Empire of Shadows

The Mayor stood up and sat down, restless. He repeatedly approached the window to look outside, then quickly returned to his chair.

He kept repeating these movements.

He had heard the gunshots and, through various channels, learned a little about what was happening: the Perez family was under attack!

The reports he received suggested about seven or eight individuals had been attacked, though he knew that was certainly not the full extent.

This was definitely not good news for him. As the ”Boss” of the city, he and the Perez family were, to a certain extent, partners.

He provided the Perez family with necessary protection. While this protection wasn’t critically important—they had sympathetic Senators in Congress who spoke for them—it wasn’t entirely useless. Given the mayor-centric system, if the Mayor decided to oppose them, the Perez family’s life would become very difficult.

Of course, the Mayor’s life would also become difficult, so they chose to cooperate—a mutually comfortable way to operate.

As a partner, the Mayor found the current events to be extremely tricky.

The issues were multifaceted.

First, the city’s public order could rapidly deteriorate. Although he hadn’t personally experienced a gang war, he had heard the stories.Gunfights every day, the sound of shots everywhere, especially at night.

The city’s security would collapse, ordinary people’s lives would be severely affected, and social order would deteriorate. For him, the Mayor of this city, this would be a massive liability.

He was responsible for carrying that burden, so he disliked such things happening in his city.

Second, he worried about evidence of his cooperation with the Perez family.

If the Perez family left behind evidence of their partnership, and if the Perez family lost this gang war, would that evidence fall into the hands of their enemies?

Would those enemies use the evidence to threaten and extort him?

These were all possibilities!

He found it impossible to sit still and wait for events to unfold. He told himself he had to do something to counter the potentially escalating chaos, but he didn’t know what he should do, or what he could do.

Soon, a knock came at the door. He returned to his desk, sat down, took a deep breath to appear calm. ”Come in.”

The Bearded Director entered, slightly bent at the waist.

As the city’s Police Chief, he was appointed directly by the Mayor, who could dismiss him at any time and replace him with someone he deemed more capable.

When the Mayor called the Bearded Director over, the Chief’s state of mind was similar to the Mayor’s: restless.

But he had no choice but to face the Mayor. There were two powers in this city he had to manage:

The Mayor.

And Fran.

”I have heard more than one gunshot all morning, and the gunshots are frequent. Can you tell me what is happening in my city?” The Mayor was clearly frustrated and spoke in an angry, aggressive tone.

He was essentially accusing the Chief of Police of inaction. He certainly had the right to do so, and doing so helped release the immense pressure he was under.

The Mayor released his pressure, but the Bearded Director’s pressure increased. He looked up at the Mayor, forcing a difficult smile. ”Members of the Perez family have been attacked.”

”Attacked by whom?” the Mayor pressed quickly, not giving the Chief a moment to breathe.

The Bearded Director thought for a moment. ”I heard it was the Lance family.”

”The Lance family!” the Mayor repeated the key name. ”How could an outside gang launch a large-scale attack in this city without being detected?”

”Did none of you notice so many outsiders entering this city?”

”Hull, I seriously doubt your competence. Even a dog, in your position, would be able to smell who belongs and who doesn’t.”

This was a clear insult. Hull had been subservient for so long that he was accustomed to being humiliated by the Mayor or the Perez family.

But deep down, he deeply resented these people.

People naturally have dignity and want others to respect their autonomy, but his current job made that impossible.

His silence infuriated the Mayor further. ”Your job right now is not to sit opposite me and remain silent, but to tell me how you plan to handle this.”

The Bearded Director opened his mouth. After seven or eight seconds, he said, ”I will assign more officers to patrol the streets. If they encounter these people, we will arrest them.”

The Mayor stared into his eyes for a long time, finally shaking his head with exasperation. ”You know that’s not what I want to hear.”

The Bearded Director immediately adopted a hurt expression. ”Mr. Mayor, I am just a Police Chief. I am not a big shot. I have no power to mediate the conflict between the Perez family and the Lance family.”

”And you must know that they deliberately let everyone know they attacked the Lance family’s convoy. They started the war, not... the Lance family.”

He realized his stance might be shifting and immediately stopped speaking.

The Mayor’s eyes became dangerous. ”I know nothing of a convoy attack. I only know that this is my city, and you, as the city’s guardian, must restore order and stability.”

The Bearded Director did not immediately agree. After about thirty or forty seconds of silence, he said, ”Mr. Mayor, is it really wise for us to take sides so early?”

As a Police Chief surviving in the cracks between great powers, he was well aware of the current issues.

He couldn’t afford to offend the Lance family, nor the Mayor. So, he thought it best to be direct.

If the Mayor dismissed him, it would paradoxically be a good thing. He wouldn’t have to offend anyone, and all subsequent events would be irrelevant to him.

As for the Mayor killing him?

He doubted it. Even if the Mayor wanted him dead, he wouldn’t do it himself; he would have the Perez family do it.

He simply needed to hide himself for a while. Once the Perez family was cleaned out by Lance’s people, he would be safe.

Others might not know what was happening, but he did. From the moment the gunshots rang out at the Perez family estate, he knew the shadow over the city was being dispelled, consumed, and integrated by another, more powerful force!

The Mayor’s gaze toward the Chief became increasingly hostile. After a pause, he asked, weighing his words carefully, ”Do you know something I don’t?”

”I don’t believe you are an outsider. Lance’s people contacted you, didn’t they?”

”You provided them with some convenience. That’s the only way Fran’s people could have missed the threat right under their noses!”

His analysis was also correct. When the Police Chief said so much, it meant he had already taken sides.

A local siding with an outsider—that could only mean they had met, and Lance had likely promised the Chief significant benefits!

In this transaction, the Mayor was excluded.

This infuriated the Mayor!

As the de facto ruler of the city, he found it unacceptable that his key law enforcement manager would secretly liaise and deal with a potential enemy.

His face contorted with anger from being deceived and concealed from. He pointed at the Chief’s nose. ”You are being...”

Before he could finish the phrase ”You are being fired,” the telephone on his desk rang.

The Police Chief, sitting opposite him, wore a look of self-aware relief, tinged with resignation. He slumped slightly, looking disheartened.

The Mayor picked up the phone. ”Mayor’s Office...”

His expression shifted rapidly within seconds, surprise filling his eyes. ”I know, but...”

He was interrupted before he could finish, listening quietly, occasionally interjecting with ”Okay” or ”I understand.”

After three or four minutes, he hung up, equally resigned.

He took out a cigarette, lit it, and glanced at the Chief, who still looked somewhat defeated.

Hull had been the Police Chief since the Mayor took office, and he was easy to work with.

The man was smart, obedient, and discreet.

He could ignore the Mayor’s insults and the Perez family’s humiliation. The Mayor had always thought this was normal.

Until this moment.

”Go back to work. Maintain order in the city.”

”Show no mercy to those criminals. If you find them engaging in a gunfight or committing a crime, arrest them and lock them up!”

”I appointed you Police Chief, not someone’s dog! Even a dog here should only be the taxpayer’s dog, understood?”

”If you fail me,” the Mayor said, pointing the cigarette-holding hand at the Chief, ”I will fire you and send you to jail.”

The Police Chief didn’t know who called or what was said, but he knew a turning point had arrived!

His face lit up with surprise. He immediately stood up and saluted. ”Yes, Your Honor!”

”Get out!”

”Now!”

The Police Chief scurried out. He correctly guessed that the call had come from Lance’s faction. This solidified his confidence in his ”bet.”

After he left, the Mayor’s mood stabilized somewhat. He walked to the window, watching the Police Chief drive his patrol car out of City Hall’s courtyard, his eyes thoughtful.

The call had come from the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State had instructed him to remain neutral in the gang fight in Old City and to have the city police fulfill their responsibilities by maintaining order and stability.

Arrest those who should be arrested, and jail those who should be jailed.

The Secretary of State also informed him that three factions in Congress had already contacted him, urging him to maintain a neutral stance on the current events.

What did this mean?

It meant that whether it was the forces behind the Perez family, the Lance family, or some other faction, they were all pushing this conflict forward.

In this city, the Mayor was the undisputed ruler, but beyond that, he was just a small player.

He wouldn’t be Mayor forever, just as he wouldn’t stay in this city indefinitely.

Faced with the irresistible forces from above, he was no different from the Bearded Director. He had no option but to obey, without even the right to ask ”why.”

The Bearded Director returned to the police station and immediately made several calls, then contacted Lance.

He sensed that the shift in the Mayor’s attitude was related to Lance.

He couldn’t afford to miss embracing such a massive opportunity.

”The Mayor called me in just now. He planned to fire me, but then a call came in, and he changed his mind.”

The Bearded Director recounted the incident. Lance listened calmly, then chuckled. ”That’s good. At least you didn’t lose your job. I should congratulate you.”

The Bearded Director gave a wry smile. ”Thanks to that phone call...” He paused. ”Mr. Lance, what should I do next?”

His tone was more subservient now. If even the Mayor wasn’t a match for Lance, he, the Police Chief, had no choice but to submit.

”It’s simple. Your job is to assign my men to maintain order at the gunfight sites. They will handle everything.”

”As for arrests or casualties, I will have people draft the reports for you. You don’t need to worry about those things.”

”If you still don’t understand, put simply: act normal. You don’t need to go out of your way to do anything.”

Hearing Lance’s words, the Bearded Director felt slightly relieved. At least he didn’t have to actively expose himself, which reduced his chance of becoming a target.

He then asked curiously, ”Mr. Lance, Fran...”

Lance did not answer directly. He smiled twice, his voice full of a dark gaiety. ”I hope God likes him!”

It’s settled!

With that answer, the Police Chief knew the general outcome.

After hanging up, he immediately began mobilizing officers to combat crime and make widespread arrests.

Naturally, considering the danger, he primarily dispatched the newer officers, which earned him the support of the veterans.

Going on duty now was literally risking their lives!

The unrest in the city continued, but with the deployment of more police personnel, the scale of the chaos began to decrease.

Meanwhile, Bob, who had rushed to the hospital, listened with a dark expression to his subordinate’s report while awaiting the surgical results.

He realized this was the Lance family’s true ”counter-attack”!

One move, and they were overwhelmed!