Perhaps it was the dozen or so imaginative interviews before that finally had an effect, perhaps it was that the backlog of salary was finally paid, or perhaps His Highness Thales’s speech was so touching and sobering that after the afternoon, he came to report on his work.

The attitudes of officials from various ministries and the news they reported were all different.

"It's unbelievable, Your Highness," the port officials reported with joyful faces, "but as you said, the situation in the port is getting better..."

"Led by the famous Sea Wolf Ship Group, many ship groups have reopened their businesses, even provide free escorts, and crack down on pirates. They say they want to maintain professional ethics. Even if the Emerald City sinks, they must stand as the last guard..."

"Under their care, at least seven cargo ships will enter the port to unload their cargo today. The captains and cargo owners have issued statements. They believe that the waters around Jade are safe and suitable for doing business. They will come again in the future, and they dare not not come.

...Um, I mean, I'm sorry not to come..."

"Speaking of this, the cases of hijacking of passing merchant ships and extortion at sea that occurred some time ago, well, this city's security forces quickly intervened, and all have been investigated in time. It seems that they were all misunderstandings, not pirates.

Behavior……"

"Those escort ship groups that cooperate with the official... Oh, no, it should be just a single ship of a single ship group. The temporary sailors it recruited were not good at business, got the rate of fees due wrong, and overcharged a certain amount of money, so it looked like

Robbery and extortion left a wrong impression and caused unnecessary misunderstandings... But please rest assured that the relevant departments acted quickly and have compensated the relevant damaged businesses with parking space coupons for next year..."

"The maritime administration department has ordered the fleets that have made mistakes to make vigorous rectifications. As for the 'South Coast Catfish' that is suspected of looting people's property, as long as this storm passes... Well, ahem, I mean, the official follow-up will

Promptly report investigation results..."

"Of course, the public security department carefully investigated the temporary sailors who were negligent on the ship and found that many of them had background experience of sailing overseas, living in foreign countries, and even accepting foreign currency. They felt that they were greedy... Well, yes, living in foreign countries,

When announcing to the outside world, this point must be particularly emphasized..."

"Bad things must be done by spies. If our people do bad things, then they must be spies... Especially we must explain this clearly to the simple people... Your Highness, do you understand what I mean..."

After the port came the commercial market, finance and taxation department, and even the civil affairs department and aristocratic affairs. All kinds of news came in like snow, and Thales didn't even have time to give a reply, involving all walks of life in the Emerald City that were once silent.

"Your Highness, I can see that market prices are returning to normal. Although it is very slow, they are indeed recovering. Businesses are starting to do business again. It is stable and improving..."

"Creditors of at least three debts have sent letters, claiming that for the sake of the overall situation, they want to extend the debt period and even partially waive interest..."

"There are even people who want to continue to lend us money to tide over the difficulties, but I sternly refused in public! Are you kidding me? Emerald City is a down payment for one party. It has a strong foundation and a huge size. There have never been any difficulties..."

"Ahem, of course, if His Highness still wants to meet them and refute their fallacies about borrowing in person... Hey, I asked them to wait quietly at the back door. Don't worry, no one will see it, and it will be kept strictly confidential..."

"For several overseas debts with huge amounts, no news has arrived from the creditors, but the strange thing is that their local agents seem to have made an appointment, and they no longer crowd the door of the Financial Secretary's reception room to ask for payment..."

"I received information that five local families took the lead in convening a gathering of minor nobles in the Emerald City. However, regarding the letter to His Majesty in support of the Iris family, there were quite a few differences among the families at the meeting, and they eventually broke up.

In other words, Your Highness, no one is against you now... In other words, Your Highness, everyone is supporting you now..."

"Business groups from the mining, metallurgy, textile, grain and agriculture and other industries have jointly expressed their full support for His Highness Thales to be in power..."

As these news came, the staff in various departments became diligent, with good attitudes, enthusiasm and motivation, and high morale. There was a flourishing and positive atmosphere from top to bottom.

"After the financial situation improves, we can resume various affairs in accordance with the annual budget. In fact, the first tranche of funds for public security and urban construction has been issued, and we will actively make up for the public credit left by the previous demolition of the east to make up for the west..."

"After carrying out a profound ideological and moral education in all departments of the Emerald City, everyone is in high spirits, and most government affairs are returning to their previous operating efficiency..."

"The previous case of a fire caused by a fight in the downtown area has been revealed after the major police departments worked overtime. All the suspects have been arrested. It is said that many people came to their senses and voluntarily surrendered after hearing about your magnanimity..."

"The number of visitors to the celebration has begun to increase, and there are fewer local owners dragging their families and families to flee..."

"Many shops in the handicraft industry have reopened their orders and are open for business..."

You know, Thales.

Thales frowned and waited for the officials in front of him to report, nodding in response from time to time, but the voice in his heart was silently laughing.

You know why they do this, why they are arrogant at first and respectful at the end.

Because of you, you, who were originally blind, found a way out, starting with Kevin Dill, and leveraging a few key points, and then, the Emerald City ship started to move.

Politics is such an interesting thing.

Isn’t it more interesting than “there are no shortcuts to governance” that you use to scare them?

Because politics and power are nothing more than the knowledge of how to take shortcuts.

If everyone is down-to-earth, follows steps, performs his duties, and lives his destiny, there will be no need to take shortcuts...

Then why is there political struggle, why is there a struggle for power, and why is there any distinction between superior and inferior?

But precisely because of this...

Politics can accomplish great things that many people, many ordinary people, and many scattered and fractured individuals cannot accomplish.

As long as you make good use of it.

Thales closed his eyes and drove out unnecessary thoughts from his mind.

But compared with these officials who adapt to the situation, businessmen who take advantage of every opportunity, dignitaries who have exhausted all their agencies, and civilians who are cautious in all walks of life, among the guests who visited today, the one who left a deep impression on Thales was a rough man.

A simple-dressed, gray-haired barber shop owner.

"This is the apology from the two bosses of the Blood Bottle Gang, Fogg and Nekra," In the study, the boss, who tried his best to look neat and tidy, but was still shabby compared to the interior of Kongming Palace, was cautious.

But he handed over two gift orders with a calm attitude, "This is the apology from the other side of the Blood Bottle Gang, Boss Kathleen, to you."

Fergie and Nekra, Kathleen...

Huaiya took the gift list, but Thales, who knew the inside story, frowned.

"If I remember correctly, Kathleen and Nekra are fighting among themselves, and they should fight to the death?"

The owner of the barber shop looked honest and courteous, nodded as if nothing had happened, and took out another gift list:

"Exactly, you are aware of everything. And here, this is the gift to you from the boss Lazench Feisuo on the other side of the Black Street Brotherhood at Beimen Bridge."

Lazench Fisso, Black Street Brotherhood?

Now Thales' eyebrows moved, and he couldn't help but look at the person in front of him with admiration.

"Why?"

"Oh, after..., they realized their fault and were afraid of your thunderous wrath, so they asked me..."

"No, what I'm asking is," Thales interrupted him, "Whether it's the rival factions in the Blood Bottle Gang or the big drug dealer leader of the Brotherhood, when they want to show their sincerity to me, they actually agree to do so.

The earth has found you.”

Thales looked at the ordinary and unremarkable barber shop owner in front of him and narrowed his eyes:

"Who are you?"

"The old man's name is Balta, and he is a barber." Balta bowed and saluted calmly and without condescension. "I moved to the Emerald City many years ago and opened a small barber shop. I was lucky enough to meet a few people on the street.

The boss is tolerant and allows me to run the business till now..."

"Selling information by the way, acting as a middleman?" Thales said with bad intentions.

"Your Highness is aware of this."

Thales looked at Balta for a long time and found that no matter from which angle he looked, he was just a small business owner. His expression was dull, his eyes were numb, and there were a few hair grease stains on his sleeves that couldn't be washed away.

Ordinary, ordinary, ordinary.

Balta smiled and let Thales look him up and down with peace of mind.

"Those who are in the intelligence business often work as intermediaries," Thales thought of his experiences in Exeter and Xihuang. "It seems like this is the case everywhere?"

"If you want to be a good intermediary, you have to be well-informed," Balta replied calmly, as if the person sitting in front of him was not a powerful prince, but a day laborer at the food stall next door. "And when a person

Once you are familiar with the information work and have reached a higher level, you no longer need to go to an agency in person - except for those particularly important businesses."

His words made Thales think deeply, but Balta immediately took out a dirty thick notebook, wiped the stains on it with his sleeve sheepishly, and handed it to Huaiya.

The prince's attendant opened the book and was startled while doing the safety check:

"What's this?"

"Oh, this..."

Balta showed a simple smile and saluted Thales:

"Whether it is His Highness's public humiliation by Miss Healy, the inside story of Duke Jenn's imprisonment, or the truth behind several shocking serial murders... our shop will pay close attention to all the news and rumors in the Emerald City, whether they are outrageous or reliable.

I have sorted through the records and tried my best to trace the source and cause. I asked a literate secretary to write it down for your convenience."

What?

Thales couldn't help but leave the back of the chair, leaned forward, and took the notebook from Huaiya's hand.

"In addition, we will continue to track the direction of public opinion in Emerald City and report the actual situation to you so that you can grasp the underlying trends."

Balta kept smiling, while Thales frowned while flipping through the book.

Sure enough, the book was full of all kinds of news, from how people talked about the serial murders in the Emerald City, to how the conflict between the prince and the duke was rumored to be more and more outrageous, and what versions of the shocking events on the day of the election were spread.

Even Tails’ love affairs with the ladies of the Emerald City...

Of course, what is more useful is the different reactions shown by everyone in Emerald City before and after the coup in Emerald City:

All major merchants are experiencing blows and losing confidence. However, some of the clerks and employees of different business groups are panicking and rushing to buy ferry tickets, while others are as orderly and steady as an old dog.

Most of the dignitaries were waiting to hear the news, but the gardeners and servants who looked after their homes and homes also had subtly different reactions. Some were living frugally and living in simplicity, or they were gambling more and more lavishly than in the past.

Before the celebration, both Beimen Bridge and the gangsters of the Blood Bottle Gang were spreading rumors that water ghouls were killing people everywhere. Some people cried out that their friends were missing because of this, but the news was mysteriously suppressed by the bosses in various regions.

In an inn a few days ago, a drunken sailor from a certain ship group revealed that their Tanganga captain had been tossing and turning at night, checking with his chief mate over and over again whether the ship could sail at any time.

The servant who manages the garbage dump at the back door of Kongming Palace complained that the garbage in the palace recently lacked many old items that could be sold for money, but there were a huge amount of shredded paper, which seemed to be old and new contract documents that had been discarded, and could be vaguely seen.

It's filled with a lot of numbers.

The vendors in the square were chattering, saying that there was always a rich young man in the prince's guard who liked to come to buy food. On the way, he asked them about the affairs of the Emerald City, especially how the old Duke died.

interested.

Thales turned his attention from the item "On the eve of the general election, the coachman of the Terran state envoy showed off his power to his former employer, threatening that the Emerald City would be over sooner or later, but boasted that he was about to make a lot of money with the new owner and become rich."
To be continued...