Empire of Shadows

Fran put down the phone and leaned back in his chair, staring at the receiver for a long time.

The Senator on the other end of the line quickly dialed a number, spreading the news within their small political circle.

Less than thirty minutes later, the FBI Director received the information.

The moment he put down the phone, his face was all smiles!

The plan had succeeded.

The plan was actually quite... simple, even crude, but as long as it worked, it was a good plan.

He immediately picked up the phone. ”Notify the supervisors to meet in my office...” He gave his secretary a list of names, then began preparing some materials.

A few minutes later, about a dozen senior FBI Agent Supervisors gathered in his office.

”Our plan has succeeded. Fran is already preparing to start a gunfight with the Lance family. What happens next is critically important to us,” he stood up, walked to the window, and looked through the blinds at the peaceful city outside.

”This world doesn’t need gangs. It doesn’t need people who destroy social stability and order.””No extortion, no robbery, no fraud, no crime. While I know those things are impossible to fully achieve.”

”I will strive toward that direction.”

He turned back to face the senior Agent Supervisors. ”You will split into two teams. Select your most trusted men and have them respectively shadow the core members of the Perez family and the core members of the Lance family.”

”I need to know where they are, who they meet, and when they plan to act.”

”You must find a way to place people inside these gangs—undercover agents, or developing informants.”

”We need to provide appropriate opportunities and locations for their gunfight and ensure no innocent people are caught up in it.”

One of the supervisors raised his hand. The Director looked at the man. ”What is your question?”

The supervisor stood up, and everyone else focused on him. ”The core members of the Lance family are currently in Likalai State and Indeno State. Do we need to monitor them there?”

”Of course!” The FBI Director nodded. ”I will task Derrick (Derrick Hansen, Golden Port City Branch Director) with that. He is familiarizing himself with his work over there and can handle it.”

”But once their people arrive here, your men will be responsible for shadowing them, understood?”

”Any other questions?”

The senior Agent Supervisor shook his head. However, another man raised his hand and stood up. ”Roland, do we let them fight, or do we arrest them after the fighting starts?”

The FBI Director shook his head. ”You misunderstood me. I mean for them to fight continuously. We clean up the mess afterward. Only then will their conflict and animosity constantly escalate, and they won’t accept mediation.”

”Think about it. If the core members of both sides suffer heavy casualties from the fighting, even if someone steps forward and tells them to stop, do you think they can?”

”Therefore, not only must we avoid controlling the intensity of their gunfight in the early stages, but when necessary, we should even provide them with the clues they want—for example, the location of the opponent’s core members or where they frequently appear.”

His gaze held a disturbing intensity. ”Gentlemen, these people pose a terrible danger and threat to our country, society, and people, but the law cannot punish them.”

”They can easily afford thousands, tens of thousands, or even more, to hire a super-expensive legal team. They can bribe jury members and walk free from the courtroom.”

”Even if we could resolve all those issues, the court wouldn’t give them a severe sentence.”

”No death penalty. Perhaps only two or three years in prison. And for these people, especially the core members, there is no real difference between being in prison and being outside. They can still remotely control their entire family’s or own criminal enterprises.”

”Prison is just a temporary resort for them, not a punishment.”

”Do you accept that result?”

He looked at the subordinates who shared his ideals and interests. They all shook their heads. They had gathered under the banner of justice and light to judge evil, not to tolerate and abet it.

Thus, they couldn’t accept that outcome. A group of vicious criminals receiving the lightest possible sentence was a great, yet true, joke!

Influenced by the FBI Director during their time working together, they had seen many related cases, one of which was particularly notable.

A gang organization had run numerous criminal enterprises: smuggling, extortion, forced prostitution, and human trafficking.

The gang leader was eventually sentenced to fifty years, with other members receiving five to twenty years.

This was the maximum sentence the judiciary could impose, reportedly achieved only under immense pressure.

But what was the result?

The gang still existed and was more rampant than before. The leader controlled the gang’s continued criminal activities from prison, and the core members quickly left prison under various pretenses, rejoining society.

They became more dangerous and operated more secretly, making subsequent law enforcement work harder.

Although they were eventually tried, the nature of the trial was unacceptable to those dedicated to true justice.

”Therefore, the law cannot judge them. We cannot send them to the electric chair. Whether it’s Lance White or Fran Perez, do you think anyone has the means to send these two leaders to the electric chair?”

No one in the room answered, for they all knew it was impossible. Both Lance and Fran had influential political representatives in Congress.

These representatives only needed to voice slight objections and express subjectively favorable opinions to get the Justice Department to adjust its decisions.

Even if both were found guilty by a jury, they might only serve a few years before returning to society.

They couldn’t even be detained for a significantly long period, let alone face the electric chair.

”So, my idea is to let them fight as much as possible. We cannot use the law, fairness, and justice to judge and execute them, but they can execute each other.”

”When their death toll from fighting reaches a sufficient level, we step in to clean up the mess. The resistance will be much smaller then, and some people might even welcome us, hoping we can force the survivors to cease their activities.”

”Sometimes, justice might have a particular color, it might be distorted, but if it achieves what justice should achieve, then I don’t mind becoming that blade.”

”But before that, we must maintain my current stance: let them kill each other.”

”This ’case’ will be one of our most important cases over the next two years. Everyone must be fully committed, and I will personally follow up daily.”

”We must strive to eliminate both gangs before the new President takes office at the end of the year or early next year.”

”We have half a year. That should be enough time. This will demonstrate to the new President that we are an extremely valuable asset, understood?”

All the senior Agent Supervisors stood up. ”Understood, Chief!”

”Excellent. Go to work!”

He waved his hand, dismissing everyone from the office. He felt somewhat energized now, but he did not show it.

The more excited he felt, the calmer he became, because he was keenly aware that this was the easiest time to make a fatal mistake.

Neither the Lance family nor the Perez family had grown to their current size because they were led by fools. There was always the potential for them to unexpectedly join forces, so caution was paramount.

Therefore, the most crucial task now was to maintain restraint and coolness. They could not afford to be complacent before Lance and Fran faced the judgment of the law.

He sat for a moment, then dialed Derrick’s number, relaying the news and instructing him to increase manpower and monitor the core members of the Lance family.

He emphasized that if they left Golden Port City for Gold State, Derrick must report the information immediately.

Derrick breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. ”It’s finally time to move. Do you know how difficult it’s been for me here?”

Director Roland (the FBI Director) chuckled. ”I heard. The day you arrived and invited those young agents to dinner, Lance paid the bill for you.”

Hearing this, Derrick couldn’t help but complain. ”He used that gesture to tell me he was watching me, that the whole city was his eyes. That pressure completely drained my energy.”

”I feel like I’ve wasted the most valuable years of my life doing nothing but cultivating a few loyal agents!”

Director Roland consoled him. ”It’s fine now. Everything is proceeding according to our script. You can start doing what you want to do!”

He paused. ”Are the agents you recruited reliable?”

”This isn’t child’s play. If something goes wrong, I won’t even have time to save you.”

Likalai State was the Lance family’s base of operations. From the governor to the Golden Port City mayor, almost everyone was aligned with Lance. They had formed a monopolistic interest group, deeply infiltrating every aspect of the state.

If Lance decided to move against Derrick and his men there, they would have absolutely no chance.

Derrick laughed. ”Don’t worry. They were all recruited from other states. They have no direct interests locally, and they are all driven by passion and the ambition to achieve justice.”

”Good!” Director Roland praised him. ”Once this is resolved, I will transfer you back here.”

Derrick, however, had different thoughts. ”You and the others are enough for Gold State. I believe I should stay on the periphery. Only then can I do more meaningful work.”

Director Roland did not press him, only reiterating, ”Be safe. We can discuss these things after our goal is achieved.”

”Call me if you need anything, including obtaining a special Presidential Order from the President.”

A Presidential Order was not something easily acquired, which made Derrick realize the Director had likely established a connection with the President or his inner circle. This boosted his confidence. ”Don’t worry!”

”If needed, I certainly won’t hesitate to use those privileges!”

The two chatted briefly before hanging up. Director Roland then called the young man whose family had been killed by Lance’s people—the opportunity the young man had waited years for.

Meanwhile, the FBI Director immersed himself in follow-up work.

The entire FBI began to mobilize. Many people were suddenly busy, but few knew why or what they were busy with.

Although everyone was an FBI agent, not all agents were created equal.

A senior Agent Supervisor returned home after a long day of work. After a quick dinner with his family, he went to his study to continue working. He had many preparations to make before initiating the operation.

As he was deep in his work, the phone on his desk suddenly rang. He frowned at the continuously ringing phone, but picked it up on the second ring.

It was a dedicated line, not his home number, used solely for work-life separation.

”This is Ford.”

”Mr. Ford, hello. I am Lance, Lance White. You must have heard of me.”

Supervisor Ford froze upon hearing the name, then his face tightened with anxiety. ”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

”How could you not know?” Lance chuckled softly on the phone. ”Someone gave me this number. He told me you would become my friend.”

”You see, I love making friends, and I live by one truth.”

”In this world, there are only friends, and there are enemies.”

”And I am ruthless toward my enemies. Of course, that’s not just my opinion; that’s what others think.”

”I want to make a friend of you now. Is there a possibility?”

Supervisor Ford gripped the phone, his palm sweating. He roughly knew who had given Lance his number, making it difficult to refuse.

Refusing Lance would not only anger him but also offend the person who provided the number.

But accepting made him uneasy.

Furthermore, a specific thought began to grow and spread in the depths of his mind.

Did Lance know something about the plan?

Had someone in their small group already started leaking information?