Empire of Shadows

Lance hadn’t actually been away from New Golden City for too long, only about two weeks (including travel time), before he returned.

This time, as soon as Lance got off the train, he saw a smiling Tom on the platform.

Lance walked over and shook his hand. “I never expected this!”

Tom shook his hand, and at the same time, patted his arm with his other hand. “You deserve it. You are now worthy of people’s attention!”

As he spoke, he led Lance outside. “There’s a small party tonight, and then tomorrow morning you’ll have to negotiate the distribution of shares. In the afternoon, the Department of Defense will hold a bidding, and a decision will be made before the end of the workday.”

He lowered his voice slightly. “You can fight for a little more. You were the one who proposed this plan, and it has been proven that it can indeed help the soldiers on the front lines.”

“As long as it doesn’t exceed 10%, the senator can protect your interests.”

Lance could understand this sentence. To put it in plain terms, as long as he wasn’t too greedy, Senator Cleveland could ensure that no one could take away his share!

What people fear most is uncontrollable desire.

Greed is also one of those desires.Although Lance had indeed made an outstanding contribution, Senator Cleveland would not pay for his endless greed just because he had made a contribution.

Lance nodded. “I see.”

The two of them quickly got into the car, which was Lance’s car. His car had been transported over, just like every time before.

Before, Tom had felt that he was a bit… too precious with his own life, but after the last shooting incident, he no longer felt that what Lance was doing was superfluous.

Sitting in the modified car, feeling the heavy feeling that came with the closing of the car door, Tom quickly came back to his senses. “The soldiers on the front lines have had a good reaction after drinking your wine. Before, the Department of Defense was very worried that a bad situation would occur.”

“When people’s emotions are tense and extreme, a small spark will…” he made an explosion gesture with his hand, “…explode with a bang!”

“Now it has been proven that your theory is correct. You have solved all their problems, so…”

Tom couldn’t help but exclaim, “Congratulations, Lance, you’ve achieved a great success!”

Lance reached into his coat, took out an envelope, and handed it to Tom. Tom knew what was inside. The smile on his face grew even wider. “You really didn’t have to do this!”

It was no longer Lance who wanted to push this matter, and what help he could provide for Lance.

Now it was Congress, the military, the Department of Defense, and even the Presidential Palace that were all trying their best to push this matter.

There was no need for Lance or Tom to do anything. Those people would be more anxious than them!

Because the sooner it was fully implemented, it meant that they could obtain huge benefits a day earlier!

Before, the Department of Defense had already planned to increase the number of troops to 700,000, but just three days ago, they had already re-planned this plan to over a million.

A million soldiers meant that the monthly military procurement would be at least 200 million. According to Lance’s proposal of fifty-fifty, then these several forces could share a profit of 100 million from it.

Senator Cleveland’s side could get a share of five million a month.

At this time, it seemed that not cursing a few times could not express the excitement in their hearts!

That’s five million a month!

In an era where the per capita wage was only 47 or 48 dollars, five million meant the income that a person could only obtain after ten thousand years without eating or drinking, was so easily put into the pockets of some people.

Sometimes human society is really unfair and unreasonable.

But as it happens, this unreasonable society can still operate normally.

Under the promotion of such huge interests, even if Lance were to completely lie flat now, things would still develop according to the plan.

He didn’t need Tom’s help, but he had given him a sum of money. Tom felt a little… embarrassed.

Lance raised his hand and pressed it on his arm. “Do you remember what I said to you last time?”

Before Tom could say anything, he added some emphasis to his tone. “We are friends!”

“Tom, I’m going to make a fortune, an income of two or three million a month. So if I give you some, do you still think it’s too much?”

After hearing this, Tom smiled. “It doesn’t sound like much… alright, I accept your kindness!”

He didn’t look, but put the envelope in his coat. He believed that Lance would not give him a small amount, at least not less than the number he had given last time, five thousand.

On the way to the manor, he told Lance who the people he was going to see tomorrow were, and some of their backgrounds.

It is worth mentioning that a representative from “Gold Label Distillery” would also participate in this bidding and would get a quota from it.

They were a little at odds with Lance, but not many people knew about this.

The vehicle did not pass through the bustling and lively downtown area, but directly took the road outside the city. Forty minutes later, the convoy arrived at Senator Cleveland’s manor.

As soon as the car stopped, someone opened the car door for him. Then, a man who looked a little older walked to the side of the car, his face full of smiles. “Mr. Lance, welcome. The senator is waiting for you in the reception room!”

Tom quickly introduced, “This is Mr…., the chief consultant of the advisory group.”

Or, in other words, the chief of staff of the aide group. Of course, to say so was a little misleading.

Lance shook hands with him. Because he had not been in contact with him before, he exchanged a few meaningless pleasantries, and then followed this chief consultant to the reception room.

When he arrived, someone had already informed Senator Cleveland, so when the door of the reception room was pushed open, Senator Cleveland was already waiting for him with some people, holding wine glasses.

This was a very grand “waiting ceremony,” but just as Tom had said, when he showed enough value, and could also bring huge benefits to the senator, the senator would give him corresponding respect.

The people of the Federation are like this. The higher you go, the more realistic they are.

Perhaps the second before, these people could still talk and laugh with you, but the next second, when they realize that you are “finished,” they will immediately drop the wine glasses in their hands and turn and leave without any mercy.

The next time they need you, or you have value again, what happened this time will be as if it had never happened to them, and they will not be embarrassed.

Seeing Lance enter the reception room, Tom took the opportunity of going to the bathroom to open the envelope Lance had given him and took out the check inside.

Seeing a one followed by five zeros, he couldn’t help but whistle.

A hundred thousand, that was already a lot!

He put the check away properly, and a smile also appeared on his face. He now believed more than ever that Lance really wanted to be friends with him.

In the reception room, the senator was also introducing some “friends” to Lance.

“You need a legitimate enterprise, and also a legitimate factory, because this is a very formal contract.”

“Although the Department of Defense will sign contracts with private individuals, you have to find a way to shut some people’s mouths.”

“You know, you are not without competitors!”

Lance nodded. “Yes, I will solve this matter tonight.”

The senator was stunned for a moment, and then he used his free hand, the five fingertips of which were gathered together, to peck at the corner of his forehead like a chicken’s head. “I forgot. Williams has a good relationship with you.”

Mayor Williams only needed one phone call to solve the problem of company registration, and he could even make this company a company with a long history.

For the society of the Federation, to confirm how many years a company has been in business, you just need to look at its registration date.

“After tomorrow’s bidding is over, the congressional side will issue you a franchise license, and you can then produce liquor in your factory openly.”

Hearing these words, the breathing of the gentlemen around the senator became a little rapid.

With the implementation of Prohibition, the domestic production of alcoholic beverages was now not allowed in the Federation. This also actually meant that the cost of production had increased, and there was no large-scale production.

To be able to produce on a large scale at this time represented huge benefits.

The current reason for the rampant smuggling of liquor was still that the cost of local brewing was too high. But if they could use the excellent industrial level of the Federation to carry out large-scale brewing, then the cost of the liquor coming out of Lance’s factory would very likely be much lower than that of smuggled liquor.

The purpose of them appearing here, holding wine glasses, and constantly offering smiles and laughter was actually to hope to be able to obtain cheap liquor from Lance’s hands in the future.

Lance seemed to have also understood why there was such a “welcome ceremony.” Seeing that Lance seemed to have understood, the senator raised the wine glass in his hand and clinked it with Lance’s. “I have an important phone call. You can chat with them.”

“Please do!”

After Lance had finished his wine, he watched the senator leave. The people around him became more proactive.

“Mr. Lance…”

He turned his head and looked at these people, a meaningful smile on his face.

He spent the night here. There were detached guest rooms in the manor, all with brand-new home furnishings, with no signs of anyone having used them before.

The people who could spend the night in the senator’s manor were either rich or noble, so no matter who had spent the night in this house, after he left, all the home furnishings in it would be destroyed.

A quiet and peaceful night.

The next morning, he had an appointment with Major General Bruney and came to the Department of Defense.

Having not seen each other for two or three months, Major General Bruney’s gaze at Lance was also a little strange, as if he were looking at an impossible miracle!

His eyes were filled with disbelief, amazement, envy, all kinds of emotions.

This was the fastest person he had ever seen, ever heard of, to open up his own situation in the upper class, bar none!

After this matter, more than half of Congress, the entire Department of Defense and the military, and even Mr. President, had all heard his name!

This was not real at all!

(End of a Chapter)