Empire of Shadows

The room wasn’t large, just four people. It was already past nine, and the chief of staff had someone bring in some food.

The senator didn’t eat much in the evening. At a formal banquet like that, no one would really eat heartily.

Everyone’s clothes were custom-made and fitted their bodies very well. Like Senator Cleveland, he would have a batch of clothes custom-made every two or three months.

It wasn’t that he had any special fetish for wearing new clothes; it was purely because changes in his body shape would make some clothes seem less fitting and decent.

For example, he had gained a little weight now, so the previous clothes would look a little tight when worn, which was not beautiful.

The upper-class style of dressing had not yet shifted to the looser style of the lower classes. They would still dress very decently and fittingly.

If he lost weight, then wearing clothes that were obviously larger would also become a joke in social situations. Whoever the fuck wore ill-fitting clothes to attend this level of social gathering was a fool.

So the more custom-made and perfectly fitting the clothes, the harder it was to have any changes in size.

To put it plainly, if you eat a lot, your stomach will be stretched.

If you don’t button up your jacket, then the shirt and vest will look a little out of shape.If you button up your jacket, then the jacket will look very tight.

So on formal occasions, they would eat very little, and the ladies were the same.

Therefore, it’s not uncommon to see some upper-class ladies and gentlemen having a big meal when they get home after a social event.

The cook had been called up at night to make some meat dishes. When he couldn’t see these things, the senator wasn’t very hungry.

But seeing them, smelling the strong aroma they emitted, he couldn’t help but want to eat some.

He was not at all polite, which showed that he did not treat Lance as an outsider. He directly had Tom cut some meat for him, which he dipped in sauce and put into his mouth.

At this time, he looked slightly ”disheveled,” having taken off his jacket, wearing only a dark brown vest, stretching his neck, not wanting to get his clothes dirty.

”Do you want some?” the senator asked. ”They have prepared some for you,” he said, and also glanced at his two aides.

Lance thought for only three or four seconds, then picked up a plate. ”Of course, why not?”

The senator couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this answer. ”I told you, you’re just so smart, and likable.”

After he had said this, Tom and the chief of staff had finally reacted. For Senator Cleveland to be eating at a time like this was actually a bit... how to describe it?

A bit awkward!

The three of them were all watching, and only he himself was eating. Moreover, they were not eating, but were going to talk about things.

If Lance also joined in, the awkward feeling would be much less, and the atmosphere would be better.

Lance smiled and got himself some beef, then mixed it with the sauce and put it in a piece of bread.

Because it was a bit rushed at night, the beef had all been cut relatively thin and then grilled over high heat.

Each slice of beef had a very suitable quality, a little seared, and the fat was emitting from the meat, but it was not very dry.

Tom and the chief of staff also joined in. The four of them quickly finished a sumptuous extra meal.

After Senator Cleveland had cleaned up, he leaned back on the sofa, took a small sip from his wine, and said, ”Speak.”

Lance also lit a cigarette. He sorted out his thoughts. ”The situation in Rapa is continuing to deteriorate. Because of the lack of grain, the deaths caused by the famine are constantly increasing.”

”Some people have already begun to give up their illusions about the Rapa government and have begun to find their own way out. Some of the anti-government armed forces have also got their own territory.”

”Next, there will be a relatively important battle.”

”A contest between the Rapa government army and Pedro’s armed forces. If they can win and repel the government army, then soon there will be more independent armed forces that will begin to appear.”

”Rapa’s political situation will be completely chaotic.”

Senator Cleveland had not given up on understanding what had happened in Rapa. He nodded and said, ”Once the lion lets other challengers discover that it is not as strong as they had imagined, then this old lion, which has already lost its teeth, will become food on the challenger’s dinner table.”

”This... Pedro, can he win?”

Lance smiled. ”It’s very difficult for him to lose.”

”Besides him, there are other anti-government armed forces. And I had someone impersonate an anti-government armed force and rob a warehouse near Zhuolan. Now Diego, that is, their president, is very nervous.”

”The number of soldiers in Rapa is not large, and their equipment is backward and old. They don’t even have much artillery, let alone other advanced combat equipment.”

”There is a high probability that he will deploy the artillery in Zhuolan, just in case someone attacks Zhuolan, he has to protect himself.”

”So there is a high probability that this battle will just be a mutual killing.”

”The morale of the government army, compared to the members of the anti-government armed forces who are fighting desperately in a desperate situation, is far too poor.”

Senator Cleveland, listening to his words, was constantly nodding. He could imagine this.

Those soldiers, who could eat their fill for two or three meals a day, had a salary every month, and didn’t even need to train much, how could they possibly be a match for the anti-government armed forces who were facing death?

The Federation was no longer the Federation that had not experienced an external war. This war had made the Federation’s military, Congress, all of them realize that ”will” is a very important thing in a war.

The moment the charge horn sounds, if the soldiers dare not rush out of the trenches, and charge at the enemy’s positions, then even if they are relying on a bronze wall and an iron bastion, there will still be a day when they will be breached.

The initial battle had proved this point. The Dantra people’s fearless charge had made the soldiers on the front lines so shocked that they didn’t even know what to do!

They clearly only needed to continue to maintain their shooting, and not to let those people get close, but just because they were nervous, and their psychological construction was not enough, their actions had all changed, so much so that in the end, their defense line had actually been broken!

A group of people who had no way to retreat. The combat effectiveness they could burst out with, even if Senator Cleveland couldn’t see it, he could also imagine.

”The first defeat of the government army will ignite the resistance mood of the entire Rapa. Once a person’s ambition is drawn out, is ignited, it will be very difficult to be extinguished.”

Lance pursed his lips and shrugged. ”Until destruction.”

”The only thing I’m worried about now is that the Yalan League will get involved too early. For example, if the Jede Republic sends troops to help to suppress the rebellion, this might disrupt our plan.”

The senator frowned and thought for a moment. ”What you said is indeed possible. Do you have any solution, or rather, what do you want us to do?”

Lance leaned forward and tapped his cigarette ash. ”I hope the navy can stay in the sea area near the Jede Republic, or... to wipe out some pirates?”

”The Federation’s military movements will curb their dispersion of their domestic troops. After the situation has further deteriorated, or after they have understood something, they can be withdrawn.”

”They will always understand. They will understand why these things have happened!”

Senator Cleveland nodded. ”Yes, you are right. I will arrange this.”

”It just so happens that our new fleet has already been launched, and is just waiting to be announced.”

They would not announce this to the outside world until the negotiations had been settled, although perhaps some people had already guessed.

But to announce and not to announce are still very different.

Once it is announced, they must bear the responsibility for the safety of the shipping route, and to maintain the bilateral trade and transportation. This way, the Federation cannot openly choke them.

Now, a large amount of supplies cannot be transported, which is also a huge pressure on them.

Once they announce that the fleet has been launched, the Slad people will definitely demand that the Federation ensure the safety of the voyage, as an ally.

But they have guessed, and if the Federation itself does not admit it, they have no way.

Once this negotiation is over, and the navy is ”unbanned,” then to send some warships to cruise near Yalan would be within reason.

”Besides these, are there any other aspects where you need my help?”

Lance shook his head. ”Not for the time being.”

To mobilize the navy was already a very strong support. As long as the Jede Republic did not have military aid, Rapa would definitely be in chaos.

Senator Cleveland nodded. ”Have you considered any of the subsequent arrangements?”

”Once the Diego regime is overthrown, will the new regime, by any chance, think of replacing him?”

He said, suggestively, ”The situation in the Empire, from chaos to stability, is just because of greed at play.”

Their purpose was to make Rapa a part of the Federation, not to support a strong, new regime for Rapa that was full of potential and hope, like a rising sun.

But at the same time, this was a 100% likely situation. So many anti-government armed forces would become warlords, and then would engage in secession, in a contest. In the end, they might, under the pressure from the outside, to once again become one, to achieve unification.

At that time, Rapa would be the strongest Rapa in the past twenty years. If they were to take military action against Rapa, it would also be very difficult to win Rapa over.

Lance scratched his head. ”You don’t have to worry about this, because we have the most crucial thing in our hands...”

Senator Cleveland continued his words, ”Grain.”

”Yes, grain!” Lance once again affirmed the answer he had given. ”Now they have even eaten the grain for planting. I am having people destroy the railway transport, so that the Jede Republic’s grain cannot be transported in.”

”The famine will continue. They simply cannot solve the problem of feeding the tens of millions of people. Even if the Diego government is destroyed, they also cannot come up with enough grain to meet everyone’s demand for food.”

”People can only continue to die. And we, who have the grain, are tantamount to having the people at the very bottom of this country.”

”Be obedient, and you will have food to eat.”

”If you are disobedient...” Lance pursed his lips and did not continue.

Famine, this thing, was still a frequent occurrence in this era. In the absence of further improvement in crops, the yield of wheat per mu was only seventy or eighty kilograms, which was simply not enough for people to eat.

Once a famine occurs in a place, in an instant, hell will float up to the human world!

Every time a famine occurs, the number of deaths is in the hundreds of thousands. This great famine in Rapa might kill several million.

But the people who had created all this were not very concerned, let alone would they have any psychological burden.

So much so that Lance had even proposed to combine these elements of famine, of grain, to become an important material for controlling Rapa.

Senator Cleveland took two more puffs of his cigarette, and then he stubbed it out in the ashtray. ”You certainly won’t just have these. The second half of that report is a bit too idealistic. I want to hear your real thoughts.”

Words and plans such as ”cultivating anti-government armed forces,” ”artificially creating a famine,” ”controlling the internal affairs of other countries” and the like are certainly not to be written on a report.

This report, even if it is top-secret, has a declassification period.

The political world of the Federation has never been able to keep a secret. As long as it can be declassified, it means that in the future, this matter will be made public.

So Lance would not leave himself any obvious, written trouble.

He lowered his voice slightly. ”To be honest, I’m still considering.”

Senator Cleveland became a little interested. ”It’s rare to see you so entangled. What’s the problem? Why don’t you say it? I might be able to give you some advice.”

Lance glanced at him. ”I’m considering whether we should use the identity of a ’federal merchant,’ or the identity of a ’federal government,’ to get the support of the public.”

”I plan to, through the method of narrow-minded aid, to get their support, and then, in the name of discussion, and initiating a referendum, to have the Rapa region accept the management of the federal government. In the end, they will be assimilated, and it won’t take too long.”

Tom and the chief of staff, and also Senator Cleveland, all fell into a deep thought. ”Use your personal name!”

”Just use your name. This way, for some of the matters after you return to the country, it will also be of great help.”

A ray of light was in Senator Cleveland’s eyes. ”Your plan is definitely not like this. Can you tell me?”

He felt that this should not have been Lance’s original plan, but a subsequent modification. He had this feeling, because it was a bit rushed, or rather, not reasonable enough.

Lance smiled. ”Actually, I had considered running for president in Rapa.”

Senator Cleveland was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed. He fiercely praised Lance, ”You are a fucking guy with ideas!”

”But the feasibility of this plan is not high. After all, that is a president, and you are not a person of Rapa.”

”No country will easily let a foreigner become their ruler, even if it’s just a temporary one.”

As he spoke, he pondered for a while. ”This kind of thing, who knows?”

”Maybe hunger can make you conquer everything!”

”Anyway, I am very supportive of your plan. What we need is to open up the situation. No matter what you plan to do, it’s best to be as soon as possible.”

”We plan to end the war within two years. Counting the others, you have to solve the Rapa problem within this year.”

Lance nodded and said, ”No problem.”

This matter was considered to be over for now. After waiting for a few seconds, Lance said again, ”Besides this, there is one more thing.”

”I have acquired many mines in Rapa. I plan to register a mine management company in the Federation.”

Senator Cleveland nodded. ”That’s good. Is there any problem?”

Lance leaned back, a very defensive expression. ”I plan to, through these mines, to launder a part of my money, so the accounts of the mines will be very good-looking.”

Senator Cleveland’s eyes suddenly widened. He looked at Lance, his eyes constantly changing.

This expression had lasted for about seven or eight seconds, and only then did he frown and slightly retract his chin, and fell into a deep thought. ”You want me to be a shareholder?”

Lance was very frank. ”I believe in making money together.”

Senator Cleveland did not immediately take a stand. ”If I am a shareholder, it means that more people will have to join. Your shares will be diluted a lot.”

A careless smile appeared on Lance’s face. ”My purpose was originally just to launder money. To be able to make a little more, it just so happens to be a compensation for the losses in taxation.”

The chief of staff had already understood, but Tom still didn’t quite.

He hadn’t come into contact with much of the capital side of things, and he didn’t know the situation here.

Lance’s meaning was actually very clear. He wanted to use the mining company to launder money for himself, so he would definitely falsify the financial statements.

For example, a mine that has been abandoned, and on the mine, there is only an old gatekeeper and a dog. But in the Federation, this mining company will produce a profit of hundreds of thousands every year.

These mining companies are all owned by an asset management company, and then this company will be pushed to go public.

The financial statements are so good-looking, and the income is stable. This is many times more cost-effective than saving in a bank.

The annual dividend may be in the 20% or 30%, after all, Lance has a lot of money to launder, and it is possible that it is not just him who is laundering his own money.

This way, the stock price can be continuously pushed up, to induce some investors to buy the company’s stock.

After it has been laundered enough, they will cash out the shares in their hands, and then find an enterprise to pop this bubble, to end everything.

Every participant can make a large sum of money!

This way, Lance himself can make a sum of money, and at the same time, he can also use this kind of a ”bribery” method, to continue to strengthen his interpersonal relationships in Congress.

Such a large ”deal,” Senator Cleveland would definitely have to bring him along. This was his chance to officially enter this circle.

To use a capital pool that might be worth tens of millions, to buy this one ticket.

As for whether it was worth it?

In his opinion, it was worth it. All the capital setups are inseparable from the support of the federal government. Just like a dozen or so years ago, a company had said that it wanted to build 20,000 kilometers of railway, to cover the entire Federation.

The federal government had also stated that they were in talks with this company about related matters, which had, in an instant, made this company’s market value soar from a few hundred thousand to nearly a billion!

In the financial market, countless people were waving their banknotes, wanting to buy its stock, but simply couldn’t!

Then suddenly one day, an investigation agency had claimed that all this was just a ”scam.” Countless investors had jumped off a building, and had become the lost souls under this wealth harvest.

And behind all this, was a not-so-perfect, but definitely an intimate, cooperation between the federal capital financial groups and Congress.

If others can do it, why can’t Lance?