Empire of Shadows

Senator Cleveland’s words left the remaining people in the room in deep thought. The executive director and other directors discussed briefl

Senator Cleveland’s words left the remaining people in the room in deep thought.

The executive director and other directors discussed briefly, “I don’t think there are any problems with the operation, but the question is, if they start to make trouble, what do we do?”

“We have to ensure that our own interests are not violated. It will definitely be a very troublesome matter if so many workers cause a commotion!”

Senator Cleveland said nothing. Lance coughed lightly. “The police and I will solve these problems.”

“And I believe that not too many people will cause trouble. After all, they are just ordinary people.”

“Ordinary people means they have fatal weaknesses.”

“Life, family, children, these are all reasons why they dare not make trouble casually. The real ‘enemies’ we need to face are actually not many.”

After a moment of thought, the executive director agreed to give it a try first. “How much time do you need to gather so many people?”

Lance thought for a moment. Two to three days.It sounded incredible to gather over ten thousand workers in two to three days. After all, even if you notified them one by one, there wouldn’t be enough time.

But in reality, it wasn’t that troublesome. He just needed to let those refugees know that they could now work, and then there would be no problem.

After leaving the hotel, Lance got into the car. Elvin asked softly, “Didn’t it go well?”

“I saw those workers leave first.”

Lance nodded and recounted what had happened. Elvin was suddenly a little annoyed. “These people are really ungrateful. We just helped them!”

He was fuming. No one likes this feeling. You just helped someone, and in return, that person kicks you to the side.

Lance, on the contrary, comforted him. “This is their problem. There’s a saying I think is very correct that you should listen to.”

“Don’t punish yourself for other people’s mistakes. Getting angry is a form of punishment.”

Lance lit a cigarette. “Actually, this matter is more beneficial to us.”

Elvin was a little confused. “How so?”

“These refugees basically have no proof of legal entry. In other words, most of them are illegal immigrants.”

“No one knows better than us what kind of life illegal immigrants live in the Federation. If they want to settle down, they can only rely on us.”

“Originally, my plan was to have the docks filled with our people. Now it’s just a different group, but the result is the same.”

After listening, Elvin asked, “But how do you solve the problem of votes?”

“If we do this, those workers will no longer be obedient.”

“Getting their votes will become very troublesome.”

Lance shook his head, not agreeing with his view. “My view is the exact opposite of yours. I think they will become more obedient, because once they lose this job, it will be very difficult for them to find another.”

“And I will talk to Senator Cleveland and see if we can push for some things regarding the immigration bill. Didn’t the president say he was considering it?”

“He’s so busy, he must have overlooked these issues. We can’t remind him, but if a senator talks to him about this, he will definitely take it seriously.”

“Then we lend these people money to buy houses. While we get the votes, they will all owe us a sum of money, and interest.”

After listening to Lance’s general idea, Elvin’s mouth was agape. It took him a long while to come back to his senses. “You are more terrifying than those capitalists!”

Lance laughed. “This is the best compliment of this era, Elvin.”

The convoy swished into the flow of traffic and disappeared…

The news that today’s negotiations had failed and would continue to be negotiated began to spread among the workers. They were all very satisfied with this result, but some people also became a little worried.

Because it was almost payday. If the dock management company didn’t pay them, their bills would be in big trouble.

Although it wasn’t that one missed bill would force them into a corner, it certainly wouldn’t make them comfortable. They would have to borrow money or sell something to pay those annoying bills.

So now the group of workers at the docks was not a solid block either. However, most people still felt that they should support the strike, because the benefits the strike could bring them were simply too great.

When Johnny and Dave and the other few “surrender faction” members returned to the docks, they were met with boos wherever they went. This made them angry, but also somewhat helpless.

But the good news was that some workers took the initiative to find them and talk about the chance to join their team.

A strike was good, but for the workers, having a stable job was the most critical thing.

The group of workers at the docks also began to split because of this.

Meanwhile, in the New Port District to the west of the Port District, a considerable number of refugees had gathered here.

The current refugees were mainly from the Tanfit continent. The war had forced them to abandon everything and come to the Federation.

But getting a foothold in the Federation was not an easy task. The first problem was housing, then food.

Now the price of grain all over the world was rising. The bakeries no longer had bread for two cents a pound. The cheapest was three or four cents, and the better ones were over ten cents.

These refugees had limited money and no jobs. Once their money ran out, it meant they would lose their source of food.

The Federation government did sometimes have some relief meals, but these relief meals were not open to these refugees now. It was very difficult for them to get a source of food from here.

The entire New Port District was now shrouded in sorrow.

Some women had already gone out to sell their bodies in exchange for income, but what about the men?

They had indeed heard that Golden Port had such groups, but they didn’t know how to find them, and they weren’t used to others being behind them, or them being behind others.

No job opportunities, no source of income. Even though this place was as prosperous as the best city in the world, at this moment, in the eyes of these people, it was also dim and hopeless.

“Do you know Shirley?”

A family was huddled together, a father, a mother, two boys, and a girl.

They had fled to the Federation as a family. Most of their savings were used to pay for the journey. Now, all the money in their pockets added up to less than five dollars—

During this time, some people had taken advantage of their need to exchange currency and had cheated many people here. They had also been cheated out of twenty dollars, which made their lives even worse.

The wife asked her husband. The latter nodded. Shirley was a young mother who had also come with her family. Her child was still very young, still breastfeeding.

Their situation was also very bad. The child was also sick, which had already used up all their savings.

They had even sold some of the things they had brought with them to pay the remaining medical expenses.

The husband licked his dry lips. “If she wants to borrow money…” he thought of the two large melons hidden in Shirley’s clothes. Even just getting close, you could smell the scent of milk.

For some reason, the saliva in his mouth suddenly secreted sharply. He swallowed. “At most, lend them twenty cents. Tell them we are also in a very difficult situation now.”

They had come on the same boat and were considered “acquaintances.” And these common experiences could deepen the trust between them.

The woman shook her head. “It’s not about borrowing money. She found a job yesterday.”

The man took out a water bottle and took a sip. The water in the Federation was sweet and delicious. It was really good, and it also kept a trace of his longing for life.

However, this water also cost money. One cent for a large bucket. The price was not expensive. Several families would buy a bucket together, which could last a long time.

“What job?” There was some expectation in his eyes. A job meant a stable income, and an income meant the family’s life was settled. “What a lucky guy, to actually be able to find a job. Don’t they ask her for a work card or something?”

The woman glanced at the three children next to her and lowered her voice. “She is selling her breast milk.”

The man looked as if he hadn’t understood. “What did you say?”

“She, is selling her own breast milk.”

“My God!” The man showed an expression of disbelief. “Does her husband know?”

“Is it squeezed into a bottle and sold, or…”

The woman’s expression was a bit strange. This was the job her husband had found for her. No work card or immigration certificate was needed, nothing was needed, as long as you had breast milk.

I don’t know where, but I heard her say that she would be taken to a very beautiful room, and there would be a work uniform.

They would wash her clean, and she just needed to breastfeed the customers.

The man shrank back. He was obviously aroused. How exciting!

“Will they… do that to her?” He wanted to know some details. This might be one of the few diversions in this tragic time.

His wife didn’t notice this and just shook her head. “I don’t know. She said no. I don’t know.”

“She can get a one-dollar commission for each customer. Yesterday, she got seven dollars in one day.”

At first, the man was excited because a woman he knew was forced to go down this path. The next second, his attention was drawn to the income of seven dollars a day.

But he quickly became vigilant. “You’re not thinking of doing these things too, are you?”

The woman touched her chest. “I’d like to, but they wouldn’t want me.”

Shriveled, small, and not pretty, the kind that makeup couldn’t even save.

Although the man was relieved, he was still on guard. “Whether it’s this or anything else, don’t do it. We still have money.”

The wife fell into silence. In fact, the purpose of her saying these things was to prepare her husband psychologically.

She glanced again at the children playing with the other children and said softly, “What about when our money runs out?”

The couple both fell into silence. Although the man knew that this was a way to solve the problem, he just found it very difficult to accept.

He didn’t understand why working in the Federation required so many troublesome things. He could even ask for no salary, just a little more food, but still, no one was willing to hire them.

He was at a loss.

His wife squeezed his hand. “Until the last moment, I will not bow to life. But if it comes to the last moment, if I go to the Port District, I can also earn a few dollars a day, at least enough for our family to live on.”

“We can suffer a little, but what about the children?”

The couple seemed to have adjusted their mentality. In their gazes at each other, there was a look full of guilt.

This was not just their family’s problem, but the problem of this entire group of people.

Too many refugees had poured in at once, and the city simply couldn’t digest them in time. It was actually good enough that there was a place for them to temporarily hide.

Now it was summer, which was a little easier to arrange. You could just find a place to lie down and sleep.

But what about winter?

The wind from the great eastern ocean could freeze people to death. The sea surface could even be frozen. Living outdoors at that time was no different from seeking death.

Just as the woman said, the adults could still bear it, endure it. But what about the children?

Could they be like the adults?

This was a difficult problem. Life is never simple.

But just at this moment, about twenty large trucks suddenly appeared here, each with the word “Hiring” posted on it.

All the refugees on the entire street instantly came to life. They all approached the trucks, running along with the not-so-fast trucks, asking the drivers how many people they needed, how much they could pay, and that they didn’t have work cards or immigration certificates.

By the time the trucks came to a stop, almost all of them were surrounded.

Mello was still a little surprised to see so many people. The New Port District was very remote, and since the development had failed, it had not been very popular.

There were actually quite a few refugees at the docks, but they were all separated, a small pile here, a small pile there. But he didn’t expect there to be even more refugees here.

Looking at the disheveled refugees, he couldn’t help but recall when he had just arrived in the Federation.

“Don’t rush, everyone, don’t rush!” He stood on the tire of the truck, letting the surrounding people quiet down. “This time we need about five thousand male workers, twenty dollars a month, can be paid daily!”

Although this salary was not much, this money could save lives now.

About sixty-five cents a day. Ten cents was enough for their family to fill their stomachs, and there would still be fifty-five cents left. They could prepare for the winter in advance.

After all, it was already August, and winter was not far away.

In an instant, people all raised their hands and shouted loudly that they were competent for this job. Some even took the initiative to lower their income demands—

This kind of person was a typical egoist. They didn’t care about others; they only thought of themselves.

So Lance had specially instructed that this kind of person should not be recruited.

“We want those who can work, who are strong. Too thin, we don’t want.”

Mello and the others began to select. If an old person were here now, everything here might evoke some memories of their past.

Those people, wearing only loincloths, stood together, being inspected for their physique, and then the strong and able-bodied were chosen…

One by one, people jumped onto the trucks with smiles on their faces. The fewer the remaining spots, the more terrified and uneasy those people became.

But no matter how they begged, it was very difficult to shake the will of these “selectors.”

It wasn’t until after six in the evening that they had selected enough people.

Looking at the people around who were still reluctant to leave, Mello and the others also sighed with some emotion.

However, Lance had instructed in advance. He said loudly, “We may still need workers later, so you all still have a chance.”

“Golden Port is a city full of miracles. As long as you are not afraid of hardship, you will definitely find a place that accepts you.”

How could capitalists not like this kind of labor that came to your door?

They actually hadn’t adapted to the life here yet. As long as you were willing to accept extreme exploitation and oppression, at least living was not a problem.

The five thousand people needed to be pulled over many times. They were not directly taken to the docks, but were first taken to the industrial area.

Here, they also saw Lance.

“We are from the Wanli Labor Agency. My name is Lance, Lance White.”

“You don’t know me, it’s okay. We have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

Under the industrial light bulbs, a dense crowd of people stood together. Most of them were only wearing underwear, or had something to cover their waists.

Lance had just given them a shower with a fire hose. These people smelled terrible. Some of them hadn’t bathed for a long time.

It was a bit troublesome to go to the sea in the New Port District, because that side was all unfinished docks, and the situation was a bit complicated.

If you went to the New Bay Area or to the port and beach area, it was very far.

Most of the people hadn’t bathed.

Now, they had showered, which made them all look much more energetic.

“From today on, we are in a cooperative relationship.”

“I provide you with work, and you pay me a brokerage fee. What I can guarantee is that the work I introduce to you does not require a work card or immigration certificate, but correspondingly, the income is not too high.”

“Every month you need to pay me one dollar, which I will deduct directly from your salary.”

“So you can actually get nineteen dollars a month now. If anyone has any objection to this, or is unwilling to accept it, you can leave. I will arrange for someone to send you back.”

Everyone remained silent. No one left.

Lance nodded with satisfaction. “Actually, I am just like you, all came to the Federation to escape the war. I know your thoughts and feelings. If you are willing to believe me, just listen to me for now.”

“Earn some money, so that you and your family at least won’t starve or freeze to death, and then little by little find opportunities to become a Federation citizen or get an immigration certificate.”

“Life is too heavy. Someone has to carry it and move forward. If you don’t want it to be your wives, your children, then you must be strong!”

“Hardship will never sympathize with your situation. It will only laugh at you harshly and then make it harder for you to endure.”

“The only thing we can do now is to clench our teeth and overcome it.”

He paused. “Those with skills, step forward. Those who can operate forklifts, cranes, excavators, whatever skills you have, step forward.”

He wanted to keep some talented people for himself. As his voice fell, many people came out of the crowd.

Lance looked at the first person to come out, who was about fifty years old and wore a pair of thick-lensed glasses, and asked, “What are you good at?”

“Lockpicking…”

(End of chapter)