Empire of Shadows

Bob stood by the door, gave the man behind him a look, and then entered the room alone. He walked with a slight stoop to Fran’s bedside.

Fran had to exert maximum effort with every breath. With only half a lung, which was heavily coated with tar and already had poor function, his condition had worsened after the injury. His ability to breathe was severely compromised.

Seeing him struggling, Bob sometimes thought he would rather die if he were in that condition.

Of course, this was only ”what he thought.” If that day actually came, he would pay any price to regain his health.

”Did you find the person... I asked for?” Fran turned his head to look at him. His cloudy eyes betrayed no emotion.

This was completely different from the impression Fran used to leave on Bob. The old Fran, while aging, had sharp eyes. He was utterly changed now.

”I have people looking for them. I believe the hospital will have a result soon.”

Kidnapping a few people was no major affair for the Perez family. At least 200,000 to 300,000 people went missing in the Federation every year. A few more or less wouldn’t significantly impact the national statistics on missing persons.

He wouldn’t offend Fran over this. After all, Fran was still the true patriarch.

Hearing that Bob hadn’t forgotten his request, Fran’s stern expression softened slightly. After gasping for a few deep breaths, he shook his head slightly. ”This damned body. I feel suffocated even talking for too long.”He paused, seemingly waiting for his body to recover. ”I watched the news. You’ve made a mess of things.”

Bob squatted by the bed. There was a chair nearby, but he didn’t sit. He squatted, resting his forearm on the bedrail, his head slightly lower than Fran’s.

”I came here to talk to you about this.”

”The fighting between us and the Lance family is very passive right now. The police are constantly monitoring us. The moment our men move, they show up and arrest them.”

”That ungrateful dog Hull is targeting us. What’s more troublesome is the Mayor’s attitude. Without the Mayor’s instruction, that old dog Hull wouldn’t dare act against us.”

Bob wasn’t foolish. He knew that if the Mayor didn’t tacitly approve Hull’s actions, the Police Chief wouldn’t dare defy the Mayor in this matter.

The Mayor had absolute authority to appoint the Police Chief. He could fire Hull and replace him with a compliant person.

The fact that he hadn’t meant the Mayor knew about the police actions and was giving his silent consent.

The root of the problem wasn’t the police chief; it was the Mayor.

Bob knew the Mayor, but only superficially. Only Fran could handle deeper interactions like this.

This was why Bob was here.

Fran listened to Bob’s analysis, constantly assessing the situation in his mind.

After a while, he slowed his breathing as much as possible. ”Our Mayor is just a small player. This conflict is likely the result of a higher-level political struggle.”

”Help me contact him. Tell him I want to meet and talk.”

Bob looked at Fran’s terrible condition. ”You can’t leave the hospital.”

Fran shook his head. ”He can’t come to visit me, so I have to go to him.”

”Have the doctor prepare a portable oxygen tank and find a wheelchair.”

Bob crouched there for about ten seconds, then stood up to find the doctor.

The doctor didn’t object to Fran leaving the hospital. How could such a powerful figure simply lie in bed and do nothing?

Fortunately, it was summer, and the natural environment wasn’t hostile.

On the way to the park next to City Hall, Bob told Fran about the failed attack in Likalai State.

Fran sighed after hearing it. ”We both underestimated the power of Lance and his family, and we underestimated the Lawrence Farm.”

”Stop all operations in Likalai State. Don’t send any more men to their deaths until we clarify their true strength.”

”Resolve the problems here first, drive them back, and then we can continue fighting.”

”If we continue like this, the trouble will only multiply!”

Fran had to pause frequently to catch his breath. His condition was indeed very poor.

The Mayor immediately agreed to meet Fran after receiving his call. They were key ”partners” in Old City. The Mayor needed the Perez family’s cooperation to fully control the city.

The Perez family, in turn, needed the Mayor’s tacit approval to act with impunity.

Their relationship was mutually beneficial, and naturally, this cooperation involved various black market and money-for-power transactions.

Twenty minutes later, the Mayor met Fran in a secluded corner of the park. It was the first time he had seen Fran since the shooting at the Perez family estate, and his shock was evident.

”I didn’t know you were hurt this badly!”

After a moment of shock, he asked, ”What did the doctor say?”

Fran tried to speak slowly to minimize his gasping. ”The doctor said... I might need more surgery to recover fully. For now, I’m fine. At least I’m alive.”

The Mayor looked at the once vigorous old man, now gaunt and sitting in a wheelchair, gasping with labored effort. He felt a wave of sadness.

”Was it the Lance family?”

Fran smiled. ”Who else do you think it could be?”

”I was lucky. I only took one shot, but this tells me someone betrayed me.”

”They found out about my personal habits, like having a drink on the terrace when I’m in a good mood.”

”I recall receiving news that Lance was attacked in Likalai State that day.”

”And then I was shot.”

The Mayor’s expression turned serious. As a seasoned politician, he knew that the collapse of a giant often wasn’t caused by a rival of equal size, but by a small splinter piercing his heel.

A traitor had emerged within the family or the interest group surrounding the Perez family. This was horrifying, suggesting many more secrets might have been leaked.

He grew anxious. Had any of his collaborations with the Perez family been compromised?

Fran watched the contemplative Mayor, a fleeting, subtle smile crossing his face. His intent in speaking was not only to gain the Mayor’s sympathy but also to make him anxious, reminding him who his true ally was!

”Bob mentioned that Hull has been arresting our men. Are you running into some trouble?”

He didn’t immediately question the Mayor but framed it as a concern.

”There’s a lot of pressure from above. You know that Lance is backed by Senator Cleveland’s faction. Their power in Congress is immense right now.”

”They are pressuring me through the Governor and the Secretary of State. My only effort is to simply not side with Lance!”

This answer was clearly fabricated, but he was a politician!

He seemed to have answered everything, but in reality, he answered nothing. Fran stared into his eyes. ”I believe you.”

He took a few deep breaths. ”If—and I mean if—”

”If Hull were to have an accident...”

Since the Mayor claimed this was not his doing, the Perez family couldn’t let a minor Police Chief defeat them. Regardless of the cost, they had to regain control immediately.

Hearing Fran talk about eliminating Hull, the Mayor felt a headache. He had initially sympathized with Fran, but now he felt Fran was being inconsiderate.

He just said this wasn’t his fault, and Fran immediately talks about killing the Police Chief! Is he testing me?

Is this a subtle threat to remind him of the consequences?

He couldn’t help but think this way, as he was a politician. He tended to over-analyze and choose the interpretation that fit his expectations.

After a brief silence, he nodded with a flat expression. ”I would be very saddened, but the city needs a Police Chief. I will appoint a new one.”

”You are a native of Old City. You can recommend a list of candidates, and I will consider them.”

Ultimately, the Mayor’s internal calculation led him to side with the Perez family. If Fran fell, the Mayor would be in danger, but Lance’s inability to penetrate their area was not a threat.

Fran smiled in satisfaction. ”Good...” He gasped for breath. ”I’ll have Bob contact you. As you can see, even talking is difficult for me now.”

”I can’t even go anywhere without this tube!” He tugged at his oxygen tube, then looked at Bob. ”Bob will contact you. Push me back now; I’m tired.”

The Mayor stepped forward and embraced him. ”I hope you recover soon.”

Fran smiled. ”I hope so too.”

Bob quickly pushed Fran away. In just a few minutes, they had determined the fate of the city’s Police Chief.

The Mayor was neither entirely satisfied nor entirely unhappy with the outcome. Hull’s presence had been an inconvenience, but now it would be resolved.

However, he was somewhat displeased, feeling Fran had used the incident to warn him.

Back at the hospital, lying in bed and smelling the strong disinfectant, Fran’s entire mind and emotions relaxed.

He used to intensely dislike the smell of disinfectant in hospitals, finding it offensive.

But as his physical condition deteriorated, he grew to like the atmosphere and environment here. The sterile, cold, and even uncomfortable feeling now provided him with a profound sense of security.

He knew that as long as he remained in the hospital, even if he were to die, it would take some time; he wouldn’t die instantly.

”I’ve spoken with the Mayor. You heard our conversation. Arrange for Hull. We need people to know why he died.”

Bob hesitated. ”Wouldn’t that be too... excessive right now?”

”Excessive?” Fran shook his head. ”This is precisely the time to make them understand the cost of betrayal!”

”It’s not the past. We are facing a life-or-death crisis. We cannot retreat further.”

Bob’s expression changed. ”Is it that serious?”

”We still have many men.”

”We still have many businesses and money!”

”If necessary, we can quickly mobilize thousands of gunmen. They aren’t afraid of a frontal confrontation!”

Fran glanced at him. ”Haven’t you felt it these past few days?”

”With the police and the Federal government siding with the Lance family, how many of your plans succeeded?”

”Do as I say. People need to know that choosing a side has a price!”

He closed his eyes and gasped again. ”Remember to bring me the person I need quickly. I’m tired of being this way all day!”

Bob agreed, then left. As soon as he left, Fran’s personal bodyguard entered, and Fran asked for his phone.

Merely eliminating Hull wouldn’t solve the problem. He had to find a way to resolve the issue at a higher level.

He called his Senator, explaining the situation. ”If the Federal government is actively moving against us, we might have to retreat further, or even leave the country.”

He was intentionally vague, not using threatening language, but his very choice of words forced the Senator to take a stand.

They had helped these influential figures suppress strikes in the Federal central region many times, and they had channeled significant funds. While maybe not as much as Lance, it was still substantial.

If they retreated, first, the security in some areas would collapse due to the power vacuum created by the Perez family’s departure.

Small and medium-sized gangs, long suppressed, would fight over the territories. Second, the financial benefits for these Congressmen would dry up.

Finally, if a major strike occurred again, they might not be able to resolve it quickly.

Fran’s Senator was silent for a moment. ”I’ve discussed this matter with them. Some things I can’t detail now. I can only say that neutrality is our consensus.”

”If you can eliminate them, you will remain who you are.”

”If you can’t eliminate them, I can only express my deepest regrets.”

”The general election is in four months. Do you understand what I mean?”

”The Liberal Party is likely to win. Congressional seats will be adjusted. Many people will lose their positions, including me, potentially.”

”So, the help I can give you is limited. How far you go depends entirely on you.”

”All I can do is ensure they don’t interfere. But I can’t interfere either.”

Hearing almost the same words as the Mayor’s, Fran was disappointed but quickly understood. ”So, the Lance family faces the same restrictions?”

”Yes. Senator Cleveland cannot use his authority to pave the way for the Lance family either. Why else do you think you’ve lasted this long?”

”State police, militias—if they intervened, you couldn’t resist. That’s all I can tell you.”

”It’s best not to call me for a while. I’m in a lot of trouble myself.”

The Senator hung up, unwilling to be involved further.

The Liberal Party’s Presidential nomination battle was about to be revealed. The likely winner, or the candidate the Liberal Party had essentially decided upon, was a strong proponent of ”de-gangsterization.”

The Liberal Party strongly supported this bill. Rumor had it that some believed the current Federal government, the Socialist Party, was too close to local gangs.

Achieving nationwide de-gangsterization was a good way to undermine the Socialist Party.

With the Liberal Party’s focus, the Senators who were about to retire saw no need to risk angering the core ruling faction for the next four or eight years, or even longer, just to protect ”sunset gangs.”

Avoidance was inevitable.

Even Senator Cleveland chose neutrality until the situation stabilized.

This might be bad, but it could also be good.

Fran put down the phone and closed his eyes. He needed to analyze the situation and decide what to do next.

The Bearded Director was unaware that Bob had placed him on a hit list, but he suspected it. His open defiance meant the Perez family might move against him.

He was constantly cautious about potential assassination attempts, always surrounded by multiple officers when going out, and avoiding going home.

He had sent his family away on vacation during this time, and he stayed in the police station to prevent accidents.

But humans weren’t gods; there were always loopholes.

And loopholes always led to unforeseen events.