Empire of Shadows

The moment all eyes were on Hope, a sense of joy welled up inside him!

This was the feeling of being valued, this was the realization of the Federation dream!

He bowed slightly, acting like a social elite who had received a higher education, although from the perspective of others, his actions seemed a bit pretentious.

“I am willing to serve you, gentlemen!”

But just as Mr. Charles had said, now, Hope was the focus. The people also responded with either slightly concealed smiles or unconcealed, hypocritical smiles.

Hope didn’t mind this. He knew that when his value was fully demonstrated, these people would take him seriously.

Just as he wouldn’t really respect a certain teenager among the refugees unless he could bring him huge benefits.

Mr. Charles didn’t care about Hope’s performance. He said with a smile, “We need more casualties and opposition. You know what to do!”

Hope nodded. “I’ll take care of it!”

Mr. Charles glanced at the latest technology on his wrist, a watch with a calendar function. “I hope to see these things within two or three days.”“No problem, Mr. Charles…”

Then he was temporarily sent away by Mr. Charles on the grounds that he “needed to work.” He had to go to work, not like these gentlemen who could just sit here and call it work.

When the door was closed again, one of the gentlemen couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really planning to bring this kind of person into our circle?”

Mr. Charles, as a matter of course, slightly raised his chin and said in a disdainful tone, “Of course not. He doesn’t have the qualifications yet. He’s not even as good as a citizen of the Federation!”

“I don’t like the current Williams, but I have to admit that he is right in some aspects. A traitor, the lowest and most despicable person, how can he mingle with noble people like us?”

“After he has no use value, just throw him out. At that time, whether it’s the governor or Congress, or the Secretary of State, they will all need a piece of evidence that can quickly confirm that the problem was not caused by us.”

“He is the most suitable one!”

As for whether this Mr. Hope would randomly bite back after being caught?

They were not worried, because it was absolutely impossible for him to be caught alive. It was only possible after he was dead.

The dead can’t talk, and they also believed that what the people above wanted was a reason, not a reason that could talk.

“Let’s arrange it this way for now. The New Year is coming soon. We have to prepare.”

Mr. Charles’s gaze constantly moved across the faces of these people. “Facts have proven that no matter who becomes the mayor, it is unreliable. Only when one of our own people becomes the mayor can it work. So I have an idea.”

“After Williams is kicked out, we will choose a mayor from among us, and then the candidate for this mayor will always be born from among us.”

“Golden Port City can be branded with the mark of the Wade family, it can be branded with the mark of the Williams family. Why can’t it be branded with our mark?”

“Lance’s Imperial Chamber of Commerce gave me an idea. We can also establish a ‘Golden Port Chamber of Commerce,’ integrate the resources in our hands, and let it exert a stronger power.”

“Commerce, politics, culture, and more fields!”

“We can completely monopolize all the industries and markets of the entire Golden Port City, and then expand to other places from it.”

“In the end, we will establish a commercial empire with us as the core!”

Everyone in the room was moved by his words, these ideas. Their hearts pounded.

Monopoly is always the most profitable business.

About thirty to forty years ago, in the era when the per capita wage was one dollar, how were those financial magnates with a net worth of more than a billion born?

The answer is simple: monopoly.

They didn’t even need to monopolize too many industries. They just needed to monopolize a part of the industry, and let every citizen of the Federation, just as every citizen of the Federation had dreamed, give them ten cents a week.

Then they could have a profit of over a million a week, which was four million a month, and nearly fifty million a year. Ten years would be five hundred million.

Even if the profit was only 33%, that was still a profit of 170 million. It didn’t even take ten years, six years, and a billion in assets could be achieved.

If this sounds too exaggerated, then 20% of the Federation’s people would need to pay this fee, which would only be thirty years.

As long as a monopoly could be formed, one generation, or even less than one generation, could achieve a super-leap in class!

What’s more, the current economic development of the Federation is much better than thirty or forty years ago. Thirty or forty years ago, they could have a scale of more than a billion. What about now?

The per capita income has increased by forty times. Is it not a difficult thing for them to achieve a hundred billion?

Everyone was attracted by Mr. Charles’s bait. Even if they knew that there might be a fishhook behind the bait, at this time they still wanted to take a bite!

“How will this equity be distributed?” someone asked.

The fact that Mr. Charles could propose this idea at this time showed that he already had a complete plan.

“The equity is divided into three parts. The congressional side will probably need 15% to 20%. The state side, the state government, the legislature, the local Socialist Party, will probably have another 15% to 20%. And then the naval base side, we need to take out at least 5% to 10% of the share.”

“They may be a threat to us, but they may also be an important layer of protection.”

Everyone quite agreed with this point. The military was a very unreasonable group of people, and also a very dictatorial institution. Tying them to the chariot would only have benefits, no harm.

“So at most, only 50% is left for us to divide, and of this 50%, according to the total value of the enterprises we have invested in, it will be estimated. As the host, it’s not too much for me to ask for an extra 3% of the equity, is it?”

The others looked at each other. For 3% of a roadside bakery, they wouldn’t think it was excessive, because 3% was at most a few hundred dollars.

But if the “Golden Port Chamber of Commerce” could really be established as Mr. Charles had said, and monopolize all the industries here, then this 3%, might be 3% of a ten-billion-dollar empire.

Not to mention 3%, they would even want to fight for 0.3%.

Seeing these people silent and not speaking, he was not disappointed or anything. Everyone was a businessman, so naturally they understood that what they were doing was just fighting for their own interests.

“Let’s set it this way for now. In short, my plan is roughly like this. As for the details, you can also consider them. After this matter is over, we will discuss it again.”

At this time, Hope did not know that in the future of Golden Port City and even Likalai State, there was actually no place for him. Even the gentlemen in the room would not allow him to live.

He was valued and became the focus, which made him think that he had already become one of them, even if it was the most marginal, the most peripheral.

He, like those who had just come to the Federation in the past, still believed that as long as he worked hard, he could always realize his Federation dream.

But they actually didn’t understand at all that with the conservative degree of this country, this society, they simply would not allow the first generation of immigrants to succeed.

It was very difficult for the second generation. Perhaps the third, fourth, or even the fifth generation, those who already looked completely like people of the Federation, and only when introducing themselves to get more people’s support would they say “I have one-thirty-second” or “I have one-sixty-fourth” of a certain bloodline, could they be allowed to succeed.

But before that, they had better honestly dedicate two or three generations to the people of the Federation, to the society of the Federation.

After returning to his house, Hope immediately summoned his subordinates. “You all already know what has happened these past two days. We are facing the worst situation since we came to the Federation!”

His face was filled with a serious and grave expression. The people in the room also became serious one by one.

Boni stood in the middle of the crowd. Before, because he knew some people from the Federation and could help the refugees find jobs, he had gained importance.

However, recently, Hope had heard that he had some conflicts with the people of the Federation for some reason and had lost that job, so he was not as valued as before.

For the sake of the fact that he still knew many people, Hope continued to let him stay here. After all, he, this social activist, also needed someone to surround him.

“The people of the Federation have never treated us as human beings from the very beginning. We just wanted to express some of our own views, and for that, many people died.”

“It’s not just here that it’s like this. I’ve looked into it. All our compatriot brothers and sisters in the Federation are living very badly.”

“The people of the Federation discriminate against us, are hostile to us, and harm us without concealment!”

“We can’t remain silent any longer!”

“If we choose to remain silent again in the face of this disaster, then they will only harm us even more, because they know that we will not speak out!”

“I am not a truly strong person. I also have things that I am afraid of: pain, injury, death, many things.”

“But I am willing, for my brothers and sisters, to become a strong person, fearless of all the things that make me uneasy!”

Hope’s eyes were filled with light and stars. Many of the young people were so moved by his words that they clenched their fists. At this moment, if he asked them to charge at the next copper and iron wall, or even a chariot, they would charge forward with their bodies without hesitation!

The young souls were brainwashed by this seemingly glorious and righteous thought. Boni’s face was also flushed with excitement.

Carl, who had once been lost in his ideal, was now, just like him, lost in the grander ideal that Hope had woven!

Hope took a deep breath and let his excited emotions calm down a little. “I hear that the state government, the federal government, have all begun to pay attention to this matter.”

“The Slad ambassador to the Federation also talked to the Secretary of State about the tragedy that happened here. Now the people all over the country are paying attention to the situation here.”

“This is an opportunity, brothers and sisters, an opportunity for us to show our suffering to the people, to also show the people our beautiful hearts that are still pursuing our ideals in the midst of suffering.”

“Whether for ourselves, or for our brothers and sisters in various parts of the Federation, we must stand up!”

“If we don’t act, and wait for others to act first, perhaps no one will ever advocate for justice for us!”

“We have to stand up ourselves, become the warriors who bear the future, and hold up a piece of sky for our families, friends, and compatriots!”

“We need a larger-scale rally to attract the attention of the whole world, to let everyone realize that we are not weak, we have the courage to face them!”

He felt that the atmosphere was right, the emotions were right, so he began to arrange tasks. Soon everyone had received their tasks, to organize manpower, or to make signs, or other things.

Boni also had his own job. He knew many people. Hope had asked him to find more people. The more people there were, the stronger the power of this parade and demonstration would be!

Boni agreed without any hesitation.

He had read the newspapers and had also heard some people talk about the situation that day.

Their workers, unable to bear the torture, abuse, exploitation, and whipping of the people of the Federation, had only resisted a little and were severely beaten by them.

The others just wanted to save their companions, but were shot by the police who arrived.

He had subconsciously ignored some facts, those dead people of the Federation. Of course, some people also said that those people were actually not people of the Federation at all, but were just dead refugees in disguise.

He believed that it was necessary now, and that he had to stand up, to contribute his own strength to changing the living environment of his compatriots!

After these people had left, what remained were some of Hope’s true trusted men, some who had the same dream as him and wanted to become a person of a higher class in the Federation.

They had participated in the most core plan, to incite a riot, but some of them had not expected the consequences to be so serious.

At this time, Hope had them stay behind. These people all remained silent.

This attitude was actually not very good. Hope laughed twice to ease the atmosphere a little. “Are you afraid?”

Some did not speak, while some couldn’t help but say, “They will really open fire!”

Hope shook his head. “I didn’t expect that either.”

“But this time we still need to do something.”

The man couldn’t help but say again, “What if they open fire on us?”

Who can say for sure about this kind of thing?

What if the Federation guys really, regardless of everything, just had to kill them? What then?

Life is so precious. Their ideal is to become a person of a higher class, not to become a pile of ashes!

Mr. Hope pursed his lips. Being questioned in front of so many people, he actually had no face.

He was very uncomfortable in his heart, even annoyed, but he did not show it. There was even some comforting smile on his face. “This time you won’t be so dangerous, because you need to play the role of the people of the Federation.”

The people in the room were all stunned. “Play the role of the people of the Federation?”

Hope nodded. “We all know that the big shots are paying attention to the situation here. Do you think that Mayor Williams and his group don’t know?”

“They definitely know better than us. They will also most likely do their best to appease us, not to provoke us.”

“But this is not what we have seen. If the opposition between our two sides becomes eased, then all our previous sacrifices will have been meaningless.”

“We must let the conflict break out again!”

He looked at these people, as if he saw his former self, and saw the greed hidden in the depths of their hearts.

“After this is done, the federal government will soon respond. The big shots in the Bay Area have told me that they will find a way to urge the state government to establish a consultant office.”

“A ‘Slad Immigrant Issues Consultant Office,’ and there will even be one in the federal government. At that time, we will be the consultants of this department, legitimate federal politicians.”

“We can obtain the identity of a federal citizen, and then join their political party, and use this identity to realize our dreams!”

“Whether you want wealth, status, or the freedom you have always been pursuing, you can be satisfied!”

The eyes of the people in the room immediately lit up. If what Hope said was true, then they could totally give it a try!

They had already learned about the attitude of the people of the Federation from the press conference.

As long as they were not refugees, they would be relatively tolerant.

As for causing a “bloodbath” again, which might cause more compatriots, brothers and sisters to be injured or even die?

For a better future, a little sacrifice is always necessary.

Once the consultant office is established, and they become “Slad issue experts,” they can help others live a better life!

Seeing that they were no longer resisting, Hope immediately began to tell them what they should do…

After returning to his own residence, Boni began to contact the friends around him who had left the “company” with him.

He told them about Hope’s ideas and had them go and gather more manpower.

Although this matter did not have to be done immediately, it could not be delayed for too long, otherwise it would lose its timeliness.

Mr. Charles had given Hope two or three days. He would tighten it up a bit, hoping that by the day after tomorrow at the latest, he could gather more than 5,000 people!

A rally of 5,000 people was not a small number. A large black mass. If they were also holding signs and the like, then it would be like covering the sky and the sun.

Boni did this matter very seriously. It was just that he didn’t know that a little companion, after promising to help him recruit some people to participate in this rally, had directly run to Carl’s side.

This guy’s life had suddenly become very bad after he had come out with Boni. First of all, he had to buy his own food and the like. It was no longer like before, where he could take the food from the company back to his family.

The huge gap in life made him have some dissatisfaction with Boni’s decision. It was just that he was a young man. If he did nothing after coming out from there and just ran back, he himself would not be able to bear the shame.

This conflict between the refugees and the locals had made him even more urgent. The lives of the refugees were indeed too worthless. He did not want to be the one to be sacrificed in a similar activity.

It was just that he had never thought of what reason and excuse to use to go back. As it happened, at this time, Boni had sent a good reason!

(End of a Chapter)