Shadow Empire

Chapter 1253 Purpose
Before the gang leader arrived at the office, the contact had already thoroughly investigated his activities the previous day, including his trip to the bar, giving a stripper two dollars (total), and then returning to the hotel with two young and beautiful girls.

From the perspective of the Lance family, or now Lawrence Farm, there is nothing in Licarle that can pose a challenge to them.

Whether they come from the underworld or the surface world, the necessary procedures still need to be followed to ensure that these people are free of problems.

After all, trouble is trouble. If being cautious can avoid trouble, then everyone should be cautious.

In the village, several people were watching him, along with those around him, to make sure they weren't there to cause trouble.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, the gang leader arrived at the office, and the contact immediately invited him to sit down.

Ten million worth of liquor can bring the Lance family at least two million in net profit. Moreover, this ten million worth of liquor will not take too long to sell; it can be sold out in two or three months. If nothing unexpected happens, they will have to buy another batch of liquor at the end of the year, which will bring in four million in profit.

Lance still supports expanding into new markets, as the rules of the underworld are different from those of the surface world.

Although capital is ruthless, it still abides by some obvious social rules and tries its best not to overstep them, otherwise it may provoke group attacks.

However, the underworld doesn't have these rules. The strong prevail over the weak. Just like the gang council, the five major families decide the distribution of business and the division of large territories each year. Not everyone obeys them; it's purely because people fear their powerful strength.

If we can capture the market from the neighboring state, it will be a good thing for everyone in the family.

"Please have a seat. I've already contacted the company, and they're very interested in your idea."

"Choosing us as a partner will make you realize it's the best decision you've ever made!"

The contact person even praised him, saying, "Alright, there are still some details to discuss."

The gang leader nodded, appearing completely cooperative. "No problem, I'll cooperate fully whenever needed. This is a good thing for both of us; you can make money, and so can we!"

"However, I have a question. You should have already verified my payment ability and identity, so can I verify yours?"

The contact frowned upon hearing this. "Are you doubting me, or are you doubting the Lance family?"

The gang leader was not uneasy by the slight threat in his words. Instead, he maintained a smile and said, "I have shown you my ability to pay. I believe you have also investigated my identity during this time. I am very interested in doing this business. Someone introduced me here to you."

“However, sir, everything I see now comes from what you showed me.”

“You have an office here and a respectable identity, but how can I be sure that if I pay you this money, it will ultimately end up in the Lance family’s pocket, instead of you leaving with it?”

"This is a deal worth tens of millions. Even God would probably be tempted by so much money!"

"I've shown you everything I can make you believe, so can you also show me what I can completely trust you about?"

Upon hearing this, the contact's slightly displeased expression disappeared. He even nodded and said, "It's a very reasonable request. It was my oversight. You're not a local, so you might not know me very well."

"But it's okay, I'll give you what you want to see."

He paused for a moment, then said, "So, brother, how do you want me to demonstrate that I'm someone you can trust?"

The gang leader wasn't in a hurry at all; he even had the leisure to light a cigarette. "Shouldn't you have offered it to me voluntarily?"

After considering for a moment, the contact said, "To be honest, I'm a little unsure what to do."

“Everyone here believes I can do this. You can pick up anyone off the street and ask them if I’m trustworthy in this matter.”

The gang leader shook his head and said, "That's ten million, sir. I need stronger evidence."

The contact then presented some other evidence to prove his trustworthiness, but none of it was accepted.

This left the contact somewhat helpless. "So what should I do to get you to trust me and close this deal?"

The gang leader looked at him for a moment, then asked, "May I meet with Mr. Lance, or speak with him?"

This remark made the contact person burst into laughter. He was stunned for a moment, then laughed so hard he almost fell over, even clutching his stomach and struggling to breathe.

The gang leader looked completely bewildered. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go. He looked at his contact, somewhat confused, and asked, "Is this funny?"

These words were like pouring gasoline into a raging fire, making it burn even more fiercely. The contact laughed so hard he could barely stand up straight, leaning on the table for support.

After a while, the laughter subsided, and a slight expression of pain appeared on his face.

Laughter is also a burden; many muscles twitch as if in spasm. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, but couldn't help laughing twice when he looked at the gang leader. Then the pain forced him to stop.

"I'm sorry... but I just couldn't help it."

"I'm not mocking you or anything, I just find it funny."

Do you know how busy Mr. Lance is?

"Moreover, ten million may seem like a lot to you and me, but for Mr. Lance, he wouldn't make a special trip to see you or chat with you just for ten million."

"It's like... I want to buy a house, but to make sure that after I pay the money, the house really belongs to me, so I have the real estate company contact the president, have the president meet with me, and personally tell me what rights I have!"

"Do you... think this is possible?"

The gang leader's expression was a bit strange, not unpleasant or anything. He nodded. "I admit you have a point. So, who in the Lance family is in charge of this business now?"

This wasn't exactly a secret. The contact hesitated for a moment before telling him, "Mr. Ennio, he's now in full charge of the sales and expansion of the beverages."

The gang leader smiled slightly. "Then could you arrange for me to meet with Mr. Ennio?"

The same request, this time much easier, but still unlikely. The contact shook his head. "He's very busy too, and he lives far away. I can have him call you, and you can talk on the phone." The gang leader disagreed. "I can also have someone call you right now and say he's the President of the United States. Would you believe it?"

The contact person frowned again. "Are you really here to do business?"

The gang leader pushed the file folder containing the promissory note over, saying, "You can take the money first."

This is a bit tricky. The contact scratched his head. "Mr. Ennio is busy these days."

Enio is currently dealing with some follow-up issues in Indenho. Although Lance has basically taken over the entire state's market, the sales plan still needs to be customized.

Some politicians and social elites have also joined this feast of dividing up wealth, requiring a separate marketing plan for them and a proper allocation of the benefits that each class can obtain from it.

Adding to some other matters, Eninho won't be back for a while.

The two men stared at each other for a while before the gang leader posed a hypothetical question: "Could I personally oversee the loading of those goods from the factory onto the trucks and then drive them back to my place?"

"Only by checking the factory or warehouse can I confirm that I am cooperating with the Lance family."

To be honest, this request was a bit excessive, but considering it was a big deal, the contact person considered it for a moment and then said, "I need to make a call to confirm."

The gang leader nodded. "That's only right. I'm a little hungry, so I'll go get something to eat and come back in a bit."

After he left, the contact called Enio and recounted what had happened, saying, "He wants to see the Boss or you; he has absolutely no trust in me."

He said this with a hint of frustration, "I never expected that people would think of me like that!"

Ennio, however, was quite philosophical about it. "In some ways, his request isn't really a problem. After all, it's ten million. I'm not saying you would do that, but from his perspective, he needs to consider his own money."

“I can’t come back right now, and Lance probably won’t meet with him alone about this. Didn’t he say he wanted to go to the farm?”

"I'll ask Lance's opinion and then I'll call you."

After hanging up the phone, Enio told Lance about it, "That's roughly what happened. What do you think?"

After hearing his retelling, Lance did not answer the question directly, but instead threw it back at him, "Tell me your thoughts first."

"my thoughts?"

“My idea is that we can try to promote this business. The market in the next state is also huge, with a market of at least seven or eight hundred million every year. If we can take it over, our revenue will see a new surge.”

“Their local alcohol market is quite chaotic, with no dominant brands or distributors; everyone is fighting their own battles, which greatly helps us penetrate the market.”

"If this agent can develop the market, we can promote him as a role model, so that more people will contact us to discuss agency issues. We don't need to spend our own money; these agents can expand the market for us."

"Their profits can be transformed into their strength, eliminating competitors while also helping us capture the majority of the market share. Overall, I think this is a good attempt."

Ennio's current business acumen has unknowingly begun to inherit the knowledge his father learned from various success theories, which shows that his father is quite capable in teaching by example.

Although he himself did not achieve the federal dream through sales or anything like that, it influenced some of Enio's ways of thinking.

His way of thinking leans more towards a federal approach, using other people's money to expand his market, appropriately reducing profits, and increasing total revenue through higher sales volume.

Lance's current focus is not entirely on expanding the beverage market, and he is quite at ease entrusting Ennio with the responsibility. Although Ennio is not a professional salesperson, he can at least trust him.

Those professional managers could do a better job, but Lance doesn't trust these slaves to money.

They might be able to sell Lance for a better price in the blink of an eye, which is perhaps why criminal organizations would rather use a trustworthy but not intelligent person than an unreliable but intelligent one.

After all, their business is illegal!

Lance considered for a moment, "Since you've done a background check and there are no problems, then go with your plan. But be careful about the methods and watch this person's behavior. If anything unexpected happens, take him out."

Enio agreed, but he was also a little worried. "Won't it cause trouble if the farm is exposed?"

Lance countered, "What trouble could there be?"

“We are a federal defense provider, and these are all military supplies. Even if the president came, he wouldn’t be able to find any problems.”

"Don't worry about that, and there are Lawrence family cowboys at the farm, so don't worry."

The brewery in Lance has a license issued by the Ministry of Defense, which allows the wine produced here to not be bottled directly in glass.

They were all stored in oak barrels and labeled "Supply to the Military," so his production of these liquors was legal.

As for why the drinks end up in bars and on some people's tables?

That's another issue. There might be huge loopholes in the winery's management, with problems occurring during transportation, such as workers taking away the liquor for private sale.

Federal laws can be very strict at times, blocking all avenues for retreat, but at other times they can be exceptionally humane, leaving plenty of options.

In a sense, Lance was also a victim. If someone had reported him, he would have definitely investigated those drink thieves, who had caused him "immediate and severe damage."

However, Lance also added, "Although we have the ability to withstand risks, we still need to pay attention to safety in areas where it is necessary."

After hanging up the phone, Lance called old man Herbert again and briefly explained the situation: "Just let them take a look from a distance, don't let them get too close. Also, take them to the old site, not the new winery."

The supply of alcohol is increasing every day, and Lance has had a new, larger, and more secluded brewery opened on the farm.

(End of this chapter)