Empire of Shadows

Roland’s cousin knew his relative had become a major figure, so he took Roland’s request very seriously.

After hanging up, he immediately drove to the private high school they had originally planned for Little Jamie to attend, to understand why the pre-approved admission had suddenly been revoked.

When he arrived and found his contact at the school, he learned the reason stemmed from a change in the school’s management.

Parents of some students had complained to the board that the school was admitting students who seemed unqualified, and more than one parent questioned the school’s current standing.

If just anyone could get in, then the children who gained admission only through paying large fees and calling in favors seemed to have made a poor investment.

The scandal alarmed the entire board. A private high school’s most valuable asset was its reputation, not just its number of top-performing graduates.

If the reputation was damaged, the academic results wouldn’t matter.

The school conducted an internal investigation during the summer break and found that indeed, every year, some students who didn’t meet the entrance standards were admitted through exceptions made by certain management personnel.

These exceptions were what caused discontent among the other students’ parents.

If they didn’t treat this matter seriously, it would be seen as a slapdash approach to student selection.But if they treated it seriously, it was a case of official corruption.

Several managers involved in admissions were suspended or transferred, and a new management team was installed. They immediately audited the roster for the fall semester.

They identified several students who did not meet the entrance criteria and revoked their admission.

Roland’s son was among them.

He lacked a prominent background and wasn’t rich. He only knew a local police precinct chief. To a high-caliber private high school, a precinct chief was no different from a low-level police officer.

If a student could easily enter the school merely by knowing a precinct chief—and it wasn’t even the chief’s own child—the school’s reputation would be cheapened.

Their message was clear: no one gets special treatment.

When Roland’s cousin learned this and asked if there were any alternative ways to secure admission, his friend informed him:

The first option: If the child had genuine connections, meaning if a truly influential figure called the board or the principal, they would accept the child immediately.

The second option: If his family was wealthy and could donate at least $100,000 to the school, with a pledge of no less than $50,000 in annual donations during the school period.

In other words, $200,000, paid in installments, would secure admission.

Of course, besides these two, admission could also be secured through one other route, one that required no phone calls or $200,000 in donations: grades.

The school would administer a standardized test. If Little Jamie scored over 480 out of 500, the school would admit him.

Connections, wealth, or pure academic talent—one of the three was required to silence the other parents.

The news was quickly relayed to Roland. This gave him a headache. If Little Jamie were academically gifted, he wouldn’t need to maneuver for his admission; the boy could pass the entrance exams for top private schools easily.

Top academic talent was highly sought after in the Federation. Scientific development wouldn’t happen spontaneously just because people had money or knew powerful figures; dedicated academic minds were needed.

Little Jamie’s academic performance was average, meaning Roland was stuck with the other two options.

Giving money was out of the question; it was too risky. Bringing out that much money would cause huge problems for his wife, his children, and himself.

The tax office would investigate: how could an seemingly ordinary family suddenly acquire that much money? Did they evade taxes? Did they conceal income?

Any alarm raised to the tax office could completely expose him.

Calling directly was also problematic. His entire goal was to conceal his relationship with them, and a direct call would expose them.

This left Roland with a dilemma. ”Let me think about it. I’ll call you back later tonight. Thank you for running this errand for me today.”

His cousin chuckled. ”You’re welcome.”

”Roland, you should consider other private high schools. They might not be as good, but they are easier to get into.”

”I don’t know how close you are to your friend, but getting into a decent private high school is far better than a public high school. At least they’ll actually teach the children something, instead of just letting the students do whatever they want all day.”

Roland hummed. ”I will consider it.”

He immediately called his wife. ”If we switch to another private high school—one with a good environment—would that be acceptable?”

His real wife hesitated. She felt deeply insecure because, in many ways, she was a single mother right now.

Roland was married to another woman. Although Roland assured her that he would marry her and acknowledge the children once everything was settled, she remained anxious.

The children were part of her security. She wanted her children to attend the best schools so they could succeed, even without Roland’s help.

And there were other factors involved.

She whispered, ”Little Jamie already told his friends the result. Do you understand what I mean?”

”Everyone knows he’s going to that top high school, but when school starts, they’ll find out he didn’t make it. And what’s worse, our home lacks a man, a male presence.”

”Attending that school isn’t just about the education. But if it truly isn’t possible... we can accept that outcome, but you will have to move us.”

Listening to his wife, Roland felt a headache. He knew she was right. School was starting soon. Little Jamie must have told his friends and people in the community about the school.

If he didn’t attend, people would assume the family had been bragging. Middle-class communities looked harmonious.

Neighbors exchanged small gifts and hosted barbecue parties.

But they were also intensely competitive, wishing ill upon their neighbors, just so they could feel superior.

Roland could already imagine Little Jamie becoming a joke when he showed up in the uniform of a lesser school—a trauma that could haunt him for life.

Roland took a few deep breaths, rapping his fingers on the desk twice. ”I will handle it. Wait for my call.”

He decided to call the executive director of the school board.

”Mr. Roland?”

”I’ve heard of you. The FBI is very active now, and I hear you’re doing excellent work!”

The executive director wasn’t just a school administrator. He had deep ties to multiple political parties. The board of such a prestigious private high school commanded an unimaginable network of connections.

It was normal for them to receive insider information that ordinary people didn’t know.

The director knowing who he was saved Roland some trouble. ”I apologize for calling at this time. I have something awkward I need to discuss.”

Laughter came through the receiver. ”Let me guess. Is it about school admission?”

Roland confirmed it. The director laughed louder. ”I knew it!”

”The school year is about to start. People always rush at the last minute. You could have called in July or even June; we could have handled it more smoothly then.”

He paused. ”Could you tell me the student’s name and when he plans to enroll?”

He didn’t mention an interview. When the FBI Director himself calls, not showing deference means the director is incompetent.

He clearly knew Roland’s standing and was eager to gain his friendship. This was a variation of the old adage.

The rich get richer.

The connected gain more connections.

Perhaps one day, he might need the FBI’s help. This connection would make communication much easier. He could maintain this relationship through the student.

Roland gave the director Little Jamie’s information. The director asked cautiously, ”May I know his relationship to you?”

Roland anticipated the question. He used his standard line. ”He’s the family of a very, very close friend of mine who died in the line of duty. I promised him I would look after his family.”

The director sighed. ”A touching commitment, Mr. Roland. Your promise is gold.”

”I will arrange Jamie’s admission. If you have any issues, you can contact me. And if anything unexpected happens on our end, I will contact you.”

”May I have your phone number?”

”Both private and office numbers, so you can be notified immediately of any urgent situation.”

Roland did not refuse. He had lost the initiative the moment he couldn’t refuse his wife.

The matter was temporarily concluded. He sighed as he hung up, but he didn’t know that Lance’s people were currently driving toward that city.

It wasn’t that Devon had discovered anything concrete, but he assumed Roland’s hometown must hold crucial clues. Even if they weren’t related to the supposed illegitimate child, finding them was important.

Meanwhile, Roland, using his channels, sent some intelligence about Lance to Bob.

Bob was now looking at a branch member of the family in his thirties. His mind was filled with the man’s words.

Lance can assassinate Fran, so why can’t we assassinate Lance?

If Lance died or was severely injured, the Lance family’s situation would mirror their own. Without the absolute core, the Lance family was only slightly stronger than an ordinary gang—certainly no match for them.

The idea deeply intrigued Bob. He scrutinized the man’s face. After a moment, he asked, ”If I give you a chance, how would you do it?”

”Also, how would you know when Lance leaves and what route he takes?”

The branch member swallowed hard. ”Lance’s car is armored. Everyone knows that. So, I don’t think conventional weapons can eliminate him.”

”My idea is to corner him somewhere, douse the vehicle in gasoline, and burn the car.”

”Armored cars are bulletproof, but they are not resistant to high temperatures or toxic gas. This way, there’s no gunfight, avoiding negative repercussions.”

”As for how I’d know when Lance leaves and which route he takes, that’s not crucial.”

”We just need to know if he’s left the estate.”

Bob contemplated the plan, then nodded slightly. ”The plan is feasible, but it’s risky.”

He paused, then finalized his decision. ”We can try it. If it succeeds, a massive problem is solved.”

”He can assassinate Fran, and we can assassinate him!”

He repeated the sentence, firming his resolve.

He weighed the possibilities of success and failure. Success was ideal. The Lance family would be in chaos and eventually eliminated.

Failure was manageable. Lance would escalate the fighting, but the situation couldn’t get much worse than it already was.

After a simple calculation of cost, risk, and benefit, he made his decision.

He immediately began assigning personnel. Such a critical task had to be assigned to someone he trusted, and it also served as an achievement to secure his transition to power.

With everyone contributing ideas, a plan with a very direct name was hatched: ”Assassination of Lance.”

(End of this chapter)

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