Empire of Shadows

The sky in New Golden City had turned dim at this moment. For a coastal city, a sudden downpour was all too common, all too frequent.

People held their briefcases over their heads, ensuring their pomade-filled hairstyles wouldn’t be ruined by the storm. People were sheltering from the rain everywhere.

Summer had arrived, and people’s dislike for heavy rain wasn’t as strong as their dislike for heavy snow in winter.

People liked rain, especially in summer.

It could sweep away the sweltering heat from the air, making the whole world feel fresher.

However, some also said that after a heavy rain, the sun would become even more scorching.

Ambassador Cassia stood by the window, looking at the dim sky outside. When the soybean-sized raindrops began to fall from the sky, the immense sense of oppression made one involuntarily slow their breathing.

The pitter-patter of raindrops hit the window, as if someone was desperately pounding on it from the outside.

Heaven and earth seemed to be connected by this downpour, making it impossible to distinguish between the sky and the ground.

News had just arrived from his country. The great president of Rapa was going to participate in a ”protest rally.”The participants of this ”protest rally” were not the main group of demonstrators in the Federation, the common people.

Instead, it was the leaders of ten other countries in Rapa.

Including the great president of Rapa, the leaders of eleven Yalan countries had gathered together. They had discussed the issue of the Federation’s request to station troops in the eastern and southern parts of Yalan.

No one liked this issue, although in some respects, the Federation’s army would indeed be of great help to them in stabilizing their own country’s internal situation.

They had obtained a stable society that they might not have wanted, but what they had lost was something more, and more important.

It was obvious that among the eleven countries in the Yalan region, any single country pulled out alone was no match for the Federation.

Thus, at the suggestion of some rulers, they planned to unite and form an alliance to advance and retreat together.

As Rapa’s diplomatic ambassador to the Federation, the great president had called him, explained the situation, and hoped that he could make the federal people lower their guard against them.

Once this alliance, in the nature of an alliance, was established, they would have the capital to confront the Federation.

The Federation had already started a war in Tanfit. It was impossible, and very difficult, for them to support another war in Yalan, a war whose outcome was equally uncertain.

The Federation was now pressing hard on several countries in Yalan, demanding that they reply as soon as possible, whether they were willing to accept the Federation’s ”aid.”

Although they didn’t say what it would bring if they didn’t accept, everyone believed that it would definitely be something bad.

It was precisely because the federal people were watching closely that Ambassador Cassia was needed to find a way to create some other incidents to attract the attention of the federal people.

”The great president really fucking thinks too highly of me!” Ambassador Cassia, behind the window, couldn’t help but say this to his own reflection in the glass, his tone full of sarcasm.

If he could really achieve this through diplomatic means, he wouldn’t just be Rapa’s diplomatic ambassador; he might have long since become the emperor of Rapa!

But it was precisely because he knew he couldn’t do it that he wasn’t thinking of working hard on it.

Instead, he was thinking, thinking about whether his ”betrayal” should be carried through to the end.

The sound of running came from the corridor outside the room, and then his two children let out clear, bell-like laughter.

Without a doubt, the two children were chasing each other at home again.

The thunderstorm weather had made it impossible for them to play on the lawn, so returning home was the only option.

But don’t think that home wasn’t much fun. That was just the thought of the poor.

Their house space was too small, maybe only sixty square meters. After arranging two bedrooms, a dining and living room, and a toilet, there was no other space to provide happiness for the people living in this kind of house.

But it was different here. There were twenty or thirty rooms here, and the area of the rooms was also very large. And there were maids coming and going.

The maids in the house were very caring for the two children, which also made the children’s growing environment more suitable for them.

His wife was busy with various social activities, socializing with the noble ladies. They would sometimes rent a large venue as a salon, chatting about fashion or topics they were interested in.

That woman was always able to stand out in conversations about current politics. As the ambassador’s wife, she had now completely integrated into the upper-class society of the Federation.

His parents and his wife’s mother had also adapted to everything here in a very short time.

As long as you have money, in the Federation, it is paradise!

If he were a... loyal and dedicated ambassador, he certainly wouldn’t be able to have everything he had now.

He couldn’t afford any of the expenses of a good life. The private school his two children attended cost a large sum of money for tuition every year.

And just having money was not enough; you also needed a certain amount of ”power.”

He, his family, the family he cared about, were all living in the Federation now.

What supported their current good life, what made the smile appear more and more frequently on the corners of his mouth, was not how hard he had worked, or how capable he was.

It was his current identity, his job.

Without these, what else could he do?

Could he and his family still be happy?

As he was constantly finding reasons for himself, an idea suddenly popped into his mind—

The great president, and those ruling groups, could they really bring a tomorrow and hope to Rapa?

If they were really the future of Rapa, why after so many years, were the people at the bottom of society still struggling to survive?

On the contrary, these ruling groups were getting richer and richer.

Almost 95% of the country’s resources were in the hands of this small group of people.

The people were not happy, nor did they have a future.

The ruling group of the Federation, although it had all kinds of problems, but look at those ordinary people, their lives were so much better than the ordinary people of Rapa!

He had already seen the bad side of the Federation’s ruling group, but even so, the Federation was still the country he believed had the most advanced system, the most development, and the most future, bar none!

Thinking of this, he seemed to have already made a decision.

He returned to his desk and dialed Senator Cleveland’s phone number.

”Is that you?”

Senator Cleveland’s voice in the receiver was still very recognizable. Ambassador Cassia bent his waist slightly, holding the phone with both hands. ”It’s me, Rapa’s diplomatic ambassador, Cassia. I hope I’m not disturbing your work.”

Senator Cleveland knew who this person was. This person, Ambassador Cassia, had a good personal relationship with Lance.

And, he had also obtained some intelligence and news from Ambassador Cassia’s side, so he had not transferred the call to an aide or anyone else. ”I remember you. Is there anything I can help you with?”

”You are too kind, Mr. Senator!”

”It’s like this, I have discovered something. I’m not sure if it’s useful to you or to Congress.”

His words had aroused some of Senator Cleveland’s interest. They were planning to forcibly station troops in September to October.

Forcibly stationing troops would definitely meet with some resistance. The Department of Defense and the military were currently doing a simulation. Once the simulation was passed, and the price to be paid was smaller than the benefits to be gained, then they would continue to push this plan.

So now the Federal Congress was still relatively concerned about the political changes in the Yalan region.

He seemed to be still making his final decision. After waiting for seven or eight seconds, he finally continued, ”I hear that the leaders of eleven countries in Yalan have already confirmed by phone that they are going to form a brand new organization—”

”The United Alliance of Yalan Nations!”

”They plan to gather the ruling classes of all the countries in the entire Yalan to oppose the Federation’s idea of wanting to station troops in Yalan.”

”I don’t know if this news is useful to you or to Congress. I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”

At this time, Senator Cleveland had also reacted. This news was indeed very important.

Once the eleven countries were allowed to join forces, even if the Federation wanted to forcibly station troops, they would have to consider the possible backlash.

”This is a very, very important piece of news. I am very grateful that you told me this.”

”I hear that you and your family all like the Federation very much, and are living here?”

Ambassador Cassia nodded repeatedly. Although Mr. Cleveland couldn’t actually see it, it didn’t prevent him from saying and doing these things. ”Yes, they have just moved to the Federation to live.”

”Excuse me for asking, Mr. Cassia, are they now people of the Federation, or people of Rapa?”

Ambassador Cassia seemed to have guessed something. He said in a low voice, ”We haven’t been naturalized yet.”

To want to be naturalized is not so easy. The federal government had long had a stricter review system for naturalization. Otherwise, if just anyone could mix in and get naturalized, the Federation would have been in chaos long ago.

Including Ambassador Cassia’s family, for them to want to be naturalized was not so easy.

Senator Cleveland asked with a smile, ”Are they willing to become glorious federal citizens?”

Ambassador Cassia was stunned for a moment, and quickly said, ”Of course, of course, they and I are all very willing!”

Senator Cleveland picked up a pen and jotted it down in the notebook by his hand. ”Very good. If they do not object to becoming federal citizens, I believe this matter will have a result soon.”

”In addition, thank you for your reminder, Ambassador Cassia.”

Senator Cleveland told this news to more people. Soon they had gathered together to discuss how to respond.

Some believed that they could let this United Alliance of Yalan Nations be established, but they had to find a way to support the people who were leaning towards the Federation to become important officials of the Yalan League, or even the chairman!

This would be of great help to the Federation’s more comprehensive invasion, and infiltration of Yalan.

There were also some who opposed the appearance of the Yalan League. A political group with a strong purpose would make their work of annexing Yalan become more, and more troublesome!