Empire of Shadows

After Lance ended his call with the Senator, he waited ten minutes before calling Admiral Wills.

It seemed Wills had been expecting Lance’s call, as the Admiral’s laughter came through the receiver the moment the call connected.

The Navy was currently no match for the Army, so its generals tended to be slightly more humble than their Army counterparts.

”Jeffrey already called me. Regarding what he spoke about, I see absolutely no issue.”

”Now you only need to tell me when you need them, and I will deliver them to your designated location at your required time.”

Lance immediately thanked Admiral Wills for his thoughtfulness. ”I hope it won’t be too much trouble for you. I will have someone bring back some local Rapa specialties; I’m sure you will like them.”

Hearing Lance’s words, Admiral Wills suddenly became interested, as a fascinating term—”Lance’s local specialty”—was circulating in high Federal society.

Not only Senator Cleveland and his people, but also other senators, including government officials from the Ministry of Defence, had received local specialties from Lance!

Everyone adored the gifts Lance chose; so far, no one had been heard to dislike a gift from him.

Lance had previously gifted Admiral Wills a model golden battleship, which the Admiral still admired from time to time.He suddenly grew expectant, wondering what Lance would send him this time. ”I look forward to its arrival very much!”

It was a short conversation. After Lance informed Admiral Wills of his requirements, the Admiral promised to fulfill them, and the two hung up.

With these warships, even if they didn’t need to get too close to the harbor docks, they could exert tremendous deterrent power against the nation and against those who harbored ill intentions.

The thing that compels a group of people to bow their heads is not your nobility or sanctity, but the weapons you wield that force them to do so, nothing more.

The next day, more soldiers entered Zhuolan. They took over the duties of the police chief, began maintaining order, and several defeated soldiers were discovered and arrested.

Pedro’s soldiers enforced the law on the streets while publicizing that they would publicly try Diego, sentencing him for his wrongdoings and crimes.

However, much to Pedro’s surprise, the citizens of Zhuolan were not reacting strongly.

Some people even actively avoided the soldiers and their ”Public Trial Propaganda leaflets,” as if the flyers contained something dirty.

This left Pedro, who had been observing the city, puzzled.

In his imagination, the city’s citizens, especially those living in the slums, should have intensely hated Diego. Yet, based on the people he was observing and their situation, they did not seem to be as he had expected.

Something must be wrong.

Seeing Pedro lost in thought, Ross asked, ”Should we go see Lance?”

”Before the public trial of Diego.”

Pedro looked up at him, thought for a moment, and nodded. ”Yes, of course, let’s go now.”

He then looked at his former colleague beside him. ”Do we have any other work today?”

His colleague now served as a high-ranking official within Pedro’s faction, primarily responsible for recording and scheduling Pedro’s daily itinerary and work.

It wasn’t that he completely trusted this colleague, or that their relationship was particularly good; it was simply difficult to find people within their group who possessed this kind of administrative ability.

Now, this former colleague, who served as his aide, shook his head. ”There is nothing particularly important to do today...”

”Oh, the President of the Jede Republic called. They hope to speak with you by phone before seven this evening.”

Pedro was suddenly somewhat dazed. He gave a meaningless, or perhaps ambiguous, glance at Ross and the others, finally turning his attention back to his aide. ”I understand.”

On the surface, he appeared unchanged, but subtly, his emotions were shifting.

The President of the Jede Republic was going to call him that evening.

He had visited the Jede Republic twice, and each time, he had felt the tremendous development and change in that nation; it was leading all other countries in Yalan.

If there was one country in the Yalan region with the greatest hope of catching up to the Federation, it was undoubtedly the Jede Republic.

That nation, which he once had to look up to, and its President, whom he wasn’t even qualified to admire, was now going to call him, having even scheduled an appointment. This feeling thrilled him from his soul to the tips of his hair!

This thrill was indescribable and could only be felt by him alone.

A minor figure, a middle school teacher, was about to stir up the political winds on the land of Yalan. This sense of mission intoxicated him.

Ross looked at Pedro strangely. He noticed that his aide’s simple statement had changed Pedro’s entire demeanor.

Ross was puzzled, but he also stood up, following Pedro toward the exit.

After all, he was also one of Lance’s ”students.”

Several other ”non-standard” rebel leaders, after simple inquiry, realized why everyone was going to see the Boss of the concession.

They also learned of the not-so-secret secret:

Lance and the current mainstream rebel leaders shared a teacher-student-like relationship.

This made some of them uneasy. If Pedro and Ross, the strongest rebel leaders right now, received the support of Lance and the Federation behind him, wouldn’t the outcome be decided prematurely?

Despite these worries, they couldn’t change anything and could only silently accept what was happening.

The group drove in their specialized vehicles to the outside of the concession, where many soldiers patrolled and were stationed.

A standoff existed between the two sides, but it was not tense or escalating; it was remarkably peaceful.

Seeing Pedro and his group approach, the soldiers on duty proactively pulled aside the wooden posts wrapped in barbed wire.

Looking at the posts, Pedro’s expression was odd. He rolled down his window and looked at the two officers standing by the car. ”This is overkill. Remove all these things. We don’t need this many people here. Leave a few, and let the rest rotate off.”

The officer’s lips moved, but he ultimately obeyed the order.

In truth, these anti-government fighters held a sense of pride unique to them, to the Rapa people.

They felt an instinctive rejection and dislike for Lance and the ”Zhuolan Treaty” he signed with Diego. They vehemently opposed these foreign influences and the impact they were having on their country.

Rapa’s affairs should be settled by Rapa people, not by foreigners.

If Pedro gave the nod, they would dare to storm the concession and reclaim control of the area.

But these hopes, ultimately, were merely wishful thinking.

Sometimes politics is like this: you know clearly that something is wrong, but under political necessity, everyone will claim it is right.

The motorcade slowly approached the concession boundary, where the concession’s ”guards” signaled them to stop.

Looking at these people in trench coats, each wearing a flash of red on their left armbands, they gave Pedro a different feeling.

”These people are not soldiers,” he said to Ross beside him. ”But they give me a feeling that they won’t be easy to deal with.”

Ross didn’t seem to notice. ”They look ordinary to me. Nothing special. You’re too sensitive, Pedro.”

”Is it because you are about to see Lance?”

Pedro frowned. That comment was somewhat barbed.

Since entering Zhuolan, Ross’s attitude had changed subtly. He was sure it wasn’t a good change, but it wasn’t the right time to fall out or confront him, so he kept enduring.

”Maybe I was mistaken,” Pedro said. He then looked at the two men walking toward the car and explained his purpose. ”We are here to visit Mr. Lance White. You can let him know, he will see us.”

”Just tell him... the students of the seminar have come to visit.”

The two men of Lance’s personnel nodded. One of them, shouldering a rifle, went to the nearby guard post and dialed the phone to Lance’s office.

He spoke briefly, looking toward the motorcade, then put the phone down and walked out. ”Mr. Lance permits your entry. We will arrange for someone to lead the way.”

He waved his hand, and a cross-country motorcycle quickly pulled up to the front of the motorcade.

Pedro smiled, nodded his thanks, and rolled up his window.

”You don’t need to be so polite to a mere private,” Ross commented.

Pedro turned to look at him. After a brief gaze, Pedro voluntarily looked away.

It wasn’t that he was conceding in this silent ”contest,” but he felt it was unnecessary.

Since entering Zhuolan, he had noticed a huge change in almost everyone around him, including himself.

Ross hadn’t been this way before, but as his power expanded, he seemed to have become the type of person that he, Pedro, and many others used to despise.

He was beginning to look down on others, becoming intolerant, and viewing himself as superior.

If Ross were to become President... it would be nothing short of a new disaster for the country.

Ross probably didn’t realize Pedro had contemplated so much in such a short time. He just smugly averted his gaze, deeming it a ”great victory”!

The motorcade drove through the concession streets. Everyone fell silent as they looked at the clean, beautiful streets and buildings.

Before entering, they had imagined many possibilities: for example, the Federal people enslaving the Rapa people, treating them like livestock, with collared Rapa people everywhere.

Or perhaps most locals lived here without dignity, while the Federal people and foreigners were the supreme masters.

They imagined them wantonly humiliating Rapa people for fun, treating them as animals, clowns, or slaves.

But once they truly entered, they were all silenced.

They saw the Rapa people walking on the streets, wearing clothes that might not be high-end but were certainly clean and tidy. Everyone’s face was beaming with genuine smiles and pride!

These emotions, this internal change, seemed to cast a glow over their faces; they seemed to be radiating light!

The clean, tidy streets made the place look nothing like Rapa, or perhaps this was what the Federation was like.

”You’ve been to Jede. Compared to here, how is Jede...” Ross looked at Pedro, as if their small confrontation moments ago hadn’t happened.

In the face of fundamental national issues, their small disagreements wouldn’t affect their unity.

Pedro shook his head. He pulled out a cigarette; he was so depressed that he just wanted to smoke.

”Even Jede isn’t as good as this place.”

Ross was silenced by the simple answer.

Pedro took two puffs of his cigarette and continued speaking.

”Seeing some of the changes here, I suddenly have an unreal feeling. Were our inherent, old concepts about Rapa even true?”

”Although I don’t want to admit it, in my heart, Rapa was always a poor, backward place—extremely primitive in civilization and all aspects.”

”I always believed that the flower of civilization could not bloom here, and we would need many years of effort to achieve all of this.”

”But now, seeing everything happening here, seeing the people by the roadside, I am suddenly confused.”

”What exactly went wrong?”

He couldn’t answer his own question. Expecting Ross to answer?

That was even more impossible. Ross lit a cigarette and sat in silence.

The Rapa people in the concession lived better than those outside, resembling people in a civilized society, and this was an even greater blow to these rebels.

They didn’t even need to get out and ask. They knew that no matter who they asked, these people would absolutely not want to return to their former state.

It wasn’t just the two people in this car who were silent; those in the cars behind were silent too.

Because they saw here the image of the Rapa they dreamed of, yet its creator was someone they all disliked and even opposed.

The motorcade soon stopped outside Lance’s office building, which also served as the concession’s administrative headquarters.

As the group alighted, they looked at the tall building, which resembled a corporate skyscraper more than a government office. Everyone wore expressions of astonishment.

”This might be the tallest building in Rapa!” Pedro exclaimed. ”The sights and sounds here today have given me many thoughts and insights.”

”But regardless, we are here now. Let us first meet with Mr. White.”

”Our mentor in every sense of the word!”

After being searched, the group was allowed into the elevator.

This was their first time in an elevator, and they all felt a little uneasy. After a slight dizzy spell, they arrived at the floor where Lance’s office was located.

After passing through another round of searches and inspections, they were allowed into Lance’s office.

Lance was sitting near a window-facing tea bar area on the east side, where there was an irregularly shaped table, a coffee table, and several chairs. He was brewing tea—a kind of tea leaf he wasn’t even sure qualified as green tea.

The aroma was wonderful, and locals also used it to brew drinks.

The moment the emerald green tea and its fragrance arose, Lance felt a sense of completion.

He preferred green tea far above any other beverage.

Perhaps because he hadn’t had tea in a long time, the tea brewed from these leaves made him feel fragrant and delicious.

He looked back at Pedro and the others entering from the door. He did not get up but smiled and motioned for them to come closer.

The sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling glass window fell upon him, as if draping him in a golden robe, imbued with a sense of the divine.

”Come and sit down.”

Pedro and the others paused, then walked over somewhat stiffly.

Ross stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, glanced down, and quickly retreated a few steps, sitting far from the glass. He was clearly startled, his face slightly pale.

Lance poured the tea into the cups. ”Pedro, would you distribute these?”

Pedro nodded and unconsciously began to act. He found the tea infusion familiar. After taking a careful sniff, he looked at Lance with surprise.

It was as if he were asking how Lance could like such a thing.

They primarily used these leaves for chewing; brewing them in water, or in some areas, using them as an auxiliary for brushing teeth.

He had never smelled anything so fragrant!

Lance’s obvious enjoyment of the tea also stirred up peculiar emotions in Pedro.

He quickly handed a teacup to everyone. Lance held one as well. ”You can try this. It’s a result of my new research.”

”Of course, if any of you would like some alcohol or coffee, we have those too.”

He blew gently on the surface of the tea, then took a small sip. The feeling of ease and contentment followed the tea down into his stomach, spreading through his body and making him feel completely relaxed...