Empire of Shadows

Congress’s response to the plan submitted by Lance to dismember all of Rapa was described by some Senators using one phrase:

A high-precision surgical operation. It dismantled Rapa into a pile of fragments with almost no superfluous effort and then neatly placed those fragments on a tray for people to view, observe, and assess.

Once these negotiations were completely finished, the Federal government would, in effect, completely take over Rapa, but to the outside world, Rapa would maintain its independence.

Ten years from now, twenty years from now, the politically awakened Rapan public would rise up. Active social activists would search for evidence from all sides to prove that Rapa was an inseparable part of the Federation!

The Rapan people, awakened to democracy and liberty, would demand a national referendum to decide whether they were Rapan or Federal citizens.

This entire operation could be called ”art” because it involved absolutely no use of military intimidation, no gunfire, no shelling; everything would be completed in silence.

To ensure the interests of both Lance himself and the Federal government, the Rapa government would retain very little power.

Nominally, of course, they were only authorizing Federal officials to take charge, and the local government was responsible only for supervision and necessary reclamation of power.

But everyone understood this was just a facade to placate ”outsiders,” much like when your girlfriend asks if she’s beautiful, and whether she’s prettier than those stunning vixens.

When you say she’s beautiful, it’s certainly not just because she’s genuinely pretty.Lance did not go into detail with the three ambassadors; he merely told them that if they wanted to align with the Federation, they had to be prepared to fully transfer all authority into Federal hands.

In return, their privileged class—the officials, capitalists—would forever maintain their lead over everyone else during the great transformation of their country.

Whether in terms of opportunity or anything else, these individuals would remain prominent and live far more comfortably than they did now!

However, these promises weren’t easily persuasive, and besides, the ambassadors couldn’t make the final decision themselves.

That evening, everyone enjoyed a lavish dinner at Ambassador Cassia’s home, but Lance could see that some guests were clearly distracted.

So, he left shortly after dinner concluded.

As he was leaving, the Ambassador of Makan proactively approached him, bending over outside Lance’s car and leaning down to look at Lance, who was already seated inside. ”Mr. Lance, our President is very interested in... joining the Federal family.”

”Furthermore, I do not think the conditions you mentioned are excessive. Could we arrange a time to discuss this in greater depth?”

Makan was eager to align with the Federation because they were right next to the Jede Republic.

Had it not been for the sudden outbreak of war and the Federation’s revealed intention to penetrate the Yalan region, the Jede Republic might already have moved to annex Makan.

It was precisely because the relationship between the Federation and the Yalan region had grown tense that Makan had not yet been invaded by the Jede Republic.

In this world, nothing is absolute. The President of the Jede Republic might symbolize resurgence and greatness to his own people.

But to the nations surrounding them, he was a dangerous ruler; they risked being annexed at any time.

They preferred to align with the Federation rather than be swallowed by the Jede Republic. At least the Federation would help them develop their economy or other sectors, while the Jede Republic would only bring endless demands and plunder.

Lance nodded slightly. He pulled out a business card and handed it over. ”This is the phone number for the Senator’s secretary’s office. You can call this number, explain the situation, and the Senator will arrange for someone to contact you.”

The Makan Ambassador was surprised. ”Aren’t you... responsible for our affairs?”

Lance smiled a little more. ”I apologize, but I don’t directly handle the situation in Makan. However, if you encounter any difficulties, and the Senator’s office yields no results, you may contact me.”

”Provided I find your position and purpose acceptable, I will find a way to communicate with the Senator on your behalf.”

The Ambassador considered this, took the small card from Lance, and retreated two steps. ”Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Lance. I wish you a pleasant evening.”

Lance nodded again in acknowledgment, rolled up the window, and the motorcade slowly departed from Ambassador Cassia’s villa.

When the Makan Ambassador returned to the room, the other two ambassadors were speaking with Ambassador Cassia.

They stopped talking the moment they saw the Makan Ambassador enter.

One of them asked, ”Have you made a decision?”

The Makan Ambassador nodded. ”We have no other choice. The domestic economic situation is terrible right now, and the rest goes without saying.”

”Barring any accidents, we will soon approach the Federal government regarding the delegation of authority.”

The Ambassador he was speaking with quietly said, ”But that requires giving up your authority and withdrawing from the Yalan Alliance.”

The Makan Ambassador shrugged indifferently. ”So what?”

”Can things get any worse than they are now?”

The two looked at each other, silent.

The situation in some countries was so bad it couldn’t get any worse. Aligning with the Federation wouldn’t make things worse, so why not give it a try?

The room suddenly fell silent, save for the faint sound of their brains rapidly turning.

Lance had originally planned to return to Golden Port City, but unexpectedly, the boxing matches came to him.

The reason was that Ethan had carved out his own niche in the boxing world over the past two years.

”Steel Fist” was his current boxing nickname, describing the terrifying destructive power in his punches!

Since winning the super-middleweight title, he had moved up to heavyweight and his ranking was very high.

He no longer needed to prove his ability to gain acceptance; he had become a top contender in the industry.

On May 2nd, a boxing match featuring Ethan was scheduled in the New Golden City. His opponent was the seventh-ranked ”Skull Crusher,” a well-rounded boxer whom professional assessors believed had a chance to challenge for the heavyweight title within three to four years.

The organizers offered a total appearance fee of $170,000 for the two boxers, with Ethan receiving $70,000.

This number could have been higher if his coach had demanded it, which the sponsors certainly wouldn’t have refused.

However, Ethan didn’t instruct his coaching team to raise the price. For Ethan right now, to fight the seventh-ranked heavyweight boxer, the opponent might not agree easily.

Since he was getting the match and $70,000, why complain?

Thus, the match was set. Promotion began two weeks in advance, and the sponsor company’s betting division started accepting wagers from around the world.

They were investing approximately $180,000 to $200,000 to host this match, meaning they certainly expected to gain far more than $170,000 in profit; otherwise, it would be a huge loss!

However, they were highly unlikely to lose, as public enthusiasm was soaring, and the operation and promotion were excellent.

Ringside tickets had been hyped up to several hundred dollars apiece, and even ordinary seats near the wall cost several dozen dollars.

Everyone wanted to see Ethan perform in the ring. Unlike those ”soft” boxers, he was now showcasing an extreme personal style: heavy-fisted brawling.

Watching his matches always caused adrenaline to surge wildly, giving the audience the ultimate viewing pleasure!

Over the two weeks of promotion, total wagers from around the world exceeded $50 million before the match even started. The sponsoring company stood to make a net profit of at least $1.5 million to $2 million.

Moreover, the closer it got to the match time, the more numerous and frantic the bets became.

Lance was certainly aware of the match in the New Golden City, though not because he proactively sought it out. Others reminded him, discussing the event, which was how he learned Ethan was fighting, and right there in the New Golden City.

While getting a ticket was difficult for others, especially for good seats, for Lance, it was just a phone call away.

On the evening of May 2nd, after paying for his tickets, Lance and his people took seats in the front row—privileged spots reserved by the event organizers for contingencies.

This was also a promotional tactic, as in almost all sporting events, the first two rows were often filled with celebrities from all walks of life.

As long as these celebrities were influential enough and famous enough, they were sure to attract people who wouldn’t normally be interested in the sport to start paying attention.

As Lance took his seat in the front row, many eyes focused on him. Some recognized him and greeted him, while others, unfamiliar with him, were simply curious about why he was seated so close to the action.

The time quickly reached 7:45 PM. With fifteen minutes until the match began, the two fighters started their entrance.

The flashing lights and neon signs elevated the audience’s emotions. Accompanied by the host’s roar, ”Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome the hardest fist and man the boxing world has ever seen, the challenger charging toward the peak, Ethan!”

As the host pointed toward the entrance tunnel, spotlights instantly gathered there.

Ethan, wearing shorts adorned with numerous logos, walked out of the tunnel, already accustomed to the audience’s attention and frenzy.

Spectators on both sides of the stands shrieked and reached out to him. To get closer to their idol, they specifically bought tickets near the sides of the tunnel!

Ethan spread his arms, bumping fists with the audience along the sides of the tunnel, which triggered even louder screams and cheers!

Lance watched Ethan’s composed demeanor with satisfaction. At least he was successful now.

Even if Ethan were to leave the entire family one day, he could still live very well in the Federation, and affluently at that.

As long as he won a few golden belts and championship titles, he would never lack money for the rest of his life.

Ethan’s current team was also completely different from before. The coach was the same, but he had more people accompanying him. With some time before the match, the coach was still on the floor, going over strategy with Ethan.

As he listened, Ethan’s eyes found Lance. His face instantly lit up with surprise, and ignoring whatever his coach was rambling about, he walked straight toward Lance.

Lance also put down his crossed leg and stood up.

”Sorry, I can’t hug you right now. I don’t want to stain your clothes!”

Ethan was covered in a special kind of oil that acted as a lubricant.

Boxing gloves themselves were relatively smooth. If a punch landed on a body covered in this lubricant, unless the angle was perfect, the punch might slide off. It was a form of gaining an edge.

The Boxing Association likely knew about this but didn’t enforce rules against it, as everyone was doing it.

Furthermore, oiling the fighters made the match more visually appealing.

Sweat would continuously roll down their bodies, and the muscle definition looked even more spectacular under the lights. This played a key role in promoting the boxer’s positive image.

Moreover, these lubricants had other effects. Some boxers’ oils contained pain-relieving ingredients, acting as a topical anesthetic absorbed through the skin.

The development of sports competition was essentially a contest of cheating versus anti-cheating.

The oil on Ethan’s body contained some analgesic components, not because his coach was cheating, but because everyone was doing it!

However, he heard that the Boxing Alliance was starting to consider banning the use of oils with pain-relieving components, which might be a good thing.

Lance smiled and bumped fists with him. ”How long will it take you to finish him?”

At that moment, his opponent was walking in from the other tunnel, and his supporters were also screaming hysterically. The atmosphere instantly intensified.

Skull Crusher looked very strong and was a classic older Federal fighter: broad-boned, large physique, with a somewhat cold look in his eyes.

Ethan glanced sideways at Skull Crusher, grinned, and showed his white teeth. ”I’ll take him out in three rounds!”

The coach walked over. ”You need to get on the stage now.”

Ethan frowned but quickly relaxed. ”Wait for me, I want to talk properly after the match. I haven’t seen you all in a while! Elvin said you were very busy!”

Lance nodded. ”Yes, very busy. We’ll talk after your match.”

Ethan quickly returned to the ring. Out of politeness, he touched gloves with his opponent, then returned to his corner.

The coach repeatedly instructed him on tactics, making him repeat them until he was satisfied that Ethan had truly memorized the strategy.

For this match, they had watched recordings of most of the opponent’s heavyweight fights, analyzing his strengths and weaknesses.

However, given Ethan’s style, he was highly unlikely to follow their tactical plan.

After the announcer finished reading all the introductions, the referee stepped onto the stage and motioned for both fighters to leave their corners.

Then the bell rang. The first round began!