Public announcement

The guards didn't budge from their spots. They just gazed at her with deadly cold stares.

"Alright, back off," Wan Tao spoke.

The guards immediately dashed out of the windows and returned to their original positions.

This incident did make Lian Ming understand that attacking Wan Tao was not a good option.

She stared at Wan Tao and asked, "…You have been collaborating with the JRA for quite a while. What is their next plan?"

She wanted to foil their plan before it could come to fruition. And the information Wan Tao possessed was crucial for this task.

"They never really informed me of their plans. Every time, they just gave me a task. I had to accomplish that task. Nothing more than that," Wan Tao's response terribly disappointed Lian Ming.

"Aren't you too useless?" She couldn't help but take a dig at Wan Tao while angrily glaring at him.

"Well, I can still guess their next action, Mrs. Lian," Wan Tao spoke calmly.

Noticing the puzzled look on Lian Ming's face, Wan Tao spoke, "From the information you reported earlier, it seems that the JRA hired some local mercenaries to attack the Oak Ridge Institute. However, you prevented them from succeeding in their mission. And it's not the first time you have prevented them from accomplishing their objective. You even attacked their base and reduced it to rubble. It's pretty clear what they will do next."

Lian Ming's eyes widened slightly as she heard these words.

"You mean they will come after me?!" She asked, astonished at Wan Tao's words.

"It would be weirder if they didn't come after you at this point. They have been developing this plan to create chaos in Suqui Town for quite some time. And you ruined all that. You think they will let you off the hook?" Wan Tao spoke with a smile.

"…Even if what you say is the truth, why are you informing me of this danger?" Lian Ming couldn't help but doubt Wan Tao's intentions.

"Because I am also a JRA target at this point. After killing you, they will use all their resources to pin the blame on me. Your popularity is great enough that riots will follow immediately. And the riots that we witnessed a day before would seem small and insignificant compared to the ones that will follow," Wan Tao spoke calmly.

"Thus, I must protect you from the JRA's schemes," Wan Tao spoke.

"How do you plan on accomplishing this? You aren't just planning to assign me more guards, right? That's just a stopgap method," Lian Ming spoke.

"Obviously not. Instead, I plan to recommend you for the position of Deputy Commissioner of Suqui Town. I have a couple of connections with ministers in the Royal Court."

Lian Ming's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this information. She didn't expect the Mayor had this plan.

"… That's impossible. The current Deputy Commissioner of Suqui Town is a righteous man. He has many accomplishments and will not accept a transfer or a demotion," Lian Ming spoke with a worried look.

"He won't be demoted or transferred. Instead, he will be promoted and called to the Royal Capital," Wan Tao casually responded.

Lian Ming's eyes widened in shock and excitement, but she regained her composure quickly and spoke, "…Very well. I will count on you then."

After saying those words, Lian Ming walked out of the Mayor's office.

Becoming the Deputy Commissioner of Suqui Town would significantly increase her power, resources, and influence.

Lian Ming would become the head of the entire Law Enforcement Department. And the powers of a Deputy Commissioner were nearly unparalleled in the whole town.

Even the Mayor couldn't order the Deputy Commissioner. They possessed a similar status.

Mayor Wan Tao had his reasons for recommending Lian Ming for the Deputy Commissioner position. He knew this was the only way to get Lian Ming off his back.

He knew that Lian Ming would someday figure out the truth behind the prison break and might use that incident to extort him.

However, Lian Ming couldn't go against Wan Tao if she received a great favor from him. Furthermore, this kind of promotion was considered somewhat corrupt.

As a result, if Lian Ming ever intends to go up against Wan Tao, he may drag her down with him. This was a double-edged sword, which caused them to return to a stalemate.

'I have handled Lian Ming. Now, I need to prepare countermeasures against the JRA.'

Wan Tao called for his secretary and ordered her to prepare a speech.

It was time to make his move.

~~

A sizable crowd gathered at Suqui Town's Western Plaza two days later. They arrived after hearing that the Mayor would address everyone with his speech.

Lian Ming arrived with her comrades to provide protection to the Mayor. The crowd cheered upon seeing her.

Lian Ming felt gratified as she felt so much passion and affection from the crowd.

After the crowd had gathered, the Mayor arrived on his gorgeous white horse, with a group of riders wearing white armor following him. These riders were all his personal guards, giving off an intimidating feeling.

The public unusually tensed up upon seeing the Mayor. They had mixed feelings about him.

Only a few days ago, many people accepted those malicious rumors about the Mayor, picking up weapons and instigating riots.

They were worried that the Mayor was going to blame all the people involved in those riots.

Upon standing on the stage, Wan Tao gazed into the eyes of the crowd standing below him. Their entire attention was on him as they wondered what he was going to speak. They actually had a hint of dread in their eyes.

"…Greetings, everyone. I apologize for making you wait under the sun for so long," Wan Tao spoke courteously as he attempted to relieve the tension in the entire plaza.

His attempt worked as people breathed out a relieved sigh.

"To not waste anyone's precious time, I shall get straight to the point. I imagine everyone is aware of the incident that occurred a few days ago. Many things happened on that day. The prisoners broke out. I was framed. The riots broke out. And lastly, someone attacked the Oak Ridge Institute under the pretense of my guards."

"Firstly, I am glad that these riots occurred," Wan Tao spoke, confusing everyone in the plaza. Even Lian Ming couldn't help but stare at him in astonishment. Just what was he saying?!

Meanwhile, the crowd felt as if the Mayor was messing with them. Did he just say that the riots against him delighted him?

All of them collectively wondered if the Mayor was crazy or not.

"When I heard the reason for those riots, I was truly delighted. It implied that I have been blessed with righteous citizens with the courage to stand up against evil!" These words resonated in the crowd's mind.

Many people in the crowd were proud as they heard the Mayor praise them.

Meanwhile, Lian Ming snorted in disdain. She understood what the Mayor was trying to do. He was trying to regain the public's trust.

Upon seeing their reaction, Wan Tao seemed satisfied. He spoke, "…The only thing that disappointed me is that you believed those bogus rumors too easily."

All the initially proud people were now slightly embarrassed. They even felt guilty as they believed the Mayor was right to blame them.

Meanwhile, Lian Ming thought while glaring at the Mayor, 'You bastard. The rumors were actually right.'

Unfortunately, she couldn't say those words out loud. She still required the Mayor's assistance to become a Deputy Commissioner of Suqui town.

"I am not here to blame you. I know that you were just terrified and filled with righteousness. However, I request you to give me some time to provide clarification. The riots won't benefit anyone and will only harm the Suqui Town."

"Today, I am here to provide clarification regarding these incidents. The mastermind behind them was none other than the JRA."

"…The JRA sought to create chaos and weaken the Suqui Town's strength. They released the prisoners to ensure that the Law Enforcement Officers couldn't interfere with their plan. They spread false rumors about my involvement in this prison break and even tried to destroy the Oak Ridge Institute just to ensure that I suffer the blame and punishment for this incident."

"Fortunately, Mrs. Lian was able to foil their devious plan!" He suddenly pointed towards Lian Ming.

"I wish to reward Mrs. Lian with this medal of honor as she has truly saved this town from destruction," Wan Tao spoke as his underling brought a shiny gold medal to him.