Empire of Shadows

Before this team came, Congress had already arranged their work. Their work could be said to be parallel to Lance’s work, but they were subject to Lance’s control. Everything was still led by Lance.

From the current situation, Lance didn’t need them to do anything, so after introducing each other, getting to know each other, and getting the content of their actions, Lance took the initiative to end the meeting with them.

He casually placed the document in his hand on a low table nearby. ”Although it’s not very far from the Federation to here, it should still take the better part of a day.”

”The rocking back and forth makes people uncomfortable no matter what!”

He glanced at his watch. ”You guys go and rest for a while. and there’s still lunch. At that time, I’ll introduce all my colleagues here to you.”

Albert immediately stood up, and the others also stood up one after another, rising to take their leave.

Lance had Mador see them off.

They were currently staying in the Rapa Grand Hotel. Lance was also still living here.

His ”castle” in the suburbs was not yet built, so it would still take some time to move there.

When Albert pushed open the door and was about to close it, Andy unexpectedly stood outside the door and stopped him.Albert looked at Andy, somewhat surprised. ”Is something wrong?”

Andy nodded. ”I want to talk to you.”

Albert looked at him for a while, then pulled the door open and welcomed him in.

They were also living in a high-standard room, with a bed and a living room, but it was definitely not as good as the top-floor suite Lance was living in.

After Albert had closed the door, the two came to the side of the sofa and sat down. Andy said in a slightly blaming tone, ”You shouldn’t have just given him our action plan like that.”

Albert’s action of taking out a cigarette had stopped. He looked at Andy for two or three seconds, not reacting.

After two or three seconds, he finally continued to take out the cigarette case and lit one for himself.

In fact, the Federation did not have the habit of ”sharing” cigarettes. Generally, people smoked their own. Of course, if someone took the initiative to offer a cigarette, others would also accept it, but it was limited to friends.

”Lance has always been in charge of the work on the Rapa side. Before I came, they told me that the actions here are mainly led by Lance.”

He took out a lighter, lit his cigarette, and explained.

Andy shook his head. ”I’ve looked into Lance’s information. I don’t think he can complete this job well.”

”He’s just a gangster boss who hasn’t received a higher education and hasn’t engaged in related work.”

”If we rely on him too much, problems may arise, and our work should be kept secret.”

Albert frowned. ”You think he can’t do it?”

Andy did not deny it. ”I’m just worried that he will mess up our work.”

He looked at Andy, and Andy also met his gaze without fear. After the two had looked at each other for a moment, by the action of smoking, Albert’s gaze had disengaged from his.

A faint, not-so-easy-to-detect smile appeared on his face. ”Did you know each other before?”

”Do you have some prejudice against him?”

Andy shook his head. ”I have no prejudice against him, nor do I know him. I just feel that certain people should do certain jobs.”

”You are in charge of your work, I am in charge of mine, and he is in charge of his.”

Albert did not continue to explain or emphasize anything. He could understand Andy’s thoughts at this time, and even his emotions. ”I understand. I will pay attention.”

Andy had gotten what he wanted, and the expression on his face had also softened a lot. ”I’m not blaming you. It’s just that we should all be responsible for our own work.”

Albert did not refute, nor did he continue to argue, but just smiled. ”Yes, you are right.”

These two sentences had made Andy very satisfied. ”Alright, I just wanted to remind you. I have no other meaning. After all, you are the team leader.”

He stood up as he spoke. ”I’ll go back and rest first. This damn ship has been rocking so much that my brain feels like it’s turned to mush!”

He reached out and circled his temple. This action had made Albert amused. He took the initiative to see Andy to the door. ”Me too.”

”Then I’ll see you at lunch?”

”See you at lunch!”

After closing the door, the smile on Albert’s face faded. He shook his head, walked to the side of the sofa, and slumped down without any image. His whole person relaxed a little.

Doubt, doubt about Lance’s ability. In fact, he also had it, but he had just arrived here and had found that Lance’s pushing for the outbreak of the conflict was done surprisingly well, and the entry point was very good.

If he had used other entry points to aggravate the conflict between the people and the government, for example, income, social problems, and the like, it might not have been able to get everyone to participate.

If you say the income is low, there are always those with high incomes in this society.

If you talk about other social problems, not everyone has to face them.

In the methods and ways that Albert had constructed himself, there was no good entry point that could completely sweep up all classes.

From the bottom up, to sweep up all classes except for the ruling class.

If he wanted to do these, it might require several things to be linked together to be able to do it.

But Lance had just done it with a very simple operation, hunger.

It could even be said that this food shortage was developing in the direction of a famine. Once a famine was formed, a large number of people would starve to death, and their hatred for the Rapa government, for these ruling groups, would also reach its peak.

At that time, with a gentle push, the opposition between the two sides would be formed.

So he felt that Lance was capable, and his ability was also very strong.

As for Andy’s dissatisfaction, he could actually also guess it. It was a non-recognition of his identity.

This was also not surprising.

He didn’t know what department Andy had worked in before, but for a government official to suddenly be ”fired,” and to have to join a non-official organization, and with a high probability, to have to bear all kinds of responsibilities, this was a clear ”demotion.”

This also showed that there was no one behind this Mr. Andy, and no one had told him who the real ”Boss” was.

He would definitely suffer a loss, because Lance was not a pushover.

Now the two sides had not yet had a conflict, nor were there any contradictions, and they could still coexist peacefully.

He believed that as long as Andy continued to do some stupid things, Lance would definitely embarrass him.

He would not remind Andy, because a reminder would be of no use to Andy. He had seen some of this kind of person. If you remind him, on the contrary, it would make him feel that you looked down on him, so it was better to do less than to do more.

He smiled and finished his cigarette, took a shower, and then threw himself onto the bed.

Lunch was held in a separate dining room in the hotel. Lance had called Roger and his men over, and everyone had gotten to know each other.

After all, for a long period of time to come, they would have to cooperate with each other.

The lunch was not considered sumptuous. After all, it was just lunch.

After lunch, Roger and Lance walked together. ”That Mr. Andy looks a bit... I feel that he’s a bit distant from us.”

Lance had also felt it. He shook his head. ”Don’t mind him. He’s just a minor character.”

He paused for a moment. ”Have the places further away also started to get chaotic?”

Roger nodded and said, ”It’s all starting to get chaotic. Just as you said, a small number of people have stored up the grain that the majority of people can consume. Now the circulation of grain is getting less and less, and a major famine is brewing.”

At first, Roger might have felt a little unbearable, but after working for this period of time, he had also gradually gotten used to it.

When he talked about this matter, he could already treat it with a calm mind.

Lance nodded slightly. He sized up Roger. ”I hear you’ve been having a pretty good time recently.”

Roger’s face turned a little red, which was rare. He was already in his sixties. The young girls that those people had sent him were all seventeen or eighteen at first, which he had refused.

But soon, they had sent some young mistresses in their thirties, which had, in an instant, hit Roger’s fetish. His days were going very well!

It was as if he had suddenly returned to his youth.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Lance laughed heartily and patted his arm. ”Just don’t delay the proper business.”

”Especially during this period, you also have to pay attention to your safety...”

A few more days passed, and refugees had finally begun to enter Zhuolan.

Seeing that it was not long before the New Year, the temperature was also constantly dropping.

However, the temperature in Zhuolan was still very firm. This place was closer to the equator. Even in December, it was still fourteen or fifteen degrees.

Hunger, and a little cold, had forced people to have to make a choice.

The people who lived in the cities near Zhuolan had all heard that the situation on the Zhuolan side was not bad, so they had all, with their families, come here.

The influx of more people into Zhuolan was originally a good thing. The city had become more lively.

But after these people had come, they had begun to buy grain in large quantities, which had also gradually caused the local people of Zhuolan to worry.

The local people had also begun to hoard grain, and the grain soon became scarce.

Diego, after hearing about this again, seemed a little ashamed and annoyed. In his eyes, these ”hungry people” were like a slap in the face, fiercely hitting him.

It hadn’t been long since he had just completed a transaction with the federal people, just over a month, and Rapa had had a situation where there was not enough food.

What would the federal people think? Would they laugh at him?

What would the leaders of the other countries of the Yalan League think? Would they laugh at him?

This had made him very angry!

After all, no matter what, he was the great president, the leader of a country. To have a famine just after selling grain, he himself couldn’t keep his face.

So he had made a decision—to refuse people from outside Zhuolan to enter the Zhuolan area.

This way, the refugees couldn’t come in, and it wouldn’t affect his face. No refugees in Zhuolan was tantamount to no refugees in Rapa.

He had also called his subordinates, the officials, the mayors of other regions, and had asked them to handle this matter as soon as possible.

It’s just that they can’t eat. It’s not like they are going to die.

There are so many resources in the wild. Can’t they just use them?

There is food everywhere. How can a person be starved to death?

What a bunch of unruly people!

This chapter was translated by Nightjar Reads. For advance chapters and the newest releases, visit nightjarreads.com