With the flipping of documents, a few whispers of surprise circulated among the crowd. At this time, the Minister of Finance seated to He Ao’s right hastily looked up at He Ao, "My daughter passed the high school entrance exam on her own merits; I didn’t use any improper methods. I didn’t even write her a recommendation letter." He Ao raised a hand, motioning for him to be quiet. Vittel, who was a bit further back at the conference table, also said nervously and angrily, "This is a frame-up. That day, I just had too much to drink. The suitcase contained a suit my wife had customized for me. Since it had just arrived, I had it delivered to me." "Linen, although Vittel is somewhat erratic and likes to have fun," Lante, sitting beside He Ao, slightly stood up and positioned himself next to He Ao, whispering, "but he still knows right from wrong and wouldn’t do such a thing." "They can vouch for me." At this time, Vittel also looked at the two ’friends’ beside him who had just been joking together, "That day, we all went to the bar together. They even saw the person who delivered the suit. I was joking with them about how classy it was to deliver a suit in a briefcase." He looked at his silent companions, "Speak up, will you?" "That day was indeed so; we accompanied Vittel," At this point, the man to his left slowly began to speak, "But we went to the restroom midway, and when we returned, we saw him with a briefcase he claimed contained a suit, but... the weight seemed to suggest it wasn’t a suit." Hearing the first part of the statement, Vittel relaxed somewhat, but upon hearing the latter part, "What do you mean?" He immediately realized something and, in anger, grabbed the collar of the person beside him, "Did you do this on purpose? Was it a setup leading me to that bar?! Are you framing me?" "Vittel, don’t slander people without proof!" The man whose collar was grabbed responded immediately, pointing at the screen, "Look here, it’s clearly written in the material. The bureaucrats from Kopes say you took their bribes and then approved for them a private power line to the mining area." Vittel’s face turned red in an instant. He angrily grabbed the man’s collar in front of him and bellowed, "Bastards, they followed the proper procedures, all criteria were met; if I didn’t give them the power, how would those miners work? Would you have them be pressed by those Kopes jerks to use dangerous, small fuel-cell machines for mining?" A calm and elderly voice sounded in the strangely tense atmosphere of the conference room. Vittel took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as he let go of the collar and looked towards He Ao, "Mayor Lin En, Mr. Lante, I apologize, I lost my temper." The man who had his collar grabbed glanced at Vittel, about to say something, but when he raised his head and looked towards the Elderly at the head of the room with his cold gaze, he involuntarily shuddered and swallowed back his words. "From the Ministry of Education," He Ao’s gaze shifted left, glancing at the mustachioed man to his left, "Are there any cases of enrollment violations?" "The schools each have their own admission standards, some through exams, others through comprehensive assessments; we are not well-informed." The mustachioed man sat up straight, shaking his head, "There may be some students who, failing to meet the standards, have to resort to other means to enter. As long as the school approves, we regard it as normal admission." "I heard that before the admissions results were released, the principal of Nord Private Middle School went to see the Minister of Finance?" The plump man beside the mustachioed man looked up at the Minister of Finance. "I outright refused. No one in our family has had any contact with that so-called principal." The Minister of Finance shook his head immediately. "So, this did happen?" The plump man asked with a smile. The Minister of Finance turned his head, looking towards He Ao, "Mr. Lin En, I didn’t expect things to come to this. My daughter has always been a good student, she really likes that school, I couldn’t help it, I tried to persuade her, but she went to the exam without our knowledge. There was no problem with her grades, she told me she checked the answers... I..." "So because your daughter likes it, you just found a way to get her in..." Someone in the crowd began to speak. But he didn’t finish his words, because the Elderly standing at the main position raised his hand. He was not very afraid of that Elderly before because he was easy to talk to, and even a small offense was no big deal, but today, seeing that calm and elderly face, those deep hazel eyes, he felt an inexplicable trepidation. Finally, he closed his mouth and kept quiet. In this moment, He Ao’s gaze also swept over the varied expressions of those seated around the conference table, speaking calmly, "Minister of Finance Rosser, Minister of Energy Vittel, please stand up a moment," Hearing his words, the two of them turned pale but slowly stood up. The mustachioed man on the left looked up at Vittel, who was standing, a hint of a smile forming at the corner of his mouth but quickly concealed again. At that time, He Ao also looked at the remaining seated people, watching their expressions of either joy or mockery, speaking in a calm tone, "Today’s meeting has a very simple agenda to announce, and it won’t take up much of your time." Upon hearing his words, everyone’s gaze converged on him once again. Wittel and Rosser’s breathing both became a bit more erratic. "Except for those who have stood up, those of you present," He Ao slowly picked up the brass cane, his tone naturally steady, "you’re all dismissed." The pitter-patter of rain on the ancient stained glass windows seemed to strike at everyone’s hearts, causing a crackling sound. The stream of sounds, like a series of daggers, shattered the panic of those standing and also the illusory dreams of those seated. An eerie silence spread through the spacious hall. It was as if time had come to a standstill at this moment. The elderly man, his hair and beard speckled with white, stood in front of the main conference table, holding the intricately carved brass cane aloft. In that silent, dim void, it was as if numerous ethereal puppet strings drifted, weaving through the void, one end attached to the heads of everyone in the room, the other end tethered to the brass cane hovering in the air. Like the fate of the world being pulled along. The cold wind seemed to blow through the tightly closed doors and windows, seeping into this seemingly warm room, freezing the expressions of everyone seated in place. "Until your successors are determined, your deputy ministers will temporarily take over your roles." The old man’s gaze calmly swept over everyone’s faces, retracting the brass cane in his hand, "All right, the meeting is over, you may prepare for the handover of your duties." It was as if the threads of fate were pulled into the void, an invisible sound trembling in everyone’s heart, awakening their stunned souls. Panic, confusion, astonishment, fear, and doubt—countless expressions surfaced on the cheeks of those who finally came to their senses. The Minister of Education, with his mustache, instantly stood up with a swish, his face wearing a mix of anger and disbelief as he looked at He Ao, took a deep breath, and strived to suppress his emotions, "What are you doing? You’ve essentially dissolved the entire Cabinet! The City Government will collapse!" He Ao looked toward the Minister of Education. Like a bucket of ice water poured from the heavens, extinguishing all the rage and indignation. The Minister of Education stared blankly at the calm old man before him. Though the Mayor’s gaze fell upon him, he knew that he was not really seen in the other’s eyes. Administrative power belonged to the Mayor of Yilan City. This was the first sentence of the second clause of the first article of the Yilan City constitution, establishing the foundational basis of all the Mayor’s powers. Administrative power belongs to the Mayor, not the City Government. The City Government, the City Cabinet, were merely tools derived to better facilitate the Mayor’s exercise of his administrative powers. When the Mayor had no qualms about pruning these tools, the tools had no place to speak up or resist. After all, they were merely tools that existed because of the Mayor. Life or death by a single word, prosperity or decline by a decree, such is power. A silent stillness once again spread through the conference room. The Minister of Education’s mouth opened and he wanted to say something more, but no sound came out. He was now clearly aware that the current Mayor before him simply didn’t care about him, as a Divine Being wouldn’t concern himself with lowly insects. Whatever he might say would be akin to the desperate thrashings of a fish dying on the shore, nothing more than a source of ridicule. After an encounter with death, the Mayor before him had seemingly changed, just not in a way that he had anticipated. The indecisive, soft-hearted, ’open to counsel’ Mayor had vanished, replaced by a firm, resolute leader, cold and decisive, like a monarch ruling unilaterally. "All right, the meeting is now dismissed," He Ao withdrew his gaze, glanced over the crowd once more, "Thank you all for your cooperation over the past year, the secretarial staff will assist you with the handover of your work after the meeting." Then he turned around and walked towards the conference room door. The sealed door automatically opened with his arrival, making way for an open passage. The blonde Chief of Staff still stood waiting at the entrance. He Ao nodded to her gently, then continued toward the depths of the corridor, with the blonde Chief of Staff following immediately. At this time, the Minister of Education stood in the conference room, leaning weakly on the table, beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. A gold pocket watch had slipped from his chest pocket, swinging and swaying in front of him. "Has Lin En gone mad?" The man who had been sitting beside Wittel angrily banged the table, "Tyrant, this shameless, illogical, whimsical tyrant!" "The City Government will collapse, he’s gone mad, he must have!" Another angry shout followed. In the midst of the crowd’s plaintive howls, Wittel, with a flush of anger still on his face, raised his head in a daze to look toward Lante, who stood beside the main seat, still somewhat unresponsive. Just moments ago, there were only three people standing in the conference room besides the Mayor: Vice Mayor Lante, him, and the Minister of Finance Rosser, and they were not on the ’termination’ list. Yet, it was he and Minister of Finance Rosser who were the ones under attack during the meeting. Those who were supposed to be overthrown in this meeting walked away unscathed, while the surrounding ’predators’ who thought they controlled the power lost everything. The turn of events had completely exceeded Wittel’s expectations, leaving him somewhat at a loss. And Lante, facing his glance, also shook his head to indicate he didn’t know either. At that moment, a soft noise accompanied the Minister of Finance as he left his seat and rushed toward the exit, chasing after the departing Elderly. Lante quickly signaled Wittel with a glance. Wittel immediately caught on and followed in Rosser’s footsteps, dashing out. "The location for the live broadcast speech is arranged in the Mayor’s office as per your instructions, will this setup do?" The Chief of Staff handed He Ao a tablet to display the live broadcast scene. The content in the frame was very simple, a smooth white marble desk in the foreground, with a golden and jeweled clock placed on it. Behind the desk was a semi-transparent old-fashioned stained glass window, golden-thread silk curtains drawn to either side, turning the wind and rain outside into fine long strands. Two flags were placed on either side of the window, with the Federation’s olive starry flag on the left and Yilan City’s White Jasmine Emblem on the right. The overall decoration largely retained the look of the Mayor’s office. Regardless, these decorations were not determined by Lin En; too many things had occupied his time since he took office, and he preferred to work in the conference room, barely taking the time to visit the office. These were arranged by his former office director, decorations he hadn’t even looked at since their completion. Of course, that office director had just been fired. He Ao quickly surveyed the scene on the screen, then immediately said, "Change the curtains to ordinary cloth ones, lighter in color, and replace the golden jeweled clock with books related to the history of Yilan City, set up book stands in front of the desk." He then glanced over the setup again, "The camera is too low, higher, I want to be able to look directly into the camera when the time comes." The Chief of Staff nodded slightly, taking back the tablet. At that moment, Minister of Finance Rosser also caught up, panting as he looked up at He Ao, "I’ll have my daughter withdraw from Nord’s school right away, this time it was my fault..." "That’s not your problem," He Ao shook his head gently, "It’s that the good schools in Yilan City are all private schools owned by consortia, forcing promising children to only attend consortium schools, and that’s a problem of the City Government." Minister of Finance Rosser opened his mouth slightly. "You have no issue, don’t worry, the City Government still very much needs you." He Ao patted his elbow reassuringly. Looking at the Elderly’s face before him, Rosser took a deep breath and nodded gently, "Okay." And then, Wittel, also gasping for air, charged forward, though he was in better physical condition than Rosser, asking He Ao quickly, "I..." "You did well, young man, don’t worry," He Ao looked at Wittel with a smile, "Keep up the good work." Wittel lifted his head and looked at the elderly man’s kind and serene gaze. In an instant, all words and explanations seemed to dissipate, turning into an emphatic nod, "Okay!" To convince a subordinate, sometimes all it takes is to see their efforts and hard work and to acknowledge them. It’s simple, yet difficult. And at this time, a figure had caught up behind the two men; it was Deputy Mayor Lante. "The next task will be even more challenging. Go take care of your business." He Ao patted his two subordinates on the shoulders, bid them farewell, and then turned to face the approaching Lante. "It feels like my people are about to be swayed by your words." Walking alongside He Ao, Lante glanced at Wittel’s excited departing figure and said with a laugh. "He’s a very capable young man, isn’t he?" He Ao smiled and turned, continuing forward. "What you did today... was a bit ’radical,’" Lante sighed softly as he walked beside He Ao, "Although most of the Cabinet ministers are probably not up to any good and might have colluded with the Consortium, aren’t you afraid of causing instability in the City Government by firing most of the Cabinet ministers?" "There will be some instability, but it might still be easier to cut through the mess quickly rather than wait for the disease to reach the bone before treating it." He Ao shook his head slightly and continued on, "Moreover, those who maintain the basic operations of the City Government are not the ministers I’ve chosen, but rather the government employees who have been employed for decades, or even longer. "Compared to Cabinet bureaucrats who change every few years, or even every year or two, they have a better understanding of their departments and the work they do. "While they have often obstructed the steps of reformers, they have also served as the bedrock of the City Government. As long as they remain stable, the City Government will not fall into chaos." "It looks like you’ve already thought it through?" Lante took a deep breath, stopped in his tracks, and looked at He Ao with a smile, "I understand why you’re willing to discuss this with me here. I’ll try to handle the conservative faction in the assembly for you, even though you’ve fired the conservative Cabinet officials, as long as I’m here, they won’t make too much trouble." He Ao stopped, nodded gently. Then he looked up at the door ahead of them; they were now at the Mayor’s office door. At that moment, Lante also glanced at the Mayor’s office door, hesitated for a moment, and softly said, "Whatever you plan to do, take care of yourself. This city still needs you." "I can only do what I’m capable of." He Ao gently shook his head, grasped the brass cane in one hand, and pushed open the door with the other. Bright light instantly flooded his eyes, and a dense array of brilliance filled the spacious circular office. A group of staff holding equipment had already gathered in front of the desk. The curtains had been changed to simple grey cloth, and the desk ornaments had been replaced with a few books placed together, the most conspicuous of which was a white-covered book with a White Jasmine Emblem printed on it, "Eight Hundred Years of Yilan." Seemingly hearing the sound of the door opening, the silhouettes holding equipment turned their heads, their eyes looking excitedly at He Ao who stood at the doorway. He Ao nodded to them, walked through the path cleared by the crowd, and got behind the desk. He set the brass cane upright on the desk and sat down in the chair. Before he could look into the camera, a light sound from his bracelet interrupted him. It was an encrypted message from Corvey. The message was short, [Wilderness Sentinel reports, Yiwis Space System’s Mercenary Corps is rapidly approaching the Wilderness near the South Gate Outskirts.] He Ao took a deep breath and quickly responded with an [Acknowledged]. Then he raised his head, glanced at the staff already standing in position around him, and nodded to them slightly. The spotlights on either side were slowly lit, and He Ao’s gaze directed at the camera was solemn, though his tone was composed, "I am glad that today I am still able to sit here, and I’d like to spend a few minutes talking to the people of Yilan, about my assassination attempt, about this city, and about some things that we all should be aware of."