Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 903 - 292: Administrative Streamlining (Part 3)

It might not even be due to corruption in the middle, but purely the cost of labor.

This is what people often refer to as "bloated," and the entire world has established administrative systems upon such organizational structures, leading to the emergence of "administrative officers" and "bureaucratic officers" systems in Western governments.

No matter how ambitious you are before taking office, or how talented you are, this rigid and slow system can completely crush your ideals.

When you delve into understanding the organization, you'll sadly find that even if an institution seems to be operating idly, everyone is actually very busy, sometimes frantically so. The tedious, complex tasks that seem important but maybe aren't that crucial are extremely important to leaders.

These very important administrative tasks have become the cornerstone enabling the institution to function, and only on this basis can you ensure its operations; otherwise, everything is just a castle in the air.

Everyone is busy but doesn't know what they are busy with, doesn't understand the value of their work, and neither do others. Only after you're kicked out and the gear gets stuck do people react.

Administrative streamlining

Administrative streamlining

Administrative streamlining

Important things need to be said three times.

There are many people shouting for administrative streamlining, but the tragedy is that they never accomplish real streamlining, merely piling more work onto fewer people — the more they cut, the more they pile up.

Moreover, "Millions of workers rely on food and clothing; abolishing canals in favor of maritime routes is absolutely forbidden."

Setting up an Efficiency Department, swinging the axe to cut people, departments, and budgets?

This axe will most likely end up slashing your own head.

This is why near the end of a dynasty, addition is the only feasible option, not subtraction because reform through subtraction is suicide.

As a puppet, Lucius Laine is too well-acquainted with the tricks here.

Deputy Mayor Wilton Hote also understands.

But some people don't get it.

"Why am I just learning about the nuclear radiation issue now? I need an explanation!"

Bang!

A radiation report was slapped onto Mayor Lucius's desk, the fat, square-glasses wearing middle-aged man saw Jefferson Pereira's angry face.

"What kind of explanation do you want?"

Lucius wasn't intimidated by the person's emotions, or rather, why would a mayor fear a council member?

He didn't even bother to glance at the content of the evaluation report because he could roughly guess what had made Pereira so furious.

Pereira's spit nearly sprayed onto Lucius's glasses.

"The nuclear leak in the coastal zone is now affecting Night City's beaches! At this rate, it'll exceed 10 roentgens in a week, causing every citizen near the beach in Night City to develop leukemia!"

Lucius removed his glasses, calmly wiping the lenses with a cloth, and said

"Councilman, you need to understand that sometimes instrument readings aren't that accurate and require detailed investigation by expert teams and review by relevant departments before conclusions can be drawn."

"Are you saying the report I obtained is fake?"

Pereira nearly laughed with anger. It's not just the major enterprises with satellites noticing the anomaly anymore, even some medium-sized enterprises have detected it, otherwise, it wouldn't have reached him.

"When will we be able to draw a conclusion?"

Lucius said: "When the government needs a conclusion."

Furious, Pereira wished to punch this dark face, wondering how the mayor who once dared to lead citizens in resisting Military Technology's tanks ended up like this?

Damn it, how could you do politics with such garbage!

In his rage, he turned to slam the door and leave.

Lucius didn't get up but asked

"Where are you planning to go?"

Pereira stopped. "I am going to tell all of Night City's citizens about this matter; only that can be true to my conscience!"

"Conscience?"

Lucius was indifferent.

"I don't see a conscience, only a suicidal councilor planning."

"What are you talking about?!"

Pereira glared at Lucius.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. If Pereira were to be killed, it wouldn't be his turn to make the move.

He could guarantee this guy would die in a flight crash due to a car accident right after stepping out with plans to announce it to the world.

"Councilman Jefferson, I advise you not to stir trouble like this; exposing this matter will only threaten more citizens' lives instead of saving them."

"You're Night City's mayor! You represent Night City Government, have you no conscience whatsoever?"

"Governments don't care about good or evil, only stability, Jefferson; if you want to be mayor, you must understand this."

Lucius rubbed his brow, already overwhelmed by Horizon Corporation's uproar in Night City a few days prior, not wanting anyone stirring up more trouble at this time.

"If you make this public, our government's civil servants will soon flee, followed by corporate middle and upper management, and then ordinary workers... as for the general public, believe me, in the chaos, none of them will escape, and your actions might cause even greater disorder."

"The streets will be utterly blocked by vehicles, leading to robbery, gunfights, strengthening, murders... the city will return to how it was in 2024 because of you."

"But you ought to come up with a response strategy rather than just sit there watching!"

"Jefferson... Night City Mayor has never been the one who makes decisions, nor the Night City Government either."

"Then who is?"

"What decides Night City's future are Huang Ban, Military Technology, Kangtao, the Ye family behind you — could be any one of them but definitely not me, the Night City Mayor."

"I am seated here because they require someone to sit here, not because I can make any decisions."

"Having a conscience is good, really, Jefferson, but you need to adapt to the fact that the conscience is not on the same path as you."

This is the Night City Government, comprised of over ten thousand civil servants + city council + mayor.

Unable to make any decisions when a crisis arrives.