Empire of Shadows

Chief Bruce was just the police chief. He didn’t enjoy the same treatment as the mayor. The reporters were not as “tolerant” of him.

After he had narrated the process, a reporter immediately asked, “Chief Bruce, why did you consider using lethal weapons to stop the ongoing crime, instead of non-lethal ones?”

“You have batons, or other weapons that are not lethal. Why didn’t you choose those weapons, but directly chose to open fire?”

“Was there any special reason that prompted you to make such a decision?”

“For example, their refugee status.”

Chief Bruce looked at the reporter, and the badge hanging on his chest, then shook his head. “I don’t quite understand the meaning and purpose of you saying these words. The reason why I made these decisions is that they were destroying the private property of citizens, and were attacking, injuring, and even killing innocent federal citizens.”

“As the chief of the city’s police department, the taxpayers pay our salaries with their taxes. We have a reason, and we must protect the safety of the taxpayers!”

“When their lives were threatened, and our persuasion was ineffective, in order to protect their legitimate rights and interests, I could only order the police officers to open fire.”

The reporter continued to ask difficult questions, “Did you know they were refugees before you ordered to open fire?”

This reporter had always wanted to link the police opening fire with the identity of the refugees. Lance had instructed him, and he was also very alert and determined not to fall into the trap.If he answered “yes,” then tomorrow’s newspaper would report the content of “the police chief only ordered to open fire after confirming that the suspects were refugees.” It seemed that there was no problem.

But when it was over-interpreted, it would make people feel that it seemed that the police chief had only ordered them to be shot dead because he knew that those people were refugees.

He hated these refugees, or at least was hostile to them.

But what if he answered “no”?

The reporters would write “the police chief ordered to open fire without knowing the identity and specific situation of these people.” Although there was no problem with saying so, what would the people who read it think?

Could it be that he didn’t even know if these people were criminal suspects, but just felt that they looked like them, and then ordered to open fire?

Sometimes when public opinion boils over, right and wrong are no longer important. What is important is to appease public opinion.

If there were still people behind the scenes pushing for all of this to happen, there was no doubt that Chief Bruce would have to resign in disgrace and might even have to be investigated by his superiors.

This would be a heavy blow to Mayor Williams’s prestige. As the “Boss” of this city, he couldn’t even protect his own people.

When those people in the Bay Area needed to take down the heads of other departments, they could use Chief Bruce as an example to persuade them.

Mayor Williams couldn’t even protect an important subordinate like the police chief. Do you still expect him to be able to protect you?

Sometimes the truth is not important. What is important is what people want.

So no matter how he answered, it was a bad answer. This was a trap!

At this moment, a little sweat broke out on Chief Bruce’s brow. He thanked Lance’s ancestors from the bottom of his heart. This was not a curse. He was being sincere.

Before he came, Lance had told him many ways to deal with these reporters, as well as the kind of harrasment and questions he might face.

Although this question was not a perfect match, the core was right!

He pursed his lips. “No matter who it is, as long as they dare to harm innocent federal citizens, I have the courage to draw my gun on them.”

“The police are the city’s safety guards. Our duty is to protect the safety of every federal citizen. Who the criminal is has nothing to do with it!”

Mayor Williams and James both showed a slightly surprised look. Originally, Mayor Williams had been planning to interrupt this question, but he had not expected Chief Bruce to answer so well.

He was thinking whether Lance was giving him advice from behind the scenes, while James just felt that his answer was too good!

This question full of traps did not stump him. Immediately, another reporter began to ask again.

“Chief Bruce, I find that everything you’ve said so far is based on your personal description to us. We cannot judge the authenticity of these matters.”

“It’s also possible that you remembered it wrong, or…”

He did not continue, but smiled. “We want some evidence to prove that what you said is the truth.”

“Not something you made up to deal with us.”

Mayor Williams frowned. He didn’t know that there had also been smashing, robbing, and burning on the road. He had thought that it had only happened at the demolition site.

Not only him, but these reporters also only thought that these terrible things had happened at the demolition site, which was why they had asked so.

Now that people were dead and injured, those rioting workers would definitely not be so stupid as to throw dirty water on themselves. This way, there would definitely be some wrangling.

In politics, uncertainty, ambiguity, often means that there is a deeper space for operation.

Mayor Williams wanted to speak, but Chief Bruce spoke first. “On the road from the New Port District to the old industrial district, the rioting refugee group was smashing, robbing, and burning the shops on the side of the road, and robbing the passing pedestrians.”

“Now they are in the hospital. You can also go there to see for yourselves, to see what the street that has been ravaged by them looks like now.”

“I must reiterate once again that all the actions and decisions I have made are based on the protection of the property safety and personal safety of the citizens of the Federation.”

“And before I ordered to open fire, I had, according to the relevant regulations, tried to stop the crime but failed, and the criminals had obvious violent resistance to arrest, and might have harmed me and my colleagues. Only then did we choose to shoot them.”

“If you have concrete evidence to accuse me of anything, then I welcome you to report me to the prosecutor’s office.”

“If you don’t have this evidence, but you want to frame my motives.”

His gaze lingered on the faces of several reporters for a moment, without saying anything, but the threat was very strong!

Mayor Williams nodded slightly. A very appropriate speech, well-founded, and no one could find fault with it.

Some reporters had originally thought that they could open up a situation from Chief Bruce, but they had not expected his answer to be so tough and without any loopholes. Even if they had dug a trap, he had not fallen into it.

As for the others here, asking them was of no significance.

Mayor Williams himself was a veteran politician of several decades. His answer would only be more prudent than Chief Bruce’s.

Although Councilman James was a new-generation politician in the city, he had worked by Mayor Williams’s side for so many years and had been influenced by his father. Even if his answer was not brilliant, it would not be wrong.

As for Arthur…

Nothing could be gotten out of that guy who was covered in shit.

Although unwilling, they finally stopped giving Chief Bruce a hard time.

Chief Bruce also returned to stand behind. He finally breathed a sigh of relief. The hair in his wide-brimmed police hat was already wet. In just a short while, it had been soaked with sweat.

Next were some of the more neutral reporters. Mayor Williams and James could handle their questions very easily.

The press conference soon ended. The content released from this press conference, in a very short period of time, began to spread to the surroundings.

The various newspapers that had already finalized their drafts all began to rearrange their front-page headlines and printing tasks. They understood that tomorrow’s newspapers would have a big explosion!

After the press conference ended, Mayor Williams had Chief Bruce stay behind. In a small room, he first affirmed the decision-making and ability of this police chief today.

Then he talked about his performance at the press conference. “You spoke very well, showing the sense of responsibility of the federal police. Did you come up with these yourself?”

Chief Bruce did not dare to take credit. “It was all Mr. Lance who instructed me to say so.”

Although he had had his guess, when he said it, for Mayor Williams, it was still a bit of a shock!

He hadn’t come, but he knew what was going to happen, and let Chief Bruce know how to deal with it.

Even he, at this moment, was full of confidence in the future, and also a little afraid of Lance.

Lance, who was being taken more seriously by Mayor Williams, to the point of having some other emotions, was walking towards the tallest building in the naval base.

“Mr. Lance, I’ll add a pass to your car later. You can come in directly in the future!”

The colonel’s face was full of smiles. Last time, it was he who had gone to Lance’s wedding to send things for Admiral Miles, so he had naturally also received some gifts from Lance.

The gifts were very good. Who wouldn’t like those little cuties?

So his attitude was also very good. He was a trusted subordinate of Admiral Miles, considered a member of the Miles family. He knew very well that there was a cooperative relationship between the entire family and Lance, and it was developing towards familiarity and deeper levels.

Maybe in the future, Lance would also become one of their best friends, like the representatives of the arms groups.

Giving Lance a pass actually only allowed him to drive directly to the downstairs of the command post. If he wanted to enter the command post, he still needed the permission of Admiral Miles or other responsible persons.

This kind of worthless favor, if given, was given. Compared to the benefits he could bring, it was actually nothing.

Lance said thank you and then asked casually, “Did you finish the cigars from last time?”

“I have some more on my side. You can take some when you leave.”

The colonel had not originally intended to smile. In the military camp, he had to maintain his serious image, but… he just couldn’t help but show a smile, so much so that the patrolling soldiers who happened to pass by couldn’t believe their eyes!

That tyrant colonel who could scare a new recruit to death, actually smiled?

“The things are very good, I like them very much!” he said and paused for a moment, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!” Lance shook his head indifferently. “We are friends.”

“Friends should help each other!”

The colonel was inspired by Lance’s charisma and agreed with his point of view. “Yes, we are friends!”

(End of a Chapter)