Empire of Shadows

Coming out of the labor service company, there were at least a thousand people waiting or looking for work at the entrance.

Many of them took off their hats and bowed to Lance, as well as some company recruitment specialists.

Because of the existence of the union in the Federation, the power of the workers was unprecedentedly strong. It could be said to be one of the societies with the strongest worker power in the world.

So if capitalists needed to recruit workers, as long as it wasn’t a small workshop, they basically had to deal with the workers’ union.

During this period, you could often see a line added to the recruitment notices of some companies—

“Union members are not welcome to apply!”

Once a member of the workers’ union joined a company, it would bring huge trouble.

Lance’s side was mainly composed of illegal immigrants, and the number of refugee workers was also soaring. Most of these people were workers who had no relationship with the workers’ union, and were also loved by the capitalists.

The same worker was injured at work. For a worker without a workers’ union background, a little compensation would be enough, a few dozen dollars, at most one or two hundred.

But with a workers’ union background, they might ask for thousands, or more, and would also demand that the employing enterprise not be allowed to dismiss workers who were disabled due to work injuries, and would demand that they be continuously employed at a certain standard of wages.This had also led to the fact that during this period, some people would pay their union fees and then deliberately injure themselves.

Not only could they get a sum of money, but they could also be transferred to those leisurely positions without much of a reduction in their wages.

The conflict between labor and capital was becoming more and more intense. There would be large-scale parades and strikes at any moment. The capitalist group, including the top financial magnates and consortiums, were also deeply “persecuted” by the union and the labor federation.

They were actively uniting with the congressional side, wanting to paralyze the union and the labor federation. Otherwise, the capitalists in the Federation were not as happy as people imagined.

This was a rare “capitalist holy land” in Golden Port City. Those workers without a union background had become the favorite group of all capitalists.

And recently, more and more new factories were being built, and their shortage of workers was also getting bigger and bigger, so many capitalists were directly recruiting here.

Seeing the master of this place, no matter who they were, they had to take off their hats and bow.

Lance raised his hand and greeted those people, and then got into the car.

Elvin was sitting in the passenger seat. “You are very popular with the people!”

Many of the workers on the street were watching the convoy, watching Lance behind the glass.

Lance, on the other hand, felt that this was very normal. “Because I gave them a chance to live here. If you gave them such a chance, they would also welcome you, love you.”

“But this is what we need,” the convoy slowly began to move, and his gaze also withdrew from these people.

The Federation had actually been very stable for the past two months. No major waves had occurred. The Harvest Festival was just around the corner. The news from the front lines had always been lukewarm, with occasional small victories. The atmosphere in the country was very harmonious.

Everyone was preparing for the Harvest Festival. This festival was too important for the people of the Federation, to a certain extent, it was equivalent to New Year’s Day.

Although there were still twenty days, there was already some atmosphere of the Harvest Festival on the streets.

The shops on the side of the road had long been decorated in the unique style of the Harvest Festival, such as wreaths of some crops and pumpkins, or decorations and the like, which could be seen everywhere.

Although Golden Port City was a port and light industrial city, the sweat and blood of countless slaves had also flowed on this land.

It didn’t seem to have much to do with it.

The two.

The festival of the slave owners and the slaves. But even so, the slaves could also have a good sleep on the day of the Harvest Festival.

During this period, besides being stable, Lance’s liquor had begun to penetrate into the surrounding areas. Taking advantage of Golden Port City’s geographical advantage, the cheap smuggled liquor from Yalan was only allowed to be sold to him.

Lance had already mastered the pricing power of the entire state’s liquor. Although many people felt that he rarely did retail, and the main profits were taken by the retailers, in fact, Lance was earning more money than before.

Some small domestic wineries supplied him, and also those liquor dealers from Yalan. The goods in his hands were enough to be spread wider.

Some of the Empire immigrant gangs in Indeno State were now also getting their liquor from him.

The vehicles passed through the streets. The vehicles on the road, seeing that it was Lance’s convoy coming from behind, would take the initiative to move to the side.

“Some news has come from the Indeno State side. We’ve lost a batch of goods.”

When the convoy was not too far from Lance’s company, Elvin said this news.

Lance lit a cigarette. He flicked the match to extinguish the flame on it. He was not surprised by this result.

If you want to snatch money from someone else’s pocket, you must definitely accept their resistance.

A society where the weak are the prey of the strong is just like this. You can’t, just because a predator is hungry, expect the prey to obediently lie down. Resistance is inevitable.

“Do you know who did it?”

Elvin shook his head. “It was handled very cleanly. They disappeared on the interstate highway. No one saw our car or our men. They should have been thrown into the wilderness.”

“Such a large area. If we go to look for them, there’s a high probability that we won’t be able to find them.”

Lance nodded. “Ask the locals. Don’t worry about the money.”

After Elvin had written this down, he said again, “There’s a Summurian named Camilo on the west coast recently. They are exporting a large amount of brandy and a small amount of whiskey to the west coast, and are also penetrating into the central region. We might face some competition.”

There were only three states in the southernmost part of the Federation: Likalai State, Indeno State, and South Anan State.

Likalai State was in the very east of the south, Indeno State was in the very middle, and then there was the westernmost South Anan State.

On the Likalai State side, Lance had already formed an absolute advantage. There was no need to worry about the sales situation. If he continued to develop to the west, he might run into this group of Summurians.

“Camilo?”

“A member of the four major families?”

Elvin nodded. “I hear he’s from the Bianchi family, and the other three major families are also starting to sell liquor over there.”

“The locals didn’t resist?” Lance asked casually, but he quickly realized that this question was actually very stupid.

The locals would definitely resist, and the resistance would definitely be very fierce, but they were facing the Summurian people.

The strongest specialty of the Summurian people was their gunmen. These gunmen had a very tough style, and their actions were very decisive, and their marksmanship was also not bad. An ordinary small gang would definitely be no match for them.

And the “big gangs” on the west coast were just a name. It did not mean that their strength was really very strong.

Elvin also indeed answered this way. “There was some resistance, but it was not very fierce.”

“Our counterparts on the west coast seem to be a little lacking in this aspect,” he said with a smile.

Lance was also smiling. The “quality” of the gangs on the east coast was clearly much higher than on the west coast. This also led to the fact that some of the big gangs in the country were almost all concentrated on the east coast.

For example, three of the five major families of the Federation were concentrated on the east coast. Of the other two, only one was in the western region.

It was normal for them to look down on each other. When the states in the east were really fighting for their lives, the west was still playing at negotiations.

How could these guys who were used to directly making a move look up to those not-so-strong gangs?

And the speed at which they made money also had a huge gap.

Every industry has a chain of contempt. In the gangs, a relatively general chain of contempt is that the east looks down on the west.

Of course, according to the west’s statement, it was actually them who looked down on the east. Anyway, everyone had always looked down on each other.

The car slowly stopped at the entrance of the company. The young men in the company immediately walked out to maintain order. There were many children following behind Lance’s convoy, and it had been for a long time.

These were all the children of poor families. The clothes that some of them were wearing were clearly made from the clothes of their parents after they were worn out, and some were even barefoot.

Every time Lance came back, they would follow and run. Lance would also have someone give them some pocket money.

As for the homeless, there were none.

Before, the killer who had disguised himself as a beggar and had intended to assassinate Lance, after he had failed, the surrounding area had been forbidden to have any beggars, homeless people, or the like appear.

When Lance got out of the car, someone was already giving the children pocket money, and they were all loudly thanking the “benevolent Mr. Lance.”

They knew who to thank, and also knew who had given them these.

After returning to the company and sitting down in his chair, Lance stretched. “Recently, there seems to be nothing to say, but if you want to say something, there is something.”

He stroked his hair. “Check on the situation of this Bianchi family. I remember Christopher had taken refuge with them.”

Elvin nodded. “I’ll tell Bolton.”

Just as he was about to go to work, he suddenly seemed to have remembered something. “There’s something I don’t know if it’s useful to you. I hear the director of the Golden Port branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been changed.”

Lance nodded slightly to indicate that he knew, and then Elvin went out to work.

He sat in his chair and thought for a moment, then dialed Tom’s phone number.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, this name gave Lance a little bit of pressure.

Because the Federal Bureau of Investigation was nominally a law enforcement department of the Presidential Palace, directly responsible to the president. Whether it was the Federal Bureau of Investigation here, or the one he knew in another world, it was all like this.

He had heard that the previous director had gotten his position by sucking up to the president and helping him to frame his political opponents. But in the mid-term election, this director had clearly not played his real role, and now he had been replaced.

The person over there had just been changed, and the director of the Golden Port branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation here had also been changed. There must be some problems in this.

Tom’s call was easily connected. “This is Tom.”

A very business-like voice. Lance said with a laugh, “It’s me.”

“Lance?”

His voice suddenly became much softer, without the stiffness of being business-like. “You must have called for something. Tell me, let’s see if I can help!”

“You saying that hurts me. Can’t I just call you for a chat?”

“Come on, Lance. I don’t know if you’re busy, but I’m definitely very busy, and you also know I’m very busy.”

He meant that since Lance knew he was very busy, he wouldn’t just casually disturb him. This was a kind of “understanding.”

Lance said with a laugh, “Alright, you guessed right.”

“What’s the situation with the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation?”

“The director of the branch on my side has been changed. Maybe the ones in other places have also been changed?”

“This makes me a little sensitive, Tom. If all the branches have been changed, or if the vast majority of the branches have been changed, I will feel better.”

“If only a few places have been changed, I will feel that I am being targeted.”

Tom rubbed his temple after hearing Lance’s question. “The gentleman who has just taken office… I don’t know how to tell you. He is a very smart guy.”

“He submitted a proposal, about… uh, let me explain it to you this way. It’s a proposal to strengthen the central government’s centralized power.”

“The content of this proposal is that the Federal Bureau of Investigation can intervene in all local cases, and can also open a case and investigate matters they feel are suspicious.”

“In other words, the Presidential Palace has the right to directly intervene in local law enforcement.”

“The congressional side hasn’t passed it, but it’s just a matter of time.”

If it weren’t for the fear of a major strike on the police side, they would have already voted and passed it!

Although it hadn’t been passed now, everyone knew what was going on. The new director of the investigation bureau had already begun to make personnel changes and adjustments to the entire federation’s branches.

To prepare for the apparent strengthening of the authority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation after the war was over. Once the war was over, they would become one of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the Federation.

Of course, Tom was not clear about these matters. He only knew that this new director who had just taken office was not easy to deal with.

After Lance had a rough understanding of the situation, he felt that this matter was not so simple. He still thanked Tom for telling him this.

“The Harvest Festival is coming soon. I’ve had someone send you some local specialties. You should pay attention to receiving them then.”

When Tom heard this, a smile uncontrollably appeared on his face. Lance was really a very generous person. And compared to those who directly gave money to the senator, he was also willing to let Tom get a share.

However, since the words had been spoken, he could not just accept them directly, but had to make some excuses.

Humans are just so strange. The person giving the gift knows that this gift will definitely be given out, and the person receiving the gift will definitely receive it, but there is still a process like this.

“I’ll take the senator’s share for you. As for mine, forget it.”

“Tom, are we still friends?”

“And I said, it’s local specialties, all some agricultural products. What did you think it would be?”

For a moment, Tom really couldn’t tell if Lance was telling the truth or a lie. His tone was too sincere.

In just a moment of hesitation, he reluctantly agreed. “Alright then. Just sending some agricultural products is enough. In addition, I suggest you prepare an extra one.”

“The senator’s chief aide should also be sent one. At that time, I will help you send it over.”

Lance agreed. This was the process he was familiar with, taking the initiative to ask for gifts.

A privileged class that does not take the initiative to ask for gifts is not a good privileged class, because it cannot make people feel at ease.

Of course, Lance was not lying either. What he had prepared were indeed some agricultural products.

For Tom, it was a large cabbage made of gold, about two kilograms. And for the senator, it was a small pumpkin made of gold, a full ten kilograms.

These were all local specialties, and they were all agricultural products. Even if God came, he couldn’t say that what Lance said was wrong.

After hanging up the phone, Lance dialed Dale’s (the former director of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials, and the current executive committee member of the State Prohibition Committee) number. Dale had been in the circle and on the periphery of Golden State for a period of time. He should know some news about the new director.

After dialing, Dale did not know about this matter. He asked Lance to wait a moment, and then went to inquire with some of his old friends.

In the past, when he had no chance of getting promoted, those old friends would not answer his calls one by one, for fear of getting involved with him.

Ever since he was promoted to the executive committee member of the State Prohibition Committee, and could be considered to be in power, those old friends had taken the initiative to call him one after another, and even wanted to hold a promotion celebration for him.

The political world of the Federation was more realistic, more direct than Lance knew.

If you’re good, you’re good.

If you’re not, then you’re immediately not. There’s no hiding it.

Dale, who had been through many things, also saw it more clearly. He didn’t seem to mind these people’s previous indifference to him at all, and still often called and chatted with them to maintain their relationship.

You can make friends in the officialdom, but you can’t make brothers. This is an iron rule!

Soon he had found out the information of this new director. A top student who had graduated from the law department of a university in Golden State, and a schoolmate of the current director.

He had previously served as a local prosecutor. During his tenure, he had handled several major local cases, and his evaluation was very high. He was a capable person.

He was now married, with three children. The eldest had just started high school, and the youngest was still in elementary school. His family lived on the Golden State side and had not come to Golden Port City with him.

With this information, it was enough for Lance.

While Lance was inquiring about this new director, the new director had already reorganized the Golden Port branch from top to bottom.

Who could have imagined that the purpose of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s establishment was just to catch those who spoke ill of the president.

This did not at all conform to their propaganda of freedom of speech, so the entire Golden Port branch, all in all, had less than ten people.

Usually, their only job was to wander around. If someone spoke ill of the president, they would investigate the information of these people and record it.

If there was a need for them to cash in their “performance,” they would arrest the person.

If there was no need, they would pretend they didn’t know anything.

This good life had been going on for more than ten years, and it was finally over.

The newly appointed director was very executive and also very courageous. On the first day he came here, he had fired everyone except the doorman. These people had made a fuss for a long time, saying that they were going to complain to the higher-ups, and had finally left the investigation bureau.

At this time, there were only this director and the five agents he had brought with him in the entire investigation bureau.

Before he officially started to work, he had to have a chat with these subordinates, to have them recognize the reality and not to be blindly optimistic.

Because this was Golden Port City!

(End of a Chapter)