The next day, the West Semblia Trade Conference was held as scheduled.
Yet after the conference began, what no one had expected was that the first to make a move was Chancellor Osborne of the Empire.
"Lately, I have also heard about what has been happening in Crossbell. The various actions of Crossbell's council members are truly heartbreaking."
"Indeed."
Then President Rocksmith, his expression solemn and meticulous as ever, spoke as well.
"It is not merely an issue within Crossbell's council. Even the commander of the Security Force was imprisoned because of it. It seems that while Roxbell may appear prosperous on the surface, it truly has no shortage of internal problems. Given the current circumstances, we must wonder whether our previous idea of granting Crossbell autonomy was somewhat too naïve."
With that, President Rocksmith chuckled.
"Crossbell's political environment was already particularly prone to breeding corruption. Under such circumstances, we cannot rely on one or two people to bring about change. Although Crossbell is determined to intensify its anti-corruption efforts, the situation exposed this time is genuinely worrying."
"..."
Upon hearing Chancellor Osborne and President Rocksmith's remarks, Speaker McDowell's face turned livid, but he said nothing. In truth, he had anticipated this. Why had Crossbell rarely punished such crimes in the past? On one hand, officials protected one another and covered up each other's misdeeds. On the other, they all knew very well that if too many matters came to light, the Empire and Republic would likely use them as an excuse to interfere in Crossbell's autonomy. Thus, more often than not, they would rather conceal them than pass judgment.
But Fang Zheng did not care about any of that. He had purged Crossbell's entire council and informed all citizens of the council members' crimes and punishments. While this had