Empire of Shadows

The restaurant door was pulled open, and Lance walked in from outside. He stood at the door, took off his hat and coat, and scanned the main hall.

The entire main hall of the restaurant had only one table left. The other tables and chairs had been stacked together and pushed to the side of the wall.

Lance had booked the entire restaurant, so today it was only serving their table.

”Am I late?” he said as he walked towards his seat, raising his wrist to glance at his watch.

The time they had agreed on was now. It could only be said that he had arrived at just the right time, and that these people had come early.

The shortest guy’s face immediately broke into a fawning smile. ”We came a little early, Mr. Lance. You’ve arrived at just the right time.”

Lance walked to the side of his seat. Elvin pulled out his chair for him. After he had sat down, he gestured for them to all sit down. ”Who are you?”

The short man’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise. ”Mike, Mr. Lance.”

Lance nodded. ”Mike, I’ll remember it.”

He looked at the others, who all subsequently introduced themselves.Elvin had already gone to notify the chef to serve the dishes. Lance still had some time to chat with them.

”During this period...” he placed his hands on the table, his ten fingers intertwined, but they soon separated, ”some things have happened.”

”Some people don’t understand me, don’t understand me, so there have been some misunderstandings between us.”

”When I came to New Birmingham before, I was attracted by the simple country scenery. I didn’t come to compete with you, but it’s clear that someone has mistakenly thought that I have brought a stronger competition.”

”So much so that in your subsequent choices, you have chosen the wrong option.”

The short guy kept nodding, as if every word Lance said had touched his heart. Although the others were not as exaggerated as him, their expressions also softened a lot.

Lance’s gaze had been moving over them. He felt that this was a very interesting matter. They could not see the future, nor could they see the death star flashing above their heads.

”Some people think that a gangster is just a gangster.”

”A gangster in 1024 is no different from a gangster in 924.”

”We fight, we snatch territory, we collect protection fees, we force those girls to walk the streets, we kidnap, we extort, we rob, we steal...”

He listed many criminal activities. ”People think that we use criminal means as much as possible to get wealth, to get whatever we want.”

”They think we are no different from the past. So much so that some of us, ourselves, also think that we are no different from the past.”

”What the gangs of the past were doing, we are still doing now.”

”But I don’t quite agree with this statement.”

He took out a cigarette and took one. Elvin was still fumbling for a match when the short Mike quickly took out a lighter and came over to light it for him.

Lance smiled and patted his arm, expressing a kind of thanks.

”Society is progressing, and the gangs are also progressing. We can’t always look at the gangster organizations of the new era with the eyes of the past.”

”We don’t have to be like the past, to snatch territory, to force those girls to walk the streets, to do things that harm others to make money for ourselves.”

”Now there are more, and better, choices than in the past!”

”Choices to make more money.”

He took a puff of his cigarette, and then slowly exhaled. ”The capitalists have been talking about ’industrialization.’ What is ’industrialization’?”

He looked at these five fools. The eyes of the five fools were as clear and simple as those of a college student. They were simply too stupid!

Lance laughed twice. He flicked his cigarette ash and said with a laugh, ”To put it simply, it is an organizational business activity with a purpose, with a scale, to form a brand effect.”

”In the end, it will transform us from a criminal organization into an enterprise with a vague positioning, but not disliked by the people, forming a kind of transformation in a certain sense.”

Lance was talking with great enthusiasm, but the five people at the table did not know why he was saying these things, and what fucking use it was to say these things!

Lance was actually just bored, chatting about his views on the family and the future direction of development.

The few cadres of the Lance Family who were standing in the distance were, on the contrary, thoughtfully pondering the words that Lance had said.

At this time, they felt more deeply that there was a huge difference between the Lance Family and these unclassy gangs.

Including the Golden Port shopping families, or rather, the five major families of the Federation, there were huge differences between them.

This difference was perhaps what Lance called ”industrialization.” He wanted to make the gang into an industry, not just a criminal group.

Sometimes, without comparison, people do not know that there is a gap. Now that there is a comparison, some of the problems that were not clear before have become easier to interpret and understand.

Lance continued, ”I know you may not understand, and you don’t care much. This is quite normal, because there is a huge gap between us!”

He made a simple gesture. ”It is precisely because there is a huge gap between us that we will have a misunderstanding.”

”An elephant’s footfall during its walk is seen by an ant as the elephant aiming for it. But fortunately, the misunderstanding between me and Carl, and that who’s-his-name, has already been resolved.”

”This is also one of the reasons why I have invited you out. The misunderstanding between us, how should it be resolved?”

Mike understood these words. He quickly said, ”Mr. Lance, we do have some responsibility in this matter, but the main responsibility lies with the chief of the local police department and the chief of the state police. They forced us to do this.”

”If we don’t do this, they will find trouble with us!”

Another old fellow with gray hair, who was the oldest here, also echoed, ”That’s right, Mr. Lance.”

”You know, we are different from a behemoth like the Lance Family. For you, we are just a very inconspicuous small gang.”

”We don’t have much capital to fight against the harassment of the police, so...”

He hesitated for a moment. ”We are willing to pay the price to make up for this mistake!”

Lance looked at the others. ”Do you also have the same idea?”

The others all nodded. At this time, the old fellow with gray hair said, ”Mr. Lance, before you came, we have already discussed it. We are in principle willing to accept the management and restraint of the Lance Family.”

Lance nodded noncommittally and repeated one of the sentences, ”In principle!”

To agree is to agree. To disagree is to disagree. What does it mean to agree in principle?

In principle means that it can be agreed to, but because the details have not been settled, and it cannot meet their demands, so it is still in a state of disagreement.

Lance smiled and shook his head. They still hadn’t figured out who had the final say in this matter.

It just so happened that at this time the chef began to serve the dishes. The price of these dishes was not expensive, but on the contrary, very affordable.

Many people, before they came to the Federation, had always fantasized that the income in the Federation was very high, and that people could dine in restaurants or fast-food restaurants every day.

But in fact, even the real people of the Federation did not often dine in restaurants, especially the formal ones, because they were too expensive.

Many times it was like this. The refugees from Slad always felt that the Federation should be the best choice, and that this place should be a paradise for them, these refugees.

It was not until they had come that they had realized that this place was hell on earth.

This restaurant had been in business for many years, known for its affordability and cheapness. When Lance was choosing a suitable venue, he had heard people talk about this place.

Humans always have a craving for delicious food. This could also be considered a most primitive desire, so he had chosen this place.

Because in the process of serving the dishes, there were constantly waiters and chefs participating, so they did not continue to talk for the time being.

After all the dishes had been served, the old man with gray hair continued, ”We also have some of our own ideas.”

Lance, while spreading his napkin, had him continue, and at the same time he picked up his knife and fork and took some food and put it on his own plate. ”I’m a little hungry. You don’t mind, do you?”

The few of them all shook their heads, but it was clear that they had no appetite. None of them had moved their knives and forks. Only Lance was eating alone.

While he was eating, he asked, ”What are your thoughts?”

”Mr. Lance, we hope to be able to keep our territory, and also our businesses. As for the others, we can continue to talk.”

”This beef rib tastes not bad!” Lance commented. A typical federal charcoal-grilled beef rib. The appearance was really not very good, but it was very delicious to eat.

It would not be roasted to be very dry. Basically, it was medium-well, and a large amount of blood and meat juice was locked in the beef rib.

This kind of roasting is all done with large pieces of beef ribs, not small pieces. Only in this way can the juice be prevented from losing too much.

Its flavor was a little different from that on the Golden Port City side, on the Likalai State side. They had used more spices, which had made the aroma of the roasted meat more rich, and there was also a lot of juice.

With a single bite, the fat, the blood, the meat juice, and the completely cooked, soft fat and muscle, no one can refuse the temptation of eating a large mouthful of meat!

Seeing Lance eat so heartily, the few of them were also a little hungry, but now they were more concerned about their subsequent survival.

Lance swallowed the food in his mouth. ”And what else?”

He glanced at the old fellow with gray hair who was speaking. ”You don’t just have these ideas, do you?”

”And what else?”

”Tell me your other thoughts.”

The old man with gray hair was a little astonished. He looked at the others. After they had exchanged a look with their eyes for a moment, the old man with gray hair gritted his teeth and continued, ”After we have submitted to the management of the Lance Family, we will be one. We hope to be able to get the best-selling wine from you at a relatively preferential price.”

”You also said just now, Mr. Lance, that you have wine with a more advantageous price. We can have a wider cooperation in this aspect.”

”We can also help you to promote it in the entire Indeno State...”

He began to talk about the advantages they thought they had. They were the local snakes here, although they might be the weakest.

They had some friendship with some of the gangs in the surrounding cities and could help Lance to open up the sales channels in the surrounding cities faster and better. Of course, this matter had to be sold by them personally, instead of handing over the channels to Lance.

Lance nodded noncommittally. While enjoying his food, he had them continue to talk.

Lance’s ”indulgence” made them feel... that Lance seemed to be very easy to talk to. They were all saying some of their own ideas, carefully probing.

Someone had even proposed the idea of doing business with Lance, and someone had also proposed that Lance actually didn’t need to waste his energy to control this city.

They could completely do it for him.

The Lance Family sets the rules, and they execute the rules. It sounds quite good.

Listening to the stupid things they were saying, Lance did not get angry, but just listened. He found it interesting, and it went well with his meal.

After he had eaten almost his fill, and had tasted all the food he liked, he took out his pocket square, wiped his hands, and then handed it to Elvin.

A pocket square is the handkerchief that is inserted in the chest pocket for decoration, but it is definitely not just for decoration and embellishment. It also has a practical use and value.

They didn’t quite understand as they watched the bright red handkerchief being held by Elvin as he walked to the side of the door, and then was thrown out from the door.

Lance suddenly spoke up and drew their attention back from the outside.

”Actually... before I came, I was thinking about something.”

He lit another cigarette. It was still the guy named Mike who came over to light it for him. He smiled and nodded, said thank you. His attitude was very amiable, not at all like he was about to lose his temper and get angry.

Just as he was speaking, on the street outside, the men brought by the five gangster bosses, their trusted men, and some of the elite members of their gangs were still standing in small groups, chatting about something.

Compared to the tension of the ”big shots” in the room, or whatever other emotions, they seemed much more relaxed.

If the boss died, it would be nothing more than changing to another boss. And today, many of them had come. The five gangs added up to at least one or two hundred people.

Even if they couldn’t reach an agreement today, there was a high probability that there would not be a firefight, so they seemed very relaxed.

When they saw a bright red handkerchief being thrown out from the main gate of the restaurant by a guy, people’s gaze followed the bright red handkerchief that was being rolled up by the wind, and as it slowly fell.

The windows of the buildings on both sides of the street were opened. A large group of people with submachine guns poked out of the windows and pulled the trigger on the people who were standing on the street, the ones who were not wearing the same attire as them.

This time they did not use small-caliber submachine guns, but normal handgun bullets.

The white powder that was constantly being kicked up from the ground had made these people be reaped a patch before they could react. By the time they reacted, it was already a little too late.

The gunshots from outside the restaurant, which were as dense as a rainstorm, had instantly made the five leaders in the restaurant stand up, but soon they sat back down.

Because the people behind Lance had taken out their guns, had killed one of their subordinates who had been brought in, and then the muzzles were aimed at them.

Lance took a deep drag on his cigarette. ”I’ve been thinking, should I let you go?”

The ring and middle finger of his hand holding the cigarette rubbed his forehead. Fortunately, he had taken a shower today, so he didn’t rub out any dirt.

His gaze lingered on the faces of these people one by one, observing their expressions, observing their eyes. ”I’ve considered it, to give you a chance, but then I felt that there was no need.”

”Because even if an elephant steps on some ants, no one will criticize the elephant. They will only say that those ants were arrogant and were trying to fight against an elephant.”

”New Birmingham doesn’t need so many gangs, and it doesn’t need you.”

The short Mike anxiously shouted, ”Mr. Lance, Mr. Lance!”

”We don’t want anything. We can leave this city!”

The faces of the other few were also very ugly. A middle-aged man also echoed, ”The things we said just now were all a joke. It was all their idea, and it has nothing to do with us!”

”We came here just to say goodbye to you later. I was even planning to completely give up my gangster career and return to a normal life.”

”Mr. Lance...”

He took another puff of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled. ”Goodbye, gentlemen.”

The gunshots in the restaurant also rang out. He just sat there, a cigarette between his fingers, calmly watching the five people have their heads blown off by bullets, watching them slide down from their chairs to the ground.

Lance picked up a napkin and wiped a small wet spot on his face. A little blood had splattered on him.

He pursed his lips and looked at the table of dishes that had been splattered with blood. He felt a little pity.

Although the price of the food here was not high, it was definitely not cheap either.

The gunshots outside had alarmed the police who were in charge of traffic control on both sides of the street. Just as they were about to do something, the police officer who was in charge of supervising the scene had very sternly reminded them not to get involved!

This was also one of the usual attitudes of the police, to let these evil forces fight among themselves. After they had fought enough, the police would come in to clean up the mess.

The young police officer had thought it would be like this this time. He just stood at the intersection with a straight face, persuading the people who wanted to watch the fun to leave this place.

The dense gunshots inside, it was very likely that there would be ricochets. At the same time, he was also shocked, because the gunshots were too dense!

Two or three minutes later, the gunshots had completely stopped, and Lance’s cigarette was also finished.

The room was filled with a kind of a warm, fishy smell. This was a very difficult smell to describe, caused by a large amount of blood appearing in a closed environment.

Just by smelling it, you could imagine that the blood should be hot.

He stood up. Elvin and Ennio had first led their men and had left the restaurant. They had checked outside.

A large group of gangster members in iron-gray trench coats, wearing soft felt hats, with a bright red armband, holding submachine guns, had come out from the entrances of the surrounding buildings.

They were finishing off the corpses that were lying on the ground and looked like they were not dead.

Finishing off has always been a fine tradition of the Lance Family, including in the restaurant.

The ten bodies, which could not have been more dead, were also finished off by them.

When Lance came out of the restaurant, on the entire street, only their men were still standing!

The sun shone down. He squinted his eyes slightly and looked at the sun in the sky.

Today was a good day!