The people from the Inspection Office were nailing house numbers at the street entrance, and the hammers and nails made a clanging sound. There were people watching the excitement around, chattering non-stop.
Powell lurked on this street and met a large number of people when he went out. Something big seemed to have happened, and he subconsciously wanted to ask for details.
In fact, there is no need to inquire more, or even to approach. There is a preacher from the Inspection Office standing at the street corner, holding a wooden loudspeaker to announce the city management regulations promulgated by Vice-President Victor Hugo.
City management?
It's so strange that Powell plans to listen to it.
The last time there was chaos in Cold Wind City, the Supervisory Office was destroyed by Mr. Hugo's move of 'turning into a dragon'. The staff of the Supervisory Office fled and scattered, and not many people could be gathered together.
Another city agency that was disbanded was the Inspectorate. It was responsible for patrols, security, cleaning, civilian cases, commercial taxation, and a lot of miscellaneous tasks.
Without the Inspection Office, there are fewer domineering petty officials. However, some corresponding public services have also ceased.
For civilians, they can't count on any public services, and they have to rely on themselves for daily chores. But for city managers, this institution cannot be shut down.
Deputy Speaker Hugo holds the financial power. He doesn't care about the quarrels in the parliament every day and just implements his own urban reconstruction projects.
The first thing was to rebuild the Inspection Office, recruit and select more than 2,000 people, and establish a three-level management organization of "city", "district" and "street".
The first director was Wilson, the former craftsman's guild president who was filled with knowledge by the 'scholar's touch'.
This craftsman who had been captured as a slave by the goblins finally managed to survive and became the first official under Hugo to be assigned to take charge of his own affairs.
The inspection office has 2,400 people, with low-level civil servants trained by the "Fu Qiang Ling" as the backbone. The most important among them are 700 urban management personnel under paramilitary management.
Urban management officers are responsible for city security, fire protection, and ordinary civil disputes. They wear rattan helmets and armor, are equipped with light weapons, and look strange. The moment they appear, they startle the entire city's residents.
Unlike the repressive patrol officers of the past, urban management officers are required to solve various difficulties encountered by citizens in their daily lives.
For example, if someone's family is sick, call the city management to help send them to the hospital. If someone's child is lost, call the city management to help find them. If someone's house is on fire, call the city management to put out the fire.
As for trying the case, just ask a wizard apprentice to "Detect Lies".
The minimum salary for each urban management officer is "one gold and five silver", which is considered a very good job. The recruitment and training took a month, and many people rushed to apply.
Mr. Hugo tried his best to set up reasonable systems to make this team an organization with in-depth management and efficient performance, so that the whole city's manpower and material resources can be used by him.
With urban management, the nobles in the city don't feel it, but the common people in the city feel differently. At the very least, the urban management does not collect taxes from anyone.
At least it's better than the previous inspection officer who only knew how to "take cards".
The purpose of public services is for the government to centralize spending and greatly reduce city operating costs. Ordinary families can focus on their own work and do not have to worry about various trivial matters.
Regarding the re-established patrol office, only agents like Powell felt that their hands were tied. They called Adrian's hunting team "evil dogs" and the city management became "dog legs".
These "doglegs" patrol day and night, 24 hours a day. If something goes wrong, they will provide support everywhere.
A single urban management officer is not a threat, but an organized number of hundreds of urban management officers is a huge hindrance to spies.
The Inspection Office is also responsible for cleaning up streets, building dilapidated buildings, and renovating water supply and drainage systems. The entire city is changing day by day, and ordinary residents can clearly feel that the living environment is constantly getting better.
Just building toilets is a great act of charity. Good water supply and drainage can greatly reduce the occurrence of diseases, and the streets that are no longer muddy are also very comfortable.
Now, people from the Inspection Office have begun to name streets and assign house numbers to each house. This has never happened before.
The preacher stood on a wooden box and used a wooden loudspeaker to educate residents about the conveniences of having house numbers.
For example, Lord Hugo will soon establish a post office and bank to integrate roads and transportation around the entire Cold Wind City. In the future, ordinary residents will also be able to send letters, packages and money to relatives and friends.
When the Inspectorate was first rebuilt, Powell only felt that the organization was in the way. But when he heard about the house number, he was sweating profusely and frightened.
Although he was well hidden and there was no threat around him, this secret agent seemed to have encountered some natural enemy. He was stunned on the street and his head was buzzing.
How did Victor Hugo's head grow like a melon? How could he come up with such a seemingly harmless but actually cruel trick as a house number?
In the past, the urban management of Coldwind City was basically in a sheep-herding state. The powerful people never cared about how many streets, houses, households, or population there were in the city.
Passers-by cannot accurately describe where they are going when they enter the city. Only landmark buildings such as the Wizard's Tower and the City Lord's Mansion can accurately guide the way. In other areas, only familiar residents know the path.
For example, Zhou Qingfeng once went to the "Crow Street" in the dock area to kill evil insects and offer sacrifices. If he hadn't found an internal agent, he might not even know where Crow Street was.
Because ‘Crow Street’ was entirely named by the residents of that street themselves. Each street has gates, which are closed after dark, and outsiders are not allowed to enter.
Residents across the street don't even know who lives next to them.
Now, the inspection offices have been divided and named uniformly. They have to give each household a house number, count the resident population, and set up "street offices" and "neighborhood committees."
The Inspection Office will arrange security patrols and management personnel for each street to crack down on street bullies and bullies, and take back the originally decentralized autonomy powers to specifically solve various chores encountered in residents' lives.
In addition, the floating population must be managed and must be reported. Hotels and pubs must have a certain level for outsiders, and the inspection office will conduct regular inspections.
The biggest reason why the Inspection Office implements this method is to tell the residents that this can prevent thieves, bandits, and all unstable factors. No underground organization can exist in Cold Wind City.
People who live a normal life will naturally welcome him with both hands and feet, but for people like Powell whose identity cannot be resisted, it is a disaster.
This..., this..., this is too cruel!
Just to catch thieves, the inspection office spends so much effort to implement such complex management policies?
How much will it cost? How many people will be hired? How many difficulties will it face?
The more Powell thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. His scalp stung, like an ant bite. He felt dizzy as soon as he closed his eyes and felt that he would never be able to survive in Cold Wind City from now on.
Victor Hugo is not short of money, nor is he short of people, nor is he afraid of any difficulties. He clearly wants to control the whole city, and he can really do whatever he wants.
Just a little thought...
The Inspection Office knows the exact address of every person in the city, what job he does, how many people he has in his family, and his social connections. From now on, it will be too easy to collect taxes or arrest people.
Powell does not live in a void. Even if he disguises his identity, he still has to interact with the outside world on a daily basis. He interacts with various ordinary people every day, and his every move is noticed and known.
If every street is controlled, how can the spies hide their identities?
There is no way to hide it!
Thinking of the situation he was about to face, Powell was shaking with anger, and his hands and feet were cold in broad daylight.
Can this Cold Wind City be better?
How can we as spies live in order to satisfy the ruler?
Tears flowed down unsatisfactoryly.
This city is full of oppression of underground forces. When will the gray people stand up?