Empire of Shadows

Hearing the slightly off-key ”Fuck you!” from the receiver, Director Roland didn’t feel surprised or uncomfortable. He even explained patiently, ”Derrick, this is all so we can better combat crime.”

”The harm caused by the Lance Family has already surpassed that of the Five Families!”

”Oh, right, it was the Four Families first. The Perez Family is already finished.”

”That means his harm is even greater!”

”Lance is a cunning criminal leader. He’s smart, knows how to hide himself, knows how to use power and influence to cover up his crimes. On the surface, you may not see him doing anything bad, but in places we can’t see, he is threatening the security of this country!”

”This is a bomb that could explode at any time. If we don’t solve this, it’s absolutely not a good thing for any of us.”

”You can curse me, say whatever you want, I’ll accept it. I’m not doing this for myself...”

Derrick couldn’t help but interrupt him, ”You’ve become obsessed with Lance , Roland !”

”Your desire to take him down has surpassed your adherence to justice. I don’t know what happened, but this is definitely not a good thing!”

”What you need to do now is calm down first, then ask yourself, is any of this actually worth it?”Roland’s breathing in the receiver became a bit heavy. Although Derrick was still investigating criminal evidence on the Lance Family , some of his views were starting to change.

The more he investigated the Lance Family’s crimes, the more he felt an... indescribable emotion.

On one hand, the Lance Family was clearly a gang. They used violent means to set the rules of the game for the entire region.

From some of the materials they had gathered, it showed that the deaths of at least fifty people were directly or indirectly related to the Lance Family . And that’s not counting those who died in firefights and gang wars.

The ones mentioned here were not gangsters; they were supposed to be innocent people, who perhaps offended them, or died for some other unknown reason.

Moreover, they did operate criminal businesses, but they were rapidly transforming at Lance’s request, and it was now very difficult to continue investigating.

For example, selling liquor. Even in Golden Port City itself, Lance was handing the bar business over to other gangs. Aside from a few bars managed by family cadres and combat captains that they still operated themselves, the rest had been cleanly handed over.

The FBI could inquire about liquor smuggling, but ultimately the Hazardous Materials Management Bureau was responsible for those cases, and Lance had a very good relationship with them, from top to bottom.

And these bars were not in his name, so they couldn’t be used as evidence pointing to him.

Besides this, he was hardly running any other criminal businesses. Those few buildings behind the naval base were still operating, but the people running them now were those refugees who had stayed and some locals.

Lance wouldn’t take the money the girls earned selling their bodies. It would be divided into four parts.

The girls received one-third. Another one-third of the funds would flow to the Navy. As for whose pocket it flowed into, Derrick was not qualified to investigate, nor did he dare to, as it was the military.

Of the remaining two-sixths, half would be given to the operators, as their basic operating expenses to maintain the business.

The last one-sixth would go into a ”Care Fund.” This foundation was a private fund. The only information that could be found was its registration, by a Federal male who was already deceased.

They would use this money to help refugees and illegal immigrants who needed it, for example, with medical problems, humanitarian aid and care. If they needed to go to court and couldn’t afford it, the foundation would also help them hire a lawyer.

This was a foundation that ”provided services free of charge.” Because the registrant was already dead, the foundation now operated according to the rules and regulations set up when it was founded. Everyone was just a ”machine,” not a soul. Investigating it was meaningless.

Those funds, if investigated, would certainly all be on the books. Lance looked down on this money and wouldn’t touch it.

Other than these, Derrick could hardly find any other appalling practices by Lance or the Lance Family .

If you grabbed a random local on the streets of Golden Port City and asked them what they thought of Lance and the Lance Family ...

They would tell you a whole bunch of nice things. Then, less than five minutes after you walk away, a few young men would close in and follow you.

They wouldn’t proactively demand you do anything, that’s illegal. They would just follow you, keep following, until you spoke first.

The Lance Family’s actions here were becoming more legal. They were completely shedding that gang stuff, becoming a group that many people couldn’t live without.

For example, the labor agency. It was now the largest labor platform in all of Likalai State , and even the South. Anyone could come here to find work opportunities—refugees, illegal immigrants, or anyone else.

It had replaced many of the functions of the unions. Capitalists loved dealing with them, because they didn’t like to create labor-capital conflicts and then profit from both sides like the unions.

The most critical point: the labor agency’s information was very transparent. They could not only guarantee a smooth workforce for the capitalists, but also ensure that the benefits negotiated between the laborers and capitalists were not exploited.

In short, they were like the sun above this city. They couldn’t be ignored, but they didn’t bring cold, only warmth.

Faced with such a ”gang,” some of Derrick’s thoughts were also changing.

He had accepted Roland’s invitation to become the FBI director for Golden Port City in order to investigate the Lance Family’s crimes, not... to stop such a humane, efficient, and dynamic organization from doing what they should be doing.

When a gang is no longer a gang, does that mean it’s no longer within the scope of justice’s strike?

In the past two years, Derrick’s spirit and thoughts had also undergone several transformations.

Lance might have handled some things poorly, and had some historical issues that couldn’t be explained clearly, but at least now, they were not bad.

Derrick reflected his thoughts directly in his call with Roland . After a short pause, Director Roland suddenly asked, ”Have you been bought?”

This sentence made Derrick laugh with anger. ”Then fire me!”

Director Roland sighed. ”I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. You know, there are indeed some issues between me and Lance .”`

Derrick interjected, ”You belong to two different factions. Get it straight.”

This sentence actually hit the nail on the head. This was the biggest core reason why Director Roland was chasing and biting Lance . Biting people was his value at this stage.

Mr. Potter , those big shots in Congress... the purpose of them raising a hunting dog was not for show, not to make the dog look impressive. What they needed was for this dog to be able to catch prey, to bite people.

If you don’t bite, and you can’t catch prey, then what’s the point of you?

It wasn’t so much that Director Roland had an unresolvable conflict with Lance , but rather that he was being forced to have a conflict with Lance .

”Let’s not talk about that. Just tell me, are you in or out?”

”I don’t know if your ideas have changed, but you must understand, Derrick, no matter what drives me to do this, to fight Lance to the bitter end, it doesn’t change the fact that they have committed a large number of crimes in the past.”

”Just because they’re better now, doing charity, can we ignore their past sins of murder?”

”No! Anyone, I don’t care who, the President, a Justice, or God, cannot forgive them for their past sins on anyone’s behalf!”

”They need to pay the price for these things. At any time!”

The principle was sound, but Derrick still believed Director Roland was bringing too much subjective emotion into this matter.

Perhaps it was that the conflict between him and Lance had escalated to a point where neither side could back down.

After a long period of thought, Derrick finally compromised. ”Just consider this my repayment for the favor of you promoting me to this position!”

”I will go ask those moles. If they are willing to cooperate with your work, then fine, I will let that person do it.”

”But if no one is willing to cooperate with you, I can’t send my boys to die for this!”

He said it very resolutely. The risk of this matter was too great. The more harmless the Lance Family appeared now, the more ferocious they would be at a certain time!

As someone who had studied crime and gang organizations for a long time, Derrick knew this well.

Those prides of lions lazing on the savanna, looking like oversized house cats after they’ve filled their bellies... you can see their funny, harmless side.

But once they need to show their fangs, it is a cruel hunt!

They will tear their prey apart, on the savanna, in front of the other animals, devouring it raw.

He had previously inquired: ”Mr. Bolton’s” son had been executed on Lance’s orders, in a very cruel manner.

He couldn’t imagine it, and he didn’t want his boys to run into trouble.

Director Roland breathed a sigh of relief. His emotions were directly expressed in his slightly lighter tone. ”I owe you for this. And I promise, it’s absolutely not sending them to die. Everything will be arranged very properly.”

”As long as they make a move, we’ll arrest them!”

”I’ll wait for your good news.”

After hanging up the phone, Derrick couldn’t help but light a cigarette. This fucking job!

This time, there were a total of four people arranged to go undercover in the Lance Family . In reality, he hadn’t asked these people to do any proactive work. It was just... giving agents with a strong sense of justice a chance to try.

These few people, like Director Roland , all had what could be called a ”twisted” hatred of crime. Keeping them in the bureau would only attract more trouble.

Letting them go undercover, giving them some limits, could actually keep them from stirring up big trouble.

In fact, he never thought these people could accomplish anything. And even if they were discovered, Derrick would find a way to persuade Lance to let them go. But there was one precondition: they could not pose a threat to the Lance Family .

Being discovered by them, and betraying the family, were two different things.

He spent the entire day contacting these people. A little later, two of the moles clearly expressed they were very interested in this job, while the other two were clearly not.

And one of them was the most intense, even proactively requesting to meet Derrick.

Left with no choice, Derrick had to put on some simple makeup, make himself look like another person in the night, and went to a bar.

In the corner of the bar, he met the person who wanted to see him.

The two sat back-to-back. There was no one else around them, and the somewhat noisy bar could cover their conversation.

”Let me do this.”

The young voice came from behind him. Derrick, while tasting the whiskey in his glass, asked, ”Do you know the risks involved in this?”

The Lance Family’s whiskey craftsmanship was getting better and better. Compared to those gangs that just planned to make a quick buck during Prohibition, Lance clearly wanted to build it into a brand, a famous brand. He might even push Gold Lion Distillery public in the future!

So the distillery’s recipe was constantly being improved. And as the aged stock could be rotated, the flavor and mouthfeel from the whiskey’s aging now completely negated the need for thickeners and spices to adjust it.

Of course, appropriately adding some additives was still conducive to people tasting its finer points, and these additives were basically harmless.

This gave Gold Lion’s whiskeys many flavors. There were the old nutty and herbal ones, and also some bold ones, like special whiskeys with mint and some fruit flavors.

These were very popular with young people. The liquor market in Golden Port City , and even the entire Likalai State , had basically been eaten clean.

He was savoring the goodness of the whiskey in his hand when the voice came from behind him again, this time with obvious, gritted-teeth hatred, ”I’ve waited for this day for a long time. Let me do it. I want to personally be the one who pushes over the first pillar!”

This was a phrase condensed from ancient wisdom. In those legendary stories, a human kingdom was controlled by an ”evil god.” This evil god built a magnificent palace on the mountain behind the kingdom, and its shadow forever loomed over the kingdom.

Later, after some events, a young human hero pushed over a pillar in the palace, and then this magnificent palace completely collapsed in a very short time.

The palace ruins, imbued with divine power, completely buried the arrogant evil god.

So people came up with this phrase—

”The person who pushes over the first pillar.”

It’s used to describe the one who starts a chain reaction.

Derrick was somewhat silent. Pushing over the pillar is simple, but the price paid is heavy.

He didn’t speak. The young man behind him continued, ”Lance killed my parents. I’ve been thinking of revenge every second. Now that this opportunity is in front of me, I can’t accept not being the key person to overthrow the Lance Family !”`

”No matter what, whatever the consequences, I will bear them myself!”

There was a bloody smell in his words. Derrick was startled. He wanted to ask if the young man had seen blood, but in the end, he didn’t ask.

”Since you’ve already decided, then I won’t try to persuade you. Same place tomorrow, I’ll tell you the whole plan.”

With that, Derrick finished the whiskey in his glass, put the glass down, and left the bar.

There were many people like this, who came in for one drink, finished, and left. This was also the bar’s favorite kind of customer. They didn’t cause trouble, paid eagerly, and got lost after drinking, absolutely not taking up a seat. They were all the bar’s high-quality customers!

That night, he contacted Roland , who had been waiting for news. Roland was clearly delighted when he got the answer.

”I know that young man. His father seems to have been a police officer in New Golden City . He had a conflict with Lance over something, and then...”

”Anyway, this is a good choice.”

”Here’s my idea!”

Director Roland hadn’t been waiting idly. He had planned a scenario. After Derrick heard it, his brows remained tightly knit, not relaxing.

The planner was willing, and the executor didn’t object. Whatever he said in the middle would just be superfluous.

”The risk is huge. I hope you can do what you said, and that no one gets hurt!”

Director Roland patted his chest over the phone and guaranteed, ”He will be absolutely safe.”

That same night, Director Roland’s men set off from New Golden City toward Golden Port City . They were all in plain clothes.

Some drove, some took the train. They looked just like tourists heading to Golden Port City .

For three days, the young man responsible for executing the plan also went over the entire plan repeatedly.

After waking up from bed in the morning, he went to the balcony to water the flowers. This was actually a method of contact.

He had four different plants here, representing ”Yes,” ”No,” ”Meet,” and ”Danger.” They could also be extended to mean ”Go” or ”No Go.”

He would move one of the pots into the room. The pot missing from the window sill would represent his opinion on the transmitted information.

In the building opposite him, there was also such a window sill.

When he saw a pot of tulips placed on the window sill he checked every day, he paused for a moment, then began to do what he did every day.

He brought all the flower pots back inside, watered them, then took a shower and made himself a sumptuous breakfast.

He tidied up all the odds and ends, making the whole apartment look very neat.

Because he knew, it was highly probable that he would never return here again in his life.

As a mole, even an peripheral one, he knew very well that after today’s events, the moment he appeared in Golden Port City , or even Likalai State , he would be quickly discovered.

So, this was his last day here.

He put his cigarettes in his pocket, checked his weapon, then took a deep breath, and pushed open the apartment door.

A new day had begun...