Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 418 Insufficient Manpower
"Your Excellency, as per your instructions, we have been strictly enforcing the Veterans Resettlement Act throughout the entire sub-sector." The report from the enforcement officer echoed in the towering dome of the office, the sound reverberating subtly beneath the gilded dome adorned with the Imperial double-headed eagle emblem.

He stood at a standard military posture, the front of his black uniform with silver trim stained with dark sweat, and the data tablet in his hand hummed almost imperceptibly with his slightly trembling fingers.

Chen Xi stood quietly in front of the floor-to-ceiling viewing window, his back as straight as a pine tree.

The sky above Rostov II stretched out before him through the window, and the starlight shone through the stained glass, casting dappled shadows on him.

On the ancient stained glass, the image of the emperor's descent is lifelike, and golden light flows across the governor's uniform, adding to his majesty and holiness.

His left hand habitually stroked the hilt of the precision-engineered power sword at his waist, while his right hand held a data panel that kept flashing the latest security reports.

"Give me the specific data," Chen Xi suddenly spoke, her voice as calm as the calm before a storm.

This sentence caused the servo skull in the corner of the office to stop floating and tremble slightly in mid-air.

Inside their hollow eye sockets, mechanical eyeballs emitted a faint buzzing sound, rotating in unison to focus on the law enforcement officer, while a red dot scanner cast several tiny spots of light on his uniform.

Chen Xi still didn't turn around, but the person in charge could clearly feel the governor's gaze fixed on him through the cold reflection of the floor-to-ceiling window.

That gaze seemed to pierce through the glass barrier, pressing down on his shoulders with a tangible weight, causing his back beneath his military uniform to involuntarily tense.

He swallowed subconsciously, his Adam's apple bobbing laboriously at the collar of his uniform, the dry swallowing sound particularly jarring in the deathly silent office.

The numbers on the data panel suddenly became blurry, and he had to quietly wipe the sweat dripping onto the screen with his sleeve, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to organize his thoughts.

Outside the window, a transport ship taking off roared deafeningly, but the silence inside the office was more suffocating than any noise.

The person in charge swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. His finger slid rapidly across the holographic projector: "The first batch of 5,000 veterans have all been assigned to grassroots positions, with results far exceeding expectations. They have not only filled police vacancies but also brought the discipline and combat experience of the military..."

He pulled up a set of 3D data charts and projected them in the center of the office: "Taking the Seventh Community as an example, after Sheriff Paul took office, the crime rate dropped by 82%, and the case-solving rate increased to 95%. They established militia patrol teams, a community joint defense network, and also..."

“I can see the data.” Chen Xi suddenly turned around and slammed the data panel heavily onto the desk inlaid with the Imperial Eagle emblem, making a dull thud. The sound made the person in charge involuntarily twitch their shoulders.

Beneath Chen Xi's deep-set eyes were dark circles from days of staying up late, but his eyes remained sharp as a hawk's as he stared intently at the person in charge: "What I want to hear is, why is the overall crime rate still above 60%?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a drawn sword, its sharp edge gleaming coldly in the silence.

The air pressure in the office seemed to drop instantly, as if the air itself had solidified. The imperial flag hanging on the wall stopped fluttering, and the data stream in the holographic projection seemed to slow down.

Fine beads of sweat trickled down the person in charge's forehead, leaving dark streaks on the collar of his uniform. He instinctively tried to wipe them away, but froze under Chen Xi's icy gaze.

His prosthetic eye flickered unnaturally a few times, emitting a slight electrical hum—a malfunction that only occurred when he was under extreme stress.

He was about to explain the manpower shortage when he saw Chen Xi walk quickly to the holographic projection, her slender fingers slicing through layers of data charts with a swift and decisive motion, as if she were cutting the enemy's throat.

The projected blue light cast shifting shadows on his cold, handsome face, outlining his features as sharply as if carved by a knife.

“Here, in the Kuzbass mining area, the crime rate is 72%.” Chen Xi’s fingertip tapped heavily on the projection, and with each number he announced, his voice grew colder, like a lake that was about to freeze over: “And on New Tashkent, it’s 69%.”

His gaze swept over the person in charge like a blade, a dangerous glint in his eyes: "Is this what you call 'remarkable results'?"

The person in charge opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, about to explain the issues of insufficient manpower and mob riots, but Chen Xi suddenly raised his hand to stop him.

The action was swift and decisive, like an invisible gate that shut down all excuses.

The governor turned and walked to the star sector sand table on the other side of the office, bending down to examine the troop deployment marked on the sand table, his eyes filled with worry.

His slender fingers gently traced the edge of the sand table, eventually stopping on several key marked mining planets.

“I know you’re short-handed.” Chen Xi’s tone suddenly softened. He straightened up, rubbed his temples wearily, and said with a hint of helplessness, “The expedition took away too many able-bodied men, leaving behind only the elderly, women, and children.”

These words, like a sigh or self-reproach, echoed in the office, carrying an indescribable heaviness.

He turned and walked toward the person in charge, his military boots tapping out a steady rhythm on the marble floor.

When Chen Xi stopped in front of the person in charge, he suddenly reached out and patted the person in charge's shoulder. This unexpected intimate gesture made the person in charge stiffen, and even his breath caught in his throat.

“Listen,” Chen Xi’s voice was deep and firm, his gaze fixed on the person in charge: “I know your predicament better than anyone, but Rostov can’t afford to wait.”

His hands were warm and strong, with calluses from years of wielding swords, a touch that reminded the person in charge of the rough hands of veterans on the battlefield.

“Hold on for another three months!” Chen Xi continued, his voice deep and firm, like a promise cast in steel, brooking no doubt from anyone. “The Life Womb Factory of the Sage of Aurejana will be able to increase production next month, with capacity increasing by at least twenty percent.”

A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, like a star suddenly shining in the dark universe, but it vanished in an instant, covered by deeper worries.

He knew that even with increased production, the shortfall would still be huge, but right now, he had to give everyone a reason to persevere.

After saying this, Chen Xi turned and walked back to the window, his tall figure appearing particularly lonely in the leaden light of the sky.

Outside the window, the industrial dome of Rostov gleamed coldly under the dark clouds, and countless laborers moved about like ants, their fate now weighing heavily on his shoulders.

He raised his hand and waved it, the movement crisp and clean, indicating that the report was over.

“Go tell your lads that for every criminal they catch, a child can sleep peacefully at night.” His voice was neither loud nor soft, but carried an undeniable weight: “That’s more real than any slogan.”

"Loyal to the Governor!" The person in charge immediately straightened his back and shouted loudly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, his eyes shining with almost fanatical loyalty.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi merely curled the corners of her lips slightly, revealing a tired yet gentle smile.

“It should be said—to be loyal to the Emperor.” He corrected softly, his tone devoid of blame, only a hint of helplessness. “Yes! For Rostov! For the Emperor! For the Empire!” The person in charge reacted quickly, immediately correcting himself, his voice echoing loudly in the office, as if this could make up for his earlier slip of the tongue.

Chen Xi didn't mind his placing "Rostov" before "Emperor" and "Empire," and simply patted him on the shoulder again.

This gesture was both an encouragement and a silent farewell. Then, he gently raised his chin, indicating that he could leave.

The strength of that hand, transmitted through the uniform, gave the person in charge a strange sense of security.

The person in charge backed out of the office, maintaining a respectful posture, until he reached the door before turning around and gently closing the heavy oak door, which was carved with the imperial emblem.

As the office door slowly closed with a soft hum from the hydraulic system, Chen Xi finally let himself slump into the large leather armchair.

He tilted his head back, his neck pressed against the cold chair back, and closed his eyes wearily.

The holographic projection in the office continued to operate silently, displaying real-time data from various locations in the Rostov sub-sector: the operational efficiency of factory production lines, the navigation trajectories of transport fleets, and population change curves on various colony planets...

These shimmering points of light and lines cast flickering afterimages on his tightly closed eyelids, like countless problems pulsating before his eyes.

He sighed deeply, his voice low and hoarse: "The nation is facing difficulties, and the people are suffering greatly!"

These words were like a heavy stone falling into the silent office, stirring up invisible ripples.

Outside the window, the twilight on the Rostov II was gradually fading, and the last rays of sunlight shone through the stained glass, casting dappled light and shadow on his tired face.

After a moment of silence, Chen Xi reopened her eyes, a resolute glint in them.

He sat up straight and tapped his finger on the touch panel of his desk to activate the communication system.

With a crisp electronic tone, the call bell was pressed.

Within minutes, the office door slid open again, and Prime Minister Rachel strode in, her military boots tapping rapidly on the floor.

Rachel's uniform was still crisp and neat, but upon closer inspection, one could see the heavy shadows under her eyes, and her blonde hair was no longer tied up meticulously as usual, but rather loosely tied back.

She was holding a data panel in her arms, with dense reports constantly refreshing on the screen, clearly indicating that she had just been dealing with heavy official duties.

Ink stains remained on her fingertips, traces left from signing documents.

"How big is the labor shortage right now? If we only consider key sectors," Chen Xi asked his prime minister, his voice weary but still clear and organized.

Rachel immediately got to work, her voice a little hoarse, clearly having worked for a long time: "The industrial production sector has the biggest labor shortage."

She skillfully pulled up a holographic report, which floated in the air between the two of them, with glaring red numbers constantly jumping on the chart.

“Currently, we need about five million qualified workers.” She paused, swiped her finger to switch to the next set of data, and the chart immediately transformed into a more complex multidimensional model: “The shortage in key livelihood sectors is about four million.”

Her finger quickly swept across several highlighted areas: "Based on comprehensive calculations, the entire subsector needs at least ten million qualified workers to maintain basic operations."

After speaking, she subconsciously pursed her dry lips, awaiting the governor's instructions.

“Ten million…” Chen Xi repeated the number in a low voice, his knuckles unconsciously tapping out a dull rhythm on the metal table.

This astronomical figure kept echoing in his mind, exceeding his most pessimistic estimate by 30%.

He knew better than anyone that this was the result of Rachel leading the Statistics Division and various production departments through three rounds of calculations, compressing non-essential needs to the limit—for this figure, they even had to temporarily sacrifice 30% of the operational efficiency of the agricultural and light industrial zones.

His gaze unconsciously turned to the real-time monitoring screen on the east side of the office, where a 3D projection of the 32-year-old life-nursery factory was slowly rotating.

The massive facility, covering 12 square kilometers, has been operating at full capacity for three months. Tens of thousands of culture chambers shimmer with a bluish glow in a constant-temperature environment, and the embryos are developing at a rate of one growth cycle per week.

Even so, a monthly output of 100,000 is still like a drop in the ocean compared to the shortage of tens of millions.

32 had explicitly told him that the Life Womb could only meet the needs of 70% of the population in the Rostov subsector at most, and the rest had to be met by other means.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi took a deep breath, shifted her gaze from the holographic projection, and looked at Rachel, who had been standing quietly to the side: "Rachel, could you please inform William?"

His voice had regained its usual reassuring calm, though only those who knew him best could detect a subtle tension within it: "Have him speak to His Holiness the Bishop; I will personally pay him a visit later."

Mentioning William, Chen Xi's lips relaxed almost imperceptibly. The underage apprentice sent by the old bishop ten years ago has now grown into a qualified clerk.

Ten years have shaped him into a well-rounded young man. Behind those gold-rimmed glasses lies not naivety, but composure honed through hundreds of political and educational consultations.

In the increasingly complex struggle between Chen Xi and the State Religion, William indeed became an indispensable buffer.

Rachel nodded slightly, her long, slender fingers slid rapidly across the data panel, encoding the command into the highest priority red channel: "I'll arrange it immediately."

Although her current dark, tired complexion indicated that she had been working continuously for more than twenty hours, her voice remained as upright and firm as her posture.

Chen Xi nodded and turned her attention back to the holographic star map floating above the desk.

The shortage of millions of workers was projected as a glaring red area, like a hot iron pressing on his retina.

He loosened his tightly buttoned collar, swallowing what felt like the umpteenth cup of black coffee as his Adam's apple bobbed – but now was not the time to stop catching his breath.

(End of this chapter)