Shadow Empire

Chapter 974 Hypertension

Vargas, who had been slammed against the wall, coughed violently twice. He looked up at the butler and suddenly realized that what had happened was not as terrifying as he had imagined.

“I am a Federal citizen.”

The butler paused, wondering if he'd misheard, then sneered, "Your joke isn't funny." He looked at the man pressing his forearm against Vargas's neck, "Give him a lesson."

The guy, who looked like a thug, immediately took Vargas off the wall and punched him twice in the stomach.

Each punch was delivered with full force, causing Vargas to clutch his stomach and bend over, retching.

Although he wasn't terrified, the pain and discomfort were real.

Before he could react further, he was grabbed by the hair and forced to lift his head again, and dragged in front of the butler.

The butler looked down at him, staring directly into his eyes. "I'll ask you one more time: who did you sell the mine to?"

They actually knew the answer.

Federalist.

Only the Federalists dare to so brazenly trample on the rules they set in this country.

But as long as the answer hasn't been officially announced, it means they still have at least a tiny chance... no, it should be a tiny probability that Lance didn't do this.

Vargas took a deep breath. He didn't answer the question immediately, but said, "I am a Commonwealth citizen now. I have naturalized. You are harming a Commonwealth citizen!"

His gaze also became sharp and hard, not because of his own abilities, or whether he could beat anyone or anyone else.

But the moment he said "I am a Federation citizen", he felt an indescribable magical power pour into his body from the void, and he felt better than ever before!

He broke free from the thugs' control and straightened up, though his lower abdomen was still in excruciating pain, a spasmodic pain.

However, he forced himself to stand up straight and ran his hand through his hair. "My passport is in the bedside table in the room. There are many people who know I am a federal citizen, and there are also many people who know you are causing me trouble."

"If a Commoner died here, at the hands of people like you, do you think something would happen?"

His tone was filled with a resolute determination, which made the butler glance at him sideways.

The butler glanced at one of the thugs, who quickly entered the bedroom, found the briefcase in the bedside table, and handed it to the butler.

The butler opened the document bag, and the first thing he saw was an immigration visa with Vargas's photo on it. The immigration date was earlier this year.

He flipped through the pages again, and found federal checkbooks and some documents that were useful in the federal government.

“Looks like they gave you a lot of money.” The butler handed the briefcase to one of the thugs beside him, glancing at Vargas. “Take him back.”

Vargas panicked slightly, "Lance already knows you're here to see me!"

The butler immediately raised his hand to stop the thugs from dragging Vargas. He glanced at Vargas again to make sure he didn't see any guilt or evasion in the other man's eyes before turning and walking into the inner room.

He then made a phone call to President Diego. “We’ve been able to meet with him. It’s highly likely that Lance bought these mines, and Vargas has become a federal citizen. He has his immigrant visa with him, and he also said that Lance knows we’re here to see him.”

"Fuck!" The curse on the other end of the line made the butler understand President Diego's feelings at that moment. "Should I take him back, or..."

After about twenty or thirty seconds, Diego said on the phone, "Bring this bastard back."

The housekeeper hung up the phone and returned to the outer room. "Take him away."

Vargas did not resist.

He soon met Diego. It didn't take long to get from the Grand Hotel to the Presidential Palace. Although the city had stabilized, there were still relatively few pedestrians and vehicles on the road.

People are afraid, afraid of being suddenly hurt by others. People have become somewhat crazy these days. You never know when someone might jump out and stab you for a few dollars.

The motorcade quickly returned to the presidential palace, and Vargas was shoved into the president's office.

He almost fell to the ground due to losing his balance, but fortunately he managed to regain his footing and slowly stood up.

Diego pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit down."

The butler walked over to Diego and handed him Vargas's ID bag. Diego opened it, glanced at it, and then tossed it onto the table.

"You fucking used my money to get federal citizenship for yourself and your family?"

"You think just because you're a member of the Federation, I won't dare kill you?"

The more fierce and terrifying his words were, the calmer Vargas became. He looked at Diego and said, "I know you dare to do this, but my identity is very sensitive right now. I am a member of the Federation."

"They've been looking for a damn opportunity, and if I die, do you think it might be this opportunity?"

This remark further enraged Diego, who stared at Vargas, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

Being glared at by a tyrant like Diego was indeed a very stressful thing, and Vargas could only grit his teeth and bear it.

They all knew Diego very well; he was like a hyena.

If you don't show signs of fatigue, he'll just keep yelling.

But once you show signs of fatigue, he will start attacking.

So even though he's a little scared now, he still has to pretend that he's calm, composed, and not afraid at all.

The two stared at each other for more than ten seconds. Diego took a deep breath to calm himself down.

He asked, "You're still my cousin, Baal, we're related by blood, why did you betray me?"

Diego's sudden change of wording made Vargas a little embarrassed, because it was true.

He was Diego's cousin, a distant relative of the Lavila family, and Diego chose him because he was "distant" enough.

When they turn against each other, no one will say he disregards family ties, and at the same time, there is a faint blood bond connecting them, making him a very suitable candidate.

Many of Diego's businesses are run by these kinds of people, distant cousins, who are really no different from strangers.

But in truth, this blood relationship does exist.

However, the awkwardness only lasted a moment before Vargas said in a very firm tone, "Who doesn't want a good life?"

"And Diego, you're too... brutal!"

“Gomez did nothing to wrong you, but you not only fired him, you also want to get rid of him.”

"It's him today, but what about tomorrow?"

"Over the years, how many loyal people have you killed?"

Upon hearing the name "Gomez," Diego's anger flared even more. "What do you know?"

“Gomez has been in contact with the Federation; he betrayed us long ago!”

“I would even say that he brought these Federation people here!”

Vargas didn't speak; he simply remained silent, and one reason was enough to ease his embarrassment.

Moreover, he wasn't exactly lying. Over the years, Diego had killed many of his close associates due to "suspicion," which is why people were very wary of him and called him a tyrant.

Once he has suspicions about someone, he will be completely suspicious and then find an opportunity to eliminate that person; he has almost no other choice.

Vargas had previously preferred to live a life of ease and idleness on a meager salary, and even dared not go to the mine, for fear that Diego might suddenly think he was disobedient and then get rid of him and replace him with someone more obedient.

Diego knew it was wrong, but he couldn't control himself. He couldn't help but kill those he suspected who couldn't prove their innocence.

This is the absolute corruption that comes with absolute power!
Let alone challenging him, in his mind anyone who might make him uncomfortable will become his enemy and then be killed by him.

It's nothing short of a miracle that such a character could persist until now before a large-scale uprising occurred.

Diego took two more deep breaths, glossing over the topic that made him uncomfortable. "These mines were bought by Lance, weren't they?"

Vargas did not deny it. He had already contacted Lance, and Lance did not need him to hide anything from him, so he admitted, "Yes."

"Lance!"

"It's Lance again!"

Diego used the table for support to stand up from his chair.

He pushed back his chair and swayed back and forth a few steps, muttering, "That damn guy!"

“Always causing me trouble, fuck!” he said, then turned to Vargas, his eyes filled with a strong desire to kill.

Vargas had no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it. After a moment of staring at the child, Diego exhaled and said, "Get him out of here!"

Upon hearing this, Vargas breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He stood up, bowed slightly, said nothing, and turned to leave the office.

Diego sat there for a while before picking up the phone and dialing Lance's number; he needed to talk to Lance.

The phone rang more than ten times before it was answered.

"Excuse me, I had some personal matters to attend to. This is Lance."

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Diego's expression grew even colder. "You swindled me out of most of the minerals, Lance."

After listening, Lance laughed through the receiver. "Your Excellency, isn't the word 'liar' a bit too harsh?"

“I have all the transaction documents here, as well as witnesses. All the transactions were conducted voluntarily by both parties, so how can you say it’s fraud?”

Diego's voice was deep, tinged with anger, "But those mines are mine!"

"Everyone here knows, everyone knows!"

“Those things are my property; I'm just registering them under some people's names, fuck!”

This involves some internal affairs of the Lavila family, and it's also for his own face.

This was indeed a good solution before the arrival of the Commonwealth, as he was always able to control these mines and ensure that the profits generated belonged to him rather than his family.

But after the Federation arrived, he ignored these factors, which led to the current situation.

Even if he hadn't overlooked it, he would have found it hard to imagine that the Federation people would be so... despicable?
The only word he could think of was "despicable".

They used various means to constantly force the entire Lapa to evolve according to their design plan, resulting in famine, internal strife, and civil war. Now, a portion of his property has been confiscated.

Thinking of this, he wished he could fight these Federation people to the death!

After about ten seconds, Lance's slow, deliberate voice came through the receiver, tinged with nonchalance, "How can you prove it?"

"Your name isn't on the property ownership documents."

Diego seemed to have thought of something, and his speech suddenly quickened, carrying a longing that anyone could sense: "Your name isn't on there now."

Lance didn't care at all. "I have all the paperwork, Your Excellency. As a legitimate businessman, this is a legitimate investment, and these things are now my private property."

"You may not understand the concept of private property. In fact, it is written into the federal constitution and is something sacred and inviolable that needs to be respected and protected by the federal government."

"I'm saying all this just to tell you that you can't prove these things are yours, but I do."

"If you don't reason with me, I won't reason with you either."

"Whether we act as civilized people or as barbarians is entirely up to you, Mr. President... Your Excellency."

Diego's face had turned quite red, and his whole body was trembling slightly. If a federal doctor were here to measure his blood pressure, he would find that it had "exploded."

“No matter how much you paid to buy these mines, I’ll pay double.”

"Give them back to me."

Diego stated what he considered a very reasonable idea: "In just a few months, your investment has doubled; you've succeeded!"

Lance didn't answer whether he agreed or not; all he heard through the receiver was a contemptuous laugh.

Diego, panting heavily, said, "You're pushing me!"

Lance responded, "In your eyes, I'm just a mob boss, a nobody pushed to the forefront by some bigwigs in Congress."

“And you, Diego, are the president of this country, the ruler of twelve million people.”

"Are you willing to?"

That was a very insightful question; it left Diego speechless and speechless.

Would you trade your precious life for Lance's worthless one?
He really couldn't bear to part with it.

About seven or eight seconds later, Lance's tone changed, becoming much lighter, "Instead of focusing on what's going on with these minerals, you should be more concerned about the developments in the civil war."

“I heard… some of their anti-government forces have united and plan to overthrow you first, and then they will compete internally to see who is the savior.”

You're in big trouble!

"If you need money, or want to buy any Federal products, or even want to go into exile to the Federal, you can come to me. No matter what it is, I can get it done for you!"

"I have other things to do, I'll hang up now."

Then the receiver went silent. Diego felt a burning sensation in his nose, reached out and touched it, holding it to his eyes—it was blood.

The next second, everything went black before his eyes, and he collapsed onto the table, unconscious.

When blood pressure rises, the body's self-protective mechanism kicks in.

The news of Diego's coma was not leaked out; at the time, only Diego and the butler were in the office.

The butler then brought in the private doctor who had been serving the Lavila family. After conducting numerous tests, the doctor discovered that Diego's blood pressure was too high.

The main treatments for hypertension during this period were sympathectomy and bloodletting.

Of these two treatment options, bloodletting therapy is clearly more widely used and has existed for a longer period of time.

Aside from having some slight negative effects on the body, it will not cause any serious harm.

Therefore, the doctor chose to bleed the patient.

After administering approximately 500 milliliters of the medicine, he gave Diego some more medication from the Federation. About thirty minutes later, Diego awoke from his coma.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at the butler. "What's wrong with me?"

The butler truthfully recounted some of the doctor's findings, leaving Diego somewhat taken aback. "I'm sick?"

Why can't I feel it?

The doctor didn't know how to explain this. "High blood pressure is a condition that is difficult to detect. It is only discovered when it occurs, just like now."

"However, you need not worry too much, Your Excellency."

"Bloodletting therapy has a very direct effect on high blood pressure. I suggest that you have some bloodletting every once in a while to keep your blood pressure normal."

Diego was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll think about it some more."

After he dismissed the doctor, he looked at the butler and said, "Go and investigate this doctor. I have a feeling he's trying to harm me."

The butler was also taken aback. He didn't understand why Diego had become so sensitive, but he still nodded and agreed.

Lying in bed, Diego felt much better. He looked at the ceiling and sighed heavily. "Perhaps I'm very confused right now. I can't see the future at all."

“Did I do something wrong?” He turned back to the butler. “They always say I’m a tyrant, a dictator.”

Am I really like what they say?

"Was it wrong of them to betray me?"

The butler felt a slight chill run down his spine. He bent over and lowered his head. "No, you haven't done anything wrong."

"These are just excuses they're making for their betrayal!"

Diego looked at him, but because the butler had his head down, he couldn't see the butler's eyes. However, the butler could feel the burning gaze sweeping over him.

After a while, Diego exclaimed, "If only everyone were as loyal as you!"

Once these minerals fall into Lance's hands, they are very difficult to get back.

After losing consciousness, he calmed down considerably and became clearly aware of this.

And right now, the most crucial thing is, as Lance said, to deal with the anti-government forces first, and then consider other things.

(End of this chapter)