Vienna was the first to enter military control. The street patrols were replaced outright by squads of rifle-bearing soldiers, and soldiers stood guard at every major intersection and key department.
A grim, murderous atmosphere hung over the entire city, something Vienna's citizens found all too familiar.
Those were days etched into their bones. But this time, they did not choose sides blindly, much less side with those black police.
The Austrian Empire government announced that it would rectify the police force. Kurt, the former Chief of the Imperial Police Headquarters, had already been executed and hung in the square.
The public trial of Deputy Chief Klim would be held a week later. Evidence was still being gathered.
The Austrian Empire government had already issued a notice: anyone with leads or evidence could report them.
John Kempen had uncovered more than fifty tons of stolen goods in the Imperial Police Headquarters, and their precise value was still being calculated.
Yet merely piling these things in the square was conspicuous enough—gold coins, silver coins, ancient coins, and even Pound Sterling and Francs.
All manner of gold and silver jewelry, pearl necklaces, gemstones, agate, amber, ornaments of pure gold and silver, and toilets studded with diamonds.
Crate after crate of fine silk and cloth, vintage wines from special years, all kinds of land deeds, IOUs, letters of authorization, and bundles of high-denomination banknotes.
Then there was ivory, rhinoceros horn, piles of beast hides heaped into small mountains, Persian carpets, and every kind of mahogany furniture.
All kinds of antiques.
The sight alone made people suck in a sharp breath. If not for the armed soldiers standing guard, the surrounding crowd would likely have surged forward long ago.
Someone grew agitated at that moment, shouting.
"Those belong to my family! Klim had my family's