Empire of Shadows

Just after Lance finished talking to Alberto, two police cars stopped in front of the office.

The young people around, who looked like passersby, seemed to tense up!

An officer sitting behind the driver's seat in the second police car looked at the young people who were subtly forming an encirclement, and he couldn't help but feel a headache.

The chief of the Blue Precinct, sitting next to him, laughed at this moment, "I told you, if I didn't come, you might not even be able to get through the door."

"Lance's people are very united, not quite like the gangs you've seen before.", The chief of the Blue Precinct had a sense of superiority on his face, which made the officer next to him reveal a very special smile.

"Don't tell me you're in cahoots with them too.", The officer's words stunned the chief of the Blue Precinct for a moment. He shook his head, but didn't say anything, as if everything was implied.

Society is very strange and complex nowadays. The officer watched a young man walk to the police car and knock on the window. He rolled down the window.

The young man was very young, looking only eighteen or nineteen years old. He was wearing a baseball cap, and the clothes he wore looked of good quality. The red armband also made him look a little different from ordinary people.

"Officer, parking is not allowed here.", He directly asked the police to move the car.

Blue was about to say something, but was stopped by the officer next to him.

"What if I say no?"

The young man raised his hand and made a very strange gesture, and then the police officers in the two police cars were horrified to find that the hands of the people around them were all inserted into their clothes.

No one knew what was hidden in their clothes. Small wooden sticks, spoons, and dinner knives could also be loaded weapons!

Seeing that the situation seemed to be developing in a direction that shouldn't happen, the chief of the Blue Precinct quickly said, "It's me, we're here to see Lance."

The young man bent his waist even lower so that he could see the chief of the Blue Precinct on the other side. The serious expression on his face suddenly turned into a smile.

He made another gesture, and the people around him immediately dispersed.

"This joke is not funny!", He said, then straightened up, "Boss is inside, should I tell him who wants to see him?"

The officer introduced himself, Assistant Chief of the City Center Precinct, and at the same time asked, "What's your name?"

"Allen!"

"Okay, Allen, can I ask what your gesture just now meant?", He was a little curious.

But unfortunately, Allen didn't say, just smiled and turned to leave.

The assistant chief turned his head to look at the chief of the Blue Precinct, "They are very organized!"

"Indeed!"

Soon the group was allowed to see Lance, but there was one requirement, they had to hand over their weapons and be searched.

Elvin looked apologetic, "Now is a special time, I'm very sorry, I know this is too much, Lance said that he will give you two a little something when you leave to express his apology!"

The chief of the Blue Precinct directly took out his weapon and put it on the tray. The assistant chief next to him could only take out his weapon as well.

After the search, the two entered Lance's office.

Lance had already stood up when he saw the two of them. He stood behind his desk, "Sorry, the situation these past two days has been a little different, please forgive my sensitivity."

After he shook hands with the two of them, he also learned the identities of the people around him. After the three of them sat down, Lance asked, "So, what is the purpose of your visit?"

The chief of the Blue Precinct scratched his head. He skillfully took two cigarettes from the cigarette case on the table and handed one to the person next to him, "You didn't clean up the people completely. Some members of the Gregg Gang survived. They said you did it."

Lance nodded slightly after listening, "Our time is limited, it is impossible for me to search every room to see if anyone is still alive."

"Did they call the police?"

"I'm afraid so!"

"Then what are you going to do?", Lance also took a cigarette.

The chief of the Blue Precinct nodded, "Your firepower is too fierce, people feel unsafe, we need to give the citizens an explanation!"

"Charlie also called me and asked me to tell you that you'd better cooperate, otherwise the mayor may use this matter."

Fearing that Lance didn't realize the importance of this matter, he lowered his voice slightly, "He can apply for police from other places to handle the case, and maybe even find a chance to reorganize the police force."

"Their meaning is that you can do it, but you can't do it so exaggeratedly. Now we are not competing for who is more aggressive, but who makes fewer mistakes."

Lance turned his head and glanced at the officer next to the chief of the Blue Precinct, then turned back, "So what do you mean?"

The chief of the Blue Precinct pursed his lips, "Find a few people to confess their guilt, we have to give those businessmen an explanation, and give the public an explanation."

"You guys fired your guns for more than ten minutes last night, but you didn't catch anyone, it's unreasonable, Lance, what do you say?"

"I can guarantee to you that signing a confession agreement will not exceed twenty years, and no one will be held responsible. This is just an isolated incident."

"The sentence may be slightly heavier, but I believe you should have a way to get people out early."

Lance nodded after listening, "Give me some time, you will get clues at the latest in the afternoon, and then solve this case, arrest the criminal suspects, and some weapons and ammunition."

The chief of the Blue Precinct nodded, "I don't trust your style. If it weren't necessary to give those big shots and the public an explanation, we wouldn't want to make trouble."

Before he could finish speaking, Elvin couldn't help but laugh and said, "When can the public be on par with those old men?"

Lance couldn't help but laugh and scolded, "Your thinking is dangerous, Elvin.", He paused, "I understand the matter, help me see the two of them off."

Elvin nodded and opened the door. The chief of the Blue Precinct and the officer next to him also stood up. After shaking hands with Lance again, they left Lance's room.

At the entrance of the office, they not only retrieved their guns, but also received two bags of donuts.

"Donuts?", The Assistant Deputy Chief shook the food bag with the sign "Delicious Donuts" written on it. The friction and collision sounds inside didn't sound like donuts at all.

At the signal of the chief of the Blue Precinct, he opened the paper bag, and then revealed an unusual look, "How much is here?"

"Two hundred or three hundred, you might have a little more, after all, it's your first time here."

Sitting in the car, he looked again at the sign of Lance's office and the young people staring at this place, recalling their gestures, this Assistant Chief could no longer say anything.

After Elvin returned to the office, Lance brought up what he had told Elvin before, "I remember you still have a lot of people with terminal illnesses who don't have much time left."

Elvin nodded, "Yes, there are many people, do we need them this time?"

"Several decades, Elvin, even if we find Robben, they may have to stay inside for several years. I can't let my brothers waste their best time in jail."

"Find some willing people, give them more money, and then go to Robben to see if they can be sentenced as soon as possible."

The two whispered and discussed for a while, and Elvin left with the car keys.

For most poor people who suddenly find out that they have a terminal illness and don't have much time left, what they think of first is not how to survive, but how much money will it cost to treat a terminal illness?

They have no money, so they feel more sorry for the money than their own bodies and lives!

Most of them will think about saving money for their families. Anyway, it can't be cured, so they won't waste their family's hope.

On the contrary, those rich people are willing to sell everything they have in order to find a way to prolong their lives.

So for these human tragedies, if they can get a large sum of money for their families before they die, they are willing to pay any price for it!

Soon, Lance saw eight people standing in front of him. These eight people looked a little thin.

Lance frowned, "Find someone to put makeup on them and give them a set of clothes."

As he spoke, he looked at these people. These people all showed humble expressions and seemed to glance at Elvin. Elvin nodded slightly, indicating that he had already talked to them.

But Lance still had to ask again.

"Elvin should have already told you that you will be arrested and then go to jail for about ten years."

"I know that many of you can't actually survive until the day you get out of prison, and I also know your concerns about your families after you leave, so you appeared here."

"Elvin, how much money did you promise to give them?"

Elvin held out three fingers, "Three thousand yuan."

Three thousand yuan for a life, is it expensive?

In this era, it's a little expensive, but Lance thinks the price is just right.

"Are you all Empire citizens?"

The eight people who had been tortured by the disease and lost their courage all nodded. They said their ancestral homes, and Lance kept nodding.

"I'll give you another choice, one is to take three thousand yuan from me at once and then fulfill your promise."

"The other is that your family will receive fifty yuan from me every month starting today, for ten years."

"Ten years, I believe it is enough for your children to grow up, and it is also enough for your family's life to be completely stable. Ten years is six thousand yuan, you have more choices."

The expressions of the eight people were different. Some were indifferent. For them, the money that could be obtained at once was the real money.

Those promised riches aren't real until they're in your pocket!

However, three people chose to have their families collect fifty dollars each month.

People are contradictory and often blindly follow others. Two more joined their side, making it five people choosing "installments."

Then another came, six people for installments, two wanting cash.

Installments actually have advantages. The benefit is that their families become more dependent on the Lance family.

If the Lance family disappears, their families will lose their support.

On the other hand, those who take the money in one lump sum may have more complex thoughts.

Regardless, Lance briefly explained the situation again, then had Erwin take them to get made up.

After all, they were a violent gang that had gunned down twenty or thirty people. They couldn't just stand on the street and be blown over by the wind.

After a simple disguise, under the earnest guidance of lawyer Robben, these people were successfully "arrested."

Lance had Morris keep an eye on things, to prevent any accidents, while he went to Alberto's bar in Prussia.

He previously had a bar in the Starlight District, but the Dangerous Goods Administration inexplicably came knocking, costing him a large sum of money.

Lance reminded him that there might be an informant, and after he reorganized internally, he reopened a bar in the Prussia District.

The bar wasn't big, but it was very stylish, fitting the consumption habits of the middle class.

They could tolerate slightly higher prices, but it had to be worth the money, that is, exquisite!

Other bars might mix and match glasses, but in a middle-class neighborhood bar, different drinks had to use different glasses, and there even had to be reasons for doing so.

To make them feel that they were not only spending money on enjoyment but also learning some knowledge to show off!

There had to be live performances, and they couldn't be vulgar. There were no strippers twirling their underwear on their fingers, only black people with rich voices.

This was another impressive thing people had discovered about black people besides picking cotton.

They were very talented in formal singing!

So, when Lance walked into the bar, he felt that even bars in the Bay Area might not be as classy as this one.

After all… for the rich, happiness is the most important thing.

But for the consumers here, classiness is!

The black singer was wearing a blue shirt, light gray overalls, and an ivory-white bowler hat, holding the microphone in a drunken stupor, singing classic slow-tempo songs with his magnetic voice.

Everything looked extremely classy!

It was afternoon, and there were few customers. Lance came in, hugged Alberto, and then the two went to a corner.

Some of the people in the bar glanced over and then looked away.

As members of the middle class and the elite, they paid great attention to their behavior in social situations. They would not stare at people they didn't want to talk to for too long; that was impolite.

If you were to say which group in society had the highest self-awareness and moral standards, it would definitely be the middle class!

They were in the stage of "improving oneself helps to improve one's class," while the lower and upper classes were worse in this regard.

Paul shook hands with Lance after seeing him, and then the two sat on opposite sides of the table.

"Alberto said you wanted to see me."

Lance nodded. "I've returned the favor I owed you."

Paul's expression was a little strange. "I don't quite understand what you mean, Lance."

Lance looked at him. "Although I don't know who did it, I know, Paul, you cleaned up his mess."

Paul even felt like laughing. "Cleaned up his mess!"

"Lance, has anyone ever said you're a very humorous person?"

"But I have to say, that word describes it very accurately, just like those little bastards, only knowing how to shit, never knowing how to wipe."

He said, picking up his glass and taking a sip. "I don't bother lying, Lance. This matter is our problem, but I hope you understand that my intention wasn't bad."

"But some people…" He didn't want to say it. "Anyway, you're right, you don't owe me any favors anymore, and this matter ends here."

Lance raised his glass and clinked it against his. "I'm grateful that you were able to lend a hand when I needed it, Paul."

"This matter ends here with me, no problem, but that person, is he willing to let it end there?"

"If he's not willing to let it end there, and he still wants to cause me trouble, I might not have a reason to let him go."

"You saved my life, and I've returned a life to you!"

Lance raised his glass again and drank it all in one gulp.

In a sense, Paul did save his life. If Paul hadn't spoken up to protect Lance before, even if Lance hadn't been ostracized, he might have been far away from Goldport City by now.

And there wouldn't be these achievements today.

Paul sighed. "Anyway… thank you for understanding."

Lance poured himself some more wine. "I heard the Five Families have split up?"

Paul nodded. "It seems everyone knows… The Coda family was persuaded by those people behind him, and the Cassia family was bought off. These idiots will never know."

"Only when the Five Families are together can we have the right to set the rules in Goldport City. When we separate, we no longer have power!"

"They can't think of this, or rather, they don't want to believe it."

He didn't want to talk too much about this. The Pasreto family's situation was not optimistic, and the Keane family was also in trouble. Their friction with the Bear Gang was constantly escalating.

Gregg wanted to develop into the Imperial District, essentially to avoid the war between the Bear Gang and the Keane family.

The Tita family was now contacting some people, trying to change the situation, but it seemed useless.

A large net spread by the mayor was finally starting to close slowly. He hadn't been doing nothing all these years; he had done a lot of work, just waiting for an opportunity, a chance to break through the thick defenses of the locals!

Now, he had waited, and his methods over the years had begun to show their power.

After leaving the bar, Lance returned to the Imperial District. The eight "gunmen" were successfully arrested.

They decisively signed confessions, proactively admitting to all the charges. Lawyer Robben told Lance when he returned from the police station that these eight people faced forty-two charges, including making noise after 10 p.m.

He had also settled the judge on the court's side. Because they had already pleaded guilty, they would basically be sentenced in court and then quickly sent to prison to begin serving their sentences.

As for how long they could last in prison, that was no longer important.

Their mission was completed the moment they arrived in prison.

Although Cales had died, Lance's revenge against this Gregg Gang had not ended!

They said he was a "Boss Killer," a "Gang Destroyer," so now, he would destroy for these people to see!