Shadow Empire

Chapter 1001 Getting Beaten Up and the Bureau Chief's Wisdom
More and more diners left the restaurant, unwilling to get involved in such matters.

This is a mid-to-high-end restaurant, and those who dine here are mostly from the middle class or above.

Besides fearing the loss of their wealth, wealthy people also fear putting themselves in dangerous situations.

In less than two minutes, only Lance's table and the Perez family remained in the entire restaurant.

Peggy looked out the window at the uniformly dressed members of the Lance family, and he didn't even know when Lance had gone to call them.

At this moment, he could only grit his teeth and look at Lance, the ferocity in his eyes fading somewhat.

After all, humans are not animals. Even animals will back down when faced with a clear threat, let alone humans who possess greater intelligence.

He didn't speak, but just kept staring at Lance, as if expressing his emotions in this way.

Lance pursed his lips. "I don't like talking to people with my head tilted back. Sit down."

The order-like request made Peggy feel even more humiliated; he knew he couldn't sit down.

If he sat down at this moment, it would mean that he had given in to Lance.

Once this news gets out, the current head of the family will definitely kill him!

And how will the people around him view him?
Gangs are illegal organizations bound by violence. If they lose their deterrent power, their subordinates will not obey them and will want to challenge their position.

Everyone's risking their lives, so why should we obey a coward?
Peggy's men glared angrily at Lance, but Lance was looking at Peggy instead.

Peggy didn't say anything, just stood there staring at Lance. He was probably nervous inside, but on the surface, he had managed to get a passing grade.

Lance suddenly grabbed the fork beside him and stabbed it outwards into Peggy's thigh. Peggy suddenly clutched his thigh, staggered, and fell into a chair.

Just as his men were about to raise their weapons, members of the Lance family, who had already entered the restaurant from outside, lifted their trench coats and raised the submachine guns underneath.

Lance chuckled twice. "Give me a new set of cutlery."

The restaurant manager, who had been put down, glanced at the two waiters beside him, and finally nervously carried a set of cutlery over himself.

Lance picked up the brand-new knife and fork and continued to enjoy his food, saying as he ate, "Food is precious."

"In Asia, a steak is enough to drive a person mad to kill another. We shouldn't waste food, and it really does taste good."

He picked up a small piece of foie gras with his fork, then dipped it in a thick sauce made with red wine. The smooth texture and the sauce's unique flavor gave the foie gras an excellent eating experience.

Peggy sat there, clutching his thigh, sweat beading on his forehead. His eyes had become clearer; he hadn't expected Lance to actually dare to make a move in New Gold City.

"What do you plan to do with me?" he asked in a low voice.

When a person encounters a normal person, they may have some means or strategies to solve the situation or predicament they face.

But when a person encounters a madman, or at least someone you think is mad, those methods and schemes are obviously unlikely to be effective!
Although New Gold City is not the territory of the Perez family, their influence here is enormous, and key family members often appear in New Gold City on a regular basis.

This place isn't their territory, but it feels more like their territory.

Even so, Lance, that madman, still dared to attack him. Wasn't Lance afraid of triggering a family war?

Lance handled his knife and fork with the deliberate ease of a nobleman, then turned to look at Peggy. "Nothing much, just planning to teach you a lesson."

He turned to look at Mador, and the two stared at each other for only two or three seconds. Then Mador walked over and, in front of everyone else, suddenly punched Peggy in the face.

His eyes seemed to have become somewhat dull, and his upper body tilted to one side as he shook his head. The other members of the Perez family in the restaurant had already been disarmed.

Then came the second punch, the sound of each punch landing was still quite satisfying. His head was thrown back again, and blood began to seep from the corners of his mouth and nose.

These two punches were very heavy. Mador has a strong sense of self-discipline. Apart from when he was "working" with Lance, he spent the rest of his time either with the soldiers or in the "barracks".

The military camp here does not refer to the Federal military's camp, but rather to the Lance family's own training ground.

As Lance's personal bodyguard, Mador did not relax his self-discipline after gaining wealth. He knew very well that the stronger his physical fitness, the greater his chances of survival when protecting Lance.

He had talked to his wife and said that he would only withdraw from this extremely disciplined life after he retired.

But as long as he is still working and protecting Lance, he cannot let his guard down.

The strength of a former professional soldier who spends all his time in military camps and training grounds is unimaginable.

Two punches were enough to make Peggy see stars, and there wasn't a trace of hatred left in her eyes.

But Lance didn't stop. Mador rolled up his sleeves, grabbed his hair, raised his right arm high, stretched it behind him like a recurve bow, and then punched Peggy hard in the cheek.

Another "smack" rang out, not crisp, but rather dull, yet anyone could feel the power of that punch!

Then came the second punch, and the third punch.

Peggy's neck seemed to have lost the strength to support his head, and his head drooped down when Madol let go.

After clearing the hair from between his palms and fingers, Madol pressed on Peggy's carotid artery for a while. "He passed out."

Lance nodded slightly, and at that moment, a large number of police officers appeared and surrounded the area.

Lance looked at Tom, who stood up with a wry smile. "I just wanted to treat you to a meal."

He never expected things to escalate to this point, but overall, it was still within the realm of control and restraint.

The police outside had started shouting things like "Put down your weapons and raise your hands."

“Let’s deal with those people outside first,” Lance said, wiping his mouth and hands with a napkin before standing up.

Tom nodded and walked out of the restaurant. The moment he stepped out, some of the police officers outside, including the sheriffs, hid behind the doors of their police cars, and some even raised their pistols.

Tom walked closer to them with his hands raised, his expression calm and composed. After looking around, he said, "I want to see the highest-ranking officer here."

The way he spoke, the air about him, couldn't be faked, so all the police officers at the scene instinctively looked at one of the sergeants.

The sheriff himself was taken aback for a moment, then stood up. He frowned. "I'm the person in charge at the scene. Who are you?"

Tom lowered his hands and walked towards him, saying as he went, "Do you want me to say it in public?"

When the sheriff heard this, he muttered "Damn it!" There was no doubt that this was another case involving high-ranking federal officials, something that small fry like them couldn't handle.

He reluctantly put away his weapon. Everyone thought that being a sheriff in a place like New Gold City was a very prestigious thing.

But only they themselves know how helpless this job is. The streets are full of people they can't afford to offend, and they may face such situations every time they go out on a call.

Justice and law have long been trampled into the mud and cannot extricate themselves in the various cases in New Gold City!
“Please come this way,” he said, closing the car door and leading Tom to a spot a little further away from the police.

Tom first showed his credentials for entering and leaving Congress, saying, "I am Tom. You can make a call to your chief."

The sheriff sighed. "Wait a moment."

He quickly went to the phone booth next door, dialed the police chief's office number, and explained the situation.

He also went on to describe the two groups of people clashing inside, which he could see through the restaurant window. He wasn't good at describing the others, but the Lance family members were too conspicuous.

Upon hearing the sheriff's description, the police chief's expression changed from serious to somewhat grim. "It's the Lance family. Who had a conflict with them?"

Before the sheriff could even ask, the police chief already had some guesses in his mind: "It could be someone from the Perez family. They've had a long-standing feud, and if it weren't for Congressional mediation, they might have already started a bloody fight."

The sheriff wasn't interested in any of that. He didn't want to become a "police hero" and have his image hung on the wall for newly recruited officers to view in his final moments. He lowered his voice and asked, "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Should we bring them all back?" The police chief hesitated for a moment. "Wang Defa?"

Why did you bring them all back?

"Should we send their men to surround the police station?"

"Fake!"

"Although... you know there are some things we can't control, you still have to maintain the most basic dignity."

Who do you think has the advantage?

The sheriff examined the situation again for a moment. "The Lance family clearly outnumbers us; they should have the upper hand."

“Very good, let them go. After they leave, let another group leave.”

The police chief's approach was very shrewd; he managed to offend no one.

If the Perez family calls him, he can say, "Look, I made sure the Lance family left first to protect your people," which would at least prevent the Perez family from finding any reason to harm him.

As for the Lance family, it goes without saying.

You all brandished your weapons, and I let you go first. Can you still say that the police chief didn't handle this well?
The sheriff also realized that this was perhaps why he was just a sheriff, but the chief was the chief.

"I see."

"And their weapons..."

The police chief laughed in exasperation, “If you want to confiscate it, you can talk to them yourself, but don’t drag me into it.”

He hung up the phone after saying that. Although he hadn't been to the scene, he was still very unhappy just from hearing the news.

These people constantly trample on the police's standing in the eyes of the citizens, which he deeply hates.

After hanging up the phone, he became increasingly angry, so he dialed his old friend's number and told him what had happened.

After listening to him, his old friend comforted him, saying, "Don't get angry about these things, everything will change soon..."

At the scene, after hanging up the phone, the sheriff walked over to Tom and said, "You can leave with them now."

Tom nodded, turned and went back into the restaurant. "We can leave now."

Lance nodded slightly and strode out of the restaurant. At this moment, he did not act like a gang leader or a criminal at all.

He wasn't even a little nervous in front of so many police officers.

He glanced at the sheriff standing alone, stared at him for a moment, then Mador followed and opened the car door. Only then did he look away and get in.

Tom then squeezed in, followed by the others.

A dozen or so cars slowly started moving, and the onlookers remained silent.

After Lance and his men left, the sheriff sighed and ordered the police to leave.

The remaining members of the Perez family helped the unconscious Peggy out of the restaurant, put him in a car parked on the side of the road, and quickly drove away.

This piece of news, neither major nor minor, soon appeared on the desks of some people; to the gentlemen, it was just a small matter.

As long as they don't use guns or engage in a shootout, everything is still under control.

This might even give them the feeling that "it's just kids playing around," and once they've seen it, they've seen it and that's it, without taking it to heart.

However, some people took this to heart, such as Fran (the current head of the Perez family), who rushed to the hospital immediately.

Peggy has woken up but has fallen back asleep. This could be due to the anesthesia or a self-protective mechanism of the body after being frightened and threatened. Sleep can help him recover quickly.

Fran walked out of the ward, and the corridor was filled with members of the Perez family.

New Gold City is a bustling and wealthy city, where the Perez family also has a branch, and where the main members of the family like to live.

This place is full of enjoyment, so why do they make so much money?
Isn't it all so that we can enjoy it better?

Not to mention many years ago, at least in recent years, such things have rarely happened, with members of the Perez family being treated like this.

"It's that son of a bitch, Lance White, again!" Fran stomped his foot and cursed vehemently.

His face was full of anger. Last time, it was Lance and his men who killed the direct members of the Perez family. Although Peggy didn't die this time, Fran even hoped that Lance could kill Peggy in the restaurant!
This gave him a reason to directly wage war against Lance.

But Lance didn't kill Peggy; instead, he severely humiliated him, which was like a resounding slap in the face to Fran and the Perez family.

He could imagine that the entire New Gold City, and even the entire Northern underworld, was now mocking him and his family!
Peggy didn't die, so he couldn't get revenge.

One of his cousins ​​couldn't help but ask, "Are we just going to let this go?"

"Just let it go?" Fran's teeth were practically grinding to powder. "We can't just let it go like this. We have to get revenge!"

"Don't they have a bar here?"

He turned to look at his cousin, who couldn't help but gasp. "That's the embassy. Won't this cause unnecessary trouble?"

Attacking other countries' embassies?

Even if they attack the rented portion of the same building as the embassy, ​​it could still trigger some diplomatic disputes.

Fran glared at him. "Then what do you suggest we do?"

His cousin shut his mouth. When someone is angry, you'd better not try to calm them down, because they might use you to calm them down.

However, his reminder did have some effect. Fran paced back and forth a few steps. "Don't attack directly. Arrange for some people to cause trouble and let him know that we are not silent lambs."

It seems that this is the only way things can go. Lance's base of operations is in the south. If they really go to the south, it's hard to say who will punish whom.

This made Fran increasingly angry. He stomped his foot, turned around, and left. He didn't want to hear about these things anymore.

The others followed suit, but what about Peggy?
Only a few of his own men remained to watch over him. Although Peggy had been beaten unconscious and humiliated, his men still considered him a man, at least he hadn't backed down.

Around 10 p.m., Senator Cleveland called to inquire about what had happened that evening.

Knowing that both sides were restrained and no one had been killed, he, like the other masters, didn't take the matter to heart.

He said he has been very busy with work lately and doesn't have time to talk to Lance face-to-face for the time being, and it will take some time.

The Federation's aircraft appeared on the battlefield and gained a certain advantage, at least preventing Slade's aircraft from flying around recklessly. This led many members of the Slade military alliance to once again gather on the Federation's side.

They want the technology to build airplanes—not that they can't develop it themselves, but the current structure and technology of airplanes aren't that advanced.

But now it's wartime, and they need something that can be immediately converted into combat power, not something that a group of people spend money and time researching.

Whether it's technology transfer, direct sale of aircraft, or joint research, there's a lot of diplomatic work to be done.

In addition, the Federation wants to gain more influence and dominance worldwide, so it has a lot of diplomatic work to do.

If the Secretary of State can't handle everything by himself, he will naturally involve some members of Congress.

As an important member of Congress, Senator Cleveland also has his own diplomatic work.

(End of this chapter)