Shadow Empire

Chapter 990 News, Victory and Celebration
Unlike Ross, who was uneducated, Pedro was a high school teacher; he was educated and also imparted his knowledge to others.

This makes him somewhat different from Rose.

If Ross is like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment, then Pedro is like a calm lake with occasional ripples.

Rose's brilliance is evident even if he doesn't show it, because it's right there.

However, if Pedro doesn't actively display his brilliance, he will be somewhat deceptive; that's the power of knowledge.

He could still chat with Lance and deal with this guy, who was considered a "devil" by many, rationally and calmly.

Rose wasn't doing so well.

There was no tension in their conversation. In response to Lance's question, Pedro replied with a smile, "A lot has happened recently, in ways we couldn't even imagine."

Instead of immediately warning Lance about the possibility of assassination, he brought up the Treaty of Zoran.

“Mr. White, I don’t quite understand why you don’t just invade our country directly, or support some proxies, but instead use this method.”

"It looks like training gladiators dressed in different colored outfits, giving them weapons, and making them fight each other."

"But you are also in this arena. Aren't you afraid that the blades you gave to the gladiators will eventually be used against you?"

Many people may have this kind of confusion, but no one can answer their questions. However, for Pedro, someone can answer his questions—the person involved himself.

Lance chuckled twice. "You said it yourself, you use blades, while I use firearms, bullets, and more advanced defensive measures."

"I don't think I need to explain the questions you raised. We are on different sides. When you are in the dark looking at the light, you will find the sunlight too bright."

"But if you stand in the sunlight and look directly into the shadows, you will see darkness where even the light is swallowed up."

“We have different feelings when we look at problems from different perspectives. These may seem unreasonable to you, but to me, this may be the best choice.”

He paused for a moment, then said, "Among the more than twenty invited participants in our discussion, you are someone I am particularly interested in."

"You've proven to be doing a great job. If Diego is to be overthrown by anyone, I think it's very likely to be you!"

Pedro couldn't help but chuckle softly at Lance's compliments. "I'm truly flattered. Is this a compliment?"

“Of course!” Lance affirmed. “In my eyes, you are the most promising member of the rebel army to go all the way.”

Pedro and Lance had a very comfortable conversation. He was proud of himself, after all, he was a high school teacher and now the leader of a faction.

He doesn't usually like to grab others to explain the reasons, thought process, and possible final decisions he makes for everything he does.

He hid his excellence within his ordinary appearance, only able to appreciate himself in solitude.

But at this moment, he felt that Lance understood him, and this feeling was comforting and made him feel that he was not alone!

"All right!"

"I believe it!"

"But you can't say any more, or I'll get cocky and that could be the beginning of my downfall."

"I'm calling you this time because I... found out through some channels that some rebels are planning to assassinate you."

“They believe that colluding with Diego will gradually dismantle the country and then sell it to the federal government.”

"Given the issues surrounding the Treaty of Zoran, they intend to target you and eliminate you!"

Lance didn't seem particularly surprised after hearing this. Doing such a thing would definitely put him on the kill list of some "warriors." If he were afraid, he wouldn't have done these things.

He didn't seem to care much about that possibility; instead, he smiled and asked, "And what about you?"

"what are you thinking?"

A sigh came from the other end of the receiver, "You are more important than all of us, more important than the most important person in all of Lapa."

"So I'm passing this message on to you now: be wary of these assassinations."

Lance expressed his gratitude and then said, "Thank you for the news. I promise that this information will only be known to you and me."

Pedro then asked some questions about the government army's equipment replacement, and then quickly hung up the phone.

After all, Pedro is still a relatively well-known leader of the rebels. If people knew that he and Lance still had private contact, and that it was a peaceful one, many people would probably immediately distance themselves from him.

Lance is not a risk-taker, or rather, if the risk can be avoided, he will not take the initiative to do so.

During his time in Lapa, he gave no assassins any chance. No matter where he was, he rarely exposed himself, and even when he did, it was usually for a very short time.

Furthermore, Madol increased security measures, with dedicated personnel guarding the manor and some high points within the concession.

The police officers throughout the concession were almost all in place and began their work.

The federal government has sent some people to assist Lance in managing the concession. Congress still attaches great importance to the concession, but they have more important things to do now.

After spending a week in Lapa, Lance returned to the Union because the governor election had begun.

There is about a week between now and the 18th. Likale is not a "major voter state" and the number of legal voters in various regions of the state is not particularly large.

Likale State actually has a large population. For example, in Golden Harbor City, Mayor Williams conducted a simple survey a few months ago, and Golden Harbor City now has a population of about 2.7 million, not including some people who were not included in the statistics.

The official figure is around 2.8 to 2.9 million, and may even exceed 3 million.

Of all these people, there are probably less than 700,000 to 800,000 locals in Golden Harbor City. The rest are all outsiders. Of these outsiders, only a minority buy houses locally. They may not have paid taxes for a full year and may not have a stable job.

Therefore, voters are ultimately only a minority.

With fewer voters, the voting period is shorter.

In large states like Golden State, the gubernatorial election will begin around September 20th and continue until October 18th.

The results will be announced on the 21st or 22nd, followed by a holiday.

There's such a large population over there that they really need to allocate more time for these preparations.

Likale doesn't need that many polling stations, and therefore doesn't need such a long voting period.

With two or three days left before the seal was to be opened, Lance arrived in Mantegnon early and waited for the final result with Attorney General Terry.

During this period, he also spoke with some local capitalists or politicians, who were supportive of Terry's rise to power.

This is the advantage that federal officials who uphold justice, such as prosecutors and lawyers, have when running for office. People subconsciously believe that if these people win the election, they will bring their fair and impartial attitude to the government.

But people have misunderstood one thing: from the very beginning, there was no such thing as justice; everything was driven by self-interest.

He also prepared a grand party, and it is said that the venue for the party to celebrate his victory is almost finished, just waiting for the final announcement.

An outcome that everyone expected.

On October 18, voting ended, and ballot boxes from all over Licale were finally sealed and transported to Mantenong.

Under the joint supervision of both houses of the state legislature, the vote count for the Likale state gubernatorial election was completed.

Attorney General Terry won by a landslide and became the new governor of Likale! That evening, the girls in the pool, almost all topless, seemed oblivious to the fervent stares of others, stretching their bodies in the rain or in the pool.

In such a high-profile setting, these young and beautiful girls are not only unafraid of being the center of attention, but they are also afraid of not being noticed by the people here!
This was a high-profile social event, attended by social elites who had gathered for several days to celebrate the governor's election victory.

Therefore, those who come are either rich or noble.

If those girls could hook up with any one of them, it would be an opportunity for them to achieve upward social mobility!
Look at those young people laughing and jumping into the swimming pool!
They were often surrounded by two or three girls who were shirtless. They seemed to be very popular, and the girls couldn't help but stick close to them.

"That little bastard!" Mayor Williams couldn't help but curse.

He could have said even harsher things, but if he said too much, it would be like he was insulting himself.

Lance followed his gaze and saw Arthur chatting with two girls in the distance. He had one in his arms and the two young and beautiful girls took his hands and placed them on their chests, as if afraid that this young man would not take advantage of them.

Watching Arthur and the two...girls' behavior, Mayor Williams turned to James and said, "Get that bastard back here!"

He sighed and looked at Lance, "When I get back, I'll whip him until his arm breaks!"

That's so fucking embarrassing!

As Lance's partner and good friend, they were also invited to Governor Terry's victory party.

Mayor Williams' original intention was to broaden the horizons of his two children and expand their social circles.

He was fairly satisfied with James' performance, but his little rascal son was a complete oddball!
“Young people will always have ideas that are different from ours,” Lance comforted him.

Mayor Williams' expression turned strange at those words. "You're young too, but you've never been like this."

Lance was slightly taken aback, then laughed, "That's because you didn't see me when I did something stupid, and you don't know me, that's all!"

As they spoke, Arthur moved closer, looking somewhat uneasy. When he saw James approaching him, he suddenly realized that this wasn't a fun party hosted by him or his friends.

So he stood obediently and meekly in front of them, looking like he had realized his mistake and was timid, which made Mayor Williams want to be angry but couldn't.

He could only lower his voice, "You really should pay more attention to your personal image, Arthur."

"The girls here cost no more than fifty yuan. Dating them will only lower your social standing."

"I'll say something that might be a little harsh: these girls are no different from prostitutes, and even worse!"

"All a bitch wants is your money; money can satisfy all her desires."

"But these girls here want everything you have, and they'll find ways to make you pay an untold price for what you leave them!"

Arthur nodded obediently, repeatedly agreeing, indicating that he would definitely remember.

Mayor Williams is completely immune to his "I won't do it again" refrain. He's been saying it since he was a child, and now that he's in his twenties, he still does.

No one knows when "next time" will be.

As Mayor Williams was disciplining his child, someone called out Lance's name from afar and walked towards them.

It's William.

He waved to him, indicating that he had spotted him. Under the gaze of some people, William pushed through the crowd and walked over. "Mantegnon is as congested as ever. The mayor here should consider the city's planning issues."

Lake City isn't too far from Mantegnon; it takes about four or five hours by car. In fact, driving yourself is faster than taking the train. William drove himself there.

He first complained about the traffic in Mantegnon, and Lance smiled and hugged him, saying, "These days are the gubernatorial election days, and a lot of people from out of town have come to Mantegnon."

“Look, I, Mayor Williams, and you, have brought at least a dozen cars, and other people.”

William let go of him. "I just think some of the traffic is a bit bad; they could actually do a better job!"

Then he turned and shook hands with Mayor Williams, saying, "You look exactly the same as when I left, no change whatsoever."

This was a very subtle compliment, and Mayor Williams, of course, understood what he meant, and couldn't help but laugh, "You look even more dignified!"

"How's it going in Lake City?"

William is now the mayor of Lake City. He didn't let go of his hand; the two were still shaking hands. It wasn't appropriate to let go before the first greeting was finished, as it would seem "hasty."

"Not bad. The city is small and the population is not large, so it is not difficult to manage at all."

"It was a little challenging for me, but I think I did pretty well!"

Mayor Williams nodded and said, "I've heard about it, it's really good."

The initial pleasantries ended there, and the two released each other's hands. William looked at James and Arthur beside him and shook hands with them as well, but this time they didn't talk about anything.

Some members of the Lawrence family have now gone to Lake City to help William, which is one of the advantages of having a large family backing you.

As long as he has a need, his family can provide enough help to help him gain a foothold in Lake City.

For an ordinary person like Sidney (former mayor of Goldenport City), becoming mayor in the Federation is not necessarily a good thing.

When he came to Golden Harbor City to take office, he also brought some capitalists from his previous workplace, but after encountering some resistance, they all left, leaving only Sidney in Golden Harbor City.

Even when dealing with Lance and digging a hole for the Bay Area, he sought out gangsters instead of capitalists or politicians, which is where his "poverty" lies.

William wouldn't do that. The Lawrence family is now wealthy and powerful, and they have someone as famous as Lance. Even though there were some dissenting voices in Lake City at first, they have now been largely suppressed.

Their attention quickly returned to social events, with almost all the mayors of Likale State in attendance.

Some who were tied up with other matters and couldn't come sent their deputy mayors, or even their confidants or relatives, to attend the party.

So they can meet a lot of people here, which is one of the reasons why everyone is here today. There are enough politicians of the same level. That is a resource, an important resource!

They were having a social gathering when Governor Terry came out of the house, and his appearance immediately drew everyone's attention.

And there are even people who specifically praise him—

"Let us give a warm round of applause to Mr. Terry Elliott, the new governor of Licale!"

The gathered crowd immediately cheered, and the girls jumped around as if they were really happy!
Mayor Williams slapped Arthur across the face, and then he went back to watching the girls jumping around.

Arthur smiled awkwardly, then turned his gaze to Governor Terry, who was walking out of the room.

Governor Terry is no longer the Attorney General; the new Attorney General is right beside him, and was his former deputy in the Attorney General's office.

As an important judicial organ, the prosecutor's office must be kept in its own hands, and he never considered letting others control it.

Governor Terry had invited the former governor over, but the former governor declined the invitation, reportedly packing his things at home in preparation for leaving.

The former governor was not young, in his sixties, and it would be difficult for him to become a senator, nor was he qualified to run for president, so he chose to retire directly.

After he had completely handed over his work, he returned to his hometown.

He is now considered to have no desires or wants, so he directly declined.

To say that this made Governor Terry somewhat unhappy is true; such an important day would feel incomplete without a "bridging" process.

But what can he do if the other party is unwilling to come?
(End of this chapter)