Empire of Shadows

It was already September. Imperial bureau Chief Bruce gave Lance a call, asking whether to collect this month’s fees or not.

Lance told him to stop starting this month because Lance’s men had already begun collecting the new hygiene fees.

He had changed the name for these protection fees to “hygiene fees.” He had set up a new company called “Wanli Cleaning Company.”

The main business of this company was to provide environmental cleaning services to clients. All the merchants in the Empire District and the Port District were their “clients.”

The others didn’t quite understand. They didn’t understand why Lance had to specifically set up a company to collect this money.

You have to know, if it’s a business operation, this money needs to be taxed. The standard they were charging was already low. If they had to pay taxes on top of that, it would be even less.

Perhaps only Sean, who had already started university, understood a little, but not entirely.

Users can be monetized, and even possibly taken public! Lance had a wicked idea. He wanted to package this Wanli Cleaning Company and take it public. A company that collects protection fees being able to go public sounded like a joke, but it wasn’t necessarily impossible to achieve.

As long as its scale was large enough and it had enough users, the capitalists wouldn’t care why every merchant had to use this company’s services and pay for them.

What they cared about was market share, market prospects, and whether there was a possibility of a monopoly! As long as there was, they were willing to pay a fortune for it, to reap rich profits from its development.As a future successful person, how could it be respectable to not have a few publicly listed companies in hand?

So these few days, the salesmen in the company had already started collecting hygiene fees.

About thirty percent of the employees in the company were temporary guest appearances by gang members. The rest were recruited from the Empire District and the Port District.

This was their first time formally entering a working state. To be honest, it wasn’t very adaptable.

In a retail store, the owner and two employees were organizing the shelves. The doorbell suddenly rang. Without looking up, the owner said, “We’re not open for business yet.”

But the person who came did not leave. “We’re here to collect the hygiene fee.”

The owner was taken aback for a moment, then straightened up, wiped his hands on his apron, and walked over with a smile on his face, even shaking hands with the person at the front.

“I seem to have seen you before.”

The young man smiled and said, “I live on the next street. Maybe you saw me when you passed by.”

The owner had a sudden realization. “No wonder…” he glanced at the two people behind the other party, “How much should I pay?”

The young man looked at the staff on his left. The guy quickly opened a notebook and said, “Boss, you’ve hired two employees, right?”

The owner nodded. “Yes, is there anything special about that?”

The staff member asked again, “Are they immigrants or locals?”

The owner looked at his two employees and said, “They are all Empire immigrants.”

Only then did the staff member explain, “The company regulations state that a shop like yours needs to be charged a hygiene fee of six dollars. But if you hire immigrants, your hygiene fee will be reduced by one dollar. You’ve hired two people, so this month you need to pay a hygiene fee of four dollars.”

The owner was even a little worried after hearing this. “Isn’t that too little?”

The staff member had a blank look on his face. He looked at his little leader, who said with a smile, “No, this is a rule personally set by Mr. Lance.”

The name “Mr. Lance” seemed to have a kind of magic. The owner immediately went behind the cash register, took out four dollars, and handed it over. “Here you go.”

The leader had the staff member write a receipt, then chatted for a few more sentences before leaving with his men.

A new young man in the shop was a little confused. “Hygiene fee, what hygiene fee?”

The owner explained while working, “It’s actually a protection fee.”

The young employee’s eyes widened. “Why don’t you call the police?”

“Before I came, I always heard that the police in the Federation are very clean and efficient. If we call the police, they will definitely be in trouble, right?”

The young man had just arrived in Golden Port in late August, early September. He had a temporary visa and had entered through legal channels. He had to leave every once in a while.

During this period, a large number of Empire immigrants came to the Federation and went to various parts of the world. The struggle between the royal family and the nobility had almost completely ended.

Those who longed for the royal family to be overthrown were once again defeated by the cruel facts. They could not accept such a result, so they chose to emigrate, smuggle, or work to leave the Empire, to express their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the situation.

During this period, the population of Golden Port was still constantly increasing. Some said that it would soon reach a permanent population of two million.

In this period, a city of two million was already a very considerable number.

So it was normal that he didn’t understand these things.

The owner looked at him as if he were looking at a fool. “Why should I call the police?”

The young clerk pointed to the door. “They… they shouldn’t do that.”

The owner shook his head and continued to work, not wanting to talk.

On the contrary, another old clerk began to explain.

It was only after Lance had changed the rules in the Empire District that the boss had hired a new clerk and expanded the scope of his business. This was unthinkable before.

He put his arm around the young employee’s shoulder and explained, “The Federation is not as good as you imagine. The police and the gangs here are often in cahoots.”

“Before, we had to pay a sum of money to the gangs every month, and also a sum to the police. They also often came to extort us…”

The owner couldn’t help but curse when he heard this. “Those greedy, son-of-a-bitch dog things, I curse them all to hell!”

The older clerk explained simply that those gangsters or police officers, when they bought things here, would pick out several dollars’ worth of things at a time, but would only give some coins when they paid.

If you were lucky, you could get fifty cents. If you were unlucky, it might only be a dozen cents.

If you thought it was too little and wanted to reason with them, then trouble would arise, and the loss would be far more than what they had intended to take.

Especially some low-level gangs, they would come to take cigarettes for free at every turn. The owner was also suffering greatly.

As for why he had to continue to operate despite being so miserable? That was because although it was miserable, he could indeed make money.

Just like Johnny’s bakery. Although the police and the gangs were always taking his money, he could still have a surplus of seventy or eighty to a hundred dollars a month. This was much more comfortable than working—of course, all this was based on the premise that he did not pay the apprentice and Lance’s wages.

The other shops were roughly the same. It was a bit better than working, so they could hold on.

When the young employee heard these words, he felt that his perception of the Federation was completely shattered, because in his perception, the police of the Federation were clean, efficient, and impartial.

Anyone could call the police and enjoy the various rights granted to them by the Federation’s judiciary. But after really coming here, it seemed that it was not the case.

The older employee smiled and patted his shoulder. “These people are Mr. Lance’s men. The entire Empire District is his territory. He has waived the protection fees we paid to the gangs, and now he has also waived the large protection fees we have to pay to the police. Compared to the fifteen dollars a month in protection fees in the past, now we only pay four dollars. I think this is very appropriate.”

The owner snorted on the side. “You having a job is also thanks to Mr. Lance. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have considered hiring another person…”

If the young clerk was still rebuilding his perception of the Federation, then the two staff members standing at the shop door were also rebuilding their perception of the Federation.

One of them was an immigrant, and the other was a local. They were both ordinary people. This was their first time collecting protection fees.

“Manager… are we sure we don’t need to arrange for someone to clean up for them?”

The local asked in a low voice on the side, “Even if it’s just… putting on a show at the door?”

The guy he called “manager” shook his head with a smile. “We’re collecting a protection fee, not a real hygiene fee. You’ll make a fool of yourself if you help them clean up.”

Both of them fell silent. To say so openly that they were collecting protection fees, and to even set up a company to collect it, was this appropriate?

The three of them walked to the next storefront. As he walked, he said, “Don’t worry about this being illegal. It complies with all the requirements of Federation law. We will also pay taxes normally, and we will also pay you your wages.”

“As for whether we send people to clean up or not, it has no direct practical relationship with whether they pay or not.”

“You’re not familiar with it now, so I’m taking you to collect it once. Starting next month, you’ll collect it yourselves.”

“If someone doesn’t pay…” The three of them happened to walk to the door of the next shop. The owner was already waiting at the door, his face full of righteous indignation. “Who didn’t pay?”

“Tell me, I’ll go and curse him.”

“Such a good and great philanthropist like Mr. Lance, and he’s ungrateful. We’ll drive him out of the Empire District!”

As he spoke, the anger on his face turned into a smile. “How much do we have to pay here?”

The staff member subconsciously glanced at his notebook. “Five dollars. You’ve hired one employee, so you can get a one-dollar reduction, which is also four dollars.”

“Here, this is four dollars…” The owner had already prepared the money and had also packed two manila paper bags, which contained some cooked food, meat, and the like, worth at least a dollar or so.

“It was just cooked this morning. Have a taste.”

The leader said a word of thanks, took it, and even ate a piece in front of the owner. “It’s delicious, tastes very good. I will recommend it to my friends.”

The owner was overjoyed to hear this. “If your friends come over, I will give them a discount…”

Along the way, the two of them felt as if a new world had been opened up to them. Almost all the shops paid the money very enthusiastically, and some would even give them some small commodities.

Food, drinks, or something else. This was the first time they had encountered this situation.

The people paying the protection fees were so enthusiastic. This was completely different from what they had understood about society before.

Before, they had heard that those who collected protection fees were all evil people, and those who were charged were pitiful. But the situation… how was it a bit different?

Their heads couldn’t figure these things out, but it didn’t matter. As long as someone could figure it out, it was fine.

However, there were also people who were unwilling to pay and even cursed, saying that they had never paid before and would not pay in the future. “Have the names of these people all been recorded?”

Lance sat behind his chair. He had just finished a phone call with Sub-bureau Chief Bruce. This money could be collected in at most three days. After it was collected, it would be around the tenth of the month. At that time, he would, according to the list submitted by the two districts, pay the police another salary.

It sounded incredible.

A gang paying the police a salary. But this was precisely one of the most bizarre “portraits” of this era, and there would be even more bizarre things than this. In a period when the overall order of the country was not yet perfect, anything strange and bizarre could happen. As long as it happened, it was reasonable.

Elvin nodded and said, “They have all been recorded. What do you plan to do?”

Lance leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and his fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest. “The rules are not made for a few people not to follow. I am not a good person, let alone a goody-goody. Since they don’t abide by our rules, we will make them abide by the rules.”

Elvin was a little worried. “Will this cause some negative impact?”

“After all… they have also lived here for a long time, and they are also Empire immigrants, with certain social connections.”

Lance retorted, “Does this have anything to do with them not following my rules?”

“If everyone knows a lot of people and can not follow the rules, then what is the purpose and meaning of me setting these rules?”

“Don’t worry about causing any unfavorable discussion about me. As long as we let people understand that the problem is not on our side, it’s fine.”

“Arrange for some people, teach them a little lesson. You can give them a chance to regret, but only once.”

Elvin immediately understood. He understood where the line was. They had to be frightened, and then they had to hand over the money.

As for those who were resolutely unwilling to pay, they could only become a negative example.

As he was speaking, the phone on Lance’s desk rang. Elvin also stood up with the ringing of the phone. “I’m going to get things done.”

Lance nodded and picked up the phone. “This is Lance.”

“It’s me, Alberto. Sarif just called me and said that Bandy had arranged for them to negotiate in the city center, along with Rick.”

Lance grunted, “He doesn’t want us to ambush Rick on the road, does he?”

Alberto laughed heartily. “I knew you could guess.”

“Really?” Lance was also a little surprised. “I was just guessing randomly.”

Alberto explained, “He’s worried that if Rick falls into a disadvantage, it will make Bandy increase his support for him. And he has hired another batch of gunmen. This time we haven’t been able to get their meeting point and route.”

“So to avoid being dragged on indefinitely, he decided to solve the problem once and for all.”

Lance thought for a moment. “It’s no problem, but when, where, and how do we act?”

“I’ll come and find you in the afternoon.”

In the afternoon, Alberto and Francisco arrived at Lance’s office. Francisco was still a little reserved. Besides greeting him, he didn’t say much to Lance.

Alberto, on the other hand, seemed very relaxed. He sat in a chair, crossing his legs. “They have arranged to meet at the Golden Century two days from now. We will make a move on Rick when he comes out.”

“You contribute some men, we contribute some men, and Sarif will also contribute some men. He will definitely contribute more than us.”

Lance thought for a moment. “It sounds very reasonable. Why do they suddenly want to negotiate again?”

Alberto shrugged. “Isn’t it because Rick’s son died and his bar was taken out?”

“I estimate there’s also Bandy’s reason. Didn’t you notice?”

“Bandy has been very active in mediating the conflict between us these two times. He’s very concerned about this matter.”

“I heard a little rumor, I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

Lance became a little interested. He opened a cigarette box and gestured for Alberto to take one. Francisco also took one on his own initiative.

Although he was only sixteen.

He had been under a lot of pressure lately, pressure from within the family, pressure from outside the family, and also the need to avenge his father. For him to be able to hold on until now without collapsing was actually not an easy thing.

Not every sixteen-year-old who has lived a pampered life can be so stable when suddenly encountering a change of events.

“The Likalai State Social-Democratic Party may have some personnel adjustments. You know, adjustments mean opportunities, and opportunities require money.”

“Besides that, the chaos in Golden Port during this period has caused their casino profits to drop a lot. They need to transfer a large amount of profits upwards. It seems that they are earning less, but in fact, it’s the people above who are getting less.”

“Someone is rushing them.”

“I don’t know if this news is true or not. It’s all just hearsay, but I think it’s possible, because Bandy is indeed very active.”

Lance couldn’t tell the truth from the false for a moment. After all, he didn’t have this level of connections.

Although he knew Tom and Senator Cleveland, he couldn’t possibly call them to verify this kind of thing. It wasn’t appropriate.

Lance nodded. “Do I need to prepare a large truck?”

Hearing this, Alberto couldn’t help but laugh. After laughing for a while, he thought for a moment. “It’s best to prepare one. Who knows how things will develop…”

“I hope this time, we can solve this trouble once and for all.”

Lance nodded in agreement.

While they were preparing their men, Rick was also preparing his. A new batch of gunmen would be arriving tonight. This batch of gunmen would all be used in the attack on Sarif.

His plan was actually similar to Sarif’s plan. After they finished negotiating, they would make a move on Sarif.

Why not before the negotiations? Because he didn’t know where Sarif was coming from. Only after he entered the hotel could he confirm where he was.

As long as he took care of Sarif, the others would be no problem in his eyes.

He was now increasingly looking forward to the arrival of two days from now.

(End of chapter)