Empire of Shadows

A hundred thousand was actually quite a lot.

But Lance’s words made Mr. Joseph’s heart skip a beat. He knew that what he was doing was not so glorious, to deliberately stir up a conflict between two people to profit for himself.

Now, Lance’s words were undoubtedly asking him to pay for his actions.

But that was money!

It wasn’t just a random piece of paper, where you could write a string of numbers on it and then use the money.

That was money!

He glanced at Mr. Richard. The latter, facing his gaze, turned his head away with disdain.

In fact, Richard also knew the reason why Mr. Joseph had previously provoked the relationship between him and Lance, making them at loggerheads.

Joseph was an unlikable guy. He had a disgusting worldliness.

When you can bring him benefits, he will follow you every day.If you can’t bring him benefits, he will turn his head and leave you.

They had cooperated once before. Mr. Richard had been so tricked that he couldn’t speak, but you can’t say that others are wrong in this kind of commercial capital behavior.

After all, Joseph’s side had made money. The only one who had lost money was him. He could only take this as paying for a lesson.

If he were given a chance, he would definitely trick Joseph too. This was why Joseph was so eager to find him an opponent.

Now, his toe was already swollen.

Joseph sighed. He opened his mouth, and just as he was about to say something, Xavier suddenly interjected, “I’ll offer 800,000.”

Joseph glanced at Lance, and then at Xavier. He knew that this was Lance giving him a “reminder.” He couldn’t offer 810,000, 820,000, or even 900,000. He had to offer a million.

The thought of this made his heart bleed, but… things had come to this point. He had no other choice but to give the money.

He squeezed out a smile. “How could that be?”

“Mr. Lance, you know!”

“I was the first one to support you. How could I look down on you?”

“This way…” he pretended to ponder for a moment, “I’ll take out a million to support your work, Mr. Lance. I don’t care if I can be an executive committee member. As long as I can set an example for everyone, I’ll be satisfied.”

Only then did Lance’s gaze at him soften a lot. A million was okay.

He nodded slightly. “I was just joking with you, Mr. Joseph. Don’t be so nervous. I thought you were a person who could take a joke!”

Mr. Joseph’s state had already recovered at this time. He laughed a couple of times. “How could that be? Of course, I can take a joke. This is so funny!”

Lance nodded, and then looked at the other small factories that he had persuaded.

These small factories, as if they had agreed in advance, all contributed seven or eight hundred thousand, as if they really didn’t care about money.

That was fucking seven or eight hundred thousand, a million, not seven or eight thousand, or seventy or eighty thousand!

The representative of the Good Dream Distillery Company didn’t react at first, but soon he realized that if the rotating chairman was Lance, and the four executive committee members were also Lance’s people, then this industry committee might as well be opened by Lance!

He glanced at Richard. Richard was stunned for a moment, but under the other’s slightly threatening gaze, he was silent for a dozen seconds with some grievance, and then reluctantly shouted out the price of “one million.”

Joseph was clearly not on the same page as Lance. Plus Richard, two to two, was enough.

No one else spoke up. This matter seemed to be settled just like that.

In the end, Lance did not forget to remind them that this money was to be paid once a year.

Mr. Rao looked at the few people with ugly faces, a smile on his face. “Very good. Our election was very smooth and achieved fairness and transparency.”

“Please wait a moment, gentlemen. Someone will come over later to explain to you the responsibilities you need to bear.”

Not long after, a guy that Lance didn’t know came into this room. But it was obvious that he knew Lance, and even took the initiative to greet him.

“You may not know me. I am one of the committee members of the Federal Prohibition Committee, Moore. You can just call me Moore.”

“The implementation of Prohibition has already shown initial results. Some of the alcoholism problems in society are being properly resolved. The situation of production being delayed due to alcoholism in factories has begun to decrease. These are all signs of improvement.”

“If there are no accidents, we will not agree to issue things like ‘franchises’ that violate our own policies.”

“But, you see, the Federation is facing a huge challenge, and at the same time, an opportunity.”

“The interests of the Federation are supreme, so after weighing the pros and cons, we have made such a decision.”

As he spoke, he bent down and picked up the briefcase he had brought, placed it on the table, and took out one of the file bags from it.

The moment they saw the file bag, almost everyone’s breathing began to become rapid.

Mr. Moore opened the file bag and took out a franchise license from it, with the number “1.”

This thing looked like a… exquisite poster, but it was definitely not as simple and worthless as a poster.

This franchise license used the paper of the federal currency, a larger piece of paper. They had even specially made a set of plates for this thing.

The reason for making a set of plates was to produce the product faster. If they used a whole plate, it would take more time, but with a set of plates, each craftsman could be responsible for a part, and in the end, they could be combined to form a complete printing plate.

The intaglio printing of the copper alloy, with its detailed patterns that were like art, and the tactile feel, gave people the feeling of stroking a large banknote.

It was rectangular and was divided into three parts: the background image, the text, and the description.

“This license does not need to be hung in the business premises. In fact, when we issued them to you, we had already recorded the information of your factory.”

“It is more of a symbol, a representation.”

“The Prohibition Committee has made a great concession, so I need to remind you all that you are allowed to produce liquor on a large scale in the Federation, industrially, but this liquor cannot flow into the market.”

“If it is discovered, we have the right to revoke these franchises.”

“Considering that opening a loophole for the war may cause some people to misunderstand, we need to publicize these matters more and increase the intensity of Prohibition.”

“…Executive committee member has proposed a suggestion that you, the liquor industry committee, should contribute to the establishment of a special foundation.”

“The main work of the foundation will be to publicize the advantages of Prohibition, to increase the public’s recognition of Prohibition, and at the same time to ensure the healthy development of the industry.”

“The source of the foundation’s funds is divided into two parts.”

“The first part will be paid annually by the member units of the industry committee, only 200,000 a year.”

Lance nodded slightly. The price of 200,000 was not much. Seventeen families, that’s only 3.4 million a year. The tough part should be in the second part.

“The second part will be composed of 0.3% of the net profit generated by all kinds of business activities of the entire industry.”

“The industry committee will be responsible for the preparation, construction, and other work of the foundation. The specific operation will be taken over by a professional team designated by the Prohibition Committee.”

“If you have no questions, we will continue. If you have any questions, you can raise them now.”

Some people looked left and right, as if they wanted to say something, but they didn’t dare. They hoped that the stronger wineries would stand up first.

Some gazes also fell on Lance. Lance shook his head slightly, and those gazes quickly withdrew.

This was clearly the Prohibition Committee wanting to open another table, but he could understand and accept it.

After all, he had slapped himself hard. If he still had to distribute these profits like the others, this slap would obviously have been in vain.

So for them to open another table was within reason, and not surprising.

And their appetite was not too big, 0.3%.

According to Lance’s prediction, the annual net profit would be at least four or five hundred million, which meant that this part would be divided among them, about a million or so.

Plus the previous part, the foundation would have an income of about three or four million a year.

At most 30% of this income would be used for the things they had mentioned, to publicize and promote the good aspects of Prohibition, while the remaining at least 70% would be used for the operation of the foundation.

For example, renting a house, paying salaries, etc. The Federation already had a mature plan to put the money of the foundation into personal pockets.

For example, they would rent a manor as their office, with a rent of one million a year, and then rent some luxury cars and the like. Two or three million in funds could be legally put into their pockets.

As for the remaining at most 30%, it was just a method they used to win over their subordinates. After all, they were full, and the people below also had to have some soup to drink.

From the moment the politicians of the Federation had firmly decided to take the wrong path of capitalism, the very root of the entire government had been soaked and rotted by the torrent of capital.

Politicians rarely consider what to do for the people. They only consider how to maintain the power in their hands, and how to put more money into their own pockets.

No one raised any objection, which made Mr. Moore very satisfied. As a non-executive committee member, he could also get a share of the money from this every year.

About 350,000 a year, and it would be every year. What else could he be dissatisfied with?

“It seems that everyone has no objection, then I will continue.”

“The industry committee must play your role of guiding the industry. You need to restrain this industry.”

“From my personal rational point of view, Prohibition will definitely end one day. This is just a special law for a special period.”

“Once it ends, this industry may face a new disaster and destruction. A large amount of capital will pour in, making the market chaotic.”

“At that time, it will be the time to show your value. You have to guard the door for this industry, set the rules. Do you understand what I mean?”

Lance nodded, and the others also nodded one after another. An access system, to circle up and eat exclusively. It could even be seen as a kind of “collective monopoly” recognized by Congress.

By these people, the industry committee, a “democratic collective” would be formed, and then this collective would go to monopolize, but the core interests would still be in the hands of these people.

Only a monopoly can bring huge wealth. If before they might not have paid so much attention to the industry committee, after Mr. Moore’s words, the representative of the Good Dream Distillery Company’s eyes had become a little hot.

There is no better business than a monopoly, none!

Of course, this also meant that if there were no accidents, the Prohibition Committee would have to continue to eat.

As for whether they would continue to eat under the name of the Prohibition Committee, or change their face and eat, that was another matter.

Mr. Moore distributed the franchises to everyone, and after giving some instructions, he exchanged contact information with these people, and after giving a few more instructions, he left.

After Mr. Moore had left, the others were not very willing to stay. The development of the matter to this point had actually exceeded the expectations of many people. Even Lance had not expected that the Prohibition Committee would also want a separate kitchen.

But none of this was important. What was important was that he, now, was the rotating chairman of the industry committee. In front of these people, he had the final say!

Lance’s “trip” to New Golden City was pretty much over.

Although he was the rotating chairman, it did not mean that he himself would stay in New Golden City. After he returned to Golden Port City, he would hire a professional team of managers to represent him in New Golden City to perform his duties as the rotating chairman.

In fact, it was not complicated, or rather, there was nothing very urgent. It was basically a vacant post.

The biggest gain from this trip might have been these: getting the franchise, becoming the rotating chairman, and becoming the father of the entire brewing industry in the future.

With a large batch of liquor beginning to be transported to the front lines and receiving unanimous praise from the front-line soldiers, the situation of a large-scale desertion due to emotional collapse that the Department of Defense had been worried about did not appear.

Lance was mentioned more than once by some of the gentlemen in private. These wild and imaginative ideas had indeed solved a potential threat for them.

And at this time, Lance had just returned to Golden Port City.

Although the week or so in New Golden City was not very tiring physically, he was using his brain every day.

Lance liked to use his brain. Using bullets could not be said to be the worst choice, but it was also not a good choice.

The guy who had owed the company a little over five thousand had already been sent to the mines, and the news he had left behind was also seen by Lance after he came back.

“A church,” looking at some of the information that Elvin had gotten after getting the news during this period, Lance placed the few photos in his hand on the table.

On the very top was a photo of a priest wearing sunglasses.

He was wearing simple clothes and holding a Bible in his hand. He seemed to be saying something to the believers.

From his expression, he didn’t really look like a priest, at least not a proper one.

Lance looked at Elvin. “Do you have any plans?”

Elvin took out a cigarette. “Nothing too good. I found that many of them are disguised as clergy.”

“If we make a move on them, or on the church, it will definitely cause the local people to be disgusted or even angry.”

“So this matter is not so easy to handle.”

The fact that an extreme conservative radical organization like the Holy Bell Party could exist from the end of the slave emancipation movement until today, there was still something formidable about them.

Joshua’s (the leader of the Holy Bell Party) some strategies were very correct. An extreme religious organization could indeed help him solve many problems.

For example, “God does not recognize dark-skinned people as God’s children.” If these words were spoken by an ordinary person, or by a rich, powerful person, no matter what, by these people who had no identity in religion, then it actually had no great significance. It would only make people feel that the person who said these words was an extreme racist.

But if these words were spoken by a priest, the religious background gave them an innate sanctity on certain issues. At the same time, it also catered to the local large landowner class. They would definitely have a very good popular base.

This is also why it still exists after so many years, and is still growing.

Elvin had indeed used his brain, but it was not enough.

Lance also lit a cigarette. “Actually, the simplest way is to find all of them, and then blow their brains out!”

The others in the room all nodded one after another. There was nothing simpler than this.

A single magazine of bullets can solve all problems, and it will not recur.

“But…” a predictable turning point, Lance’s gaze swept over the faces of these people, “just as Elvin said, this will provoke them.”

He paused for a moment. “So this time we have to change our method.”

The ring and little finger of the hand holding the cigarette tapped the table twice. “This time we will use what they are best at, to defeat them themselves!”

Most of the cadres didn’t care what method Lance used. They were just responsible for obeying Lance’s instructions. But some people, for example, Elvin, were very curious about what Lance planned to do.

Sean was also curious. It was still winter vacation, and he had not yet returned to his school. This was also the first time he had formally participated in a family meeting after he had gone to college.

He really wanted to know what kind of method Lance would come up with to better solve the problem of the Holy Bell Party.

They had the support of the local large landowner class, and in the minds of the local people, they were not even bad people. Solving the problem with violence would only bring unpredictable consequences.

Maybe some civilians would help them deal with Lance’s men, so this was very difficult to solve.

Sean had thought for several days, but had not come up with any good ideas.

Lance took a puff of his cigarette. “I remember that the conservatives’ reaction to drinking is very fierce, right?”

Bolton, in the corner, raised his hand and at the same time said, “Yes, the conservatives are very disgusted with drinking. They believe that drinking is a manifestation of indulgence. At the same time, drinking too much will affect the production plan. Most conservatives do not like people who drink.”

Lance nodded. “Thank you for your explanation.”

“So what we need is this, to let those conservative people discover that the Holy Bell Party is not as ‘conservative’ as they describe themselves!”

His gaze fell on the photo on the desk. “Of course, first we have to catch this guy. He will bring us some more abundant information!”

(End of a Chapter)