Empire of Shadows

Standing at the very front of the refugees, the middle-aged man's eyes didn't flicker with hatred or anger, nor were they dull.

He was standing in this position with a mission.

A few days ago, Hope had found him and talked to him about some things. Even at this moment, he still clearly remembered the shock that conversation had brought him!

"Do you think anyone really cares about our life and death, besides ourselves?" This was the first thing Mr. Hope said to him.

He was working for Mr. Hope, and as his reputation among the refugees grew, some Federation people also began to contact him.

Those Federation people who contacted him definitely wanted to get benefits from him, and this was a manifestation of the advanced nature of the Federation's capitalist society.

People who wanted to get more benefits from him would first offer bait, giving him some advantages, either in terms of money or other aspects.

In short, he became rich. While most other refugees were still racking their brains about how not to go hungry or freeze, he was already wearing thick cotton clothes and eating very well.

He hired some highly educated people to work for him, and this middle-aged man, a middle school teacher, was one of them.

He was a high school teacher with a certain cultural foundation, which made him stand out in this group, most of whom were illiterate.

That day, Mr. Hope had asked him that question: besides themselves, who really cared about their life and death.

This was indeed a question. He considered it for a long time and finally could only shake his head regretfully, "No one, sir."

"If we do nothing, many people will die again this winter because they don't have clothes to help them keep warm through the winter, because they don't have food in the hungry and cold nights."

"We must change the status quo!"

He said decisively, and the middle-aged teacher couldn't help but ask, "But the problem is, how do we change the status quo?"

"The Federation people have already expressed their 'benevolence' to us, some worthless food, some worthless clothes. Those aids can't even help one-tenth of the people here!"

Mr. Hope just listened to his complaints quietly. After he had complained for a while, Mr. Hope said, "Hoping that the Federation people can help you is not as good as hoping that God will appear!"

"My friend, haven't you seen through the nature of the Federation yet?"

"This is a primitive jungle, there are survival rules here, there is a special food chain here."

"If you don't want to become someone else's food, you have to make yourself look stronger and have more thorns on your body!"

"We need to make a strong voice so that the Federation people can't pretend to be deaf and blind and avoid our demands."

"Only in this way can we get a little bit of fair treatment from their hands!"

"Look, they treat the bottom layer of their own structure so badly, let alone us outsiders?"

During the conversation, other people came over and sat next to the middle-aged teacher, listening to Mr. Hope's words.

Mr. Hope actually didn't go to college. He didn't even finish high school. Among these people, his education level was not the highest, but rather one of the lowest.

But now so many highly educated people are surrounding him, listening to him speak. This is not because they admire low education.

It's because Mr. Hope has more, richer, and more real survival experience.

His followers looked at him, and he looked at these people, then clenched his fists, very hard, so hard that his hands were trembling slightly.

"We must fight, only fighting can make them face us squarely!"

"A cowardly race will never gain the respect of others. Would you admire a group of cowards and wretches?"

His eyes sparkled with a certain attractive brilliance, and the middle-aged professor nodded obediently.

When he used to teach at school, although he had been protecting those students who were harmed by small groups, he also looked down on those students in his heart.

Looking at this matter with the thinking of an adult, it is "Won't you resist?"

This is not a difficult thing. The degree of harm in student fights is often not very high. When someone tries to bully you, you just have to say no, and the worst possibility is to be beaten.

But if you say no, and even fight back while being beaten, the other party will feel that "you are a trouble", and the next time you choose a bullying target, you will be ranked last!

Until completely removed from their list.

Resistance is not an easy thing, but it is also an easy thing.

Because resistance does not require you to have any background, wealth, status, prestige, influence, or other social elements as a threshold or foundation for resistance.

You only need to muster up the courage, and you can do these!

And those weak people can't even control themselves, so how can they let the people who want to help him, help him get out of here?

He had met such a person. He offered to help the other party, but also needed the other party to give positive feedback. What made him feel incredible was that the person refused his kindness.

That guy would rather be bullied than resist to face the unknown.

Sometimes kneeling, kneeling, you get used to kneeling, and you can never straighten your back again!

These things that actually happened around him in the past were connected with what Mr. Hope said at this time, and suddenly gave him a feeling of penetrating the fog and discovering the truth!

It turns out that what we lack is just the courage to say "no"!

His eyes then became firm. He would not be like the student he knew who refused other people's help, continuing to face such an environment and life.

He would stand up, arm himself with courage, and fight for his legal rights for him and those behind him.

The middle-aged teacher may not have thought about what it would bring him if he could do these things.

Whether it is good, bad, disastrous, or absolutely positive, he doesn't know, he only knows that he should do this.

Because if he doesn't do it, no one else will!

People's eyes began to change from thinking to becoming firm.

Mr. Hope is indeed a mature and experienced proactive social activist. He knows very well how to instill his ideas and brainwash these people who have a bit of knowledge and culture, but upon closer inspection, not much.

His personal design is like this. His ideal and ambition is to help all the refugees in the Federation, from the current bad appearance to a good life and environment.

And his practices and publicity in terms of personal design are also conducive to attracting a group of people with the same ideas as him to join his team.

In other words, these people already had these tendencies before joining, and what he is doing now is just making the direction they were not so sure about become certain and intuitive.

"So, we must resist, we must fight!" He clenched his fists again and waved them, and the seemingly ordinary action gave people great power!

The middle-aged teacher and others were immediately filled with the ideal of changing the world and nodded in agreement.

Mr. Hope's tone then became low and deep, "Every resistance, every battle, and every victory they bring, is not obtained out of thin air."

"You know, the Federation in reality is completely two countries from the Federation we have heard about."

"Resisting and fighting here is even more impossible to be a peaceful discussion, it must be fierce and dangerous."

"Only fierce and dangerous can truly make people pay attention to us and listen to the voice we make."

"This is a sacred battle. People will bleed and people will be injured, but after it, people will respect us, listen to the voice we make, and talk to us equally!"

"Awakening!"

He stretched out a finger and pointed to the sky. Although they were in a room with a roof above them, the middle-aged teacher could feel that Mr. Hope was pointing to the sky!

"We need to shed blood, even sacrifice ourselves, to bring us victory."

He then revealed his plan, and everyone was so shocked that they couldn't speak, including the middle-aged teacher, who was speechless for a long time.

Because this action plan had considerable risks, it might lead to unpredictable consequences and dangers.

Someone raised an objection, "Will the federal police open fire?"

"Will innocent people die because of our decision?"

"We just want them to respect us, not for anyone to lose their life!"

Mr. Hope shook his head, "Based on the previous local riots, the probability of the federal police opening fire is not high."

"Once they open fire, it will be very troublesome for them. The whole society will condemn their recklessness, and they cannot afford the consequences of causing numerous deaths and injuries."

These words, spoken from his mouth, seemed to carry a kind of magic, making people have to believe them.

"And!" he emphasized, "Every person who promotes the progress of the times often doesn't see what the era looks like after the progress, they all fall just before the moment of progress."

"Gentlemen, we are talking about hundreds of thousands, millions, or even more refugees living and being treated in the Federation. Even if we sacrifice a small portion of people to save the majority, it is worth it!"

"There is no progress without sacrifice, and no sacrifice-free progress!"

"This action will make the Federation people feel pain. When they are in pain and see us as a splinter that needs to be pulled out of their bodies, they will talk to us."

Mr. Hope looked at them with a slightly fanatical longing on his face, "As long as they talk to us, instead of ignoring us as they do now, they will give us some promises and compromises to prevent similar things from happening again."

"I have never considered having our people treated like the Federation people, but as long as we can guarantee the most basic fairness and give us the most basic protection, we believe we can create a happy life with our own hands!"

"This plan is dangerous, involving bloodshed, injury, and even death!"

"The best outcome is being deported, and the worst case scenario is that we may spend a long time in prison."

As he spoke, he straightened his back and stretched his body, "But I will not regret it. From the moment I came here, saw their terrible situation and the terrible environment here, as well as the arrogant eyes of the Federation people, I decided to do something for them, for us, for everyone!"

"Even if I have to give my life for it!"

What a noble soul!

At that moment, the middle-aged teacher discovered that people really could shine!

Mr. Hope exuded the light of humanity, a holy radiance!

If he hadn't restrained his impulse, he might have knelt down and worshiped!

He had never thought that someone could be so great!

Willing to give so much for people who were not related to him!

As for why Mr. Hope didn't participate in this riot?

That was because he would directly face the most terrifying federal government, face those capitalists, and even more terrifying groups.

He would become the "wedge sticking out of the boat gang," scraped flat the moment it landed!

What he would have to endure would be much heavier than what others would have to endure!

The middle-aged teacher unhesitatingly participated in this action and became one of the commanders of this action.

At this time, he stood at the very front of the crowd, his mind filled with Mr. Hope's final instructions.

The more pain the Federation people feel, the more bargaining chips they will have in the negotiations!

He began to take deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.

Five minutes passed quickly, so quickly that he didn't even react before the "big shot" who claimed to be the chief of the police station spoke again.

"Five minutes are up. Immediately drop your weapons and submit to management..."

The middle-aged teacher let out a breath of stale air, and slowly raised the crowbar in his hand, pointing it at the police chief.

Whether it was the crowd behind him or the police force opposite, there was some commotion.

Someone beside him suddenly said loudly, "I have surrendered many times, but this time, I will never surrender!"

As he spoke, the young man raised the steel pipe in his hand and rushed towards the police. People are crazy at this time.

The moment he rushed out, many people around him and behind him also rushed over.

Chief Blue's pupils suddenly contracted, he immediately dropped the microphone of the loudspeaker, drew his gun, and shot!

Amidst the continuous gunshots in the crowd launching the death charge, and the constantly falling people, some calmed down and began to scatter and flee.

The middle-aged teacher lay on the ground, panting heavily, his body temperature decreasing due to blood loss.

He covered his wound and glanced at the people who had fallen around him, suddenly his eyes were a little dazed.

Didn't they say... the Federation people wouldn't open fire?

He was a little dazed, how was all this not quite the same as what was said?

Actually, he didn't feel much pain now, just a little numb and a little cold. He wanted to stand up and take a look, but he couldn't do it no matter what.

His body, including his strength, seemed not to belong to him at this moment.

Those who were still fleeing desperately dropped their weapons and knelt on the spot with their hands raised in the air, amidst the shouts of "Drop your weapons, raise your hands, and kneel on the spot." Soon the police came over to handcuff them, and finally the ambulances entered the scene.

Chief Blue came to the nearest phone booth and called the mayor's office. The phone was quickly answered, "This is the mayor's office."

James's voice was much more impatient than ever before. The sky was already dark, and he didn't know the results on the scene yet.

Hopefully it's not bad news.

"Councilor James, this is Blue. I have controlled the situation and arrested a group of rioters, but the number may be slightly larger."

"The good news is that the riot has not spread, but the bad news is... a few people may have died."

Hearing the first half of the sentence, the tension on Councilor James's face was replaced by a smile, but the second half made these changes meaningless and became tense again, "A few... how many do you mean?"

Chief Blue was silent for a while, "Twenty or thirty, maybe more, I haven't counted yet, I came over to call you as soon as possible."

James felt a little dizzy, definitely not caused by the darkening sky. His heartbeat was also accelerating, wanting to swear, but ultimately gave up.

"Is it safe there?"

"Can I go over?"

Chief Blue looked back at the completely quieted street area and gave a definite answer, "This is now the safest place in King's Gold City!"

James asked his secretary to work overtime. He got in the car and went to the old industrial area. He wanted to see how bad the specific situation there was.

At the same time, he was also praying, praying that his father or Lance, whoever it was, would come back quickly, he needed them!

Mayor Williams probably wouldn't be able to come back so early, even if Lance handled it very quickly, it would still take some time.

They had basically locked in several houses, with the one with the basement being listed as the top priority.

It wasn't that Lance had any superpowers to predict things, but that he had checked the homeowner information of these suspected houses.

The homeowner information could be found for the other suspected locations, but only the basement could not find the homeowner information.

In other words, it may not have been sold and has remained in the hands of the developer.

But now people are living in it, and according to the people around, no one lived in that house before this month, and they have never seen the people living inside.

Mayor Williams mentioned that the real estate developer here is also in Charles's small circle, so it is very likely that they are hiding inside!

\u003c / ins \u003e