Empire of Shadows

Half an hour ago, several people with grim faces walked out of the Golden Port Casino with their luggage.

After confronting Lance head-on at the meeting, they clearly realized that their journey in Golden Port City was over.

This city was great. Everything here was great.

The casinos, the women, the beaches, the streets, the shopping malls—everything exuded an intoxicating atmosphere.

Living here was like living in paradise. They wanted to stay, too, but after what they had just done, they no longer had the right to remain.

Although the gang representative felt some regret deep down, he wouldn’t show it.

He believed that one day, he would return, and he would stand on this land again in a different posture.

At that time, he would not be here as a guest, but as a semi-host.

A two-hundred-million-a-year private liquor market—he believed all the gangs in Yalan would be boiling over, including his boss!

But for now, he had to leave as soon as possible, before Lance came looking for trouble.He himself was a gang member, and he had encountered similar situations before. Someone had provoked him, and in the end, their bodies were hung on the palm trees by the roadside, swaying with the sea breeze.

No matter how unwilling he was to admit what Lance had said, there was one thing Lance was not wrong about.

This was his turf.

To have a conflict with them on their own turf and then not run away quickly—the consequences were unthinkable.

He wasn’t an idiot, so they ran for it.

These people had not smuggled themselves in. The patrol intensity of the Coast Guard was constantly increasing, making it very difficult to succeed.

And they didn’t need to smuggle themselves in. They were people with status and had the money to buy boat tickets. They could enter legally.

Now, to leave this place, all they had to do was buy a boat ticket.

The cruise ship from Golden Port City to Yalan had never stopped. Yalan was also a tourist resort.

The pristine tropical jungle was full of exciting adventures, and on the beaches, there were young, beautiful girls who would sell themselves for a night for just a few dollars.

And those girls who were willing to do anything for a boat ticket—this was also a paradise.

One person’s hell is a tourist’s paradise!

The income of the Federation’s people was definitely a high-income group for the people of Yalan, so there were two cruise ships traveling between Golden Port City and Yalan every day.

There was a saying among the people, almost like a joke, that many ordinary workers in the Federation had their own villas and lovers in Yalan.

After buying their tickets, these people boarded the ship directly. There were at least one or two hundred passengers on the ship, and this ship belonged to a certain shipping company in the Federation, so there was still some guarantee of safety.

Although this gang representative didn’t quite understand some of the social mechanisms of the Federation, he knew one thing: here, a gang was not necessarily a match for big capital.

After the group of people boarded the ship, they visibly relaxed. They went to the cruise ship’s restaurant. Because they had left in a hurry, they hadn’t even had time to enjoy lunch.

Several people gathered together, eating lunch while discussing what had happened.

“After we go back… will there be some trouble?” the gang representative’s subordinate asked, a hint of worry on his face.

This time, the Boss had sent them over to find out what exactly the Lance Family was planning to do.

After all, their liquor was mainly exported to Golden Port City. In the past, they didn’t have much understanding of the market in Golden Port City, but today, they understood.

A market of 200 million in this period was a terrifyingly large market. They might not even have occupied 1% of it, but it had still brought about earth-shaking changes to their gang and their lives.

The cadres in the gang had all moved into big houses and were driving smuggled cars from the Federation. The big houses were also filled with young, beautiful girls who were ready at any time.

All of this was thanks to the smuggled liquor business.

If the Boss knew that they had messed up this operation, he might do something.

Not to Lance, but to them.

The representative’s face was also not very good, but at this time he certainly couldn’t say anything discouraging. “Don’t worry, what they did will definitely cause more people to be dissatisfied.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but sneer. “Golden Port City is so close to Yalan. It’s a one-day round trip by speedboat. Just think about it, he’s blocking so many people’s path to wealth. How many people want to kill him?”

After the representative’s explanation, everyone’s expression immediately relaxed.

That’s right. The rustic local gangs of Yalan had just started to show some signs of improvement. Now, because of Lance’s strategy, they couldn’t make much money, or their profits were greatly reduced. They would definitely hate Lance very much.

Since Lance was not on the same path as them, then just move him aside!

This world is never short of people who are crazy for money. Either others are crazy, or you are crazy!

A large number of gunmen would pour into Golden Port City. As long as he showed his face, there was a danger of being shot. At that time, he would take the initiative to compromise.

Various countries in Yalan had seen some stubborn people who wanted to crack down on crime, because the gangs in Yalan had already affected the lives of the government and the people.

But most of the government officials who showed a strong determination to crack down on crime did not have a good end.

In his eyes, Lance would also bow his head and compromise due to the continuous assassinations.

The mood of the few people became more relaxed, and they happily chatted about some of the things they had seen in Golden Port City.

The advancement and superiority of the Federation deeply attracted them. The gang representative laughed and said that when he had earned some more money, he would also buy a villa in Golden Port City, fantasizing about a beautiful future life.

The group ate their fill and returned to their cabins to rest. A little later, they would have to go and see their Boss.

Although the gang representative said on the surface that there was no problem, he was still a little apprehensive in his heart.

He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The tossing of the waves made his eyelids gradually become heavy, and he fell into a daze and into a dream.

And in his daze, his dream was shattered by the sound of knocking. Someone was knocking on his room door.

He opened his eyes and was dazed for a few seconds before he suddenly woke up. He immediately took the handgun from under his pillow. “Who’s there?”

The cabin was not large, just one room and a small bathroom. He turned over and sat up. Just as he walked to the door, a voice came from outside.

“Coast Guard. Room check.”

The gang representative frowned. He had dealt with the Coast Guard several times before. These people were very difficult to deal with now. He had met a junior squad leader before and had proposed to pay a portion of the money to redeem their seized goods, but was rejected.

And he had also been warned and was almost detained.

If possible, he really didn’t want to see these people.

But now he was cornered in his room. It was not really possible to not see these people.

At this point, he didn’t dare to delay any longer and opened the door.

Outside the door were several coast guards in uniform. They glanced into the room and then two came in. One of them tentatively called out his name.

He was stunned for a moment, just for a fraction of a second, and then suddenly realized that they were here to arrest him!

Everyone who hung around in gangs would have some instinctive reactions, including being called by their full name!

He turned on his heel and tried to run. His body had just tilted and made a running motion, and before he had taken a single step, someone immediately tackled him from behind and threw him onto the deck.

With a bang, the fall almost knocked the wind out of him!

He was kicked a few times and then handcuffed.

Only then did he discover that his subordinates were all here, just like him.

Those men stood on the deck with their heads bowed and their hands cuffed. He looked at them with a grim face. No one had even warned him.

He didn’t know what mistake he had made, but he knew that if he just let these coast guards take him away like this, he would most likely be in a bad situation.

He said to the guy next to him who looked like the leader, “In the box in my room, there are my documents, which can prove that I’m not a criminal.”

The guy who looked like a squad leader glanced at him, then went into his room, took out the briefcase, and opened it in front of him.

When the squad leader had checked all the clothes and thrown them away, the things underneath were gradually revealed.

Two stacks of twenty-dollar bills, a total of 4,000, and some loose change.

“Is this the document you were talking about?” the squad leader asked with a half-smile, holding the two stacks of money.

The representative nodded. “This is not mine. It’s… yours, sir.”

The squad leader was amused after hearing this. He laughed twice, and the representative also laughed along. But as he laughed, he could feel that the other party’s voice had become cold.

“Bribing a law enforcement officer, and you still say you’re not a criminal?”

He put the money in his pocket. “Take them away.”

Just as the gang representative was about to explain something, someone immediately punched him, making him unable to speak from the pain.

He was dragged to the side of the ship, and then, through a small gangway, directly onto a gunboat.

Standing on the gunboat, the gang representative’s expression finally collapsed completely. His face was filled with deep unease. He still didn’t know where the problem was.

But he didn’t dare to ask casually. These people didn’t look easy to get along with. He could only hold it in.

After arresting them, the gunboat began to return quickly.

The closer they got to Golden Port City, the more uneasy he felt in his heart. He had a vague guess, but he was unwilling to believe that this guess was true!

Seeing that the coastline was already within reach, the speed of the gunboat gradually slowed down. The squad leader took two bottles of wine from the cabin and then placed them in the gang representative’s briefcase.

Then he drew his handgun. Realizing that something was wrong, the gang representative immediately knelt on the ground. “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!”

“Can I know why?” he shouted. Only by knowing why could he possibly escape this outcome.

The sea breeze blew his hair and clothes, making a rustling sound. It was clearly the height of summer, and the scorching sun was like a huge fireball, releasing its inexhaustible power in the sky.

But the gang representative felt cold all over, and even his sweat was cold!

He looked at the squad leader pleadingly. At this moment, he inexplicably thought of the people who had once pleaded with him, asked him not to shoot. He subconsciously used the words of those people begging for mercy to beg the squad leader for mercy.

But it seemed to be of no use.

The squad leader looked at him calmly. “If you offend God in Golden Port City, that’s just a matter between you and God. God may not necessarily take you away.”

“But if you offend Mr. Lance, even God can’t save you!”

After he finished speaking, without waiting for the gang representative to say anything, he pulled the trigger directly.

The bullet entered his forehead. The spinning bullet blew open the back of his head. Bones and the contents inside flowed all over the place. He was dead beyond dead.

Even so, he still shot him a few more times, and then shot the others.

Then a coast guard came out with a brand-new camera and took pictures of these neatly arranged corpses, as well as the two bottles of wine in the briefcase.

There was no doubt that these were members of a smuggling group. They had tried to bring two bottles of wine into Golden Port City. The value of the case was over 500. This could no longer be considered a minor case.

During the arrest, these smugglers resisted fiercely and were ultimately killed and captured by the heroic members of the Coast Guard. That’s all!

If before this, they, the people who followed McCork, might not have been so desperate to help Lance.

But since McCork’s transfer order came down and he was promoted to deputy chief, they had come to realize who the real “daddy” was.

The squad leader put the gun back in its holster, then shook his head and returned to the cabin.

After docking, he would just hand the film to the reporter. Tomorrow, the Golden Port Today would publish this news.

Of course, before that, he had to talk to Mr. Lance and tell him that he had completed his work.

The news of the death of those who had disrespected Lance was quickly learned by Lance. He just said, “Well done,” and praised these people.

Now he had no unease at all about using these people to do things for him. With so much money being thrown down every year, this was what they should do.

Lance hung up the phone. Elvin asked, “Should we… deal with the other ones?”

He was talking about the people who had left later. Lance shook his head. “Don’t bother with them. It’s not that we can’t tolerate people with opposing opinions. Even God’s words are questioned or refused to be obeyed by some.”

“What I resent is people causing trouble for no reason, and this kind of blatant disrespect toward me.”

“If I have to kill anyone who disagrees with my decision, then it will be very difficult for anyone to do business with us in the future.”

“As long as they don’t mess around, don’t bother with them.”

“By the way, send a copy of tomorrow’s Golden Port Today to each of them. Learning a little more about the news and the world will be helpful for their future path.”

Early the next morning, Zabri rubbed his hair and walked out of the bedroom. They had discussed many things and had even talked with the headquarters last night, but there were still some problems that had not been solved.

Just as he walked to the living room of the suite to drink some water, he noticed the newspaper on the carpet inside the door.

It was the first time he had seen a newspaper delivered by a casino hotel. Maybe it was some kind of escort newspaper?

The Tide Newspaper was distributed throughout Likalai State. He had read it before.

The sexual enlightenment of many young people was completed by the Tide Newspaper.

When he picked up the newspaper, he saw its name. He instinctively wanted to throw it to the side, but he was soon attracted by a line of words—

Smuggling Group Members Armedly Resist Arrest, Have Been Shot Dead

He stood at the door, and subconsciously, according to the page number behind, he turned to the corresponding page.

In this era, there was no so-called “rating” system. Otherwise, the Tide Newspaper would not be sold directly at newsstands. So two photos could be seen in the newspaper picture.

One of them was a photo of several people lying in a row on the ground. It was obvious that they were all dead.

The other was a close-up of the front of the gang representative. His eyes were lifelessly looking at the sky, his whole person looking listless, and there was a small dark red hole on his forehead.

“Fuck!” Zabri cursed.

In fact, this was not a “curse,” but an emotional release!

He knew that Lance would definitely take action, but he had not expected that the action would come so fucking fast, and at the same time, it showed his control over the Coast Guard.

Because these photos were taken on the gunboat, he was using this method to tell everyone that this place was his territory!

Some of the content they had discussed yesterday, at this moment, was facing a new change. He took a deep breath, took the newspaper back to his room, changed his clothes, and then dialed the headquarters’ number again.

Many people were doing the same thing as him. They had all seen this newspaper, and they had all seen that damn dead man’s face!

In fact, what Lance showed was not only that the Coast Guard was listening to his arrangements, but also that the Golden Port Today, this local heavyweight newspaper, was also carrying out propaganda work according to his ideas.

Not many people knew that the people who had died in the photo were not really caught for smuggling two bottles of wine and died in a firefight.

It was just because they had offended Lance, offended him, so they had died in this designed slaughter.

People would laugh at the stupidity of these people, losing their lives for two bottles of wine. No one cared what the truth behind it was.

For them, the truth was that when they could talk about this matter with their friends, a few curses of “idiot” was enough!

At the same time, in a different place, Officer Brayden (the police officer who had helped Lance get his identity) shook his head. He keenly sensed that there was something wrong with this news, but he couldn’t say what the problem was.

There would be no smuggler who would be so stupid as to only smuggle two bottles of wine. They must have offended someone.

He put down the newspaper and began to concentrate on his creamy beef soup.

The name might sound a little scary, but the taste was indeed good. The rich cream and cheese flavor made the thick soup coat the small pieces of minced beef. Every mouthful was a double satisfaction of fat and protein.

He was thinking that his recent business had suffered a setback. Because of the conscription, many people had now gone to be conscripted, which had reduced his extra income a lot.

Just at this moment, someone suddenly knocked on his door.

He shouted “wait for me a moment” without turning his head, and then slurped up the food in the soup bowl, wiped his mouth, and stood up and walked towards the door.

The moment he opened the door, he looked at the person outside with some surprise, a former friend.

“Wow, I totally didn’t expect it to be you…”

(End of a Chapter)