Empire of Shadows

Senator Porter clenched his hand to hide the fact that his hand had suddenly trembled.

The gentleman sitting opposite him seemed not to have noticed that his hand had suddenly jerked when the phone rang.

”I’ll take a call,” Senator Porter placed his hand on the phone’s receiver.

The gentleman sitting opposite him stood up, holding the armrests of his chair. ”I’ll go to the restroom.”

Then the butler, who had been standing by the door like an invisible person, proactively opened the door for him, and then, with his head slightly bowed, gestured for him to follow. ”Please go this way, sir.”

He quickly left the room, and only Senator Porter was left inside.

He picked up the phone, and slowly put it to his ear. ”This is Porter.”

”Senator, just now, an accident occurred in the demonstration march that was taking place on... street and... street. A truck crashed into them, and... took several lives.”

The person on the other end of the line was slightly breathless. Senator Porter could hear the panicked tone in his voice. One could imagine how terrible the scene was!

”What about the driver?””Was he caught?”

”Or did he have an accident?”

The person on the other end of the line was also his subordinate, whom he had arranged to monitor this demonstration. If any accident occurred, he would, just like now, report it to him immediately.

He and only three or four others were in Congress, waving flags for the ceasefire. This had no effect at all. It was also impossible for those people in Dantra to continue to invest in them.

As a politician who had already reached the pinnacle of the federal pyramid, even a declining politician, he was very clear about this.

If you want those people to continue to invest in you, you must make them feel a kind of feeling that ”if I invest a little more, I might get the result I want.”

Only when the sunk costs are constantly increasing can he continue to get benefits, profits, or something else from these people.

So, under the push of Senator Porter, that international broker, the middleman, had contacted these social activists.

After paying them a fee and promising that everything would get better, this demonstration had begun.

The civil demonstration, coupled with the voices in Congress, formed a three-dimensional push, an all-around push, which was more conducive for those who hoped to see them playing a role, to receive positive feedback.

Senator Porter was very concerned about these social activists. Some of the things that he could not easily do, some of the opinions that he could not easily express, could all be disseminated through these people.

After all, one of the social activists’ jobs is to ”speak nonsense,” to fire off wildly, but no one will think they are bad because of it.

They are very useful tools, but now, these tools were done for.

He continuously called out several names. The person on the other end of the line confirmed to him that the people he was concerned about had all died in the car accident.

One lady, although she had not died at the scene, had died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

The injuries were too severe. Almost everyone who was hit had suffered varying degrees of severe fractures. Some were also accompanied by ruptured internal organs and bleeding.

Many people think a fracture is just a broken bone, just a small matter. In some ways, this is true.

For example, a radial fracture, or a tibial fracture. These bone fractures will only cause the sharp bone to tear the muscle, and may cause a local hematoma. Besides this, they won’t cause any other serious consequences.

It’s just that when cleaning up, it might be a bit troublesome. After all, when a bone breaks, there are fragments.

But if the broken bone is a rib, a spine, or even a skull, then this kind of a fracture is fatal.

The female social activist in her thirties, who was trying to establish an image of an independent, excellent woman, had died on the way to the hospital because a rib had punctured her organ.

The scene was very bad. What was worse was that there were many reporters at the time. They had taken a large number of terrifying photos. Tomorrow, I am afraid, the entire New Golden City, and even Golden State, will be shaken by this accident.

This was probably one of the cases with the highest number of deaths caused by a traffic accident in the past decade!

Senator Porter couldn’t help but open his cigarette case, took out one, and lit it.

His desk lighter was shaped like a flying saucer. Pushing a hatch on the saucer, an alien would pop its head out and spray a flame.

The designers of these desktop lighters must have really used their brains. And these high-end, themed lighters that Senator Porter used were all handmade. There was only one of them in the whole world.

The person on the other end of the line quickly said, ”The driver has been apprehended.”

Senator Porter did not answer immediately. His thoughts, accompanied by the continuously rising smoke, seemed to have scattered to a place he himself had not noticed.

After about ten or so seconds, he finally woke up. ”If there is any further news, remember to notify me. Also, go to the police station and keep an eye on things. See if there is anyone remotely controlling this traffic accident.”

”I have a feeling that this is not a normal traffic accident.”

It was indeed so. It was too coincidental. At a specific time, in a specific location, it had hit a specific group of people.

Senator Porter knew very well the organizational ability of these social activists. Once these people died, it would be very difficult for him to find others to organize such a large group of people to participate in a parade or demonstration next time.

The purpose of this car accident was to prevent the anti-war parade and demonstration from continuing.

He had a feeling that this matter might be related to Senator Cleveland. He had no evidence to prove this, but he just had this feeling.

This was a kind of a sensory ability that a top politician possessed innately!

He put down the phone on the base, and then glanced at the butler outside the door. Not long after, the international broker returned to the seat opposite him.

”You don’t look very well,” he said, after observing Senator Porter’s expression for a while.

In fact, a person’s expression can indeed change according to their inner emotional changes. Even after some training, it is still very difficult to perfectly control one’s expression and emotions. Some flaws will always show.

Senator Porter shook his head. ”I just received news that an accident occurred in the demonstration march in New Golden City. The casualties are heavy.”

The international broker frowned. ”You think this was intentional?”

Senator Porter was a little surprised by this international broker’s keen observation and logic, who looked much younger than himself, but he did not admit it. ”The Federation is a country with sound and complete laws. Everything will be based on the investigation results of the police and the legal results.”

It was as if he had said something, but also as if he had said nothing.

The international broker smiled and did not pursue this question further. ”In fact, to a certain extent, they have also completed their work.”

Senator Porter was a little stunned, but he had to admit that he was very right.

This car accident today will definitely make New Golden City, and even the entire Golden State, turn their attention here, to the driver of this car accident, and also to those who had died.

When the media from all over reports this case, and reports on them, people will know why they were there, and what they were doing—the anti-war parade and demonstration.

Senator Porter, after thinking about it again and again, had still pushed the check on the desk back. ”I can’t promise you something I can’t do. Let’s just leave this matter as it is for now.”

For him to make such a gesture, and to say these words, meant that the international broker’s demand was something he couldn’t agree to, at least not now.

He was not planning to become more proactive before he had figured out who had made a move on those demonstrators.

The international broker was not too disappointed. He put all the materials back into his bag. ”I can’t give you these materials. You know, they are very precious, and very important.”

Senator Porter nodded repeatedly. ”Of course, you should keep them well. Maybe after a while, or after a few years, ten years, decades.”

”People will discover this problem from a corner of history, and then correct it. I believe that there will be such a day.”

After the two had shaken hands, Senator Porter had had someone send the international broker out. He was always a little restless after he had left. He certainly knew how much what he was doing was hated.

After all, he was now doing what those people he had despised the most in the past had done—going against the tide.

Going against the tide is a very stupid thing. He had always thought so. In the past few decades, especially when he was at the peak of his political power, he would also stand on Senator Cleveland’s side, and would despise and ridicule those who went against the tide.

A tide that everyone can see clearly, and you still have to stand up and oppose it. In the end, you are destined to be crushed by the waves of the times.

In the past, he had mocked the stubbornness and stupidity of the old politicians. In the end, facts had proven that he was mocking his older self.

Perhaps, Senator Cleveland will also have such a day. Anyone will, as long as they are in Congress.

At this time, he was a little uneasy. If this matter was really done by Senator Cleveland, what would he do next?

Senator Porter was an old politician who had experienced what could be called a ”bloody political” period. Politicians would send people to assassinate and frame each other. Even now, when he thought about it, he still felt a little terrified.

This was also why, later, the politicians had set an unwritten, but conventional, rule—to refuse terror politics, and to severely punish all acts of killing politicians.

Of course, this was just... an expression. If someone really did that, and had the tide of the entire era at their back, I am afraid no one would say anything.

A stone that is washed away by the wave has no right to speak.

Thinking of this, he became a little uneasy. Would they really do that?

Just as he was feeling a little panicked, the phone suddenly rang again. He immediately picked up the phone and asked, ”What is it now?”

”Aren’t you going to see your son for the last time?”

He was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to ask something else, the phone was hung up.

He tried to reconnect the call with a ”hello, hello,” but unfortunately, there was no such function now.

He began to feel afraid. He only had one son, and he was his only son, and he would be his political heir.

This person, who was actually not young, was almost forty. He was a member of the state legislature, and this was the path he had arranged.

After he had matured a little more, he could try to run for a major post in the state government, or even a congressman in the House of Representatives. This had a precedent.

Although a congressman was not a real gentleman, a congressman could serve as a springboard to become a senator.

In the Federation, it is very common for a father and son to have different political stances, so most of the things he had done would not affect his son.

So much so that his son, when necessary, could stand up and clearly oppose him, and would gain the support of Congress—think about it, a smart and excellent son even has to oppose his old father’s stupid ideas. Then how stupid would this idea be in the eyes of the public?

To sacrifice oneself and to achieve the next generation seems to have always been a kind of a tradition of the federal politicians, or rather, they wanted to inherit power as if it were wealth.

Whether it was Sidney, who had climbed up from the bottom of society, or Senator Porter, or the gentlemen in the founding oil painting and their senator descendants, president descendants, they had all been doing this.

It’s just that people didn’t know. Those voters ridiculously thought that the change of rulers and managers of this country was all because of the votes they had cast.

This was a terrible fact!

If Senator Porter had many sons, he might not have been so panicked, but he only had one son. He immediately became nervous.

He put down the phone. His hand was trembling as he dialed his son’s office number, but no one answered.

He dialed his son’s home number, and still no one answered.

When he tried to dial his son’s secretary’s office number, his hand, due to his fear, had dialed the wrong number twice in a row.

With a loud curse, he had fiercely slammed the phone down!

The butler, startled by the sound, immediately pushed the door open. ”Master, what’s wrong?”

Seeing the butler appear, his mood seemed to have improved a little. ”Prepare the car. I need to go to the state legislature.”

The phone wasn’t working. He didn’t know who to call. He could only go to the scene and have a look, and hope that this wasn’t true, that this was just a prank someone was playing to scare him.

Looking at Senator Porter, whose expression had lost control, the butler immediately realized the seriousness of the matter. While answering, he quickly ran out, and at the same time, called for people.

Soon, Senator Porter had gotten into his car. A bodyguard was driving a car behind him.

He could have actually waited a little, waited for more bodyguards to gather, but he couldn’t wait any longer.

He knew that he wouldn’t die, because this was an iron law. Unless the entire Congress, besides him, besides these few people, had all unanimously agreed.

It was like that time when the president was assassinated. Congress had remained silent all along. Without the permission of Congress, the assassin wouldn’t even know the president’s itinerary and route, and wouldn’t know when he would appear where.

He didn’t believe that the entire Congress was excluding him. He had just done a very ordinary thing. He hadn’t even substantially harmed the interests of the other senators!

They couldn’t, and shouldn’t, do this!

At this time, he was regretful in his heart. He shouldn’t have, for the sake of the benefits that those people had promised him, done these stupid things that he himself knew. He regretted it immensely, and hoped that God would forgive him this one time!

The speed of the two cars was very fast. There were two roads to get to the state legislature from where they were. When they had taken the first road, they had found that there was road construction, so they had chosen the second one.

The moment they had turned into the second road, right at the corner of the street, there would inevitably be a small gap between the two cars. A car had, taking advantage of the situation, pulled in.

The bodyguard in the second car had honked the horn a few times. The car in front seemed to have not noticed that it had cut in, and was still driving at a steady speed.

And the car in front, Senator Porter’s vehicle, was rapidly pulling away from them.

After entering another road, the driver in the cab seemed to have found that something was not right. ”The car behind us is constantly following us.”

Senator Porter turned his head and looked through the glass behind the car. A car he didn’t recognize. This had made his heart start to race. ”Where are our men?”

The driver shook his head. ”I don’t know. When I found out, the car behind had already changed to another one.”

Senator Porter’s expression became even more uneasy. ”Speed up. Get to the state legislature as soon as possible.”

As long as they got to the state legislature, they certainly wouldn’t dare to commit a crime at the entrance.

But the next second, the car in front suddenly slammed on the brakes, which caused Senator Porter’s car to violently crash into it. In the midst of the fierce collision, Senator Porter felt a force deep in his chest, fiercely clenching his heart!

He felt as if his heart was about to stop beating!

Then, two people had walked out from the side of the road, and had thrown red paint onto the car.

The red paint had, in an instant, made them lose all their vision. The entire car was plunged into darkness.

Then, something, which he didn’t know what it was, had suddenly fallen from the sky and had fiercely smashed onto the roof of the car. The roof, after letting out a violent sound, was clearly dented in a large section.

Then the window glass was smashed with a blunt object, and then two things were thrown in from the outside.

Senator Porter screamed and tried to throw away the two warm and wet things. Because the paint had been splashed, the light inside the car was not good. He hadn’t seen what they were.

After a while, everything seemed to have quieted down. The sound of the bodyguard outside the car came.

Only at this time did the driver push open the door and get out, letting out a sigh of relief. ”Master, they have already left.”

As the others also opened the car doors, the environment inside the car became brighter. When Senator Porter saw the bodies of two poodles by his side, he had, once again, let out a piercing scream!

It was a pity that this was not an opera house. No one would cheer or applaud his scream.

Those were his pets.

Their heads had been smashed with a hammer, their fur had been cut open with a knife, and they had been thrown, bloody, into his arms.

His mind was on the verge of collapsing!