Empire of Shadows

Lance looked at the desk calendar on his desk. There were still a few days left. Should he target this... Mr. Walter?

He sat there thinking, and the people around him all remained quiet.

To kill Mr. Walter... that was out of the question. Killing this guy would only further intensify the conflict between him and the Labor Federation. Although it was already very intense, he was not yet placed at the forefront.

But if he killed Mr. Walter, not only would Lance have shaken the foundation of the Labor Federation, but he would also have made a move on them, which would have a completely different meaning.

The people of the Labor Federation would definitely concentrate their forces to deal with him. If the Labor Federation, regardless of the consequences, were to directly launch a nationwide general strike, the consequences would be disastrous!

So this guy, Walter, could not have an accident.

He couldn’t have an accident, but Lance had to let him understand that he shouldn’t casually break the rules of the game. What should he do?

He thought for a moment and couldn’t help but laugh. This was Golden Port City, his territory.

From the police to the judges, they were all his men, so what he said, was what it was!

In the evening, Mr. Walter returned from a social engagement. He could feel a trace of pity in the eyes of the local dignitaries and celebrities as they socialized with him.He also understood that most of these people were actually here to watch a show, because the person he was going to deal with was the Lance Family.

And these dignitaries and celebrities, just with the thought of not offending anyone, had come to maintain the most basic decency with the Labor Federation.

They couldn’t just, knowing that such a big shot was in Golden Port City, not come to visit. What if they were resented by this ”Mr. Walter Carril,” whom they were not very familiar with? Wouldn’t that be terrible?

So they would still socialize when they should, and they could even stand together and chat, and sometimes they would laugh out loud for someone’s humor.

From the process of socializing, nothing else could be seen, only that they were very good friends.

Every qualified politician must be an actor who is proficient in acting. This sentence was too correct.

When Mr. Walter had walked into the departing corridor with an amiable smile on his face, the moment the door had closed, the smile on his face had completely faded.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, and then stuffed it back into his pocket.

These sons of bitches!

He cursed a few times in his heart, and then returned to his hotel by car.

Sitting on the sofa, he tilted his head back. He had had a little to drink in the evening, and it had gone to his head a little. He actually, his reason told him, that it was best not to think about anything now, but his brain was not very obedient.

This kind of thing where the body’s organs do not obey commands actually happens often in humans. For example, the gamblers often say that this is the ”last hand,” and the drunkards always say, ”I’ll quit drinking after this one.”

Not to mention those old smokers, they just have to ”take one last puff and I’ll never smoke again,” and of course, that includes you—

”I’m definitely not playing after this one.”

Just as he was letting his thoughts run wild, the doorbell of the room suddenly rang.

There was only Mr. Walter himself in the room. ”Who’s there?”

”Room service.”

Mr. Walter looked around. There was only him in this suite. The other entourage were all staying in other rooms. He supported his temple with one hand and stood up, walking towards the door, while saying, ”I didn’t call for room service.”

He was not too worried about being hurt. The security of such a large hotel was definitely guaranteed, and his assistants and the like were just downstairs. He could contact them very quickly.

And the most crucial point was his identity.

Even if an emperor’s envoy was extremely despicable, and people hated him to death, they would not casually hurt him.

Because everyone knows one thing: as long as you hurt the envoy, it is tantamount to slapping the emperor in the face.

Either die, or rebel!

If the emperor was a fatuous, incompetent emperor, then to rebel would be to rebel.

But the Labor Federation was not that kind of an emperor. The Labor Federation was in its prime, and now was its strongest time.

With the identity of a rotating vice president, for any organization and person to want to touch him was not an easy matter.

At best, it would be a city-wide general strike. At worst, it would be a state-wide, a region-wide, or even a federation-wide general strike!

Even if Mr. President were in front of him, at most he would just curse him a few times. To hurt him or to kill him was completely impossible.

So he did not have much of a guard. He also believed that the rulers and managers of this city also understood this truth, and even more so than others.

They would only protect him, not hurt him!

On the contrary, when he left Golden Port City, he had to be a little more careful, but that was all a matter for the future. After he had dealt with the matter on Lance’s side, he would then consider it.

When he opened the door, a girl in a hotel waitress’s uniform pushed a cart in. ”Sir, someone has ordered a meal for you, and also some water and drinks.”

He was not interested in the food on the food cart, but he was very interested in the water.

”I won’t eat the things. Just give me the water.”

As he was speaking, the girl had already pushed the cart in. Mr. Walter was stunned for a moment, but he was still a gentleman and made way.

After the waitress had entered the room and had arranged the food for him, and had handed him the water, he had said thank you, and then had turned to go to the sofa to get his clothes.

He was going to give a little tip. This was a very gentlemanly gesture. Just as he was turning to give the tip to the waitress, he found that the waitress was standing right in front of him, and had suddenly hugged him and had bitten him on the shoulder.

Mr. Walter was stunned for a moment. The pain made him instinctively push the waitress away, trying to get her away from him.

When a person is frightened, they will unnaturally exert a greater force. The waitress was suddenly pushed back and had knocked over the food cart, and had been tripped and had fallen heavily by the side of the food cart.

He subconsciously was about to help the waitress up, but he soon saw that the waitress had messed up her own hair, and had also torn open her own collar. He had also seen a clear bluish-purple bruise on the waitress’s chest that had clearly been pinched out with force.

The next second, a sharp scream rang out directly in his ear.

A feeling of his hair standing on end began to attack him. He looked at the waitress’s eyes, which had become dangerous, but at this very moment, many of the hotel’s waiters and security guards had rushed in.

”Fuck!”

Seeing this scene, Mr. Walter’s drunkenness also sobered up. He looked at the surrounding people, whose eyes were filled with contempt, disbelief, and schadenfreude. He slowly closed his eyes.

He had thought of many possibilities for Lance, but he had never thought that he would use such a despicable method.

This kind of method, if used on a minor character, would certainly be of no use. If you frame a little hooligan for attempting to assault a waitress, people will on the contrary feel that this is what a little hooligan should do.

But if this matter were to be placed on a big shot, then it would become a huge trouble.

An ordinary person will not lose their job for not zipping up their fly, but a big shot will.

He had already given up resisting and was standing quietly. Soon his subordinates had also rushed up, and then they had looked at Mr. Walter in the room and the crying girl who was sitting on the ground.

Their minds simply couldn’t figure out what had happened!

Mr. Walter’s assistant took the initiative to walk to his side and asked in a low voice, ”What happened?”

He remembered that after they had come back together, he had sent Mr. Walter back to his room, and had personally closed the door.

It hadn’t been long since he had left.

Mr. Walter sighed. ”Go and get a lawyer...”

The lawyer had not yet arrived, but the police had. The police, after receiving a call, had rushed out at the speed of light, creating the fastest speed from receiving a call to rushing out in Golden Port City, and in five minutes, the police had appeared in the room.

They had made a simple inquiry, and then had signaled for Mr. Walter to go with them.

Mr. Walter did not resist. He knew very well what the price of resistance was.

If Lance’s men had hurt him, or had killed him, the Labor Federation would definitely be furious!

This was the greatest harm and provocation to the Labor Federation, to the twenty million working class!

But if he... was arrested and put in a police station for attempting to assault a girl, the Labor Federation’s side would only wish they could sever their relationship with him before the matter fermented.

The only thing he could do now was to, through legal means, through formal channels, to solve this case.

When he had just arrived at the police station, a lawyer had also appeared in the police station.

”I’m sorry, to have to have you run an errand for me so late!” The moment the legal representative had entered the interrogation room, Mr. Walter had taken the initiative to walk over and shake hands with the legal representative.

The legal representative had smiled and had made a small joke. ”Actually, I hope that you will talk to me about work outside of my working hours, because this way I can charge you double the money!”

”But you don’t have to worry too much. In the end, I will send the bill to the Labor Federation, not to you!”

As he spoke, the two of them had laughed a few times. The legal representative had glanced at the police officer outside the door. ”Then...”

”Before I came, you didn’t say anything, did you?” The legal representative had closed the door and had walked to the chair opposite Mr. Walter and had sat down.

Mr. Walter shook his head. ”From the moment the incident had occurred, until I was arrested and brought here, I had remained silent.”

”Some of them had asked me some questions, and I had not answered.”

The legal representative was very satisfied with his actions and gave him a direct praise. ”Well done!”

In fact, a sudden interrogation is still very useful. Some people’s ability to withstand pressure is not so good, and under a round of pressing questions, it is easy to say the wrong thing.

An interrogation is not afraid of you talking nonsense, but is afraid that you won’t talk.

As long as you have spoken, even if it is nonsense, there will always be some logical relationships that you yourself have not noticed. They just need to peel your heart layer by layer to be able to find the secret you have hidden!

Not to speak, not to take a stand, not to sign, not to nod, not to admit, is the first thing to do after being arrested and put in a police station.

Then he carefully looked at Mr. Walter’s attire and asked, ”Where is your jacket?”

The current Mr. Walter was wearing a police shirt, which was so washed that it had turned a little white. On the pocket on his chest, there was also the police badge of the Golden Port Police Department.

For a person like Mr. Walter, his attire must be decent. Although this shirt was very clean, and had no strange smell, in the eyes of the people of the upper class, its lack of decency and its not being clean, having no strange smell, had no direct relationship.

”That woman bit me. There are bite marks on my clothes and on my body. They said that was evidence and asked me to take it off, and they also took a picture of my wound.”

The legal representative frowned slightly. ”You can tell me what happened now,” he lit a cigarette and then listened quietly.

When he had heard that Mr. Walter had been drinking, and that at that time there were only the two of them in the room, and that he had also been bitten, a slight change in the legal representative’s expression was immediately caught.

”What’s wrong?” he asked.

The legal representative rubbed his temples. ”She bit you on the shoulder, which means that when she bit you, the two of you must have been very close, maybe even tightly pressed together.”

”Combined with your other testimony, plus Lance and their interference in the local judiciary, to be honest, I don’t think your chances of winning are high.”

”They will definitely sue you in a criminal case, so what we need to persuade is not the judge, but the jury, they are very smart!”

The legal representative couldn’t help but also praise their competitor, because this was indeed a very good idea.

This would clearly be prosecuted as an attempted rape. This charge was 100% a criminal case, and it was a relatively serious criminal act. As long as the plaintiff did not propose a jury waiver, then the court would definitely arrange for a jury.

The selection of the jury here was all from the local volunteers. These volunteers had some subsidies, which could also be considered a kind of social welfare for those who met the requirements.

If the Lance Family were the kind of notorious gang, then the chances of winning this case would be very high!

The members of the jury might, just to make the Lance Family unhappy, make a ruling that clearly violated common sense and logic.

But the Lance Family’s reputation in Golden Port City was so fucking good!

So good that it was incredible!

Almost all of them said good things about them. They had cancelled all kinds of fees, and had also made the police not to harass the public, and had also organized the distribution of relief food supplies and the maintenance of public order!

They had done all the things that the government could do, and had also done the things that it couldn’t. There was nothing that could be found to destroy their status in the minds of the ordinary people!

”...So the jury will definitely be biased towards the plaintiff.”

”They have sufficient evidence, and also a sufficient motive to prove that you might have done so...”

Mr. Walter interrupted him. ”I have never thought of raping a waitress!”

”Fuck, if I really wanted to vent, I could get a bunch of girls with just a little money. I don’t have to make a move on a waitress!”

At this time, Mr. Walter was very excited. This charge was so fucking bullshit!

Once it was confirmed, his life would be almost ruined!

Originally, he had still been thinking that after the Workers’ Party was established, he could become a high-ranking party member, and in the future, he might even enter a government department to work, to serve as a cabinet member or something.

But if he were to bear a charge of attempted rape, he would have no chance to become a big shot in his life. He could only ever be behind the scenes, and he could not hold a high position. Lance was trying to ruin him!

The legal representative, while listening to his words, was nodding. ”I know, I know, Mr. Walter. I know what you said, but the one you have to persuade is not me, not the judge, but the illiterate jury!”

”They don’t care if what you said is reasonable or not. There is a high probability that they will think what the waitress said is reasonable. They like to accept the concept that rich people are bastards. Do you understand?”

”The story is not written for you, not for me, not for all the rational and calm people to see. It is written for those illiterate people at the bottom!”

”They have been hurt enough by the people of the upper class. Now that there is a chance, and this story is indeed not bad, our chances of winning are very small.”

”The only thing we can consider now is to appeal to the circuit court after this trial, but there is also a bad news that I have to tell you, Mr. Walter.”

”The appeal cases in Likalai State are all tried in the Ninth Circuit Court, and the Ninth Circuit Court is in Manteno. In other words, that is still Lance’s territory.”

”You still have to appeal to the top to have a chance of not going to jail, but what’s more troublesome is that further up, the Federal Supreme Court, the people who can decide your fate are not the Socialist Party, but the Liberal Party, and they all have a characteristic—”

Mr. Walter showed a helpless and desperate expression. ”They all dislike the Labor Federation!”

”Bingo!” the legal representative nodded. ”So... please forgive me for being a little more direct. What we need to do now is not to find a way to make an acquittal defense for you.”

”To be honest, even if the top lawyers from the Gold Diamond Law Firm came, they would be powerless in this situation.”

”Our defense strategy should be placed on whether you really have to go to jail!”

”Drinking is a proof of your mistake, but at the same time, it is also a circumstantial evidence that reduces your subjective malice. If you drink too much, your mind is not normal, and you will do some wrong things. People will understand you.”

”If they want to persuade the jury, then you and I have to persuade the public to believe that you were just impulsive, and are willing to make up for your mistake, and to pay any price!”

The legal representative paused for a moment as he spoke. ”Of course, I will report this matter to the Labor Federation, and have them arrange for some more lawyers to come.”

”Perhaps they will have some new defense ideas, and may be able to achieve an acquittal for you.”

Listening to the legal representative say so, Mr. Walter was also a little discouraged. He suddenly, as if he had thought of something, ”I want to have a dialogue with Lance. you have to help me!”

The legal representative knew what he meant. If a rotating vice president was willing to bow his head at this time and was willing to pay the price, maybe Lance would reach a settlement with him.

This was clearly a setup. A smart person could see it, but the problem was also as he had said.

When the power to decide whether an upper-class person is guilty or not is in the hands of a group of lower-class people, they sometimes will not maintain a neutral attitude.

This matter, perhaps only Lance could solve it!

The legal representative nodded. ”I will contact Lance as soon as possible after I go out. During this period, you don’t say a single word, and don’t admit anything, even if it sounds like there is no problem.”

”I will tell them that I will see you again tomorrow. At that time, I will bring the news from Lance’s side.”

”Now...” he patted his trouser leg and stood up. ”Let’s wish you good luck first!”