Chapter 699: Chapter 394, The Choice of Flying Wing Star_2
All these costs were borne by Flying Wing Star, which then obtained certifications from the Star Sector Government, the Military Affairs Department, and the Imperial Navy, and used them to settle accounts with the Empire to offset taxes.
In the past decade, the amounts paid by Flying Wing Star annually for the Star Sector Government and Naval Academy varied, sometimes being five or six hundred million, and at times over a billion.
This enormous tax offset, coupled with the contributions from the shipyard’s ship payments, constituted the structure of Flying Wing Star’s payment of Imperial Tax. Sometimes, during periods when the Flying Wing Star Shipyard happened to be in a cycle of producing large ships, the cost of the ships plus the tax offset meant that not only could the Empire not collect any additional money from Flying Wing Star, instead, it often had to give back quite a sum.
However, how could there not be any tricks involved in these matters?
In the past, the leader of the Star Sector Government was Pei Desi; the Governor of Flying Wing Star was officially Pei Desi, but could Pei Desi properly manage Flying Wing Star?
One would think not.
…
During that time, he was only helping his brother by holding the title of Governor, living each day happily, while the important tasks on the planet were actually handled by Pei Desi himself.
While managing the planet and the Star Sector Government, Pei Desi effectively played two teams with a group of people. This group was simultaneously carrying out the work of both the Planetary Government and the Star Sector Government.
Wasn’t that simply the same group of people being funded by the Empire’s finances to serve as the staff for the Planetary Government? This saved the Planetary Government a considerable amount of administrative costs.
Many personnel expenses and the cost of purchasing materials were not audited when either Pei Desi was in charge.
But could they really withstand a thorough investigation?
They might endure a cursory check, but could they really hold up under a conscientious investigation by Gu Hang, the eager successor?
Furthermore, not just the expenditures of the Star Sector Government and Naval Academy, but even the output of the shipyard—were they really priced fairly, in accordance with Imperial regulations?
That was equally uncertain.
Starships, unlike other standardized war equipment like tanks, are different. Starship designs can vary in hull design, power design, protective design, and the specifications of weaponry… all possible configurations.
Of course, ‘design’ is a more polite term. To put it more harshly, that is the level of manufacturing capability of each shipyard.
The capabilities of each shipyard differ, so too do the ships they produce, which can only roughly meet the specifications of a certain class.
In light of this, officials from the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Military Department would come to evaluate the design of the ships and confirm the specific prices of the ships produced by each shipyard.
However, such pricing would only happen once. Subsequently, when the Imperial Tax officials arrive, they would simply inspect and accept the ships.
The processes of design and inspection were not to be tampered with, and Pei Desi was not yet powerful enough to manipulate such elements. Those who had the power wouldn’t bother with such trifles.
But between the design and the final acceptance, there were countless steps. It wasn’t easy to cut corners during the construction phase, but what about the money saved after workers gained proficiency and processes were optimized?
Not to mention some of the more abnormal practices, such as deliberately leaving leeway in the design that could be saved upon now.
From administrative operations with dual roles, to consuming Imperial finances for training naval cadets, and then to allocating qualified sailors as taxation;
From the construction of starships, to changes in technology, right through to the acceptance of ships;
When the integration level of the Star Sector Government and the Planetary Government reached such an extent, the room for operational maneuvers just became too vast.
After receiving the formal appointment from the Star Sector leader, Gu Hang went straight to Tianma Palace on Flying Wing Star.
He brought his own guard team and, after landing, assigned hands from the Psychic Cultivator’s Association to head directly to Tianma Palace.
The first person he met was the head of Tianma Palace’s security team. This group of elite warriors, all equipped with Feedback-Type Powered Armor, were funded by the Imperial finance and followed the command of the Star Sector leader’s private guard, belonging to the benefits or rights granted to the Star Sector leader by the Empire.
The equipment was purchased, and the personnel were specially selected elites from the Star Realm Army. For the warriors of the Star Realm Army, this was of course a coveted destination. They could stay away from war, enjoy higher allowances and benefits, and be stationed on a garden planet like Flying Wing Star—wasn’t this the perfect haven for soldiers who survived countless battles?
However, for the Empire, whether it was a good thing to have such an elite thousand-man force living in comfort here was less clear.
In the past, the Tianma Palace Guard obeyed both the Star Sector Government and the Planetary Government, which wasn’t a matter of choice for them because it used to be one and the same. Even after Martin Nelli’s arrival, since they were from the same camp, the distinction wasn’t so sharp.
But now, this issue had suddenly and firmly presented itself before them.
And they did not need to think too hard to know what the right choice was.
In terms of interest, following Pei Desi, who was clearly on a sinking ship, would be insane; in terms of duty, they were the direct guard of the Star Sector’s head, and as for who that head was, they did not concern themselves with, nor should they. Whoever occupied that position, they would simply obey.
Soon after, they received the new leader’s first order: to clear all irrelevant persons not associated with the Star Sector Government from the Tianma Palace, the office of the Star Sector Government.
In reality, there wouldn’t be too many people. Although Tianma Palace functionally still served as the headquarters of the Planetary Government, the officials of the Planetary Government usually had an additional layer of Star Sector Government clerkship.
But Pei Desi did not have this layer.
Inside Tianma Palace, waiting to greet Gu Hang, harboring untold grievances and contemplating whether it would be better to accept reality and bow down or to remain defiantly unyielding until the end, Pei Desi didn’t even get to see Gu Hang’s face before the same Tianma Palace guards who used to protect him chased him out.
Then, Pei Desi discovered that he, as the Planetary Governor, no longer had the power to interfere with planetary affairs.
Those who should have obeyed his commands were now exceedingly rare; most of the important positions and senior officials were employees of the Star Sector Government paid by the Imperial Finance.
Previously, when the Star Sector head nodded for them to do the Planetary Government’s tasks, they would simply do it. But now? Now they weren’t allowed to.
So they had to dutifully stop.
Most of them were also reluctant to leave their positions in the Star Sector Government. Aside from the fact that the pay was better, they were all too aware that the Planetary Government had no personnel budget to speak of—there was no need for it before, but now?
Now there was no one even making such a budget.
Of course, without management, the planet would become chaotic. Gu Hang did not wish for Flying Wing Star, a wealthy place, to fall into disorder; he had already seen it as his own property.
He would still let the officials of the Star Sector Government continue working, but not in such a direct manner.
As the Star Sector head, he issued his first policy: He rebuked Pei Desi, the Governor of Flying Wing Star, for his chaotic governance and the Planetary Government being in name only. The Star Sector Government would temporarily take over management and ordered Pei Desi to reorganize the Planetary Government within one month to ensure proper administration. Otherwise, as the Star Sector head, Gu Hang would officially initiate impeachment proceedings against Pei Desi with the higher-level government.
Pei Desi was dumbfounded.
Where on earth am I supposed to create a Planetary Government in one month?
And I can’t use people from the Star Sector Government?
Isn’t this a death sentence?
But obviously, Gu Hang was not trying to take his life.
If that were the case, there wouldn’t be one month’s time granted.
For Pei Desi, this was a full month to think things through and make the right decision.
And Pei Desi found that there weren’t many options left for him to choose from.