My Declaration

"In this world, just staying alive is already a struggle."

"We live in mine shafts abandoned before the war, digging for minerals with the most primitive tools, or even our bare hands, just to trade for scraps of food from other survivor camps. We haven't harmed anyone; we only want to survive. Yet, even so, there are those who cast greedy eyes upon us."

The thin, dark-skinned man kneeling before Gu Hang to recount his suffering was named Patel. He was neither tall nor sturdy, and beneath his filthy, thin clothing lay rough, calloused skin. From his appearance, he was exactly what he claimed to be: a man who scraped a living out of waste mines.

Patel continued, "Eight days ago, a group of wasteland raiders calling themselves the Prisoner-Dead killed seventeen of our people and kidnapped forty-two. God-Emperor above, the youngest among them was only four! They demanded a ransom, and we paid it, but they only grew more insatiable. Not only did they refuse to release our people, they demanded even more."

"I went to Revival City and found the officials of The Alliance, begging them for aid. They sent someone to issue a warning to the Prisoner-Dead, scolding them not to act out..."

"Heh, a warning... The day before yesterday, those raiders cut the throats of two children right at our doorstep and tore that piece of paper to shreds, using it to wipe away the blood. They declared that we must produce double the ransom within three days, or they would attack our mine, kill everyone, and take everything we have."

"We are at our wit's end. Some say we should flee, while others say that even if we have to use hoes and fists, we should fight those raiders with their guns and cannons. But I know we aren't without a path. This world has a new governor now. I had to come and beg for your help, Excellency. I pray for your assistance, I pray for you to save us."

Patel lowered his head, his attitude sincere. From his perspective, he could only see Gu Hang's boots. They were soft leather, with silk-like ribbons tied to golden buckles, appearing elegant and intricate.

These boots were something the nine hundred-plus people of the Waste Mine Society could likely never afford, no matter how long they toiled without food or water.

The boots shifted in his vision as Gu Hang crossed his legs, assuming a more comfortable posture, and asked him:

"Before you sought out The Alliance, why didn't you come to me first?"

Patel froze for a moment, forced to scramble for a reason, and stammered, "We are members of The Alliance, and The Alliance is supposed to handle such matters..."

Gu Hang shook his head and said, "You think you are members of The Alliance and that they will protect you, while I am merely a governor dropped in from above. You think I might not last two years in this position before being executed, just like the previous governors, for failing to pay the full tax to The Empire. You felt I was insignificant, and it was only when The Alliance ignored your plight and you were out of options that you finally came to me."

"I absolutely did not have such thoughts!" Patel denied in a panic. He gritted his teeth and made a grave decision: "If you can save us, we are willing to give everything! The Imperial tax in two years' time—we will pay it at a much higher rate!"

Gu Hang grew even more disappointed: "Let me put it this way, Patel. You know full well that I arrived on this planet a month ago, and my camp is right here, not far from you. Yet you never visited me. Only when trouble struck did you kneel before me and say, 'Excellency, please save us.' But deep down, you never considered me a true governor; you didn't even want to believe the declaration I made on my first day here."

"I said I would rebuild the entire wasteland world and ensure that everyone who submits to me lives a good life. But you didn't believe it. Many of you never did, viewing me only as an annoying tax collector. You want to use tax payments to trade for my help in saving your people, but how do you intend to pay? By the standards of the Imperial tax, even if everyone in your Waste Mine Society worked until they dropped dead in the mines, you still couldn't afford it."

Patel's dark, lean face looked incredibly tense: "Excellency, I believe your words. Please, save us."

As he spoke, he prepared to knock his head heavily against the ground.

But he was stopped by Gu Hang.

A pair of hands gripped his shoulders, firmly but irresistibly lifting him to his feet.

Gu Hang put an arm around Patel's shoulders, not at all bothered by the grease and dust on him:

"No need to kowtow, no need to kneel. I will certainly help those of you who work diligently and honestly. Those parasites who produce nothing are our common enemy. But they are only a minor problem; rebuilding the world is the real task. This is not just empty talk. Since you have begged me, I will save you completely. Not only will I wipe out these 'Prisoner-Dead,' but I will also help you build your territory and ensure you have plenty of food and clothing. Now, I ask you, do you believe in me?"

Patel's tears fell. It was hard to tell how much was due to being moved, how much to the relief of being saved, and how much was mere performance: "I believe! I believe completely! From this day forward, the Waste Mine Society will strive for your ideals!"

"That should be our shared ideal."

Gu Hang patted Patel on the shoulder: "Go and rest for a while. It won't be long before I personally lead my troops to rescue your kin."

"God-Emperor above, my kin and I are eternally grateful for your aid!"

Watching Patel leave the barracks, thanking the guard profusely, Gu Hang turned his gaze toward the stiffly standing man in military uniform behind him: "Captain Yan, your eyes tell me you have some doubts."

Yan Fangxu saluted him, then spoke with hesitation: "Are we... really going to help the Waste Mine Society? On this wasteland planet, similar things happen almost every day. We cannot manage them all."

Gu Hang said with a sigh, "It seems, Captain Yan, that you do not believe in my declaration either."

"I wouldn't dare," Yan Fangxu said, though his hesitation remained: "But... if I may be blunt, Governor, you only have two years. Within two years, we must pay the 'Imperial tax' for the entire Nuxiao Planet at the minimum standard, otherwise..."

Gu Hang continued his thought: "Otherwise I will be removed from office and executed. I know that, of course. But, Captain Yan, we have been on this planet for a month, and you have seen what it is like. This is a place that has endured an apocalyptic catastrophe. Most of the land is uninhabitable, the Wasteland Energy Storm still rages, and everywhere there are mutated alien monsters and raiders who can only survive by preying on others. The remaining survivors hide in various settlements, struggling to stay alive."

"Their survival is already difficult enough; they cannot afford such high taxes. Collecting taxes is equivalent to taking their lives. The contradiction between Imperial taxation and planetary development is the primary contradiction of Nuxiao Planet. Past governors focused only on taxes, and the biennial Imperial tax was like a death warrant that eventually claimed their lives. But I am different. I want to change the approach. Development is the absolute truth. If Nuxiao Planet is built into a more prosperous place, the tax will be a minor burden, and we will have succeeded."

Yan Fangxu sighed: "You are right, development is the correct path. However, development takes time, and time is exactly what we lack. You only have two years in your first term. We need to pay at least one-quarter of the Imperial standard tax, but Nuxiao Planet has historically only been able to pay one-eighth. There is a huge deficit. Two years to double the planet's output—this..."

"That will depend on my ability," Gu Hang smiled. "As it happens, I have some confidence in this regard."

As he spoke, a phantom message that only he could see popped up before his eyes:

[1st Servitor Light Infantry Battalion (300 personnel), training complete. Unit level increased to T5.]

[Limited by equipment level and personnel quality, this unit cannot be further trained or upgraded.]

Gu Hang's smile widened. He patted the still-anxious Yan Fangxu on the shoulder and said: "Assemble our troops. It is time we went to seek justice for our neighbors."

The new book is here!

ps: It's not Warhammer, at least not entirely.