Empire of Shadows

More and more diners were leaving the restaurant; they didn’t want to get involved in this kind of situation. This was a mid-to-high-end restaurant, and those who could dine here were basically middle-class or above. Besides being afraid of losing their wealth, the one thing rich people fear most is finding themselves in a dangerous environment.

In less than two minutes, the only people left in the entire restaurant were Lance’s table and the Perez family members.

Paige looked at the uniformly dressed members of the Lance Family outside the window. He didn’t even know when Lance had called for them. At this moment, he could only grit his teeth and look at Lance, the fierceness in his eyes dissipating somewhat.

After all, humans are not animals. Even animals, when faced with a clear threat, will retreat, let alone humans who possess more wisdom.

He didn’t speak, just continued to stare at Lance, seemingly using this method to express some kind of emotion.

Lance pursed his lips. ”I don’t like looking up to talk to people. Sit down.”

A request that was similar to a command. This made Paige feel even more humiliated. He knew he couldn’t sit.

If he sat down at this moment, it meant he had yielded to Lance.

Once this news got out, the current boss of the family would definitely kill him!

And what would the people following him think of him?A gang is an illegal organization bound by violence. If you lose your deterrent power, the people below you won’t obey you and will think about challenging your position.

Everyone is risking their lives. Why should they obey a coward?

Paige’s men glared angrily at Lance, but Lance was just looking at Paige.

Paige didn’t speak, just stood there staring at Lance. His heart might be pounding, but on the surface, he at least scored a passing grade.

Lance suddenly grabbed the fork at his side, and with the tines facing outward, stabbed it into Paige’s thigh. Paige suddenly clutched his thigh, stumbled, and fell sitting onto the chair.

His men had just prepared to raise their weapons when the Lance Family members, who had already entered the restaurant from outside, all lifted their trench coats, raising the submachine guns hidden inside.

Lance chuckled twice. ”Get me a new set of cutlery.”

The restaurant manager, who had been let down [from the wall], looked at the two waiters beside him, and finally, he himself apprehensively walked over carrying a set of cutlery.

Lance picked up the new knife and fork and continued to enjoy his food. While eating, he said, ”Food is precious.”

”In Yalan, a piece of steak is enough to make a person go crazy and kill another. We shouldn’t waste food, and it really does taste good.”

He forked a small piece of foie gras, then dipped it in some thick, red-wine-based sauce. The dense texture, combined with the special flavor of the sauce, gave this foie gras an excellent eating enjoyment.

Paige sat there, clutching his thigh. Sweat was already beading on his forehead. His eyes became a little clearer. He hadn’t thought that Lance would actually dare to make a move, in New Golden City?

”What do you plan to do with me?” he asked in a low voice.

When a person encounters a normal person, there might be some methods, some strategies to solve the situation or predicament.

But when a person encounters a madman, or at least someone you think is a madman, those methods and strategies are clearly difficult to apply!

Although New Golden City was not Perez family territory, their influence here was immense. Key family members would also appear in New Golden City on a regular basis.

This wasn’t their territory, but it was as good as their territory.

But even so, this madman Lance still dared to make a move on him. Wasn’t Lance afraid of triggering a family war?

Lance leisurely handled his knife and fork like an aristocratic gentleman. He turned his head and glanced at Paige. ”It’s nothing, just planning to teach you a lesson.”

He turned his head and glanced at Mador. The two locked eyes for just two or three seconds. Then Mador walked over, and under everyone’s gaze, suddenly punched Paige in the face.

His gaze seemed to grow dull. His upper body swung to one side along with his head. The other Perez family members in the restaurant had already been disarmed.

Then came the second punch. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was quite satisfying. His head was knocked back again, and blood began to seep from the corner of his mouth and his nose.

These two punches were very heavy. Mador was highly disciplined. Apart from ”working” with Lance, he spent the rest of his time either accompanying soldiers or staying at the ”barracks.”

These barracks weren’t the federal military’s, but the Lance Family’s own training ground.

As Lance’s personal bodyguard, Mador hadn’t slacked on his own requirements just because he had obtained wealth. He knew very well that the stronger his physical fitness, the greater his chances of survival while protecting Lance.

He had spoken with his wife. Only after he retired would he step back from this extremely disciplined life.

But as long as he was still working, still protecting Lance, he could not slack off.

A former professional soldier who spent all day in the barracks and on the training ground—the power of his fists was plain to see.

Two punches had already left Paige seeing stars, and not a trace of hatred could be seen deep in his eyes.

But Lance didn’t call a halt. Mador rolled up his sleeves, grabbed his hair, raised his right arm high, stretching it back like a recurve bow, and then fiercely hammered it into Paige’s cheek.

Another ”smack.” It wasn’t crisp, but a bit muffled, yet anyone could feel the power of that punch!

Then the second punch, and the third.

Paige’s neck seemed to have lost the strength to support his head. When Mador let go, his head just slumped down.

Mador cleaned the hair from his palm and between his fingers, then pressed Paige’s carotid artery for a moment. ”He’s passed out.”

Lance nodded slightly. And right at this moment, a large number of police appeared, surrounding the place.

Lance looked at Tom. Tom stood up with a bitter smile. ”I really just wanted to treat you to a meal.”

He had never imagined things would escalate to this point, but overall, it was still within the scope of control and restraint.

The police outside had already started shouting, things like ”Drop your weapons and put your hands up!”

”Let’s deal with those people outside first,” Lance said. He picked up his napkin, cleaned his mouth and hands, and then stood up.

Tom nodded and walked out of the restaurant. The moment he stepped out, the police officers outside were hiding behind their car doors, some even raising their handguns.

Tom walked closer to them with his hands raised. His face was calm and composed. He looked around and said, ”I want to see the highest-ranking person here.”

The aura he had when he spoke, that feeling, couldn’t be faked. So all the police at the scene subconsciously looked at a police chief.

The chief himself was stunned for a moment, then stood up. He frowned, ”I’m in charge here. Who are you?”

Tom lowered his hands and walked towards him, saying as he went, ”Do you want me to say it in public?”

When the chief heard this, he muttered ”motherfucker.” Without a doubt, this was another case involving the federal high-level, not something a small fry like him could handle.

He put away his weapon with some helplessness. Everyone thought being a police chief in a place like New Golden City was a glamorous job.

But in reality, only they knew how thankless this job was. The streets were full of people they couldn’t afford to offend. Every call could lead to a situation like this.

Justice, law... in all sorts of cases in New Golden City, they had long been trampled into the mud, unable to pull themselves out!

”Please come this way.” He took the initiative to close the car door and walked with Tom to a place slightly away from the other officers.

Tom first showed his congressional access ID. ”I’m Tom. You can give your chief a call.”

The chief sighed. ”Just a moment.”

He quickly walked to a nearby phone booth, dialed the police chief’s office number, and explained the situation. He also described the two groups clashing inside, seen through the restaurant window. He wasn’t good at describing the others, but the Lance Family members were too conspicuous.

Hearing the chief’s description, the Police Chief’s expression went from serious to crestfallen. ”It’s the Lance Family. Who’s conflicting with them?”

Before the chief could ask, the Police Chief already had some guesses. ”It’s probably the Perez family. They’ve had a feud for a long time. If Congress hadn’t mediated, they would have started a firefight long ago.”

The chief wasn’t interested in this. He also didn’t want to become a ”police hero” and end up hanging on a wall for new recruits to admire his portrait. He lowered his voice, ”What do I do now?”

”Should I bring them all in?”

The Police Chief was stunned. ”What the fuck?”

”What are you bringing them all in for?”

”So their men can come and surround the police station?”

”Fuck!”

”Although... you know there are some things we are powerless to do, you still have to maintain basic decency.”

”Who do you think has the upper hand inside?”

The chief assessed the situation again. ”The Lance Family clearly has more people. They should have the advantage.”

”Very good. Let them go. After they’ve left, let the other group leave.”

The Police Chief’s method was very seasoned, offending no one.

If the Perez family called, he could say, ”Look, I even let the Lance Family leave first to protect your people.” This would at least give the Perez family no reason to hold it against him.

And as for the Lance Family, even less needed to be said.

You all fucking brandished your weapons, and he still let you leave first. How can you say the Police Chief didn’t handle this well?

The chief also had an epiphany. Perhaps this was the reason why he was only a chief, while the Chief was the Chief.

”Got it.”

”Then... their weapons...”

The Police Chief laughed angrily. ”If you want to confiscate them, you can tell them yourself, but don’t involve me.”

He hung up. Although he wasn’t at the scene, just hearing this news made him thoroughly unhappy.

These people, constantly trampling on the police’s status in the eyes of the citizens. This made him hate them.

After he hung up, the more he thought, the angrier he got. He then dialed his old friend’s number and recounted what had happened. His old friend listened and comforted him, ”Don’t be angry about these things. Soon, everything will change...”

...

At the scene, the chief hung up and walked over to Tom. ”You can leave with them.”

Tom nodded, turned, and went back into the restaurant. ”We can leave.”

Lance nodded slightly and strode out of the restaurant. At this moment, he didn’t look like a gang boss at all, much less a criminal.

Facing so many police officers outside, he didn’t even show the slightest nervousness.

He glanced at the chief standing alone, watched him for a moment. Mador came up and opened the car door. Only then did he retract his gaze and get in.

Tom then squeezed in, followed by the others.

The dozen or so cars slowly started to move. The onlookers all remained silent.

Only after Lance and his group had left did the chief sigh and tell his officers to pack up and leave.

The remaining Perez family members in the restaurant helped the beaten-unconscious Paige out, stuffed him into a car by the roadside, and also left quickly.

This piece of news, neither big nor small, soon appeared on some people’s desks. For the ”gentlemen,” this was just a small matter.

As long as they didn’t use guns, didn’t have a firefight, then everything was still under control.

It even gave them a feeling of ”it’s just kids roughhousing.” They saw it, and that was it. They didn’t take it to heart.

However, there were some people who took this matter to heart. For example, Fran (the current boss of the Perez family). He rushed to the hospital at the first opportunity.

Paige had woken up, but had fallen back into a deep sleep. It might be the effect of the anesthesia, or it might be the body’s self-protection mechanism after being frightened and threatened. Sleep would help him recover quickly.

Fran walked out of the hospital room. The corridor was filled with members of the Perez family.

New Golden City was a lively city full of wealth. The Perez family also had a branch here, and the main family members liked to live here.

This place was full of places for enjoyment. Why did they earn so much money?

Wasn’t it to be able to enjoy it better?

Not to say in many years, but at least in recent years, it had been rare for a Perez family member to be treated like this.

”It’s that son of a bitch Lance White again!” Fran stomped his foot, cursing horribly.

His face was full of anger. Last time, it was Lance and his men who had killed a direct member of the Perez family. This time, although Paige wasn’t dead, at this moment, Fran even wished Lance had killed Paige in the restaurant!

That way, he would have a direct reason to go to war with Lance.

But Lance didn’t kill Paige. Instead, he had fiercely humiliated him. This was like a resounding slap across the face of Fran and the Perez family.

He could imagine that right now, the entire New Golden City, and even the entire Northern gangs, were laughing at him and his family!

Paige wasn’t dead, so he had no way to retaliate.

A cousin next to him couldn’t help but ask, ”Are we just going to let this go?”

”Let it go?” Fran’s teeth were almost grinding to dust. ”We can’t just let this go! We have to get revenge!”

”Don’t they have a bar here?”

He turned to look at his cousin, who couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath. ”That’s an embassy. Will it cause unnecessary trouble?”

Attacking another country’s embassy?

Even if they were attacking the part of the same building that the embassy had rented out, this could still trigger a diplomatic incident.

Fran glared at him. ”Then what do you suggest we do?”

His cousin shut his mouth. When a man is angry, you’d best not tell him to calm down, because he might use you to calm down.

However, his reminder did have some effect. Fran paced back and forth a few steps. ”No direct attack. Arrange for some people to go and make trouble. Let him know we are not silent lambs.”

It seemed this was the only way. Lance’s home base was in the south. If they really went south, it was uncertain who would be sanctioning whom.

This made Fran angrier the more he thought. He stomped his foot, turned, and left. He didn’t want to hear any more about this.

The others followed. As for Paige?

Only a few of his own men remained here to watch over him. Although Paige had been beaten unconscious and humiliated, to his men, they felt Paige was still a man. At least he hadn’t chickened out.

...

A little after ten at night, Senator Cleveland called to ask about what had happened.

Knowing that both sides had been restrained and no one had been killed, he, like the other gentlemen, didn’t take it to heart.

He mentioned that he was very busy with work recently and wouldn’t have time to chat with Lance face-to-face for a while.

The appearance of federal airplanes on the battlefield, gaining a certain advantage, at least made Dantra’s planes afraid to fly around. This made many member states of the Slad military alliance gather on the Federation’s side once again.

They wanted the technology to manufacture airplanes—this isn’t to say they couldn’t research it themselves; in fact, the current airplane structure and technology were not that advanced.

But this was wartime. They needed things that could be immediately converted into combat power, not things that required a group of people to spend money and time researching.

Whether it was technology transfer, direct sales of airplanes, or joint research, in short, there was a lot of diplomatic work to be done.

Plus, the Federation wanted to gain more of a say and a dominant role worldwide, so there was a lot of diplomatic work.

The Secretary of State couldn’t handle it all himself, so he naturally let some members of Congress participate.

Senator Cleveland, as an important member of Congress, also had his own diplomatic work.