Empire of Shadows

After all five had taken their seats, Mr. Clark took the initiative to begin.

His nickname was ”Mr. Senator.” Compared to those gang bosses with vicious nicknames, he looked more like a normal person.

In fact, the other three also looked like normal people.

When people possess a certain amount of power and status, and interact with higher-level people, they naturally shed those low-level things. This is the transformation that occurs during class ascension.

Mr. Clark glanced at the others, then faced Lance . ”We all heard you talk about Potter’s campaign in the room just now. In fact, the purpose of us holding this meeting is also to find a way to unite everyone.”

”It’s just that we don’t have any experience in this. Now that you’ve brought it up, we’d like to hear your advice.”

As the ones at the top of the Federal gang pyramid, it was only natural for them to set their sights further.

The ”de-gangsterization” Mr. Potter kept mentioning in his campaign was also what worried them. The FBI’s action against the Perez family could be seen as a targeted drill, a test.

Now, Mr. Potter and those high-level Federal government officials have probably discovered that gangs aren’t as scary as they imagined.

They just need to concentrate the power of the Federal government to easily crush these gangs in their hands.

Some people might slightly lower their guard against gangs because of this, but there will also be people like Mr. Potter , who will use this simple method to appease the public after winning the election.

People like Mr. Clark ... they didn’t know what to do. The only thing they could do was huddle together for warmth.

After listening to him, Lance thought for a moment.

”Actually, from my personal perspective, ’de-gangsterization’ is the correct path for development.”

”I think what we should do now is to take these words so characteristic of us—gang, faction, violence, crime—and separate them, laying them out individually.”

”Society’s tolerance for crime will only get lower. Right now, you might be engaged in some criminal businesses and not think there’s a problem. The public, because you are gangs, won’t dare to do anything to you.”

”But society is always developing. In this process, everything will gradually change. People’s demands on society, and the Federal government’s demands on society, will continuously increase.”

”People can tolerate gangs swaggering down the road now, but that doesn’t mean they will in the future.”

”So, we need to adapt in advance.”

”Among the gangs I know and have seen, Bandy was probably the most far-sighted in this regard. But unfortunately, although he saw it, he wasn’t very smart.”

Bandy was the most active person Lance knew in whitewashing, but his method of whitewashing went down the wrong path.

Whitewashing doesn’t mean being a dog. If being a dog could get you whitewashed, these gangs, especially the Five Families, would have been whitewashed long ago!

Stephen interjected, ”Mr. Lance , could you elaborate?”

”We are indeed facing these problems and feel confused. I see something in you that we lack. This will be invaluable experience for us. I hope you can... for the sake of us all being gangsters, give us some pointers.”

Stephen was still young, liked to make movies, and was college-educated. He had his own ideas. If his damned father hadn’t suddenly lost the ability to take care of himself, he might have become an outstanding producer by now, walking a different path.

But this world has no ”ifs.” He was a gang boss now.

As someone who had been to college and was receptive to new things, he was more able to accept Lance’s ideas than the older generation like Kevin , who was very old and always reminiscing about the past.

In his view, the gang was just a ”business.” Making money was the most important thing. Violence was just a low-level means used when they lacked other ways to make money.

If they could achieve the goal of making money without using violence, then Stephen believed he could completely reform the Fisher family based on the experience and advice Lance provided.

Anyway, his old father was already lying in bed, unable to move. He called all the shots in the family now.

The others’ gazes were also locked tightly on Lance . Lance considered it.

If he was the only one left in the entire Federation, he would inevitably become a ”thorn” in some people’s eyes.

If all the other gangs fell, and only the Lance Family remained standing... although they might not get any solid evidence that Lance himself was involved in or directed crime, sometimes, not everything requires evidence.

Evidence is needed now because Senator Cleveland is protecting him. But when he becomes the thorn in everyone’s side, even Senator Cleveland might proactively become the one to push him over.

After simple deliberation, Lance smiled. ”Actually, this is very simple. What we need to do is make it so they can’t find evidence.”

”If you’ve paid attention to the Lance Family’s development model, you’ll notice that in this city, we never harm ordinary people. So, the ordinary people support us very much.”

”This means we have a foundation among the people, a foundation of mutual trust. We trust them, and they trust us.”

”When we encounter problems, these people won’t stand on the opposite side.”

”You might think these ordinary people won’t have any impact on your criminal enterprises, but in fact, when they stand in court and testify to all the rumors they’ve heard, everything will become very terrible.”

”Now, cut ties with your criminal businesses as soon as possible. Things like protection fees, extortion, and the like, try to stop doing them. The profit is low, and the risk is too high.”

”As for any risky cases you might have on your hands, wrap them up as soon as possible. Find a scapegoat. You must go through the judicial process. Whether it’s a fast-track court or a formal trial, there must be a complete procedure.”

”Only in this way can those people not use these things to trouble you in the future.”

The ”superiority” of Federal justice was demonstrated here. Once a case is closed and the court has given a final judgment, even if people later discover there were problems with the case, they cannot reopen it.

This is also why many high-IQ criminals in the Federation can still swagger around and escape legal punishment after committing a crime. They find ways to force the prosecutor’s office or law enforcement to take them to court when the evidence is insufficient to convict, then win the case, bringing an end to everything.

Lance was telling them to wipe their own asses clean, and to bid farewell to the family’s criminal side as soon as possible. This would minimize the chance of being investigated retroactively in the future.

Pablo, who had been silent all this time, spoke up, ”If we completely cut ties with crime and violence, how do we ensure our own safety?”

Pablo was a middle-aged man in his fifties. In fact, at this age, he was already an old man by Federal, and even global, standards.

You have to remember, the average life expectancy for Federal citizens is only in the early fifties. Only those with affluent living conditions live longer.

Like in Yalan, the average life expectancy is less than fifty.

However, Pablo didn’t look old; he seemed very energetic, looking like he was only in his early forties. This is the benefit of money.

Money can’t buy you personal time, but it can make the aging process slower than for other people.

”It’s not a conflict. Violence doesn’t necessarily mean crime. When I say cut ties with violence, I mean, as much as possible, don’t use gang methods to handle ordinary things.”

”When you really run into something unavoidable, just do it cleanly.”

Although he didn’t say anything explicitly, the four people in the room all thought of the two brothers who had disappeared today.

The bodies were probably already disposed of, the scene cleaned. Added to the fact there were no witnesses, and the weapon couldn’t be found, strictly speaking, there was no way to charge a person who is protected by the law and by legal procedure.

This was Lance’s most reliable ”shield” at the moment. Everything had to follow procedure.

He briefly chatted with them. For gangs, no business right now is more profitable than selling liquor.

Maple Herb is very profitable, but the circle is very narrow, and Lance has no intention of touching it.

Even if some experts say people won’t become strongly dependent on Maple Herb , he doesn’t believe them.

If the big shots realize their next generation is hooked on Maple Herb , then whoever provided it to their children becomes their mortal enemy.

Those idiots from the Perez family didn’t understand this, but Lance did.

Besides that, only liquor and sex are the most profitable. And these don’t necessarily have to involve crime.

Like starting a modeling agency, you can’t really call it a crime. Even if it is, it’s a misdemeanor, not a felony.

The things Lance told them were of great benefit. Even Kevin , the old-timer, believed his family needed a series of reforms.

But this was destined to be a long process. These big families were like large ships in a narrow channel. If they just moved forward with the river’s flow, it would be very easy.

But if they wanted to turn around, it probably wouldn’t be so simple.

The next morning, Lance refused some visitors and went directly to see Mayor Williams .

Having not seen the old guy in a while, he looked even older.

By Federal average life expectancy, he had already lived a life-and-a-half. In his late seventies, almost eighty, he wasn’t senile, and he looked younger than his peers, but he was old, after all.

His movements had become slow, and his reactions a bit sluggish.

”...As you can see, I’m trying very hard to keep up with my work and life, but my body, my spirit, disagrees.”

He half-leaned back in his chair, not sitting so straight, his hands resting on the armrests to keep his body from sliding down.

To be honest, this posture was a bit undignified, but seeing as he was an old man, who could be so harsh?

He wore glasses, and his face was gaunt. Once a person’s cheeks become gaunt, they show a kind of fatigue.

He glanced at James , who was sitting beside him. ”James has been helping me handle a lot of things at work recently. If you just consider what he’s done, he’s already a qualified mayor.”

”Especially since the beginning of this year, my energy is not what it used to be. I’ve already handed over a lot of work to him.”

James humbly replied, ”It was only under my father’s guidance that I completed some of the city hall’s work.”

In fact, he was older than Lance , already over forty . But in front of Lance , he acted like the youngest person, his words, even his gaze, extremely cautious.

This was a stance, showing his respect for Lance , and that he was ready to take over the city.

Lance nodded. ”This is a good thing. I remember, James , you’re forty-three this year, right?”

”Forty-four!” James corrected.

When Lance first heard this name, James was only in his early thirties, and Lance himself was only eighteen. But now, he was also in his early thirties.

Time passes so quickly. It makes people burst into this world with a pop, and then hurriedly grow old. Before they can even perceive the beauty of time and the world, time has slipped away.

Lance also felt a bit emotional. ”This is a good time. Experience, wisdom, learning ability, everything... is at its peak.”

”I have no objection to you running for the next mayor. I will fully support you taking office.”

Lance gave a positive response. This made Mayor Williams finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. Although he already knew this result before talking to Lance , he only fully relaxed when he heard it with his own ears.

Compared to those politicians whose words are farts they deny after letting them out, he trusted what Lance said.

”You must thank Lance for his support of your work,” he commented lightly.

James immediately stood up to express his gratitude to Lance , even bowing slightly. This is the beauty of power.

When Mayor Williams first came into contact with Lance , Lance was just a small fry. He didn’t even pay him much mind.

But now, he himself didn’t have the final say on whether his son could sit in his seat. He needed Lance’s approval, even though they were in the same interest group.

Lance raised his hand in a pressing motion, signaling him to sit. ”The affairs here in Golden Port City are actually very simple. As long as we continue to develop the city’s economy at the current pace, there will be no problems. I believe our local capitalists will be very happy to continue investing in this, making this city better and better.”

”I recently heard them mention an interesting slogan. Something about building Golden Port City into a ’Southern Center City’?”

This wasn’t shouted by Golden Port City , but by the Likalai State government.

Terry has been doing pretty well since taking office as governor. Coupled with the fact that the local interest groups have already bound together and begun to cooperate, chains of interest, unseen by the public, are firmly binding some people to Lance’s fast-moving war chariot.

Naturally, they also want to continue to expand the team’s scale and strengthen their own power. That means they have to create something new to keep the entire state’s economy in a state of high-speed development.

A mature interest group doesn’t just suck blood; they also need to learn to farm.

Like shepherds, they raise the lambs until they are grown before eating them, not when they are small.

Building a ”New Southern Center” is still a slogan, but in essence, it’s an attempt to push this forward.

As for whether the ”Southern Center” refers to a city or a state, there is no definite conclusion yet.

If Golden Port City’s scale continues to expand, then Creek Valley City will definitely be annexed. And if the city circle continues to expand westward, the urban plan from a few years ago will have to be changed again.

This is not an easy task. Especially the new industrial zone. Those factories have been settled for so long, and now they’re being asked to move again. They definitely won’t be happy.

If they aren’t willing to move, then the city will have to connect with the industrial zone, and people will have to live under industrial pollution again.

So Lance felt... if they had to build this ”New Center” in Golden Port City , it might not actually be a good thing.

The three soon began to discuss these government-related topics. At this moment, Lance didn’t seem like a gang boss at all, but more like a mature politician, chatting about national affairs.

The three chatted until noon, after which Lance accepted Mayor Williams’s invitation and went to his manor for a sumptuous lunch.

At the manor, Lance also saw his future ”daughter-in-law,” James’s daughter.

James is a handsome middle-aged man, and his wife is also very beautiful. Although it was a political marriage, you shouldn’t have any misconceptions about the appearance and figure of young women from powerful families.

After more than a dozen, or even dozens, of generations of ”improving genes” in these families, it’s hard to find ugly people. Almost all are beautiful.

The next generation born from such excellent genes is naturally also very beautiful.

The little girl was just over two years old, a bit younger than Ace. She had platinum-blonde hair, and her face looked very cute.

Lance held the little girl. This was, one could say, their first informal meeting.