Empire of Shadows

Lance looked at Jason, whose clothes were disheveled and face covered in blood, and shook his head slightly. He glanced at Hiram, "Get some water."

Then he looked at Jason, "Before you tell me the answer, you'd better use your brain to think about whether you should lie to me, and also think about what you will face after your lie is exposed."

There was a faucet at the door. After all, this was the Federation where even the water tasted sweet, who could resist the sweet water that could be drunk directly anytime, anywhere?

He first gave Jason a little water to drink, then wet a handkerchief with water and wiped the blood stains from his face, making him look much better.

"Now you can tell me, starting with the first question," he walked to the side, opened a folding chair, and sat down. "Where is the money hidden?"

Actually, Lance knew where the money was hidden. Lauren had seen everything, but he still asked this question, the purpose was to test whether this guy still had any侥幸心理 (a fluke mind/chance mentality).

At the same time, it also gave him the impression that "I know everything."

That was more than four thousand dollars, but at this time, compared to physical health or even survival, money didn't seem so important anymore.

"In the Imperial District, 17th Street…"

Before he could finish speaking, Lance stopped him. Looking at Jason's somewhat puzzled expression, Lance said with a profound expression that seemed like a smile but wasn't, "Behind the house at number 22, there's a trash can. Do you want me to continue?"

"I know everything, I just want to know if you are deceiving me."

Jason was stunned, his expression a little horrified.

Number 22 was a row of apartment buildings, with a small alley behind it, containing several trash cans.

He used to rent a room with other people in this apartment. When he often threw garbage, he found that a brick behind the trash can was loose and could be pulled out.

He broke half of the brick and put it back, so that there was a space of about ten centimeters deep and wide, and five centimeters high.

If someone didn't observe carefully, even if they saw it, they wouldn't notice it, and there was a trash can outside.

He often hid some important things, mainly money, inside, and so far nothing unexpected had happened, and no one knew about it.

But Lance revealed it in one breath, which made him realize that someone might have been following him all the time, which made him even more afraid to lie!

"Yes, yes, the money is all there!"

Lance nodded noncommittally, "Second question, how many people know that you have become rich?"

Jason began to sweat, the salt in the sweat stimulated his wounds, and coupled with the hot weather, this made him sweat even more.

He looked at Lance with a pleading expression, "I don't know, after I hid the money, I took fifty dollars and left, and then on the way I bought a pack of cigarettes for fifty cents, and then…"

He recalled painfully, "…then I went to the bar, I wanted to have a drink, because we had done such a big thing that made me feel nervous, I wanted to relax."

"Yes, the person who exchanged change at the bar entrance, the security guard, the bartender, and my three friends, as well as the stripper, and some other guests may have known that I had money."

"I…I did something stupid, Mr. Lance, I bought my friends two drinks."

"And went to the single stage upstairs."

Ervin wanted to rush up and beat this bastard when he heard this, but Lance stopped him.

"In other words, at least a dozen or more people may know that you have money."

Most people who go to strip bars don't open a separate stage, because it's too expensive.

Few people would specifically open a small room for a better viewing experience for things that can be watched for free downstairs—

The hall dancers will dance around a circular stage, mostly in or next to the bar. They will show their graceful dance postures in different directions. Whichever side throws more money, they will mainly show to that side.

This is actually a way to stimulate consumption, because if you want to see more and more exciting things, you must throw money on it.

The more money you throw, the more they will pay attention to you, and even interact with you, while people in other directions can only see a side view or a back view, unless they also start throwing money.

This is actually a very clever way to promote consumption, especially when the bar is lively, there will always be some fools who throw more money on the stage to compete.

Especially after drinking two glasses of wine, I just want her to dance for me!

People who have this idea and start to get carried away will compete with each other to砸钱 (throw money).

If you throw one dollar, I will throw two dollars. This is also the happiest time for the dancers. They can earn a lot of money without paying any other price, and many bars do not charge commission fees for this part of the money. , all belong to the dancers themselves.

But dancers sometimes symbolically give the bar some money to let the bar protect themselves.

And some people who don't like to compete with others will open a room by themselves.

Jason had money in his pocket, and he felt light when he walked. He didn't want to watch with others at all. He went directly upstairs. You must know that the minimum consumption upstairs is ten dollars, and he couldn't possibly not give a tip.

Some special dance skills must be shown to you after giving a certain amount of money.

Buying others two drinks is still excusable, but going to the small stage is definitely not because you made a small profit or are in a good mood. It must be because you made a lot of money.

"Have you told anyone how you got this money?" Lance asked again.

Jason also knew the seriousness of the matter, and at this time he didn't dare to lie, "No, Mr. Lance, I guarantee that no one knows how this money came from. I swear to my mother that I absolutely did not reveal a single word!"

Looking at his face distorted by fear and pain, Lance chose to believe him for the time being.

He got up and walked outside the door, and Ervin and Hiram also followed him out.

"Lauren," Lance called out, and Lauren immediately walked over, "Go bring back his money, and then go inside and find a tailor to measure your figures, there will be new clothes at the end of the month."

Lauren was overjoyed when he heard this, "Okay boss, I'll go right away!"

Watching Maurice drive him away, Ervin asked, "How do we deal with him?"

Hiram didn't speak, just stood quietly aside.

Lance thought for a while, "You go to Mr. Koti's place and get me a few oil drums and cement."

"We've been in King's Harbor City for so long, and we've never been to Angel Lake. It's time to see the scenery of Angel Lake. They always say the scenery there is very good."

Ervin nodded and drove away in another car. Only then did Lance look at Hiram, "I plan to execute him."

Hiram was mentally prepared and accepted the result, "Although we know each other, he did something he shouldn't have done, this is the result he deserves!"

Lance was very happy that Hiram could understand him so well. After all, Hiram and Jason used to be in a small group. Regardless of how long they had known each other or how good their relationship was, at least he needed to take care of Hiram's face.

He always agreed with a saying, if you want to gain the respect of others, you must first learn to respect others.

Lance used to know a person who would beat and scold his subordinates. The words he liked to say the most were "Do they dare to rebel?", until he was found in a suitcase hidden in an abandoned cellar well on the roadside.

It was done by his subordinates, because they couldn't stand his bad temper, and then played a game of hide-and-seek with him. Who knew he was so good at hiding, he hid for so many days, and even his best friends and family couldn't find him.

If he hadn't been hiding for too long and smelled bad, he might have hidden in the abandoned cellar well for longer.

So Lance would take care of the face of the people around him, whether they were bosses, friends, or subordinates.

At this time, Hiram even took the initiative to suggest, "Let me do it."

Lance patted his arm, "I'll do it, it's my responsibility."

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Hiram looked away, no longer insisting.

"I'm not worried about the other one either. Is the person you arranged still watching him?"

Hiram nodded, "He's been watching. If this one has an accident again, please let me do it!"

This time Lance didn't refuse, "Hopefully there won't be an accident, we all don't want that."

Today the office got off work exceptionally early, at 5:30, of course this was also related to the fact that there was no one in the afternoon, thirty-seven people, all present.

Everyone was young, the oldest was Melo, who was twenty-three this year.

The others were all seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, and twenty years old, young people, male and female, everyone seemed very lively when they were together, and they were also looking forward to the new clothes they would have soon.

With Lance's arrival, everyone stood up, he raised his hand and pressed down, walked to the front.

"There are two things I want to say to you all today."

"First, we have been together for two months. After a long darkness, we have finally ushered in our dawn. I want to reward everyone."

"Today I have arranged to make new clothes for you, just a part of it. We need to have a new face to start a new life."

"Tomorrow we are also going to camp at Angel Lake. I have already asked Ethan to prepare the food, fifty pounds of beef, as well as steak, lamb chops, fruits and vegetables. I guarantee that everyone can eat their fill!"

Young people all like excitement and fun, and someone immediately shouted good, and whistled, everyone showed a smiling expression.

Ervin stomped his feet, and the noisy cheers finally lessened a bit.

As Lance spoke again, the crowd quieted down. "The second matter is that something terrible happened today."

"First, I need everyone to understand one thing: we are not safe."

"Our status as illegal immigrants, the high-interest loans, and even the union are showing resistance towards our labor affairs."

"If any of these things explode, it will be difficult for us to continue having everything we have now, so we must be more united than others."

"However, today someone tried to push us to the edge of a cliff, making us endure terrible danger. This is something I cannot forgive."

"He will make us return to the past, living in culverts, not having enough to eat, not having enough to wear, and being bullied by others."

"He might even cause us to die under someone else's gun!"

"It is precisely because of this that I am especially hateful!"

"We are a family, we are one family, and I don't want anything to happen to any of you. Even if someone has to go to hell for it, I hope that person is me!"

"This is also the second thing for today: I am going to execute someone who tried to destroy us..."