Empire of Shadows

In fact, when a person can express their thoughts without stumbling, it means that this idea was not something they came up with on the spot, but that it has been thought through.

Leonardo leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head and looked at his son-in-law’s speech, then nodded. “You’re right, my boy.”

“This money shouldn’t be paid by us in the first place. This is the government’s business.”

“But!” a timely turn of phrase from him made the thoughts of the people, which had not yet drifted too far, return to him.

“The government doesn’t have that much money in its hands right now. They’ve just lost a large sum.”

He was referring to the men who had been sent over before and their equipment.

Don’t expect the Slad people to return this equipment to them.

These weapons can’t talk. They can’t tell others who they belong to. Naturally, they are all taken by the Slad people.

So now the Summuri government doesn’t have much money in its pocket. They may not be able to come up with the full amount.

Leonardo had emphasized this point, just to prepare for what was to come.In fact, he had known these things for a long time, including the communication between the ambassador and the prime minister. As a pro-war faction, the prime minister had called him at the first opportunity. He had known this news before anyone else.

“We can pay, after all, we are also a member of Summuri. I have an idea.”

“The military expenditure for these 20,000 troops, we’ll pay for it, but on one condition, and that is that the military officers will be appointed by us.”

His words made the people in the room suddenly react. What Leonardo wanted was military power.

He could conscript for the government, he could pay for the government, but he also wanted to control the power that only the government had, the power to control the army.

Before, they had also sent a few family members to join the army, but it was only to participate in the war as military officers, not to command the war.

Including Christopher, who had suddenly straightened his back. He was also a son-in-law of the Bianchi family. The battlefield on the front line was indeed very dangerous, but the ones who were in danger were all the small soldiers, not the commanders.

If all the military officers were born from the family, then could he also become a military officer?

This was a good opportunity!

Ever since Leonardo had failed in his bid for prime minister, he had adjusted his line of thought. First, he would control the army, and then he would cultivate a government successor that the public could accept, and push him to the front.

He would, through his own methods, gradually, slowly, control Summuri Island, and then become the supreme ruler here.

Leonardo continued, “For the identity of the commander, I have invited a trustworthy friend. He is a good friend of our family, and my relationship with him is also very good. At the same time, he has graduated from the Summuri Army Academy.”

“None of you have ever commanded a war, so I can’t give you this heavy responsibility. But you can be the military officers who obey orders. So you bastards had better not let me down, and don’t let me have spent so much money in vain, and even have to send you away first.”

He picked up a handkerchief and wiped the corner of his mouth. This would happen when he had talked a bit too much.

He then called out the names of several people. They were all assigned to important positions. This time, Leonardo planned to gather the strength of two divisions.

So two division commanders would be born here.

A group of gang members had suddenly become high-ranking military officers. For these people, the experience was still very novel!

Once this war was over, and victory was won, they could, with the merits they had gained on the battlefield, firmly control these troops, and continuously deepen the influence of the Bianchi family in the military.

At that time, as long as you control the entire army, you want to be the prime minister?

Isn’t that just a casual matter!

Christopher obviously also understood this. He straightened his body, raised his head, and wished he could stand at the very front of the crowd.

He was also a son-in-law of the Bianchi family. He should also be qualified to be a military officer!

Leonardo was obviously not a fool who was greedy for power. He knew very well that he could manipulate the choice of high-ranking military officers, because these high-ranking military officers would not have a direct impact on the war, in the case where there was still a commander.

He had not arranged for any family members to serve as company commanders and lower-level military officers. If these military officers were once occupied by his foolish kinsmen, then these twenty thousand or so people would be wasted again.

By the time the assignments were almost done, Francisco was already a little desperate, and at the same time, a little resentful in his heart.

He had also contributed a lot to the Bianchi family. As a result, in the end, there was not a single bit of benefit for him.

They were not even as good to him as Paul!

Just as he was looking cold and particularly dissatisfied in his heart, Leonardo called his name. “Is Christopher here?”

“Yes, I’m here,” he walked to the front of the crowd with a look of pleasant surprise on his face. The look in the eyes of the people as they looked at him was very complicated, and also disagreeable.

Some faces were envious, jealous, some were indifferent, and some had a half-smile that made him frown.

Leonardo looked at Christopher, who had walked up to him, a gentle smile on his face. “Dover, you are a good boy, and you have always been like this.”

“Her death was her own doing. I have never blamed you. you know that.”

“Even when attending some important gatherings, as long as there is a need, I will always take you with me!”

The “her” that Leonardo was talking about referred to Dover’s promiscuous wife. He said that he had not killed his own wife, but someone had told Leonardo that it was Christopher who had done it.

However, he no longer cared. After all, a dead girl was no match for a living son-in-law, and this son-in-law was still a little useful.

Christopher lowered his head and thanked Leonardo. “Your wisdom is as vast as the sea, and your kindness is as warm as the sun!”

Leonardo couldn’t help but laugh twice. “You don’t have to say these flattering words to me. I have a task for you to do. Can you complete it?”

At this time, the excited Christopher pressed his hand to his chest and bent down. “I swear on my surname!”

Leonardo showed a meaningful smile with great satisfaction. “You need to continuously provide funds for the family’s war.”

Christopher had originally been thinking whether he could become a brigade commander or something. At the very least, he should be a regimental commander, but even a battalion commander would be fine.

But what he had not expected was that he would not be any kind of commander, and he would even have to fucking make money for the family?

He widened his eyes and looked up at Leonardo, who was sitting in front of him, a look of disbelief on his face.

Leonardo, as if he couldn’t understand his expression, asked with a half-smile, “Have you changed your mind?”

Although he was smiling, Christopher saw something in his eyes that made his scalp tingle slightly.

He knew that if he answered, “I’ve changed my mind,” he would definitely regret it, and would regret it for the rest of his life.

And at this very moment, he had already sworn to serve the family. He could only bite the bullet and agree. “No, I’m just shocked that you have given me such an important job.”

Hearing him say so, the smile on Leonardo’s face became more cordial and amiable.

“It’s really good that you can understand my painstaking efforts. Just as I have always said, you are a good boy!”

“That’s why I have given you such an arduous task.”

“Our smuggling business in the Federation has already started, but the income is not very good. You are very familiar with the situation in the Federation. You need to help us earn more money.”

“We need this money, and the war also needs it, understand?”

At this point, what else could Christopher say?

“I see, but…”

Before he could finish his words, Leonardo raised his hand to stop him. “We’ll talk about the other things later. I still have some things to arrange.”

Then he assigned some more work. Almost all the important roles in the family had their own things to do.

It was just that compared to their things, which could be said to be proper business, Christopher felt that he had not integrated into this family at all.

He had already regained his composure, and it was impossible to see what emotions were hidden under his expression, but it was definitely not a good one.

After everyone else had left, Leonardo brought him back to his study.

“You must think that I didn’t arrange a promising officer’s job for you, that I don’t value you,” Leonardo, as soon as he opened his mouth, had pierced Christopher’s little thoughts.

Christopher lowered his head. “No, I have never thought so.”

Leonardo laughed heartily. “Lying is useless to me, Dover.”

“I have seen many people in this life, both honest and full of lies. I have seen many. I can see through whether you are lying or not at a glance.”

“The reason I didn’t let you go to the front line was for your safety. Maybe a single battle could make you lose your life.”

“That place is not Summuri, not any place you know, where you are familiar, where you can protect yourself.”

“On the battlefield, even I, as long as God starts to miss me, I will leave!”

Some expression finally appeared on Christopher’s stiff face. He explained again, “I didn’t think so.”

Although the words were the same, compared to before, they were much more moderate.

Leonardo continued to say with a smile, “Raising funds is equally important for our cause, and the risk is relatively less.”

“The wine we have smuggled into the Federation is selling quite well, but it’s not enough!”

“We need more money. You have to sell the wine to the Federation. You are very familiar with the Federation. I hope you can help us open up these voices, and then stabilize them.”

Christopher’s expression changed again. He stared into Leonardo’s eyes. “You want me to go to the Federation?”

“Damn, everything you said was a lie!”

“I’m not going back!”

Leonardo looked at Christopher calmly. The biggest difference between him and Paul was that from the very beginning, he had had the idea of using Christopher, and he also knew the things he had done, so he had been on his guard against him, but he would not let him feel that obvious guard.

Christopher was like a puppet, controlled in his hands.

How could he possibly give a better development opportunity to a person who had assassinated his own adoptive father?

Everything was just about using him!

He waited for Christopher to finish his tantrum before he walked to his side with a smile, took his arm, and sat down on the sofa. “Listen to me, Dover.”

“I didn’t ask you to do business in Golden Port City or Likalai State. You can do business in other states.”

“I have already asked someone to inquire. After Alberto was finished, the Pasoretto family is not like it used to be. The threat it poses to you is almost zero!”

“The only threat to you is Lance and the Lance Family, but if we don’t get close to them, they also have no way to deal with you.”

“This is a good opportunity, Dover.”

“No matter for whom, this is a good opportunity!”

“You can, by handling the important business for the family, establish your own personal prestige within the family.”

“You feel that there is some distance between you and them. That’s because you have never proven yourself!”

“Now you can prove yourself. As long as you can do our business well, I believe that everyone will be able to see your efforts, and will also be willing to accept you!”

He added some emphasis to his tone. “No one can, without proving themselves, get others to recognize them!”

“You, me, everyone else, are all like this!”

He patted Christopher’s shoulder. “Do your job well and get the recognition of others.”

He took a deep breath, and his tone became a little more relaxed. “I will arrange some good hands for you, so you don’t have to worry about your safety at all.”

“Even if Lance is very powerful, it is impossible for him to appear in front of you alone, clamoring to kill you. That would be him looking for death!”

“And if you feel that it’s dangerous, you can come back anytime, anywhere. It’s very convenient to take a boat now.”

“You don’t necessarily have to go to the Federation. As long as you can get the business done, everything else is not a problem.”

In short, no matter what, Christopher had to find a way to get this path through.

The huge profit from smuggling liquor was enough to give the Bianchi family a head start in this huge, and yet unnoticed by people, transformation!

This time, Christopher did not refuse. He also knew that he could not.

Leonardo was a man of action. The next day, he went to the prime minister to talk about this matter.

The prime minister had fucking stepped down. If it weren’t for the fact that Leonardo was opposed to taking office, and if it weren’t for the fact that the other prime minister candidate and the biggest public opponent had been assassinated, it would not have been his turn, this former prime minister, to return to this position.

The reason why he could sit on the throne of power for a little longer was purely thanks to Leonardo, so basically, for the things that Leonardo said, he would not refuse.

Including this time, a larger-scale insertion of the Bianchi family’s people into the army.

For the prime minister, as soon as the war was over, he would step down. No matter how bad this country became, he didn’t care!

Because his family had already immigrated to the Federation, and he was just waiting for him to step down to go and reunite with his family in the Federation.

The matter proceeded very smoothly. Leonardo got everything he wanted, and Christopher, under a new name, once again embarked on the journey back to the Federation.

This time, Leonardo had had him go back to the Federation to raise funds, on the one hand for the war, and on the other hand, to have sufficient funds after the war to quickly corrupt and buy over more of the military’s top brass.

To prepare for the Bianchi family’s rule of Summuri Island.

So he needed money, a lot of money, so much so that Christopher’s safety had to be placed after this matter.

As long as he established the sales channel, as for whether he lived or died, Leonardo didn’t care!

After half a month of preparation, a large amount of wine was loaded onto a ship.

Summuri Island, as a member of the war, a part of the military alliance, their cargo ship, in the “safe sea area,” had reached the west coast of the Federation without any problems.

To return to the Federation again, for Christopher, had a strange taste that he couldn’t describe.

There was nostalgia, unease, an impulse to get away, and also regret.

However, regret was always very short-lived. If it weren’t for the fact that Paul wanted to kill him, he wouldn’t have thought of counter-killing Paul. This was not his fault.

To survive is human nature. He just wanted to live. He was not wrong!

A cargo ship from Summuri soon found a place to float in the sea off the west coast. The others took a small boat and landed on the shore.

Someone came to pick them up, all of them were Summurian people.

This portion of the Summurian people, although they were not willing to return to their country, they were also willing to continue to show respect and reverence to the four major families.

Now, the people who were welcoming Christopher were like this.

This time he had brought about fifty people with him. A large group of people appearing on the shore was somewhat eye-catching, and someone had already noticed this side.

Here, besides Christopher, they were all stowaways. In order to avoid trouble, they soon left by car.

The wine was still floating on the sea. Before the problem of the warehouse was solved here, those wines would not come ashore.

Christopher did not use his real name this time. He used the pseudonym Camilo, and his surname was that of the Bianchi family.

This had immediately established a certain prestige for him among the local Summurian people. After all, a member of the four major families was still very weighty in the eyes of these people.

In addition, they had not obediently returned to Summuri Island. Now that a member of the four major families had come over instead, they were somewhat afraid.

For Christopher’s request, they also did their best to satisfy and cooperate.

In just a few days, they had gotten several warehouses that could be used to store liquor.

Then, at night, under the cover of the night, they had transported all the liquor from the sea into the warehouses.

He had brought a lot of wine this time, and half of it was brandy and a small amount of whiskey.

The production of whiskey on Summuri Island was not high. On the contrary, there were many vineyards.

That place was rich in grapes, and also in fine wine. In the previous sales, wine had never had much of a breakthrough. Leonardo hoped that Christopher could open up the wine market. They had a lot of wine.

Christopher didn’t think this was a difficult matter. Just as everyone, when they heard that someone else was not good at doing something, their first thought was not how difficult the matter was, but how stupid the person was!

And when he had left, the price of wine was not cheap. In addition, with the soaring price of grapes themselves in these years, the price of wine should be even more expensive!

He had always thought so, until he saw a grape brick…

(End of a Chapter)