Empire of Shadows

Lance watched Senator Cleveland and the two gentlemen he had never met before standing together in the distance. They seemed to be fiercely discussing something.

He didn’t go over, because no one had asked him to. Tom stood by his side, chatting with him in a low voice.

”Those two are from Dantra,” he said, pursing his lips. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Lance, and said, ”I have a premonition that the war might end in a way we can’t imagine.”

Lance had not been paying attention to matters related to the war recently. He looked a little lost. ”Has something happened?”

”On the battlefield?”

He had been in Rapa for a while. President Diego and those anti-government armed forces, under immense pressure, seemed to have already understood their position and fate in this game.

Lance, through methods that influenced and controlled the anti-government armed forces, was forcing President Diego to have to consider a larger-scale war with them, not a small battle of three or five thousand people.

It was time to accelerate.

It had been a while since the New Year. The civil war in Rapa, which had lasted for a year, should also be approaching a ”turning point.”

According to the data Lance had recently obtained, both sides had reassembled about 900,000 soldiers. Consuming this portion of the people, plus those they had consumed before, and those who had been eliminated by nature due to the famine, the current population of Rapa had dropped from 12 million to a little over 8 million.If they were to remove the current 900,000 belligerent, or idealistic, or insubordinate people who would become tough nuts to crack under federal rule, then Rapa’s population might settle between 6 million and 7 million.

This figure already met the Federation’s basic requirements for ruling Rapa. At that time, Lance could push the next plan: to let the ”people choose their own national entity.” Wouldn’t this perfectly reflect the Federation’s respect for the human rights and nationality of the Rapa people?

If anyone still said that the Federation was interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, the Rapa people would probably be the first to disagree, because everything was their own choice, not someone else’s.

After this matter was stabilized, Lance had returned, because this decisive battle was likely to break out in February or March, and there wasn’t much time left.

The popularity of the Hope Mining Company in the investment market had slightly decreased, but only slightly.

Lance was not too knowledgeable about finance, but he was also very knowledgeable.

This sentence sounded a bit contradictory, but the reason was simple—

Political direction.

Everyone, especially in a capitalist society and a capitalist country, will only tell you that market behavior is free behavior, a natural behavior between people that eventually converges and affects the trend of the financial market.

In their mouths, it was as if this place had always been independent, sacred, and inviolable.

But in reality, all of this was just a scam that they were telling you.

Because just as capital can never be separated from politics, the financial market also cannot be separated from politics.

And the weight of market behavior is always lower than the weight of political behavior.

A simple example: because fewer people planted potatoes this year, and the market demand is huge, its price will show an ”upward” trend in the market.

But if the federal government announces a notice at this time, saying that in order to alleviate the huge shortage of potatoes as soon as possible, the federal government has imported a massive amount of potatoes from foreign countries, enough to meet the domestic potato market demand, and the price is cheap, then the price of potatoes will immediately be cut in half and crash.

Policies, politics, have a huge and far-reaching impact on the financial market, but no one will ever tell the ordinary investors these things.

Because if they really told the ordinary people that the final trend of stocks or futures is not the result of free market trade, but of state intervention and policy regulation, then there wouldn’t be so many ordinary investors waiting in the financial market to be harvested like leeks. Just like those people in the western regions who had never even been to Deterland Financial Street in their lifetime, and had never even entered an exchange, but could still be persuaded by a stockbroker in Deterland to invest 5,000 to buy a certain stock. These people might not appear again.

These people are the main targets for harvesting by those financial magnates and capital groups.

They are stupid, blind, and overly trusting of human relationships, so much so that they are foolish and naive enough to hand over their money to a person they have never even met to manage.

This is the Federation.

This is the federal financial market.

Next, Rapa’s large-scale civil war might affect the stock price of Hope Mining, so Lance wanted to come over and discuss with Senator Cleveland whether to proceed with the harvest now, or after the war ended.

In addition, he also wanted to discuss with Senator Cleveland how to hand it over to the federal government after the war ended, under the pretext of ”the people petitioning to form an interim government” to clear out all the resistance.

All of this needed discussion. He hadn’t been involved in these matters before because the time wasn’t ripe, but now, it was.

It was just that he hadn’t expected Dantra to send people over, and to occupy Senator Cleveland’s time for a long while, about... forty minutes already.

Facing Lance’s confusion, Tom lowered his voice slightly. ”I’m not very clear either, but I guess it has something to do with the New Year’s air raid.”

Lance glanced at him, his eyes carrying some reproach. ”You could have just said it all at once.”

Tom laughed twice, and then lowered his voice again. ”On New Year’s Eve, they launched an air raid on a place in Dantra that was said to be the command headquarters. You know about the air raid, right?”

Lance nodded. ”I’m not a fool. I read the newspapers too.”

The Federation already had bombers, and they were the latest model. They had upgraded the engine, allowing the new planes to carry more weight and have a stronger flight capability.

The military had intercepted a piece of intelligence during the battle, discovering the possible location of the Dantra Allied Forces’ front-line command headquarters.

Coupled with the fact that the new bombers had already been transported to the front line, the military had decided to bomb this place, which was possibly the enemy’s front-line command headquarters.

As for the effect, Tom glanced at the two Dantra officials who were arguing loudly with Senator Cleveland. The result should already be clear.

”They bombed and killed some government officials who were visiting the front line, as well as some celebrities, and the front-line commander.”

”Now the entire front line is in complete chaos. In just a week, we have advanced about a hundred kilometers. 70% of the front line has advanced into Dantra territory. Their pressure is immense.”

It was conceivable that when a war happens on one’s own national soil, no matter who wins or loses, the ones who suffer in the end are definitely the local people.

The ravaged land, the destroyed cities, and the burned villages and farmland.

The Dantra people had originally wanted to use a war to export domestic pressure and conflict, and to stimulate the economy, but now it seemed they hadn’t succeeded.

The Federation’s sudden involvement had disrupted all their plans, preventing them from gaining an advantage in their original plan. Instead, they had continuously been in a state of decline.

Now, with several government officials and military high-ranking officers killed in the bombing, even though it was an accident, it was enough to shake the Dantra people’s firm belief in a victory in the war.

Many people were no longer as firmly convinced as they were at the beginning that they would send the Slad people back to God’s embrace.

Now they were less firm. Some had even started to feel a kind of fear and unease. They doubted whether the federal people had the ability to end the war.

If they were completely defeated by the federal people, what impact would this have on Dantra’s society?

Some people within the country had started to waver. Their president was also subjected to a certain degree of doubt and restriction.

A country, an interest group, the people, when a war is progressing rapidly, will often praise their ruler to the skies, calling him a god who brings a new world order!

But once the war shows signs of decline and failure, people will begin to question their ruler, question whether his decisions were correct.

Humans are self-serving animals. Whether it’s the federal capitalists, or the Dantra officials, soldiers, civilians, or plutocrats, they are all the same.

...

These two people were not sent by the President of Dantra, but by the second-largest political force in their country.

”They seem to be seeking another kind of ’victory,’ a political victory,” Tom’s smile was suggestive. Lance indeed understood the implication.

The second-largest political force. Then who was the largest?

Undoubtedly, it was the current President of Dantra and the political interest group behind him. They were the largest political force.

This second-largest force was clearly planning to stab the president in the back at this time. This might be another effective way to end the problem.

The original purpose of the war was to export conflicts and release pressure, but if a group of those in power were sent to the gallows, releasing space for upward mobility, and shattering the solidified barriers between classes, wouldn’t this be another best way to solve the domestic class conflict?

With an upward path for the people, they would focus on improving themselves.

With the class barriers broken, effort would certainly bring positive feedback, and the conflict between classes would be reduced.

Not to mention, in such an operation, what was released was not just some upward mobility channels, and high-level space, but also wealth.

That wealth would be nationalized, and then, in another way, it would return to the hands of the public. Even if it was only a small portion, it would be enough to make people’s lives better, and to fill their eyes with hope.

If there was anyone now who least wanted the war to continue, it was these two people, and the interest group behind them.

To continue fighting would only make the President of Dantra’s power grow larger, but if they couldn’t continue fighting, they could stab the president in the back and successfully seize power, and then push all the current unpleasantness onto the president and the people behind him. Wouldn’t the conflict be resolved?

The war is over, the conflict is resolved, and everyone has gotten what they wanted, except for those who were defeated.

”It looks like they won’t be able to settle it quickly,” Lance commented while smoking.

Tom also nodded in agreement. ”They want to end this war at the smallest cost, but you know, that’s not what the federal government wants.”

The federal government wants to maximize its interests. If they can’t offer such benefits, then this war will continue.

So it would be very difficult for the two sides to reach an agreement, let alone that this was not a formal negotiation, but perhaps only their first contact.

Although they couldn’t reach an agreement, this kind of contact would leave opportunities and channels for both sides to settle it in the future.

After another ten or so minutes, the two left in a huff, but they didn’t leave any harsh words as they departed. Instead, they quickly left with their heads lowered.

They glanced at Lance, but didn’t stop.

Senator Cleveland waved to Lance and Tom. ”Come here.”

Lance and Tom walked over side by side.

Senator Cleveland took a handkerchief from his butler and wiped his wrists and neck, and also wiped his face. ”Did you see that just now?”

This was an obvious rhetorical question, but it was not entirely meaningless.

Lance nodded. ”Yes, I saw it, and I also asked Tom. I know the general situation.”

This was a private museum in New Golden City. It was not open to the public. There was no one else here, making it very suitable for talking business.

”Walk with me,” Senator Cleveland said, walking forward. Lance followed closely. ”What are your thoughts?”

”About the ceasefire, I want to hear your thoughts.”

Lance also didn’t hide his opinion. After a slight thought, he said, ”I think that as long as our interests can be satisfied, a ceasefire might be a very good choice.”

Senator Cleveland was a little surprised. He turned his head and glanced at his chief aide, who was standing on his other side. The latter also showed a somewhat surprised expression, but it was only for an instant, and then he calmed down.

Senator Cleveland looked back at Lance and said with a smile, ”I thought you would support us in continuing the war. After all, you are young. Young people like war, and like conquering others.”

He meant that young people are aggressive. If a problem can be solved with a fist, they will definitely use a fist to solve it.

Lance shook his head. ”That depends on the time.”

”If someone now wants to do something bad to me, I might fight back. Even if he apologizes and surrenders, I won’t stop. I will beat him to death.”

”Because he wanted to hurt me.”

”But what we are discussing now is the problem between nations. This is not a matter of two people, where you punch me, and I punch you. This is related to the overall national interest.”

”If we continue to fight, we might indeed achieve an unprecedented victory, but Mr. Senator, I think we should also consider another matter. Do we have enough people to deal with Dantra after the war?”

”We can’t occupy the entire country, nor can we colonize it. In the end, we still have to leave that land, but we will leave an unresolvable hatred.”

”In many years from now, ten, twenty years, the war will return, and the intensity of this war will be higher, and the purpose will be stronger.”

”At the same time, completely destroying this enemy is not a good thing for our country either.”

”What we need is a living enemy that can threaten us, and serve as a key motivation to promote social progress. Not a symbol that has been completely destroyed by us, making the Federation become conceited and impetuous.”

”If they can really get rid of their president and the related political forces behind him, then we can completely end this war after obtaining the benefits we want.”

”To turn the hatred of their people for us back into their internal conflict and opposition.”

Senator Cleveland listened as he walked, and nodded as he walked. ”What you said is a bit scattered, but I can understand what you mean.”

”Your viewpoint is indeed worthy of our consideration. This is a very interesting interpretation.”

”If we settle it, what do you think they will do next, these people?” Senator Cleveland asked.

Lance said with a smile, ”A failed assassination attempt, to accelerate the re-eruption of their internal social conflict.”

”When the internal conflict has almost erupted, a surprisingly successful assassination will occur, to curb further escalation to an uncontrollable state.”

”Then internal chaos, struggle, and they will be used as a potential threat to the security of the federal nation, to be a whip and an inspiration for the federal people.”

Senator Cleveland, after listening, couldn’t help but nod in praise. ”Very well-thought-out. Perhaps we can write it into a memorandum. When we need content, we can find it. What do you say?”

He turned to look at his chief aide. The chief aide quickly took out his notebook and pen, and recorded all this.

It was clear that Senator Cleveland had already made a decision after talking with Lance. He put this matter aside. With a turn of his head, a few more smiles appeared on his face, which also meant that what had just happened was now in the past.

”Is there anything you want to talk to me about this time?”

Lance nodded. ”Rapa’s plan has also reached its final stage, so I want to ask if there is anything I need to pay special attention to, and also the subsequent handling of the listed company...”