Whether the issue lay with the dungeons or the Kingdom of Tatu.
Chen Yu couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.
All he knew was that those in power who couldn't even ensure their subjects had enough to eat were incompetent.
Chen Yu hadn't had the time to consider whether he wanted to be the savior of this dungeon.
Even if he did, he might not have the strength for it.
He simply wanted to do what was within his capabilities, to ensure the people of his city could live and work in peace within his means.
To make money, one had to ensure their people were fed, right?
Wanting a horse to run while refusing to feed it grass was simply being a hooligan!
No matter how ruthless Chen Yu was, he couldn't bring himself to impose excessive taxes. He also believed that with his knowledge from outside the dungeons, he could ensure his city's development using a more mature taxation policy.
Money?
He was not lacking!
The development of Freedom City had begun to move in the right direction. Internal farming and livestock could bring him considerable income, and the exploration teams were also yielding stable results.
Worst-case scenario, Chen Yu had equipment.
The equipment trade with the Elton family and the Batu Free Federation had already been signed. The revenue from equipment alone was projected to be in the hundreds of millions.
How much money could taxes bring in?
Even if he shamelessly implemented the policies issued by the kingdom, with his strength, he wouldn't fear the populace rebelling or overthrowing tyranny. The population of this large city was not even as large as his own Freedom Town. Moreover, most of the city's inhabitants were refugees and displaced persons.
Where would he collect taxes from?
Even if he stripped those refugees and displaced persons bare, he wouldn't get much more than a few copper coins.
Absorbing population was the most crucial task.
Clay listened with fervent eyes, feeling even more fortunate that he had made the right decision to give up his position as city lord and hand over the city to Chen Yu. Someone who could develop an abandoned city-state to such a prosperous level would undoubtedly lead Hurricane City to a more brilliant future.
"I'll draft the new tax policies now for your review."
"Any taxes that are superfluous should be removed. You understand the situation in the dungeons better than I do, and I trust you to draft a tax policy that is more suitable for the dungeons," Chen Yu nodded slightly and murmured, "I can entrust this matter to you. Before you go, however, there are a few things I wish to ask you."
"I will tell you everything I know, without reservation."
Half an hour later—
Clay, with a beaming face, left the city lord's mansion with the Meteorite Guards. As he departed, he promised Chen Yu that the new tax terms would be delivered to him by noon tomorrow.
Chen Yu sat in his chair, his gaze fixed. The little demon glanced at him.
"Is it worth you pondering for so long?"
"I can't just kill everyone in the city with a single stroke," Chen Yu said, holding his forehead and gazing intently. "In the end, I've taken over a mess, and I don't have much capital to squander. Almost all the original inhabitants of this city have fled, leaving only a handful. The others are refugees and displaced people. It will take considerable effort to make them feel a sense of belonging to the city. If all the citizens of a city are outsiders, then when the city encounters difficulties, who will be there to shed blood for it?"
"Then you should think it through carefully."
The little demon did not have much expertise in managing cities.
If she were truly proficient in such matters, the Demon King's Fortress would not have been so easily conquered by Sona and the Holy Church.
At this moment, all she could do was remain silent, letting Chen Yu think for himself.
"Brother Chen Yu."
Suddenly, outside the city lord's mansion, a smiling Nuo Yi, with her little hands clasped behind her back, skipped back.
Hearing her lively laughter,
Chen Yu also smiled and looked up towards the outside.
"Is everything handled?"
"Done," little Nuo Yi clapped her hands and grinned. "Lauren and the others have already rounded up those people and imprisoned them in the city's dungeon. There were so many people to detain that the prison cells are overflowing. Fortunately, those people don't seem to have any intention of resisting, otherwise, I would suspect Lauren's cavalry corps couldn't even hold so many prisoners."
"Indeed."
There were over a dozen factions. Some had as few as a few thousand members, while others had over ten thousand.
To successfully hijack the grain procurement team, the factions had joined forces, each contributing several hundred people. Just detaining these individuals resulted in several thousand prisoners.
The city's cavalry corps numbered less than two hundred in total.
"This city has too many problems that need to be solved."
Chen Yu raised his hand to his forehead.
He had a feeling that this city, once managed by a prince of the Tatu royal family, was proving to be even more difficult to develop than his initial Freedom City, which had started from a barren land.
Freedom City had merely been in a state of revival.
Hurricane City, however, was truly plagued by internal and external strife.
Even though he had captured all the ringleaders, there were still remnants of the factions within the city. Dealing with them would consume considerable energy. Moreover, within the territory of Fengqi City, there were many sub-cities, and Chen Yu might have to conquer them one by one.
Yet, Fengqi City lacked many people he could utilize.
"It seems you'll have to transfer people from Freedom City," the little demon said softly, arms crossed. Chen Yu exhaled and nodded slightly. "It seems that's the only way."
For Hurricane City to get back on track, policies alone would not suffice.
He needed manpower.
Whether it was to maintain the city's subsequent public order or to prevent other situations from arising, Chen Yu needed sufficient personnel to resolve these troubles.
"Should I transfer a group of people from River Town?" little Nuo Yi also tilted her chin and blinked.
"There's no need for that much trouble," Chen Yu shook his head. "Your Batu Federation is about to go to war with the Kingdom of Tatu, and any fighting force is very important to you. Moreover, the Kingdom of Tatu will not allow people to pass through their territory if they are transferred from the Batu Federation. I have a town of my own, and it's no problem to spare a corps."
Chen Yu smiled and rubbed little Nuo Yi's head, but his mind was preoccupied with the city's natives.
Even if he transferred people from Freedom City, the number would be limited. Furthermore, Freedom City was far away, and the distant water could not quench the near fire. To fundamentally solve the problem, he still had to start with this city.
"Nuo Yi, you know the location of the dungeon, right?"
"Yes, I do," little Nuo Yi nodded with a smile. "Are you going, Brother Chen Yu? I can lead the way. The dungeon isn't very far from the city lord's mansion."
"Take me there."
Chen Yu got up from his chair and stretched his shoulders. The situation in the city made it impossible for him to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and exile all those separatists.
He had to meet those people personally to make a clearer judgment.
"Okay, okay," little Nuo Yi grinned and walked out with her hands behind her back. Suddenly, she stopped and looked back at Chen Yu with a mysterious smile. "Brother Chen Yu, guess what else I did while helping the cavalry corps detain prisoners?"
"What?"
"I extracted Alven's soul." Nuo Yi took out a glass jar from her embrace and poked it with her finger. "It's all in this jar. And I also had the cavalry corps treat Alven's injuries. I always felt that letting this guy die so easily was letting him off easy."
Hearing this, Chen Yu immediately grinned.
"Well done."
"This brat, indeed, shouldn't be let off easy."