Shadow Empire

Chapter 1023 Uncomfortable Adjustment, Breakfast, and the Family Business
Governor Terry stood beside Lance, the two of them as close as ordinary friends.

He offered Lance a cigarette and thoughtfully lit it for him with a lighter.

This scene was witnessed by many people, and their gazes toward Lance underwent a more subtle change.

In the federal political system, the governor has actually reached... strictly speaking, a pinnacle role.

According to the federal constitution and laws, governors and presidents are on equal footing, but within a state, the governor's political power and status are higher than those of the federal president.

So when a governor like Terry, who is already at the pinnacle of politics, wants to ignite Lance's troubles, people have to reassess how much they value Lance.

Governor Terry knew what would happen if he did this in public, but he did it anyway because he was also aware of one thing.

That means Lance's status was actually higher than his.

Given what Lance has been doing, even if Governor Terry has some evidence of Lance's crimes, he has no way to bring Lance to justice.

On the one hand, he couldn't do it; the bigger Lance's business, the larger his base, and the more benefits he could transfer to Congress.

Under these circumstances, Senator Cleveland and his political group will not allow Lance to run into trouble.

Because if Lance runs into trouble, it won't just be that their interests will be greatly reduced; more importantly, it could implicate some of them, or even all of them.

So no matter what, they will protect Lance to the death, even if it means a direct confrontation with the governor.

On the other hand, he didn't dare to do that.

Although everyone knows that in political struggles, everyone should adhere to the principle of not being the first to use violence to physically eliminate their opponents.

However, no rule can force people to absolutely comply; this rule only works under the premise that no one wants greater destruction to occur.

If he were to lay a hand on Lance, Lance's fate would certainly be unpleasant, so why would he still abide by such a rule?

When the Lance family of Ponda launches a bloody revenge against him and his family, he simply cannot withstand such pressure.

In addition, he still relies on Lance's influence in various aspects, so he doesn't mind letting people know that he and Lance are good friends, the kind of friends who are not in a superior-subordinate relationship!
"This time I recruited some people who are very interested in our ideas, willing to join us and spontaneously defend our interests."

He was referring to the people he had just introduced to Lance. "I may make some adjustments to several policies, such as special taxes, and also promulgate some new local policies and regulations."

Lance glanced at him. "Have you completely won over the state legislature?"

Governor Terry nodded. "I've spoken with the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, and they're willing to support me and join us."

Neither speaker could resist such a great temptation.

If the profit is big enough, nothing is impossible in this world.

However, these things cannot be discussed here. Governor Terry then talked about some recent events, and the next step was to use his power as governor to issue local policies to make this interest group more cohesive.

This kind of thing is not uncommon in the federal government. Some officials promote various preferential policies for companies that are close to them, and some have even almost written the company's name into the regulations.

Under such operations, the capital side of the entire interest group will receive the greatest benefits, their taxes will be greatly reduced, and they will receive more government subsidies.

For example, if everyone is producing the same stick, and the cost is one dollar, 45 cents of that goes to various taxes, and the rest is the company's profit.

However, with the governor's support, their corporate tax rate could be reduced to 15 cents, while the state government could subsidize businesses with 10 cents or more for various reasons, thus achieving the possibility of actual tax exemption or even exceeding the extra profit from tax exemption.

On one hand, they have to pay nearly half of their taxes, while on the other hand, they not only don't have to pay taxes but also receive subsidies from the government.

When two companies that manufacture the same product and have no technological gap start competing, it becomes immediately clear who will win and who will lose.

The companies that ultimately emerge victorious will gain absolute dominance within the state, as well as the most crucial element of a monopoly—pricing power.

Of course, in this ever-evolving world and era, federal capitalists are not so crude in their methods. They will not allow a single local company to monopolize the industry. They will continue to operate one, two, or even more companies, still giving society and the market a sense of "intense competition".

There may be seventy or eighty different brands of goods on the market, but they are all backed by the same company and the same group of people.

But in reality, this is just an illusion.

This is like federal oil and steel giants, which are broken up and split up repeatedly. It may seem like they are no longer monopolistic, but in reality, they are still monopolistic.

The two discussed briefly, and Lance did not refute his general policy proposals, so he took the initiative to end the conversation.

Because there are still many people waiting, waiting to meet Lance.

The moment Governor Terry left him, several people straightened their clothes and walked over.

They seemed to have discovered each other in the process, and they exchanged glances. One of them, a gentleman who appeared to be of higher status, was granted the right to speak with Lance first.

He walked over with his head held high, extending his hand from afar, only bowing his head when he reached Lance. "Hello, Mr. White..."

Lance reached out and shook hands with him briefly before letting go. "Hello."

William, watching everything unfold from the corner, felt as if he were in a dream, as if it were all unreal!
He had dreamt of this day, of everything that happened here, countless times, but every time the sunlight shone on his face, he would wake up from his dream.

Until he met Lance.

"Is that Mayor Lawrence?" Just as he was getting a little distracted, a strange voice suddenly rang in his ears. He turned his head and looked over, only to see a stranger.

However, he quickly grasped the other person's hand, his face displaying a reserved smile, "Yes, who are you?"

The two quickly struck up a conversation, chatting as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for years—in a harmonious and natural way.

Everything that happened in the manor was just like everything that was happening in some corners of the world. If someone didn't know what high society was, then seeing all that was happening here might give them a clearer understanding of it.

At 11:59:59 PM, when Lance stood on the steps and raised his glass, the already somewhat intoxicated guests seemed to finally forget their reserve and status, and all raised their glasses high.

"Happy New Year!"

Lance wasn't sure if he was happy in the New Year, but he was definitely having a headache.

He drank quite a bit that night, even if it was just a small sip each time, but there were too many people who wanted to have a drink with him.

He rubbed his face and looked to his side. Patricia slowly opened her eyes as well.

"Sorry I woke you up," Lance said, touching her cheek. "Was last night pleasant?"

Patricia stretched, then propped herself up to sit up, turned around, got out of bed, took off her pajamas, and walked naked towards the bathroom.

"Want to hear the truth?"

After tying her hair up, she put on a shower cap and turned on the shower in the bathroom, immediately filling the room with the sound of rushing water.

Lance walked over, stood by the door, and looked at her.

"of course."

Patricia shook her head as she started washing up. "To be honest, it's not good. Those women give me a bad feeling. I always feel like they might talk badly about me behind my back."

"And I always felt that there was something wrong with the way they looked at me."

She turned her head and wiped the water off her face, looking at Lance outside the shower.

The entire shower room adopts the design of Lance. It is a very spacious shower room, and the entire ceiling is a huge shower head.

When one of the switches is turned on, hot water will pour down from the entire ceiling, and there is also a "frenzy" mode.

It was like a storm was coming, with big water droplets pelting down, which was kind of interesting.

The first time you stand inside, you feel a subconscious sense of suffocation, but he rarely uses it. Most of the time, it's like a shower that looks like a downpour.

Lance also took off his pajamas and went inside. He hugged Patricia from behind, feeling the sense of security brought by their hot skin. Patricia leaned back into Lance's arms.

"I feel like running away. I don't like these kinds of occasions, and I don't like people with fake smiles on their faces."

Lance buried his face in her neck, but he couldn't smell her fragrance because the rain was too heavy.

“I’m a little uneasy, Lance.”

Her eyes remained closed, her eyelashes fluttering repeatedly as water droplets lashed against them. "I have a feeling that I'm not good enough for you."

As she spoke, she turned around and hugged Lance tightly.

Last night, she actually gave herself a zero score; she was completely led by Barbara to confront these ladies.

These ladies seemed to respect her greatly, and everyone had a smile on their face, but she could always see something in their smiles and eyes.

Disdain for oneself?

may be.

They seemed to be "measuring" her, trying to figure out what was so outstanding about her that could attract Lance.

Or some other perspective.

These scrutinizing gazes, insincere smiles, and insincere words, along with the malice or goodwill hidden behind them that she couldn't discern, made her somewhat dislike such occasions.

She couldn't handle these people with ease, but for Barbara, this situation was like a game.

So relaxed and comfortable.

Lance held her, a smile on his face. "You are my wife, my dear. No one can hurt you except me."

"If you feel that someone has shown you malice, tell me her name, and I will make her apologize to you personally and beg for your forgiveness."

Patricia hummed twice. "That's not what I meant. I'm just a little uncomfortable in these kinds of situations. I'm not used to this kind of social interaction."

Both Barbara and her mother Emily handled these wealthy ladies with ease, so she couldn't understand why it was so difficult for her.

Lance simply held her, then turned off the shower, picked up the shower gel, and said, "Forget about all this bad stuff for now. If you didn't like it, we'll invite fewer people next time."

She wanted to say something else, but at this moment, she could only reply with "um".

What she really wanted to say was that Lance could bring Barbara next time. This cousin was amazing; compared to her, she was no match at all.

The scenery in the bathroom was enchanting, and what should have been a quick shower took half an hour to finish.

The doctor said that taking a hot bath is good for your health, and it certainly seems to be true. When the two of them came out, their bodies and faces were rosy, and they looked very healthy.

In the new year, the guests at the manor had all left, and it was much quieter. When Lance and Patricia arrived at the restaurant, William and Emily were already there.

When the two saw Lance and Patricia enter, they stood up, hugged each other, and then sat down separately.

Lance noticed there was another set of cutlery. He glanced at the butler, who bowed slightly. "Miss Rowling hasn't come down yet."

Rowling is Lance's nominal sister and the last person with the "White" bloodline.

Lance has been sponsoring her schooling, and although she may not become a great person, at least she has experienced it.

She doesn't usually go back to the manor or the villa; she lives at the school. Even during holidays like Chinese New Year, she rarely comes back.

Perhaps it was because he was a little unfamiliar with Lance, or perhaps it was for other reasons.

For example, Mr. White?
Strictly speaking, Lance is the murderer, so there might be some distance between them.

"Should I call Miss Rowling down?" the butler asked.

Lance nodded. "Go ask her. If she's willing to come down, get her to come down as soon as possible. If she's not willing, don't force her. Have someone send her some food."

The butler left quickly, and Lance explained his relationship with Rowling.

As Lance's closest confidants and his most devoted spouse, they knew some of Lance's little secrets, which weren't exactly secrets.

Lance thought Rowling might not come to this kind of family breakfast, which felt a little awkward, since Lance, Patricia, William, and Emily were a real family.

Rowling, however, is clearly not one of them; she probably won't come down.

But to Lance's surprise, Rowling actually came down.

Hearing her footsteps, Lance turned around and looked at her, sizing her up and down. "You look much better than before."

School life made her much more cheerful. Of course, the key wasn't the school, but rather wealth and status.

When people learned that Rowling was Lance's sister, everyone—teachers, principals, and classmates—began to fuss over her.

She is like the center of the universe in her studies and life.

In such an environment, it's impossible for a person not to become confident!

This is the most direct benefit that money and status bring!
"Brother!" Rowling greeted Lance first, then walked over and hugged him before looking at Patricia and calling her name directly.

She then greeted William and Emily before taking her seat.

"I've been extremely busy these past two years, and I haven't spent much time in the Federation. I haven't had a chance to ask you about your life yet. Have you encountered any trouble?"

While eating the sweet soup prepared for breakfast, Rowling shook her head. "No, brother, everyone is very kind to me. No one yells at me, and you have arranged for people to protect me."

"My life now feels like living in paradise, and I'm very content!"

Lance nodded. "I'm glad you're satisfied. If you have any questions, you can contact me. If you can't reach me, you can call the housekeeper or the company, and they will handle it."

Rowling behaved very obediently, "I understand, brother."

Lance nodded slightly, and everyone began to eat.

While eating, William said, "The family wants to set up a logistics company because we have too many goods to transport."

"Common crops, wheat, rice, and many other things like vegetables and potatoes."

"Livestock and meat also need to be transported, and most importantly, wine."

“In some places there is a train network, which is quite convenient, but in other places trains are not very convenient for transportation, so we can only use trains to travel on intercontinental highways.”

“We now outsource our cargo transportation to a transportation company. I discussed it with them, and we estimate that we spend about 200,000 to 300,000 yuan on transportation every year.”

"Half of that is profit. What the older folks mean is that now that our business is getting bigger and bigger, why don't we start our own transportation company?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with doing this, so I wanted to ask for your opinion."

Lance nodded as he ate. “I don’t think there’s any problem. Just ask the transportation company we’re working with if they’d be willing to sell their company.”

“If they’re willing to sell, we’ll buy it and then we’ll do it ourselves.”

“If they’re not willing…” Lance swallowed the food in his mouth, looked at William, “then we’ll do it ourselves.”

Acquiring this long-term partner transportation company is a relatively mild move, considering that acquisitions always come at a premium, and it's a good ending to part ways amicably.

Although they lost the company, they also gained a lot of money!

They could easily reinvest the money, or simply lie down and do nothing.

But if they are unwilling to accept the Lawrence family's offer, then what follows will be a hellish competition.

“If you ultimately decide to set up your own company, I will talk to Terry and give you some subsidies, as well as some government orders and orders from companies related to us.”

William smiled. He had already inquired and found that if they could achieve the scale Lance had described, the annual profit would be over a million.

"Thank you..." he said sincerely.

After all, apart from Lance, no one else would give you such a large sum of money for no reason.

Lance waved his hand and placed a few pieces of beef into Patricia's plate.

(End of this chapter)