Chapter 1769: Chapter 1005: Dismantling the Family
In the Kafiora family’s meeting room, there were only four people.
Angel, along with three family heads.
After she finished talking about her so-called terms, the three heads found it hard to maintain their expressions, their faces inevitably looking grim.
The atmosphere in the meeting room became silent and tense.
Yet, the more tense they became, the more relaxed Angel seemed, as if she couldn’t see the occasional glint of fierceness in their eyes.
She crossed her legs and placed her hands on her abdomen, adopting a rather leisurely posture, and said to the three of the Kafiora family:
"Actually, you only have three choices right now."
"You can give the order for your family guards to charge in and kill me, and then count on those guards to protect you as you break out of the mansion."
"However, firstly, you might not be able to kill me. After all, I’ve undergone rigorous agent training, excelled in it, and received the highest score in crisis escape training during my session. You can try to see if I can escape."
"Secondly, it doesn’t matter if I die here or if you hold me hostage. The elite forces outside from the Legal Department are ordered that if you act violently, they will mercilessly eliminate all life within the encirclement, regardless of whether I’m alive."
"Finally, even if a few of you manage to escape by chance, what does it matter? All assets will still be seized and nationalized, and you can only linger in the dark with those hiding rebels, with the final outcome being no different."
After hearing her words, the heavy expressions of the three remained unchanged.
In their hearts, perhaps they’ve long wished to tear Angel to pieces, but they certainly can see sense in her words. They’ve never seriously considered turning hostile and engaging, as the result would be almost as grim as public suicide.
Angel smiled with satisfaction. She clapped her hands and said with a grin, "Very well, it seems we’ve reached a preliminary consensus. Let’s talk about your second option next."
"You can also choose to pretend to agree to my demands now, and afterward, figure out ways to oppose them, or use your so-called political connections, or contact the rebels, to counter these conditions after the fact."
"But I suggest you think carefully. Can your political connections really work? I’m afraid not. The Empire’s political landscape is currently dominated by our people; of the remaining locals like you, if they’re not obeying the Empire’s orders, restructuring their families, becoming good and pure officials, then like you, they will be swiftly exterminated."
"Can contacting the rebels do you any good? No, if those rebels continue to survive in the dark, they might carry on, as the thorough cleanup of Holy Terra’s thousands of Nest Capitals can’t be completed quickly. But you certainly wouldn’t want to live with them in the sewers; if they are to rise and assist you overtly, it will only hasten their own destruction."
The members of the Kafiora family still said nothing.
But in reality, what Angel said was indeed what they were thinking.
Outright refusal is impossible; today would be do-or-die; but the world is not just black and white, they could agree now but leverage numerous gray areas in actual execution and operation to maneuver.
Policy-wise, dismantling the family while in reality still maintaining personal dependence; claiming industry nationalization, yet from the workers on the factory floor to the management level, all controlled by the Kafiora family, making nationalization no different than non-nationalization...
This is just surface compliance, not to mention leveraging the Alliance’s name to implement policy to the extreme. You dismantle my family, I’ll dismantle everyone’s family in Indinea, creating widespread resentment in this Nest Capital, then unite with other families from other Nest Capitals...
Directly mingling with rebels and living in the sewers certainly won’t do; however, efforts to suppress bandits can be somewhat ineffective, after all, we’ve all been family dismantled. Those Chaos Rebel Army members were also local residents, they have myriad ties, their grasp of local news and intelligence is particularly strong which is quite understandable...
These are thoughts running through the heads of the three Kafiora family heads.
They were almost resolved to act in this way.
As for Angel’s talked about consequences and threats... they do care, and they are concerned.
But the more they care, the more cautiously they aim to act afterward, trying utmost not to leave any evidence.
There must be resistance.
There’s never been an order from above that makes the entire chain operate exactly as imagined.
Angel saw through it but didn’t say much.
She simply mentioned a few incidents in other Nest Capitals, certain families’ outcomes.
The core idea is: Since soldiers could be brought in today, surrounding the house, it proves the Central Government and Alliance Government’s determination. Any subsequent uncovering of errors will mean extinction with thunderous means.
There’s precedent, and sufficient strength guarantee from the Alliance that necessitates careful consideration.
After saying these, she smilingly proposed her so-called third item:
"Of course, there’s a third choice."
"According to the Alliance’s requirements, dismantle the family, all Kafioras either scatter to different Nest Capitals or join the Unyielding Expedition. The Alliance’s rank system will be implemented, Kafiora talents will gain high ranks, and in Holy Terra’s industries, in countless worlds reconquered by the Empire, they will exert their wisdom and abilities."
"You are capable, your family members received education, experienced affairs, possess far-sighted vision superior to ordinary people, those capable enough will undoubtedly rise."
"In the future Empire, perhaps there will no longer be a political collective named ’Kafiora’; but every Kafiora family member will spread through this universe, living more prosperously than now."
"The choice is yours."
"Oh, by the way, let me tell you a piece of news."
"Assistant Minister of the Imperial Taxation Department, Sirabi Kafeira, has submitted an administrative request for surname change, not yet approved. However, his appointment to Deputy Premier of the Department of Taxation has already been issued."
"It’s uncertain whether he will be Deputy Premier Kafiora, or bear some other surname."
The three heads of the family looked at each other, with their expressions dim.