Chapter 325
Chapter 325
Chapter 325
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 325 – Lan Qi and the Capital Prison’s Campus Cooperation Project
"We must capture the Ghost Gang criminals with full force, train them efficiently into cost-free labor, then implement this mechanism to boost city-state productivity. At the same time, we’ll issue bounties based on the prisoners’ value — adventurers and mercenaries from our province and others will see this and rush to join in, competing to exercise justice.”
Lan Qi raised his hand slightly, pointing toward the snowy wilderness as he instructed the gathered lords.“Human desire is like a boulder rolling down a mountain — once it starts, it can never stop. Real benefits work better than anything else. From the very beginning, I thought the power struggle between you was completely unnecessary.”
Clearly, this could have been a win-win solution for everyone — yet they had wasted time fighting over it.
Lan Qi could not understand why they had acted that way.
“……”
The others kept their heads down, not daring to make a sound, afraid that the Goddess might be watching them.
He thought their earlier arguments — compared to what the Governor just said — almost made them seem more human.
If this man lived in a time of war, he’d surely be labeled a war criminal.
But they didn’t dare say that out loud.
And once they crossed that last hurdle of conscience...
They had to admit — it sounded worth trying.
Both the lords and the local populace had suffered under the Ghost Gang for far too long.
And besides… if this could really work, regardless of humanitarian concerns, the profit might indeed turn out positive!
“What about the legal risks and operational risks?”
One of the lords asked with concern.
An excessive number of dangerous prisoners would be difficult to control, and prisons were expensive to maintain.
This was the biggest and most troublesome issue.
“There are no legal risks — as long as we properly draft the official documents. Even if the Lower House tries to amend the law to shut down the feasibility of this ‘prison labor rental,’ the Upper House has the power to delay it for a month. And with that time buffer, I’ll have the chance to roll this plan out fully.”
Lan Qi finished, and the lords nodded thoughtfully, stunned.
No matter the Lower House’s stance, the Upper House nobles — even those in the south — would most likely approve of this “prison labor rental.”
In fact, once they saw the northern provinces implementing it, they’d probably rush to copy it themselves.
“As for operational risks, that’s simple — I’ve already made plans. We can… sell — no, transfer the high-level criminals to the capital. Our school has long had a partnership with the underground prison in Helrom. Next month, I’ve invited Warden Bacchus to attend a conference at our school. If this reform succeeds, the capital’s prison system may also undergo a productivity overhaul.”
Lan Qi’s original intention was that, since he could not actually execute his students, he would adapt to Protos Empire culture by replacing immediate execution with prison reformation and education.
Of course, letting Warden Bacchus — the strongest force in the prison — leave the prison outside Helrom to come to a school in the busy southern city theoretically increased the risk of a jailbreak that day.
But Lan Qi was certain no sane person would attempt such a thing.
And he would never allow any citizen of the Empire to do something so lawless.
“……”
After hearing this, the lords looked at each other with barely restrained excitement.
If they could directly send dangerous criminals to the capital and immediately turn them into cash, it would not only remove a major threat but also bring them a new stream of income!
Suddenly, the Ghost Gang seemed more valuable than a mana crystal mine.
As if something had been completely pried open inside their hearts, they no longer had any moral hesitation.Now, they just wanted to hurry up and accomplish this great deed — one that could be called a historic achievement.
“Lord Rocky McCarthy, you are certain to become the greatest statesman of the Protos Empire in the past century. Your glorious deeds here in the Snowfield Province will soon add yet another brilliant page to your reputation in the capital Helrom!”
The nobles bowed deeply in awe and respect, speaking with great emotion.
Though history’s verdict on Rocky McCarthy would be hard to judge many years later — and the Ghost Gang survivors would surely hate him to the bone —
For now, he was undoubtedly the savior who had rescued the people of Snowfield Province from their misery.
Lan Qi shook his head slightly.
He seemed to think they misunderstood him.
“I have never been a politician. If anything, I am more like a manager or a businessman. I don’t want war, I don’t want to see people deceived again. As long as the economy prospers and people live happy lives, that is enough.”
Lan Qi said simply.
“But yes, Chloris did mention that next month, there’s an interview program from the Helrom Broadcasting Company inviting me to participate. Now that I’ve become governor, the host will have to adjust the title they use for me on air.”
He smiled slightly as he said this.
The Helrom Broadcasting Company, founded in 1723, headquartered in the capital’s city center, was the largest news media outlet in the Protos Empire.
Although it received government funding, its management was overseen by an independent supervisory committee separate from the Postal Ministry and the two Houses, and its independence was protected by the Imperial Royal Charter.
In the bustling streets of Helrom, you could often see giant screens broadcasting its programs.
“Meow meow meow?!”
The Cat Boss raised its head in Lan Qi’s arms and cried out.
Receiving a featured interview invitation from the Helrom Broadcasting Company was already a sign of status. Unless approved by the editor-in-chief, producers, and the supervisory committee unanimously, such invitations were rare.
It now shuddered to imagine Huperion in the brilliantly lit capital city, looking up to see Lan Qi on the giant screen in a suit, calmly speaking with the host.
A month ago, it vaguely remembered Huperion telling it to keep an eye on this man’s career ambitions…
But clearly, things were no longer in its control.
I am guilty, meow!
“Chloris Berenhard, the duke’s daughter?”
The other lords asked in surprise.
“Yes. She is our school’s most outstanding student.”
Lan Qi nodded casually.
The lords all silently sighed with admiration — of course, the Governor was so extraordinary that he was even acquainted with the Berenhard ducal family.
Whether it was Duke Morotian Berenhard, holder of the Primeval Slate – Undead, or Lady Chloris Berenhard, they were all far beyond the reach of ordinary nobles — true power players of the Empire.
Following this governor promised a bright future.
“……”
Lan Qi noticed the subtle reactions of the lords.
He hadn’t expected such a simple sentence to make them admire him even more.
In the southern Hedon Kingdom, where his classmates saw him with the duke’s daughter every day, no one seemed to respect him any more because of it — giving Lan Qi the illusion that Huperion had been “stripped of her noble title.”
On reflection, he decided that the northern continent’s reaction was far more normal.
When people learned that you knew a duke’s daughter, this was how they were supposed to react.
People should show respect to a ducal family’s talents.
This trip to the northern continent had brought Lan Qi plenty of work experience and insights — lessons he was sure he could apply when he returned to the south.