Chapter 89: Peace Accord

The news that people from Hitomi Yaiida had also arrived only deepened Jin Ming’s unease.

The tiny Jinji Ridge had, in an instant, become the arena where the great powers came to settle their score. He truly felt flattered beyond measure.

After much thought, Jin Ming concluded that he had neither backing nor a powerful patron. The best way to save himself might be to betray the organization and choose cooperation with the Joint Investigation Team.

Though he had already decided to submit, he still wanted to wring as much benefit for himself as possible.

What had begun as a stalled negotiation immediately came alive. According to Jin Ming, he had only one demand: keep the Jinji Ridge base, and let him remain in charge. He wanted to preserve the labor of his many years.

In truth, his meaning was already plain enough. He could go on being the local strongman here; whether answering to the organization or to the authorities, it would merely mean changing masters.

For the authorities, this demand was not especially difficult. So long as both sides made a little compromise, it could be settled. They did not approve of preserving the former system of the Jinji Ridge base, but razing the whole place to the ground would not be worthwhile either.

In the end, the two sides reached an agreement: the Jinji Ridge base would be retained, but reorganized into Jinling City. Jin Ming, formerly the lord of the future city at Jinji Ridge, would serve as the first mayor of the newly established Jinling City, while the rest of the staff would be decided through consultation between both parties.

Jin Ming’s conditions had been settled, but the Joint Investigation Team, representing the authorities, also put forward their own terms. The first was to open the city. According to the higher-ups, the reorganized Jinling City should no longer exist as a state within a state, as it had before, but should instead be placed under direct central administration like any other city. However, given Jinling City’s special circumstances, a transition period of around ten years could be granted.

Jin Ming considered this first condition for a moment, then agreed. Though it was plainly a way of gradually stripping away his power, he was not actually someone who was especially attached to authority. Besides, in ten years he would already be quite old and no longer capable of handling such civic affairs.

The Joint Investigation Team’s second condition was the abolition of the old system within Jinling City, especially the feudal remnants such as the hierarchy. This was even easier for Jin Ming to accept. He could agree to joint administration by personnel dispatched from both sides, so there was naturally no problem with reforming the system. Moreover, in the modern age, when the idea of equality had taken deep root, a hierarchy truly no longer fit the tide of the times.

The third condition the Joint Investigation Team提出 was garrisoning troops. This was actually rather difficult. If the People’s Liberation Army really moved in, it would mean there was truly no road back. Time did not permit Jin Ming to hesitate any longer, so he clenched his teeth and agreed. Still, Jin Ming proposed that both the former Jinji Ridge guards and ordinary citizens should have the right to enlist. The Joint Investigation Team readily accepted this condition, because they knew that the people here in Jinji Ridge were, in truth, refugees who had fled here from disaster; letting them enlist would not pose any hidden danger.

The fourth condition raised by the Joint Investigation Team was the provision of relevant data from the former dark organization. This was absolutely nonnegotiable. Although Jin Ming wanted to keep some cards in reserve, after the authorities promised that his personal safety would be guaranteed at all times, he still agreed. After all, he had now officially broken away from the organization. From the organization’s perspective, Jin Ming was a traitor and subject to immediate execution. Jin Ming was eager to find a new backer.

Once the most difficult points had been settled, the rest followed naturally. For example, illegal experiments would no longer be permitted within the newly established Jinling City. Such a measure, in line with public sentiment, was something Jin Ming was naturally willing to help bring about and earn some goodwill in the process.

For another example, human beings would no longer be allowed in gladiatorial combat within the new city. In fact, the Joint Investigation Team had originally proposed closing the arena altogether, but considering that the gladiatorial games were an important source of revenue for the newly formed Jinling City, they agreed to keep it. The principle, however, was that no people could be harmed, and certainly no humans could be used as combatants.

The final result of the negotiations was that, aside from a few experiments that could not be halted immediately, such as the ongoing merfolk transformation experiment, those projects would be sealed once the current round was completed. The former Jinji Ridge base would be reorganized into Jinling City and exist as an ordinary city.

...

After both sides had carefully confirmed everything, they formally signed the peace agreement. This meant that the former Jinji Ridge base had been peacefully liberated. The day the agreement was signed also became the founding anniversary of Jinling City, though there would be no unveiling ceremony.

Soon, however, the news that the People’s Army would be stationed there spread through the newly established Jinling City. Hearing it, the citizens cheered with delight. Happiness had come too suddenly; the freedom and peace they had long yearned for had, in a single night, become reality.

On the first day after the signing of the Peace Agreement, Jin Ming initiated the Jinling City Preparatory Committee and began preparing to carry out the provisions of the agreement. At the same time, without any organization, ordinary citizens took to the streets of their own accord, singing red songs such as The Internationale, The March of the People’s Liberation Army, and Ode to the Motherland, celebrating in orderly fashion.

On the second day after the signing of the Peace Agreement, the former guard force of Jinling City was reorganized into the People’s Armed Police Force and Fire and Rescue Police Force of Jinling City, taking responsibility for public order and emergency disaster relief.

On the third day after the signing of the Peace Agreement, the People’s Army began arriving in Jinling City in successive waves.

A week after the agreement was signed, the newborn Jinling City had established a municipal administration system like that of an ordinary prefecture-level city, and even specially retained a transitional committee.

Half a month after the signing of the Peace Agreement, Jinling City had taken control of seventy percent of the area of the former Jinji Ridge base, and divided the old future city into four districts—east, south, west, and north—along with a central street office directly administered by the municipal government.

Faced with Jinling City’s tide-like advance, the conservative forces of the former future city were driven back step by step. At first, they had still been able to hold their own against Jinling City, but in just half a month they could only cower in a tiny patch of land, beset on all sides by enemies.

The inspector sent by Hitomi Yaiida saw that the situation had turned against them and, under the pretext of requesting reinforcements, quickly fled back to the headquarters of the dark organization.

Abandoned there, Wu Jianxue cursed those cowards and traitors while mounting resistance. The chance to turn the tables on fate had not come easily, and he was not about to let go so lightly. After all, he still held many cards in his hand that had yet to be played.

The remnants of his faction scattered to all corners of the city and offered desperate resistance. Though they could not bring about any truly catastrophic harm, they nonetheless posed a considerable challenge to Jinling City’s public security. Driven by necessity, the Jinling authorities cordoned off these still-unliberated areas and set up quarantine belts.

Since the enemy intended to resist to the bitter end, they could only prepare for a protracted war.