It turned out that shouting at the top of one's lungs was somewhat useful after all.
With the two barbarians outside the corridor carrying rifles in mind, those officials who had spent years being kept in captivity finally showed a little seriousness.
As for the results, they would have to wait for further news.
However, Fang Chang did not pin all his hopes on those vermin.
He was only using them temporarily because there was no one else available. Firing everyone outright would bring nothing but a momentary sense of satisfaction.
Fang Chang knew very well that although these people appeared to know nothing when questioned, they actually had countless ties to the lower levels behind the scenes.
They had delegated part of their authority and obligations to even more grassroots civilian groups, allowing those groups to "legally" collect "fire fees," "water fees," and "sanitation fees." Naturally, those groups had to share some of the proceeds with them.
In other words, these people were probably not merely taking money and doing nothing—they were "taking money twice and doing nothing"! Most poor bastards in Golden Gallon Port had to pay three separate fees for the same public service—including the fees paid to those civilian groups.
Under those circumstances, it would be a miracle if they did not have to eat dirt and could still afford clothes!
Most settlements in The Alliance also upheld the principle of "survivor self-determination," but they had never sold public affairs off to private interests, much less handed them over outright to violent organizations. This was no longer a matter of autonomy—it was simply rot!
If they did not solve the problem of one person paying three shares, then no matter what they did in Golden Gallon Port, the lives of the people here would not improve