Chapter 550
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Chapter 550: Squabbling
This collaborative effort to construct the hydraulic engineering project was undoubtedly a beneficial endeavor for promoting integration and communication between the human and goblin races.
Luo Ji held very high expectations for it.
Of course, he also dispatched people to monitor the progress and activities there.
However, less than a week after the hydraulic repair project officially began, He Shu and Zhang Ze, the two main supervisors, almost came to blows.
The conflict stemmed from the specific route planning for the river channel.
Since it was a joint construction project involving both races’ engineering teams, Luo Ji couldn’t have He Shu responsible for the west and Zhang Ze for the north.
If each party handled their own side, what if they couldn’t connect in the middle?
So, the river channel route had to be discussed and agreed upon by both sides.
Given its importance, thorough discussion was always beneficial.
However, this inevitably led to a problem.
He Shu believed a certain section of the river channel should be arranged one way, while Zhang Ze believed another way was better.
Both held firm to their opinions, convinced their own plan was superior, and neither could convince the other.
Naturally, this led to them nearly fighting.
Upon confirming the situation, the Mirror Guard’s inspection team immediately reported to Luo Ji.
Luo Ji remained calm, completely unfazed, as if he had expected it.
Even humans occasionally argue when cooperating, let alone humans and goblins.
Thus, Luo Ji’s response was simple, to just let them be!
That’s right, he didn’t intervene at all.
One was an old director, and the other a goblin engineer.
How much damage could two weaklings do by squabbling?
Besides, who doesn’t have conflicts during cooperation?
If he had to intervene every time there was a disagreement, he’d be too busy to be Emperor.
So, upon learning of the incident, Luo Ji’s only action was to send them a message.
“Submit the detailed river channel route map within two weeks.”
Luo Ji’s intention with this action was simple and clear: to put pressure on them.
He didn’t care if they argued or resorted to blows.
In two weeks, he expected results.
This was, without a doubt, Luo Ji exercising his imperial privilege.
After hearing Luo Ji’s message from the messenger, He Shu and Zhang Ze, who had been on the verge of a brawl the day before, huddled together the next day as if nothing had happened.
Then, less than half a day later, they argued again.
Two weeks passed.
He Shu and Zhang Ze, after continuous squabbling and debates, presented the river channel construction route map to Luo Ji.
“See? The progress was smooth despite the bickering.”
Luo Ji observed, a slight raise of his eyebrow as he looked at the river channel construction route map in his hand from his main seat in the Hall of Political Affairs.
“Excellent, proceed according to this route. Begin construction immediately.”
One matter was temporarily concluded.
At the same time, Luo Ji’s Myriad World Civilization welcomed its annual Harvest Day!
The people in the city were all beaming, eagerly discussing how to celebrate Harvest Day.
The most talked-about topic was undoubtedly the opera performance Luo Ji had meticulously prepared for nearly half a year.
After all, Luo Ji had promoted it for a full month before Harvest Day arrived.
Additionally, a talented artist was specifically commissioned to create a brand-new promotional poster for the opera.
The poster, depicting a wolfman in formal attire dancing with the female protagonist, was incredibly novel to the people and certainly captured their attention.
Moreover, for this performance, their Emperor had even specially built a Grand Opera House in Mirror City.
With such a grand scale, who wouldn’t be interested?
Tickets for the opera performance went on sale a week in advance.
As soon as the ticket window opened, an exaggeratedly long line formed outside.
The patrol team responsible for city security had to deploy an entire squad to maintain order.
During this time, scalpers also emerged.
This left Luo Ji feeling both amused and helpless, while also having to admit that many things in this world indeed have a certain inevitability.
He also couldn’t deny that many wealthy people didn’t mind spending three or four times the official price to save time and the effort of waiting in line.
However, understanding the situation didn’t change the fact that these scalpers had undoubtedly violated a series of laws within his Myriad World Civilization.
Such a trend could not be encouraged.
Luo Ji certainly wouldn’t be lenient.
The patrol team he dispatched caught four scalpers that very day.
All illegally obtained funds were confiscated, and a series of fines were imposed.
They were then sent to the coal mines for 3 years of forced labor before being released.
At the same time, those who bought scalped tickets, though not subjected to forced labor like the scalpers, certainly wouldn’t escape fines.
Luo Ji knew clearly why scalpers appeared: because people bought from them, and there was profit to be made!
Therefore, if he was going to take action, he had to address both sides.
While punishing the scalpers, he also had to make the public realize the error of buying scalped tickets.
Afterward, it was naturally necessary to post relevant notices as a warning to others.
This was already considered severe punishment.
After all, merely reselling tickets, though despicable, wasn’t a major crime.
Luo Ji’s Myriad World Civilization had always advocated for law-abiding conduct.
Directly executing the four scalpers when their crime wasn’t punishable by death would be contradictory to his own principles.
Luo Ji’s series of punitive measures undoubtedly had a certain effect.
However, there were indeed many greedy individuals in this world, and many people were still clinging to the belief that they could get away with it.
Thus, for the two scalpers caught later by the patrol team and those who bought scalped tickets, their crimes now included “knowing the law and breaking it, increasing the severity of the crime.”
The punishment for the scalpers directly escalated to confiscation of all property, along with 6 years of forced labor in the mines!
The punishment for those who bought tickets was relatively lighter, but it also incurred heavier fines and short-term detention.
At this point, the scalpers finally learned to fear.
Those who illegally bought tickets also learned their lesson.
Who knew if they’d be caught again and the sentence would double to 12 years?
Sentenced to 12 years of forced labor in the mines with all property confiscated?
That would essentially ruin half of their lives.
This was also largely thanks to the “knowing the law and breaking it, increasing the severity of the crime” clause.
This seemingly heavy punishment barely caused any dissatisfaction.
Instead, many citizens applauded it.
