Empire of Shadows

”Lance, let me introduce you. These are my new friends!” Barbara proactively took Lance’s arm and led him over to a group of young people.

Barbara truly possessed an exceptional talent for socializing, and now, as a major star, her social advantage was even stronger—it was the source of her confidence and courage in social settings.

Lance smiled and greeted the young people before him. These youngsters had been brought by their parents to gain experience. Tonight’s gathering included not only domestic socialites and high-ranking officials but also several foreigners.

This was highly beneficial for broadening these young people’s horizons. Perhaps one day in the future, they might have to independently navigate similar events.

At that time, they would not be intimidated because they had experienced these settings before.

This was the reason why people from different social classes encountered different situations at every stage of their development, and why they ultimately pursued two completely different paths.

The children of these high-ranking officials and dignitaries received the most elite education from birth. Their uncles and aunts were either senior government officials or social celebrities.

The society they interacted with was the highest echelon of the community.

With every passing year of growth, they widened the distance between themselves and the bottom of society.

This was a despairing process—a process that drove the bottom of society to despair.There was a saying in the Federation: ”No nobility is born in the Lower Districts!”

This statement was perfectly accurate. No nobility was indeed born in the Lower Districts. At every stage of development, those children fell far behind, a gap that could never be closed.

While children from the Lower Districts were dating, fighting, skipping class, and engaging in mischief in public high schools,

The children of the upper class were already attending high-level government dinners and events, broadening their perspectives and gaining experience.

The young people in the group were very well-mannered. After all, those brought by their parents to gain experience were unlikely to be rude or ill-tempered individuals.

They might not be geniuses, but they at least knew to restrain their true emotions and thoughts in such settings.

They all greeted Lance warmly and talked about some of the films Barbara had starred in.

”If you are interested in film, you could come and observe the filming process up close. You might gain some unique insights.”

The young people seemed enthusiastic about Lance’s suggestion. For them, academic performance held little practical significance. Their education and family background ensured that even if they scored zero on every exam, they would still receive invitations to elite alliance universities due to their ”excellent personal qualities.”

Therefore, at this stage, having fun was paramount.

The young people discussed visiting Creek Valley City when the weather warmed up, and some even considered making cameo appearances in a film. Lance readily agreed to all their suggestions.

The young people were also very tactful. After chatting with Lance and Barbara for a while, they excused themselves, not monopolizing their time.

Once the young people left, Barbara looked at Lance’s profile and asked, ”Are you preoccupied with something?”

Lance shook his head. ”What could I be preoccupied with?”

Barbara reached out and stroked his cheek. ”I can feel that you are very unhappy right now.”

Lance looked at her, slightly surprised. ”Are you a medium?”

”Can you guess my thoughts?”

Barbara smiled with a hint of pride. ”Because I took acting lessons... What is that look for?”

Lance himself had hired the acting coach for Barbara to ensure her smooth progress in the film industry.

The results were clear: her acting was at least passable, and in some areas she excelled at, she could score as high as eighty points.

This was directly related to her talent and hard work.

”My acting teacher taught me how to express my inner world and feelings through subtle facial expressions and my eyes when discussing changes in emotional expressions.”

”He had me observe the facial changes of many people when their emotions shifted. Initially, I couldn’t see it; those people looked perfectly calm.”

”I couldn’t discern any emotional change from their faces, expressions, or eyes.”

”But the more I studied it, the more I gradually realized that even when someone appears emotionless, there is still a slight difference.”

”The corners of your mouth are turned slightly downward, which is different from when you arrived, when they were slightly upturned. That means your mood is low right now.”

”So... is there anything I can help you with?”

Lance looked somewhat amazed. ”Your observation is very detailed. It seems you really have talent. Perhaps you will become one of the most remarkable actresses in the Federation.”

Barbara’s face lit up with pleasure at the compliment. ”I hope that day truly comes. They always say my first Best Actress award was because of...” She glanced at Lance. Although she didn’t say the reason out loud, Lance could read the unspoken words.

”You will succeed. You work harder than anyone, and you have more talent. There’s no reason not to succeed.”

Barbara nodded. ”I believe it completely!”

She paused. ”So, about your mood?”

Lance laughed slightly. ”Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. It won’t affect me.”

”This dinner is also an opportunity for you. If there’s anyone you’d like to meet, we can go over.”

Barbara was instantly tempted. There were indeed people she wanted to meet, but she hadn’t found a reason to approach them earlier. After all, she was likely the only outsider here, while everyone else seemed to know one another. Approaching a group of strangers was awkward.

Now that Lance was here, she could realize some of her earlier intentions.

For the next while, Lance introduced Barbara to some people she wanted to meet. People were also willing to talk to Lance and exchange a few words with his companion.

Lance’s presence here signified he was no ordinary person; like everyone else here, he had a deep background, making them all peers.

Since they were peers, the class barriers were minimal. Even if they were strangers, they could start with self-introductions from either side, thus becoming acquainted.

The dinner was highly successful. The foreign diplomats were the absolute core of the event. Lance didn’t have much in common with them, only managing a brief greeting before moving on.

He saw no need to force a conversation with them; being overly persistent would only make him look desperate. Thus, he confined his socializing to the periphery.

Around 10:00 PM, the event concluded. This was considered early for such a major social gathering, given that the armistice agreement was being formally signed at the Presidential Palace the next morning. Everyone needed to ensure they got basic sleep.

Lance returned to his estate with Barbara. His mood was indeed poor that night. After handling some immediate work, he returned to his room and lay in bed, thinking about things.

Unbeknownst to him, as he drifted toward sleep, he thought he heard someone push open the door.

His hand went under the pillow, grasping the weapon kept there.

In his room, near the bedside, there were at least five handguns and other items, all ready to allow him to counterattack immediately if an intruder was detected.

Just as he was about to shoot, Barbara’s voice came from the dimly lit room. ”Are you here?”

”I can smell you!”

Lance did not release the handgun. He turned on the bedside lamp, placed the gun under the blanket, and squinted at Barbara, who was wearing a nightgown. ”What’s wrong?”

”Can’t sleep?”

”Or did you have a nightmare?”

Barbara’s face looked flushed. She was not carrying a weapon, nor did she have any place to conceal one.

The trope of pulling grenades out of one’s crotch was, after all, only artistic creation, not reality.

Lance safely put the handgun away. He looked at Barbara with confusion.

Barbara walked to the edge of the bed and sat down. Just by being close, Lance could smell the alcohol on her. ”Did you drink?”

Barbara nodded. She kept touching her cheeks, which felt warm, and her heart was racing. ”I have a little insomnia. I met so many celebrities tonight, and I talked with them, and even exchanged contact information with some. I’m a little too excited!”

”So I thought I’d have some wine. Don’t they always say that a little drink helps us sleep when we can’t?”

”But for some reason, after having some wine, I feel even less able to sleep.”

Lance looked somewhat helpless. ”Because alcohol speeds up your blood circulation and increases your heart rate. You didn’t drink enough.”

”If you drank more, it would start affecting your nerves, making you drowsy, and you would eventually drift off to sleep without noticing.”

He implied that drinking a little was only ”stimulating.” To solve insomnia with alcohol, one needed to drink quite a bit more.

Under the warm bedside lamp, Barbara gazed at Lance’s face somewhat obsessively. In truth, she hadn’t been this eager initially, but after drinking, she felt an intense internal itch.

This itch felt like it was in her bones, deep in her soul—an itch so strong it made her want relief, yet she had no easy way to scratch it.

At least, she couldn’t resolve the itch herself, so she had come over.

Today had been truly eye-opening for her. Previously, meeting even the Mayor was a difficult feat.

But today, she had met the President, the Secretary of State, some officials from the Ministry of Defense, and well-known Senators!

Power was not just an aphrodisiac for men; it was one for women too!

A low moan, which she hadn’t even realized she was making, escaped her throat. Like a thirsty person spotting what they craved, she instinctively uttered a sound of desire.

She stood up, looked at Lance, and unbuttoned her nightgown.

The dress-like nightgown instantly fell to the floor, exposing her body completely.

Her body was flushed pink, a sign of health. Lance could see the small goosebumps forming on her skin from the sudden contact with the slightly cooler air.

At the same time, a strange scent slowly began to permeate the air. She walked toward Lance, cupped his cheeks, and whispered against his face, ”F me.*”

Lance stared into her eyes for a moment. After a brief silence, he tossed her onto the bed.

She lay there, giggling, seemingly encountering something joyful and happy.

Her laughter soon turned into song, at times high-pitched, at others low and melodious.

It was a night of happiness that defied description.

The next morning, when Lance woke up, Barbara was still lying in bed. She slept the same way Patricia did, liking to clamp her legs around him or press down on him.

Patricia had told him they often slept together when they were children. Since they were the only girls their age on the farm, it was normal for them to have similar habits in certain areas.

Lance moved her leg aside, turned, and sat up. He checked the time, rubbed his head, and slowly got out of bed.

By 8:30 AM, he was already sitting in the dining room reading the newspaper, but Barbara hadn’t emerged yet.

She was a lazy girl. This was the life she wanted: glamorous, vain, under the spotlight, and without needing hard work. In a way, she had gotten what she wished for.

At 10:00 AM, at the Presidential Palace, the three nations formally signed the armistice agreement, bringing the entire war to a temporary close.

When the President announced via broadcast to all Federal citizens that ”The war is over, and we have won!” the streets outside the Presidential Palace filled with countless people screaming, cheering, and tossing their hats into the air!

This war had brought too many changes to the world and the country. People longed for the war to end, and if possible, for victory. Fortunately, both were achieved!

All Federal stocks surged instantly. Without a doubt, the dozens of lives lost in Deterland’s financial district just days ago were immediately and completely forgotten, because a new ”miracle” had arrived!

It wasn’t just the Federation celebrating this momentous occasion; at least half the world’s nations were celebrating the end of the war.

The President even specifically announced a three-day national holiday starting today, as a reward for the citizens for the war victory...

Of course, these rewards had little to do with Lance; he didn’t need a day off.

Lance had planned to eat lunch out, but today, most restaurants in the New Golden City were fully booked for lunch and dinner.

The public’s joy had another reason: the end of the war meant the war tax was also ending soon.

The taxes collected by the Federal government included a ”war tax” portion. Although Federal workers’ wages were higher now, their actual disposable income was less than before the war.

Before the war, their income was about $37 to $38. After deducting bills of a few dollars, or maybe ten dollars, the rest was their disposable income.

But during the war, with the war tax added, things changed.

People’s incomes did increase; the average wage in Golden Port City, for example, was about $55 to $60.

But after deducting taxes and bills, a person’s disposable income was barely $20 at most; many only had disposable income in the tens of dollars.

This was the impact of the war tax.

Now that the war was over, the war tax would cease. Taxes would drop from over half to only around ten percent. An income of $55, after deducting bills and tax, would yield over $40 in disposable income—a massive increase.

Compared to the past, people’s income and consumption levels had clearly improved. After three years of tension, the moment the war ended, retaliatory consumption arrived.

Most families rarely ate out—perhaps only once every one or two months, and only for important occasions.

To discuss business, or to celebrate something.

But now, to compensate for their past frugality, they were consuming impulsively.

Undoubtedly, the Federal economy would continue to rise. This was the benefit of war; everyone profited from the conflict.

The Federal government also signed a war indemnity agreement with Dantra. They were defeated, severely beaten, and now had to pay money. War was that unreasonable.

These war reparations, the cession of certain interests, and the fact that the Federation secured a significant amount of reconstruction work on the Tanfit Continent brought massive benefits to the Federal government.

The key point was that the war bonds could be redeemed gradually, which would further stimulate consumption.

Everything was moving in a positive direction.

Lance and Barbara had lunch at the estate. The cook’s skill was mediocre. Barbara thought it was fine, but Lance found it quite unpleasant.

This reminded Lance that his identity and status had significantly changed and improved from the past. Some attention to detail needed to be addressed.

He summoned the butler and instructed him to find chefs who had previously worked for the royal family or great nobles and hire them.

The butler himself had worked for a great noble before and knew many such people.

During the Imperial Civil War, many nobles were killed. Even the Emperor fled the capital, and many people escaped the palace to avoid being mistaken for royalists by the rebel army.

Many of these escapees were talented individuals who could be hired to work for him.

Lance might need to entertain other distinguished guests here in the future. He couldn’t serve them mediocre food or meals cooked by chefs hired from local restaurants; that would be inappropriate and lack class.

If he had chefs who had cooked for the royal family, he could at least showcase his ”pedigree” when introducing the dishes.

After all, not everyone could find people who had worked for the royal family to work for them!