Empire of Shadows

Fides.

In an unnamed bar.

Gallio sat on a stool by the bar counter.

This was his bar. Relying on the liquor sent by Lance, he had quickly amassed a large amount of funds, and his gang was constantly growing.

In this day and age, money could solve anything.

Those who couldn’t afford to eat, those who were unemployed and homeless, they would stab a stranger for a full meal.

And for the money you handed them, they would sell their lives to you.

Fides was a city with a relatively monolithic economic development, so there weren’t many opportunities here, unlike Golden Port.

If you didn’t do well in one line of work, you could go find a new job in another. Even if you couldn’t do any job well, you could choose to lie down or get on your knees.

The rich variety of industries could provide enough opportunities for people to survive, as long as they could recognize their own limitations and hold no illusions about reality.But in Fides, even if you recognized yourself, held no illusions about reality, and were even willing to lie on your bed with your ass in the air, someone still had to be behind you.

It was better for the girls, but for the boys…

So, not being able to eat here really meant not being able to eat.

Gallio now had money in his hands. He could attract many people to join his gang. His gang was constantly growing, and its influence was also changing.

Even the municipal councilman drank here.

For example, the one sitting next to him right now.

“Good liquor.”

Fides had a total of seven municipal councilmen, and Philip was one of them.

After Sidney left Fides, the Social-Democratic Party, as a political exchange and for some of their own ideas, pushed for him to become the mayor of Golden Port, and at the same time, dismantled the original political interest group in Fides.

The current politicians were not the same group as when Sidney was here.

They were a new group of vested interests and naturally would not abide by the rules of Sidney’s era.

Philip swirled the glass in his hand, admiring the psychedelic light that passed through the glass and the amber liquid.

There were a few other people in the bar. These people were either city hall staff, civil servants, or local celebrities.

This bar was specially opened for these big shots. As a heavy industrial city, alcohol was as indispensable as engine oil and coal.

Even for the politicians who didn’t work on the assembly line.

Right now, the only one in the city who could stably provide high-quality liquor was Gallio.

Gallio smiled, a simple and honest smile, even looking a bit shy. But if you thought he was really shy, you would be gravely mistaken.

A gang leader could not be a simple and honest, shy person. This was his disguise.

Looking at his foolish smile, Philip knew he was playing dumb. “I hear this liquor is from Golden Port?”

To evade his question again would obviously be inappropriate.

Gallio nodded. “I have a connection in Golden Port…”

Councilman Philip brought the glass to his nose, sniffed it, and took another sip. “A high-class taste.”

He paused. “Very fragrant. Not just the aroma of liquor, but also the smell of money, and something else.”

Gallio quickly weighed his options in his head. “I can offer five percent.”

Councilman Philip showed no reaction. He had to continue, “You see, if they know you’ve taken a share, they will too. The seven of you councilmen, one mayor, maybe the police chief and the like will also need…”

“Five percent for each of you, ten percent for the mayor, three percent for the police chief, and I’ll have…”

He quickly calculated, “Fifty-two percent.”

“I have huge costs, and I’m the one taking the risks. Plus, I have so many people to feed.”

After thinking for a moment, Councilman Philip took out three twenty-five-cent coins and two one-dollar bills and placed them on the table.

This money couldn’t even buy the glass of liquor in his hand. He pushed the money towards Gallio. “This is my investment.”

Sometimes, when these politicians shamelessly played rogue, they were even more ruthless than the most ruthless gangs.

He clearly could have not paid anything, but he still took out this money. This was actually a kind of mockery, a kind of arrogance.

He wanted to use this method to tell Gallio, “I don’t owe you anything.”

As for whether he really didn’t owe him anything, everyone knew in their hearts, but at least he could convince himself.

When he had to make a choice on certain issues in the future, this two dollars and seventy-five cents might play a key role.

Gallio knew this, but he still smiled and put the money in his pocket. A smile appeared on Councilman Philip’s face.

“You’re a smart man, Gallio.”

Just as Gallio was about to say something in reply, the manager suddenly walked to his side and whispered a few words in his ear.

He excused himself to Councilman Philip and entered his office.

The phone was quickly answered. It was Ennio.

“My dear Ennio, what made you think of calling your old friend?” he laughed heartily as he sat down in the manager’s chair. He laughed loudly, because only then could Ennio feel his enthusiasm.

Ennio exchanged a few pleasantries. “We’ve run into a bit of a situation over here. My good brother Morris was attacked by the Wolf Gang. He’s still in the hospital.”

Gallio’s expression immediately changed. “That’s truly terrible!”

But his attention quickly shifted to the name “Wolf Gang.” “You mean Wolf and his crew?”

“Yes.”

Gallio also had a deep impression of the Wolf Gang, because the Bear Gang, Wolf Gang, and Viper Gang were the most famous gangs in Fides.

From top to bottom, this city was full of people related to industry. The whole city was in this atmosphere and environment, so many times, gangs would choose the simplest names.

They didn’t really favor the term “family,” but rather admired the powerful animals in nature.

This was a characteristic of the region.

Coastal areas, for example, had more and richer cultural exchanges, so they would have many other ideas when it came to naming.

But the environment in the western regions was relatively closed off, the wilderness was dangerous, and incidents of bears and wolves attacking pedestrians often occurred.

These predatory animals gave people an inherent impression of power, so in choosing names, these people would be more inclined to use powerful animals as the names of their gangs.

Before these gangs left Fides, Gallio’s was only considered a second or third-rate gang.

If it weren’t for the fact that the Empire immigrant community was quite large, he might not even be considered second or third-rate.

Only after they left, and he started making money from the smuggled liquor from Lance, began to recruit more men and expand his forces, did he mix into the first-rate forces.

So hearing this familiar name again, he felt a bit of emotion.

“The Professor is a very capable person. He had good relations with the city’s councilmen and even the mayor back then.”

He paused. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

The sound of a match striking came from the receiver. After a moment, Ennio said, “The Professor, Wolf, the Wolf Gang, these people… do they have families?”

Gallio was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Although there was no saying in the Federation that “hatred should not extend to the family,” a portion of the people, especially those at the bottom, still acknowledged it.

But the upper class was different. The higher up you go, the more they emphasize killing everyone, leaving no future troubles.

In the Federation’s political arena, it was not uncommon for entire families to suddenly die violently or have accidents, but it was rarely revealed to the common people.

Gallio considered for a few seconds. “Only the Professor knows about Wolf’s situation. None of us do.”

“After the Professor’s son died, he divorced his wife. His wife took their daughter and started a new family.”

“By the way, the Professor’s father is still alive. He also has an older sister and a younger brother, and their families…”

“In addition, there are several senior cadres in the Wolf Gang. They are also locals from Fides. I can find out their situation.”

Ennio didn’t ask for the last part; Gallio added it himself. Since he decided to do it, he would do it thoroughly.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he was able to survive with his gang in Fides—ruthless enough, not as simple as his appearance suggested.

After hearing this, Ennio pursed his lips. “I’ll come over in a few days.”

Gallio thought of Councilman Philip sitting outside and considered for a moment. “I’ll bring them over. It just so happens that I also want to meet Mr. Lance in person.”

He knew very well who was providing him with this liquor.

Ennio was easy to talk to, but he couldn’t make decisions on these big deals. He had to meet Lance in person to be at ease.

At the same time, he also wanted Councilman Philip to know that he was not some insignificant underling with only local connections.

Even in Golden Port, he had connections!

In this era, people were still very awed by big cities, awed by everything in them, and the people who lived in them.

Actually, people’s way of thinking was very simple. It’s definitely harder to survive in a big city than in a small town, and the big shots in those big cities are definitely not people they can easily provoke.

There was actually nothing wrong with this logic, but they overlooked one thing.

Those who lived in shabby old houses in the big cities were not necessarily as powerful as those who lived in big houses in the countryside.

Ennio did not refuse. He covered the mouthpiece, and after a moment, agreed. “Lance agreed. I’ll pick you up when the time comes. Please take this matter seriously.”

After hanging up, Gallio returned outside. He sat down next to Councilman Philip. “Sorry, a call from Golden Port.”

Councilman Philip’s movement of turning his glass paused slightly. He turned his body and head to look at Gallio. This was the first time he had looked at Gallio directly today, and there was a look of inquiry in his eyes.

“I just got an opportunity to meet the big boss.”

Councilman Philip seemed to have thought of something. “I remember Sidney went to Golden Port. Is he the mayor there now?”

Gallio lowered his head and raised his glass to hide the confusion on his face. He really didn’t know that Sidney had gone to Golden Port.

It’s not that he was ignorant, but that the vast majority of citizens wouldn’t know where the mayor went after leaving their city. No one cared about this; they only cared about themselves and their own lives.

“Yes!” Gallio nodded. “So?”

Councilman Philip shook his head. “The matter of the shares, we’ll discuss it when you get back.”

Gallio nodded and agreed with a hint of apology. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

After seeing Councilman Philip off, Gallio got into a car with some of his trusted core members. He briefly explained the situation.

No one raised any “we shouldn’t harm their families” ideas. There were also many victims whose families had been affected by the Wolf Gang. No one had ever said they were wrong to do so.

The Professor and his wife had been divorced for almost five years. Five years was enough to change many people and things.

If one didn’t specifically inquire, many people might not even know about the past that was gradually being covered by time.

No one would remember that the Professor’s descent into darkness was because the vast sunlight could not reach his tragically deceased son.

Nor would anyone remember that there were two people, a mother and daughter, who had a fearsome father and husband.

In the evening, the Professor’s daughter came home from work. Her brother’s death had caused some changes in her personality. She began to avoid being alone with men.

Although… this might be a problem, she felt that she was living quite well now, just like her mother.

She made some simple food and called her mother out. The two of them sat at the table eating dinner and chatting.

It was all about her work.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Seeing that her mother was about to get up, she quickly said, “I’ll go, you continue eating. Maybe it’s a neighbor or something.”

She wiped her mouth and ran towards the door. The old woman shook her head slightly.

After about ten seconds, she saw her daughter walking backwards with her hands raised high. The old woman thought her actions were a bit strange and then asked, “What are you doing, dear?”

Her daughter did not answer her, but a few seconds later, she knew the answer.

Several people came in from outside, one of whom was holding a pistol.

The old woman sat there in a panic, repeatedly calling out “My God,” but it seemed that God was not on duty today, nor did he hear her call.

Gallio walked in from outside. He looked at the two women, one large and one small, with no change in his expression. “I’m sorry, there are some things that might require you to leave with me for a while.”

The Professor’s daughter returned to her mother’s side, putting her arm around the old woman’s shoulders to comfort her.

She looked up at Gallio. “Where are we going?”

“Golden Port!”

When this word came out of his mouth, both of them knew it was because of the Professor.

Gallio clasped his hands in front of him, which made him look non-threatening. “Don’t make it difficult for me, ladies.”

Things went smoothly. In the face of these men holding weapons, they had no ability to resist.

The same was true for the families of the others.

The turmoil in Golden Port had not yet reached Fides, but it probably wouldn’t be long before most of the Federation would be discussing the chaos in Golden Port, and the methods to solve it.

At night, the not-so-peaceful city once again heard a violent explosion. Many people lay in bed or sat on the sofa, their minds blank.

They didn’t understand why the whole city had suddenly become like this.

But it seemed that the Mayor was still in the hospital, and a new police chief had not yet been selected. Everything seemed to be in a delicate environment.

This seemed to be beneficial to everyone, maintaining a strange balance.

At eleven o’clock, Alberto was shaken awake from a deep sleep. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. He was in a car.

The car was parked outside a warehouse of the Cassia Family. This was where they stored liquor and weapons.

Although the Five Families were partners, in a sense, they were also competitors.

Even in the past, before the Mayor had turned against them, the Five Families were wary of each other, looking for opportunities in each other.

They knew the specific situation of the Cassia Family, just as the Cassia Family knew the specific situation of the Pasoretto Family.

Blowing up this warehouse might not be as direct as killing a certain number of their men, but it would definitely be more painful for Rick (the head of the Cassia Family) than killing his men.

The people he recruited from Yalan were paid a few dozen dollars a month. If a thousand of them died, the loss would only be tens of thousands of dollars.

But the liquor and various supplies in the warehouse could be worth hundreds of thousands.

At this time, besides a few people on patrol, there was nothing unusual around the warehouse. Alberto rubbed his eyes and picked up his gun.

He glanced at Fordis, nodded slightly. Fordis then stuck his hand out of the car and made a gesture.

The cars parked in the darkness all started their engines and charged towards the warehouse.

The people outside the warehouse were easily dealt with. Seeing that the mission was about to be completed, a relaxed smile appeared on Alberto’s face.

Paul had asked him why he raised his hand. After all, he was not a core member, and he didn’t need to participate in such a risky activity.

But he told Paul that from the moment he raised his hand, he pretended that he was.

He was very grateful to Paul for bringing him out of Summurian Island, letting him see this prosperous world, and having his own business. So he wanted to do something for Paul.

Actually, there was another layer. In the early stages of the war, the intensity of the firefights was not yet too high.

Taking the initiative to go on a mission at this time was definitely safer than going on a mission later. He, a non-core member, had already done something for the family once. Even if he was needed for later work…

With Paul’s personality, he wouldn’t arrange other dangerous jobs for him.

As long as he blew up this warehouse, he would have completed half of it.

The sound of gunshots crackled. It was a pity it lacked a bit of a blue glow, otherwise it would have more atmosphere.

The gunmen guarding the outside of the warehouse were quickly taken out. Alberto jumped out of the car and forcefully pushed open the heavy sliding door of the warehouse.

The lights inside suddenly turned on.

One by one, dark muzzles were aimed at him. Before he could react, he was sent flying by a car.

The next second, that car was shot into a sieve.

Alberto was struggling to be helped up from the ground by Fordis. He saw a smiling face. The glass between them quickly shattered, then was spattered with blood, dyed red, and the person’s appearance could no longer be seen clearly.

This was a trap, a trap waiting for them to fall into. Someone had betrayed them.

(End of chapter)

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