been with our Spirit Police for a long time. During this period, she has made numerous outstanding contributions. To say nothing of past deeds, simply take this recent mission: our ultimate success was largely thanks to her. Without her, all the Spirit Police officers who went out on that mission would have died at the enemy's hands."
The reason Deputy Captain Zhou was here at this moment was to plead for Bai Xue, hoping the Administrative Chief would rescind his previous order.
Although he had already disclosed to Bai Xue the information that the Administrative Council intended to act against her, having her constantly hide like this was no solution. The best course of action was to persuade the Administrative Chief to withdraw the order; that was the outcome he desired, and only then could he give Bai Xue a proper explanation.
To achieve this goal, he set aside other urgent matters he needed to handle, came to the Administrative Council, met with the Administrative Chief, and even spoke these very words.
The Administrative Chief's hand movements paused. He then looked at Deputy Captain Zhou, but he only stared for a few seconds, his eyes filled with deep helplessness.
Without uttering a single word, he withdrew his gaze and continued rubbing his temples. The worry on his face didn't lessen; instead, it intensified significantly.
Seeing this, Deputy Captain Zhou couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety. The Administrative Chief said nothing—what kind of situation was this? Were his words truly just playing the lute to a cow?
However, he didn't give up. His mouth was his own; just because the Administrative Chief wouldn't speak didn't mean he couldn't either.
"Administrative Chief, if you insist on acting against Bai Xue, not only will I be displeased, but the other brothers in our Spirit Police will be equally so. If Captain Luo were awake right now, I believe he would also disagree with your approach. Since you originally agreed to her joining the Spirit Police, she is one of us. As long as she hasn't done anything to betray our Spirit Police or the Administrative Council, you cannot treat her this way. It's incredibly unfair to her!"
Upon hearing this, the Administrative Chief's hands, which were rubbing his temples, paused once more, and he turned his gaze back to Deputy Captain Zhou.
This time, he seemed disinclined to remain silent.
"Fairness? There has never been absolute fairness in this world, only relative fairness. You're not a child anymore; do you not even understand this principle?"
Deputy Captain Zhou had no intention of shutting up in response to the Administrative Chief's retort, but before he could speak, the Administrative Chief interjected ahead of him.
"Our Administrative Council is precisely in need of people right now. As long as someone has ability, anyone falls within the scope of our recruitment. Do you think I want to act against her? For a powerhouse like her, I'd eagerly wish to keep her by my side; how could I bear to drive her away, let alone act against her? If not for being forced into this corner, how could I possibly make such a decision? I've already explained this to you once today; this is the second time. Do you truly want me to explain it a third, or even a fourth time?"
The Administrative Chief's words not only revealed a profound sense of helplessness but also a feeling of being wronged and simmering anger.
"I know, Administrative Chief, that you've been threatened by those two Demon Hunters. But have you considered a problem? If you compromise this time, then this kind of threat will be endless. Not only will these two Demon Hunters trample all over our Administrative Council, but in the future, even more people and more forces will treat us with utter contempt and walk all over us!"
Deputy Captain Zhou's words completely infuriated the Administrative Chief. He could no longer suppress the rage in his heart and roared loudly at Deputy Captain Zhou.
"Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I don't know what you're saying? But what choice do I have? ! If I don't agree to their demands, the entire Administrative Council will be razed to the ground by them! Once our Administrative Council is flattened, what will happen to the common people of Lecheng? Tell me, what will they do? Who will care if they live or die? Even if someone takes over Lecheng in the future, how many of Lecheng's common people will survive until that day?"
Deputy Captain Zhou froze in place. It wasn't that he was startled by the Administrative Chief's roar, but rather because he simply hadn't considered this aspect of the problem at all.
Lecheng now was much better than when the world first plunged into chaos. At least a few pedestrians could still be seen on the streets every day. These few pedestrians dared to venture out because Lecheng was relatively safer, with little danger during the day. And for all of this, the Administrative Council had played a significant role.
In addition, a few shops in Lecheng were still open for business. While the income from these shops went to their individual owners, the challenge lay in how they acquired their goods. This problem, too, was being helped by the Administrative Council.
Beyond that, the Administrative Council had resolved many other difficulties for the people of Lecheng, such as repairing power stations, building reservoirs, and so on. Without the Administrative Council, the common people of Lecheng would be living in untold hardship right now.
Compared to other chaotic cities, Lecheng was already considered quite good under the Administrative Council's governance. But if the Administrative Council were to fall, Lecheng now would likely become indistinguishable from those other chaotic cities.
"I think we can still find help. We can directly confront these two Demon Hunters. Since they dare to trample all over us, then let's make sure they come but never return!"
Deputy Captain Zhou remained unwilling to give up and offered his suggestion to the Administrative Chief. However, his words were met with a cold laugh from the Administrative Chief.
"Find help? Heh heh, times have changed. How many people do you think would be willing to help us? Why should they help us? What could we possibly offer to move them, to then ask for their assistance? Moreover, if our Administrative Council were to act and kill these two Demon Hunters, do you think the Demon Hunter Association would spare our Lecheng?"
The Administrative Chief's string of questions once again stunned Deputy Captain Zhou. Only after being questioned like this by the Administrative Chief did he realize he had oversimplified the problem, and there were many issues he hadn't considered at all.
"We can only blame ourselves for not having enough strength. It's precisely because we are too weak that we've become so passive, that others can treat us with contempt and walk all over us. If we had sufficiently powerful strength, and strong backing, how would these two Demon Hunters dare to be so arrogant?"
The Administrative Chief no longer roared at Deputy Captain Zhou. His words now were filled with exhaustion and helplessness; even his tone had become weak and powerless.
"But, if we act against Bai Xue, while it might satisfy the Demon Hunters, it will offend Yang Haoran. Yang Haoran is the Emissary of Death for the Lecheng Underworld Division, and his relationship with Bai Xue is extremely close. If we truly act against Bai Xue, Yang Haoran will certainly not turn a blind eye. Offending him means offending the entire Lecheng Underworld Division, which will likewise bring us no benefit, and the consequences might even be greater than those from the two Demon Hunters!"
Deputy Captain Zhou's words made the Administrative Chief's brows knit tightly together. In that moment, he felt as if he had aged considerably.
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