Shadow Empire

Chapter 970 Standard Answer
Fernandez was working on his task when he suddenly stopped and rubbed his wrist.

Writing is a very uncomfortable task; it requires a lot of coordination between the wrist and fingers.

A survey conducted by an organization found that one reason why some students are unwilling to study hard is that they are unwilling to write for extended periods of time.

They dislike writing, so they prefer not to study properly to cope with this aversion.

Sometimes they are not very smart; they don't realize what they are giving up.

Sometimes they are very clever because they know how to end it all.

Fernandez has been writing for many years, but even now, he still feels uncomfortable from writing for long periods of time.

He sat there, frowning, and for no apparent reason, he suddenly found himself unable to concentrate on his work. He stared at the documents and notebooks on his desk, his mind going blank for a moment.

He seemed to be thinking, but there was nothing in his mind; his work simply stopped naturally.

For some reason, he had a feeling that something was going on, but he didn't know what had happened. He was confused and felt a sense of unease.

He rubbed his wrists, took a few deep breaths, and forced himself to get back into his work.

The Rapa government has many problems to deal with, and he has selected some of the more important ones to address.

After discussing with the president, he believed that it was necessary to help Diego stabilize his regime, as this would be in the best interests of the Asian Union and the Czech Republic.

Just as he was getting back to work and getting back into the swing of things, the phone on his desk suddenly started ringing!
The sudden sound made him jump, and he accidentally drew a deep line on the document with his pen.

If you press down hard on the pen nib, the nib will separate under the force, and more ink will flow out.

"Shit!" He quickly picked up his pen and looked at the ink stain on the document, which was about two centimeters long and looked like an earthworm. He quickly picked up absorbent paper and carefully absorbed the ink.

After he finished dealing with all that, he looked at the phone, which was still ringing incessantly.

He shook his head as he answered the phone, "This is the Presidential Office."

"Mr. Fernandez?" The voice coming from the receiver was very unfamiliar. Fernandez thought hard for a moment, and he really hadn't heard the voice before.

This piqued his curiosity; the person who could call him here and pronounce his name so clearly must be no ordinary person.

What does this person want to do?
"It's me. I don't know who you are."

“We should actually be quite familiar with each other, because, barring any unforeseen circumstances, a significant portion of your recent work has revolved around me, Mr. Fernandez.”

The words coming through the receiver made Fernandez's expression turn serious; he already knew who was on the other end.

"Mr. White?"

"Yes, it's me."

This simple admission made Fernandez lean back in his chair. He glanced at the receiver in his hand with some suspicion, then put it to his ear. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

His tone was calm, without incorporating any emotional changes into it.

Lance laughed heartily twice. "Do you have time?"

"I want to talk to you, face to face."

Fernandez frowned. "I'm sorry, Mr. White, I've been very busy lately and may not be able to find the time to meet with you."

"If there's anything you'd like to say to me, we can talk about it on the phone."

Fernandez is well aware that he is now a "dangerous man" in Lapa, in every sense of the word.

He was a dangerous figure to those anti-government armed forces, and also a dangerous figure to himself, someone who was prone to danger.

There is no doubt that someone wants to kill him, including the anti-government armed forces and this group from the Federation.

He didn't know why Lance wanted to meet him. Through some intelligence analysis, he concluded that Lance was very likely the mastermind behind the entire situation in Lapa.

He didn't know whether the bigwigs in the federal government and Congress were just bold, or whether Lance actually had some ability to let such a person control a plan that would affect the future of eleven countries.

Of course, he wouldn't blindly assume that Lance was definitely not capable; he certainly still had the ability.

The more capable a person is, the more they understand how important their influence is on what is happening here, so they won't go out casually.

Once he dies, the situation in Lapa will quickly deteriorate, and it won't last long under Diego's control.

He politely declined Lance's offer, partly because he didn't want Lance to do anything extreme.

As long as they maintain basic decorum and don't resort to excessive or reckless tactics, Fernandez believes he can completely contend with Lance and the federal government.

His hand gripped the receiver tightly until Lance's voice came through, "Is that so?"

"That's a pity!"

“Mr. Fernandez, what I want to talk about is not convenient to discuss over the phone. You know, sometimes our eye contact, body language, and even other aids to communication can play a significant role.”

"Without these, it will be difficult to achieve the outcome we all want."

"But it's okay, I believe there will be opportunities in the future, and you will have time."

He chuckled twice as he spoke, and Fernandez, who heard Lance's laughter, felt uneasy. He didn't know why he had such a thought.

"Okay, call me when you have time to meet and talk."

"Write down my phone number..."

Lance then handed his phone to Fernandez, saying, "I look forward to your arrival, Mr. Fernandez."

Lance hung up the phone as he spoke; Fernandez's family had been taken into custody.

It must be said that when the federal government, the military, and the Department of Defense also start doing these despicable things, they are certainly more professional and less likely to be discovered than Lance's subordinates.

They directly controlled the pipeline company, meaning that unless they personally witnessed the crime scene, no matter how much they investigated, they wouldn't find anything wrong.

Every plumber's identity is "real"; they are all registered on the company's staff list, and they will give a truthful answer to anyone who calls them.

So when they towed away the "exhaust boiler" containing three people in a truck, the villa area's security guards inspected the truck, found nothing wrong, and let it go.

As for the four maids?

Sorry, they weren't very lucky, and they were also used as "props" to warn Fernandez's wife and children.

Nothing is more terrifying and shocking than the sudden death of someone close to you in front of you for some reason!
The fragility of life was vividly displayed at this moment.

They all behaved themselves.

Once these people are smuggled out, it becomes much easier to send them to other places. The Federation is also infiltrating the Republic of Chide, and many people here have already established contact with the Federation.

Especially some gangs.

Not everyone believed that they could lead the Asian Alliance to successfully resist the Federation and become heroes. They had already witnessed the power of the Federation, which is why they were even more convinced that it was meaningless to follow the path of the high-ranking officials of the Geed.

The person has been sent to the Federation. As for what to do next, that's up to Lance's decision.

Lance didn't bother him any further; he also had a lot of work to do.

As some construction sites began hiring people who had registered their identity information first, many people are now starting to voluntarily register their personal information.

Registering for this thing and getting a small card makes it easier for them to get work on Federal construction sites or in factories.

Here we have to mention a little guy named Juan. He was lucky; his registration number was "10," and Lance had asked about it a few days ago.

It wasn't that he specifically asked Juan, but rather that he intended to continue promoting the establishment of some role models.

With role models, people know where to go.

It's like having a lighthouse in the darkest night, so people won't lose their way.

Juan got a better and easier job, and his income increased. Most importantly, having registered his identity information, he could redeem more things through something called "work points".

Even tickets to the Federation, or opportunities to study or further one's education there! This certainly caused a stir in the slums of Lapa, and a new round of "massive demolitions" began.

Lance plans to demolish part of the slums and rebuild some buildings. The land utilization rate in these slums is too low, and it is not a smart choice for the Lapa government to allow them to build houses at will.

The right choice is to provide them with better living conditions, and while they are burdened with loans, give them a job that exposes them to extreme exploitation and oppression.

To live, one must breathe.

They can also work desperately just to survive.

The cheaper labor is, the fuller the capitalists' pockets become!

There were too many things that required his attention and decision-making. As for the concerns of others about whether anti-government armed forces would destroy these newly built buildings if they attacked Zhuolan, he didn't care much.

If they are indeed destroyed, it means he will receive compensation several times or even dozens of times the production cost.

About three or four days later, Fernandez's parents wanted to see their children and called Fernandez's wife.

They do not live together because Fernandez's schedule is very irregular, and the elderly people's rest is easily disturbed, so they do not live in the same villa.

When they want to see the children, they call Fernandez's wife and bring over some of the children's favorite things.

Homemade pastries and candies, or toys shipped from the Federation.

From an adult's perspective, these toys are actually quite childish—prefabricated models made of wood or other materials, similar to steel structures, allow children to build a house with roads for toy cars to run down.

These things can keep children focused for an hour or two, which is why the Commonwealth has the world's highest toy spending power.

There's nothing more effective than silencing that damn brat for an hour or two with a toy!
No one answered the first time they called. Although the elderly couple found it a little strange, they didn't think too much about it.

Who could have imagined that a perfectly happy family would suddenly disappear?

They assumed that Fernandez's wife had taken the children out to play, and since Fernandez was not in Geed, she might have taken the maids with her.

This way, the maids can take care of the child while also helping her carry things or taking good care of her.

Then, around 6 p.m., the elderly couple called the villa again, but no one answered.

They then sensed something was wrong and urgently notified the community service company of the villa area, asking them to investigate.

The community service company staff went to check it out. The doors and windows of the house were intact. Some guards looked inside through the windows but didn't see anything unusual. Everything was very tidy. The only thing that was wrong was that there was no one there.

The elderly couple then called Fernandez's wife's parents, suspecting that she might have taken the children back to her parents' home. However, the news they received was also unsettling; they had not seen Fernandez's wife or children either.

The situation began to escalate, and they contacted more relatives, but ultimately none of them could find the woman and her two children.

In the end, they chose to call the police.

Because the matter involved "the president's close friend," the presidential palace also got involved. They went directly to Fernandez's villa and, after a thorough inspection, finally found the bodies of four maids in the compost bins of the greenhouse.

They have become part of the fertilizer!

This matter quickly alarmed the president and made him feel that it was a difficult situation.

He sat in the chair, leaning to one side, his right elbow supporting the armrest, while his palm rested on his forehead. This posture was very unsightly, and his butler reminded him twice to be mindful of his appearance, but he didn't move an inch.

It's terrible, it's a real hassle.

“I don’t know how to tell him,” the president said, rubbing his cheek. “He’s helping a fool fight the Commonwealth in Lapa for the sake of this country and us.”

"But I lost his family."

"Have you found out what happened to those two cars?" he asked.

The community services company provided some information, which included two vehicles and their license plates.

The butler nodded slightly. "Someone has already reported that they found the company, but the boss knows nothing about it."

"His company recently received some investment, and then some people joined during the expansion process."

The president sighed softly, "I guess those investors are nowhere to be found either."

“I’m afraid so, Mr. President,” the butler said with a slight bow. “Those investors left behind false information. They’re demanding that the company expand and hire more people.”

"The people they later hired were very likely involved in the kidnapping."

The president had many speculations and scenarios in his mind, but they all ultimately pointed to the federalists.

It's highly likely that it was done by the Federation. These Federation people have absolutely no bottom line!
He never imagined that such a powerful country could produce politicians who would do such a thing; he found it unbelievable!

But this did actually happen, and it must be related to the Federalists.

They just didn't have any evidence.

Without evidence, their suspicions cannot be proven, and the Federalists will absolutely not admit it.

He told the butler to leave first, and when he was alone in the room, he picked up the phone with a bitter face and dialed Fernandez's number.

The call was quickly connected; Fernandez now practically lives in the presidential palace.

Diego found him a three-section room, with his office in the middle and his lounge at the back. He now works and rests in the presidential palace all day.

So he can answer the phone immediately when it rings.

"This is the Presidential Office, I am Fernandez."

The president's voice came through the receiver very quickly, "Fair, there's something I don't know how to tell you."

Fernandez paused for a moment. He had initially thought the president was joking, so he went along with it, not expecting anything to happen. "Hopefully it's nothing bad!"

This statement almost made the president unable to say what he wanted to say. During his silence, Fernandez keenly sensed the abnormal "atmosphere".

"What happened?" His tone became anxious. "Was it my parents in an accident, or my wife, or my child?"

He's very nervous now.

That's the downside of smart people—they're too quick to guess the truth!

Although he had already guessed it, he still didn't believe it was true; he hoped it was just a joke the president was playing on him.

"I'm sorry, Phil."

"Your father called your wife, wanting to see the children, but no one answered."

"We searched for two days and finally found your four maids in your greenhouse. They had already been turned into fertilizer."

"Your wife and children are missing, but we believe there is a high probability they are still alive."

"I suspect their motive for doing this is you!"

Fernandez sat there, his eyes becoming somewhat vacant.

He then closed his eyes, cursed a few times, and asked, "Any other clues?"

"When did this happen?"

Based on what the gatekeeper at the villa complex said, the president deduced the possible timeframe for this incident.

“We are looking for other leads, and I have already called in several ‘detectives’ to assist with the investigation.”

"The time must have been a few days ago..."

When he heard the date, the memory of Lance calling him that day, wanting to talk to him, suddenly came to mind.

"He's in Lance's hands!" he said with absolute certainty!

(End of this chapter)