Empire of Shadows

After the new year, Lance returned to the Lawrence Farm and also saw Little Ace.

Emily was also here. William was very busy now. He would often take his team on business trips to Lake City.

In order to run for mayor of Lake City, he had to first figure out the situation on the Lake City side, and then formulate a targeted campaign strategy.

To leave only Emily and Patricia, two ladies, at home, and also have to take care of two children, was indeed a bit unsettling—

In fact, this was something that many ordinary families in the Federation would encounter. Of course, it was not to say that two generations would be pregnant and have children at the same time, but that a full-time mother would raise one or two, or even more children alone.

And it wasn’t that they couldn’t get help from other places. In their large villa, there were also maids and bodyguards who could provide them with help.

However, the three old uncles of the Lawrence family had still asked them to bring their children to the farm.

This place was very safe, and it was also a necessary path in the growth process of every member of the Lawrence family.

Just like Patricia, she had also grown up on the farm when she was a child.

This was not the first time Lance had seen a newborn child, so there was no talk of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the appearance of the newborn.The child was still very small and had not yet opened up. His skin was reddish, like a small worm.

”The farmstead side is choosing partners for them,” old Schubert said, standing by Lance’s side with his hands behind his back, looking at the children in the two baby baskets.

Lance turned his head to look at him. ”Partners?”

Schubert explained, ”You know our butler and the core cowboy team, right?”

Lance nodded in agreement. In the entire farm, in terms of family power, besides the three old men, Lance, William, and a few of the Lawrence family members who had made a name for themselves, next were the old butler, and a group of old cowboys.

”They are the partners of our generation. When it came to William’s generation, they had also proposed it, but later we all refused.”

”You know, society has changed.”

Lance could understand what he meant.

In the past Federation, every large farm was equivalent to a small kingdom. Everyone had their own place here.

As the next heir to the throne, it was certainly necessary to cultivate and designate their own team.

These partners were their team.

But because of the development and progress of society, which had weakened the rights of the farmers and had strengthened the rule of the federal government and the local governments, an era that belonged to the farmers had quietly come to an end.

However, the appearance of Victor and Ace had made the Lawrence family see new hope, so they planned to, according to tradition, to choose partners for these two children.

In fact, this habit still existed in some of the relatively feudal regions, and in some of the large families, it also existed.

The core next generation of the core members, they had long been surrounded by the children of some of the interest groups. They were also ”partners.”

”We will select twenty to thirty strong babies and four to five children with smart genes, and have them grow up together. In the end, these people will become their most reliable force.”

Lance nodded slightly. This was indeed a way of inheritance for a large family, which ensured loyalty. As long as these two little fellows did not mess around, these people would become the core force of their future career and life.

”Should I invest in building a school on the farm side?” Lance asked.

Schubert shook his head. ”We can send them to school in the nearby town. The people over there are also our people. you don’t have to worry about this.”

”What you need to worry about is their choice of university. We can’t get a hand in this!”

In the evening, there were many celebrations at the farmstead. After all, it was the New Year. For the people, a new year was always a year full of hope.

And now the farm was getting better and better, and everyone was very happy.

A life with something to look forward to is just like this, making people full of longing for the future from the bottom of their hearts.

While Lance was happily celebrating the New Year on the farm, Mr. Cassia, who was far away in New Golden City, was not having a very good New Year.

Last year, because of the movie that Lance had released, ”Surprise Attack on Golden Port City,” the Federation was full of discussion about whether the Dantra’s army would cross the sea to attack.

A portion of the people believed that all of this could become a reality. After all, the logic of the entire movie was very smooth.

The Dantra people couldn’t stand the difficulty and pressure that the federal people were adding on the main battlefield, so they had taken the initiative to use their temporarily useless navy to open a second battlefield, to relieve the pressure on the front line. This was entirely possible.

The Department of Defense and the military all believed that there was a possibility, but it was unknown whether, after this movie of Lance’s had been shot, they would still consider it this way.

This was like... an open-book exam. The answer was on the paper. It was very possible that the Dantra people, in order to avoid the possible risks, would not consider doing so.

So most people still believed that the Dantra people would not really attack Golden Port City. It was meaningless, and not worth it.

Although they thought so, at the same time, they were also discussing the strategic value of the Yalan region on the East Ocean.

The public was discussing, and Congress, the Department of Defense, and the military were also talking about this.

With the increase in the number of victories of the federal army, the ambition and confidence of the military had also begun to swell unprecedentedly. They wanted more!

This was a very obvious trend. They would often hold all kinds of salons, under the pretext of promoting the cultural integration of the Federation and the Yalan region, and talk about how to make the Yalan people accept the federal people more smoothly.

Although they had not stated that they would invade, it was clear that they had already begun to prepare for an invasion.

This made Mr. Cassia (the former Undersecretary of Commerce of the Rapa nation, and the current ambassador to the Federation) feel nervous. He did not like this atmosphere.

Although he had taken a bribe, and had taken Lance’s money, this was his personal moral problem, and had not risen to the level of the state.

Now this atmosphere, to be honest, was very dangerous. He also seemed a little anxious, and he didn’t know who to talk to.

To explain the situation to the great president?

He didn’t know what the outcome would be. He might be asked to return to his country immediately, and then he, his family, and the people related to him might all be arrested, subjected to cruel interrogation, torture, and finally disappear in front of the public.

This was very possible. After all, for the great president, to eliminate the source of information was tantamount to eliminating the danger.

The key was that Mr. Cassia had applied to come to the Federation himself. Some of his actions were indeed worth being suspicious of.

And during this period of time in the Federation, he had felt the power of the Federation. What if the Federation was really determined to invade Yalan? He would not be willing to let his family go back to Yalan to be baptized by the flames of war.

But if he did nothing...

A troublesome world!

The inertia of the slowly stopping vehicle made him come back to his senses. The driver had already opened the door for him. He had arrived home.

This luxuriously decorated villa was given to him by Lance for free. Although Lance had not mentioned a deadline or the issue of rent, he also knew that as long as the friendship between the two sides did not break, he could continue to live here.

Just as he got out of the car, he saw his children playing with a snowman. There were also two maids by their side, taking care of the children and not letting them get hurt.

His wife was standing behind a window on the second floor in decent clothes, looking at the children in the courtyard.

When her gaze fell on him, she even took the initiative to greet him.

He also waved his hand in response.

As soon as he entered the villa, he habitually handed his hat to the maid by the door, and then his overcoat.

He changed into the shoes that the maid had given him, and then entered the room without the slightest pause, as if it had been practiced many times.

He returned to his study and put down his briefcase. A maid was already standing at the door with coffee and pastries. With his permission, she finally entered the room and placed the coffee and pastries in front of him.

”Gentlemen, there are still forty minutes before dinner. If you would like to have it earlier, we can prepare dinner in advance.”

Mr. Cassia came back to his senses. He showed some smiles. ”No, no need. Just as usual.”

The maid bowed and left the room.

The room, because of the closed door, became quiet. He picked up the hot coffee and took a small sip.

The dinner was very sumptuous. The children were talking about the interesting things that had happened in their school. A person named ”Tom” had helped him with the school. It was a very good private school.

The children in it were either rich or noble.

His wife also talked about the social events with the ladies in the community during the day. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud after talking about some interesting things.

He was a little dazed. How long had it been?

His family had already completely integrated into the life of the upper class of the Federation.

He suddenly felt a wave of cold. If now, he were to throw them back to Yalan, to throw them back into that house of less than a hundred square meters, could they still adapt?

He seemed a little silent.

His wife asked him if something had happened, and he had brushed it off.

”Mr. Gomez said they will be here soon.”

When he heard this name, Mr. Cassia came back to his senses. ”Are you talking about my parents?”

His wife nodded. After they had come, he had always been thinking of bringing his family over to enjoy some happiness. The first batch to come were their parents, and then their brothers and sisters and their children.

As for some distant relatives, that was out of the question. He was not so generous, nor did he have this ability to do so.

Gomez was the president of the Rapa Chamber of Commerce, a very capable, and had seen the ”big world” person. Perhaps he could give himself a little help?

Thinking of this, he asked, ”When did Gomez say he would arrive?”

His wife glanced at the calendar on the cabinet in the distance. While learning the elegant dining movements of those noble ladies, she said in a low voice, ”Just these few days.”

Two days later, Gomez, with Mr. Cassia’s parents, and also his wife’s mother, docked at a pier in New Golden City.

In the evening, Mr. Cassia had entertained him and his relatives in the villa. For the fact that Mr. Cassia was actually living in such a luxurious house, and also had maids, they all expressed their shock and a little incomprehension.

But in any case, he was getting better and better now. For his family, it would not be a bad thing!

The dinner was very harmonious. The children were also very happy to see their grandparents again.

The large mansion had enough rooms to accommodate these old people.

After dinner was over, Mr. Cassia invited Mr. Gomez to go to his study to have a talk...