Shadow Empire

Chapter 838: Forming my own gang and voluntarily recommending William

Before the Prohibition, Gold Label was one of the largest taxpayers in the state of Indore, and they also had a certain influence in the gubernatorial election.

Since this matter may be related to the gubernatorial election, they must also join in the game.

This is how capital works. They bet heavily on politicians they like, and as long as they win, they can get back their money with some profit.

If you lose... you will have to bear serious consequences and be at a disadvantage in the competition.

This is why federal consortiums are keen on manipulating elections, because they want to win too much and don’t want to lose too much!

This time, they will still participate in the election, but compared to before, they have less choice.

Whether they like it or not, they have to stand on the side of the lieutenant governor, they have no choice.

Mr. Richard quickly informed the board of directors of some of his ideas. This matter could not be handled by him alone, and it also required the resolution of the board of directors.

Because it involves large sums of money, supporting the lieutenant governor's campaign is not just lip service or organizing employees to do some activities, it requires something real - money.

Money is the panacea that can solve all problems.

Human problems, social problems, national problems, all problems!

There are some problems that cannot be solved with money. That’s just because there isn’t enough money, not because there isn’t enough money.

This was still a matter of course, and his trusted subordinates were not qualified to say anything. He just said cautiously, "If we make a decision, some of the company's strategies may have to be adjusted."

"Also, I'm a little worried. If we stand too far in front, will it attract the attention of the Lance family?"

"Lance is a crazy guy. He has been fighting with the surrounding gangs for the past two months and has seized the alcohol sales rights of a city."

“So from the intelligence I have on these matters, even if we stand on the side of the deputy governor, we may not be able to keep the existing market.”

“This is not just a matter of interference from the upper echelons, but also involves a power struggle at the bottom.”

Game is a very elegant term, to put it bluntly, it is a fight.

We will listen to whoever wins the fight. The winner is the one who decides the development of everything, not the loser.

This made everything more uncertain. Mr. Richard rubbed his temple and said, "I have a headache."

"Let's do this first. You keep an eye on us building our own gang. I understand now that it's better to rely on ourselves than on anyone else!"

"You need to pay more attention to this matter. If it really doesn't work..." He tilted his head to glance at his absolutely trusted subordinate. The moment their eyes met, the trusted subordinate felt an indescribable emotion in his heart.

I'm speechless, as if I've been screwed!

He saw from Mr. Richard's eyes that the other party wanted him to play this role, a gang leader, damn!
Fortunately, Mr. Richard shook his head soon after, and said that he could trust his trusted men to set up a gang, and he believed that he could do a good job.

But he is missing another hand on the company's side.

Generally speaking, it takes a long time for people like this who can be 100% trustworthy to cultivate an unbreakable relationship with each other, which takes a very long time.

He no longer has that much time to train another reliable person, but it would not take that much time to train a gang.

"Forget it, let's do this for now."

"Pay attention to the movements of the Lance family and their wine."

His trusted subordinate heaved a sigh of relief. Although the gangs were indeed very powerful during this period, he did not want this power.

As a middle-class man with access to upper society, he knew very well that true power always came from above, not from below.

These powers from below are always temporary and will only exist when the development of society requires it.

In other words, when social development no longer requires their existence, these gangs will be swept into the trash.

Even if Gold Label Wines supports him, he will most likely end up in jail for life.

After asking his men to continue working, Mr. Richard called his secretary and asked her to notify the board members to hold a board meeting as soon as possible to discuss these important issues.

A few days later, the middleman called Mr. Richard.

"Mr. Richard, I have investigated these days and it is very likely that this batch of wine was robbed by the Lance family."

"Someone witnessed two trucks that matched your description driving towards Likalai State. There were bullet holes on the trucks, so the probability that they were hijacked is very high."

"If you need, I can use some of my channels to find a way to follow up on this matter, but..."

"You know, it takes some risk."

To put it bluntly, it means additional costs.

Mr. Richard had actually expected this, and he was not surprised when he heard the result, but he just felt very unhappy!
It’s the Lance family again, and it’s Lance again!

From the very beginning, they have been using the influence of Gold Label Wines to make their own money, and now they are even robbing their goods. He really hates them to the core.

"Is this news reliable?" Although he already believed what the middleman said, he still asked.

A good superior always has to question some answers. This is a way to control his subordinates.

The middleman immediately responded, "I guarantee that this is the result of my investigation." He spoke sincerely and his tone was firm and resolute.

But in fact no one witnessed the process, and no one saw the two cars heading in the direction of Likalai State.

This batch of goods disappeared inexplicably in the wilderness, and no one knew where it went.

The middleman communicated with the client, who stated that they had paid a deposit and had not seen the wine, so it was naturally impossible for them to pay any balance, and they reserved the right to claim compensation from Gold Label Wine Industry.

If they don't find out where the wine went, the middleman will worry that Mr. Richard might shirk his responsibility.

This was something he didn't want to see, so he simply made up a fact and told Mr. Richard where the wine was going.

If he wants to get the goods back, he will do so.

If he is not willing to follow up on this batch of goods, then send another one.

In short, he has to send another batch of goods, because the customers don’t want a deposit, they just want wine!
Mr. Richard did not say anything else on the receiver, so the middleman could only take the initiative to say, "The customer also asked when the goods would be shipped to him."

Mr. Richard suddenly felt angry and said, "I have already sent out the goods I should send out. The rest has nothing to do with me!"

The middleman was stunned for a moment when he heard this, "Are you kidding me?"

"That batch of goods was robbed on the way. What does it have to do with the customer?"

"Mr. Richard, I respect you as a big shot, but what you are doing now is not big shot at all!"

Goods with a market price of over one million would cost two or three hundred thousand, or maybe a little more.

The brewing standards of Gold Label Wines are definitely higher than those of Lans, and their labor costs are also higher.

Unlike in Lans, where all the work is done by farmers on the farm, they do not need to be paid too much, and some of the farmers are similar to "contract laborers".

Their wages are very low, maybe only a dozen dollars a month, but Lawrence Farm will take care of their birth, old age, sickness and death, as well as their food, clothing and other expenses, including their children's schooling fees.

In addition, the crops on the farm are sent directly for winemaking, saving transportation and storage costs, so the cost on the Lans side is lower, while the brewing cost of Gold Label Winery produced in the city would be higher.

They have lost such a large sum of money for no reason, and the board of directors and the shareholders' meeting will definitely not support them in bearing the cost themselves, so they need to find someone to share the cost with them.

Mr. Richard's idea was to shout loudly and then see if both sides could admit half, so that the losses could be reduced.

But what he didn't expect was that the client was not unhappy yet, and the middleman started shouting first.

"Mr. Richard, this is impossible and it's not against the rules!"

"Your goods were lost because they were not transported to the designated location. This has nothing to do with them!"

Mr. Richard's tone was irritable, "Who said I sold the wine to them?"

"We sold the wine to you. Who you sold it to has nothing to do with us!"

The middleman didn't even know what to say for a moment.

After about seven or eight seconds, he said angrily, "Are you serious?"

"Okay, okay, if that's what you say, I'll return the deposit to them, and you don't need to look for me again in the future!"

"You are not the only one selling alcohol in Indeno State. In addition to those small-scale smuggling, there is also the Lance family selling alcohol. Even without you, we still have a place to make money!"

"Fuck, Richard, you're such a fucking asshole!"

The middleman hung up the phone. Mr. Richard was stunned for a moment, and then his face began to turn red!
How dare a lowly middleman threaten him?

Well, he succeeded. He took two deep breaths and called the middleman again. "What else do you want to say?"

Mr. Richard closed his eyes and calmed down his emotions. "I was just too impulsive just now..."

In fact, the middleman did not really intend to let those people buy the wine from the Lance family. At least the Lance family would not give him a commission, but this side would.

The middleman also calmed down. Fortunately, Mr. Richard needed him much more than he needed Mr. Richard.

Now that Mr. Richard handed him a ladder, he naturally had to climb down the ladder.

"I am also a little impulsive..."

"But there's no reason for us to make our customers pay for our problems."

"In this case, I don't want the commission for this transaction to show my sincerity."

Mr. Richard had a frosty face, but his tone was gentle, "No, it's not necessary."

"I've been in a lot of trouble lately and I haven't been able to control my emotions."

"You're right, this has nothing to do with you, and it has nothing to do with the client."

"I will arrange another shipment as soon as possible. Ask them to check it and it would be best if they could greet it."

After hanging up the phone, Mr. Richard cursed a few more times. Once their gang is established, he will definitely kill the middleman!
Throughout March, everything was peaceful. Except for some occasional fights in some cities in the eastern part of Inden State, the Federation was very quiet.

During this period, Lance did not go out, but stayed in Jingang City to handle company matters.

After Patricia spent a few days with Lance, she returned to the farm.

It was hard for her to leave little Ace, and little Victor.

It was a magical feeling, her younger brother and her son growing up together, she didn't know how to describe it.

But maternal love did not really make her treat little Victor as her own brother, but as another child.

During this period, William also went to Lake City and started to get involved in the work here. Lake City is not a city with a large population, and the former mayor has found it difficult to continue working recently due to health reasons.

The cold air and environment in winter aggravated his physical problems. As the mayor, it was impossible for him to stay at home all the time when the weather was cold. He always had to go to city hall to work.

It was during this time on the road that his physical condition became worse every day.

The state government has arranged a commissioner to investigate the situation on this side of the matter. If he is completely incapable of working, emergency measures will be initiated, which is to re-arrange the mayor.

The Federal Party is working hard to help William get this opportunity. If the mayor can survive until the second half of this year, they will follow the normal election process.

But if he doesn't make it, the state government will appoint an interim mayor to temporarily preside over the daily work of Lake City until the election.

If we can get such an opportunity, the citizens of Lake City will also be able to learn more about William's abilities.

If he could get the nomination of the current mayor and be nominated to temporarily manage the city, the state government would definitely give serious consideration to his opinion.

Everything is developing in the direction that everyone expects.

In late March and early April, the mayor of Lake City finally could no longer hold down the job.

In fact, he himself felt that he could still hold on, but the commissioner sent by the state government believed that his physical condition was no longer able to manage the city, so after discussion with the state government, the governor called the mayor of Lake City.

On the one hand, we need to calm him down and let him take good care of himself and recover.

On the other hand, they were also asking him if he had anyone who could temporarily take over his job and manage the city well.

If he has a candidate to recommend, the state government will refer to the candidate he recommends to see if he is suitable.

If there is nothing inappropriate, a new interim mayor will be appointed.

But if he doesn't have anyone to recommend, the state government will make its own arrangements. Even though there is only half a year, there are still many people willing to be the interim mayor.

This is not only a resume, but also an opportunity, an opportunity for all the citizens of Lake City to get to know them.

This is how elections work. People often don’t choose the most suitable person, but the one they know.

Although he was only mayor for half a year, it was enough time for the citizens to get to know this temporary guy.

As long as this person does not do anything stupid and does not do something that will obviously anger the citizens, then his chances of winning the election will be much higher than others.

The old mayor lay in bed, with many candidates flashing through his mind.

There were his own children, his...students, I should say, colleagues from the same party, and some people who contacted him on their own initiative.

Among these people was William.

He looked at the commissioner from the state government, and soon some ideas and answers came to his mind, "I..."

But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the commissioner.

The commissioner closed the door on his own initiative, then walked back to his bed and sat down. "Before you name the candidate, can you listen to my thoughts?"

The mayor nodded with a puzzled look on his face, "Of course."

The commissioner smiled and nodded to express his gratitude, then said, "I don't know who you are going to choose, maybe your child. I heard he is doing a good job."

"It could also be your student. He is currently doing a lot of work at the City Hall. It seems that he does have some insights and ideas about urban management."

"Maybe it's still those who contacted you."

"But no matter what choice you make, I have to remind you, you can also regard it as a kind suggestion."

"That is, you must be cautious!"

The commissioner obviously had something else in his words, but he didn't say it completely. Most of the time, the politics of the Federals are very clear, but sometimes they will express it in a tactful way.

Especially when they have dirty thoughts.

Like now.

The mayor could understand what he meant. "Mr. Commissioner, if you have anything to say, you might as well say it directly. I am old, and sometimes age prevents me from thinking clearly."

The commissioner smiled and said, "I'm just making a suggestion!"

"Now quite a few people have noticed the situation here, and they all want to compete for the mayor of Lake City."

"I know that your children and your students are actually more qualified to be the next mayor than them."

"But you should also know that in the Federation, whether or not one can become a mayor actually has little to do with one's ability."

"What matters is whether this person has supporters behind him, and whether those who support him are strong enough to protect him from the storm."

"It's easy to let your children or students go up, and the governor will respect your choice, but have you ever considered whether your children or students can withstand attacks from others?"

"You should understand the cruelty of political struggle even if I don't tell you. Do they have the courage and perseverance to stand?"

"Do you still have the ability to fight against these people?"

“I remain skeptical about this.”

"We hope that you can elect a stable mayor who is not afraid of competition, rather than a mayor who will have to step down due to some scandal not long after taking office."

"That's my little suggestion, you can recommend it now."

Once again, many candidates flashed through the mayor's mind, and he knew that the commissioner was right.

When no one is paying attention here, his children and students are definitely qualified enough.

But when people noticed this, his children and students, even if they became mayors, they would not be able to hold on to the position.

war of the Damned!
Of course he knew why such a change occurred, but he could do nothing about it.

The faces in his mind kept fading, and finally only the face of a "young man" who had visited him several times on his own initiative remained.

He took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, "I recommend...Mr. William Lawrence."

The commissioner smiled and asked, "Mr. Mayor, are you volunteering?"

"Did anyone coerce you to say this?"

The mayor rolled his eyes at him and said, "No, I volunteered."

(End of this chapter)