Empire of Shadows

A victory for the Federation had brought about a frenzy of praise in public opinion. It seemed that the Federation’s participation in the war had already determined the final direction of this war.

The war bonds on the market were sold out. Three years, 13.5%. As soon as they were released, they would be snatched up.

Bonds like the five-year 24% were almost never seen by ordinary people and would be bought up by some foreign capitalists.

They didn’t even wait for public sales. They had already negotiated the reimbursement agreement with the Federal Department of the Treasury and had swallowed it all directly.

For some international brokers and international agents, this was definitely a feast of wealth.

A large amount of foreign capital flowed into the Federation through various channels, and then these agents, brokers, they would buy a large number of bonds and store them in the vaults of the Federal Bank.

The world situation was very complicated. The marginal victory that the Federation had gained in a battle had made people see the rulers of this country, their desire for participation in the war, and their desire for victory.

The place where the Federation was located was not connected to the Tanfit continent. There was an ocean between the two continents, and this ocean had become a natural barrier.

Even if the Dantra Republic could, in the end, divide up Slad and its allies as they wished, it would be very difficult for them to invade the specific actual interests of the Federation by force.

So for some capitalists who were facing a huge change, to quickly transfer their funds to the Federation was a very stable practice.As for why they were buying national bonds?

The reason was very simple. Many of these funds were not so legal in their origin, and were all smuggled over.

Countries like Slad, these belligerent countries, they had already disallowed the outflow of funds from the hands of capital and had made corresponding restrictions.

If, as soon as a war broke out, they were in a hurry to flee with the money they had earned from the pockets of the people, then they would definitely lose without even having to fight.

The rich and the middle class are the pillar class of a country. If they all run away, can you expect the poor to save the country?

So now the banks on the Tanfit continent have all stopped their international exchange business and have fallen completely silent.

The only way for the capitalists to protect the banknotes in their hands is to find a way to transfer the funds out.

How to transfer?

A clue can be found from the gold that has been continuously rising in price recently. They will exchange the banknotes in their hands for gold, whether from the bank or from the private sector.

For the ordinary people in the private sector, their grasp of the current situation and the future development is completely unclear. The only thing they will do is to exchange the things they don’t need in their hands for money as much as possible, and then turn them into the supplies they will need in their future life.

Food, medical supplies, and some other things.

So a large amount of gold and federal sol banknotes were smuggled from the Tanfit continent to the Federation by smuggling.

These funds were nominally black money, and the federal government was also very clear about this, but the customs side had already received instructions.

For the banknotes packed in containers, stacked in cubes, and wrapped in tarpaulins, and those gold bars that were fixed on wooden frames with cloth bags, they all turned a blind eye and did not deal with them.

The federal government knew very well what this money would become—national bonds!

Only buying national bonds was their most suitable choice. After three years, five years, if the Federation really played a key role in the war and won, not only would they not lose, but they might even make a big profit because of such a high interest rate!

The pressure on the federal government’s military expenditure had been greatly reduced. They no longer cared whether this money was legal or appropriate!

Now, as long as anyone said they had money to come in, regardless of whether there was a problem with this money, as long as they were willing to buy national bonds, the federal government would let them pass!

The victory of a battle had also brought more changes, not just here, but in all aspects!

After returning to Golden Port City, Lance did not have any other time for a short period of time. He began to go all out to make a baby with Patricia, and every day was spent in a constant barrage of cannon fire.

In early May, the Federation had won another victory on the battlefield, which further enhanced the sense of pride of the federal citizens.

And at this very moment, Tom gave Lance a call.

“You’ve been very quiet recently. I haven’t heard anyone say anything about you. This has been a shocking month for me!”

Lance laughed a few times. “Do you prefer to hear that I’ve gotten into some trouble?”

“No, I’m just curious. What has made you so quiet!”

In the past, every once in a while, he could hear news about Lance, whether it was good or bad, he would always appear in Tom’s ears.

After not hearing anyone mention Lance for a month, he even felt a little strange. Was this still the person he knew?

In fact, he hadn’t heard anything, just because he was in New Golden City, and the things that happened here, as long as they left Likalai State, had no influence.

For example, under Lance’s matchmaking, the state police and the Prohibition Committee had cooperated and had arrested a large number of private liquor dealers again.

They had used the interstate highway and trucks to transport some of the prohibited liquors from other states to Likalai State, and were intercepted by a roadblock on the state highway.

They could catch some every day. At the beginning, they could still catch goods with a market value of hundreds of thousands, but later, they caught less and less. In less than half a month, the liquor smuggling on the interstate highway had changed from a truckload to two or three boxes in the trunk of a car.

Don’t be fooled by just these two or three boxes of wine. As long as it’s whiskey, brandy, these high-alcohol liquors, its profit is over three or five thousand. If you pack a little more, it will exceed ten thousand!

To be able to earn three or five thousand, seven or eight thousand, or even one or two thousand by driving a car back and forth for two days, for those smugglers, this was still a huge profit!

And in order to evade the investigation of the state police, they had completely split these liquors into more cars, making the probability of passing through much greater.

However, as the crackdown became stricter and stricter, the cost of smuggling was not constantly rising, but the profit it brought was decreasing.

At the same time, in the major cities, the number of people who were caught for private brewing and fined was also constantly increasing.

These were actually very easy to catch. Lance had given them an idea and had gotten some trained dogs.

When the dogs smelled the smell of alcohol, they would bark and then look for the source of the alcohol. They only needed to walk a dog on the street for a spin, and they could find many small private brewing workshops.

For a human, it might not be so easy to identify the smell of the fermentation of those brewing crops, mainly because the amount was too small.

Like the distillery on the Lawrence Farm, you could smell it from a distance of one or two miles.

But for the dogs, this smell was too obvious.

Many people had been imprisoned because of this, which had also become the most thorough month in Likalai State after the implementation of the Prohibition!

Some cities had directly cut off their supply. The bars couldn’t get much wine, and the selling price of wine in the terminal market was already a bit ridiculously high.

Even the Thorn Gang, the Marcus family’s wine was about to bottom out. Although they were still “discussing,” Lance knew that there was not much time left before their discussion was over.

Just as he had said, either they would bow their heads and follow his rules, or they would pack up and get out.

However, Tom would not understand these news at all. Even if he heard it, there was a high probability that he would not associate it with Lance.

After the two had exchanged a few pleasantries, Tom finally stated the purpose of his call. “Congress and the Presidential Palace are paying great attention to these two victories. They want more people to know about these, and to have a beautifying filter for the war.”

“So the Federal Arts Council (a non-governmental organization) will come up with a ‘Ten Best War Movies of the Year’ task. I hear you have a production company under you. You can shoot a war-themed movie.”

After listening, Lance was not very interested. “Is this a political task for me, or just… a casual mention?”

“Of course it’s not a political task. I just think you should do it. If you want to be whitewashed in another way, you need to appear in front of the public with a more positive and valuable image.”

“This is a good opportunity, and they are promoting the establishment of a film committee. It will be established in the second half of the year. From the end of the year to the beginning of next year, they will select the annual movie of this year.”

“People like these things. You have a production company, and I also hear that you have many movie theaters. You should make use of them and bring them into play!”

Lance listened seriously. He was a good listener, and not a person who refused just for the sake of refusing. “You’re right. So is there anything that must be shown?”

“For example, do I have to make the war very romantic, and also add some sour love stories to the war?”

“The entanglement and opposition of family and national interests?”

Tom, on the receiver, laughed out loud. “Your words are full of your prejudice against war movies, Lance. Tell me, what happened to make you so dissatisfied?”

Lance did not hide it, but just said his opinion in a complaining manner. “Overly beautifying war will make people lose their awe of war, whether it’s the public or us.”

Tom’s laughter stopped. After a few seconds, he finally sighed. “You have a point, but that’s not something we should consider.”

“If you want to win an award, you’d better shoot what people want to see.”

“If you don’t want to win an award, and just want to show your face, then it’s up to you!”

“Anyway, don’t forget this matter. And there’s another thing. The front-line soldiers are very satisfied with your wine. The recent quota may be adjusted slightly.”

“You pay attention to it yourself.”

After hanging up the phone, Lance walked to the balcony and looked at the scenery of the suburbs.

Some of the passing patrol bodyguards looked up and greeted him. Lance was not the kind of person with too much of a sense of distance. He also greeted the bodyguards downstairs. They were all his own people.

He didn’t really want to shoot this movie, but now it had become a political task. It was not very appropriate to refuse.

What to shoot?

He lit a cigarette. Since he had to shoot it, then it must serve him, to get benefits for him.

He took a puff of his cigarette, his eyes squinting slightly. Countless movie clips he had seen flashed through his mind. In the end, there was one that broke through the siege and made him very satisfied.

Half an hour later, the director came to Lance’s manor.

This was his first time here. Seeing such a magnificent manor, he couldn’t help but feel a little restrained.

If it weren’t for the butler forcefully pulling the hat in his hand a few times and putting it on a special hat tray, he might have gone to see Lance with his hat on.

The butler was from the Empire. It was said that he had previously served the nobility. Later, because of the civil war, his “master’s family” had been killed by the rebel army.

He had taken his family and had crossed the East Ocean overnight on a boat and had come to the Federation.

His son had joined the Lance Family, so when Lance needed a “person of his own” to be a butler, he had stood up.

“If you don’t plan to have us strip off your coat, you’d better take it off yourself and put it in my hand,” he said.

The director immediately reacted and, while saying words of apology, took off his coat and handed it to the butler.

The butler casually handed it to a maid, and then took a breath. “Follow me. Master Lance is already waiting for you.”

“Thank you!”

Soon, he met Lance in Lance’s office.

On Lance’s side was a huge window. The scenery of the entire countryside could be seen at a glance.

The moment the door was opened, a gust of wind blew in, which made the director feel refreshed!

It’s so fucking good to be rich!

He bowed slightly and stood by the door.

Lance signaled for him to sit opposite him, and then had the butler get some drinks and pastries.

“Do you know that the federal government is promoting the establishment of the Federal Film Committee?” he asked first.

The director nodded. “I know about this.”

The rapid boom of the film industry had ignited the enthusiasm of capital. With thirty or fifty thousand, ten or twenty thousand, you could push for a box office revenue of hundreds of thousands or millions.

Especially the profit-sharing system that Lance had created. Under the strong escort of armed force, now the Wanli Production Company had already begun to carry out a more detailed reorganization.

A production company, a cinema company, a distribution company, and also a brokerage company specially established for actors, directors, screenwriters, and the like.

Some capable people could handle the distribution themselves, but for the smaller production companies, they did not have the guts to hold a gun to the heads of those cinema owners and have them spit out the money that did not belong to them.

So they would still choose the Wanli Distribution Company to help them with the distribution. Lance had already begun to consider registering a legitimate “Wanli Group.”

The film industry was developing at a speed that surpassed people’s imagination, which would naturally bring a series of changes. The establishment of an industry union was obvious.

As a big shot in the industry, the director certainly knew about this.

Lance nodded slightly. “I will get the company a committee member or an executive committee member’s seat. At that time, you or you can choose a representative to participate in the preparatory work.”

“In addition, I have an idea recently. I plan to shoot a war movie.”

As he was speaking, the butler brought in coffee and pastries from outside. Coffee without milk, of course, on the tray was a small pot of whole hot milk, and also some stacked sugar cubes.

As for those pastries, Lance did not like them. They were too sweet.

“Thank you!” The director stood up slightly, took his coffee and tray with his hand, and then placed them in front of him.

He took three sugar cubes, and was about to take more when he felt his face get a little hot. He looked at the place where he felt a little strange. The butler was staring at him.

He put down the sugar tongs in embarrassment, and then poured some more milk.

The butler shook his head slightly and then left the room.

He felt that it was a waste for this guy to drink the coffee from the hundred-dollar coffee beans. He was suitable for drinking sweet milk, and didn’t know what taste was at all!

After the butler had left, the director felt much more comfortable. He asked tentatively, “I hear that everyone seems to be preparing for the shooting plan of a war movie recently. Is there some kind of mission?”

He was very sensitive, which was good.

Lance nodded. “Yes, there is a political mission, but I don’t like their traditional war movies, where soldiers are in a relationship on the front lines and the like.”

“I need a more cruel war, a more real war. Can you understand what I mean?”

The director, while drinking the coffee that had no bitterness or sourness at all, picked up a small pastry and stuffed it into his mouth. “I understand. Then will you prepare the script, or will I?”

“I have an idea. You take a note.”

The director immediately swallowed the pastry in his mouth and then took the pen and paper from Lance.

“This story… will be based on Golden Port City!”

“Golden Port?” The director looked up at Lance, a look of surprise on his face. “There was no war here!”

Lance glanced at him sideways. He smiled sheepishly and said nothing.

“The background of the story is this war. We have gained a great advantage on the main battlefield. The Dantra Republic, in order to save the fate of the country’s collapse, has planned a combat plan called ‘Stab for Gold’.”

“They have mobilized the entire East Ocean fleet, and without our knowledge, have launched a surprise attack on the Golden Port Docks…”

When the director’s pen had recorded this, although he did not know the subsequent development, he already had a feeling of his scalp tingling. And with his “my God” exclamation, he became more focused!

“Golden Port City was completely destroyed, and the naval base suffered heavy losses. We need to use a large space to show the helplessness and powerlessness of ordinary people in the face of war.”

“I want more blood, more corpses, more ordinary people who have died under the artillery fire, and a city that has been completely destroyed by the artillery fire!”

After the director had finished recording, he raised his hand. “I’ll interrupt for a moment. The production cost for this may be very high.”

Lance pursed his lips. “Money is not a problem.”

“They want us to win an award, then we will give them a huge shock!”

In fact, this movie would not only not provoke them, but on the contrary, it would make the gentlemen feel excited, and even cheer loudly, so much so that they would, against all odds, make this movie the movie of the year!

No matter what, at this moment, in essence, it was all for the service of the war, for the service of the federal government, for the service of the interests of the gentlemen.

Lance had considered one thing before. As his business grew larger and larger, relying solely on the Lawrence Farm to brew wine, let alone satisfying the national supply, it would be great to be able to satisfy the supply of Likalai State. There was no question of expanding outwards.

So he needed the Yalan region, needed that super factory that was suitable for brewing.

Cheap labor, a tropical climate, and an environment suitable for planting. It would become a super machine for Lance to make money!

But there was one prerequisite: he had to take this place!

(End of a Chapter)