Empire of Shadows

Mr. Marcus was a middle-aged immigrant man in his fifties. He was considered a one-and-a-half generation immigrant.

His parents had come over very early, and then, when he was about four or five, they had brought him over from his hometown and had settled down in Likalai State.

When he had come to the Federation, it was just at the end of the Federal Slave Emancipation Movement. Society was becoming stable again, and the dark-skinned people were standing on the street, their eyes blank as they looked at the sky.

They had gained freedom, but had lost their jobs and the places where they could eat their fill and sleep.

They were not sure if this was the freedom they wanted.

This had also led to the continuous deterioration of public security. Many things had become very bad. Mr. Marcus had been hanging out on the streets since he was a child.

Because of his race, and his slightly darker skin, he was not popular with the locals.

The people of the Federation liked to call him “little bastard.” He still remembered a silversmith on the street who would affectionately call him “little bastard” every time he saw him, and then give him a kick.

However, this guy had later had his kneecap and fingers broken by him and had become a cripple.

Not long after, he had been kicked out of his home by his own daughter and son-in-law, and had eventually died in a sewer on the side of the road.His childhood experiences had given Mr. Marcus a deep empathy for immigrants and dark-skinned people. He could empathize with them and had a hostile attitude towards the people of the Federation.

He would not show it, but he had it.

When he saw Lance, he was very polite. On the one hand, it was because the Lance Family had now begun to “have its way” in Likalai State. The Empire immigrant gangs, because of Lance’s rise, had begun to become an undeniable force in the underworld of the state.

Lance had provided them with funds, weapons, liquor, and even social connections.

The continuous stream of Empire immigrants coming to the Federation would also become their fresh blood.

In a situation where at least half of a forty-dollar monthly income was extorted, and a life of eating beef until you were full at every meal, these fresh bloods knew how to choose!

They were a force that could not be ignored, and the pillar of these forces, Lance and his Lance Family, were an even more undeniable force.

As for the other aspect, it was because Lance was also an immigrant, and it was said that he was an illegal immigrant. He had the same identity as him, so he could easily recognize and identify with him.

After the two had shaken hands, they sat down separately.

“Mr. Lance, I have always wanted to visit you. A while ago, because I had some important matters, so I had Zabri come.”

“I am very sorry, so as soon as the matter in my hands was resolved, I came over, hoping to get your forgiveness.”

Lance waved his hand, signaling that he didn’t care much about this. “Let’s skip these parts that we probably all dislike and talk about something more substantial.”

Mr. Marcus nodded. Lance continued, “Zabri should have told you about some of my new ideas and plans for Likalai State.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yes, Zabri told me. I don’t think there’s any problem. It’s completely acceptable.”

It wasn’t that he really thought it could be explained, but that during this period, the police, the state police, the agents of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials, were constantly sweeping through the bay city where the Marcus family was located.

The hounds that had been specially trained to find the smell of alcohol were barking wildly in the city every day!

One after another, boxes of liquor were found by them, and then smashed in front of the people, letting the liquor flow all over the ground.

The small private brewing workshops had almost all been finished!

The smuggling ships from outside couldn’t get in. The coast guard of the entire Likalai State had become incomprehensibly diligent and responsible, patrolling the sea with high intensity almost twenty-four hours a day.

This had greatly increased the cost of smuggling. Often, only one out of several ships could get in.

Although the cost of liquor was very low, when the probability of a successful transaction was reduced to one-fifth, or even lower, its cost was equivalent to having been multiplied several times.

It was impossible for the gangs on land to buy these smuggled liquors at a price several times higher. Over time, the stock of liquor became less and less, and at the same time, the smuggled liquor and the small workshops also became less and less.

If they still didn’t bow their heads, then soon all the customers in the city would be snatched away by the bars of the Empire immigrants. Watching them make a big profit, putting the money that originally didn’t belong to them into their own pockets, made Marcus feel a pang of heartache!

He came from a poor background. It was only in these few years, with the Prohibition, that his life had become much more relaxed. Before the Prohibition was enacted, they had to rely on the smuggling business, which had no threshold. They could make money, but it was all hard-earned money.

All who have made quick money find it very difficult to go back to that kind of life of making slow money. They can’t stand that speed.

After discussion and consultation, the cadres of the Marcus family believed that as long as Lance did not use a monopoly to set a random price, then getting the goods from Lance’s side was no different from getting the goods from other places!

This was also one of the reasons that had prompted them to compromise.

Mr. Marcus’s “simplicity” had won Lance’s appreciation. “A smart choice, Mr. Marcus.”

“I can guarantee you one thing. Our liquor will be supplied to you first to ensure that your sales do not have any problems.”

Mr. Marcus smiled and nodded. “You don’t have to take special care of us. Everything will be done according to the rules!”

Lance liked his attitude and had him stay for dinner. During this period, they also chatted about some of his thoughts on the future of Likalai State.

“We shouldn’t spend our energy on internal friction, with this gang and that gang having a firefight, just for a little insignificant profit.”

“After a firefight, both sides have a dozen or so casualties, dozens, and lose a large sum of money, and in the end, no problem is solved.”

It’s unknown if Marcus was really thinking this, or just to cater to Lance. He nodded and said, “That’s true. Many times, the firefights between gangs are meaningless, especially now.”

“Liquor is the most profitable business, bar none.”

“For the current stage, the size of the territory has not changed much for the income of the gang.”

“Unless you’re big enough to have a block of at least a few tens of thousands of people, otherwise, one more street, or one less, makes no difference.”

A bar is inclusive and can radiate to the surrounding areas. And the business strategy of a bar has no obvious connection with the region.

If a bar’s liquor price is cheap, it will definitely be able to attract more people to drink, because the money of the poor is limited. In order to save even five cents, they are willing to cross half the city to go to a bar on the other side to drink.

So for now, the firefights, the conflicts between the gangs, are no longer so meaningful.

In the past, the purpose of snatching territory was to collect protection fees, so that the girls controlled by the gang could appear on a better street.

But now, these are no longer important.

Lance nodded slightly. “I think we in Likalai State should unite and be united against the outside.”

“If they like to have firefights, to go to war, then let them do so in a place outside the state.”

“People from other places sell their liquor into our territory, and we can also sell our liquor into their territory.”

Mr. Marcus was stunned for a moment. He was a little puzzled. “No offense, Mr. Lance, but… do you have that much liquor?”

“To be able to supply the entire Likalai State, and still be able to expand outwards?”

This was a lead that Lance had deliberately laid. “Soon, Mr. Marcus.”

“Soon my wine will be so much that it needs to be sold to the outside. At that time, if you are interested, we can also talk about this aspect of cooperation.”

“In addition, after you go back, you can tell your local brewing workshops that if they still want to continue to work, have them come to me.”

“I will, according to their sales, draw a portion of the service fee. They can then continue to brew and sell.”

After hearing this, Mr. Marcus nodded and said, “No problem. I will convey it to them.”

He used eating to cover up his shock, or other emotions that were about to be revealed!

Lance’s words had given him a great shock. If Lance’s family’s wine could satisfy the market of the entire state, then how big was his factory?

After Mr. Marcus’s visit, he soon left, and at the same time took away a batch of wine.

His whereabouts were not hidden. Soon the people of the Thorn Gang also began to contact Lance. The leader of the Thorn Gang also came to Golden Port City and talked about the same problem with Lance.

They did not refuse the conditions that Lance had set and directly compromised.

During this period of time, they had actually also tried to find other suppliers, but whether it was in the state or outside, the wine just couldn’t be circulated now.

On the interstate highway, the state police were leading the hounds that had been specially trained to find liquor and were searching them one by one, almost cutting off the circulation of liquor.

The risk of train transportation was very high, and the railway company also refused to transport these liquors.

As for sea transportation… in the end, you still have to go by land.

After trying many methods and finally being unable to solve it, they also bowed their heads.

After all, although the human trafficking business was profitable, not every day did someone want to buy those big toys. But in the city, there were always some people who needed a drink every day.

For the next period of time, Lance, while receiving some of the large and small workshops in the state, and talking with them about the profit-sharing agreement, and the authorization, was also actively preparing for the movie “Project K.”

The name of the movie had already been determined. To maintain secrecy, it was currently using “Project K.” After the shooting was completed, it would be listed in a new category—war disaster film, and would be officially renamed “Surprise Attack on Golden Port.”

Before the shooting was finished, it needed to have a little sense of mystery.

At the same time, in Golden State, in a luxurious, nouveau riche-flavored large villa, a guy with his clothes open, revealing a thick layer of chest hair, was leaning back on the sofa.

His name was Ryan. He was a minor character of ordinary origin.

He was very tall, about 1.8 meters, or even a little more. In this era, this height was definitely very tall.

After all, most people’s nutrition could not keep up, so relatively speaking, about 1.7 meters was a relatively normal height.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s only a dozen centimeters taller. When he is face to face with those who are shorter than him, the sense of oppression brought by this dozen centimeters of height is stronger, more direct than others!

And he was very strong, with obvious signs of training. His face had a cold and indifferent attitude. Even if he didn’t deliberately do anything, he would give people the feeling that this guy was not easy to provoke.

The decoration in the room was very luxurious. Many of the decoration materials were covered with gold leaf, making the whole house look golden and brilliant.

Although it was luxurious, in this luxurious temperament, it lacked a lot of precipitation. It would give people a very superficial feeling, floating on the surface.

But this was not surprising. The guy sitting on the sofa was the big boss of the Death Angels. From one motorcycle and seven or eight people, they had crazily committed crimes on the interstate highway.

At first, it was theft.

They would ride their motorcycles and follow the long-distance trucks, especially at night. As long as the lights were not on, it was very difficult for the truck drivers to find them.

They would climb onto the truck, and then throw the things inside out. By using such a method, they quickly gained some fame on the interstate highway in the north of the Federation.

People are all lazy and fond of ease. When the surrounding knights found that this group of people could maintain their life of eating, drinking, and having fun without working, some people began to try to join them.

The scale of the Death Angels grew larger and larger, and their courage, their disposition, also became wilder and wilder.

At first, it was just theft. As the number of members increased, they were no longer satisfied with just stealing goods, and had changed to robbing on the road.

After being arrested several times by the police, they simply killed the truck drivers every time and casually threw them into the grass on both sides of the interstate highway.

The wild animals in the wild were the best body disposers. They would solve the problem of the bodies and not let them become a trouble.

To this day, the Death Angels have become a large-scale criminal group that spans multiple states. On the interstate highway, they can also be said to be notorious.

The drivers who encounter them basically have no good end. They not only want the goods, but also their lives.

This has also led to the fact that now truck drivers almost all have to carry weapons on the road, and they cannot be simple cold weapons, but have to be hot weapons, handguns, shotguns.

But even so, there is still danger. After all, once you are targeted, they are not one or two, but many.

All the drivers gritted their teeth when they talked about the Death Angels, hoping that someone could take them all away, take them to hell!

Ryan was only in his forties now, but the bad things he had done were far more than those “old predecessors” in their sixties or seventies.

This was actually also a microcosm of an era. When you do not have the things that can change your identity, status, and destiny, being ruthless and desperate becomes one of your few choices.

At this time, he was looking at a guy in front of him, a guy in a suit, very stiff.

“So…” he said after a long period of silence, “I have to stop the next revenge action against Lance?”

He twisted his neck, an unruly expression on his face. “He killed our people, and now we have to stop?”

“Just because… he knows some big shots?”

The guy sitting opposite him shrugged. “Do you think I’m discussing with you?”

Before Ryan could answer, he sneered. “You’ve been the leader of this what-the-fuck gang for too long, and you’ve forgotten your own identity, Ryan.”

“I have no intention of discussing with you. I’m just notifying you.”

Ryan’s eyes revealed a chilling glint. He glanced at the guy sitting opposite him, did not agree, nor did he not agree.

The development of the Death Angels over the years was not only because they had put in their own effort. Behind them, there were also some interest groups cooperating with them.

Think about it. Without an interest group partnering to make a profit, with their style of doing things, they would have been arrested and sent to the electric chair long ago.

The reason why they had not had any major problems was because there were also people behind them.

The goods they had looted needed to be sold. This was not a small thing of a few dozen or a few hundred. Looted goods worth tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands had to be sold. A corner antique shop could not handle such a large order.

Someone would directly take all the things from their hands, along with the truck, the goods, everything.

There were also shipping groups that were cooperating with them. In order for the capitalists to monopolize the shipping market in a region, they had the Death Angels make a move on the trucks of some companies.

These shipping companies that were robbed soon had no business, because the insurance companies refused to insure them, and the merchants had no sense of security. In order to avoid losses, they could only entrust another shipping company with a slightly higher freight, thus forming a de facto monopoly.

A gray industrial chain had formed around the Death Angels. Many companies were profiting from this chain.

Goods worth hundreds of thousands could be obtained for a 30-40% discount. With a turn of the hand, the profit would be multiplied!

The shipping companies had also relied on them over the years to monopolize the cross-state shipping market in multiple states.

But now, these people were asking him to “stop,” because he was confronting Lance.

They were not afraid of Lance, but they did not want to cause the dissatisfaction of the congressional side because of Lance.

Lance’s influence in Congress, the Department of Defense, and the military was growing larger and larger, so they had to make a compromise.

This thin and lean guy was the one they had sent to tell Ryan to stop making a move on Lance.

The assassination in the city center of New Golden City had been investigated clearly. After all, this was the heart of the Federation. The gentlemen valued their own safety more than the safety of the Federation. Soon some of the things had been figured out by them.

So there was this scene.

Although it was not an action aimed at Lance, but just a chance encounter, and then a temporary plan, this failure also made Ryan a little annoyed.

The higher his scale, his status, the more he cared about whether there were “challengers.”

In order to maintain his own decency, even if he knew he shouldn’t do it, now he had to.

Because the scale was too big!

Tens of thousands of brothers, and even more gang members were staring at him, at this “Big Boss” in their minds. If he admitted defeat now, his “myth” would be broken by him personally!

The higher a person stands, the more they are afraid of falling, because the higher they are, the fewer places there are to land.

A fall from the top of a mountain may cause you to roll all the way down.

He didn’t know how to express these things, but he understood this truth. When someone in the gang had died because of the Lance Family, if he didn’t stand up, it would make things more complicated!

(End of a Chapter)