Empire of Shadows

Unlike Ross, who was uneducated, Pedro was a high school teacher. He was educated, and he also imparted knowledge to others.

This made him somewhat different from Ross.

If Ross looked like a volcano that could erupt at any time, then Pedro was a calm lake with occasional ripples.

Ross’s edge, even if he didn’t show it, people could still see it, because it was just there.

But Pedro’s edge, if he didn’t take the initiative to show it, he would have a certain deceptiveness. This was the power of knowledge.

He could still chat with Lance, rationally and calmly treating this guy who was considered a ”devil” in many people’s eyes.

Ross, on the other hand, couldn’t really do it.

There was no smell of gunpowder in their chat. Facing Lance’s question, Pedro smiled and replied, ”A lot has happened recently, in ways we couldn’t have imagined.”

He didn’t immediately remind Lance that he might be assassinated or anything. He started talking about the ”Zhuolan Treaty.”

”Mr. White, I don’t really understand, why don’t you just invade our country directly, or directly support some agents, instead of using this method.””It looks like you’ve trained some gladiators in different colored outfits, given them weapons, and let them fight each other.”

”But you are also in this arena. Aren’t you afraid that the sharp blades you give to the gladiators will eventually be turned on you?”

Many people might have this confusion, but there was no one to answer their confusion. But for Pedro, there was someone who could answer, and it was the person involved himself.

Lance laughed twice. ”You said it yourself. You use sharp blades, while I use firearms, bullets, and more advanced defensive measures.”

”Regarding these questions you’ve raised, I don’t think I actually need to explain. We stand in different positions. When you stand in the dark and look at the light, you will find the sunlight glaring.”

”But if you stand in the sun and look directly at the shadows, you will see the darkness that swallows even the light.”

”We have different feelings when we look at problems from different angles. To you, this may seem unreasonable, but to me, perhaps this is the best choice.”

He paused, ”Among the twenty-or-so invitees who participated in the discussion, you were the one I paid more attention to.”

”Facts have proven that you have done very well. If Diego is to be overthrown by someone, I think that person is very likely to be you!”

Listening to Lance’s compliments, Pedro couldn’t help but laugh softly. ”You’re flattering me. Are you praising me?”

”Of course!” Lance affirmed. ”In my eyes, you are the most promising one among the rebel army to make it to the end.”

Pedro’s chat with Lance was very comfortable. He was also proud in his heart. After all, he was a high school teacher, and now he was the leader of a faction.

Usually, he couldn’t just grab someone and explain the reasons for everything he did, his mental process, and the decisions that might eventually be made.

He had hidden his excellence within his ordinary appearance, and could only admire himself when he was alone.

But at this moment, he felt that Lance understood him. This kind of feeling was comfortable, and it made him feel that he was not alone!

”Alright!”

”I believe you!”

”But you can’t say anymore, or I’ll get cocky, and that might be the beginning of my failure.”

”I’m calling you this time because I... heard some news through some channels. Some rebel armies are planning to assassinate you.”

”They believe that colluding with Diego will gradually dismember this country and then sell it to the Federation.”

”Adding the problems with the ’Zhuolan Treaty,’ they are planning to make a move on you, to get rid of you!”

Lance, after listening, did not appear particularly surprised. Doing this kind of thing would definitely put him on some ”warrior’s” kill list. If he was afraid, he wouldn’t have come to do these things.

He didn’t seem to care much about this possibility. On the contrary, he asked with a smile, ”Then what about you?”

”What are your thoughts?”

A sigh came from the other end of the receiver. ”You are a little more important than all of us, than the most important person in all of Rapa.”

”So I am passing this news on to you now. Be careful of these people’s assassinations.”

Lance expressed his thanks, and then said, ”Thank you for the news. I promise that only you and I will know about this.”

Then Pedro had asked some questions about the re-equipment of the government army, and then had quickly hung up.

After all, Pedro was still a relatively well-known leader of the rebel army. If people knew that he still had contact with Lance in private, and it was a very peaceful contact, I am afraid that many people would immediately break away from him.

...

Lance was not a person who liked to take risks, or rather, if the risk could be avoided, then he would not take the initiative to take it.

During this period in Rapa, he had not given any assassins any chance. No matter where, he was rarely exposed, and even if he was, it was often very brief.

And Mador had also stepped up some protection. In the commanding heights around the manor and in the concession, there were dedicated people on guard.

The police in the entire concession had also basically all been in place, and had begun to work.

The federal government had arranged for some people to come over to assist Lance in managing this concession. Congress still attached great importance to this concession, it was just that they had more important things to do now.

After staying in Rapa for a week, Lance had returned to the Federation, because the gubernatorial election was about to begin.

From now until the 18th was about a week. Likalai State was not considered a ”big voter state.” The number of legal voters in various regions of the state was not particularly large.

The population of Likalai State was actually very large. For example, in Golden Port City, Mayor Williams had just conducted a simple investigation a few months ago. Now Golden Port City had a population of about 2.7 million, not including some that had not been counted.

The official figure was between 2.8 and 2.9 million, and it might even exceed 3 million.

Among so many people, the local people of Golden Port City might be less than 700,000 or 800,000. The rest were all outsiders. The number of these outsiders who had bought houses locally was, in the end, only a few. If they paid taxes, they might not have been there for a full year, and they did not necessarily have a stable job.

So the voters, in the end, were just a minority.

With few voters, the voting period was relatively short.

A ”big voter state” like Golden State, they would start voting for the governor around September 20th, and it would last until October 18th.

Then on the 21st or 22nd, the results would be announced, followed by a holiday.

There were so many people there, so much so that they did indeed need to leave more time to make these preparations.

Likalai State did not need that many polling stations, and naturally did not need such a long voting time.

With two or three days left before the unsealing, Lance arrived in Manteno early, waiting for the final result with Attorney General Terry.

During this period, he had also chatted with some of the local capitalists or politicians. They held a positive attitude towards Terry taking office.

This was the advantage of prosecutors, lawyers, and other federal officials of justice running for a major post. People would subconsciously think that if this type of person could win the election and come to power, they would definitely bring their fair and just attitude from their work.

But in fact, people had gotten one thing wrong. From the very beginning, there was no such thing as so-called justice. Everything was born out of interest.

He had also prepared a grand party. It was said that even the venue for the election victory party had been almost decorated, just waiting for the final news.

A result that was within everyone’s expectations.

On October 18th, the voting ended. The ballot boxes from all over Likalai State were finally sealed and transported to Manteno.

Under the joint supervision of the upper and lower houses of the state legislature, the vote counting for the Likalai State gubernatorial election was completed.

Attorney General Terry, with an absolute advantage, became the new governor of Likalai State!

At night, the girls in the pool, almost all topless, didn’t care at all about the fiery gazes of others. They stretched their bodies under the shower or in the pool.

At an event of this caliber, these young and beautiful girls were not only not afraid of people’s eyes focusing on them, but were instead afraid that they wouldn’t be noticed by the people here!

This was a very high-standard social event. The people who had come were, at the very least, socialites. They had gathered here today to celebrate the governor’s election victory.

So the people who had come were either rich or noble.

If those girls could hook up with any one of them, for them, it would be an opportunity to achieve a class leap!

Look at those young people who were laughing and jumping into the swimming pool!

They were often surrounded by two or three topless girls. They seemed to be very popular, and those girls just couldn’t help but to press against them.

”This little bastard!” Mayor Williams couldn’t help but curse.

In fact, he could have cursed more harshly, but if he had, it would have been tantamount to cursing himself.

Lance followed his gaze and looked over. In the distance, Arthur was chatting with two girls. He had one in each arm, and the two young and beautiful girls had taken the initiative to grab his hands and had placed them on their own chests, as if they were afraid that this young man would not take advantage of them.

Looking at Arthur and these two... girls’ actions, Mayor Williams turned his head and glanced at James. ”Make that bastard get back here!”

He sighed as he spoke, and looked at Lance. ”I’ll whip him hard with a whip when I get back, until it breaks!”

So fucking embarrassing!

As Lance’s partner and good friend, they had also been invited to Governor Terry’s victory party.

Originally, Mayor Williams’s intention was to bring his two children to see the world, and by the way, to expand their social circle.

He was quite satisfied with James’s performance, but his little bastard son was simply a weirdo!

”Young people will always have different ideas from us,” Lance comforted him.

This sentence had made Mayor Williams’s expression very strange. ”You are also a young man, but you are never like this.”

Lance was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed. ”That’s because you didn’t see me when I was being stupid, and you didn’t know me, that’s all!”

As they were talking, Arthur had already, with some unease, come over. When he had seen James find him, he had suddenly realized that this was not a happy party hosted by him or his friends.

So he had, obediently, with his head lowered, stood in front of the few of them, with a look of having already realized his mistake and being timid, which had made Mayor Williams want to be angry, but he couldn’t.

He could only lower his voice. ”You really should pay attention to your personal image, Arthur.”

”The girls here won’t cost more than fifty. Your association with them will only lower your class.”

”I’ll say something that might be a bit over the top. These girls are no different from bitches, and are even worse than bitches!”

”All a bitch wants is your money. Money can satisfy all their desires.”

”But these girls here, they want everything you have, and then they want to find a way to make you, for the things you have left for them, to pay an innumerable price!”

Arthur had obediently nodded and had continuously said ”yes,” and had indicated that he would definitely remember.

Mayor Williams was already completely immune to his ”it won’t happen next time.” He had been saying this since he was a child, and now he was already in his twenties, and he was still like this.

No one knew when ”next time” was.

While Mayor Williams was teaching his son a lesson, someone in the distance had shouted Lance’s name, and was walking towards this side.

It was William.

He also waved his hand, indicating that he had already seen him. William, in the gaze of some, had squeezed through the crowd, and had walked over. ”Manteno is as congested as ever. The mayor here should really think about the city’s planning.”

Lake City was not too far from Manteno. If you drove, it would be four or five hours. If you drove yourself, it would, on the contrary, be a little faster than taking the train. William had driven here himself.

He had first complained about Manteno’s traffic situation. Lance smiled and hugged him. ”These few days are the gubernatorial election days. Many people from out of town have come to Manteno.”

”You see, me, Mayor Williams, and you, this has already brought at least a dozen cars, and there are also others.”

William let go of him. ”I just feel that the traffic is a bit bad. They can actually do better!”

Then he turned and shook hands with Mayor Williams. ”You look the same as when I left, without any changes.”

This was a very subtle compliment. Of course, Mayor Williams could tell what he was trying to express, and couldn’t help but laugh. ”You look like you’ve become more dignified!”

”How is Lake City?”

William was now serving as the mayor of Lake City. He had not let go of his hand. The two were still holding hands. Before the first greeting was over, it was not suitable to let go. It would make people feel very ”perfunctory.”

”Not bad. The city is very small, and the population is not large. It’s not difficult at all to manage.”

”For me, it’s a bit of a challenge, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job!”

Mayor Williams nodded and said, ”I’ve heard. It’s indeed not bad.”

The first greeting was over. The two had finally let go of their hands. William looked at James and Arthur, who were at the side, and also shook hands with them, but this time, they didn’t talk about much.

Now some of the people from the Lawrence family had already gone to Lake City to help William. This was one of the benefits of having a large family backing you.

As long as he had a need, the family would be able to provide enough help to help him to gain a firm foothold in Lake City.

For an ordinary person like Sidney (the former mayor of Golden Port City), to become a mayor in the Federation was not necessarily a good thing.

When he had come to Golden Port City to take office, he had also brought some of the capitalists from the place where he had worked before, but after encountering some resistance, those people had all left, leaving only Sidney alone in Golden Port City.

So much so that when he was dealing with Lance, and was digging a hole for the Bay Area, he had looked for the gangs, not the capitalists or the politicians. This was his ”poverty.”

William wouldn’t be like this. The Lawrence family now had money, status, and also a very famous person like Lance. Even if there had been some opposition in Lake City at the beginning, now it had basically all been suppressed.

Soon their attention had returned to the social gathering. Today, almost all the mayors of Likalai State had come.

Some, who had been held back by other things and couldn’t come, had also sent their deputy mayors, or simply their own confidants, or relatives, to come and attend this party.

So they could see many people here. This was also one of the reasons why everyone was here today. There were enough politicians of the same level. This was a resource, an important resource!

They were in the middle of their social activities when Governor Terry had come out of the house. His appearance had immediately attracted people’s attention.

And there were also people who were specially flattering him—

”Let’s give a warm cheer for the new governor of Likalai State, Mr. Terry Elliott!”

The gathered crowd had immediately cheered. The girls jumping as if they were really so happy!

Mayor Williams had, with a flick of his hand, slapped Arthur. He was actually looking at those girls jumping again.

Arthur had smiled awkwardly, and then had shifted his gaze to Governor Terry, who was walking out of the room.

Governor Terry was no longer the Attorney General. The new Attorney General was right by his side, his former deputy in the Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General’s Office, as an important judicial organ, must be in his own hands. He had not considered giving it to anyone else.

Originally, Governor Terry had invited the old governor to come, but the old governor had refused his invitation. It was said that he was at home, packing his things, and was planning to leave.

The old governor was not young either, in his sixties. It was not easy to want to be a senator, and he was not qualified to run for president, so he had directly chosen to retire.

After he had completely handed over his work, he would go back to the countryside.

He was now, it could be said, to have no desires. So he had directly refused.

To say that this had made Governor Terry a little unhappy, he was indeed a little unhappy. On such an important day, if there was no process of ”passing on the torch,” it would always feel as if something was missing.

But the other party was not willing to come. What could he do?

(End of a Chapter)

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