Empire of Shadows

Many people thought Federal government officials were difficult to deal with, but in reality, they just hadn’t found the right approach.

As long as you gave them what they wanted, you would discover that Federal politicians were, in fact, quite agreeable.

Even if your demands were slightly excessive, perhaps even illegal, they wouldn’t care.

After all, the laws and rules were made for ordinary people, not for themselves.

When Lance left the Ministry of Defense, he glanced back at the seemingly inconspicuous building, contemplating some amusing thoughts.

At the same moment, Fran awoke from his surgical anesthetic. He lay in bed, unable to move, staring at the ceiling.

He felt pain, but also a distinct improvement—a sense of breathing without restriction.

His breathing used to feel like a balloon was inside his lungs, trapping all the inhaled air.

The balloon had a strong elasticity, restricting oxygen intake, forcing the air out quickly.

But now, the balloon was gone. Air and oxygen could fully reach every cell in his lung, sending a large volume of oxygen into his bloodstream, making him feel much better.”How do you feel?” the doctor asked, monitoring his vital signs and checking his incision.

Fran’s voice was weak. The new organ was not yet fully integrated, and the oxygen mask muffled his voice. ”I feel pretty good.”

The doctor nodded. ”Your condition will improve steadily over the next few weeks. The surgery was a great success. We decided during the operation to completely replace both of your lungs.”

”You now have fully healthy lungs. I hope you take good care of them.”

”If there are no complications within two weeks, you can return home.”

Fran was overjoyed. A completely healthy body! He had many ideas. He planned to recover and then negotiate with the hospital about replacing his other organs.

The surgery wasn’t as terrifying as he had imagined. He simply lay down, lost consciousness, and woke up to find everything better.

The unique sensation provided by the new lungs made him obsessed. If he replaced his other organs—liver, kidneys, and more—would his body be in even better condition?

The doctor gave him specific care instructions, then left. They needed to compile the data for internal use.

This was a routine lung transplant in the context of the hospital, but it was cutting-edge technology worldwide. They recorded the entire operation with a camera for research purposes.

A moment later, the door opened. Fran turned his head and saw Bob enter.

Bob looked extremely haggard. Fran was confused but didn’t want to talk much now.

The earlier effort of speaking made him uncomfortable; he needed to rest.

”There’s been some trouble,” Bob said, sitting by the bed and looking at Fran. ”The plan we arranged—the assassination of Lance—the car had a Major General from the Ministry of Defense in it.”

Fran’s eyes widened slowly. His pupils contracted. After a few seconds, he blinked and stared intently at Bob.

”Pen. Paper.”

Bob handed him a pen and a notepad. Fran immediately wrote, ”Call this number. Right here.”

Bob let the nurse leave, then, in front of Fran, dialed the number.

”Hello, this is Bob...”

The phone was set to speaker. Before Bob could finish, the person on the other end hung up.

Fran slowly closed his eyes. He quickly wrote another number. Bob dialed again.

He made several calls. Only the last one was answered.

”Why isn’t this Fran?”

Bob glanced at Fran, who wrote something quickly on the board. Bob read it aloud. ”He just had surgery and can’t speak for long, so I’m conveying the message.”

The person on the other end was silent for a moment. They were clearly surprised. The call was supposed to be highly confidential, but with an extra person involved, they hesitated.

Fran quickly scribbled a question. ”What is the situation? Do we have any measures to mitigate this?”

The person on the phone clearly had a deep, vested interest in the Perez family. While others didn’t answer, he did.

He realized that the Perez family’s trouble could ultimately become his own.

He lowered his voice. ”There are no good options. I don’t know if this was planned by you...”

”Your people attacked Lance, and the police showed up immediately after the gunfight. Lance is now tearing the New Golden City police apart, and the Ministry of Defense is furious with you.”

”I also heard that Mr. Potter has heard about your actions and is very unhappy.”

Mr. Potter was the favorite to win the Presidential election. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his victory was certain.

The power of capital and politics, once aligned with him, ensured there would be no accidents.

Many people had placed heavy bets on him, and to ensure their investment was safe, they would attack anyone who threatened him.

So, Mr. Potter’s displeasure was their biggest problem.

”Senator Cleveland’s faction has also voiced its displeasure regarding your public attack on a Federal senior official.”

”The Liberal Party, the Socialist Party, and the Ministry of Defense have all reached a consensus on this issue.”

Fran quickly wrote another question. ”We were only targeting Lance! We weren’t targeting anyone else!”

The person on the other end raised his voice. ”Who the hell cares who you were targeting?”

”There was a Major General from the Ministry of Defense in that car. That’s all they need to know.”

”You were capable of figuring out Lance’s schedule and route; do you expect anyone to believe you didn’t know who else was in the car?”

”Do you think anyone will believe that?”

The voice was aggressive. Clearly, the man on the other end was also stressed.

He had done nothing wrong, yet he was facing the fallout. He had only been home watching a transferred TV series when the call came in.

The blame was certainly on the Perez family. The people who attacked Lance were caught, and under pressure, they confessed everything.

So, the Perez family was already convicted, not merely suspected.

Anyone associated with the Perez family was now under suspicion.

Being unfairly labeled was frustrating.

The phone line went silent. Fran held the pen, unable to write anything for a long moment.

After about ten seconds, the voice returned, calmer now. ”If I were you, Fran, for the sake of our past friendship, I’d advise you to take your family and whatever money you can and leave the Federation immediately.”

”Go to Slad or Dantra. There is no need for a visa now; you can take a boat.”

”It will be chaotic there, but you can find a chance for a fresh start.”

These words made Fran agitated. He grabbed the phone. ”You want me to abandon everything here?”

Hearing Fran’s weak voice muffled through the oxygen mask, the man on the phone paused. ”You sound very weak.”

”F***! Now is not the time to talk about that! You want me to abandon everything and run away like a defeated dog?”

The silence returned for a few seconds, then the man’s voice returned with a note of challenge. ”Do you have any other option?”

”You’ve made several severe mistakes, Fran.”

”You shouldn’t have fought in the New Golden City.”

”You shouldn’t have fired on Lance’s car when a Ministry of Defense official was inside.”

”You showed extreme disrespect to Mr. Potter’s campaign promises.”

”I see no other way out.”

Fran slumped back. He felt weak. The surgery had yet to heal, and talking was strenuous.

He had to write again. ”If I am willing to pay the price?”

There was no answer, and the lack of answer was the best answer. Fran felt desperate. He had only undergone surgery, yet the situation had become catastrophic.

Bob looked at the board and read Fran’s next question. ”If I take the family and leave now, will this matter end?”

The man on the phone emphasized, ”You and your family, Fran.”

”You caused this trouble. I don’t know if it was your decision, but you cannot leave without paying a price.”

Bob quickly conveyed Fran’s reply. ”I’ve already made concessions...”

”That’s not enough!”

The line fell silent again. Fran lay there, staring at the ceiling. He wanted to destroy something, but his body was too weak.

”Fran, listen. Your time is running out. You have very few choices left. I will not contact you again after this, and if you encounter any trouble—you know, don’t say anything reckless.”

”And tell the man next to you to watch his mouth.”

”That’s my advice.”

The man hung up without even saying ”goodbye.”

Fran turned to Bob. Bob also felt wronged. ”You agreed to that plan.”

Without Fran’s agreement, Bob wouldn’t have attempted the assassination. Fran had wanted revenge, but the result was completely different from what he expected.

”Pack our things. Take some cash. Prepare to leave.” Fran wrote this with all his strength.

He knew that his friend’s advice was a harsh reality. He knew that if the Federal government truly decided to eliminate the Perez family, they had no defense!

The overwhelming power of the Federation was unstoppable.

Bob was unwilling. ”If we leave, we might never return.”

Fran shook his head slightly, unable to write anymore.

After a long while, he whispered, ”Those who want to come with us can come. Those who don’t can stay and maintain the status quo.”

The decision was made. The next step was execution. Bob’s mind was a mess as he left the hospital. He didn’t know how to handle the situation.

He stood outside the hospital. Despite the intense sun, he felt no warmth.

At the same moment, a new idea formed in his mind: perhaps staying behind was an opportunity for him.

If they all went to Slad or Dantra, starting over, he would still only be an important family member.

But he had tasted power while Fran was incapacitated. If he stayed behind, wouldn’t he become the de facto Boss of the ”headquarters”?

Perhaps... he could forge a new path for himself?

He thought about this constantly on the way back. The politicians always exaggerated the facts to avoid trouble.

Maybe the situation wasn’t that bad?

The Perez family had existed for so long. It would be impossible to eradicate them completely. If they paid a price and retained some power, they might rise again.

He knew all the options. He knew that groups of outsiders struggled to succeed in Slad. It was hostile territory, full of local gangs, local politicians, and existing protective layers.

They would also face manpower shortages. Not everyone could expand from a small group to an unignorable force like Lance.

Bob, in this moment, acknowledged Lance’s genius and admitted that he couldn’t replicate it.

Lost in his thoughts, he returned to the estate. He immediately summoned the core family members, including Fran’s son.

Seeing his cousins gathered, some of whom still smiled, unaware of the gravity of the situation, Bob felt a surge of impatience and rage.

But he quickly suppressed it.

”I went to the hospital. Fran’s surgery was very successful. He is awake now.”

The expressions in the room varied. Some had aligned with Bob, others still believed Fran was the true Boss. The news of Fran’s recovery brought joy to some and disappointment to others.

He observed the reactions, then continued. ”However, some bad things happened. Our attack on Lance created unforeseen complications. We now have two choices.”

”First, leave with Fran for Slad or Dantra, starting from scratch. We can only take a few people and some cash.”

”Second, stay and fight. We might die, but we might also survive and retain some power.”

”I know this is a difficult choice, but it is one we must make. You can start seriously considering your options now.”

”A decision must be made within the next two days.”

The initially smiling or serious faces all froze.

”What the f***?”

”What exactly happened? Why do we have to leave?”

Someone shouted loudly, and the others voiced similar confusion.

Bob recounted the events. Everyone fell silent.

”Just because of a Ministry of Defense official?” a core family member asked in disbelief.

Many shared his sentiment. Just because of one official?

The problem was not just the Ministry of Defense; it involved Mr. Potter and a host of complex issues that could trigger a chain reaction. Bob, however, didn’t know the full extent.

But he knew it wasn’t a single issue. He shook his head. ”I don’t know.”

”All I know is that you have two days to decide.”

The atmosphere in the room immediately turned grim.