Empire of Shadows

After Bandi finished venting his emotions, Feigal said, "We are no match for him, Bandi."

"We're not even on the same level. How do you expect me to deal with him?"

"With your life?"

Bandi took a breath, his face gloomy. "Tell me what happened. Don't leave anything out!"

Feigal recounted the events. There was nothing to hide, as many people had witnessed it.

So many police officers had surrounded the Keane family's manor, both gang members and passersby.

Some of the news circulating outside was deliberately leaked by Feigal through family members. He needed people to know certain things to prepare for future changes.

It was also a way to curry favor with Lance, letting him know that he had made a decision and wouldn't go back on it.

"…They got a search warrant, and even if they didn't, Bandi, how much do you think Blue would care?"

"They could completely shift the blame onto that precinct chief. I can even imagine him telling the judges in court how he cleverly used his methods and lies."

"Deceiving both the city police department and the people under him and his colleagues."

"In the end, he takes all the blame himself, and then Lance sends him in for a vacation."

"But the things they find during the search, those are all evidence. One way or another, we'll be sent to court, sent to prison."

Bandi was speechless for a long time after listening. This was a calculated plot, openly telling you, 'I'm coming at you head-on.'

But even if you know he's coming at you head-on, even if you know his route, you can't fight him!

Because a human body can't fight against a fully armed chariot. A person's fragile body will only be crushed by the chariot.

So, you have to get out of the way before the chariot runs you over.

He really couldn't blame Feigal for anything. The police investigating him every day was enough to make it impossible for him to stay here.

"So… the Tita family might have to leave too?"

A sigh came from the receiver. Feigal didn't say anything, but it was as if he had said everything.

Bandi closed his eyes. Countless emotions churned in his chest, but in the end, he couldn't say a word.

This silence lasted for about ten seconds. "I understand. I wish you… well."

Feigal actually had a decent relationship with Bandi, so he proactively said, "You could actually talk to Lance."

"Talk about what?" Bandi asked.

"Talk about making concessions."

"Interesting, but not funny, Feigal."

Bandi's tone was less polite now. He couldn't be calm. "If you guys back down, he'll let you leave. If I back down, he'll just sink me in Angel Lake. We're not the same!"

"In any case, like I said before, I wish you well. If there's anything you need my help with, give me a call, but it's best not to bother me."

He hung up the phone without waiting for Feigal to say anything.

Fleming sat across from him, watching his father, who he always remembered as elegant and composed, reveal a rare display of anxiety and unease, but without any good way to help him change things.

"I need to handle some things…" After a while, he issued an order to leave.

Fleming stood up. "If you need anything, have someone call me. I'll be staying here for the next few days."

Bandi nodded, then watched his son leave before picking up the phone.

The first call was to the deputy governor. "I'm in a little trouble… What do you mean 'I can't'? You never had this much trouble when you were taking money from me!"

"…I'm not threatening you. I'm just telling you a fact… Fuck, fuck you!"

He slammed the phone down, angrily stood up, lit a cigarette, and walked back and forth in the room.

The deputy governor took about six hundred to eight hundred thousand in political donations from him every year. Currently, the federal government hasn't made further restrictions on politicians receiving bribes through political donations.

Although there have long been related proposals from the public and Congress to limit the upper limit of donations each person can make in a year and to make each political donation account's funding situation public.

But this proposal has been actively raised and promoted by some people since 1988, and almost thirty years have passed to this day, it is not even a formal proposal, let alone allowing Congress to vote on it.

In fact, politicians are not so stupid as to cut off their own financial path. The current federal political donation policy is that anyone can donate to their favorite politicians.

Politicians need to provide an account for receiving donations, but they do not limit how many times each person can donate in a year or how much money can be donated at once.

At the same time, they do not require politicians to disclose the donation and usage of their political donation accounts, which means that this account is fundamentally a special account used for bribery and is legal!

This may be the most absurd page in all of human history, but it is a real existence!

The deputy governor is not qualified enough for Congress to force him to investigate him, so the money is directly transferred into that account.

He originally thought that the deputy governor could at least say something for him, but he didn't expect the deputy governor to directly say that he didn't know what Bandi was talking about, and that he wasn't very interested in the content he was saying, and told him not to call him casually if there was nothing "important."

What is an "important" matter?

He's about to be killed, isn't that "important" enough?

In fact, Bandi also knew that this was definitely not an important matter. If he died, under the condition that the casino operating license in Golden Port City did not change, Lance would most likely take over all the casinos.

And the benefits he gave to these people would not be reduced by a single cent, so whether he was there or not, it made no difference to this group of people who would stand firm no matter what changes occurred!

Not to mention Attorney General Terry, his ass had long been crooked to Lance's side.

The Secretary of State was very easy to talk to, but the words he said were not very pleasant. He also hinted that Bandi's struggle would only bring longer-lasting pain.

His blood pressure was high at this moment. Although he had a premonition, when this scene crashed into him nakedly, he still couldn't bear it.

So many years of effort and contribution were like feeding a dog.

If he really fed a dog, the dog would wag its tail and bark at him twice.

For these people, they couldn't wait to come over and kick him twice at this time.

Next, he called those who were very likely unable to influence the general trend, such as representatives of public opinion, opinion leaders, and workers within the Socialist Party.

These people all agreed to help him ask, but he himself didn't have much hope that it would work.

It was precisely these people who might lose this income from him who were the most nervous, after all, it was related to their own interests.

But when their names were crossed out from a certain list, it meant that even if they cared, they couldn't change anything.

All were bad news, making people feel despair.

On the weekend, Lance put on a newly made suit in the evening and came to Councilor Williams' manor. He had grown a little taller in half a year, and the previous suit was a little small.

The new clothes added a bit of trendy things, and Lance had already found a good store for him, in the most lively shopping mall in the city center, accompanied by various big-name luxury goods.

Lance had also designed the decoration style of the store for him, a strong sense of low-key luxury, showing nobility and extraordinary everywhere, but not showing off with big gold and silver.

Hanging up the "Royal Exclusive" sign, so that those old men can't move when they see it.

When the car stopped, James was already waiting for him by the car.

He also took the initiative to open the car door for Lance. "You've come at the right time."

Lance nodded, got out of the car, tidied up his clothes, and walked inside with him.

The place where the party was held was in a separate room. Before they had entered the room, Councilor Williams was already waiting for him at the door.

This is also a symbol of status, or rather, if he climbs up a little higher, then the next time he comes here, Councilor Williams will stand outside the gate of the building, about a step away, waiting for him.

After the two met, they shook hands very familiarly. Before that, he was chatting with another person, and now he is introducing this person to Lance.

"This is the president of Starlight Group, Ram, they provide tens of thousands of jobs for the residents of Golden Port City!"

The guy in front of Lance looked about forty years old. His head was a bit long, possibly because he was already bald, which made Lance feel that his skull looked long, but not pointed.

He smiled very enthusiastically and took the initiative to reach out and shake hands with Lance. "Mr. Lance, I've always heard your stories, but I've never been able to meet you."

"Thank you to Councilor Williams' party for giving me the opportunity to meet you."

Lance wouldn't be stingy with his praise and smiles for this kind of situation. Although he didn't know what the Starlight Group did, it didn't prevent him from praising the other party.

"I've heard of Starlight Group, a very large and responsible enterprise. Your jobs have saved countless people and their families. You are the heroes of the city!"

Well, good words don't cost money, you can say whatever you want.

Anyone who is praised is happy, if someone is not only unhappy but also angry when praised, then he is either mentally or spiritually problematic.

Councilman Williams watched with amusement as the two finished praising each other, then said with a smile, "Alright, gentlemen, we need to go inside. You'll have plenty of opportunities to compare notes later."

As everyone pondered giving it a try, they followed Councilman Williams into the hall.

It was at this point that people realized Lance had arrived.

Most of them didn't know Lance, and Lance didn't know them, but they had seen pictures of him.

They might not have cared so much before, but as Lance's fame grew, and the Lance family's reputation increased, they began to pay attention to him.

Councilman Williams told Lance the start time later than everyone else. In other words, by adjusting the timing, he controlled the arrival time of some people, letting them know who the heavyweight was.

This was a social tactic. He would tell unimportant people to arrive around 5:00 PM, while the important ones might be told 6:00, 6:05, or 6:10.

Once the time was specified down to the 'minute,' it was best to arrive right on time, even if it meant waiting outside for a while.

Lance was the last to arrive, and the door quickly closed behind him.

He followed Councilman Williams, getting to know everyone in the room: politicians, social activists, and capitalists.

They all shared a common trait: either they had power and influence, or they wielded considerable sway.

Unrelated people simply couldn't get into these private gatherings; tonight, they weren't even allowed to bring female companions.

Once the atmosphere was lively enough, the gathering was ready to officially begin.

"Sit next to me," Councilman Williams instructed, and Lance sat on the single sofa to his left.

Here, individual sofas were arranged around small tables, resembling a salon.

It wasn't a formal meeting, but rather a casual get-together.

Soon, after drinks and food were brought in, the gathering commenced.

"I don't know if you've been following the news these past few days, but the Keane family is about to withdraw from Goldport City," Councilman Williams initiated the conversation.

Someone immediately followed up, "I heard about it, but I don't know if it's true." As he spoke, he looked at Lance.

Councilman Williams also looked at Lance, who nodded in confirmation. "They will likely all leave by the middle of this month."

"If you've been paying attention, you'll notice that the assets they can take are being rapidly transferred, and they plan to dispose of those they can't."

"If anyone is interested, let me know, and I can arrange for you to have them."

This seemingly ordinary statement stirred up many emotions.

Some of them had already verified this, but they weren't sure what force had driven the Keane family out of here.

Was it an irresistible force from a higher power, or some other reason?

But now, they seemed to understand that the problem stemmed from Lance.

Before they could continue their shock, Lance dropped another similar piece of news: "The Tita family has also decided to leave Goldport City by the end of this month. Similarly, if any of you want their immovable property that they can't take, contact me."

Many people instinctively looked at Councilman Williams, who simply held his wine glass, maintaining a reserved smile.

He seemed to be expressing something, yet also expressing nothing. But from his composure and his obvious prior knowledge of these events, they formed some new conjectures.

Could Councilman Williams also be one of the masterminds?

Was his connection with Lance much deeper than people imagined?

Someone couldn't help but ask, "What about the Pasreito family..."

Lance shook his head. "Paul once helped me, so they will stay, and we will coexist peacefully."

At this point, a faintly tense string in people's hearts loosened a little. "What about the Coda family?"

Lance smiled, a sneer of disdain in his voice. "There will be no more Coda family in Goldport City."

This one sentence silenced people and made them feel the power hidden behind Lance's intense confidence!

After dominating for decades, the era of the five families was coming to an end.

Although a bit rushed, this was characteristic of gang turnover.

They had ended the rule of the three families just as quickly, ascending the city's stage like a whirlwind.

Words of praise flowed towards Lance. If he truly unified the city's underworld, he would become the rule-maker of the underworld until he fell.

And all of them, whether capitalists, politicians, or social activists, would have intricate connections with Lance.

Some people might not have understood why Lance was here or what his significance was, but now they all understood.

During this time, someone suddenly asked, "Mr. Lance, you look very young. Forgive me for asking, are you even twenty-five years old yet?"

Lance said with a smile, "I'm only twenty-two."

People naturally exclaimed in disbelief. The guy who asked the question first revealed his purpose: "I haven't heard of your fiancée..."

The others immediately understood. Councilman Williams also looked at Lance with a smile.

He suddenly realized Lance's brilliance. He had solved his problem in advance. If he didn't have a fiancée, or if that fiancée was just an ordinary person, then many people would focus their attention on him—

How to win over the future emperor of the city's underworld with a woman!

Lance didn't give them the chance. "A girl from the Lawrence family, Patricia, works at the Bureau of Commercial Services."

Upon hearing this surname, those pure-blooded locals immediately revealed knowing expressions. Even though the Lawrence family hadn't achieved much in politics, they were still the largest farmers, planters, and ranchers nearby.

They also represented the traditional landed gentry of Licarle State. Don't underestimate such figures; if needed, they could immediately connect the entire state's landowning class.

Hearing this, those with ulterior motives immediately abandoned their ideas.

"Truly a masterpiece of God!" the man exclaimed, whether he truly thought so or not, only he knew.

Councilman Williams smiled and raised his hand. "You must have noticed that we have a new friend this time, a young new friend."

"Although Lance is young, his power is not small, which is precisely what we need."

"As you saw last time, there is already a rift between us and the Bay Area, an irreparable rift."

"I am not someone willing to easily give up my interests, and I believe you are too, and so are they. Therefore, we will definitely have to fight it out in the coming period."

"To decide who is the true master of this city!"