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Chapter 491: The Vote
The residents of Rainless City had never imagined that they would have a day for voting.
Yan Yun Star had never seen democracy; instead, it was ruled by a strict hierarchy where the nobles always remained nobles, and commoners remained commoners for generations.
This kind of voting had never occurred in Rainless City before. When their City Lord announced it, they thought they had misheard.
"Voting? What's this for?" one resident of Rainless City asked strangely.
"Who knows? It's an order from City Lord, saying that we should vote on whether to become a part of the Red Alert Empire. What is that?"
"Red Alert Empire? Besides the extinct Shisong Kingdom, I've never heard of any other empire on Yan Yun Star."
It wasn't just them; the entire population of Rainless City was asking around about the Red Alert Empire's influence.
After some inquiries, no one seemed to know.
Just as they were unsure of how to vote, some rumors started to circulate. It turned out that the Red Alert Empire was the same group of people who had helped Rainless City in the past, their allies.
What was crucial was that their City Lord had already agreed to join this Red Alert Empire, becoming a member of the empire. This time, it was up to the residents to decide whether they wanted to join as well. freёweɓnovel.com
"Whether you join or not, I think Rainless City is fine as it is. Joining this mysterious Red Alert Empire might bring trouble," one person said.
"I think Red Alert Empire looks promising. Have you seen their soldiers? They are really powerful, and they've never caused us any trouble," another person countered.
Faced with the decision to join the Red Alert Empire, Rainless City was divided into two factions. One faction believed that Rainless City should remain just that, while the other thought that joining the Red Alert Empire wouldn't be a bad idea, especially since their City Lord had already joined.
After two hours of voting, the entire City had cast their votes. A majority of them chose not to join the Red Alert Empire, with most of the nobles from Rainless City leading this faction. They knew that in Rainless City, they were considered nobles, and joining the Red Alert Empire might strip them of their privileges.
The ones who were willing to join the Red Alert Empire were mostly commoners, and the strongest among them were only at the fifth rank, making them seem rather insignificant.
However, for Emperor Kong and his group, this was not an issue. Through this vote, they were primarily identifying the residents of the Red Alert Empire who needed their protection.
Once the results were out, Spy Number One issued a City Lord's announcement: "From now on, residents of the Red Alert Empire will enjoy all rights in Rainless City. Non-Red Alert Empire residents who wish to continue residing here must pay a certain fee, and additional charges will apply during times of war. The fees will be adjusted based on the strength of the enemy, and no credit will be given!"
This statement angered the nobles of Rainless City. Very soon, a group of nobles led by an old man named Count Nolan tried to force their way into the City Lord's residence to confront him personally. However, they were stopped at the entrance.
"I am Count Nolan, and I demand to see the City Lord!" a noble with an imposing aura glared at the two soldiers guarding the entrance.
Since the City Lord had changed, the soldiers guarding were also replaced with Red Alert soldiers.
"As ordered by the City Lord, no one is allowed to enter!" The Red Alert soldiers had cold expressions and held their AK-47s pointed at these individuals.
"Outrageous! Do you know who we are? We are the nobles of Rainless City! How dare a mere lowly soldier act so arrogantly?" one noble couldn't hold back and rushed forward, intending to give the insolent soldier a slap.
However, what he couldn't even dream of happened – a gunshot rang out, and he had a new hole in his chest.
"You... you..." The man stared in disbelief as he fell to the ground, lifeless.
The other nobles were dumbfounded. Killing a noble on the spot? This soldier had quite the audacity!
"The City Lord has ordered that anyone who trespasses will be dealt with harshly."
Count Nolan, who had claimed to be, had no choice but to leave with his followers, humiliated. Faced with such ruthless soldiers, who would dare to argue further? If they were shot dead for any reason, who would they turn to for justice?
Inside the City Lord's residence, Emperor Kong and the others observed the situation outside with clarity.
"Whether on Earth or any other planet, it seems that nobles are always a bunch of parasites," Emperor Kong sighed.
Even in Earth's history, when nobles were mentioned, the first thing that came to mind was a group of self-indulgent, incompetent individuals who had nothing to offer apart from meddling in others' affairs.
The nobles here were just as Emperor Kong had imagined. When faced with something unusual, their first instinct was to seek a confrontation with the City Lord.
However, they didn't know that the City Lord had changed.
"What should we do next? We've identified the people, but most of them still don't want to join the Red Alert Empire. If they cause trouble, it might be detrimental to us," Eastern Emperor said seriously.
As the Human Emperor, he understood that any problems in the rear could greatly affect the combatants on the front lines, even though this wasn't Earth. The outcome would be similar.
In this battle, some of the original Rainless City soldiers were involved. If they learned that there were issues in the rear, their combat effectiveness would drop significantly.
"If they dare to cause trouble, then it's their problem!" White Emperor's eyes flashed with determination.
They were indeed Human Emperors, but above all, they were high-ranking members of the Red Alert Empire. Their foundation was the empire itself, and any threat to it would be dealt with swiftly.
This was something they had done on Earth.
"Have the Scout Planes monitor the entire city closely. If anyone causes trouble, deal with them swiftly and decisively. We cannot afford internal problems," Emperor Kong ordered.
They had already decided that they would only protect those who became residents of the Red Alert Empire. As for the fate of others, it was not their concern.
Initially, there were those who refused to pay the protection fee, but in front of many witnesses, Red Alert soldiers intervened, forcefully collecting the fee and then escorting the offenders outside the city gates, locking them out. No one paid them any attention, no matter how much they cried and pleaded.
Seeing this scene, the people of Rainless City were shocked. This time, it was for real!
Many regretted their decisions and expressed a desire to join the Red Alert Empire. However, it was too late. Joining the Red Alert Empire was not as easy as they thought; the previous opportunity was a one-time chance. The next chance would depend on their behavior.
The residents who became part of the Red Alert Empire were grateful, never dreaming that becoming residents of the Red Alert Empire would come with so many benefits. (To be continued...)
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