Free Web NovelChapter 1702: Chapter 964: Taking Office
When Shang Yanwen woke up, he was already able to see through the shuttle’s porthole, the cityscape of Comoros, fractured into grotesque fragments by towering spires.
A century ago, as a poor youth scraping by in the underbelly of the Korolya Nest Capital, he never imagined that his academic prowess would earn him a place at the Alliance’s prestigious University of Law, and that upon graduation he would enter the ranks of government.
Even more unthinkable was that he would one day set foot in this city, once a cosmic blight, as one of its administrators.
Rubbing his eyes, Shang Yanwen asked, "How much longer until we arrive?"
"Director Shang, we’ll be landing in five minutes, after which we’ll transfer to a vehicle that will take us to the government building. Governor Xia Xingze is already awaiting your arrival," the female attendant’s voice resonated inside the cabin.
Through the porthole, Shang Yanwen looked at the contorted cluster of buildings and recalled his hometown.
Back then, when the Alliance Army marched into Comoros’ Nest Capital, he had hidden in a rusted ventilation shaft, watching polished army boots trod through pools of sewage.
The hot porridge from the recruitment center had altered the course of his life, and the letter of acceptance from the University of Law had been his ladder out of the slums.
Now, he was here to transform this dark city.
Outwardly, he appeared a scholar and civil servant, genteel and approachable. Yet etched in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes lay a century’s worth of administrative acumen. He had risen from the lower strata, and beneath his cultured exterior lay unyielding resolve.
Especially in recent decades, his rise to leadership positions had made it all the more apparent. freēwēbnovel.com
In the Peperosse system, he spearheaded a seventeen-year tax reform that gradually escalated tax revenues, accumulating the blood and tears of countless local elites;
During his twelve years of colonial coordination in the Mayagos Star Domain, he ruthlessly dismantled all community groups in the formerly rebellious worlds, severing countless families eternally, yet significantly reducing the risk of rebellion and prompting efficient new world development;
In the past nineteen years, during the Dark Side Expedition in the Mai Liang Cosmos Domain, he had acted in concert with a detachment fleet from the Angel Corps, leading Alliance officials to pacify and settle two hundred worlds...
Now, this experience was commemorated by the new badge on his chest—Comoros Special Administrative Region Government, Third Supervisory Officer, effectively the third-highest official in the special administrative government, primarily overseeing the settlement affairs of the Spirit Race population and assets.
The five minutes swiftly passed, and the shuttle descended upon the landing pad.
The moment the hatch opened, Shang Yanwen caught the scent of blood.
The scent emanated from the four-man Interstellar Warrior Squad awaiting them. They had been standing by for a while.
The leading figure approached, extending a datapad.
Upon Shang Yanwen verifying his biometric data on it, a chilling voice emerged from within the opponent’s breathing grille:
"Greetings, Director Shang Yanwen. I am Vikas, from the Sixth Company of the Execution Angels Corps. My squad and I will be responsible for your protection in the upcoming period."
The close protection of four Interstellar Warriors was a first for Shang Yanwen.
He had indeed seen such majestic warriors before, who were often the sharpest swords on the battlefield, tasked with resolving the most dire difficulties, exceptional offensive tools, rarely serving as bodyguards for high-ranking government officials.
If such measures had been instituted, it likely meant that the safety of government top brass was one of the most challenging problems in Comoros.
However, he had long been mentally prepared for this.
Though his past lacked no instances of personal danger encountered in iron and blood, his understanding of Comoros, from reading various documents, informed him that working here marked the period in his career when he would be closest to death.
"I’ll be relying on you," Shang Yanwen replied courteously.
He was familiar with the Execution Angels Corps.
In the Alliance, most of the Blood Angel Corps’ detachments were established after the conclusion of the Lord Star Campaign, following the Blood Angels’ integration into the Alliance.
This phase of concentrated military formation was known as the Blood Alliance military build-up.
However, a few corps joined the Alliance during the Dark Side Expeditions, prior to the parent corps’ integration; others were established in several small-scale dark side formations of the Alliance before the Blood Alliance build-up.
The Execution Angels belonged to the latter category.
And their identity has always been unique, being one of the two internal security corps, seldom deployed on external campaigns, yet they have perpetrated no small amount of killings, often responding to summons from the Alliance’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, Police Department, Security Department, Ministry of Internal Affairs to handle extremely serious internal affairs.
The name ’Execution’ is not given lightly. When they are deployed, it’s typically when the evidence is indisputable, or even unnecessary, just requiring a headsman’s axe, and it’s where these elite depart when the internal departments’ skilled agents cannot suffice, necessitating angelic intervention.
For internal suppression and explosive shock tactics, the Execution Angels are unparalleled.
And now, this fully staffed corps had arrived in Comoros.
The current Comoros Special Administrative Region was just the place for them to fulfill their role.
...
Switching to a vehicle, they sped along a sealed corridor within the city. The surrounding scenery unfolded before his eyes.
The avenue he was currently on was known in the past as Desire Avenue, serving as the central street within Comoros.
After the spacecraft landed, traveling from here inward would lead straight to the center of Comoros. There, it once held the Suffering Palace overseen by the Black Witch King Victor, the ruling center of the Dark Spirit Race. Now, it had become the seat of the Comoros Special Administrative Region Government, simply renamed Comoros City Center.
This avenue could still hint at its former glory. Lined with towering skyscrapers, many signs yet to be removed symbolized the prestige of numerous dark families. Such families often splurged to purchase buildings along Desire Avenue, signifying their brand; various guilds and merchant houses operated storefronts here, dealing in exotic treasures plundered from the reality universe. Many luminous, neon-colored pleasure dens, steeped in debauchery, also dotted the area.
However, it was now rather desolate. Not only were passersby scarce, but one could even occasionally spot uncleaned bloodstains.
The armored hovercar carrying Shang Yanwen sped swiftly above the avenue, encountering no threats as it headed straight for the central city, entering the Governor’s Mansion.
The Governor’s Mansion was renovated from the original Temple of Pain. Human engineers had removed the screaming statues and eradicated traces of religious and debauched elements, yet its opulence and enigma remained visible.
Upon entering, Shang Yanwen saw four Witch Spirits wearing electronic collars scrubbing the floor. Dark purple blood seeped from the gaps in the tiles as they employed minor spiritual energies to suppress and purge the transcendent energy, once suffused with the flavor of pain, that lingered here.
The Dark Spirit Race cherished such energies, but humans did not.
Shang Yanwen’s leather boots stepped onto water marks, and a Spirit Race woman recoiled as if electrocuted, the collar’s blue light flaring, causing her to spasm and press her forehead against the floor.
He passed on without altering his expression, took the express elevator, navigating within the building, and soon arrived at the Governor’s Office.
Four Execution Angels stood guard outside as Shang Yanwen entered alone, meeting with Governor Xia Xingze of Comoros.
The two held a confidential conversation briefly before Shang Yanwen emerged again.
However, a slight gravity had settled on his expression.
