Empire of Shadows

“This is…”

“Is that so?”

“Okay, no problem, who else?”

“Alright, I’ll be there on time!”

After hanging up the phone, a gentleman frowned and leaned forward, one arm supporting his chin on the edge of the desk, turning his head to look at the gloomy sky outside the window.

It had been snowing for the past few days, but it was as if it couldn’t snow cleanly. It would snow for a while, then stop, then snow for a while, then stop.

It couldn’t just dump all the snow at once, it was always an overcast day.

The damp cold of winter was like a chaotic magic attack. For people living by the sea, it was simply terrible.

When there was sun, the air would not be so damp and cold, it would be a dry cold. As long as you wore enough thick clothes, you could avoid the cold.

Now the damp and cold air seemed to be able to penetrate clothes. No matter how much you wore, there would still be a chill.If the damp and cold chill of winter was “physical,” then some of the recent bad news was spiritual.

He came back to his senses, rubbed his face, and then glanced at his watch. There wasn’t much time left.

He sighed, tidied up a bit, put some money in his wallet, and also picked up the cash checkbook in the drawer. Then he came to the cloakroom at the door, changed his clothes, and pushed the door open and went out.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at a relatively famous restaurant at the time agreed upon with President Vaughn.

The head chef of the restaurant was an old man with a not-so-good temper, but their general manager was quite good and likable.

This also made this restaurant one of the more well-known restaurants in Golden Port City. They had everything from mid-range to high-end restaurants.

The one they had arranged for today was a high-end restaurant located in the Starlight District.

There was no main hall here; they were all independent suites.

A restaurant, a reception room, an office, and a washing area. The entire suite was like an independent house.

The hidden and private environment made this place the first choice for many people to talk about things. Of course, the price here was not cheap. Each meal cost at least three to five hundred dollars.

If you needed to drink, then it would be over a thousand.

To spend a thousand on a meal, even for a businessman like him, was a bit heartbreaking.

He didn’t know if he was paying the bill today, so he had brought cash and a checkbook when he came.

When he arrived at the room they had arranged under the guidance of the staff, he found that some people had already arrived, all of whom President Vaughn had told him about.

He was very familiar with all these people. He then hung his clothes on the coat rack and found a place to sit down.

“Did you get stuck in traffic when you came?” someone asked casually.

This kind of gathering was like this. Although everyone knew each other, some small talk was still needed to make the atmosphere more harmonious.

Starting with food, clothing, housing, and transportation was a very simple and effective way.

Like asking about the road conditions, asking about the weather, asking about the recent situation, were all good.

He shook his head. “It was okay. The weather is too cold now, and there aren’t many vehicles on the road.”

With this response, it was considered a greeting. “Do you know what Vaughn asked us to come and talk about?”

Someone asked, and everyone had their own guesses. He sat there listening, and occasionally also expressed his own views and opinions.

At first, they guessed whether it had something to do with the war. Someone had already heard some rumors that the general union was going to transfer a portion of the dockworkers from various docks and ports to work in a military port provided by Slad.

Golden Port Docks was one of the largest docks in the Federation, and the traffic here was also the largest, and the workers were also the most numerous. They might have to transfer more skilled workers from here.

Some people felt that the general union’s brain must have a problem. There was no need to get involved in this kind of thing.

With this time, it would be better to consider how to create more value and benefits for these dock investors!

But soon, some restless people were not satisfied with such an ordinary guess. And as more people arrived, someone leaned forward, his arms pressing on the edge of the table, and said with an “I have a secret” expression, “You say…”

“Is there a possibility?”

“Vaughn has gathered us here, and it’s related to the recent situation in Golden Port City?”

This topic first made the room quiet down, but soon someone began to express their own views.

Some people are always like this. When they are not enough, they always hope that their performance can suppress others.

“Very possible!” a guy sitting in the middle said. “The power struggle between Mayor Williams and the Bay Area has entered a white-hot stage. Now it seems to be just the issue of the demolition of the old industrial district, but in fact, this is a battle for who is the dominant one.”

“For Golden Port City, if we compare this place to a battlefield, then there is only one main battlefield here!”

His voice was drawn out a lot, leaving more room for people’s imagination, and also allowing people to follow his words and think about the content he wanted to express.

Another person who was not enough continued, “The port, the docks.”

The first person who was not enough pointed at the second person who was not enough with both fingers. “Bingo. If we see them as two armies, then we are the object they need to fight for.”

A proud expression of “we are actually very important” appeared on his face, as if he had already guessed the standard answer.

“I don’t know which side Vaughn represents, but in any case, let’s not promise him anything first.”

“We won’t even promise anything at this meeting. The more intense the war between them is, and the more difficult it is to decide a winner, the higher our value will be!”

The others all nodded one after another. This was indeed a smart choice.

While these people were discussing these sensitive matters, President Vaughn pushed the door open from the outside. He shook off the few snowflakes on his body and hung his overcoat on the empty coat rack.

“Sorry, there was a traffic jam on the road.”

Someone laughed. “You must have come from the docks.”

The faces of the others also showed more or less a smile.

There were not many residents in the Bay Area. After all, the cost of living and the housing prices here were too high. Which ordinary person could spend tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even two or three hundred thousand to buy a villa to live in?

Even a small businessman might not be able to come up with this money. So the roads from the Bay Area to the Starlight District were very clear, and there was no such thing as a traffic jam.

Only when coming from the port side would there be a traffic jam. During this period, they also had to pass through the Priliccia District.

This was actually a slightly unfriendly joke that elevated one’s own status. President Vaughn was not unable to hear it, but he was not very concerned about it.

He smiled. “Yes, I came from the docks. There were too many cars on the road.”

They were friends, there was no problem with that. Just like a king would also have a few ordinary friends, but this did not mean that the two sides were really absolutely equal.

A king would also joke about the holes in an ordinary person’s clothes. This was actually not too excessive, at most it was a kind of teasing without subjective intention.

He found a place to sit down. The person with the obviously highest status in this group began to take charge of the situation. “Let’s have them start serving the dishes. I’m getting a little hungry.”

Just as he was about to have someone call the manager to serve the dishes, President Vaughn stopped him. “There’s still one more friend, he’ll be here soon. Let’s wait a little longer.”

The man was stunned for a moment. He looked around. “Who else?”

“The people you told me about have all arrived.”

President Vaughn smiled. “Don’t be in a hurry. I’ll give you a surprise. It’ll be soon.”

The atmosphere in the room changed slightly. The person who had originally intended to control the situation himself also smiled and closed his mouth.

A group of people began to chat. After chatting for more than ten minutes, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door, and after a few knocks on the door of the room, it was slowly pushed open.

President Vaughn immediately stood up. Seeing him stand up, the others also stood up one after another. Their eyes were all fixed on the outside of the door of the room.

The moment Lance appeared from outside, the thoughts of the people in the room had a clear pause and a short period of blankness.

Lance came into the room, took off his hat and clothes and gave them to the person next to him, then walked to a place not far from the table, with a smile on his face. “I have to apologize first. For some reason, I couldn’t invite you all in person. I’m very grateful that you could all make it. I hope I’m not too late.”

The people in the room immediately reacted. Someone took the initiative to say, “Not late, not late. We were early. You’ve come at just the right time. The dishes haven’t even started to be served yet.”

Even the person sitting in the main seat took the initiative to give up his seat. “Mr. Lance, sit here.”

Lance glanced at the seat and then shook his head. “It’s okay, I’ll sit next to Vaughn.”

He walked to President Vaughn’s side. Someone immediately came over and pulled out a chair for him so that he could sit down. He said thank you and then turned back to have the manager start serving the dishes.

It wasn’t that these small shareholders were too “attentive,” but that what Lance represented now was not just a simple gangster boss.

He controlled almost all the order in this city. When he got married, many people had heard that almost all the heads of all the departments in the entire city had gone, and even the navy had sent two colonels to give gifts!

What the fuck kind of concept was this?

This represented that Lance’s actual power might have already surpassed that of the mayor, at least in the matter of “finding trouble with someone,” he was absolutely number one!

The police, the prosecutor, the court, and if you add his control over the docks.

Humility is only because one has recognized the gap between each other. This is the world of adults!

Here, it’s not like in an ivory tower, where some people, even though they know “I’m not as good as you,” still have to show their so-called integrity. In the world of adults, integrity has long been broken and shattered into dregs.

After a few simple pleasantries, the restaurant began to serve the dishes. Because Lance had come in person, this meal was cooked by Anderson (the restaurant owner) himself.

The story between him and Lance could also be considered one of the legendary stories of Golden Port City—

This matter is worth talking about.

Before Lance had grown to the point where he needed to be looked up to, he did not like to mention this person, Lance, because Lance had made him feel humiliated.

The feces, and the forcing him to bow his head. He felt that he had been severely humiliated!

But as Lance’s fame began to grow larger and larger, he suddenly found that this was actually not a matter of humiliation or not. Everyone was for life and work.

When Lance’s height had already made it impossible for ordinary people and even most people to reach, he began to take the initiative to tell people about his “friendship” with Lance.

Although it was a conflict, they had also gotten to know each other because of these things. He also boasted that his partner and manager had a good relationship with Lance, which also accumulated some popularity for the restaurant.

Now Anderson hardly cooked himself anymore, but Lance had said he was coming to dinner today, so he still decided to personally cook a dish.

Not long after, the manager pushed a cooking cart into the room. Anderson greeted Lance, and then stood by the side of the cooking cart with a beaming smile, and according to what the manager had taught him, he made some fancy “special effects.”

In the end, a dish was divided and placed in front of each guest.

Lance said a few words to Anderson, and also shook hands with the manager. Then these people left.

After returning to the dinner table, Lance easily took the initiative.

“Have a taste. Mr. Anderson is a well-known chef. I hear he has some fame in the whole state, and even in the south.”

“It’s not an easy thing to get to eat a dish he has personally cooked!”

If others gave him face, he would also give others face. Lance was not a pure scoundrel. He knew how to get along with people.

Everyone was very polite and tasted it, praising how delicious the food was. In fact… it was just so-so. The bonus points from the fame were more.

After tasting some of the dishes, when dinner officially began, Lance finally began to talk about the main topic.

“Recently, you should also have noticed that some problems have appeared inside the city.”

The others all put down their knives and forks. Someone had just divided the piece of meat on his plate into small pieces and coated it with sauce. Now he had to put down his knife and fork and sit up straight.

Although he really wanted to take a bite.

With Lance’s words, the others all nodded one after another. This was a fact, and everyone could see it.

He had a few seconds of a pause, to let them have a mental preparation, and then continued, “I am the same as you. I even hope more than you that this city will be stable and peaceful.”

“Only in this way will there be a continuous stream of banknotes into my pocket.”

“During the period of the Five Families’ infighting, we have already seen that tourists were afraid of being affected and chose not to come. The city was visibly depressed.”

“Our income was also affected because of this.”

“If possible, I believe no one wants the city to become chaotic.”

The others all nodded one after another. The first guy who couldn’t get enough even took the initiative to say, “You’re right, Mr. Lance. None of us want chaos to happen.”

Lance glanced at him and nodded slightly in acknowledgment. “But now you have also seen that a conflict has occurred, and it is unavoidable.”

“Whether it’s Williams or Charles and those people, now the two sides are definitely not just opposing each other over the price of the land.”

“More, it is still a fight for who has the final say in this city.”

“Gentlemen, we are all the masters of this city. We don’t want it to get worse. But since the problem has already happened and is unavoidable, the only thing we can do is to find a way to accelerate this process.”

“As long as it ends quickly enough, the impact it can have on us will be small enough.”

The others nodded again and again. After all, the logic was indeed this logic.

Lance pursed his lips and took out a cigarette. Before President Vaughn could react, someone had already taken out a lighter and came over to light it for Lance.

“Thank you!” Lance showed his politeness and civility. He took a puff of his cigarette and blew it upwards.

“I have a better relationship with Mayor Williams. I’m very familiar with him, including his family.”

“I am a sentimental person. Sometimes I don’t care if what my friends do is right or not. As long as he is my friend, I will support him.”

“Just as I will support Mayor Williams now, just because he is my friend.”

“I also hope to make friends with you. Will you give me this opportunity?”

He smoked his cigarette and looked at these people, his gaze constantly moving from their faces. These people also fell into thought.

Lance did not rush them, but let them think slowly.

After a while, about two or three minutes, someone asked, “Mr. Lance, how do you plan to accelerate this process?”

“I have no intention of prying into your thoughts and methods. I just want to know, if I stand on your side, how fast will this acceleration process be?”

“Will some… excessive means be used?”

“And what will happen to those people in the end?”

The attention of the others was also concentrated. Lance talked and flicked his ash. “Political matters are left to Mayor Williams to do. I am in charge of matters outside of politics.”

“I’m not afraid that you will know, and I’m even less afraid that you will tell them.”

“First of all, I will make some people lose their reputation. I have their scandals and evidence, enough to make them be spurned by society.”

“Then the police, the prosecutor, will investigate these people, find evidence of their crimes, and send them to court to accept a just trial.”

“Then I will launch a strike, a protest, and a demonstration by the dockworkers to force the board of directors to hold a shareholders’ meeting.”

“At this time, I should have a portion of the shares in my hands, plus yours. We can have a strong voice at the shareholders’ meeting.”

“Our goal is not to defeat them head-on, but to make them flustered.”

“As for what to do next…” he smiled, “that will have to wait until you have joined us before I will let you know.”

Listening to Lance’s plans, everyone’s minds were spinning at high speed. Along with their occasional exchange of glances and their various expressions, it could be seen that everyone’s inner thoughts at this time were different.

This plan… it could only be said that the probability of success was not small, if he really had the criminal evidence and scandals of these people.

Lance was not in a hurry to have them take a stand. He could actually not win over these people.

But now he was sitting here. The purpose of winning over these people was to make the whole process look a little better, and at the same time to form a “force,” to form a new interest group, an interest group with him as the core!

(End of a Chapter)