Shadow Empire

Chapter 1249 The Same Question

More and more people began to squeeze in, and reporters frantically snapped photos of Lance as he spoke, with everyone's attention focused on him.

“I am a worker, and I know what workers want.”

"Lower cost of participation, higher income, and better benefits."

“These things that should have been borne by unions and capitalists have now become the rights we are fighting for. The Federation is as magical as those stories that could never happen in a novel.”

“But it’s right here!” Lance pointed to the ground beneath his feet. “Right here, right beside us, and we’re even part of it!”

“The union has helped you to some extent. Please note that I said ‘to some extent,’ not that it helped you completely or thoroughly.”

"If you've been following the news these past two days, you'll have noticed that the president and vice president of the construction workers' union have been colluding with capitalists for a long time, using the excuse of seeking benefits for you."

"Some people might think, 'I haven't lost anything, so I don't care what they do!'"

"But, brothers, think about it from another perspective. There are many things that could have helped you improve your family's situation, but because of... the greed of some people, these things have become less important."

Lance paused briefly, shifting his stance, "I heard that some companies don't want unions to profit from the work, so they've proposed providing an extra subsidy, like 15 cents a day, paid out along with your wages based on the number of days worked..."

Upon hearing this, the workers, who had been somewhat quiet and even a little... uninterested, were stunned. They stared wide-eyed at Lance in the center of the field, their minds filled with a simple... no, rather complex calculation problem for some.

Someone scratched their head and asked the people around them, "If they gave us money directly, how much could we keep each month?"

The discussion was spreading, and perhaps hearing their questions, Lance tapped the microphone again, the thud silencing the entire stadium once more.

"Gentlemen, if you work twenty days a month, we will give you an extra three dollars."

"But now those three dollars have been turned into food worth two dollars or even less, and you're being forced to eat it."

Is this really a good thing?

Is three yuan a lot or a little?

It may not seem like a lot, but it's definitely not a small amount either, because this is calculated based on a 20-day work week. What if it were 30 days?

That's four dollars and fifty cents, which is hard to ignore. What's even more unacceptable to them is that a portion of this money was embezzled by the union.

Some workers immediately became indignant. They were already in a bad position; construction workers were only considered lower-middle class in the overall labor system.

Selling manual labor requires no skills and has no barriers to entry, meaning that anyone with a bit of strength can do it.

Their wages fluctuate greatly. The lowest-level construction workers earn only about sixty yuan a month, which may be more than forty yuan after tax. Four yuan and fifty cents accounts for one-tenth of their wages.

This is a number they can hardly ignore.

Seeing the stadium become "lively" again, Lance waited for them to have a heated discussion for a while, then tapped the microphone to quiet the stadium down.

"That's why I say the union may not really be on your side, and they don't know what you really need."

"Taking the same content, such as food subsidies, if you register with our employment agency..."

"You may not know this, but this union organization is about to be renamed 'Workers' Home'. Workers from any industry can register here and enjoy the supporting services we provide."

"The registration fee is only one dollar, and it is only charged once. You will not have to pay any fees after that."

“I come from a working-class background, I know what you want. As for food subsidies, I will negotiate directly with the capitalists and distribute these subsidies to you in cash!”

"Fifteen cents a day, not a penny less. Whatever they give us, we'll give you. We won't withhold any, because this is money from the capitalists, not from the union!"

The workers below the stage all looked at Lance, and some of them were stirred up by his words. A worker who was not tall but had a very strong and burly body suddenly stood up and said, "Mr. White, we support you!"

Driven by collective emotion, more people stood up to express their support for Lance and the "Workers' Home".

Lance kept raising his hand to press the microphone, but it didn't work. The workers kept expressing their emotions until Lance had to keep hitting the microphone hard, which finally calmed them down after two minutes.

"Thank you, thank you for your support, but I haven't finished speaking yet, because after I finish, you will completely fall in love with the Workers' Home."

"As I've always said, I come from a working-class background, and so do my friends. We know what you working-class people want!"

"Workers' Home will provide you with full insurance coverage. Regardless of whether the capitalists pay your insurance premiums, we will prioritize providing supplementary insurance to ensure that you have the money and timely treatment in case of any injury at work."

"As for the insurance companies and capitalists, we will make trouble for them and force them to hand over the money or pay the price!"

"In addition, Workers' Home will establish 'Workers' Home After-School Care Programs,' 'Workers' Home Kindergartens,' 'Workers' Home Primary Schools,' and 'Workers' Home Middle Schools' in every city where we are located. We will even contact some domestic universities to provide cooperation opportunities and offer recommendation letters from top universities to children from outstanding working-class families who are willing to study hard!"

"All of this allows you to work with greater peace of mind, instead of having to worry about whether your children will be taken care of or if they are in danger while you are at work."

"Gentlemen, this is a terrible time. A hundred years ago, parents never had to worry about their children getting electrocuted by sticking keys into electrical outlets out of curiosity, but now they do."

"The Workers' Home will solve all your worries. We will have dedicated staff to provide you with rights protection services."

"We will not be like labor unions, sucking the blood of the working class while tearing at the capitalists at the same time."

"Many labor-management conflicts do not actually occur between you and the capitalists, but rather in issues handled by the union."

"Perhaps you just want an extra day of vacation, but they will ask the capitalists for two or three days of vacation for certain interests or purposes."

"But now, it's all over!"

"Because we've come!"

Lance pointed to the ground beneath his feet, "Because we've come, the dark clouds will disperse!"

"Because we came, so... it's dawn!"

"The sky that belongs to the working class is about to truly brighten!"

“You will have more disposable income, and the capitalists who employ you will not incur additional expenses, because we will take back the portion of your money that was exploited by the union and return it to you!”

“Every worker should have the hope of a better life. The development and construction of this country cannot be separated from you. You should not be let down!”

The frenzied reporters and their flashing lights turned the entire scene into a dazzling spectacle, like a galaxy of stars. Lance was isolated in that glass room, and now people realized that it was necessary for him to do so.

Indeed, many people want him dead.

More and more workers stood up, took off their coats, and waved them in their hands to express their emotions.

Lance kept waving in response, which made the atmosphere at the scene extremely enthusiastic!
“He doesn’t look like a gang leader or a capitalist at all; he looks exactly like a politician!” a state newspaper reporter remarked to his colleague while taking photos. “I even have the illusion that… we are in the final stages of an election, witnessing the rise of a miracle!”

His colleague remarked, "Upon closer inspection, what he said wasn't particularly special, but it had an inspiring power to uplift people. He's a formidable guy!"

"Once today's report is published, I can hardly imagine what will happen here."

"what happens?"

"A revolution!"

Senator Cleveland looked at the clippings delivered to him, which contained Lance's entire speech at the stadium; he even read the last paragraph aloud—

"As Mr. Lance White drove away in his car, many workers came to the car and loudly expressed their excitement to him, as if they were seeing him off as if he were a faith in their hearts."

"Although I don't know what will happen tomorrow, I do know that a storm has formed, a storm that is about to sweep across the south has formed!"

Senator Cleveland put down his newspaper and looked at the gentlemen in the room. "He has done more than I imagined, and the way he did it..."

The chairman of the Federal Socialist Committee sat diagonally across from him. He took the newspaper and read it for a while. "He's playing with fire," he said.

"The trade unions and labor federations in various industries will not let him off the hook, nor will the Labour Party, but this is good news for us."

"This means that the first shot against unions and the federation of labor has been fired, and what remains is a real battle, especially while the Liberal Party is in power."

As he spoke, he looked at the others and said, "After Porter took office, he pushed forward several policies that benefited the unions. He wanted to win over the unions and the AFL. Now that Lance has torn off the fig leaf of the unions, he has to make a choice."

"Whether he chooses voters or unions, it's not a good choice for him!"

The Socialist Party whip couldn't help but laugh, laughing loudly. "A nationwide strike is about to take place, gentlemen. If Porter doesn't handle this situation well in his first year in office, it could very well lead to serious long-term consequences."

“I was initially worried that I would push him down in the midterm elections, but now it seems that we can definitely do it.”

Senator Cleveland also had a very satisfied expression on his face. "Lance did a great job. As long as the Union is not quiet, people will blame everything on the president's incompetence, just like before."

"Now they should experience the helplessness we felt in previous years."

"Gentlemen, I propose a toast to this war initiated by Lance!"

Immediately, someone brought over glasses and drinks. They poured themselves a glass and clinked glasses enthusiastically.

Senator Cleveland raised his glass, a half-smile playing on his lips, and said, "A toast to the awakening of the working class!"

"cheers!"

After the meeting, Senator Cleveland returned to his estate, where he sat in a chair with a slightly unsteady posture, having drunk quite a bit.

Only he and Tom were in the study. He glanced at Tom, who was busy running around, and after a while, he said, "Lance has great ambitions."

“Once his workers’ homes start to appear in more places across the federal government, it will be as if he has the power of the unions and the AFL-CIO by himself, which is dangerous.”

"The federal government, whether it's the Socialist Party, the Liberal Party, or the Federalist Party, will not allow such a behemoth to emerge again."

“I don’t know what his purpose is in doing this, but you have to go there. Don’t call. Go and talk to him in person. Only a face-to-face conversation will give you more information from him.”

"Ask him what he really wants?"

Tom nodded. "I understand. When do I leave?"

Senator Cleveland glanced at the calendar on the table. "In the next few days, I guess."

"By the way, let him know that we fully support what he is doing now, and he can call us directly if he needs anything from us."

Everything that puts the Liberal Party in a difficult position is something the Socialist Party is willing to do; sometimes, political confrontation is just that simple and straightforward.

Even if stabbing yourself can also injure the other person, that stab is enough.

After Tom left, Senator Cleveland was thinking about something he hadn't mentioned: whether Lance wanted to be president.

He wields too much power!
With wealth, influence, and social status, and if he also controls the votes of 20 million workers, who can be his opponent?

A president who came from a gangster background?

The idea initially startled Senator Cleveland, but he couldn't help but burst out laughing, shaking his head as he did so. A gangster president?

How can it be!

This is the Federation, the beacon of civilization! How could something like this happen? He must have drunk too much and started having wild thoughts!

That night, Senator Cleveland had a bizarre dream in which Lance became the President of the Union with an overwhelming majority…

This dream was as absurd as his first erotic dream when he was sixteen. He actually dreamed of his math teacher who wore thick-rimmed black glasses. It was unbelievable!

But thinking about it carefully... it's actually quite enjoyable.

At least, Lance and he have a pretty good relationship, don't they?

Senator Cleveland woke up the next day and quickly forgot about the somewhat absurd dream, focusing his attention on the Federal Post.

The Federal Post used a very frightening word to describe this on its front page—

"Is it a labor union or a scab?"

The bold font and the red "scab" sign made the huge headline easily visible to anyone from afar. In such a serious official newspaper, the larger the headline and the brighter the color, the more serious the matter.

The same thing happened when the Federation declared war. The first version of the page only had one word: War!
The newspaper detailed what happened in South Yaan, the construction workers, the construction workers' union, and the workers' home that was applying to change its name, and everything that happened between them.

This report was written by an editor of the Post, whose stance appears neutral and unbiased towards either side. However, as one reads it in sequence, one can sense the sarcasm and dissatisfaction towards the unions between the lines.

The editor asked several very important questions. The AFL-CIO has been saying that there are 20 million workers in the federal government, most of whom are members of various industry unions.

This is different from the society before and after, because the mutual exclusion between labor groups makes it difficult for many non-union workers to survive. So, among the workers who have jobs, seven or eight out of ten are union members.

Even if half of them joined the union, they would receive ten million in dues from their fellow workers every month. But was that money actually used for the benefit of their fellow workers?

Furthermore, is it an isolated case or a common occurrence that construction unions use their power to deceive their superiors and cover up wrongdoings?
Is it only the construction workers' union that is doing this, or is the entire federal government doing it?
Every time the union negotiates with the capitalists, it only tells the workers what matters to them. What about what matters to the union?

Why isn't it being made public? Is it because it can't be made public, or is there some other reason?
A series of soul-searching questions made it difficult to answer, and also made people keep making connections in the direction they expected!

There is never a shortage of conspiracy theorists in this society; people are willing to believe that there are layers of darkness in this society.

Just as people have always believed that the federal high command and upper class are aliens or reptilians in disguise, and that their purpose is to enslave humanity.

There are also enough people willing to believe that these guilds are corrupt, especially after Lance personally exposed the inside story of one of the guilds!

If the water in the pool is always clean, people can drink it without any psychological barriers.

But once a pile of excrement falls in, even if they wash the pool spotlessly clean, no one will continue to drink the water from it.

The union is now facing this situation: an unprecedented crisis of trust!
The Federation of Labour Organizations (FLO) was making frantic phone calls early this morning, demanding that all senior executives return for an emergency assessment and to discuss how to get through this situation.

The trade unions of various industries are also holding meetings, trying to find ways to regain lost trust. However, this is difficult to do because suspicion is like a seed that cannot be eradicated. Once planted, it is hard to remove.

The Presidential Palace is also discussing this matter. Originally, it was just a small matter, a small matter related to a remote area, but thanks to the Socialist Party's rapid operation, it immediately escalated into a crisis of confidence affecting the entire federal labor union!
This has also affected the Liberal Party, whose main support base is the lower and middle classes. Unlike the Socialist Party, the Liberal Party places more emphasis on the stable functioning of society.

Although the Liberal Party also dislikes the fact that the Labour Federation and unions have a firm grip on worker resources and wants to kick them hard, this does not mean that they want to see the working class completely liberated, nor do they want to see them turn around and run to the union organizations on the Socialist Party's side.

“This Lance… is always a problem.” He looked at Lance’s picture in the newspaper; it no longer resembled a gangster’s image at all, but rather the kind of image used to photograph politicians.

The photo was taken from a low angle, which made Lance look exceptionally tall. Combined with his handsome face and resolute eyes, the Federation people really liked this look!
This was a closed-door meeting at the presidential palace, attended by President Porter's close confidants, including his son, the new director of the Federal Security Service.

"He does this one minute and that the next, always giving us extra work to do, like right now."

“If the Socialist Party controls a large number of working-class votes, the midterm elections will become very dangerous for us.”

"We can't let him accept this group of workers so easily, even if it's just a small part."

He looked at his staff and officials, "Do you have any good ideas?"

These people looked at each other, seemingly without any good solutions.

This incident broke out very suddenly, and the entire development and impetus of the matter were due to the union's own problems. They exposed a lot of troubles that Lance seized upon and then struck a fatal blow.

Furthermore, the unions are independent organizations; they are not affiliated with the Liberal Party, so even if the Liberal Party wanted to interfere, it couldn't get involved.

"Don't you have any ideas at all?"

At this moment, an official in charge of legal matters said softly, "I recall that according to federal law, unions cannot accept subsidies from workers' employers..."

President Porter looked at him as if he were a fool. "I don't need Lance to answer your question. I have a hundred ways to tell you that he's not afraid of your difficult question at all!"

Federal law does stipulate that union organizations cannot simultaneously recommend workers to companies and receive financial assistance from those companies.

It seems like a stable "defense" to avoid the exploitation and oppression of the working class caused by rent-seeking, but in reality, capitalists can donate money to the union simply by registering another company, or even a private equity foundation related to the working class, and this money is legal.

You might think that federal officials aren't very bright, but you absolutely can't think they're lacking in this area. They always find a way to make seemingly reasonable incomes seem perfectly reasonable, and make unreasonable incomes seem completely unreasonable!

After discussing it for a while, they still couldn't reach a conclusion, because there really wasn't anything good to be found on Lance.

"He's still selling alcohol."

“If we cut off this part of his income, he might not be able to continue to support his unbridled expansion.”

Ultimately, President Porter's son offered a suggestion.

This suggestion made everyone fall into deep thought.

As one of the people President Porter disliked most, Lance was well known to the officials and staff here.

They needed to figure out the president's personal preferences, which naturally meant understanding why Lance had been making President Porter so unhappy.

This also made them aware of where Lance's main profits came from.

President Porter nodded. "That's a good idea, but how do you plan to do it?"

Mr. Zhongbo pursed his lips. “Investigate their distillery directly. Once we confirm they are brewing wine, we’ll have them raid their distillery before they can react.”

"Once we obtain enough evidence and manage to pry some people open their mouths and get them to accuse Lance, then even if the Socialist Party wants to protect him, they will probably have to pay a heavy price!"

This is a typical example of "can do but can't say." Anyone can do whatever they want, but their misdeeds cannot be exposed to the public.

It's like a priest can like a little boy and do it, but he can't let people confirm it.

Once this is confirmed, even if the priest is the son of God, he will be punished.

Regardless of Lance's current status, as long as actual evidence of his crimes is in his hands, President Porter, with his current position and power, is qualified to ensure that Lance never recovers.

Of course, this is on the premise that he must have actual evidence.

“What are you planning to do?” he asked his son. “Likale is now his reservation, and everyone from the governor to the damned gangsters below is his man!”

"How did you find out where the wine was made, and how did you acquire the winery?"

Mr. Porter seemed to have a complete plan in mind. He smiled dismissively, "It's simple, it starts with me being the one who wants to buy wine!"

As long as Lance continues to sell alcohol, he will never refuse anyone who comes to buy it.

Moreover, his business grew larger and larger without any major mishaps, which made him careless.

Once you know the specific location for brewing, and then grab someone to go first, there will always be people who are afraid of death, and there will always be people who are willing to say anything to avoid suffering.

President Porter considered for a moment, “You can give it a try, but be careful not to get involved in the operation yourself. Lance is not someone to be trifled with.”

“I don’t like him, that’s true, but I also have to admit that he’s the biggest bootlegging dealer in the Federation right now. The fact that he’s managed to do this on such a scale without any problems isn’t just because the Socialist Party is taking care of him.”

Mr. Porter nodded. "I'll be careful."

Mr. Porter nodded slightly. "Then we need to discuss whether this incident will trigger a new wave of mass incidents involving the working class across the country."

"I've only been in office for six months, and I don't want my first year in office to be filled with such a huge surprise!"

He even swore at this point!
Of course, people also need to understand him, after all... it's a terrible thing, and for a president, it's almost like a scandal, both being signs of incompetence!
At this moment, in the eye of the storm, Lance could not feel its ferocity, after all, the eye of the storm is always calm.

After that speech, the number of registered members at the Workers' Home increased dramatically. Most of the construction workers' union members switched over, as well as some workers from other unions.

Workers, you know!
For those at the very bottom of society, what they do is not important; what matters is what they gain from their work.

As long as it provides them with income and a stable life, and requires them to wield hammers on construction sites, they can be construction workers.

If they are required to hammer nails hard on an assembly line, then they are assembly line workers.

There will undoubtedly be many construction-related job opportunities here in the coming period, so it's always good to register in advance.

As they had learned, they received a complete set of work safety equipment after paying just one yuan, which astonished everyone!
Keep in mind that one dollar here might only buy two pairs of work gloves, a pair of work shoes, a pair of pants, or a piece of clothing.

At the Workers' Home, a full set of work safety supplies can be obtained for just one yuan. They also promise that any work safety supplies damaged under normal use can be exchanged for a new one.

What is there to complain about?

For these low-level workers who are very sensitive to money and cheap deals, this is a way to get a bargain.

Even if the workers' home doesn't assign them work after they pay one yuan, they won't lose money just by receiving these labor protection supplies.

This has led more working-class people to actively join the Workers' Home and become registered members.

As more and more workers join, the balance of labor relations in South Yaan State is gradually being disrupted.

"These people are a fucking bunch of useless trash!" The members of the local conglomerate gathered together again.

They originally intended to fund the construction workers' union and unite their own industries to "hunt" Lance's plan, but no one expected that the plan would end before it even truly began.

They deeply resented their incompetent teammates, and now they found themselves in an awkward situation.

They were stuck in a limbo, and they had also heard that construction materials from Likale State were being continuously shipped from the port to outside the city. Clearly, Lance knew something this time and was planning to break away from them and go it alone.

"What do we do now?" Unbeknownst to the CEO, he was asking a question that many people were asking at that very moment.

How to do?
just now!

(End of this chapter)