Shadow Empire

Chapter 877: Long-term considerations and new appointments

The Gold Label factory was burned down in a fire, which caused big news in Inderno and the Ministry of Defense also knew about it.

It’s not that Gold Label Wine Industry is an industry of the Ministry of National Defense, but they also undertake part of the production and transportation of “military supplies”.

Obviously, they can no longer continue to produce these military supplies, so their orders can only be temporarily transferred to others, such as the current major manufacturer Lance.

Because the masters won't wait for him to rebuild the factory and then continue to share the profits from his defense sales. The masters are not willing to wait a minute.

On the fifth day after the fire, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Gold Label Wines could not complete the Ministry of National Defense's order, so they called Lance.

Lance did not refuse to undertake the defense order from Gold Label Wines.

Even though the profit is small, it is still profit, isn't it?
Erwin did a very good job on these things, and Lance trusted him so much that he didn't ask any more questions.

He was chatting with Roger.

The size of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce has expanded a bit, especially this time they sold some in-demand medicines and made a lot of money.

The official selling price of medicines worth more than one million yuan is now about three million yuan, especially those special anti-inflammatory drugs and special painkillers, which are in great demand on the battlefield. No matter how much, there are people who can take them.

This is just the price on the surface. The prices of these two special medicines on the black market will be even higher!

A special medicine that cost more than three yuan can be sold for twenty yuan. The war has brought about many changes. While ordinary people are feeling these changes, some people are already counting money.

"...More than half of this batch of goods has been shipped out."

Roger was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He had been an ordinary person all his life, but he didn't expect that when he was old, he would become a capitalist.

Perhaps this is what people call the "federal dream", but he feels that using the federal dream to describe everything he has now is not quite accurate.

It might be more accurate to use "Lance Dream", because without Lance, he would not have everything he has now.

"We have established relationships with some international brokers. If there are any scarce materials in the future, we can sell them directly to them at a very reasonable price."

"They wanted to invite us over as guests, but I declined."

Lance nodded as he listened, "You can handle these things on your own. Your life experience and knowledge are enough for me to trust you."

"You just have to remember not to take risks, whether it's business or social."

"For those who invite you, you should send some of your men to go, and observe them after they come back. Do not let them take important positions."

Roger nodded and agreed, he knew what Lance meant.

There are many kinds of brokers. Some help capital find power, while others help power find capital. This is the most common type.

But beyond these, there are many more brokers active in this world.

Some of them can help people buy human beings, some can help people get various rare animals, and some know big thieves and bandits in the underground world and can get any jewelry the client wants.

Of course, some people can also obtain various scarce materials and exchange what they have with others.

You need money or benefits that can be exchanged.

Lance allowed Roger to have limited contact with them, but not too deep.

These people will do anything for money, including corrupting others, which is precisely why these brokers have a place on the international stage.

They can see into people's desires and exploit them.

People like Roger are just ordinary people. They may not be able to withstand the corruption of these brokers. Lance doesn't want this old guy to end up in his hands.

After discussing this matter, Lance asked curiously, "I haven't heard about your family situation. Do they have any complaints about me forcing you to work so hard?"

Roger laughed out loud, "Of course not!"

“They feel like my light bulb has finally been lit up in my old age!”

"Lance, not only me, but my family, children, and everyone else in the Chamber of Commerce sincerely thank you and everything you have done for us!"

"In fact, I have wanted to invite you to my house for a meal for a long time, but I always felt that it might be a bit too presumptuous..."

Lance shook his head and said, "Of course not, we are friends, and there is no such thing as being presumptuous or not between friends."

He glanced at the desk calendar. "Perhaps your wife would be willing to come into the kitchen for me tonight?"

Roger was overjoyed!
The family dinner meant a lot to the people of the Federation, whether they were the inviters or the invitees, as long as they knew that Lance had gone to his house for dinner, with no one else but him and Roger's family.

Then the way people look at Roger in the future will be a little different from what it is now.

The fact that Lance could come to his house for dinner meant that he was also Lance's "confidant".

This is not just a simple family dinner, it is a shining ladder leading to a higher class!

"I'll call her now, and notify the children to come back..."

Roger went to the lounge next door, where there was a telephone, instead of using the one on Lance's desk.

After about two or three minutes, Roger returned with a happy face. He sat back down opposite Lance and said, "She's going to bring out her best dish. You may have tasted those ingredients, but you've never tasted those flavors!"

"I'm looking forward to it!" Lance confirmed, then changed the subject, "Have you watched the news recently?"

Roger carefully recalled the recent news and said cautiously, "I have seen it."

Lance raised his hand to calm him down, "You're a little nervous." He opened the cigarette box and motioned for Roger to take one, and he took one himself.

After both of them lit the fire, Lance continued, "The Federation has some ideas about the Yalan region. There are abundant resources there, but the locals don't know how to use them efficiently."

"At the same time, its geographical environment is too important to the Federation!"

Roger nodded while smoking.

He also attended Lance's birthday party, after all, he was the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, so he and his family were lucky enough not to be frightened by the bombardment.

But this does not mean that they cannot feel that the Federation under bombardment is not as strong as they thought.

The shells will take people's lives, destroy buildings here, and make everything good turn bad.

Until this moment, he still remembered that he went to the dock, which was the area that was most frequently bombarded.

He saw bullet holes on the ground, flying bricks, and dark red blood all over the ground.

He watched as workers used tools and hammers to try to remove debris that had been embedded in the wall.

I also saw the dark red bloodstains on the wall.

Everything was like hell on earth, and he heard that a shell had exploded among the crowd.

Dozens of people fell to the ground in an instant.

Among the people in the circle where the shells landed, there was almost no intact person left. They were first cut into pieces by the shrapnel and then shattered by the blast. It was so tragic.

Until now, Rogerf dared not go to the port. He heard that many people had stepped on pieces of meat or something. This was definitely the most terrifying page in the history of Jingang City.

It is precisely because it has such a strong "lasting effect" that people keep discussing it, and then bring out "The Attack on Jingang" to support it.

Some people insist that if Yalan was in the hands of the Federation, perhaps all this could have been avoided.

Of course they also need an admiral who is willing to send the patrol boats out to work!
There is actually no hatred between the Federals and the Alans, but their position is very important and the Federals will not give it up.

“The federal government will take Yalan and make it part of the federation, and then it will probably expand to four or five states.”

"From the President's perspective, these things are easy to do!" He casually swiped his fingertips across the tabletop a few times, as if signing. "All he needs to do is write his name at the end of the document with a pen, and someone will take care of the rest for him."

"But this is not something that can be solved all at once; it requires a long process."

In fact, Roger still didn't understand what Lance was saying at this moment. He felt that Lance sometimes behaved like those famous politicians.

It seemed like he said something, but it also seemed like he said nothing, but this also made him more respectful and serious. "We need to go to Yalan to work for a while. The Imperial Chamber of Commerce, you, me, and you can recommend some people."

"Of course you don't have to go. You have the opportunity to choose."

This matter involves the competition among senators in Congress.

For the senators, it may just be a one-dollar bet on whose person can get the job done faster and better.

But for the people who are specifically responsible for these things, this may be a huge matter.

Lance takes it very seriously.

Senator Cleveland cannot be a senator all his life, but he, Lance White, has the opportunity to be Lance White all his life!
Roger now realized the reason why Lance asked him about his family and children. It was not to blackmail him, but to tell him in another way that this trip might be dangerous.

He frowned and puffed hard on his cigarette, and Lance didn't bother him.

He realized that he had finished his cigarette when he felt some pain in his fingers.

He quickly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and asked, "What's my job?"

"Will there be a situation where I need to rush forward with a weapon in hand?"

He laughed as he spoke, "I hope they don't feel it's an honor to beat an old man to death, and I'm not very good at it!"

Lance smiled and shook his head, "Why would you think that?"

"You are just representing the Imperial Chamber of Commerce, selling cheap and affordable federal products to Lapa, and providing some jobs for the locals."

“These are no different from what you do at home, and may even be easier.”

These things are not complicated, but Lance has his own things to do. He can't always take care of both private trade and some publicity work.

He needed someone he could trust to help him, and Roger was the person he chose.

Hearing that he didn't need to rush to the front and fight with others, Roger's interest was obviously high. "If that's the case, I can give it a try!"

"Then it's settled."

"I'll tell you what to do later..."

In the evening, after Lance finished his work, he went to Roger's residence with him.

In the past, Roger lived in an ordinary community in the Empire District. He bought a single-family house, but it was not a villa. The whole family lived together, which was a bit crowded.

But since he joined the Imperial Chamber of Commerce and worked with Lance, he has now moved into a big villa, and the children also have their own villa, which is right next to his.

All these changes came from Lance. He was sincerely and heartfeltly grateful to this young man.

Soon the convoy stopped outside Roger's villa, and his wife and children were already waiting to greet them at the door.

When Lance got out of the car, Roger's family immediately came to greet him.

They don't have the moral obsession of those psychopaths, and don't think that Lance is evil or bad just because he is a gangster.

Everyone was very welcoming, including Roger's children.

"Okay, let's go in!"

"I hope I didn't disturb anyone!"

Lance's motorcade was still very recognizable in Jingang City. Some people nearby left their villas and looked over here. They might just be pretending to pass by, or have other things to do, but in the final analysis, they wanted to see Lance.

Roger smiled and asked his family members to make way and escort Lance into his villa. He could already imagine that many people in the community would contact him tomorrow and ask why Lance came to his house, and at this special time of dinner.

Walking towards the yard, Lance could see that Roger had indeed made a lot of money. A villa like this would cost at least 20,000 yuan.

Of course, it may only be 15,000 yuan now, because some locals moved away overnight due to the bombardment of Jingang City.

This also caused a sharp drop in housing prices in Jingang City, but not in the Bay Area.

The housing prices in the Bay Area are still so strong. For rich people, they will not sell their houses because they are not short of money.

What has really lost value is the Priscilla area where the middle class live. Many of them have moved to places farther from the coast, even to Valley City, or simply moved away.

However, not all real estate prices are plummeting. Because Xilin District is far away from the coastline, the housing prices in Xilin District have increased significantly.

In short, a villa that is now worth at least 13,000 or 14,000 yuan can still last a lifetime for many people.

Roger's wife prepared a very sumptuous dinner, and his children also joined in the fun, creating a very harmonious atmosphere at the table.

However, Roger did not mention at the dinner table that he was going on a long trip in the near future. He felt that this might make Lance feel that he was putting pressure on Lance.

So they didn't talk about anything at dinner.
He only talked about it with his family after Lance left.

“Is it dangerous?”, his wife was worried.

There are only two impressions of Yalan in the minds of federal people - a paradise for men, and full of danger!
Sex is a very cheap social resource. In the Federation, if you want to sleep with a girl, you must have at least some aspect that attracts her, including money.

You can be humorous, strong, rich, have a nice father, or be very big.

In short, you need to have an attractive strength.

But in Yalan, as long as you are a federal, you have countless sexual resources. Those girls who are as beautiful as models will crawl in front of you, of course with their butts facing you.

All they want is to leave Yalan. When you buy a boat ticket back, buy them one as well.

And the danger... is because of the rampant gangs and warlords in various countries in Asia, or the constant coups in some countries.

People who have never been to Yalan are filled with fear of the place.

Roger smiled and shook his head, "Lance's people will protect me, and Lance will go with me."

"Although we all think it's dangerous there, do you think he would go to such a dangerous place?"

"Don't worry about my safety. I was just thinking..." He looked at his children and said, "Maybe this is an opportunity."

"For one of you, it is."

Roger is quite old, and his children are also quite old, married, and have children of their own.

He wasn't sure if his relationship with Lance would be passed on to his children, and he'd been thinking about these issues lately.

One of his friends died of natural causes of old age. Of course, his death was very painful and not peaceful at all.

Attending his friend's funeral gave him some new feelings: their generation is dying!
One day, he will also die. Although he often avoids this issue, it is useless to avoid it.

He had to think about his own children and whether the relationship between him and Lance would continue to exist for his children.

Without Lance's support, it would be difficult for them to find a new way out in Jingang City, so at this moment, he hoped that a child would stand up and go to Yalan with him to work for Lance.

The two boys remained silent, and the only daughter didn't speak either. Neither of them wanted to go.

Roger was a little disappointed. "You can think about it carefully before I leave here."

"What others give you is always theirs. When they don't give it to you, you get nothing."

“Only what you own truly belongs to you. No matter what others decide, it cannot change the fact that you own it.”

The three children all nodded, but he couldn't make a decision for them as to whether they should listen or not.

On Monday of the second week of July, the Department of Defense appointed a new admiral as commander of the Golden Port Naval Base, transferring Admiral Miles but not telling him about his new position.

Lance, who saw the news, speculated that he might have reached some agreement with Congress.

Changing the naval commander made no difference to Jingang City.

(End of this chapter)