At the Gates (Big Chapter Seeking Monthly Ticket)

Dawn City

"What are you looking at?"

Christos pushed open the office door and looked at Vice Mayor Seth, who was seated behind the desk.

"Some data."

Seth flipped through the documents in his hands and spoke slowly.

"When that young vice mayor from Winter City came to visit, I asked her for some data from Winter City's Municipal Government. But they had only just gotten started back then and didn't have much data. They only sent over the first batch today.

"You know, their Municipal Government bought out United Industries, the consortium that had monopolized the entire city. They're the only city where a regional consortium is controlled by the Municipal Government, so I wanted to look at their operational data and see what was different."

"How are they running now?"

Christos reached out to close the door and asked slowly.

"Honestly, better than I expected."

Seth turned another page in the documents and continued slowly.

"In fact, it's their first time doing something like this too, and they've run into plenty of problems.

"But fortunately, under the guidance of their little K, they've kept the company's affairs separate from the government's in a measured way. They also haven't rashly tried to acquire every small business at once, and they've done their best to preserve the original ecosystem.

"That's good. It shows a scientific, dialectical way of thinking—testing things step by step. Most people understand these principles, but you know how hard it is to truly exercise restraint.

"Government employees and cabinet bureaucrats always find ways to expand their own power, but expansion that is too crude and disorderly only brings greater chaos.

"That young vice mayor may look like a Little Girl who loves to cry, but she's unexpectedly capable."

"That's human nature. Even between government employees and