CHAPTER 543: CHAPTER 441: ASKING FOR MONTHLY VOTES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH!

Since Chen Xin had already made his stance clear, Lucia naturally accelerated the construction of the heating pipeline, while intensifying efforts to dismantle those stubborn shelters.

These shelters are unwelcome by both the official and the revolutionary army.

They resist official management and have split from the revolutionary army, opposing both sides, naturally displeasing them.

Among these people are small-time tycoons, who before the disaster were those with some wealth, but couldn’t be considered elite; they spent money to build their own shelters before the disaster hit. Although not comparable to oligarchs or billionaires, their shelters are sturdy enough and can provide adequate food supplies.

These individuals rely on shelters built by these small-time tycoons and follow their lead. Although they don’t have the capability to wield an armed force like the oligarchs, they have gathered a large group of people, enclosing their areas and forming a self-sufficient small community.

This undoubtedly creates significant obstacles for the reconstruction efforts of both the official and revolutionary army, as there are quite a few of these small-time tycoons who were connected before the disaster, with many concentrated in former wealthy districts, and shelters can connect with each other.

Because of this, once their area is encircled, internally, it’s like a small community protected by a fortress.

Regarding food, the food hoarded by these tycoons is considerable, and some foresighted individuals have set up greenhouses. During previous riots, they seized many goods, so they aren’t worried about food shortages anytime soon.

The officials, unwilling to use force to smash the city they had painstakingly started to rebuild, did not immediately deploy the military, only sending workers and revolutionaries to negotiate with these people.

However, these people are not ignorant citizens. The alliance formed by the groups led by small-time tycoons collectively resists both the official and revolutionary army.

Earlier, these individuals saw how the official forces suppressed the oligarchs’ armed forces, so they didn’t choose direct confrontation, adopting a non-violent and non-cooperative stance, not cooperating with the officials, yet not clashing with them.

Thus, officials aren’t hastily using military action to resolve them, yet they can leverage negotiations with the officials, using the ordinary civilians caught up as bargaining chips to gain greater benefits.

This naturally leaves officials quite dissatisfied, but to avoid war that might impact the entire reconstruction plan, they have no choice but to negotiate.

Yet, these individuals perceive the officials’ attitude, thus demanding exorbitant prices, while keeping an eye on the officials’ maximum payout capacity, engaging in a tug of war with the officials, making Lucia quite uncomfortable.

If it weren’t for Chen Xin’s urging, Lucia might have continued the slow grind until they reached an acceptable deal.

But now Chen Xin has stated that if the issue isn’t resolved before the Energy Tower construction is completed, he will send people for forced demolition, making the problem much more severe.

During this period, Lucia officials have thoroughly understood who this person responsible for all Flame Country aid matters is, realizing the multiple top-tier technologies, including Titan, Power Armor, Exoskeleton, and electromagnetic weapons, Chen Xin controls, as well as his importance to Flame Country.

Chen Xin can mobilize the Flame Country troops stationed in Lucia, and Lucia officials have no doubt about this.

If the Flame Country’s troops were to conduct military operations in their capital again, for Lucia officials, it would be akin to having their face ground into the dirt, spat upon afterwards.

Previously, Flame Country’s troops could be somewhat justified as rescuing the trapped rescue team, but now if Flame Country troops conduct military operations in the capital under the pretext of assisting demolition...

Even if it’s not the world before the disaster, Lucia would consider international image and need to consider the people’s mind and national cohesion issues.

After all, there was already a riot over the epidemic; if the people felt the officials had lost control over the country and needed the Flame Country troops even for demolition, distrust toward the officials would undoubtedly increase, leading to bigger problems.

On the contrary, if officials could smoothly address these issues while relying on Flame Country aid projects to rebuild the capital, improve people’s living standards, and effectively solve epidemic problems, public support for the officials would undoubtedly rise significantly.

This way, Lucia officials can continue to endure the current dire environment without the nation falling due to a riot.

Lucia’s high-ranking officials understand this clearly; they do not cling to their power and position, although some loathe giving up their privileges and enjoyments, but they realize that without order and leadership, ordinary civilians would perish in the disaster.

By then, Lucia, once possessing a glorious history, would fracture and no longer exist.

For Lucia’s high ranks, they may not be patriots, but watching their nation and people disappear is unacceptable to them.

Therefore, Lucia’s officials have allied with the revolutionary army, issuing a final ultimatum to those still stubbornly resisting.

Demanding they remove all obstructions within the time specified by the officials, allowing the construction team to complete all pipeline installations, if they continue resisting, officials will conduct forced demolition and may use military force.

This ultimatum, after being explained by officials and revolutionaries to them, received consent from the revolutionary army.

The revolutionary army actively organized the resistors’ relatives to persuade, aiming to use psychological strategies to achieve progress.

It must be said that under military threat and persuasion from relatives, some civilians caught up were convinced and willingly gave up resisting.

However, the leading tycoons were not easily swayed; although they didn’t directly confront the officials, their refusal to cooperate was very firm.

Some radical ones even prevented civilians caught up from leaving, intending to completely barricade their area and cut off external communication.

Such actions undoubtedly worsened the situation.