Empire of Shadows

The matter of police taking money didn't start with the police actively soliciting it, but rather with business owners offering it proactively.

The turnover rate of gangs was so rapid that protection fees paid in the morning might be rendered worthless by the afternoon when the gang was overthrown, and a new gang would demand another payment from all businesses in the area.

No one could withstand such constant extortion. In those years when the police could still curb evil, people could only place their hopes on them.

They proactively offered the police benefits like tobacco, alcohol, or cash, hoping the police would take better care of them.

Over time, this proactive behavior of bribing the police gradually evolved into the police actively demanding 'regulation fees' from businesses.

You could refuse to pay, but then they would spread the word that a certain business hadn't paid its fees, and the police would turn a blind eye to any crimes committed against that business.

This shift and reversal in the relationship made something people were initially willing to pay for become undesirable. Therefore, collecting this money wasn't a good job. Some police officers were inherently resistant to it, but it was still part of their job: extorting businesses.

However, completely stopping the practice, as Chief Blue of the branch bureau said, would disrupt the rules everyone was currently following, leading to everything becoming… uncontrollable!

No one likes this kind of uncontrolled change, especially since they didn't have to do this in the first place!

Lance looked at the two men, "The Attorney General is also here this time, and I had a chat with him, as you should know."

"They will be sending some internal affairs officers to investigate some illegal operations, including accepting bribes and various forms of illegal profit."

"I don't want to discuss whether you have accepted bribes, nor do I want to discuss whether ordinary police officers have accepted bribes. The mere fact of illegal profit-making applies to both of you."

"This investigation will definitely need to set some examples. The security problem in King's Gold City has already spread throughout the entire Licarley State. To ensure the integrity of law enforcement agencies, someone has to make a sacrifice."

"Moreover, with the progress and development of society, this kind of thing will become increasingly unacceptable and intolerable to society."

"We are simply choosing to run faster than the times, rather than being left behind. When this torrent begins to sweep everything away, you will realize this."

"While others are still worried about being swept away and ruined by it, we have already entered the next version."

"I don't know if you can understand what I'm saying. I can only say that this is actually for the sake of all of us."

Every era has its own changes. Perhaps at this time, black money and corrupt police are everywhere.

But with the development of society, this situation will eventually become less and less common. The more developed the society, the more the federal government will care about the integrity of grassroots governments and institutions.

Rather than rushing to deal with a pile of crap in the future, it's better to wash your ass clean now and go ashore directly.

This internal affairs inspection is actually of great help to Lance, as it can help him first promote some rule changes in the two districts.

Allowing him to receive more attention and support from the people!

Attention and support are a kind of power, a very powerful power!

Chief Blue of the branch bureau said softly, "We've heard about this, but we don't know how far it will go."

Lance told them without concealment, "At least two or three will have to become examples."

"I'm not sure if Charlie's connections are strong enough to protect his people. King's Gold City has eleven administrative districts, and the two of you together already have a two out of eleven chance of being selected."

"If he can put his people on a protected list in advance, then your chances of being selected may be only a few percent."

His gaze fell on Chief Blue of the branch bureau. Chief Blue had told him last time that he no longer attended Charlie's private parties because Charlie was ostracizing him.

"I…", Chief Blue of the branch bureau glanced at Duke beside him, and finally looked at Lance again, "I support your idea."

Duke was also a little hesitant. He wasn't one of Charlie's people. He had a good relationship with Hunt, but he wasn't sure if Hunt would protect him.

He hesitated for a moment, "What are you planning to do?"

"We will establish a new investment company in the county town. All those participating in the plan will first invest a sum of money, not much, just five or ten dollars each."

"Then, every month, these funds will be legally and reasonably paid to you in the form of investment returns, according to our new rules."

"You can use this money to pay taxes and use it openly. If you understand local laws, you should know that investment income only requires very, very little tax!"

"There is no illegal behavior or moral risk. There is no causal relationship between you and the merchants."

"Then, I will arrange for another company to collect this money from everyone according to a unified fee standard. I believe they will be very willing to pay this money because it will be less than before."

Speaking of this, a smile appeared on Lance's face. When the police in the two administrative districts all need the "investment returns" in his hands, everyone's interests will be highly tied together!

They will be even more unwilling for Lance to have an accident than others, after all, this money is so clean that it is unimaginable, and it does not involve any risk.

Listening to Lance's introduction, Chief Blue of the branch bureau, although he had decided to join from the beginning, was still somewhat inexplicably excited at this time.

He glanced at Duke again, "I think… it's pretty good, I'm in!"

After listening to it, Chief Duke of the branch bureau also had to admit that this plan, this new rule, was very attractive, and he couldn't find any reason to refuse.

However, he also raised some questions, "Besides these, we also have some slush funds to deal with emergencies…"

This is no longer a problem!

Once these people join the plan, it will be equivalent to giving Lance the privilege of "legal crime." All his criminal businesses will not be investigated, and he can openly earn super profits!

He gave Chief Duke of the branch bureau a "rest assured" look, "I will establish a special foundation to address this situation. For just one dollar a month, I will solve everyone's worries."

"Serious injuries, even death, including children going to college, not enough money to buy a house…"

He crossed his legs and spread his hands, "All the problems you need money for but don't have enough of can be solved by me."

"Directly provide some subsidies, or give you a low-interest, long-term loan!"

Duke could no longer refuse. He knew that if people found out that he had rejected these proposals, the grassroots police in those branch bureaus would definitely make it impossible for him to continue as the branch bureau chief.

"If it can really be as you said, then I'll join too!"

Lance showed an even more obvious smile, "You have made the most correct choice in your life!"

He paused and said, "After you go back now, collect some information and tell me, from the lowest-level patrol officers to the sergeants, how much can each person get from these black money, a rough number."

"I will also arrange for people to investigate these. We need to conduct a statistical analysis to ensure that every police officer within the plan can enjoy fair and just treatment and benefits!"

The two nodded repeatedly while listening, "That's as it should be!"

Chief Blue of the branch bureau asked with a smile, "Lance, this plan… I mean, the overall plan, does it have a name, so that it will be more convenient for us to explain to them when making some adjustments."

"Instead of telling them, you have a 'plan we don't know the name of' that you need them for, what do you say?"

Lance nodded slightly, "Yes, it's called the 'Umbrella Plan.' We become each other's umbrellas, protecting us from the onslaught of storms!"

"Very descriptive, I can already imagine the joy and excitement people will feel when they hear about it!"

The two left satisfied. There was no way they couldn't be satisfied. Even if the roles were reversed, Lance wouldn't refuse.

This plan only has benefits for everyone and no disadvantages—Lance may have to put a lot of money into it every month, but this money ensures that his business will not be subject to resistance from the police!

Law enforcers and criminals will become the closest partners!

The market of the Dangerous Goods Administration will only last for a few years. After their market ends, whether it is the future Federal Bureau of Investigation or other law enforcement agencies, they will not be as large as the increasingly large grassroots law enforcement agencies.

So this money is very worth investing!

And Lance believes that it will become a huge umbrella, even capable of covering the entire Federation. No one can refuse to turn illegal income into legal tax-rate investment income!

The next morning, the prestigious people on every street in the port area also came to a movie theater according to Lance's request.

Lance booked the venue, but no movie was shown. They sat in their seats, discussing in low voices, waiting for Lance's arrival.

Many people were a little nervous, because the previous gangs were not easy to talk to. They always collected various protection fees for various reasons.

Even if you paid the protection fee, they might still extort an extra sum of money from you, after all, for these gangsters, this is how they make money.

However, the Lance family is different. They had long heard that the Lance family had stopped collecting regulation fees in the Imperial District, which made these people a little excited.

After all, a person has prestige on a street, certainly not because he is old enough!

In a capitalist society like the Federation, to have prestige and be respected, one must possess some "hard power," which means being wealthier than others.

Therefore, these individuals often engage in business themselves, running small businesses or even family-style factories.

They can be considered the middle class, or close to the middle class, living in poor areas, which is why they have prestige—all thanks to money!

At around 10:30, Lance arrived at the cinema. He didn't know anyone there, but many people recognized him.

Watching him walk onto the stage beneath the large screen, everyone gradually stood up.

He raised a hand and gestured for them to sit, taking his place on the prepared chair. "Please sit, everyone. I'm not the mayor, and you're not my subordinates. We don't need to be so formal and serious."

He paused. "The reason I've gathered you here today is to inform you of a few matters and to ask for your help in relaying them to the people in the harbor district."

"You are more familiar with this place than I am, and people are more willing to trust you. You are a bridge, built between me and them!"

"Firstly, the first matter is that, starting today, all regulatory fees belonging to our side in the harbor district will be completely abolished…"

Before he could finish speaking, sounds of "Oh my God," "Heavens," and "Is this real?" erupted from inside the cinema.

It was very noisy. He waited for them to release their emotions before raising his hand again, signaling them to quiet down.

"Someone is asking if this is real."

"Of course, it's real!"

"We've already stopped collecting fees in the Imperial District, and it seems everyone is willing to accept this outcome!"

He smiled as he said, "If anyone really feels uncomfortable not paying, they can donate the money, and I'll help them give it to those in need."

He paused for a moment, lit a cigarette. People needed time for their minds to accept this fact and then to think.

In fact, humans are sometimes very contradictory. It's like if you suddenly give a prisoner in jail a good meal, they might not show any happy expression. Instead, they might cry and beg you, saying they have realized their mistakes and are actively correcting them.

People need time to accept and understand things that don't follow common sense. They need to figure out if there are any other traps hidden within.

Fortunately, with the Imperial District as an example, they accepted it relatively quickly.

The discussion didn't last long, maybe just a minute, before the noise gradually subsided.

Lance held up two fingers. "The second matter is that I've spoken with the heads of the two district police departments, and there will also be a reform regarding the regulatory fees collected by the police."

The cinema, which had been somewhat noisy, fell silent instantly, with only the sound of heavy breathing!

Looking at them, Lance revealed a smile. "Just as some of you are thinking, the portion you pay to the police each month will be reduced significantly."

"For ordinary shops, it might only be necessary to pay a regulatory fee of five dollars."

People started praising God again. Lance said with a smile, "This decision wasn't actually made by God, but by me. You saying that makes me a little sad!"

The crowd quickly changed their tune, praising Lance instead.

These two regulatory fees were the biggest challenges facing the lower-level merchants of Gold Harbor City. Most of their profits were taken away by the gangs and the police.

They had to bear the business risks, and in the end, they might not even pocket a third of their income.

If Lance released these two pressures, it would make the entire harbor district prosper. People would become more enthusiastic about starting businesses because they would have a greater ability to withstand risks!

If this area becomes more prosperous, then naturally, Lance's income will also increase!

There will be a huge difference in consumption between a region where the average per capita disposable income is no more than ten dollars a month and a region where the average per capita disposable income is more than thirty dollars a month!

"In the future, the police's regulatory fees will no longer be collected directly by the police. We will establish a company, and this company will collect them uniformly and provide you with a payment voucher, something like… business consulting."

"If any gang or police officer tries to collect extra regulatory fees from you, that is extortion. You can call the police, or give them the money first, but remember their appearance and identity information."

"So we can help you get your money back!"

"The third thing is that my people will appear on the streets, responsible for a part of the security problems in this area, just like in the Imperial District."

"If there are any problems, in addition to contacting the police, you can also contact my people."

"If you pay me, I have an obligation to protect your personal safety and business security!"

The news quickly began to spread. Before long, Roger (the old man from the Imperial Chamber of Commerce) called.

"Mr. Lance, everyone hasn't seen you in a while and misses you very much…"

Hearing his words, Lance knew what their purpose was. "Don't say you miss me; you're thinking about the new rules."

He laughed twice. "Old friend, I'm an Imperial person. How could I leave out the Imperial District?"

"Even if you didn't call, I would have notified you. It's the same here."

"The police will completely stop collecting regulatory fees. I will arrange for a dedicated person to collect them later. Before that, we will definitely have a meeting, and some things still need to be discussed and resolved."

"As for meeting, I don't think it's necessary right now. I don't have time recently. We'll talk when I'm free."

Roger didn't press the issue. Since what he wanted, or rather, what everyone wanted, could be achieved, he wouldn't bother Lance. "Of course, Mr. Lance. You go ahead and take care of your business. I'll tell everyone, and everyone will definitely understand!"

"Please forgive this old man for saying a few more words. You must take care of your health. We all hope that you and the Lance family can continue to exist for a long time!"

The more benefits these lower-level people obtained from Lance's actual rule changes, the more they would be unable to leave Lance, and they would also become a part of the "Umbrella Project."

Many people had heard about this matter. After all, Lance didn't expect to be able to hide this kind of thing from everyone.

The people would publicize it, just like everyone now knew that the Lance family didn't collect protection fees.

If he, along with the police, made some favorable changes to the regulatory fees, whether it was the people or the police, they would all publicize and communicate it, so he didn't expect to be able to hide it, nor did he try to hide it.

After the news spread, different people had different reactions. The Five Great Families were busy with the war and couldn't care about this for the time being.

The person who reacted most strongly was Charlie, who was preparing for the election.

The police were his base of support, and now Lance was actually planning to undermine his base of support. How could he not react at all?

Spent most of the day in the hospital today, was too tired when I got back, took a nap, a bit late, sorry