Chapter 725 714. Past
Actually, it can’t be blamed for Suldak’s feeling that the town’s accounts are somewhat fake.
The establishment of this cavalry battalion made him realize how rich some seemingly ordinary nobles in the city are.
In the horse market, a Gu Bolai horse is worth 20 gold, and these more than a thousand gold coins are only enough to buy more than 60 war horses. Think about the Goss family ranch in Kieran Town. There are several groups of horses, and each group of horses must have at least a few hundred Gubolai horses. Calculated in this way, it is at least tens of thousands of gold coins of private property.
It is estimated that there should be some nobles with such financial resources in Dodan Town.
Although I knew that the plane territory belonged to the typical rich people and weak countries, I didn't expect the town hall of Dodan Town to be in such financial distress.
Ms. Luna curled her lips secretly, holding the account book and complaining:
"Everyone's salary has not been paid this month, so there is this money."
She secretly glanced at Suldak, seeing that he was still incomprehensible, and then explained:
"The usual taxation in the town has not been very good. The big transactions are done by trading houses, but they rarely file tax returns."
"The income of the town usually depends on the sales tax of the shops, and this tax is basically brought by the adventure group."
"In addition to this, there are population tax and land transaction tax for the residents of the town, but how can anyone be willing to go to this circle of land recently?"
"During this period of time, the adventure group has been withdrawing from Dodan Town one after another, and the tax revenue is even less than one-third of the usual level. The town's income in the past two months can't even maintain daily expenses..."
Just as they were talking, everyone had arrived in a lounge. The room was not too big, and there was a small bed inside. A fat man with a tired face was lying on the narrow bed. He was only wearing white linen underwear and In a white shirt, with two big, carrot-like legs that are now purple in color, they are moaning in pain on the bed.
Two women and several young men and women gathered around the window. They seemed to be the family members of the tax official. They were all dressed in silk. Although the tax official was not a nobleman, he should belong to the common people. wealthy families.
A maid was rubbing the tax collector's legs, but the situation didn't look good. His legs were covered with maroon bruises, which was a bit scary to think about.
Suldak came forward.
When the tax collector's wives saw Suldak, they didn't know who he was, but they recognized the noble badge on his chest. They stood up quickly, their eyes full of grievances, and they almost grabbed Suldak and cried It is time to make decisions for the people.
Ms. Luna pointed to the tax officer lying on the bed, and introduced to Suldak: "This is Batra, the tax officer of our town."
She whispered to Batra tax collector: "This is the new commander of the cavalry battalion, Lord Baron Suldak."
Tax Officer Batra closed his eyes tightly, refusing to say a word.
Someone tactfully moved a chair for Suldak, and Suldak sat down next to the Batra tax collector, and said to him lightly: "I came to see you, and I didn't intend to ask you about it. Marco's whereabouts, you don't have to be so nervous, but the rope that binds you is a bit tight. If you don't treat it, the muscles in your legs will slowly die. Only by sawing it off from here can you save your life .”
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and gestured at the base of Batra's thigh.
Frightened, the Batra tax officer suddenly opened a pair of goldfish-like eyes, staring straight at Suldak, trying to see some flaws in Suldak's eyes.
The family members of the Batra tax official who were standing aside were terrified when they heard what Suldak said.
Suldak said indifferently: "I don't think you want to die so much. It just so happens that I can help you."
Tax Officer Bartra lay silent on the small bed.
Suldak didn't continue to ask, and did it for a while. The room was so dull that time seemed to stand still. Only Batra's two wives were crying softly. Staring wide, he kept trying to hold his brother's hand.
Just when Suldak stood up and was about to leave, Batra tax officer's eyes dimmed, and he said in a hoarse and weak voice:
"All of you, please go out and wait for a while, I have something to say to Commander Suldak."
After Tax Officer Batra said this, Mrs. Luna scanned the room with her eyes again, and everyone in the room walked out, and closed the door by the way.
"Commander, what do you want to ask me?" Batra tax officer wanted to force a smile, but the smile was uglier than crying.
Suldak looked at him without saying a word, just staring at him like this, until he felt guilty.
Batra tax officer asked tentatively: "Can you really cure my leg?"
"Of course." Suldak glanced at him and replied.
He opened his palm, and a ball of flame was like a burning flame beating constantly.
Tax Officer Batra hesitated for a moment. He looked at the legs that had become unconscious, and asked tentatively:
"What do you want to know?"
Suldak was just a little curious and didn't have any specific questions. He dropped a ball of holy light on Batra's tax collector's legs, and those swollen legs were actually deswelling and fading at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Soon Batra tax officer felt as if countless steel needles were pierced into the skin of his legs.
He cried out in pain.
"Be patient, if you want to let fresh blood flow through the dry blood vessels again, you need to bear the pain."
Suldak stared intently at the ball of white light in the palm of his hand, continuously pouring it into Batra's leg.
Tax Officer Batra took a deep breath, covered his mouth with his hands, and tried not to let himself shout out.
His face was flushed, and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat.
Suldak discovered that the healing effect of the Holy Light Technique on reducing swelling and blood stasis is more significant than that of sword wounds. Even if the legs look like they are about to die, they can be healed quickly under the healing of the Holy Light Technique.
After a while, Batra tax officer only felt that his legs and legs really regained consciousness, and his whole body was lying on the bed as if soaked through, and he was so weak that it was difficult to speak.
He was always staring at Suldak.
Suldak sat down on the chair again and said:
"I think what you can get access to is nothing more than the tax revenue of Dodan Town. What I want to know is the real tax revenue of Dodan Town. I have to find out who swallowed the military supplies of the city defense brigade. The warehouse What about the supplies in there?"
Batra tax officer shook his head slightly, and said in a low voice:
"There weren't many military supplies in the warehouse, and they've all been taken out a little bit over the years."
After speaking, he smiled wryly, and said again:
"The last thing left is to deal with the last bit of appearance of the Chief of the Quartermaster."
"You are here, ready to take over the city defense brigade. It is said that you have a strong background. Marco intends to transfer away the last armaments and materials belonging to the town. After taking over the city defense brigade for so many years, he may have forgotten that the warehouse can There is nothing, but he just can’t take out the things stored in the warehouse, he just did that, and was caught by the mercenaries of the trading firm.”
"I originally wanted to use the materials supplied by the nearest military supply department to fill this hole, but at this time... there is no time to do anything."
"The mayor was worried that all the property he had accumulated through hard work over the years would be spit out, so he ran away with the money."
Suldak felt that even if the current annual income of Wall Village should not only be more than 1,000 gold coins, let alone the border town next to the World of Warcraft Forest, he asked: "Will Duodan Town only have The tax of more than a thousand gold coins?"
Batra tax officer shook his head again and said: "The actual amount may be a little more than this amount, but it is not as much as you think. The trading house is only willing to pay one-tenth of the tax payable. Many adventure groups I am used to selling Warcraft materials to trading companies."
Batra glanced outside the door, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes, and said with a mournful face: "Let's go? Where can I go! Besides, my home is still here. Besides, although I knew it, I didn't reach out. I'm just a little tax collector."
Suldak came out of the hut.
The Batra tax collector's family rushed into the hut impatiently, and it didn't take long for a suppressed low cry to emanate from the room.
Suldak said to Mrs. Luna: "These days when the mayor is away, you will be responsible for the daily chores in the town. I think you will handle it well, right?"
"Of course, I will."
Mrs. Luna stood in the reception hall of the town hall and assured Suldak.
…
For Aung San these days, earth-shaking changes are taking place in Dodan Town every day, which makes him a little overwhelmed.
He walked into the cavalry camp, the guard at the door just nodded to him, motioning for him to go in quickly, and warned in a low voice: "Go in and don't worry about it, the commander is waiting for you at the door of the small building."
The military camp was not too big, and the small building was also very eye-catching. Aung San could see Suldak sitting on the steps in front of the small building at a glance.
A slanting sun shone on his face, casting a layer of golden light on his handsome face.
Although Aung San hesitated, he finally stepped out firmly.
"Commander, are you looking for me?"
Aung San saluted Surdak.
Suldak seemed to wake up from his contemplation, turned his head and said gently to Aung San:
"Um, take me to the Invercargill Forest of Warcraft tomorrow."
Aung San said briskly, "Oh, good."
The two people in front of the small building, one sat on the steps, and the other stood respectfully aside.
Suldak seemed to think of something, and suddenly said: "Today I saw a young man named Latu in the city defense brigade, who looks a bit like you."
"That's my brother." Aung San admitted.
Suldak nodded, thinking that Latu had the skills to repair the bed crossbow, he said: "The young man is not bad, let him work hard, and I will let him stay in the guard brigade if he has a chance."
Suldak said this, which means that he wants to promote Latu.
Because in the city defense brigade, only the squadron leader and above can be regarded as official positions. The other city defense guards, including the squad leader, are a group of young people serving in the military.
Aung San glanced at Suldak and said hesitantly, "He can't be the squadron leader."
Suldak was noncommittal, turned his eyes back, looked at Aung San and asked:
"Are you familiar with Mayor Marko? I want to know something about him, good or bad."
Aung San scratched his head in embarrassment, and explained with a wry smile: "He is the mayor of Dodan Town, and aboriginal people like me can't get in touch, but I know who knows him best."
"Will he tell me?" Suldak asked with a smile.
He didn't want to force others to tell the story of Mayor Marko.
He was just a little curious about what kind of person Mayor Marko is.
"You should be willing, after all, he is also your subordinate." Aung San smiled a little proudly, and said directly: "He is Jeremy, the warehouse manager of the City Defense Brigade. He and Mayor Marko have known each other for a long time. They are both The immigrant who came over from Bena City is said to be from the same village, and he also helped Mayor Marko back then."
Suldak thought of the fat man running back and forth in the city defense brigade with a belly full, so he said, "Okay, I'll send someone to find him."
…
Administrator Jeremy was stunned when he received the news that Commander Suldak wanted to see him.
If you have any evidence of your own crimes, there is no reason to invite yourself so politely.
He rushed to the garrison camp anxiously, saw Suldak sitting in front of the small building, and stood far away to give a military salute to Suldak, but the fat belly made his body out of shape, and his movements were not so standard.
Suldak looked up at him, and just said: "Tell me about Mayor Marko."
Jeremy leaned over and looked at Suldak with some puzzlement, not knowing what to say for a while.
Suldak beckoned Jeremy to sit down and talk, and said, "Just talk about Marco's past. I'm a little curious about how he got to this point."
Jeremy sat down just below the steps, and Suldak handed over a glass of ale.
Warehouse manager Jeremy hesitated for a while, but took it anyway, took a big gulp for himself, and took a drink break, his face turned red a lot, and his eyes brightened a little.
Maybe it was the alcohol that strengthened his courage, he sighed, and told Mayor Marko's previous life, Su eloquently:
“I was almost the same immigrant who came here as him.”
"Of course, at that time we didn't come here simply to dedicate our youth to the empire. Everyone came to this border town for different reasons."
"He was a down and out nobleman in the city of Beina. He had neither merit nor territory. As a third-class baron, if he didn't do anything, he would marry and have children in the future, and his son would become a knight. If he manages a border town for about ten years, he may be rotated to Bena City in the future... If anyone in any neighborhood finds a job, his title of third-class baron can also be retained."
"People change, especially when they have rights."
"When he first managed the town of Dodan, he was quite diligent and had a lot of ideas. At first, he wanted to make the town of Dodan rich. He also opened a ranch in the Dodan Canyon in the north of the city, and he also supported adventure groups entering Warcraft. Forest hunting, Dodan Town was pretty good back then."
"Later, he extended his hand to taxation. Unfortunately, the taxation in Dodan Town is not much at all. Most of the taxation is concealed by the trading company, and a fixed sum of money is required to maintain the city defense team every month."
"He has quarreled with the trading firm in the town for so many years, just to get back a little more tax money."
"Many people have persuaded him to give up fighting for these things. The trading group in the town has a background, and some things cannot be fought over."
"But he can't see it! Behind him is Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Campbell has been pressing down on him. What can he do to the trading firm?"
"What happened in the end? Not only did I get nothing back, but I also offended everyone."
"Although that Campbell councilor doesn't have the right to recommend for job rotation, it's not difficult to veto him from the list. In the end, he still has to stay in this border town!"
"People, desires and desires are always endless!"
"When I came to Duodan Town alone, I was so simple and simple. I didn't have a place to live, so I lived in the town hall. Later, I got some rights, built a house behind the town hall, and slept with a girl in the town. Later, I When he got married, his wife gave birth to a child, but he felt that his wife was not beautiful, so he married two more, and after having children, the expenses would be even more."
"He sent his eldest son to the Knight Academy in Wilkes City. The town's tax money was not enough, so he shipped some of the armory reserves from the city defense brigade and sold them. He stretched out his hand once and never again. Can't quit."
"Actually, when the town has money, it will add some to the warehouse. No one cares about those who come in and out. He has the final say on the whole town, who cares!"
"Maybe I got used to it later, thinking that as long as the accounts can be balanced, there will be no problems, but how can the accounts be so easy to balance?"
"It's just that I didn't expect him to abscond with his whole family in search of money. He is a nobleman! It's not that he committed a capital crime, there is no need for this..."
(end of this chapter)