Empire of Shadows

“Actually, you didn’t have to come down. It’s very convenient for me to go up.”

Lance said this while shaking hands with Admiral Miles.

Admiral Miles laughed heartily, let go of Lance’s hand, and put his arm around his shoulder. This made some of the soldiers in the distance look at Lance with a puzzled expression.

It was really rare to see this admiral of the navy make such a close gesture. They were all curious about what had happened between Lance and Admiral Miles to cause him to be so excited.

Fortunately, gyoza literature was not popular here now. Otherwise, news like “Lance… Miles…” would soon spread.

No matter how they guessed, they would never guess that what could make Admiral Miles so unrestrained were the clattering banknotes!

The two of them went upstairs. As they passed by the combat command room, Lance noticed the activities going on in the room, and a large sand table with a fleet on it.

He stopped and looked for about two or three seconds. Admiral Miles walked over and closed the door. “There’s nothing to see!”

As he spoke, he continued to walk forward with Lance.

“The first batch of fees has been fully settled. They asked me to express their gratitude to you. Because of you, we… I’m not very convenient to say it so directly, but in short, everyone is very grateful to you.”Admiral Miles said that he couldn’t say it so directly, but in fact, he had already said it very directly.

Lance smiled and said a few modest words. “I just provided a line of thought. The ones who are specifically responsible for these matters are you and the congressional side.”

Admiral Miles did not think so. “No one had thought of this method before. What are they doing?”

“So Lance, this is a genius idea. You don’t have to be so modest. No one will think you are arrogant, because this line of thought is indeed good!”

He paused for a moment. “I hear you asked for a war correspondent’s certificate?”

Lance explained George’s thoughts and also mentioned that he had tried to stop him several times. “He is a winner of the ‘Golden Newspaper Award.’ If he insists on going to the front line, many people will be willing to support him.”

“In the Federation, there are not only the pro-war faction, but also the pro-peace faction. They are also a force that cannot be ignored.”

Admiral Miles nodded. “Yes, these people are even more looking forward to us suffering an unprecedented major defeat than our enemies, and then leaving the war in disgrace and rolling back to our country, to prove that their theories are correct.”

“But we will not do this. We will not only destroy the enemy’s conspiracy, but also become the victors!”

In any era, any country, there is always a group of fools who stand on the opposite side of the trend. For these anti-war and pro-peace people, if they can get some real, shocking news from the front line, it will be conducive to them pushing public opinion to develop in a direction that is beneficial to them.

Some of them are not low in position. If they use some means, they do have a chance to send George to the front line.

Admiral Miles said with some deliberation, “There is something I must remind you of, Lance.”

“The front line is very dangerous…”

His meaning was very clear. George would be in danger if he went to the front line, but Lance had heard another meaning. “Is the situation in the front so unoptimistic?”

Admiral Miles was stunned for a moment. He frowned and recalled what he had just said. After confirming that he had not revealed any news from the front line, he said hesitantly, “How did you judge?”

“I don’t think I told you what happened on the front line?”

“Or do you have some other source of information?”

His reaction deepened Lance’s view of the war. “I have been paying attention to the news reports about the front line during this period. The newspapers never talk about our casualties, but only say that we have resisted the enemy’s attack, shattered the enemy’s conspiracy, and that victory belongs to us.”

“Don’t you think this is too beautified?”

“The Federation’s army is participating in this kind of large-scale foreign war for the first time. The cruelty of war is far more cruel than what we have assumed in the classroom. It is impossible for our soldiers to adapt as soon as they go to the battlefield, and to be able to counterattack outstandingly.”

“Otherwise, there would be no need for those wine and sedatives.”

“In addition, the navy has also joined the action. I don’t think the situation on the front line is optimistic.”

Admiral Miles showed a look of amazement. “Your analysis is very accurate. Indeed.”

He hesitated for a few seconds. “The casualties are very large now. The number of deaths has already exceeded 30,000.”

“Thirty thousand?” Lance’s voice also rose a lot. “That’s really terrible news.”

For such a large number of casualties to occur so soon after the war had begun would definitely exceed everyone’s expectations.

Admiral Miles said with a bitter smile, “What’s worse is that the Department of Defense and the army now not only want to defend, but they also want to attack.”

Lance continued his words, “Only the fruits of victory obtained from an attack can cover up the true situation of so many casualties.”

Admiral Miles did not deny it. “We need to grow up in a short period of time, so a higher-intensity war is necessary. It will become a ripening agent, to screen out some of the veterans who are adapted to the battlefield as soon as possible.”

“Doing so is actually for the sake of the subsequent troops entering the battlefield, so that they will not cause such heavy casualties as now.”

“The old soldiers will be assigned to the new companies to help them quickly adapt to the battlefield and teach them how to live longer.”

The navy would attack a logistics base city of the Dantra Republic near the side battlefield, and at the same time try to land and fight, to pull the troops on the side battlefield.

To provide an advantageous environment for the army on the side battlefield to launch an attack.

The military and the Department of Defense were planning to use death to create a group of veterans!

From a rational point of view, their practice was undoubtedly very correct. If they were to be dragged down bit by bit in a slow-paced passive battle, it would be better to just crash into them directly!

This one crash might just leave the current predicament and enter a new world.

But from a sentimental point of view, more people might die.

If so many people could die on the defensive side, then on the offensive side, more people would die.

After listening, Lance was a little silent. This was the ruthlessness of a ruler.

Everyone, including themselves, was repeating that human life is an incomparably precious wealth, but when they have a need, they can easily throw this wealth into the water.

Admiral Miles chuckled twice. “Actually, you don’t have to worry about the outcome of the war. We will definitely win, and we will definitely become the force that determines the direction of the war.”

“I brought this up also because of your friend, George.”

“The situation on the front line is very complicated. Some are also related to our strategic issues, and also the domestic public opinion issue. If he crosses the line…”

Admiral Miles left a small tail here. “These reporters always want to make a big news story. That what’s-it-called Golden Newspaper Award you mentioned, to a certain extent, is a judgment on whether the trouble they have caused is big enough.”

Lance was amused by his statement, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was right.

Behind every Golden Newspaper Award is a journalist who has uncovered a bloody scar in society, and it can only be obtained after the entire society has felt the pain.

From this perspective, the Golden Newspaper Award is an award for selecting who has stabbed the deepest and the most ruthlessly.

After laughing a few times, Lance sighed. “If he really tries to bring back some news that is not allowed, as a citizen of the Federation, I am deeply aware that the interests of the country are above all else!”

This was a sideways statement of his attitude. He had also persuaded George, but if he insisted on crossing the red line, then he would not stop anything.

It may seem that Lance was a little cold and ruthless, but in fact, it was George’s problem.

Not only had Lance warned him, but he had also acted as a guarantor to get him to the front line.

If he insisted on reporting on the news from the front line, it was clear that he was disregarding Lance’s interests. He simply didn’t care about the price Lance had paid to get him to the front line, and the consequences of his actions.

So if he really had a bad brain, then he deserved to die.

Admiral Miles was very satisfied with this answer. “Yes, the interests of the country are above all else.”

He paused for a moment. “You didn’t come here just to talk about these things, did you? Tell me, what’s on your mind?”

Lance took out a cigarette, handed one to Admiral Miles, and lit one for himself. “Do you have any retired armored cars or the like, the kind with machine guns and ammunition?”

At first, Admiral Miles didn’t react. “We’re deploying all the latest equipment. Have you forgotten?”

“Even this naval base is brand new!”

But as he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something. “Are you in trouble?”

Lance nodded, and then shook his head. He recounted the matter of the Holy Bell Party, and also what had happened today. Admiral Miles frowned.

“These gangs are damned!” After he finished speaking, he suddenly looked at Lance with some embarrassment. “I’m not talking about you.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear.”

Admiral Miles laughed out loud. “I see. you want to give them a shock!”

He considered the following. “We have two armored cars that have had a little problem recently, so we plan to dispose of them.”

“After you get them, you’d better find a way to make the shell look like it’s broken or battle-scarred, so that even if someone comes to investigate, we can still gloss it over.”

“As for the machine guns… this is not so easy to handle, but there will be leftover machine guns and ammunition in the two armored cars. We will recover this batch of equipment afterwards.”

Lance smiled and nodded. “Then thank you very much!”

Admiral Miles really liked Lance owing him a favor. “You’re welcome. We are friends. What you’ve given me is far more than what I’ve given you!”

Of course, that’s what he said. The next time he asked Lance for a favor, Lance couldn’t, just because he had given more, and could, refuse.

Soon, Admiral Miles, in front of Lance, had his adjutant come in, and then, according to the method he had said, he gave an order. He even had them do the aging so that Lance wouldn’t have to.

He even invited Lance to go over and have a look together, which of course was in line with Lance’s wishes.

Soon, the adjutant took Lance to the equipment depot. Four soldiers drove two armored cars out of the garage.

These were all brand-new armored cars. Lance could even smell a hint of butter.

“Want to come up and have a sit?” the adjutant invited.

Lance did not refuse. After getting on the armored car, the environment here was actually not as comfortable as it looked from the outside. A person could not stand up completely, only the machine gunner could.

The firing ports on the body of the car also only allowed people to sit in a chair, or to shoot with their bodies slightly bent, which was a little awkward.

They took a spin. Lance also fired a magazine of bullets. His hands were a little trembling from the recoil, but it had to be said that it was very satisfying.

Not long after, the two armored cars were sent to the shooting range, and then a dozen or so soldiers with rifles and submachine guns began to shoot at them.

Lance almost couldn’t help but tell them to “go easy” several times. After all, this thing would soon belong to him!

After several rounds of shooting, the two armored cars also looked really terrible. They also smoked the outer shell with a torch for a while, smoking the beautiful paint black, making it look as if it were about to be scrapped.

After it was almost done, the adjutant had the soldiers drive the two armored cars to the designated location. “Mr. Lance, you can have someone take them away at any time.”

“His Excellency the General has asked me to remind you that a machine gunner needs training. It’s best to let them get familiar with the feel before they are actually used.”

“You don’t have to worry about the ammunition problem. No matter how much you use, it’s on us.”

This was a traditional skill of the army. To report a live-fire drill, and tens of thousands of bullets in the warehouse would reasonably disappear.

Lance did not refuse either. He did not go back to Admiral Miles’s office, but directly called Elvin and Hiram and had them come over.

He had thought and thought. Hiram would definitely have to use a machine gun. Otherwise, he would be whispering in Lance’s ear for the rest of his life!

As for the other one, he licked his lips. Actually, he could do it too!

Shooting a handgun, a submachine gun, a rifle, and shooting a machine gun are completely different.

Just now, in such a short while, the machine gun was like the scythe of the god of death. Wherever it was waved, that place would be reaped in droves!

What if they were people?

What if they were enemies?

He liked this!

Not long after, Elvin and Hiram, along with some others, came over. Lance had already signed the purchase agreement.

“Do you see those two armored cars?” Lance led them to the parking lot and pointed at the armored cars parked there.

Hiram brushed his hair. “If you’re talking about the two armored cars that look like they’re about to be scrapped, then yes, I see them!”

Lance kicked at him, which he nimbly dodged. “Don’t tell me you want us to drive this thing back!”

Lance glared at him. Elvin, on the other hand, very seriously walked to the side of the armored car. He took out a handkerchief and wiped a spot that had been blackened by smoke, revealing the brand-new shell inside.

He turned his head and looked at Lance in pleasant surprise. “These look new!”

Lance nodded slightly. “The shell has been aged. If it’s investigated, it will be hard for the military to explain.”

“There are also two machine guns inside. We’ll go to the lake and play for a while later.”

Hiram’s eyes began to shine. “I’ve never fired a machine gun before. Count me in!”

His tone was exceptionally devout and serious. “I will definitely be an outstanding machine gunner, sir!”

Lance shook his head with a laugh. “Get in the car.”

Soon, the two armored cars and two other cars came to the side of Angel Lake, along with two soldiers. They taught Lance and his men how to install the machine guns on the gun towers, and how to quickly change the barrels.

These machine guns used a quick-change device. After a magazine of bullets was fired, you would use a hammer to hit a metal part hard, and the barrel would be removed.

Then you would put on a new barrel, and as for the replaced barrel, you could just put it in a wooden box on the side.

He explained a lot of content, and taught them step by step. He also had Lance and his group each shoot a belt of bullets, which made Hiram so happy!

“When are we leaving?” Hiram couldn’t sit still on the way back.

Originally, he had felt that his submachine gun with a changed drum magazine was the most satisfying weapon, but now he had discovered that the machine gun was!

Lance thought for a moment. “Soon.”

The armored cars were transported back on a flatbed truck, covered with a tarpaulin. It was not suitable for people to discover this at present.

When people discovered it, it should appear on the “main battlefield.”

The intensity of the siege and pursuit of the Holy Bell Party by the state prosecutor’s office and the state police had suddenly decreased. This made Joshua breathe a sigh of relief. And the few people who had been clamoring to kill Lance had also disappeared, so he knew that they must have failed.

Now he was facing a choice.

Either have a few firefights with Lance first, to test Lance’s strength, and then make a choice.

Or directly have Adams go and contact the people of the Five Families and see who is willing to mediate.

For the former, he would have to face a certain risk, but the advantage was that if Lance’s family’s strength was not so strong, he would not have to pay a huge price to Adams and a certain one of the Five Families to solve this matter.

And the disadvantage was that once Lance’s family’s strength was indeed very strong, and he couldn’t handle these people, then if he went to contact Adams again, he might have to pay even more.

These brokers were all hyenas. They would raise the price when you needed them, and would take the initiative to lower the price when you didn’t need them so much.

As for the latter, the advantage of directly contacting Adams to have him work was that it was very stable. The current price was definitely within his acceptable range, and there were no other risks.

But the disadvantage was that he had not even tried once and had to admit defeat. The people in the gang would probably have some opinions.

After all, they were not a pure gang, but also had a component of faith. As a saint, for him to surrender without even fighting, one can imagine how many more people would leave him in the future.

A difficult choice.

His trusted subordinate might have seen his current confusion and predicament and had provided him with a line of thought he had not thought of.

“Why don’t you leave the choice to Lance?”

“Talk to him. Maybe the situation is not so bad!”

Joshua adopted this suggestion. He found someone to get Lance’s number, and then dialed it.

(End of a Chapter)