Empire of Shadows

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After coming out of the mayor’s house, Eric returned to his own house.

The several lackeys sitting in the living room, sipping high-quality liquor, immediately stood up, their faces plastered with fawning, flattering smiles.

Originally, Eric was a bit dissatisfied with them, but just now, his mayor uncle had not only given him spiritual support but also agreed to let him use the income from the bars and nightclub in the Empire District first. He felt like spring had arrived.

“What do you think Shayna wants the most?”

The several lackeys began to offer suggestions. Someone said Shayna liked a dress designed by a master fashion designer, another said Shayna’s favorite thing should be a set of famous jewelry, but someone else thought they were all wrong.

“Perhaps she would be interested in the newly released convertible…”

Recently, “Easter Industries” had launched a brand-new convertible car, geared towards middle and upper-class ladies.

It didn’t have a roaring engine like those “muscle cars,” nor did it have a boxy, somewhat dull but powerful-looking design.It had very obvious curves and arcs, and the model looked a bit smaller and more exquisite than ordinary vehicles, seeming more suitable for women to drive.

This convertible, called the “Moon Goddess,” received a lot of praise as soon as it hit the market. The only thing that made people think it was slightly less than perfect was its price.

Nineteen thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine. Just under twenty thousand, but it didn’t really make a difference.

The whole car used calfskin leather, walnut wood, and ivory as the main materials for the interior, especially the main console. The embossed silver trim, combined with a pattern pieced together from pure ivory, gave it a classical artistic atmosphere.

Easter Industries very cleverly used “A must-have vehicle for the modern independent woman” as its advertising slogan, which quickly attracted the attention of many middle and upper-class ladies, and sales were said to be good.

Currently, it was available in three colors. The first was ivory white, which had the best sales.

The second was bright red, with decent sales, but not as popular as ivory white.

The last one was sky blue, with not-so-high sales.

The lackey who proposed this idea watched as Eric fell into deep thought. He continued to explain on the side, “Shayna can’t possibly wear the same dress or the same piece of jewelry every day.”

“We all know that she has her own ideas about dressing. Some clothes and jewelry, once she wears them, she rarely wears them again.”

“If Young Master Eric, you gift her a very luxurious set of jewelry, or a very expensive long dress, how many times can she wear it? Can she wear it every day?”

Eric shook his head, “Of course not…”

The lackey got some encouragement. “Exactly. But if you give her a car, she will drive that car every day. As long as she drives that car, she won’t be able to stop thinking about the person who gave it to her, which is you, Young Master Eric!”

A smile appeared on Eric’s face. He beckoned to the lackey who had offered the good suggestion, and the lackey trotted over to him.

Eric patted the back of his neck hard. “You’re a fucking genius. Are there dealerships in Golden Port?”

“Of course!”

Eric seemed a bit excited. This gift was really too good!

As for the money?

Is money important?

Eric didn’t know how much money his mayor uncle had, but he knew that at least hundreds of thousands of dollars flowed into a special account every month.

And that was just what he knew. The funds and accounts that he didn’t know about, which were handled by Orson, might be even more!

The group quickly got into the car. Amidst the flattery of the lackeys, Eric felt that he had already won!

Meanwhile, in the Bureau of Dangerous Goods, a meeting was in progress.

“Currently, the Prohibition situation in Golden Port has improved significantly following our public destruction of a large batch of mid-to-high-end liquor.”

“I have learned from some informants that some local bars have chosen to close down and wait and see.”

“This represents that our action has achieved the purpose we wanted to achieve: to deter these merchants who illegally trade in alcohol products.”

“But there are still some people who are very stubbornly continuing their operations.”

“The day before yesterday, the governor called me. He was very affirmative and supportive of our ability to solve such a big case so quickly. A reporter from the ‘Planet Newspaper’ will arrive in Golden Port this afternoon. He will interview us.”

“We are the first region in the entire country to solve a case with a value of over three hundred thousand. So not only me, but you also need to be interviewed.”

“This is a very good opportunity. You will be seen by readers across the country, and by Congress and those upper-class figures.”

“This will have a non-negligible effect on your future development, so I hope you can be mentally prepared to face the interview this afternoon.”

“Here is a press release. Take a look at it first.”

At the director’s signal, the secretary handed a press release to all the senior agents.

The so-called press release could be seen as the official “correct answer.” Everything that could be said was written on it, and what couldn’t be said was not.

They just needed to know what could be said. With a unified message, there would be no problems.

The reason the director had set the value of this case at three hundred thousand was to compete for the “first in the Federation.”

At the same time, the purpose of the public destruction was also to increase its persuasiveness.

More than a million people in the entire city knew about this matter. Surely, more than a million people couldn’t deceive Congress and the Presidential Palace together, right?

After receiving the news, Congress indeed took it very seriously. Not only did they send over a heavyweight party “official media” like the “Planet Newspaper,” but they also promised some commendations.

This case would be a very good solution to the problem of poor enforcement of the Prohibition, and it would also let people understand that they were serious about Prohibition.

Lukar looked at the material in his hand for a while. The content was actually not complicated. The general idea was that everyone started a secret investigation after taking office.

From thousands of clues, they caught a big fish, and then in the shortest possible time, under the personal guidance of the director, they solved the case.

Of course, all senior agents had a share of the credit. They were all heroes of this battle, and everyone could get some benefits from it. No one would object.

Seeing that no one raised any objections, the director was very satisfied with his subordinates, and the smile on his face grew wider.

He turned his head to look at the deputy director. “Can we conclude then?”

It looked like a question, but in reality, he was not seeking the deputy director’s opinion, and the deputy director would not be foolish enough to say, “I still have a few things to say.” He just nodded and closed his notebook. “Yes, we can conclude.”

“Very good!” He stood up and pointed to two senior agents, including Lukar. “You two drive to pick up the reporter. They should be arriving at the docks soon.”

The two naturally would not refuse. As they were leaving the conference room, Lukar felt an urge to urinate. The meeting had lasted for forty minutes, and he had drunk a lot of water before the meeting. He had been holding it in for over half an hour and was about to burst!

“You go start the car first. I’m going to take a piss.”

His colleague smiled and shook the car keys in his hand. “I’ll wait for you at the door.”

Lukar turned and walked into the restroom. Two agents came out, proactively moved aside, and saluted in greeting.

He was not quite used to this at first. Back at the city police department, the low-level police officers were not so serious or formal.

Logically, they were indeed required to salute when facing a superior officer.

But everyone was too familiar with each other. Not only would they not salute, but sometimes they would come over and fist-bump you, or even question your judgment.

Everyone had a good relationship, and you couldn’t rigidly demand that they must listen to you. And even if you did, they might not necessarily listen.

However, during the training this time, he realized that this was actually not a good phenomenon.

Because they were a law enforcement department, and a law enforcement department could not have liberalism. There must be a leader and a person in charge. It couldn’t be that this person says I have an idea, and that person says I have a suggestion.

There must be one person to be responsible, to make decisions, while others only needed to be responsible for execution.

To achieve this, there must be a strict hierarchical system. Superiors and subordinates must salute when they meet, including him. When he saw the director and deputy director, he also needed to salute.

He responded to the two agents, entered the restroom, walked to the urinal at the very back, and unzipped his fly.

He was thinking about some things. Although the time spent urinating is short, people often find it easier to enter a state of divergent thinking at this time.

It was as if concentration and urine were squeezed out of the bladder together!

The sound of trickling water made him think of some upcoming work. Just as he was thinking about whether to go to the Empire District for a look, a force suddenly seemed to push him.

Just as he looked down to see if he had peed on his hand or his shoes, the entire restroom trembled violently, as if there was an earthquake.

Then, the sound of an explosion came in from outside!

“Fuck!” He looked down at the urine on his hand and some stains on his pants, with some on his shoes too. He quickly ran to the sink to wash his hands, zipped up his fly, and rushed out without bothering to deal with the urine stains on his feet.

The corridor was full of people. These agents, with faces full of terror, unease, or confusion, were running towards the exit. Some had even drawn their weapons.

Lukar rushed to a room nearby, ran to the completely shattered window, and looked outside. In the parking lot, a ball of fire was burning fiercely. The heavy car had been blown to pieces everywhere!

He stood there for a moment, turned around, and ran back into the corridor, running down the stairs.

By now, a crowd had gathered around the exploded car. They were trying to rescue, but… everyone knew that apart from extinguishing the fire, there was nothing else they could do.

The fire truck and ambulance arrived quickly. The city police department also sent two police cars.

The fire was finally extinguished by the firefighters. Traces of the fire were everywhere. The director stood in the courtyard with an ashen face.

A senior agent, after starting the car and driving it out of the parking space, had exploded.

Everywhere.

Not just fragments of the car, but he himself was also everywhere.

On the walls, on the ground, and on the bodies of some other cars.

Not big pieces, but sticky and gooey, making one nauseous.

A few female agents had already vomited, and the expressions of the male agents were also very ugly.

“This is retaliation!” The director’s voice was loud. He had lost his previous composure and grace. He paced back and forth, his hair falling uncontrollably, which he then smoothed back.

“It must be that so-called Brotherhood. They are retaliating. These people… are too hateful!”

The deputy director had a worried look on his face, but if one looked closely at his eyes, one would find a hidden smile in their depths.

Less than a month in office, and although he had solved a major case, he had also let criminal organizations place a bomb in a car and blow up a senior agent.

He glanced at Lukar. If Lukar hadn’t gone to take a piss, then two would have died!

If two senior agents died, even if they could eventually take down this Brotherhood, the face of the Golden Port Bureau of Dangerous Goods would be completely lost.

“Dale, the first problem we need to solve now is to see if there are still bombs in the other vehicles.”

His words sent a chill down the spines of the other agents. Director Dale was also stunned for a moment. He looked at the deputy director. “You’re right. Immediately have people check.”

But who the hell would be willing to do this kind of thing?

Looking at the silent, non-responsive agents, the director could only call out names. He named a few agents. Although the named individuals did not refuse, they all had expressions as if their own fathers had just died.

Even Director Dale knew that these people were cursing his mother, who had already returned to heaven, and possibly his equally old wife and his daughter, in their hearts. But what could he do?

Sometimes, someone has to stand up and sacrifice for others. At this time, whoever has less value will definitely be sacrificed first.

A few young agents came to the other vehicles. They searched the interiors of some cars and finally found bombs on the chassis of the cars.

Two more cars had been rigged with bombs. Director Dale’s face was deathly black.

He had Lukar go and pick up the reporter, while the others were called back for a meeting.

The reason for his anger was that no one knew how they had installed these bombs on the cars in the parking lot.

After the explosives were removed, the bombs were placed on the table. The technical staff within the Bureau of Dangerous Goods quickly figured out how they worked—

“This wire needs to be connected to the accelerator pedal. Just starting the car won’t cause an explosion, but if someone steps on the accelerator, this wire will pull this detonating device.”

“Then, after about three to five seconds, the bomb will explode.”

“A very simple delay fuse. If it wasn’t dismantled from some explosive device, it was homemade.”

Once Director Dale knew how this thing worked, he seemed less afraid. “Immediately search our entire office building. Don’t miss a single corner.”

“I need to ensure that this building is safe.”

“Then, add wire mesh and steel bars to all our windows, and make the only entrances and exits the main door or the back door.”

“From today onwards, someone must be on duty twenty-four hours a day. Also, get me two guard posts for the parking lot. I’ll arrange for people to watch it twenty-four hours a day. Put up barbed wire on the courtyard walls!”

“We have already lost one senior agent. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

“Find out as soon as possible who placed the bombs here, and whether it’s who we think it is.”

“If it is…” he fell silent for a moment, “I want you to hunt down and kill every last one of these bastards!”

This explosion was like a basin of cold seawater poured over his naked body, which had been stripped in excitement. It drenched him from top to bottom, and chilled him to the bone!

He was just about to receive a commendation, but everything could change because of this explosion. His face was filled with hatred.

If he didn’t get his face back, he would become a laughingstock in the system!

What would people call him in the future?

Dale the Exploder?

Fuck!

In fact, at this point, whether it was the Brotherhood who did it was no longer important. What was important was that the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Dangerous Goods, and their Director Dale, must demonstrate the absolute determination to uphold “justice”!

The sound of the explosion not only alarmed this small area of the Bureau of Dangerous Goods but also the entire city.

Countless phones were constantly being picked up and put down. It seemed that at this moment, everyone had a great desire to talk.

Lance hung up the phone, a grave expression on his face.

From the perspective of an onlooker, a non-party involved, it seemed that whether it was Bing Polly who did it or not, it had nothing to do with him.

And, no matter who won in the end, he seemed to be the victor.

But in fact, that was not the case.

The Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Dangerous Goods, having been bombed like this, was now being held over a fire. Their target, their goal, was no longer just the Brotherhood, but all evil!

In other words, because of this explosion, the Prohibition situation in the entire Golden Port would become more severe than in other places, and they could get more resource support from the state government and the office.

Because the explosion provoked not only the Bureau of Dangerous Goods but also Congress’s determination for Prohibition!

Fucking idiots!

Lance cursed. He picked up the phone and dialed Bill’s number.

Bill was also alarmed by this explosion, but he hadn’t considered it as much as Lance had. He was considering that if the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Dangerous Goods started to focus on cracking down on the Brotherhood’s bars, could he take the opportunity to expand?

But he also had some worries, because Bing Polly had once again shown his madness. He actually used a bomb to blow up a law enforcement agency!

If he took the opportunity to expand, would he turn around and bite him?

This madman, he was insane!

Just as he and his cadres were discussing these matters, the phone rang.

He raised his hand and pressed it down slightly. The office instantly fell silent. “This is Bill.”

“This is Lance. Pull your people out of the Empire District. This is the final notice.”

Before they conduct a large-scale search and severe crackdown on the entire city, the “unification” must be completed as soon as possible!

Bill didn’t react for a moment after hearing this, but soon he said with some shame and anger, “What the fuck… are you talking about?”

He really wanted to ask Lance, Don’t I have any pride?

(End of this chapter)

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Additional chapters: /caleredhair