Empire of Shadows

”Call me Lance,” he said, shaking Debbie’s hand lightly. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, ma’am.”

Debbie was impressed with Lance, and she warmly invited them to sit. ”Can I get you something to drink?”

Vaughn glanced at Lance, who smiled. ”We just had coffee before coming here, so I’m good, thank you. What about you, Mr. Vaughn?”

”Vaughn!” Vaughn corrected firmly. He cared about being addressed by his name. ”I’ll pass as well, thanks!”

Debbie then sat opposite them and got to the point. ”So, gentlemen, what brings you here?”

Vaughn nodded toward Lance, who explained, ”I’ve rented a plot of land near the industrial area and plan to open a clothing factory. However, I’ve never done this before, so I need skilled workers.”

Debbie perked up. ”How many jobs are you creating at the factory?”

”About 150,” Lance replied.

”Are you providing materials for production, or is it outsourced? In other words, are you taking orders to manufacture for others or producing for yourself?” ”For myself,” Lance clarified, adding, ”The situation at the docks has been a bit complicated recently. After discussing it with Vaughn, I decided to avoid potential issues by introducing something practical.”

”I plan to produce easily identifiable uniforms for… well, you know, immigrants and illegal workers.”

”My goal is to encourage them to take their work and lives more seriously while making it easier to manage things at the docks.”

Vaughn chimed in, ”Yes, we’ve studied the idea and believe it could work wonders.”

Debbie was intrigued. ”Uniforms, you say? Interesting. Will they be free?”

Lance nodded. ”Denim or industrial-grade fabric—it won’t cost much. I’ll cover the expense. I want to contribute in some way.”

Debbie offered a thoughtful compliment. ”A noble ideal!” She paused. ”You’re a Federation citizen, right?”

Despite being a free country, the distinction between native-born citizens and immigrants still mattered to some.

”Yes, I have a social security number,” Lance replied.

Debbie’s smile became warmer and more genuine. ”I can connect you with about twenty skilled workers, but I’d recommend hiring only five to ten at first.”

”For a small factory, that’s enough. Group the workers and appoint these skilled individuals as supervisors to help others learn their tasks.”

”Their main role would be teaching rather than direct production.”

After thinking briefly, she continued, ”If you’re providing all the materials yourself, you’ll need at least one experienced cutter to turn the fabric into garment ‘pieces.’ That’s the most critical step.”

”Additionally, you’ll need three sewing machine operators, one senior pattern maker, and one ironing and finishing specialist—about ten workers in total.”

She stood and fetched pen and paper from her desk. After doing some quick calculations, she explained, ”The monthly wages for these ten workers will come to about $900. Does that work for you?”

”That’s not cheap,” Lance thought. Skilled workers’ wages were equivalent to those of 25 regular laborers. Yet their role was essential, as they determined the quality of the factory’s products.

”No problem,” Lance confirmed.

Debbie exhaled with relief. ”That resolves the trickiest part. Are you planning to have workers at every position on the assembly line?”

”If your production isn’t very high, we could reduce the number of sewing machine operators and bring the total workforce to about fifty.”

Lance interrupted, ”I’ll arrange for fifty regular workers myself. You know I already have a lot of laborers.”

”But I can offer thirty jobs to the Labor Union.”

Though primarily focused on skilled workers, the LU still cared about regular laborers. These positions helped strengthen their influence, even if indirectly.

Debbie nodded. Thirty jobs were no small concession.

”On behalf of those workers, I thank you for your generosity!”

Vaughn was pleased with the arrangement. Skilled workers rarely struggled to find jobs if they weren’t too picky about wages. What truly caught Debbie’s attention were the thirty positions for regular laborers. Such jobs required no experience and carried significant influence.

The parties quickly finalized their cooperation. Debbie even provided a list of fabric suppliers, as the LU maintained deep ties with many industries, including supply chains.

She advised Lance to buy second-hand or even third-hand sewing machines. ”As long as they work, they’ll suffice. When your factory grows, you can consider investing in new equipment.”

Debbie also offered to help secure orders for Lance if his production capacity exceeded his needs. Vaughn subtly hinted that such orders usually required kickbacks, or ”finder’s fees.”

Lance had no objections. Securing orders was valuable in itself, and he was happy to pay the going rate for such assistance.

This pleased Debbie, as no one would object to additional income.

After negotiating, Debbie outlined a basic cost estimate for Lance:

- Wages: $2,650 per month for 50 regular workers and 10 skilled workers, including bonuses.

- Equipment: $15 per second-hand sewing machine, totaling around $1,200 for all necessary tools.

- Initial Setup: Factoring in the simple factory building, materials, and other costs, the total would be around $4,000.

- Raw Materials: At least $2,000 for fabric and consumables.

In total, Lance would need $7,000–$8,000 to start production, with monthly operating costs of roughly $3,000.

Debbie observed Lance’s composed expression. Seeing no sign of stress, she gained a rough sense of his financial capacity.

By the time they wrapped up, night had fallen. Lance wanted to thank Debbie with dinner, but she declined, citing other commitments.

Lance returned to the docks with Vaughn, who handed him a list before parting. ”Don’t let anyone know about this. If you can’t handle them, don’t act recklessly. Very few people know about this.”

Lance assured Vaughn he’d keep things quiet.

That evening, Lance returned home to find his team reviewing materials Ennio had brought back.

They made space for Lance on the sofa, where he began studying the brochures.

“These are all row houses,” Ennio explained. “They include images of the front, back, and sides. With some simple modifications, we could connect a few of them.”

He added, ”I asked the manager, and these houses allow tall plants.”

Some communities imposed strict height limits on plants, requiring them to be trimmed to a certain height or removed entirely. Violations could even lead to eviction.

Different communities had different rules, ranging from lawn color requirements to seasonal maintenance standards.

For example, some demanded lawns remain vibrant green year-round. In winter, homeowners often resorted to painting their lawns—a cheaper solution than replacing grass.

The next morning, Elvin knocked loudly on Lance’s bedroom door, rousing him from sleep.

By the time Lance emerged, the team members who didn’t have work that day were ready to go.

For them, this would be their first true ”home” in the Federation, and they were excited.

Lance, sandwich in hand, climbed into the car.

After visiting four communities, they settled on one offering high privacy. The sales manager noted that residents could even install electric fences if desired.

The community sold plots of land, including blueprints and construction materials. For an additional fee, they could handle construction, but Lance opted for the DIY route, valuing the flexibility.

Each plot was 300–350 square meters, priced at $4,500–$5,000. It wasn’t cheap but still reasonable.

Lance purchased five adjacent plots outright. Impressed, the sales manager waived three years of management fees.

Initially, the manager offered to arrange construction, but the team insisted on building the houses themselves. For them, nothing felt more secure than creating their own home.

As they celebrated their progress, a stark contrast loomed: wealthy, legal immigrants like Jobav felt less secure despite their status and resources.

Meanwhile, Lance’s group, still lacking full legal residency, had begun to find their footing.