Empire of Shadows

”The State Legislature should also be included.”

Governor Terry, after some deliberation, said these words.

Although the State Legislature, in essence, is subordinate to the Governor, they do indeed have their own irreplaceable work and content.

They can’t be on par with Congress and the President, but they also have things that only they can do.

And the Governor is always changing, but the seats in the State Legislature do not change much.

The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, one has been re-elected for eight years, and the other for ten, and they will continue to be re-elected until the next successor, who is recognized by all, appears. Only then will they ”sadly” leave their current jobs.

Of course, this ”sadness” is all an act for the voters, after all, they are really voting.

From a short-term perspective, in the next four or six years, it is unlikely that the two speakers of the state legislature will leave this position.

At the same time, the forces they represent will not, because of their departure, collapse. On the contrary, after the new successor comes to power, they will continue to consolidate this force.

Listening to Governor Terry’s words, Lance still felt a little bit of emotion in his heart.People all say that the Federation is a country full of freedom, as if every place here is filled with the fragrance and sweetness of freedom.

Power comes from the people. It sounds, it looks, as if it is really like this. People cast their votes for the politicians they think are suitable, and then these people become government officials, to rule them.

But in fact, everyone who has participated in this game knows what is going on.

A ridiculous ”political scam,” just like at this very moment, people think that the transfer of positions in the state legislature should have something to do with the voters.

After Governor Terry had finished speaking, he looked at Lance. Lance nodded, ”Alright, the state legislature is related to the legislative issues of the local laws. We need to firmly control the state legislature, at least not to let it get out of control.”

This meant that the two speakers had to be added, and the number of people began to increase.

Mayor Williams then said, ”It can’t be all politicians. This is not in line with the development and prospects of an interest group. We also need to absorb some capital.”

Capital, at a time like this, is like a piece of butter, which plays a lubricating role. And with capital, the transfer of interests will be more complete, and the unity of the entire interest group will be even tighter.

Lance did not object either. ”We can pick some and ask for their opinions. If they don’t object to ’teaming up’ with us, then we’ll pull them in.”

The ”teaming up” here should actually mean a ”party,” but a party is too... serious, so to call it teaming up is clearly more appropriate.

Mayor Williams and Governor Terry both understood what he meant. William also.

Then Lance said, suggestively, ”Actually, we don’t need too many local forces to join in. Once any such political group is formed, the power will permeate from top to bottom. Even if we haven’t arranged these peripheral members in various places,”

”They will also, with the gradual improvement of our organizational structure, take the initiative to fill in this framework.”

”We still need some solid and reliable ’locals’!” he said, looking at the three old men. ”Just like the Lawrence family.”

”Our control over Likalai State is not just from the underworld, the government, the capital, and the market, but also needs a greater social influence.”

Mayor Williams suddenly said, ”Maybe we can have a chat with Governor Wade. The Wade family is also a prestigious family in Likalai State. Although their main members have already moved away, their roots will not.”

”We can annex or absorb a part of their remaining forces, to increase our own bargaining chips.”

When he had said the title ”Governor Wade,” he was clearly a little envious. The election results for the governor of every state in the Federation had already been announced, and there was no exception for any state.

According to the relevant laws of the federal gubernatorial election, as long as the governor did not, after winning the election, suddenly die or be assassinated, then the result must come out before the Harvest Festival, to avoid the election from affecting the Harvest Festival.

From this, it can be seen how high the status of the Harvest Festival is in the hearts of the federal people—

There is actually a not-so-funny joke here. Among the dark-skinned people, there is a part of the extreme dark-skinned people, who call the Harvest Festival the ”Suffering Festival,” and have publicly stated that they refuse to celebrate it.

They will gather to parade and demonstrate on the day of the Harvest Festival. And the reason is that when slavery had not yet been abolished, the Harvest Festival was the largest slave-trading festival.

A large batch of slaves who had been captured would be sold on this day. At the same time, the farm owners would also arrange for the strong slaves on their farms to please them, at the cost of their lives.

Arranging for the slaves to fight with beasts, or to have them do some very strenuous work, such as a strongman or something.

The federal mainland’s white devils were all laughing heartily. Only they, these dark-skinned people, were in agony. They believed that they should remember this date, and also the deep, indelible pain that this day had brought to their ancestors!

The protest of these dark-skinned people was only a part, and their protest could not shake the arrangement of the entire federal festival.

As one of the three largest farm owners, and also one of the slave owners, in Likalai State in the past, the Wade family had left many resources here.

The departure of their members did not mean that these resources could also be taken away by them. Now these resources were clearly in a state of ”ownerless.”

They did not belong to anyone, but directly to themselves. If they could secure this portion of the resources through Governor Wade’s support, it would serve as both a supplement and a benefit to them.

Lance thought for a moment, and felt that there was no problem with this proposal. ”I will talk to Governor Wade.”

When the election results had come out, he had already given Governor Wade a call, and they had agreed to meet in early November.

After Governor Wade had won the election, it meant that many of Lance’s projects could also be promoted in Indeno State. His goal was within six months, to completely control the liquor market and the underworld of Indeno State, and then to further advance towards the South Yanan State’s side, to prepare for the subsequent search for Christopher.

Then they had respectively supplemented some of the topics, and had each nominated some candidates. Although the three old men had not spoken much, William’s opinion was their opinion.

”We are planning to form the Lawrence Commercial Group,” William took the initiative to talk about this matter, and the gazes of the others had also focused.

They wouldn’t, just because William was just a mayor of an insignificant small city, look down on him. Who had asked his daughter to be Lance’s wife?

And the Lawrence Farm, in the impression of Likalai State, was indeed extraordinary. If they were to lose them, it would be a heavy blow to the entire interest group.

On the other hand, having the votes and control of the Lawrence Farm faction could play a stabilizing role for the entire group.

According to William, as the Lawrence Farm grew wealthier, the three old men continued to expand its operations, making it larger and more prosperous by the day.

They were annexing the surrounding small farms. At the same time, the small farms that were further away would also be attached to the Lawrence Farm, and would form their vassals.

This was a huge economic system. Perhaps in the eyes of many, this place was just producing some grain and livestock, but these things were enough to have a huge impact on the grain prices in Likalai State.

Not to mention, there were countless people who were working for them.

In the past, the Lawrence Farm had only had some agricultural product supermarkets in the surrounding cities. They had put their own things in these supermarkets of their own brands to sell to the public, which could also be considered an old, local brand of Likalai State.

But as their current scale was getting larger and larger, some of the people in the family believed that they should also establish a more complete, and more complete like a group company, to stably develop the family’s business content.

This was almost a problem that every family had to face in the process of its development and growth. From a makeshift operation, to a group, and to a regularized development.

William and his group had clearly already made a lot of plans and research, and had a clear direction.

In this regard, Lance did not object either. ”If there is any need, you can tell me.”

”Whether it’s in terms of funds or other aspects, there is no problem.”

A smile had appeared on the faces of the three old men. This was also the matter they were most concerned about now. After all, this thing, the distillery, was Lance’s, and not completely their own.

If one day the profits of the distillery had declined, or if Lance was no longer producing these liquors here, then their profits would rapidly decline, and they would return to their past lives.

A person who has made a lot of money, will find it very difficult to go back to the days of making small money in the past. So they had discussed it, and had taken this opportunity, to let the entire Lawrence family embark on a path of regular development.

The few of them had then supplemented some of the candidates. These candidates were all the local dignitaries, or celebrities, of Likalai State, or were relatively well-known capitalists.

This discussion had lasted until the evening.

In the evening, the Lawrence Farm had, as usual, held a grand bonfire party. The cowboys and the farmers from the surroundings had all gathered here. Everyone’s face had a smile from the bottom of their heart.

Ever since the situation of the Lawrence Farm had gotten better, their lives had also, along with it, undergone a huge change.

In the past, after they had planted their own crops, and had fed their own livestock, they could only go to the nearby towns to find some temporary work.

These jobs were not only unstable, but their income would also not be very high.

The life of a farmer was actually not as good as those in the cities had imagined. The reason why those in the city thought that the life in the countryside was very good was mainly because they had brought in the life of the large farm owners, not the life of an ordinary farm.

To plant, to raise livestock, and to deal with cow dung. These things were not only not romantic, but you also couldn’t earn much money.

But with the Lawrence Farm starting to become rich, the lives of these nearby farmers had undergone a huge change.

Many of them had directly transferred their own farms, and farmsteads, to the Lawrence family, and then they had, on the farm, worked for the Lawrence family.

Whether it was planting or raising livestock, they were doing the same work that they had originally had to do. Now not only could they eat for free, but if they were injured or sick, they also didn’t need to spend their own money. And at the end of the month, there was also an income.

No wonder when the Federal President had announced that slavery was abolished, some of the slaves had shown a desperate expression—their iron rice bowl was gone.

After the end of slavery, they had to prepare their own clothes, their own food, and if they were injured or sick, they also had to spend their own money to see a doctor. The most important point was, they might also be unemployed.

In the era of slavery, this was simply impossible!

They felt that they had been set up by capital!

Now, in the Lawrence family’s farm, some were enjoying the benefits that were only available in the slavery system.

If anyone in the family had become a cowboy on the farm, then their income would be even higher.

Especially those cowboys who were carrying a gun. Their monthly income was as high as 70 or 80. Some of the particularly elite, old cowboys, their income had all exceeded 100.

The huge profits brought by the liquor had not only changed everything about the Lawrence family, but had also changed the people who lived around them, and had also radiated to more people.

This was the influence of the big families, the big enterprises, the big factories, on the local social environment in this era of the Federation!

Once these big families had some mishaps, it would often mean that at least a few thousand or tens of thousands of people would lose their jobs in a short time.

To make sure their own livelihoods wouldn’t be ruined by the affairs of the great families, these people actively chose to support them.

Sometimes people will find some very strange things, especially in this period.

Some factories, after going bankrupt and entering liquidation, faced resistance from their own workers. Armed with their tools, the workers would block outsiders from entering the premises—and sometimes, things even turned violent.

To some observers, it seemed ironic. These very people who had long been exploited and oppressed were now sympathizing with their oppressors. Many among them felt powerless, as if they were born only to be used—human mines, meant to be dug until empty.

But in truth, losing that job—especially during a time of economic depression—could mean a complete collapse of their family’s future.

Whether they were factory workers in the city or farmers in the countryside, they all understood one thing: how to protect their own means of survival.

The farmers were, with their hands, carrying baskets. In them were the food and fruits that they considered to be the most delicious, and also some of the meat products, such as ham.

They would, with great enthusiasm, walk to the side of these visitors, and then would take out the food in their baskets that they thought was the best, and would hand it to these people.

As long as you didn’t worry about the hygiene of this food, then you could eat all kinds of delicacies here.

For Governor Terry, Mayor Williams, and James, who had lived in the city for a long time, this was full of something that they had never come into contact with before!

Mayor Williams sat beside old man Herbert, watching the crowd sing and dance around the bonfire. With a trace of emotion in his voice, he said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a scene like this—ever since the Williams family donated their land to the Federation.”

In truth, when he was a child, Mayor Williams had rarely seen any large farms. By then, most of their family’s land had already been turned into a city under development. Only a small portion of the farm, on the western edge of Golden Port City, remained.

Later, the family devoted all their energy to managing the city, and those remaining farms naturally became political bargaining chips—eventually merged into the expanding Golden Port.

It could be said that the present-day Golden Port City was built upon the foundations of the Williams family’s land—though, to be fair, a portion had once belonged to the Wade family as well.

Before the Wades left Golden Port, their standing had been slightly higher than the Williamses’. This wasn’t because their land contributed more to the city’s foundation, but simply because, in its prime, the Wade Farm had been far larger.

At its height, it was said that more than twenty thousand slaves worked the Wade Farm and its factories. Yet when emancipation finally came, barely fifteen thousand were found.

That was also why the Williams family remained one of the most renowned and respected lineages in Golden Port City—after all, the city itself stood upon their soil.

When people grow old, they inevitably find themselves reminiscing about the past. For Mayor Williams, those carefree childhood days on the farm were likely the happiest time of his life.

Now, as he watched the smiling faces around the bonfire—their laughter flickering in the firelight—he couldn’t help but think back to those golden days of his youth.

”When I retire in two years, I might find a new piece of land, and build a farm myself.”

Herbert had taken the initiative to invite, ”What’s the point of you living alone?”

”If I’m not wrong, your son James will definitely inherit those things of yours in the city, and your younger son, I’m not very familiar with, so it’s not good to make a judgment.”

”As for your brothers and sisters or other relatives, I think they would prefer to be able to live in the city.”

Mayor Williams nodded. ”Although I’m not willing to admit it, you are not wrong at all.”

This was perhaps some of the changes brought about by wealth. People were no longer willing to suffer in the countryside. They were more willing to get better living conditions and an environment, which was to live in the rich district of the city.

Herbert continued, ”Then you might as well just move over and live with us!”

”If you are willing to do some farm work, I can have them find a piece of land for you. No matter what you want to do, there’s no problem.”

”If you don’t plan to do any farm work, and just want to enjoy the country life, there’s also no problem.”

”We will have two hunting activities every year. On normal holidays, it’s just like now. You’ve seen it. People will be here for a bonfire party.”

”I promise you won’t have any burdens here!”

”You can raise your own horse, and then ride it to go hunting, or just to take a walk.”

”When you feel that this place is too boring, you can also go back to the city.”

”Lance has built a railway nearby. It’s very convenient for us to go to the city now!”

Mayor Williams was a little moved. This was perhaps the pastoral life he had been yearning for.

”Thank you for your invitation. I will seriously consider it.”