Empire of Shadows

The speed of things developing was too fast. Many things might have to be redeployed.

After Mr. Hoff left, Richie gave Joshua a call and briefly explained the situation here.

When he heard that Mr. Hoff had already run away and that the situation was not very optimistic, he couldn’t help but frown.

At this very moment, he had an indescribable “telepathy.” He felt that they would not get the result they wanted this time!

This kind of telepathy didn’t appear often, but when it did, it was very accurate most of the time.

As a “saint,” he shouldn’t be superstitious about this, but after coming into contact with so many mysterious things, he was also a little superstitious.

Superstition is superstition, but what needs to be done still needs to be done. What if this is really just superstition?

“You guys wait a moment. I’ll make a phone call to Mr. Charles and chat about the current situation.”

He hung up the phone and directly called Mr. Charles. Fortunately, the other party was also by the phone. The two quickly got on the line. After a simple understanding of the matter, Joshua gave Mr. Charles Richie’s number.

Then Mr. Charles called Richie.“What was your plan with Hoff?”

“I mean, how are you planning to get rid of Lance?”

Richie did not hide anything and honestly told him.

“Lance has a sister. Although there is a high probability that this sister has no blood relationship with him, I hear that he still cares a lot about this sister.”

“Mr. Hoff and I’s idea is to use this sister to lure Lance to the school.”

“The school will not allow Lance to bring so many gangsters in with him. At that time, there will be at most two or three people by his side.”

“At this time, it is the best time for us to make a move. We will ambush in the school first. As long as he comes and enters the school, he is a dead man!”

Originally, Mr. Charles also had his own ideas. He felt that he could use the commotion created by that refugee Hope to lure Lance over.

But now that he thought about it, the countermeasure that Richie and Hoff had discussed actually had a very high feasibility. He thought for a moment and then gave his support. “This is an excellent plan, and I also think it has a very high execution rate.”

“But!” a natural turning point, he added some emphasis to his tone, “we can’t think of him so simply. That’s Lance!”

“Although I don’t really want to admit this, I have to admit that as an ‘opponent,’ Lance is undoubtedly qualified!”

“If you don’t have a chance to make a move, don’t force it. We will have other opportunities, and we still have an important card in our hands that we haven’t played.”

He was talking about Arthur.

Getting rid of Lance might not necessarily be able to get rid of Mayor Williams. If they got rid of Mayor Williams, they could turn back and deal with Lance. Since they had already fallen out, the priority of attacking Lance was lower than the priority of directly facing Mayor Williams.

This was like… two friends had a dispute. At first, they were just cursing at each other, and then they started to fight lightly.

You hit my arm, I kick your leg. Everything was still under control.

At this time, if you could make the other party lose their ability to attack, that is, to hold Lance down, then it would obviously be more advantageous.

But the two sides had been completely angered by each other and had already started to fight to the death without any scruples. Attacking the other party’s vital points, such as the head, was obviously more valuable than continuing to attack the other party’s shoulder or arm.

Richie agreed and immediately went to do it.

No matter how the situation outside changed, it did not affect anything in the school.

Loraine White was a boarding student. This was a private school, one of the best private schools in Golden Port City.

Loraine was not actually too young, but she had not been to school much. She had been imprisoned at home just after graduating from elementary school.

No one knew what had happened in that terrible place, but there was no doubt that she must have been covered in bruises.

She had been sent back to school by Lance, into a middle school. This was already the second year, and after the winter, she would be in the ninth grade.

After the summer vacation next year, she would be a high school student.

She was older than the other students in her class, but her body was not more mature or larger than her age. On the contrary, she was a little thin and weak.

Long-term abuse and the fear in her heart had slowed down her development a little.

However, the students did not bully her because of this, because this was a private campus. All the students’ codes of conduct in the school came from the guidance and requirements of their parents behind them.

The children in a private campus would mature a little earlier than the children in a public school, in terms of mentality. They had known since they were young that this world was not fair, and that they and their families were not the center of the world.

Their parents would not let them suck up to Loraine, but they would ask them not to tease or hurt Loraine.

Except for a few people, not many people could withstand the retaliation of the Lance Family.

Loraine was very safe and quiet in the school, just a little lonely, with not many friends.

The teachers in the school seemed to be a little repulsed by her, because of the identity of her nominal brother.

However, this was already a life in heaven. There was no abuse, no fear. She could study every day, had good food and beautiful clothes. There was nothing happier than this.

In the morning, she went to the bathroom. After she came back, she was preparing for the next class. And at this very moment, a female classmate suddenly shouted, “My jewelry is gone.”

If this kind of thing happened in a public school, the “jewelry” might just be a small thing that costs a few cents.

But in a private campus, it might really be a high-priced piece of jewelry.

Soon the teachers came to the classroom, and also some security guards.

After the teachers had asked a few simple questions, a middle-aged woman who should be something like a vice principal stood on the podium. “This is the first time such a thing has happened since our school was founded!”

“I hope that this classmate’s jewelry has just fallen in a place she didn’t notice, for example, on the playground, or in a corner of a certain corridor, but it shouldn’t appear in someone’s pocket or schoolbag.”

“I don’t want it to become something that makes us, and you, feel ashamed, but we have to consider it.”

“We need to be responsible for every student, and also for society and morality, so I implore all students to agree to let us check everyone’s schoolbags and pockets.”

Soon someone said, “I agree.” Everyone was saying so. Loraine had not taken anything from anyone. She also raised her hand. “I agree!”

It was just that she did not notice that the girl who had lost her things saw her raise her hand and also joined in, breathing a sigh of relief.

Although she didn’t know why her father wanted her to do this, she had understood a truth since she was a child.

Everything she had depended on her father.

The better her father did, the more decent the family would be. She could wear beautiful clothes, wear those expensive accessories, and do whatever she wanted.

If her father encountered trouble, then the family’s conditions would also continue to decline. She would become like those ordinary girls she looked down on, falling into the dust.

As long as her father was still there, everything would be safe!

So her father had said so, so she had done so!

The vice principal saw that no one objected and immediately signaled for the teachers and guards to start checking the students’ schoolbags, desks, and pockets.

As more and more people were checked, everyone gradually breathed a sigh of relief. Some even thought that it must have been that the girl had accidentally lost it herself.

Until—

“Ms. Loraine, what is this?”

A female teacher stood in front of Loraine and took out an exquisite piece of gemstone jewelry from her schoolbag.

The girl in the distance screamed and said loudly, “That’s mine, it’s mine!”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Loraine’s face, with shock, surprise, doubt, dissatisfaction, disgust, hatred…

In that instant, she felt as if she had been targeted by the whole world!

“I… don’t know why it’s here!” she explained, but it was clear that no one believed her.

The vice principal’s condescending gaze was filled with a look of contempt. A gangster boss’s sister, a lowly slut. Isn’t stealing something, this crime, just right for her?

The vice principal did not listen to her explanation. “Take your schoolbag and come to my office. We need to talk about this seriously.”

Loraine emphasized again and again that she had not taken it, but it was clear that no one cared.

The low whispers in her ear made her almost unable to breathe. She could already begin to hear the blatant “thief” calls. Their gazes stung her. She picked up her schoolbag and quickly chased after them.

A few minutes later, in the office, in front of her, the vice principal dialed the number Lance had left.

“…That’s roughly the situation. I think you should come over.”

Lance scratched his head. He had almost forgotten about this “sister.” Mainly because the two of them had hardly had much contact.

After a brief thought, he agreed. “I’ll go over when I have time.”

“You’d better come over now, Mr. Lance,” the vice principal emphasized again.

Lance considered for a moment. “Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

He put down the phone and shook his head. Elvin stood up, but Lance looked at Hiram. “Take your men and weapons. We’re going out.”

“Are we going to kill someone?” Hiram, who had not been on the front line for a long time, was itching for a fight.

Killing your own kind is addictive. The feeling of controlling someone else’s destiny, watching them beg for mercy at the end of your gun, watching them abandon all their dignity and prostrate themselves on the ground just to live.

That feeling, that feeling of controlling everything, is a bit addictive!

Hiram was not that perverted, but he liked the feeling of the moment he opened fire. At that moment, he was a god!

Lance shook his head. “I’m not sure, but it’s always good to be careful.”

“Loraine… that nominal sister of mine is in trouble at school. Nothing happened before, but suddenly something happened now. We have to be careful.”

“If this is a trap, then we will break it!”

“If not, it doesn’t affect us either.”

Soon, a convoy of five cars left from the back of the company. Each car had at least five people. The team of more than twenty were all skilled fighters. They were confident that they could face any challenge and defeat their opponents.

The private school Loraine attended was in the Creek Valley District. The scenery and environment over there were not bad, and the development time was relatively late, so the land was cheaper at that time.

Some of the private schools were over there.

When the convoy arrived at the school, they were not able to enter the parking lot immediately because a security guard had stopped them.

“Sorry, sir, you are not allowed to go in with so many people.”

“It’s a school rule. No matter who you are, at most three people are allowed in!”

The security guard looked at them very seriously and read out the school’s management regulations.

Lance sat in the car, looking at him through the half-open car window. “Do you know who I am?”

The security guard shook his head. “I don’t know who you are, sir, but a rule is a rule!”

“Even if you are His Excellency the President, you must abide by the school’s rules!”

Not servile, not overbearing. It seemed that he had experienced many such things, and in the end, it was always the parents who compromised.

After all, the reason why people are willing to let their children come to school here is not really because of its teaching quality. There are also many factors that have nothing to do with learning that are influencing people.

Based on the influence of these people themselves, it has made the management of the school also become tougher.

If it were an ordinary person, they might have really given in. For example, a relatively minor character. He would definitely not dare to be tough, because there were children of big shots inside.

As long as the school board and those big shots tilted their mouths, they would get into big trouble.

But for Lance, he was the biggest here—

Except for James and Arthur, who had no children, so the only family in this city with a higher status than him could not have any influence on him.

Lance said with a smile, “You can give your principal or someone a call and tell him that he has two choices now.”

“Either let my convoy in, and I will listen to what they plan to say to me.”

“Or I will leave with my men now, but the consequences will be on them.”

Seeing that the security guard seemed to want to emphasize his position again, Lance did not give him a chance. “You’re just a minor character. Don’t get yourself hurt for something that has nothing to do with you!”

The security guard hesitated for a moment and looked at Lance. In the end, he still chose to make a phone call.

He was in the security booth, talking on the phone while describing the situation of the convoy, as well as Lance’s appearance. Soon he came over with an embarrassed look on his face. “Sir, you can go in.”

The main gate of the school was slowly pushed open. Lance glanced at him sideways and then rolled up the car window.

At this time, in the administrative building in the distance, a few people frowned. “They didn’t stop Lance’s men. Are we still going to make a move later?”

David was shaking his leg with some annoyance. Five cars, at least twenty or so people. They only had seven people here. To deal with so many people, he was a little lacking in confidence!

More importantly, if they couldn’t take down Lance with one shot, the Lance Family’s reinforcements would soon arrive here.

Although he had said when he joined the Holy Bell Party that he would dedicate the rest of his life to God, this did not mean that he wanted to serve God now!

Watching the convoy get closer and closer, David also became more and more nervous. In the end, he let out a heavy sigh. “Forget it.”

The others also breathed a sigh of relief. If they really made a move, it would be no different from going to their deaths.

Although they didn’t have to go to their deaths, everyone’s face was a little embarrassed. They seemed not to be as fearless of sacrifice as they had imagined.

David was also very embarrassed. As a captain, he explained, “With so many of them, we may not succeed, and it will also make Lance alert. It will be even harder to get him next time.”

It was as if he had given up the assassination not because he was a coward, but because he was considering whether the organization’s plan could succeed.

His subordinates also echoed one after another.

This operation and its process would become a secret that they would be unwilling to mention for the rest of their lives.

Lance arrived at the vice principal’s office without any hindrance. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Loraine standing by the wall.

When Loraine saw him, her eyes lit up, and then they became a little ashamed.

The vice principal stood up and took the initiative to walk around the desk to shake hands with Lance, but Lance did not shake her hand. Instead, he directly sat down on the sofa next to her.

He crossed his legs and looked at the vice principal. “I’m here. What do you have to say to me?”

A trace of anger flashed in the vice principal’s eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t know Lance, but that she had been in contact with too many rich and powerful families.

Even the big rich people in the Bay Area, or some political families, were polite to her when they saw her.

In the past, two of the Wade family’s children had also attended classes here. The second son of Councilman Wade was very polite and courteous every time he came here.

She was a little confused. The politeness and courtesy people showed her was actually not derived from her own strength.

She had mistaken these.

Now, her face also had no smile. She returned to her chair and sat down. “Loraine stole a classmate’s things in class. This is the first time since our school was founded. The nature is very vile!”

“I hope you can choose another school for Loraine. Such a student… I’m sorry, we can’t let her continue to study here!”

She said it decisively. Hearing her say so, Loraine bit her lip with a straight face, and her eyes turned red.

Lance turned to look at Loraine and beckoned to her. The girl walked to Lance’s side, about half a meter away.

“Did you steal your classmate’s things?” he asked.

Loraine’s tears could no longer be held back and streamed down her face. She lowered her head and didn’t speak, looking extremely wronged!

Lance reached out and wiped the tears from her face, and then asked gently again, “Tell me the truth. If you took her things, then this is your fault. We have to bear the consequences and the price for the mistakes you made.”

“But if you didn’t take them, and they wrongly accused you…” Lance held her face and made her look at him directly, “then it’s their turn to pay the price!”

(End of a Chapter)