Empire of Shadows

Having finished his socializing for the evening, Senator Cleveland was driven home. When he arrived, the butler immediately brought him a glass of warm milk with honey.

The glass was small, and the contents modest, but it was exactly what Senator Cleveland needed after drinking.

He walked to the sofa and sat down, leaning his head back on the cushions. He had consumed a lot of alcohol that night.

Such heavy drinking engagements were becoming less common; only the party in the ”disadvantaged” position typically needed to drink more.

Just like the lower-level and peripheral members at social events, if they wanted to integrate into the circle, meet more people, and gain recognition, the simplest method was to proactively approach and network.

The more people they met, the more they had to drink. They usually ended the evening completely drunk.

Conversely, the key figures at social events didn’t need to drink with everyone. When others approached them with drinks, the decision to drink was entirely up to their mood.

No one, except hardened alcoholics, liked to get drunk, especially a politician like Senator Cleveland. He needed to maintain a calm and rational mind at all times to handle unforeseen circumstances.

But lately, he had many engagements that required drinking, largely because the general election was approaching.

If the Socialist Party failed to secure the Presidency, which was highly likely, the political structure would shift. The Liberal Party was even spreading rumors that ”Socialist Presidents always win because of foul play” to ensure Mr. Potter’s victory.These rumors were known to be false by true upper-class figures—CEOs, board members, and politicians.

The Socialist Party’s policies had been demonstrably beneficial to capital over the years. Unlike the Liberal Party, which emphasized the common populace, the Socialist Party focused on the state, society, and production.

These areas were vital to capital and the working class. Liberty was worthless if one couldn’t eat, but a steady job, even if not perfect, was valuable.

The foundation of the Federation’s prosperity was largely laid during the Socialist Party’s tenure, yet now, the misinformed public actually believed the Socialist Party’s continued rule was a conspiracy.

The less educated people are, the angrier they become when they feel fooled. It was like pointing a flashlight at a blind person and asking him what he saw.

They felt manipulated, but they didn’t truly know whether they were manipulated by the ”Socialist victory conspiracy” narrative or by the Liberal Party’s campaign strategy. Regardless, they were angry.

And the Liberal Party offered them an outlet for that anger.

Once the Liberal Party won, and Congressional seats were adjusted, the power structure in Congress would change.

The immediate priority for the Socialist Party was to ensure they maintained control of the position of Majority Leader, preventing it from shifting due to the election results.

Maintaining a majority of Socialist Party seats in Congress was crucial. This involved many political exchanges. A Liberal-aligned state didn’t necessarily have to elect a Liberal Senator; it depended on whether they could strike a better deal with Congress and the political establishment.

Beyond that, the predisposition of the next batch of Senators was also important, as they needed to know who was leaving Congress and who was coming in.

This was vital for the political stage of the next Congress. Senators were human, after all. As long as they were human, they had weaknesses and desires. Someone could always find a way to persuade them.

These social engagements were exchanges among equals. Given the current political climate, Senator Cleveland and the Socialist Senators were no longer as dominant, so he had to drink more to ensure everyone was comfortable sharing information.

Being drunk was uncomfortable. He had already vomited once on the way home. Now, a sip of warm milk and honey made him feel better.

He rested for a moment, eyes closed. Just as the butler thought he might fall asleep, he opened his eyes. ”What time is it?”

The butler glanced at the clock. ”A little past ten, sir.”

Senator Cleveland straightened up. ”Is Tom here?”

”Should I call him?”

”Send him over.”

Tom arrived quickly. He had already gone to sleep. The butler woke him, and he put on casual clothes before coming over.

”You called for me?”

Senator Cleveland lit a cigarette, pointing to the opposite sofa. ”Sit.”

”How is the situation with Lance resolved?”

Tom carefully considered his words. ”Everything was handled perfectly. The whole operation took less than an hour. The Perez family has been eliminated.”

”The...” Senator Cleveland pointed his cigarette at Tom, frowning thoughtfully. ”...the man who escaped, how is his situation?”

”We won’t know his status for a day or two.”

Senator Cleveland exhaled heavily. ”Call Lance. I need to talk to him.”

Did Lance need sleep?

No one cared. Official business was clearly more important than sleep.

The phone rang for a moment before being answered. Lance was staying at a high-end hotel in Old City. He wasn’t asleep; he was tallying his ”harvest.”

”The Senator wants to speak with you,” Tom said, then handed the receiver to Senator Cleveland.

”I hope I haven’t interrupted anything,” the Senator said. He knew calling so late was improper. This was his subtle way of showing respect.

Lance chuckled. ”I wasn’t asleep. I’m organizing the Perez family’s assets. Do you need something?”

”Yes. The Perez family was involved with some politicians. I need to know who their leader, Bob, is associated with now.”

Lance could tell from the Senator’s tone and slow speech that he had been drinking heavily.

”If you are referring to Bob, he is currently in Roland’s custody. Roland took him immediately.”

There were more Socialist Party members in the Federal Southern region, where the party had a stronger base. The North, where the Federation first developed, was aligned more with the Liberal Party.

The Central region leaned Liberal. The Perez family was ostensibly aligned with the Liberal Party, but they also dealt with the Socialist Party, which was irrelevant.

Senator Cleveland fell silent, thinking. Lance sensed his thoughts. ”Should I try to take him back from Roland?”

The suggestion interested Senator Cleveland. ”How would you do that?”

Lance chuckled again. ”It’s simple. We eliminate the men guarding Bob and take him. We can then send him South or elsewhere.”

”If you need me to.”

Senator Cleveland didn’t answer immediately. After a pause, he asked, ”I have a question. Your mind is sometimes sharper than mine. Perhaps you can offer me some advice.”

Tom, who had been sitting passively, immediately straightened up. He was intrigued by the question.

Senator Cleveland didn’t exclude him. ”The Congressional seats are about to be adjusted. The Speaker of the House will be re-elected. If things go as planned, at least one Speaker will be a Liberal.”

”Our influence in Congress is shrinking. That’s not good. It will complicate our future plans.”

”The Perez family had ties to some Liberals. He must have crucial information about their transactions. I’m considering whether we should extract that evidence from him.”

It was clear that Senator Cleveland intended to seize this evidence—evidence that might link politicians about to enter the Senate to a gang.

While Mr. Potter was campaigning to eliminate gangs, having evidence that key Liberals had ties to gangs would significantly impact the subsequent adjustment of Congressional seats.

Lance thought for a moment. ”Let’s analyze the pros and cons.”

”The upside: we capture Bob and extract the crucial information, securing it.”

”But there’s a problem: if we secure that evidence, won’t it intensify their hostility and targeting of us?”

”After all, Senator, you know that if Mr. Potter’s de-gangsterization plan becomes a key part of his campaign, these politicians will see you as an implacable enemy.”

”You would hold the key to their political survival. Even if you promised silence or handed the evidence over, they wouldn’t trust you.”

Senator Cleveland considered this carefully. ”You have a point, but if we let Bob go, we gain nothing. What are your thoughts?”

”Yes, if we don’t control Bob, we gain nothing. But Senator, we shouldn’t overlook one thing.”

”The person who captured Bob is Mr. Potter’s man. As things stand, Roland is loyal to Mr. Potter. In other words, whatever Roland does can be directly linked to Mr. Potter.”

”If we leak a rumor that Roland has evidence of the Perez family’s ties to certain politicians—evidence of money-for-power schemes—what do you think they will do?”

Before Senator Cleveland could answer, Lance continued. ”If I were a politician with ties to the Perez family, I would immediately demand Roland hand Bob over, eliminate him, and destroy the evidence.”

”But if another rumor circulated that Roland only handed over some of the evidence, and kept a lot for himself, what would those politicians think?”

”Would they suspect this was Mr. Potter’s plan?”

”Roland is just an FBI Director, an insignificant figure. Would he dare to offend so many politicians?”

The FBI’s image in Federal politics was negligible, a political pawn. They used to only investigate who insulted the President.

They were not a powerful law enforcement body. But now that Roland was Director, he was consolidating power.

Senator Cleveland had clearly considered this. ”They would worry that their secrets are now in Potter’s hands, and I would be wary of the President if he knew my secrets.”

Senator Cleveland continued Lance’s line of thought. He felt comfortable talking to Lance because the conclusions were derived naturally, not forced.

It was like solving a math problem. Someone wrote the whole solution, leaving only the final number after the equal sign. Lance just glanced at it and wrote the number. It was satisfying!

This was the charm of their communication!

Crucially, Bob wasn’t in their hands. They wouldn’t be accused of targeting him. If the Liberal Party ran into trouble, he could easily align with the dissenters.

”You have an excellent mind and remarkable insight, Lance!”

”I’ll leave this to you. Do it well.”

”When you return, I’ll treat you to dinner!”

Lance chuckled. ”It’s a deal. I hear... there’s an excellent chef at that restaurant.”

Senator Cleveland was in high spirits. ”Call me. I’ll reserve the entire restaurant!”

As a Senator, he didn’t need to pay. He only needed to hint at it, and the capitalists around him would gladly cover the cost.

This was part of Lance’s calculation. Evidence that could ruin people wasn’t always a good thing, especially if you couldn’t withstand the backlash.

After hanging up, he called the Bearded Director. Hull was in high spirits. Eliminating the Perez family was a massive victory for him. He and Lance were now inseparable.

Even though it was late, the Director, who was celebrating, immediately put on his pants when Lance called.

His attitude was low and respectful. ”What do you need me to do?”

Lance offered him a cigarette. The Director respectfully used his lighter to light Lance’s.

Lance patted his hand. ”I just spoke with the Senator. I mentioned you.”

”There is something I need you to do.”

The Director was thrilled. The Senator knew his name! If the Federation didn’t value public salutes, he would have bowed deeply.

He patted his chest. ”I will gladly do anything, Mr. Lance!”

Lance smiled. ”It’s not complicated. You are a local. I need you to spread some information—some truthful information—around the city.”

The Director left. As the local fixer, he knew how to spread rumors instantly.

The next morning, Director Roland woke up with a start. The phone was ringing off the hook.

He looked at the clock. It was past ten.

He had personally interrogated Bob late into the night, securing some crucial information that would form the foundation of the FBI’s rise.

He felt immense hope for the future.

He sat up, rubbing his cheeks. Sleep deprivation made his eyes ache. He picked up the phone. ”This is Roland.”

A few seconds passed. A voice came through. ”Roland?”

”I hear you took possession of some things from Bob that you shouldn’t have. You should hand them over now!”

Roland held the phone away from his ear. He stared at the receiver, his mind reeling.

”You... are threatening me?”

He wanted to laugh.