America 1982-Chapter 483 - 90: I’ve been at home_2
"The county government has been calculating for four years now, and still hasn’t figure out exactly how many assets and debts Garden City has. They’ve owed me my severance for four years too. That’s right, I’m also among the over thirty people who are unemployed; I used to be the chief of the Garden City Police Department. Thanks to the dissolution, I lost my job." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Hanks babbled on as he walked ahead, not caring whether Tommy and Nick heard his complaints or not. But Nick, coming from the big city of Los Angeles, suddenly thought of a possibility, and turned to Tommy next to him and asked softly, unsure, "Do you think, is it possible that it’s like what I’m guessing? The same as in big cities like New York, Los Angeles?"
Tommy nodded without denying, "Otherwise? There’s no second answer; the reason for dissolution is always the same."
"But real estate developers usually play this game in metropolises, and they are more subtle than here. Why would it happen in this place?" Nick took another look around, confirmed that this place was nothing like a big city, and continued questioning.
In Los Angeles, New York, as the urban sprawls expand with the influx of populations, some surrounding small towns also get dissolved and come under municipal governance. Often, these dissolutions seem to be the choice of the residents, but actually, they always involve real estate developers. The question is, it doesn’t make sense for real estate developers to pull these maneuvers in a rural place like Garden City, where there’s not even a decent beach to build resorts.
"It’s not just real estate businessmen who play this trick. Mining companies, forestry companies, fishing companies... any one of them is possible, with mining companies being more likely. Maybe a mining company has quietly discovered a vein nearby. Once dissolved, all of Garden City’s assets and debts will be transferred to the county government, including public safety, planning, finance, franchising, litigation, land use rights, and so on. Everything will no longer have anything to do with the residents here. The county government is free to sell the land to whomever it wants, without needing the consent of the residents anymore. Moreover, at the county and state levels, big companies can conduct PR and lobbying even more subtly, flexibly, and efficiently. Lastly, you better not record this part," Tommy said, flicking Nick’s camera lens:
"As for why the real estate developers use more subtle measures when acquiring land, that’s because the citizens in big cities are too smart. But this is Bay County, Florida, where 30% of families live below the American poverty line. Do you think they are smart? If they really were smart, they wouldn’t have elected committee members who had already been bought off to destroy their homes. Big companies blatantly bully these country folks because they think they have no brains."
Nick could only shake his head in the end, admitting that Tommy made sense, but they could do nothing about it. Even as Tommy said, it might be better to delete Tommy’s words to avoid trouble. This is fucking America, where politicians and capitalists can easily fool the country folks into giving up their power—a miraculous country.
He tried to get his emotions back to the excitement of being about to meet a saint, following Tommy and the guiding Hanks into the spacious city hall, up the stairs to the second floor. Before they even entered the room, just stepping into the hallway, Tommy and the others heard an aged and kind voice:
"I hope you understand, I am just a lucky messenger. I have trudged through the path of life for many years, and it wasn’t until I was well into old age that I clearly understood my true purpose on this earth. God tasked me with delivering His message to all believers. Remember, act according to what must be done."
Upon hearing this slightly hoarse but magnetic voice, pilgrim Nick couldn’t help but take a few deep breaths, preparing to enter the room the next second with his camera ready to capture the individual’s image.
But before he could be led into the venue, that voice continued:
"What must be done?"
"Those who beat others must be executed."
"Women who are not virgins but lie about it at their wedding must be executed."
"Anyone who has an affair with a married woman, both parties must be executed."
"And you two have committed three capital offenses mentioned in The Pentateuch of Moses, I..."
"This is the greatest interpreter of the scriptures? This is revered?" Nick almost smashed his camera on Tommy after hearing those sentences, hissing, "This is even more fucking barbaric and primitive than Jim Jones’ cult! He’s going to execute believers, and you fucking still..."
"I see, thunder and lightning will descend, and we cannot stop God’s wrath for this, but I sincerely hope that God will pour that thunder and lightning on me to use my body to quell your sins and God’s anger. That is what must be done."
"The punishment you fear, I am willing to bear, but Nikki and Joseph, what you should do is not to come here seeking God’s forgiveness out of fear of punishment. Adultery should always be despised. What you should do is sincerely apologize to Nikki’s husband and seek his forgiveness. I need to meet with some new friends now, so I hope you go back now and think, stop making mistakes, and return to God’s narrow gate."
The expected dialogue where the cult leader announces the execution of believers did not occur next. Instead, the voice inside remained gentle and kind, without any fluctuation and completely contrary to what Nick imagined. Nick felt as if he was choked, and it took him a moment to recover. Hanks, standing at the doorway, gave Nick a look as if he was looking at an idiot for quite a while before he turned his inquisitive gaze towards Tommy, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
