Empire of Shadows

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The commercialization of politics in capitalist societies has been an ongoing phenomenon in the Federation.

Initially, politicians might have been relatively purer, with fewer independent voters. Party conventions nominated candidates, and most of the votes belonged to major parties and a minority of large capitalists.

The outcome of who would win was not determined by the election itself, but by political dealings and compromises before the election.

According to official, though not necessarily accurate, statistics, less than fifteen percent of the initial Federation population held legal voting rights.

Another estimate suggests it was less than ten percent. Therefore, during that period, decisions about who would do what were internal matters for the major political parties.

However, as the Federation government progressively granted voting rights to the populace, more individuals participated in this process.

Elections were no longer merely “I (the politician) have a dream,” but rather “I (the politician) will fulfill your (the voters’) dreams!” Current campaigns rely more on publicity.

Politicians must inform the public that “I can respond to your ideas and realize them,” which is the essence of today’s elections.If you don’t advertise and don’t let more people know that such a person exists, claiming they can fulfill our ideas, they won’t vote for you.

The act of publicity itself is a form of “self-selling,” accompanied by a series of transactions linked to capital. Thus, the commercialization of politics is an inevitable outcome and cannot be reversed.

Of course, this does not imply that granting political rights to the people is inherently negative. It merely signifies that in this evolution, capital has spiraled out of control!

Two hundred years ago, a mayor could sentence a capitalist to death simply by saying “I think so,” but now, they not only cannot casually infringe upon the interests of capitalists but must also befriend them.

This is because, in the context of elections, capitalists hold greater importance than politicians!

As a member of the Federal government system, William understood this clearly. However, he was unsure of Lance’s attitude, so he remained very cautious.

Lance was not careless; he clearly understood that despite the capitalization of politics, politicians still held considerable influence. Having his own people was the core of his next plan.

William’s face broadened into a wide smile upon hearing Lance’s plan to find a two-hundred-square-meter office in the city center. Priliccia is located right next to the city center, not a remote area, but it is ultimately not in the city center. T

his is like the houses in the Port District, which are right next to the Bay Area.

Even if residents wake up and see wealthy girls jogging uphill in the affluent district, they can only claim to be from the Port District, not the Bay Area.

The city center is the city center; if it’s not the city center, it’s not the city center, no matter how close it is! He licked his lips. “Two hundred square meters will cost a lot of money.”

Lance shook his head. “At most three hundred dollars a month. If you can find an office near Golden Port Park, I can afford more in rent.”

Golden Port Park is the largest park in the center of Golden Port City. More than one mayor has mentioned it in their public pronouncements, considering Golden Port Park the city’s greatest source of pride.

They asserted that the city’s development had not entirely focused on commercialization, and that a large, fully open, free park still existed in an area where land was extremely valuable.

This, they claimed, exemplified Golden Port City’s humanitarian concern. However, they seemed to have forgotten that more than one mayor had previously attempted to demolish this park and transform it into a diamond-valued plot of land, but without success.

Extensive protests and strikes nearly paralyzed the entire city, which was the actual reason for its preservation, rather than any humanitarian concern. Finding an office near here would definitely symbolize “strength.”

“No problem, I’ll keep an eye out.” He then paused, adding, “That’s mostly it. Then there’s decoration, furniture, and various consumables, which will be at most fifty dollars a month.”

“If we calculate for half a year…”, he glanced down at the table he had personally written. “About eight thousand dollars should be enough.”

Lance nodded after hearing this. “There’s a slight issue.”

William immediately shifted his position forward, asking, “Tell me.”

Lance glanced at him. “Don’t be so nervous…”

“Firstly, your salary is not listed here. I’m also giving you five hundred dollars a month; you need to take good care of your family, Emily and Patricia.”

“Secondly, I’ll provide you with several cars. Let’s start with four, at two thousand dollars each, which totals eight thousand dollars.”

“You can’t do things without any operating expenses. I’ll give you ten thousand to start, but you must keep records; I need to know where every penny goes.”

“Adding the previous eight thousand dollars… that makes a total of thirty-two thousand dollars.”

William seemed surprised. “Your math is excellent.” Lance wanted to laugh, and he did laugh out loud, though William seemed a bit confused as to what was so funny.

“Right now, I can’t give you that much money…” Seeing William’s strange expression, he explained, “That legitimate money will be very useful later, and I won’t give you the illegal money.”

“Until you have the ability to resist risks, we must be careful!”

William nodded in agreement. Indeed, many prominent politicians used illegal money for campaigns or various political activities, to the extent that even the tax authorities couldn’t fully trace the origin of every penny.

Especially with frequent “anonymous donations,” where an envelope containing a stack of cash would simply arrive, God knows whether that money was clean.

And even if it’s not clean, what then? Everyone says the tax bureau is very clean and independent, but is it really one hundred percent independent? Is there truly no stain at all?

This remains a question! Missing this topic, William suddenly became interested in what Lance planned to do with his money. “Are you planning to invest in the financial industry?”

Financial investment and speculation are currently the fastest ways to make money, bar none.

Barbara worked at a financial company. Sometimes, during family gatherings, she would talk about the company’s brokers and clients.

Perhaps through a single, intelligent “all-in” move, one’s assets could multiply several times, or even dozens of times, overnight!

Stories of instant riches and sudden ruin occur daily, but people tend to focus more on the survivors of the financial battlefield, leading to the mistaken belief that making money in this industry is easy.

Lance shook his head, sipping his tea; the taste was mediocre. “I plan to use it to order and buy grapes.” Lance had heard stories inside, from a friend named Nick, about how to leverage one hundred dollars into one hundred million.

Of course, he listened to them as stories and boasts, but he had to admit that if all factors aligned, such a possibility truly existed.

It’s like the common saying about two light-skinned parents having a dark-skinned child; this is the result of a rare genetic mutation.

f all factors align perfectly at the right moment, then even if there’s no biological father-son blood relationship in genetics, it’s still possible!

William was not very knowledgeable about making money, but he did know that grape prices had been rising rapidly lately. “How much do you plan to buy?” He had a feeling it wouldn’t be a small amount.

Lance shook his head and said, “I’m not sure, but I’ll keep a few thousand dollars on hand; the rest will all be used.” William gasped, “Are you that optimistic about the rise in grape prices?”

Lance smiled mysteriously. To allow his future partner, Patricia’s father, to perceive his “mysterious nature,” he didn’t mind subtly revealing his “incredible” side. “I’m not clear about the price and development trend of grapes…” He hadn’t finished his sentence when William frowned.

You’re investing so much money when you’re not even sure? Are you saying you have too much money? Just as he was considering whether to advise Lance, Lance’s next sentence made him ponder—

“But I have great confidence in the Federation’s resolve to enforce prohibition!” William immediately fell silent. He quickly realized that grapes could be used to make wine, a fact many people knew.

Federation citizens also had a tradition of homebrewing. After more than ten seconds, William quietly said, “But doing so is illegal.”

Lance was nonchalant, “In the earliest days, they told you that any position other than that one was heretical, yet didn’t many people use other positions?”

“If you trust me, this is an excellent opportunity to get rich.”

“Its price will increase at least fivefold, and the stricter the enforcement, the greater the increase, eventually it could even be worth its weight in gold!”

William didn’t believe it; grapes would always be just grapes, grown from the ground. But to say their price could exceed gold, he simply didn’t believe it!

However, he would pay attention and intended to set aside some money—two thousand dollars. If Lance’s words were true, then those two thousand dollars would quickly turn into four or five thousand, seven or eight thousand, or even ten thousand dollars!

After a while, the two gentlemen concluded their conversation and returned to the living room. Emily had already prepared a new fruit platter.

This was a port city, and although it was winter in the Federation, the southernmost part of Yalan was still quite warm, with temperatures above twenty degrees Celsius.

Many fruits were transported back from there. Ordinary people might not be able to afford the expensive fruits in the display case, picked less than a week ago, but for middle-class families, they could still afford them.

“Gentlemen, what have you been discussing? Would you care to share with the ladies?” Emily moved to sit beside William, allowing Lance to sit next to Patricia.

“We talked about some work matters; you wouldn’t be interested,” William concluded, cutting short Emily’s inquiry. After all, Lance hadn’t left yet, and discussing that topic now would be slightly impolite.

However, this could also be seen as a sign of their familiarity, and he knew Emily would definitely ask again that night.

This time, he vowed to hold firm. Even under brutal torture, he wouldn’t reveal anything until the very last moment. “Alright, there will be a time when you’ll be willing to tell me!” She didn’t press the issue but instead initiated a new topic.

A clever hostess always knows when and how to make the atmosphere better, not worse. William was unwilling to discuss those matters, so she avoided work-related topics and instead brought up the recently popular sound films.

“I heard that because of this film, movie ticket prices in some cinemas have increased by five to ten cents.”

“It’s been incredibly popular. We even checked two days ago; from 5 PM to 8 PM, there wasn’t a single ticket available!”

She was referring to the Starlight District , a recreational area for the wealthy, and the safest district after the Imperial District, second only to the Bay Area. Others also joined the conversation, which reminded Lance of the idea of opening movie theaters.

“How many cinemas do we have here?” William looked at Emily; he certainly didn’t know. Emily thought for a moment, “I don’t know either, but there must be over a hundred?”

She wasn’t entirely sure, but she was intrigued. “Do you have any new ideas?” Lance spoke of Gerald, and his intention to invest in movie theaters, and his optimism regarding the development of film.

Emily showed a slight interest, but only a little. This was purely because becoming a star was something almost all women of all ages enjoyed.

For the current middle class, going to the cinema was something lower-class people enjoyed.

Although there were also cinemas in the Starlight District, they preferred to attend operas, even if many did not fully understand them.

After a while of casual conversation, a car horn sounded outside the door. Lance had called earlier, asking them to come pick him up. It was time to leave.

After bidding farewell to William and Emily, Patricia walked Lance to the door.

She had many things to say but didn’t know how to begin. Lance, however, simply gave her a hug. “I have to go. Take care of yourself. I hope my little piglet is always healthy.”

The girl embraced him back. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. After a while, Lance gently released her, leaving her feeling a little forlorn. He brushed the snowflakes from her hair. “Go back inside. I have to leave.”

The girl nodded and hummed, watching Lance walk away gracefully until he was out of sight. The next morning, a week later, Lance gathered everyone who had joined the Imperial Chamber of Commerce.

He had specifically found a nearby theater, as it was the only place large enough to accommodate so many people.

By almost ten o’clock in the morning, most people had arrived, but some were still absent, unable to leave for the moment.

Lance stood on the theater stage and had the doors closed. The special architectural structure allowed his voice to reach even those seated in the very back.

It was said that humans, thousands of years ago, already knew how to utilize sound conduction to design similar structures.

“Thank you for taking the time to come. Only a few people have been joining the Chamber of Commerce daily lately, so starting Monday, the Chamber of Commerce will no longer accept applications.”

He paused there, allowing them a moment to process the information. Indeed, some people showed peculiar expressions.

This was because some believed that Lance would accept applications to the Chamber of Commerce at any time, as he could collect membership fees.

However, now, it seemed that this was not the case. Lance sat on a low sofa, casually and relaxed, with his legs crossed, one hand resting on the back of the sofa. “I’ve heard the rumors outside, but I don’t care, because they’ll soon regret it.”

“I’m here today to tell you that the first opportunity to make money has arrived.”

“Grapes!”

The murmur of hundreds of people was loud; even though their individual voices were quiet, they combined to create a significant sound. The old man from before stood up again. “Mr. Lance, what do you mean by ‘grapes’?”

Lance gestured for him to sit down. “Because of the prohibition, the price of alcohol is skyrocketing. However, if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the price of grapes has increased by nearly sixty percent since October last year, and the delivery price for three months from now has already increased by nearly one hundred percent.”

“In six months, the price has doubled, and that’s still under lax prohibition enforcement.”

“As large stockpiles of liquor are depleted, the price of smuggled alcohol will begin to rise, making it difficult for ordinary people to acquire cheap alcohol. Home brewing will then become one of their few options.”

“The price of fresh grapes is currently less than one hundred dollars per ton. Nick!” He suddenly called Nick’s name. A man from backstage walked to the front of the stage and, at Lance’s direction, sat on another set of sofas.

“Tell our friends how much wine can be produced from one catty of grapes.” Nick’s face showed a hint of fanaticism. Initially, he hadn’t fully grasped the implications. It was only when Lance instructed him to significantly increase wine production that he realized this was an opportunity to make a fortune!

Even though he had known about this for several days, he was still very excited every time he discussed it! “Mr. Lance, gentlemen, one catty of grapes yields approximately three-quarters of its weight in wine,” he said, his voice still trembling slightly.

At that moment, the previously bustling theater suddenly fell silent. Everyone knew how insane the price of alcohol was right now, but what they didn’t expect was that the price of raw materials for winemaking was so incredibly cheap!

Lance gave them no more time to think. Pleasure, once tasted, could not be stopped. To stop would mean a disappointing end. It had to be a continuous bombardment of stimuli to truly feel the thrill!

“Nick, tell everyone how much wine we can produce from one ton of grapes, and what the cost is.”

“Alright, Mr. Lance.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “Can I have one first?”

Lance leaned forward slightly and extended a hand. “I’ll have one too.” A few laughs broke out in the theater, and soon the air was thick with smoke. Nicotine seemed to calm Nick’s emotions somewhat.

“Even an inexperienced person can produce about two hundred gallons (seven hundred fifty kilograms) of wine from one ton of grapes.”

“As for the cost, at the current price of less than eighty-five per ton, plus some tools and materials, the total cost is approximately one hundred fifty dollars.” A sudden commotion erupted throughout the theater, as if someone had boiled a large pot of oil and then splashed a ladle of cold water into it!

Everyone found it impossible to believe what they had heard. They sought confirmation from those beside them. Lance continuously raised his hand, signaling them to remain silent, but the discussions persisted for over a minute before finally subsiding.

He stood up, his eyes seeming to emit a light. “One hundred fifty dollars for two hundred gallons of wine. Do you know how much this wine can sell for on the market?” Everyone held their breath. Countless times, in sleepless nights, they had yearned for a day when their lives would change, only for reality to deliver a heavy blow each morning.

Until this moment, they finally realized that fate was about to change!

(End of chapter)

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