Shadow Empire

Chapter 1013 Handling the Situation, The Caller ID and I'm Your Father
The police arrived very quickly, after all, it was a senator who called the police.

Federal police also have different attitudes when handling these cases depending on the person who reported them.

In wealthy neighborhoods, police response times are often within minutes.

For calls involving politicians or government departments, police cars will arrive at the scene within three minutes.

However, if you are only middle class, this time may be a bit longer; ten minutes is a reasonable time.

In ordinary communities and slums, people who call the police can still do some things they need to do after they have finished reporting the incident.

According to regulations in some cities, police cars must arrive at the location of a report within 15 to 30 minutes. This shows that whether the police can effectively organize crime during this period has little to do with the case itself.

As for those dark-skinned people in the slums who call the police, they had better pray that the police won't get nervous and fire a few shots at the caller when they arrive.

Although this happens frequently.

As soon as Senator Porter gave his name, sirens blared in the surrounding neighborhood. New Gold City police have their own police channels, making it easy for them to notify nearby patrol officers to arrive at the scene as quickly as possible.

Two police cars arrived, and the officers surveyed the scene. After confirming that Senator Porter was not injured, they advised him to immediately return to his home, close the door, and have his bodyguards take care of him.

“We haven’t gotten many eyewitness testimonies from the surrounding area, and, you know, this matter… takes time to solve.”

“We cannot guarantee that the suspect will not attack you again. The best course of action now is for you to protect yourself. Of course, if you need the cooperation of the police, we will arrange officers to protect you.”

This was probably the most appropriate course of action; the officers didn't even mention initially that they were going to protect Senator Porter.

For big shots like Senator Porter, their bodyguards are far more reliable than police officers, both in terms of equipment and professionalism.

Senator Porter had gradually calmed down, and his butler brought him a change of clothes.

He had taken off the clothes he was wearing before, which were covered in the blood of the two poodles.

After changing into a completely different outfit at a roadside shop, he emerged, his face slightly pale. "I need to go somewhere now..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I need to see my son. Someone called me and said he might be in danger."

“I kept calling him before I left, but he couldn’t answer. I was worried that something had happened to him.”

At this moment, some of the unease in his heart had already dissipated.

One reason was that the police were there, which made him feel safe.

On the other hand, if the other party's target is him, then his son is definitely safe.

After listening, the officer paused for a moment, then asked for information about Senator Porter's son and notified the police department.

The police department has patrol officers throughout the city that can be dispatched, and they quickly returned with information that Senator Porter's son, Mr. Porter Jr., the husband of a Golden State Senator, was unharmed.

When the police officers came to check on him, he was working in his office.

They quickly found out why the phone lines weren't working: someone had cut the phone lines in those offices.

The state legislature is not a closed place; anyone can come in. Moreover, as long as someone is dressed as a repairman, they can easily enter places that ordinary people cannot access.

With the support of Senator Cleveland behind this, Lance's men easily located the phone lines and cut them all.

Upon hearing that his father had encountered such a situation, Mr. Potter was also eager to speak to him using a public phone booth.

"I heard you were attacked!" Mr. Potter's voice was filled with anxiety.

As a politician, he knew very well how far he could go depended on how far his father could support him.

If Senator Porter were to die now, his chances of getting into Congress would be greatly reduced.

The political arena is not a gentle place, nor is it filled with warmth; it is a place of naked power.

Not all the families depicted in the founding paintings of the Federation survived; some people and their families gradually disappeared during past struggles.

It's possible that something unexpected happened to the whole family, and they all suddenly died.

It's also possible that the entire family suddenly disbanded overnight, each going off to live the lives they wanted.

Politics is ruthless, but this ruthlessness is obscured by various civilized elements, leading some people who are unaware of the true situation to believe that politics is a civilized place.

People talk to each other very politely; everyone is a gentleman.

Actually, no. Everyone is both the hunter and the prey. This is a hunting ground where everyone plays their own different role.

There are many characters, but there are no good people among them!

Senator Porter finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing his son's voice. He loosened his tie. "I couldn't get through to you when I called, which made me feel terrible."

“I received a phone call telling me that something had happened to you, and then I couldn’t get through to you on your phone, and the same went for your secretary. I could only think the worst.”

"Now I understand, their target is me."

Mr. Potter seemed puzzled. "What have you been doing lately?"

They did not live together.

Not living together is certainly not the kind of "independence" that federal society promotes, but rather a necessity for work.

Both father and son are politicians; one is a senator in Congress, and the other is a state senator. They can both be considered big shots.

Important figures like them come into contact with many people on a daily basis, including capitalists, politicians, and others.

If they still live together, these visitors might run into each other, which could make them feel awkward.

Just like when Mr. Potter's friends come to visit him, they might run into his boss visiting Senator Potter, which would be awkward for both of them.

So they lived separately, and not very close to each other.

This led Senator Porter to decide that his first thought after failing to contact Mr. Porter Jr. was to go to the state legislature, since Mr. Porter would surely be in his office on weekdays.

When Mr. Potter asked him, he thought for a moment and then did not hide anything. He knew that if something happened to him, it would not only be his problem, but his son would also be affected.

"I've been anti-war lately..."

Mr. Potter was speechless upon hearing this. "Why oppose the war?"

"We all know that this war has brought the economy back on track, and the entire Federation is now recovering from the war economy. To oppose the war is to oppose society and humanity, Dad!"

He used colloquialism, "dad," instead of "father," which shows that he also expressed the same view as ordinary people when faced with this issue—are you fucking kidding me?!

Senator Porter gave a wry smile. "I'll tell you about this when you get back. For now, it's enough that I can confirm you're alright."

“I’m going home now. If you’re coming back, you’d better go with a lot of people. I can’t be sure if they’ve stopped here or if they’ll continue to attack and intimidate us.”

Mr. Potter hummed in agreement. "Okay, I'll finish up my work and come back to you later."

The two exchanged a few simple words and ended the call. The police chief arrived and, after hearing the report from the officers at the scene, immediately realized that this was likely a "warning" from a political adversary.

Just as he was about to approach Senator Porter, the officer in charge of handling the two poodle carcasses came over and whispered something in his ear.

He paused for a moment, then nodded and turned to walk toward Senator Porter.

Senator Porter knew the police chief; after all, the guy was a regular in the local newspapers and quite a celebrity. A celebrity and a big shot may seem similar, but they're actually very different.

He wasn't in a good mood when he faced the police chief; in fact, he was a bit angry. He felt that the city was in such a bad state, and that the fact that people were attacking a senator like him with impunity was one of the signs of poor public safety.

Perhaps sensing from the other person's undisguised expression that he was not a popular person, the police chief did not mince words. "Mr. Potter, my colleague just told me that the teeth of those two poodles have been pulled out and their mouths have been sewn up with needle and thread."

"I think this is very likely a hint or a piece of advice from the attacker?"

"If you have any clues, you'd better tell me. It will be of great help to us in finding the person who attacked you."

Senator Porter fell into deep thought after hearing this. His teeth had been pulled and his mouth had been sewn shut—a clear indication that he was to be shut up.

This also makes it easy for him to connect his own issues with those of others, and to promote anti-war sentiments and the like.

But can he tell anyone about this?

He looked at the police chief with a half-smile on his face, knowing what the police chief meant by suddenly saying this.

He was trying to "admonish" himself in this way that he, Senator Porter, was not a really big shot in the city, so there was no need to put on a cold, condescending attitude towards a police chief.

This was a rare "counterattack" for Senator Porter, especially from a police chief, who quipped, "I dare say it, do you dare listen?"

Just one sentence was enough to silence the police chief.

Senator Porter would certainly dare to say that he is a senator, as long as he doesn't do anything to make everyone hate him.

He was safe until he lost his position as a senator, but the people he mentioned were the ones who dared to attack him, a big shot in the Senate.

Would the police chief dare to find out?
If he finds out, will he become the next target of an attack?
If they used such drastic measures when dealing with Senator Porter, wouldn't they just find someone to shoot him a few times when dealing with a law enforcement officer?
Seeing the police chief fall silent, Senator Porter didn't press him further. He smiled, shook his head, and ducked into his car.

The entire convoy quickly left the scene.

The sheriff in charge of the scene walked over and asked, "What do we do next?"

The police chief sighed. "What do we do?"

"Of course, we'll handle this officially and follow the proper procedures, but don't initiate any investigations. There's insufficient evidence, understand?"

"If the investigation uncovers something, will you be the one to make the arrest, or will I?"

He glanced at the sheriff, who immediately shrank back.

Being a law enforcement officer in New Gold City is not a pleasant experience. There are just too many important people here, and you never know if the person you pass by on the street is an important figure.

If an investigation reveals who orchestrated all of this, say a senator, would you dare to arrest them?
No, no one would dare to do that.

Because before you make the decision to arrest him, everyone will be on your side, including the police chief's superior and the mayor.

The bureau chief waved his hand, got into his car, and left the scene. He had really had enough.

Senator Porter returned home quickly, as did his son. The two sat in the study, alone, without even the butler. They were about to have a private conversation.

"I..." Neither the father nor the son spoke immediately; they were both thinking and pondering.

Just as Senator Porter was about to say something, the telephone on the desk suddenly rang.

He and his son exchanged a glance, then he picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. "This is Potter."

Senator Porter?

"I heard you were attacked. I hope you weren't hurt or anything."

"Has the person who attacked you been caught?"

The voice on the other end of the line was very familiar; he didn't even need the other person to say their name to know who it was.

There was a slight stiffness on his face, but his tone was gentle. "Senator Cleveland, thank you for your inquiry. I am fine. I am not injured, and the person who attacked me has not been caught."

“This is really good news. I hope it won’t affect your work. I will put pressure on the police department to find the criminal as soon as possible and give you and the people of New Gold City an explanation.”

"That's absolutely outrageous!"

Senator Porter gave a forced smile and hummed, "Thank you very much for your concern and call."

"Alright, I won't disturb your rest any longer. After such an attack, I'm sure you'll need to rest for a few days."

"Is it right?"

Senator Porter did not answer immediately, but after thinking for a moment, he said with a sigh, "Yes, I need to rest for a few days. I'm a little stressed."

"I will bring my colleagues to visit you after work."

"See you later?"

"See you later."

Senator Porter put down the phone and looked at his son. The two men looked at each other, and Senator Porter's gaze softened. He sighed, "The perpetrator's call."

“Senator Cleveland?” Mr. Porter asked. The name was very prestigious to him and to almost everyone who cared about politics.

Currently, the political group of the Cleveland senators holds seventeen seats in Congress.

A third of the entire Congress belongs to Senator Cleveland's faction, which has set a congressional record!
The reason this "miracle" was possible was because Senator Cleveland was very generous.

It is said, and this is just a rumor, that the Cleveland senator's own political faction distributes more than $100 million in bonuses every year.

Seventeen people sharing 100 million?
This is only what they've heard of; what about what they haven't heard of?
Will there be more?

It's no wonder that their political group has more and more allies; he's given them just too much!

Moreover, behind this war, rapidly expanding industrial groups and military-industrial complexes also stood behind Senator Cleveland.

Because he not only advocated participating in a war that had nothing to do with the Federation on the continent of Tanfit, but also advocated further annexation of Alan.

In a plan he presented, he mentioned that the Federation should become a leader in world civilization, and in order to maintain world peace, the Federation needs to have the ability to suppress local wars anytime and anywhere.

What does it mean?
This is his continued expansion of the Federation's war potential, which means that the military-industrial complex and industrial groups will have more orders and profits!
How could they possibly just follow Senator Cleveland? The benefits and interests these military-industrial complexes have given Senator Cleveland are unknown, but they are certainly much more than a hundred million!

So when Mr. Potter discovered that his father’s opponent was the most popular person in politics at the time, the shock and disdain on his face were almost impossible to hide.

He tried to speak several times, but because the idiot in front of him was his father, he didn't know how to start!
Senator Porter, of course, could read his son's facial expressions and emotional reactions. He waved his hand and said, "Say what you want to say."

"How could you... make such a judgment and decision, standing against Senator Cleveland?"

Senator Porter sighed. "I may be a senator, but I'm washed up, you know?"

“After the election following the end of the war, I will be leaving the Senate, and they are no longer willing to invest in me.”

"I can't exactly act like those...lower people, wagging my tail and circling around them, can I?"

"And who do you think I'm doing all this for?"

"Myself?"

(End of this chapter)