Shadow Empire

Chapter 1258 Extension
When the police appeared in the private room and saw the unrecognizable gang leader, everyone knew that the city, which had just begun to stabilize, was about to descend into chaos again.

However, this also benefits the police, because the "gangster era" is becoming a thing of the past, and the federal government is pushing for this more strongly than ever before.

Some say that this shows President Porter is a man of his word, and he is fulfilling the promises he made to his voters to address gang harassment of the public.

However, some people believe that this is a way for him to evade responsibility, since of all the promises he made to the public, cracking down on gangs is the easiest to fulfill.

But regardless, this is a change, a change of the times. The power of law enforcement agencies is being strengthened, and the police will play a more important role in the city, rather than just playing a supporting role!
The deputy sheriff, who arrived at the scene, casually picked up the Golden Lion liquor bottle that had fallen onto the table. He carefully brought the bottle to his nose, shook it, smelled it, and then put the bottle back on the table.

“It’s water.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “I heard they also found a large amount of bottled water in the warehouse over there.”

"Without a doubt, this is a case of double-crossing."

"And the group that killed them was very likely... from the Lance family."

As police officers, a profession that exists in a semi-legal context in this era, they possess a profound and keen understanding of the underworld and its changes.

They knew exactly where Golden Lion Liquor came from, and they also knew that the gang leader had recently been in contact with the Lance family, supposedly to become a liquor distributor and monopolize the liquor market in this area and several nearby cities.

Because he had made connections with powerful figures, the police, even after learning about these things, did not take any further action, since he also had powerful backers.

Unexpectedly, he was finished off so quickly. This reveals something that makes them think.

His assistant asked softly, "Then this case..."

The deputy sheriff watched as two officers put the gang leader's body into a body bag to be transported away. He didn't answer his assistant's question, but instead called out, "Wait a moment," and then walked to the body bag and took the gang leader's arm out of it.

He lifted the gang leader's wrist, glanced at the gold badge on his wrist, and then took it off.

He even wiped the blood-stained mirror on the gang leader's jacket, then on the gold chain, and even on the money in his wallet.

The officers in the room just watched as he stuffed all the valuables from the gang leader into his own pockets.

There was no look of disbelief in their eyes, only a faint sense of frustration, because they had lost out.

In fact, all the items on the bodies of these deceased people are completely removed in the morgue.

According to the police's procedures and rules, this part will be given to the deceased's family, but that's just the procedure.

The process is just a question type, like the "Don't pee in the pool" sign next to a swimming pool; it only serves as a reminder.

If someone is willing to heed this warning, they will most likely promise not to do these things again, but in reality, many people urinate in swimming pools, and this is not an isolated case.

Therefore, the coroners would put the valuables from the morgue into their own pockets, and if the family members asked, they would say that these things were not found at the scene.

After all, their families had no evidence to prove that their loved ones were on them during the time between their deaths and when the police arrived at the scene and discovered the bodies.

There was no way to accuse the police officers of embezzling money belonging to the deceased's relatives.

Instead of giving these things to the criminals' families and encouraging them to enjoy the spoils of crime, it's better to put them in the pockets of the city's security guards, which at least makes them more attentive to their work.

"Let's go." He gestured to the two officers to carry the body out. As soon as the two officers carried the body out of the room, they pulled off the gang leader's leather shoes and belt.

These two items are worth about a hundred yuan.

The deputy sheriff, of course, knew what those men were capable of, but he wasn't interested in it. "What do you want me to do?"

"Investigate who killed them, then apply to the chief or mayor to form an investigation team with you at the core to investigate the Lance family case in Licarle State?"

His assistant was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Wang Defa?"

"I didn't fucking say that!"

The deputy sheriff glanced around the room and saw that there was nothing else of value left. He rolled his eyes at his assistant. "But what you just said sounds like you're going to do that."

He paused, then said, "Alright, this has nothing to do with us. It was a gang fight, and some people died."

“We don’t have any leads. Let whoever wants to investigate can investigate. I’m not getting involved in this. I have a wife and kids, and I just bought a car…”

He patted his pockets to make the contents fit better, then walked out of the room. His assistant watched his superior's retreating figure, shrugged, and decided not to say anything more.

A gang fight broke out, and there were no clues. The perpetrators must be from out of town.

The police department released the news that morning and announced that it would set up an investigation team consisting of three retired police officers who were only six months away from retirement, to investigate the case, which was considered an explanation to the taxpayers.

As for the Lance family, which they know very well?

who cares?
The news of the gang leader's death was delivered to Lance in the morning. Lance didn't really care about these trivial matters, but he still had to arrange for someone to do it.

It's like a cycle; he went from being a challenger to authority to eventually becoming a defender of authority. Everything, including life and history, is a cycle.

The scenes of the past, now transformed, are being replayed in this moment!
The new town outside Scheer has officially broken ground and has been under construction for some time.

Driven by the money, countless workers gathered here, covering the entire hillside. They worked with miraculous speed to transform the barren ground into a flat and compacted surface, making full preparations for subsequent hardening.

This is not an industrial miracle, it is a miracle of "humanity"!

As for the union, it has become relatively quiet in Sher. Under the combined pressure from multiple sides, the union has fully realized that the opponent they are facing this time is completely different from those before.

Wealthier, more connected, but also more dangerous.

Wanli Group is like a super war fortress speeding along an endless highway; the only consequence of trying to stop it is being crushed!
As for the trust crisis that erupted between unions and the working class in other places due to mutual distrust, Lance didn't care much, as long as it didn't affect him.

In this massive "crisis of trust," many problems with the unions began to be exposed, leading to angry demonstrations and even strikes by workers.

Capitalists are probably the unluckiest group in this strike. They were just watching the workers and unions make a scene, but unexpectedly, the knife fell on them instead.

However, many capitalists still support the strike, because it is the first attack launched by capitalists, including federal political parties, against the unions, the troublemakers.

Moreover, this attack was fatal. For the past twenty years, the unions have always fought against them with the slogan "Everything is for the benefit of the working class." Both capitalists and the federal government have been tormented by them!
They have been looking for ways to fight back and prevent unions from gaining a clear detached position in labor relations.

Now is a good time.

Various scandals involving unions have been frequently exposed, and mainstream media are also "reflecting" on these issues. The federal government has always adopted a relatively "lenient" management approach towards unions. They form their own unions, set their own industry standards for workers, and promote these standards to become benchmarks in federal judicial interpretations.

There is no special agency to supervise union crimes and corruption. In many cases, when something happens, they conduct their own internal investigations. Shouldn't we put a collar on unions as well?

In a well-known political newspaper, an editor depicted the labor unions in cartoon form, portraying them as a pack of vicious dogs, while the federal government appeared as a human holding a spiked collar and a whip.

These issues have sparked heated discussions in society because they genuinely harm the interests of workers. As Lance said, the union could directly distribute the subsidies given by capitalists to the workers in cash.

Alternatively, this money could be turned into meat patties and distributed to each worker daily.

But meat patties and money meant completely different things to the workers!

The workers preferred cash, even just three dollars, but the union preferred meat pies because they could keep some for themselves.

Senator Cleveland also called Lance to discuss the matter.

“Recently, Congress has been planning to introduce some new bills to address this issue, and we have been discussing it intensely.”

“You know, the union has always been a part that is beyond our control, and the working class is very sensitive. Any action that is even slightly significant will be interpreted by the union as an attack on the entire working class.”

“We have always wanted to get involved in the management of the trade union, but we never had the opportunity. This incident has given us such an opportunity.”

"As a congressional advisor, you could write a report outlining your thoughts; perhaps we can use it in Congress!"

Senator Cleveland was unsure whether Lance could produce a report that Congress could use, but it was an opportunity for Lance to make an appearance in Congress and increase his visibility.

This can be seen as laying the groundwork and making some preparations for the future. He doesn't really think that Lance could one day become the president or senator of the Federation, that's too incredible, but that doesn't stop him from trying to add some important bargaining chips to Lance's exoneration.

In case... one day he needs these things, then he won't need to rush to prepare them, which will save a lot of time.

Opportunity often favors the prepared mind!

Lance knew this was important, and he thanked Senator Cleveland for the reminder, saying, "I will handle this seriously."

"I might go to New Gold City next month, and we can meet and talk then, if there's still time."

Senator Cleveland seemed somewhat surprised to hear this. "Have you taken care of things over there?"

The "things over there" he was referring to was the situation in Nanya'an Prefecture. Lance hummed in agreement. "There are still some minor issues, but they're not serious problems. However, it will take some time."

"Bruni from the Ministry of Defense invited me over; he has a promotion ceremony next month where he will be promoted to lieutenant general."

Senator Cleveland immediately understood. "I know you two are good friends. He invited you?"

“I heard that Porter will be personally awarding these generals their ranks that day. Does that mean you’ll see him there?”

"I can already imagine how interesting his expression must be!"

The Potter family has suffered several losses at Lance's hands, including this one.

Although Lance didn't use Senator Cleveland's information regarding the attack on the farm, Senator Cleveland knew all the details, including that all two hundred NSA trainee agents and several officers remained there.

What's even more interesting is that the Ministry of Defense's statement directly labeled these people as "robbers," and the Likale state government followed suit by conveying the same message.

They wiped out a group of bandits, completely annihilated them, and even fabricated some ambiguous arrest warrants to deepen public trust in their narrative.

This is a heavy blow to the Porter family's prestige within the National Security Agency. Although the agency was founded by the Porter family, it will ultimately not become their private property.

After the general election and President Porter becomes the "former president," the director of this department will most likely be replaced.

Therefore, the people here are not as "loyal" to the Porter family; this is a federal government department, not the Porter family's corporate division.

Even if it was proposed and established by the Potter family.

Once the Potter family loses its "halo," it becomes exceptionally easy to place people inside.

Since the topic had come up, Senator Cleveland couldn't help but delve deeper, "Their actions shouldn't have any impact on your business, right?"

More than 100 million euros flow to the Socialist Party every year, making Lance one of the party's biggest financial backers. If something goes wrong with this money, many of the Socialist Party's political activities and underhanded dealings will be affected.

People often say that money is nothing in the face of power, but in reality, even in the face of power, money holds a transcendent position.

Senator Cleveland has a lot of power, but without money, it's not easy for him to do anything, not to mention that the Socialist Party isn't doing well right now, and many "opportunists" have cashed out.

These people believe that with the Liberal Party reaping the benefits of the war, it is almost impossible for President Porter to make a mistake in winning the midterm election.

He has no reason to fail. People's incomes are rising, his promise to crack down on gangs and maintain social order is progressing, and people are looking forward to him continuing to fulfill his other promises after taking office.

Since you know that the next seven years still belong to the Liberal Party, why continue to invest in the Socialist Party?
These speculators will then channel their money into the Liberal Party, making a fortune during the years the Liberals are in power.

The federal government is a society that values ​​credit, which is evident in the federal government itself. Once they receive money, regardless of who pays them, they will definitely do things for them. There has almost never been a case of taking money and not doing anything.

Because governing and elections are not one-time events. If you take the money and do nothing this time, how can those people be expected to give you money again next time?

For capitalists seeking returns, there is no need to invest in a losing party. Although this may seem mercenary, the federal government is essentially a mercenary society.

That's why Lance's money is so important.

“There’s no problem. Once things stabilize in South Yaan and our business in Indenau is fully operational, starting next year, I will be able to manage at least 200 million euros into the Socialist Party’s account every year.”

Senator Cleveland's heart seemed to skip a beat when he heard the number. He took a deep breath. "You mean... two hundred million, or more?"

Lance confirmed the figure again, "This money won't put too much pressure on me right now. The Socialist Party is having a tough time right now, and you know my cooperation with the Socialist Party is much closer than with the Liberal Party!"

“I would prefer that we become closer partners rather than a different person.”

"Of course, this money isn't entirely without conditions. You know that my money mainly comes from alcohol. Alcohol has high profit margins and a broad market. I need you to firmly hold onto your positions as executive members of the Prohibition Committee."

"On the one hand, the ban on alcohol continues. Only by continuing the ban, or even increasing the intensity of the ban, can my wine achieve better sales and more profits."

"On the other hand, if the Prohibition Committee is caught by the Liberal Party, they are very likely to use this to impact my market. Once my profits decline, let alone more than 200 million a year, it will be difficult to even maintain the status quo."

From the second half of this year to the first half of next year, there will be a gradual adjustment of the appointments of executive members and committee members of various federal congressional committees.

Some senators have already left, so who will take their place?
With the change of the ruling party, the change of Senate seats, and the appointment of executive members of some important committees, will there also be a transfer?

After listening, Senator Cleveland considered it for a moment and said, "Don't worry, there won't be any problems."

Lance chuckled twice. "I was just mentioning it. It's not a big deal if it's really lost. After all, no matter how good the committee's ideas are, it's the people below who are actually implementing them, isn't that right?"

Senator Cleveland couldn't help but laugh. "You don't need to provoke me. If it really comes down to effort, it's not me who will be doing the work. Even if I have a big appetite, I can't swallow that much money."

“Those people never back down when they take money, so when they are needed now, they have to step up. We will have a party meeting in a couple of days, and I will bring this up at the meeting. Don’t worry.”

"We'll talk in detail after you come to Jinzhou!"

After exchanging a few more routine questions, the call ended, and Senator Cleveland sat in his chair looking at the phone for a long time.

If Lance continues to increase his annual political donations, then his Socialist Party can do even more!

Money has boundless power.

The poor will make insincere cries for a one-dollar food stamp, and as long as there are enough people making such cries, some people will spontaneously become one of them.

The contest of political power is never a simple matter of addition and subtraction; it involves many complex calculations, all of which are related to money.

An interesting thing happened recently: a parish patriarch was unable to attend church activities due to illness, but he recorded a video and played it in the church.

This thing, which seems a little... hard to put, has gone viral, and many people actually want to buy videotapes with the patriarch reading scripture, believing that these videotapes are full of divine power!
Many pastors and senior church officials are now filming themselves and selling the videos to believers.

He even heard that the church was negotiating the establishment of a "God TV station" to specifically promote church-related content and make it easier for believers to learn about changes in the church more quickly and effectively.

Some people call this "electronic missionary work," while ordinary people just find it amusing and think that churches are also keeping up with the times.

But for people like Senator Cleveland, what they see is a new media channel, distinct from newspapers and magazines, that is moving from the fringe to the mainstream.

Televisions have been around for three or four years now. Before that, due to their limited availability, they were a novelty toy for the middle class, mainly used for playing videotapes.

However, as television networks began to be built and put into use in various places, television stations also emerged one after another. Most importantly, the price of television has dropped to a level that ordinary people can afford with a little effort. Television is replacing traditional print media.

Some major print media outlets are also discussing this issue, feeling a huge threat from the widespread adoption of television, which has forced some news corporations to seek investment in television as well.

This means new tracks, and more money!

Newspapers are very cheap to produce; a sheet of paper and some ink are all it takes. But televisions are very expensive.

The construction and use of television networks, the production of television programs, the wear and tear of various machines, and personnel costs all require money.

Moreover, buying TV time also costs money.

Society as a whole is moving towards a more fully commercialized society at a speed that is hard to imagine, and political parties will become more dependent on funding than ever before.

People always say that the economy is an extension of politics, but in reality, the economy is the foundation of politics. Without the economy, there is no politics!
(End of this chapter)