Empire of Shadows

”First, I want to thank Senator Cleveland for hosting this banquet for me...”

Lance raised his wine glass and looked toward Senator Cleveland, who was right beside him. The Senator patted Lance’s arm. ”Jeffrey.”

Jeffrey was his first name, and Cleveland was his last name. This was a boundary being crossed!

Previously, Lance could only address him as ”Senator Cleveland” or ”Senator,” because in this circle, Lance still lacked the necessary stature to address him by his first name.

The Federation was an extremely realistic society. One dollar was one dollar; it wouldn’t become two dollars, or five or ten dollars.

People afforded you respect commensurate with your value.

The former Lance lacked sufficient value—his own intrinsic value. Thus, even though he was accepted by Senator Cleveland, he remained on the very periphery of the circle.

There were many such people; even at tonight’s banquet, these marginalized individuals were present.

Nominally, they were friends, but they were more like convenient attendants, capable of handling higher-level tasks.

They always stood near the edges of the ballroom, holding wine glasses, constantly hoping to join the three or five clusters of people in the ”inner circle,” whether to listen or contribute a few words—it was their aspiration.But they usually couldn’t manage it. Unless someone actively invited them over, they would spend the whole evening chatting only with other marginalized people on the periphery.

The higher one went, the clearer the class divisions became. The class barrier was like a towering, cloud-piercing wall, not only preventing entry but also blocking sight, sound, and voice.

Now, Lance had crossed this difficult wall and reached the other side—he was about to face another, even taller wall.

But the good news was that he was now ”inside the walls,” within the walls of a new class.

Lance returned the smile. ”I’m still accustomed to calling you Senator Cleveland.”

The Senator smiled, showing a resigned expression, and did not insist that Lance call him Jeffrey. This was another thing he liked about Lance.

Lance always knew when to advance and retreat, and how to save face for everyone involved—a quality that was very rare.

Many people couldn’t do this, especially at Lance’s age. He was only twenty-seven, and he had accomplished things that his peers could not even dream of.

”What we’ve done in Rapa can be fully disseminated through diplomatic channels.”

”The Federation’s governmental structure and social system are clearly superior to those of other nations. We hold a leading, monopolistic position.”

”This is our strongest weapon!”

”People long for a better life. They hope for stable jobs, for income sufficient to support themselves and their families, and for better social welfare, free education, and cheap healthcare.”

”These things are nonexistent in the Yalan region, which, paradoxically, is a good thing for us.”

”People love to eat candy because candy is sweet!”

Lance used an analogy here, comparing the ”policies” promoted by the Federal government to candy gifted to the Yalan region—beautiful on the outside, sweet to the taste, and something no one would consider harmful.

However, sugar itself is not a good thing and is somewhat addictive.

It’s just that its side effects and harm are invisible to people in everyday life, so people don’t realize how terrible sugar can be.

The policies were the same.

The Federal social mechanism looked flawless: people fully enjoyed the benefits of social development, had a stable employment and economic system, and enjoyed liberty and democracy.

These things were both sweet and toxic to people who had never possessed them.

Sweet because these were things that might not even appear in their dreams, and toxic because once addicted, dependency would follow.

”The people of the Yalan region have not yet developed an immunity, so our plan can be realized very smoothly.”

”We must build Zhuolan into a ’model city’—modernized, internationalized—that completely changes people’s spiritual outlook. Then, we will invite people from other Yalan regions to visit.”

”We will use newspapers and magazines to spread the changes in Rapa and Zhuolan throughout the entire Yalan region, making their people yearn for the changes taking place.”

”And!” Lance took a small sip of wine. ”Our current methods are very gentle and non-aggressive.”

”We are merely providing necessary assistance to the Rapa Provisional Government, helping the inexperienced build a mature nation. This is not an invasion; it is selfless aid.”

”People will accept these things without any resistance.”

”When the consultants we arrange have infiltrated every level and critical position of the government, if you call it Rapa, it will still be Rapa.”

”But if you call it the Federation, there is no doubt that it is also the Federation.”

”Without war, without diplomatic disputes, the transition from Rapa to the Federation will be completed silently.”

”We will cultivate more social activists who lean toward us, making the locals feel closer to the Federation.”

”Of course, this is possible because our preliminary work was done very thoroughly; the young generation within Rapa who possessed a spirit of resistance has largely been eliminated in the war.”

”The remaining population are the most easily managed lambs.”

”When more countries become interested in our system, that is when we will continuously dye Yalan with our colors!”

No one can stand by and watch their neighbors live a good life while they are still eating dirt.

Given that some countries already leaned toward the Federation, it was not impossible to gradually erode and infiltrate Yalan without resorting to force.

No matter how much the Jede Republic opposed it, it was useless. After all, they were the only country in Yalan that had become wealthy over the years, and they lacked the capacity to help their poor neighbors prosper together.

If the Jede Republic is rich now and actively prevents its neighbors from becoming prosperous, then it becomes everyone’s enemy.

Lance’s entire plan was flawless. Given the scale and depth of the Federation, dealing with these smaller nations was virtually guaranteed to succeed!

Everyone in the room listened intently, occasionally chatting and discussing. They had no doubts about Lance’s plan.

They might have previously doubted its feasibility, but now that a large part of it had been accomplished, people set aside their skepticism.

Their main concern was the distribution of profits.

If Lance’s plan was smoothly implemented, it meant they could carve up substantial benefits across Yalan. This was what truly mattered to them.

Mineral resources, abundant goods, population businesses, gems, gold, and a massive market.

This was what they truly wanted.

Of course, they would not discuss these specifics today. Today was merely to welcome Lance back and give him an opportunity... to show off.

Later, after the guests dispersed, Senator Cleveland and Lance sat alone in the Senator’s study.

”Do you have any thoughts regarding the personnel for the Rapa government?”

”Also, I didn’t ask you earlier: how should we arrange for those who defected to us?”

This was a clear indication of benefits being offered.

A single ”special zone” was insufficient for Lance, given his immense contribution. Anyone could see this. Once Yalan was secured by the Federation, it meant not just an increase in territory but access to numerous valuable interests.

This was an infinitely valuable treasure trove, and the person who uncovered it shouldn’t just receive a couple of compliments and a medal.

Senator Cleveland had previously mentioned applying for a Gold Heart Medal for Lance to recognize his efforts.

The Gold Heart Medal was extremely rare in the Federation, only granted to those who made crucial contributions to the nation.

For example, scientists who achieved world-leading breakthroughs in certain fields. The criteria for awarding this medal were extremely strict.

However, if Senator Cleveland said it could be done, it would be done.

But a medal wasn’t enough; Lance needed tangible benefits to encourage others to work for Congress and the Federation.

Lance thought for a moment. ”I don’t have any grand demands, just that the mineral resources currently under my control remain mine.”

This was essentially a non-issue. Senator Cleveland nodded. ”That’s easy to handle. I’ll make sure they are carved out for you.”

He paused. ”Before we sign the contract, acquire as many mines as you can. This will make my reporting to Congress and the President much smoother.”

”Otherwise, if you want to add or subtract later, it will be very complicated once the report is finalized.”

His meaning was clear: before the dish was served, Lance should scoop his portion into his own bowl.

Otherwise, once the dish reached the table, Lance would be left with only scraps when it was his turn to portion the food.

Lance nodded. ”I am already doing so.”

”As for those who defected to us, my idea is to establish a body within Congress, something like the ’Yalan Affairs Advisory Office,’ accountable to Congress, and assign all of them positions there.”

”This gives them a platform to speak, a certain social status, and simultaneously sets them up as a standard-bearer.”

”It would speed up our subsequent work in the Yalan region. It might even encourage others to join them and contact us prematurely.”

Senator Cleveland listened and nodded, his face beaming. ”Excellent. Your thinking is very thorough. I’ll proceed with this idea.”

This topic concluded, and Lance shifted the conversation to the war. ”I’ve been reading the newspapers lately. The war seems to be coming to an end?”

Senator Cleveland lit a cigarette. He nodded. ”Yes, we have spoken privately with the President of the Dantra Republic. We reached an agreement on certain issues, and we are willing to support him.”

”Dantra’s President has clearly been abandoned by half the country. No one wants to take responsibility for the defeat. As the nominal supreme ruler, they plan to make the President bear all the blame.”

”Our initial idea was to cooperate with others to remove this ’Mad King’ from his position and let Dantra rebuild its strength for a future fight with us. However, it might be better to let this ’Mad King’ remain in power.”

”At least for the foreseeable future, his attention will be focused on domestic struggles, leaving him unable to focus externally.”

Lance nodded, seemingly agreeing with this view. ”And then?”

Senator Cleveland paused. ”And then?”

”If this Mad King achieves a high degree of internal unity, and with him at the head, Dantra’s industrial and manufacturing capacity is unmatched by these small Yalan nations.”

”Previously, their internal conflicts kept them in check. But now, with no one to restrain him, his power will expand infinitely, potentially making him a more dangerous future enemy of the Federation.”

Senator Cleveland frowned. He hadn’t considered this angle before, and now, hearing Lance’s point, he fell into contemplation.

Before, they were only focused on making Dantra plunge into internal struggle, preventing external development. But what if the President managed to hold onto power indefinitely?

A dictatorial, highly centralized nation that was not technically backward, and even advanced in some sectors, would become a huge potential threat.

Senator Cleveland frowned. ”What are your thoughts?”

”None.”

”Actually, the overall direction is fine, but we need to consider specific preventative measures, such as long-term observation and prophylaxis, to prevent them from suddenly launching a new round of war without warning.”

”I have some other thoughts as well...”

Senator Cleveland no longer treated Lance as an inexperienced junior. He greatly valued Lance’s ideas, which were mature, unconventional, and provided unique insights.

”Tell me.”

”We can moderately loosen the cage, giving the Mad King more room to maneuver. This would increase the pressure on Slad.”

”If Slad doesn’t want to face the furious revenge of the Dantra Mad King alone, which could overturn them, they will become more dependent on us, in all aspects.”

”This guarantees our interests on the Tanfit continent!”

Senator Cleveland immediately pulled out a notebook and wrote down everything Lance had just said. Clearly, he was taking it to heart.

After writing for a while, he looked at Lance and praised him. ”You truly are a genius, Lance!”

Lance merely smiled in response, as if he had just done something inconsequential.