Empire of Shadows

Chapter 580

Everyone was trying to get closer to Lance. His peers, and those of a higher generation than him, all wanted to be a little closer to Lance.

Controlling the operating rights of the casinos, plus the companies plundered from the Kodak family, Lance had already become one of the rule-makers of this city.

And they, because of their relationship with Lance, would also rise to the privileged class.

This was a core driving force. People would gather around Lance to achieve a better future, be driven by him, and work for him.

If Lance was the root of this interest group, then these people were the branches that spread out from the interest group, and also an indispensable part.

Some people who are continuing to walk on the road to success, but have gone a little further than others, will tell those who come after them not to have too many people in the company who have risen up through nepotism.

Uncles, aunts, younger brothers, younger sisters, various relatives, and the like. Do not let them appear in the company, and certainly not in the management.

The more people who say this, the more people who believe it. In the end, some people who could have easily solved the problem still used the most troublesome way to go outside and hire some people to work for them.

Maybe they would even think behind their backs… I’m doing this to avoid trouble in the future, thus ignoring some problems that might be overlooked by everyone.

Family-style enterprises often develop very rapidly in the early stages. Driven by core interests, everyone will exert their full strength.Everyone is eager to change their lives and the fate of their family through hard work, by everyone working together.

The real problem that makes them stop and indulge in pleasure is that the leader can no longer provide them with higher goals, nor can he let them achieve more self-worth!

If a company is a country, then when this country is constantly expanding outwards in order to obtain more land, wealth, and population, from top to bottom, they are closely united.

Everything will reflect a terrible efficiency and execution, because they have goals and the ability to achieve them.

But if the monarch of this country no longer aims for external expansion and begins to lie on his laurels and enjoy everything he has gained in the past, then the people who have lost their goals will turn their goals to fighting for power and profit.

A department head of a company, in the absence of any intention of the company to expand outwards, cannot proactively say that he wants to develop new things. He can only set his goal on how to climb higher.

So the biggest predicament in the development of a family-style enterprise is not cronyism, but the lack of goals.

Lance was not afraid of this happening, because his goals were still very lofty, not enough to make these people stop and think about internal power struggles.

They would run forward with their arms swinging for their entire lives.

As long as they didn’t stop for a day, the problems that those “experienced people” encountered, he would not encounter for a day.

Everyone also very much recognized the goodwill released by Lance. As long as they were willing to work and were not fools, Lance was willing to give them some opportunities.

Like the manager of a company, the head of a department, Lance would not be stingy with these.

But he also made his attitude clear, which was that if someone couldn’t do their job, then Lance would also replace them.

Everyone understood this very well and had no resistance.

As they chatted, dinner also began. Everyone sat at the long tables, with satisfied smiles on their faces.

This gathering was at William’s villa, so William sat at the head of the table. At another table specially prepared for the ladies, Emily also sat at the head of the table with a smile on her face.

Lance sat in the first seat on William’s right.

The Lawrence family were all devout believers. The pure-blooded people of the Federation were all believers. In the past many years ago, being a believer was not just a matter of faith, but also a matter of stance.

Under William’s leadership, after everyone had said a prayer, they could finally start to eat.

Those children did not understand how complicated the world of adults was. What they cared about was always only the loose change and the large pieces of roast meat on the table.

The ladies were talking about more fashionable topics, mainly hosted by Emily. She talked about the social life of the upper class, and the small circle social events she had attended with Councilman Williams’s wife.

The men’s side was talking about some broader and more macroscopic issues.

“…Lance, what do you think of the issue of the garrison?”

As they talked, everyone naturally talked about the matter of Lance and Patricia’s marriage.

“There really hasn’t been any free time during this period. After July, after all the casinos have reopened, we can hold an engagement ceremony first.”

The one who asked him the question was Bennett. Bennett had a certain status in the Lawrence family. He was Barbara’s uncle.

He was also a civil servant and a lawyer. These two identities made him destined to be different from ordinary family members, and also different from ordinary civil servants.

He worked in the City Hall’s Urban Community Development Department. Recently, because of Lance, he had gotten a promotion opportunity and was now the third-ranked official in the department.

The work of this office was quite miscellaneous, related to the city’s planning, the formulation of residents’ social welfare, and also dealing with enterprises.

They could require enterprises to provide more jobs for community residents, thereby meeting the basic needs of residents for survival.

This was a department that could be very strong, but also very weak. The key was whether the specific person had their own energy and background.

Those ordinary civil servants in such a department were just punching bags. The citizens would spray them, the capitalists would spray them, and even their superiors would spray them.

But if it was someone with a background, then this was definitely a department that could quickly produce political achievements.

Everyone was eating while paying attention to the problem here.

Although Lance was young, no one would really treat him as a “child.”

Lance, while using a fork to peel the beef from the beef ribs, said, “This is a good thing!”

“I’ve noticed that many people in the city are very worried about whether the Navy’s garrison here will bring some negative impact to our city. After all, some rumors in some places are indeed unsettling.”

“But we cannot therefore think that the garrison is bad.”

“Gentlemen, if this city suddenly has an extra eighty to a hundred thousand, or even a hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand people with spending power, do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing for here?”

The income of soldiers is not low. Lance had a rough idea. Even a new recruit’s income was 95.

As for those veterans, their basic monthly income was over 120. With tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people, there must be many officers.

The income of those officers was even higher.

This did not even include various subsidies. If you count them, their income was indeed not low!

At the same time, their salaries came from the federal military budget, not the output of this city.

It was impossible for them to never leave the military camp here. As long as they had a chance to leave the military camp, they would definitely spend in such a prosperous city.

If everyone spent half of their income in the city every month, then this would be a new market of five million!

This was much more than Lance had initially predicted!

At the same time, the construction of the naval base and the military port was also a big project. The jobs created would be enough to change the situation of economic recession in Golden Port City.

This was a great thing!

Lance shared his thoughts with everyone, which indeed made many people fall into thought.

William, at this time, frowned slightly and asked, “But we can’t ignore the possible damage the army might bring to the local area. This is a problem!”

Military crimes are handled by military courts, and military courts are the military’s own judicial institutions. In other words, it’s equivalent to “I judge myself.”

Unless it is a very serious case, it is basically a case of raising it high and then letting it down gently.

The Federation had had more than one vicious military-related case before, but in the end, those that could be covered up were covered up tightly. Those that couldn’t be covered up would not be sentenced strictly. Many people, after serving a sentence of two or three years, could still continue to serve in the army, which was unheard of.

But from the military’s point of view, it seemed that all of this was not so incomprehensible.

After all, the soldiers really had to risk their lives for them. Now that they had made a small mistake, and the military had also paid compensation, what more did they want?

Those young men, full of energy they couldn’t vent, might have done a little something wrong. You can’t just hold on to the fact that they did something wrong.

What they did, compared to their dedication in the army and the pain they had to endure, was actually nothing.

And in the end, what the generals needed was for the soldiers to obey them. This was the core!

So everyone feared them more than they respected them!

Lance also nodded after listening. “This is indeed a problem. If they really mess around, I will find a way.”

After he ended this topic, someone suddenly asked, “Lance, the outside world says… you have some connection with Congress?”

Everyone’s movements suddenly paused, and they all looked at Lance with unblinking eyes.

Congress was too far away for a city’s civil servants. Even if they pretended not to see their wives’ resentful eyes at night, curled up in bed, and fell into a sweet dream, they couldn’t imagine such a scene.

To be able to know the gentlemen of Congress, how fucking lucky would you have to be to have this honor?

If Lance knew the gentlemen of Congress…

Just thinking about it made people feel excited!

The potential of their Lawrence family would probably rise by several steps.

With so many eyes focused on him, Lance was not stage-frightened. He nodded calmly, picked up a piece of tender beef with his fork, rolled it in the sauce, and then put it back on his plate with a spoon under it.

“Yes.”

“But for some reason, it’s not convenient for me to tell you his name, but you might be able to guess some of it.”

Some people’s faces were still filled with confusion, but some people had already suddenly realized!

William and Bennett looked at each other, and both saw the understanding in each other’s eyes.

Senator Cleveland.

Why guess this person?

Because Lance only had a chance to meet him!

The rumor outside was that Councilman Williams and Senator Cleveland knew each other. So it was possible that at that time, Lance had gotten in touch with this red-hot figure in Congress.

Thinking of this, those who knew, whispered to those who didn’t know. Everyone’s expression became excited!

William even raised his glass. “I suggest we have a drink for Lance!”

Who could refuse this reason?

The gentlemen raised their glasses one after another. The future of the Lawrence family was secure!

If you were to say who was the most excited at this moment, it would be William. Maybe he would have a chance to run for mayor!

But this thought soon disappeared from his mind. He had never been dissatisfied with being a Federalist, but at this moment, he felt that this was a really fucking terrible thing.

The Federalist Party couldn’t give him much help in running for mayor, and Likalai State was not the Federalist Party’s inherent territory. Their territory was in the northwest direction.

Suddenly, the originally mellow and delicious wine became a little bitter.

But it didn’t matter. There were Socialist Party members and Liberal Party members in the family. If they could become mayor, the effect would be… the same.

Lance talked about many other things, for example, about the possible future development of the city, for example, his ideas for the transformation of the Empire District. These also provided everyone with a lot of ideas and information.

Especially the issue of restarting the construction of the New Port District after Councilman Williams took office. Knowing this news half a year in advance allowed them to occupy a head start in some work faster and more effectively than others!

Everyone was very satisfied with the meal.

In the evening, the “guests” all left the villa. The villa, which had been lively all night, suddenly became quiet.

Lance and Patricia washed up and then lay in bed. After a short and intense exercise, the two were now cuddling and chatting.

Under the cool moonlight, it didn’t feel boring. Patricia’s satin-like skin glowed white in the moonlight, which made people unable to put it down.

Lance sniffed the natural fragrance emanating from her body. His whole person, the whole world seemed to quiet down at this moment.

“The way Barbara looks at you is not right,” Patricia finally said what she had been holding in all night.

Although she hadn’t experienced many bad things, this didn’t mean she was a fool.

The way Barbara looked at Lance, water could almost drip from her eyes. It was that sticky kind. Even if she was slow, she could still notice it.

Lance’s hand ran through the girl’s hair, feeling its softness. “Yes, it is a little.”

“She may have suffered some blows or setbacks, so that’s why.”

Patricia was a little confused. “Why?”

Lance thought for a while and then explained, “When she realizes her powerlessness in many matters, she will rely more on the help of others.”

“Unfortunately, I am the one who can help her.”

“She has nothing to repay me for my help, whether it’s money or anything else. The only thing she can offer is herself.”

“But you don’t have to worry so much. I’m not interested in her.”

Lance hugged the girl, his tone without the slightest ripple. “Don’t worry about these boring things. What you have to do now is to be happy…”

Soon, her troubled emotions and thoughts disappeared in waves of impact.

The next morning, the family sat together for breakfast. Lance noticed that William and Emily had come out of different rooms.

He was a little confused at first, but then he remembered that Emily was already pregnant, and it seemed… a little bit showing.

No wonder they had to sleep separately.

During breakfast, William asked a question. “I forgot to ask last night. Are there still some unfinished business on the Kodak family’s side?”

Lance, while enjoying the breakfast the maid had made, bacon and eggs, asked, “What do you mean?”

Lance liked to spread the not-fully-cooked runny yolk on the bacon. This way, the smoky flavor of the bacon plus the thick and mellow flavor of the yolk could form a new flavor.

But he didn’t like to spread the runny yolk on bread.

William was also fiddling with his knife and fork. “The remaining people in the Kodak family, will they compromise?”

“I’m worried that someone among them will make trouble in secret.”

He was reminding Lance. Although he felt that Lance didn’t need his reminder, reminding and not reminding were two different things.

Not everything needs a reminder, for example, wiping your butt.

If you see someone walk out of the toilet with their pants up after taking a shit, and you say at this time, “Did you wipe?” that person will not only not be grateful to you, but will also think you are sick, and may even curse you a few times and beat you up.

But if it’s some matter related to safety, for example, “Are you sure you’ve silenced everyone,” it won’t make people feel disgusted, even if everyone has already been silenced.

Lance nodded. “They were planning to do that!” he put a piece of bacon coated with egg yolk into his mouth. “But they don’t have a chance anymore!”

In the swimming pool of the Kodak family manor, a family was struggling in panic. They were dragged into the water by some young men. They tried to struggle out, but in the end, they were held under the water by those people in turns.

On the side of the interstate highway to Manteno, five cars were parked in the wilderness. Seven or eight people were kneeling in the wilderness with their hands and feet tied. The people behind them raised their weapons at them.

On the roof of a building, a few people were crying and struggling. Some were even so scared they peed their pants, but they still couldn’t escape the fate of being thrown from the roof!

There were also people who were cursing one moment and begging the next, but in the end, they were still injected with snake venom and turned blue and black in a painful struggle…

These people were all those who opposed Lance. They were betrayed by their own people, named by Lance, and left this world in various bizarre ways.

But there was one thing they were the same in, and that was that all of this was just an “accident” or “suicide.”

The police would soon give their judgment and quickly close the case. No one would make any waves for them anymore, and they couldn’t make any waves either.

I believe that soon those people will know how to get along with Lance. In fact, Lance is not a difficult person to get along with.

You see, some people are dead because they oppose Lance.

Some people not only are not dead, but also retain their previous work and privileges, because they agree with Lance.

Opposing and agreeing has never been a difficult choice, right?

(End of a Chapter)