“Commander Chen, although the bandits have been wiped out, the damage and chaos they caused are far from over. As local officials, we should hurry back to take charge of this series of tasks. What do you think…?” Zhao Jiangying asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu immediately understood their meaning: they wanted to leave!

He immediately put aside the matter of the garrison's mysterious withdrawal and smiled at Zhao Jiangying and the others, saying, "You are all so devoted to the people of Baqing, which is truly admirable. Mayor Zhao, you do need to return to your posts as soon as possible to lead everyone in rebuilding their homes and restoring order. Please rest assured, I will arrange everything here to ensure that the rescue and reconstruction work in Baqing can proceed smoothly after you leave."

"How about this, I'll arrange a few sleds for you, so it will be more convenient for you to travel."

"Commander Chen is very understanding and righteous, we are extremely grateful." Zhao Jiangying and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Chen Yu let them leave so easily and even offered to give them sleds, which was really beyond their expectations.

"Hehe, Mayor Zhao, what are you saying? We're all serving the people!" Chen Yu waved his hand, looking like he understood the greater good.

"Well... Commander Chen, shall we pack up and head back?" Zhao Jiangying asked expectantly.

"Mayor Zhao, please wait a moment," Chen Yu said. "I have another favor to ask."

Zhao Jiangying was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She cautiously asked, "What are your orders, Commander Chen?"

Chen Yu laughed and said, "Mayor Zhao, you are too kind. You are the mayor, how could I dare to be presumptuous in front of you?"

"To be honest, my title of 'Militia Regiment Commander for Cold Relief and Disaster Relief' is not entirely compliant with regulations, especially since this kind of cross-city law enforcement is even more irregular, which is very detrimental to my activities."

At this point, Chen Yu took out a document he had just printed out and handed it to Zhao Jiangyin, saying, "Mayor Zhao, in order to carry out our work properly, I have a document here that I hope you can sign."

Zhao Jiangying took the document from Chen Yu and examined it with a suspicious look.

When he saw what was written on it, his expression became somewhat strange.

This is an "appointment letter" which states that "Chen Yu is appointed as the 'Commander of the Baqing City Cold Relief Militia Regiment'".

"Is there a problem?" Chen Yu asked when he saw Zhao Jiangying standing there blankly for a long time without reacting.

"Commander Chen, I... even if I sign this document, it won't have any legal effect."

Zhao Jiangying put down the appointment letter in her hand, her brows furrowed, her tone tinged with helplessness and difficulty: "Commander Chen, you may not be familiar with the internal operating procedures of our government. Such appointments across cities, especially those involving military positions, must be approved by the provincial level or even higher, and require a strict review process. As the mayor of Baqing City, although I have certain administrative powers, directly appointing a militia commander from another city is an overreach of authority. Even if such a document is signed, it is invalid."

“Special times call for special measures. In the face of natural disasters, why should we care about those formalities? We should be more flexible in our approach!” Chen Yu said with a smile.

Zhao Jiangying didn't reply; at that moment, he was undoubtedly feeling extremely bitter.

He naturally didn't want to sign this "appointment letter." Didn't Yu Gang also set up some kind of "Baqing City Cold Relief Command Center" back then?

Now Chen Yu has brought up the "Baqing City Cold Relief Militia Group," and both of them are using coercion and inducement to get him to sign.

"Hehe, it seems Mayor Zhao is still haunted by Yu Gang's affair. Don't worry! I, Chen Yu, am completely different from Yu Gang. Our 'military regiment' is a legitimate organization, an organization dedicated to serving the people, and an organization whose mission is 'fighting the cold and providing disaster relief'!" Chen Yu assured Zhao Jiangying with a solemn vow.

"Commander Chen, this matter is of great importance. Please allow me to discuss it with my colleagues," Zhao Jiangying said, frowning.

“No problem, I, Chen Yu, am not an unreasonable person. If you really feel uncomfortable, I won’t mind. Alright, please make yourselves at home.” Chen Yu readily agreed, left the snow pit, and gave Zhao Jiangying and the others enough private space.

Seeing Chen Yu leave, the crowd immediately began to discuss:

"Mayor Zhao, we're doomed. Chen Yu really isn't a good person after all. What do we do now?"

"I knew it! I knew there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"My Great Xia Dynasty is in grave danger!"

"If we let him sign this 'appointment letter,' we still won't be able to escape responsibility if something goes wrong later!"

"Everyone, don't be so pessimistic. Chen Yu just said that even if we don't sign this for him, it won't matter."

"Ha~, that sounds nice, but do you really think Chen Yu is that easy to talk to? Just you wait, if we don't get him to sign this, we definitely won't be leaving this snow pit today!"

…………

Ultimately, after discussion, they chose to compromise, and Chen Yu received the signed and stamped appointment letter as the "Commander of the Baqing City Anti-Cold Relief Militia Regiment".

Chen Yu was very satisfied with this, even though, as Zhao Jiangying had said, the appointment letter had no legal effect.

But Chen Yu didn't care about any of that. It was the end of the world; what did the law matter?

All he wanted was the city government's stamp; all he wanted was a legitimate identity.

With this "appointment letter," at least he was "legal and compliant" in all his actions in Baqing City, and it would be more convincing to recruit people, wouldn't it?

"Commander Chen, if there's nothing else, then we'll take our leave?" Zhao Jiangying and the others had already packed their simple belongings and were preparing to depart.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!