Shadow Empire

Chapter 1100 Order
The mayor stood up and sat down again, looking out the window repeatedly before quickly returning to his chair.

He kept repeating these actions.

He had already heard the gunshots, and through some channels he had learned a little about what was happening—the Perez family was being attacked!
He learned that there were about seven or eight people who had been attacked, and he believed that this was definitely not all of them, but only a portion.

This is definitely not good news for him. As the "boss" of the city, he and the Perez family can be considered partners to some extent.

He provided the Perez family with necessary protection, though this protection was not particularly significant in practice, as they also had senators in Congress they knew who spoke on their behalf.

However, it cannot be said that it is completely useless. After all, in the context of the mayoral system, if the mayor decides to go against them, the Perez family will not have an easy time either.

Of course, the mayor himself wouldn't have an easy time either, so they chose to cooperate, a way of life where everyone would be comfortable.

The mayor, as a partner, is finding the current situation rather complicated.

Multiple aspects.

First of all, the city's security may deteriorate rapidly. Although he has not personally experienced gang warfare, he has heard others talk about it.

There are daily firefights in the city, and gunfire can be heard everywhere, especially at night.

The city's security will collapse, the lives of ordinary people will be severely affected, and social order will continue to deteriorate. This will be a huge responsibility for him, the mayor of this city.

He needs to shoulder these responsibilities, so he doesn't like this kind of thing happening in his city.

Secondly, will his cooperation with the Perez family leave behind any evidence?

If the Perez family left behind evidence of their cooperation with him, could that evidence fall into the hands of the enemy should the Perez family lose this gang war?
Could they use this evidence to blackmail or extort me?

These are all things that could happen!
He finds it hard to sit still and wait for things to unfold. He tells himself he has to do something to deal with the situation, which could continue to worsen, but he doesn't know what to do or what he can do.

A short while later, there was a knock on the door. He returned to his desk, sat down, took a deep breath to appear calmer, and said, "Come in."

The bearded bureau chief walked in from outside, slightly hunched over.

As the city's police chief, he was appointed directly by the mayor, who could dismiss him at any time and replace him with someone he felt was capable of taking responsibility.

When the mayor called the bearded bureau chief and asked him to come over, the bureau chief's situation was actually similar to the mayor's current situation.

Unable to sit still.

But he also had to face the mayor; there were two things he had to confront in this city.

mayor.

Fran.

"I've heard more than one gunshot all morning, and it's been coming on very fast. Can you tell me what's happening in my city?" the mayor said, clearly annoyed. His tone was angry and very rude.

There's a sense of accusation that the bureau chief is not doing anything. He certainly has the right to do so, and doing so can also release some of the enormous pressure he's currently under.

His pressure was relieved, but the pressure on the bearded chief increased. He glanced up at the mayor and then gave a troubled smile. "Members of the Perez family have been attacked."

"Who attacked you?" the mayor asked very quickly. It could be said that he couldn't wait to ask the question as soon as the bearded bureau chief finished speaking, leaving the bearded man no time at all.

After thinking for a moment, the bearded bureau chief said, "I heard it's the Lance family."

“The Lance family!” the mayor repeated the key phrase. “How could an out-of-town gang possibly carry out such a large-scale attack locally?”

"Haven't you all noticed how many outsiders have entered this city?"

“Hel, I have serious doubts about your competence. Even a dog in your position could sniff out who’s on your side and who isn’t.”

This was a typical, somewhat insulting remark. Hull had been a yes-man for a long time, and he was used to being humiliated by the mayor or by the Perez family.

However, deep down, he still loathed these people.

People certainly have self-respect and hope that others can respect their independent personality, but his current job makes it impossible for him to do so.

His silence further angered the mayor. "What you need to do now is not to sit across from me and keep your mouth shut, but to tell me how you plan to handle this matter."

The bearded chief opened his mouth, and after about seven or eight seconds said, "I will have more officers patrolling the streets. If we encounter these people, we will arrest them."

The mayor stared into his eyes for a long time, then shook his head helplessly. "You know that's not what I want to hear."

The bearded police chief immediately put on a wronged expression. "Your Excellency, I am just a police chief. I am not a big shot. I have no way to mediate the conflict between the Perez family and the Lance family."

"And you must know that some time ago, they deliberately let everyone know that they attacked the Lance family's transport convoy. They were the ones who started the war, not... the Lance family."

He realized that his words might have been somewhat contradictory, so he immediately shut his mouth.

The mayor's eyes turned dangerous. "I don't know anything about the attack on the transport convoy. All I know is that this is my city, and you are its guardian. You have to restore order and stability to it."

The bearded bureau chief did not immediately agree, but remained silent. After about thirty or forty seconds, he said, "Mayor, is it really a good idea for us to take sides so early?"

As a police chief struggling to survive, he is well aware of some of the problems he faces.

He couldn't afford to offend the Lance family, nor could he afford to offend the mayor, so he might as well make things clear.

In some ways, it would be a good thing if the mayor removed him from his post, so that he wouldn't have to offend anyone and everything that happened afterward would be irrelevant to him.

As for whether the mayor will kill him?

He thought it unlikely. Even if the mayor really wanted to kill him, it wouldn't be him killing himself, but rather someone from the Perez family would do it.

He just needs to hide himself for a while, and he'll be safe once the Perez family is wiped out by Lance's gang.

Others may not know what happened yet, but he knew that from the moment the gunshots rang out at the Perez family manor, he knew that the shadow shrouding the city was being dispelled, devoured, and merged by another, more powerful force!
The mayor's gaze towards the bureau chief grew even more unfriendly. After a moment, he asked in a carefully chosen tone, "Do you know something?"

After a long deliberation, the bearded chief said, "Fran has been shot."

The mayor's ever-changing expressions froze on his face in an instant, his expression one of horror. He was so frightened that he stood up and stared at the bearded bureau chief in disbelief at the news he had just heard.

"Fuck, what the hell did you say?"

"Fran was shot?"

"Fake!"

"Where did you get this information from!"

The bearded chief didn't say that he had leaked crucial information to Lance and his team; he simply brushed it off with the excuse that "I have an informant," a phrase that police officers love to use.

After he told Lance about Fran's little hobby—that he would go to the terrace to sunbathe and feel the breeze when he was in a good mood—he began to wonder what Lance would do.
He had many guesses, all of which ultimately pointed to Lance assassinating Fran directly. It wasn't until news of Lance's attack spread throughout the old city that he suddenly realized the truth.

Gunshots rang out from the Perez family estate immediately afterward, and the entire estate was put on high alert. But Bob quickly changed his mind and said that nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, Fran, who should have said something or made his presence known, did not appear.

After analyzing all this information, he came to the conclusion that Fran had been shot and his fate was unknown, which was why the Lance family launched their attack at this time.

The Lance family gunmen disguised as police officers were so easily overlooked that it was easy for them to slip through their fingers. Who would have thought that the gunmen from the rival family would transform into local police officers? Not only had they made contact before, but they also openly loitered around them every day, knowing their daily routines and everything else perfectly well?
They couldn't possibly know these things, they couldn't have imagined them, so when they were attacked, the police who had smiled at them and may have even taken bribes from them suddenly turned on them and pulled out their guns, leaving them no time to react.

"This was a premeditated attack, Your Excellency Mayor. What we should do now is maintain order and security, and then let them fight it out."

"Please forgive me for being blunt, but the fact that the Lance family was able to launch a large-scale attack on the Perez family shows that they were actually prepared to win this war."

After hearing these words, the mayor fell into deep thought, his gaze lingering on the bearded bureau chief. "So, in this cruel game, what role did you play?"

"I don't believe you're an outsider. The Lance family contacted you, didn't they?"

"You've provided them with some conveniences; only in this way will Fran and the others ignore the fact that a threat has already loomed over them!"

His analysis was also correct; when the police chief said so much, it meant that his stance had long been skewed.

A local's bias towards an outsider can only mean they've had prior contact, and Lance himself may have even promised the bureau chief a lot of benefits!

The mayor was excluded from this deal.

This infuriated the mayor!
As the de facto ruler of the city, he could not accept that his key law enforcement officials had contacted potential adversaries behind his back and even made deals with them.

His face was filled with anger at being deceived and kept in the dark, and he pointed at the bureau chief's nose, "You were..."

Before he could even say "dismissal," the phone on his desk rang.

The police chief sitting opposite him seemed to have a sense of relief that he had expected it, but there was also a hint of helplessness on his face. His shoulders were slumped, and he looked very disheartened.

The mayor answered the phone, "This is the mayor's office..."

His expression changed after a few seconds, showing some surprise. "I know, but..."

He was interrupted again before he could finish speaking, so he could only listen quietly and occasionally say something like "okay" or "I understand".

After waiting for three or four minutes, he put down the phone, feeling the same helplessness.

He opened his cigarette case, took out a cigarette and lit it, then glanced sideways at the bearded bureau chief sitting opposite him, whose eyes seemed somewhat vacant.

Since taking office, Hull had been the police chief, and he was quite comfortable using him.

This guy is smart, sensible, and low-key.

No matter whether he was beaten, scolded, or humiliated, he could act as if nothing had happened.

He also knew that the Perez family often teased the bearded director, but he never said anything about it. He thought... it was normal.

Until this moment.

"Go back to work and keep the city safe and orderly."

"Show no mercy to criminals. Once you find them exchanging fire or committing crimes, arrest them all and throw them in jail!"

"I appointed you as the police chief, not to be anyone's dog. Even if you are a dog, you can only be the taxpayers' dog, understand?"

“If you fucking can’t do it!” the mayor said, pointing at the bearded bureau chief with his cigarette-holding hand propped on the table. “I’ll fire you and send you to jail.”

The bearded bureau chief didn't know who had spoken on the phone or what they had said, but he knew that a turning point seemed to have appeared!

His face lit up with surprise, and he immediately stood up and saluted, "Yes, Your Excellency!"

"Get out!"

"Now!"

The bearded bureau chief scurried away, already guessing that the call must have come from someone on Lance's side, which filled him with confidence in his "bet."

After he left, the mayor seemed to have calmed down a lot. He walked to the window and watched the police chief drive his police car away from the city hall courtyard, his eyes somewhat deep.

The call I just received was from the Secretary of State. The Secretary's message was that he should remain neutral regarding the gang warfare in the old city and that the city police should take responsibility for maintaining order and stability in the city.

Those who should be arrested should be arrested, and those who should be imprisoned ....

The Secretary of State also told him that three groups of people from Congress had contacted him, asking him to remain neutral about what was happening here.

What does this mean?
This shows that whether it's the Perez family, the people behind the Lance family, or some other force, they are all pushing this forward.

In this city, the mayor is the undisputed ruler, but above him, he is just a minor figure.

He can't be mayor forever, just as he can't stay in this city forever without ever leaving.

When faced with irresistible forces from higher levels, he was no different from the bearded bureau chief; he had no right to resist, let alone ask "why," except to obey.

After returning to the police station, the bearded man immediately made several phone calls and then contacted Lance.

He had already sensed that the mayor's change in attitude was definitely related to Lance.

If you don't cling to a super powerful thigh now, when will you ever get another chance?
"The mayor just called me over. He originally intended to dismiss me, but then a phone call came in, and he changed his mind."

The bearded bureau chief recounted what had just happened, and Lance listened quietly. After he finished speaking, Lance smiled and said, "That's good. At least you haven't lost your job yet. I have to congratulate you."

The bearded bureau chief gave a wry smile, "Thanks to that phone call..." He paused, then continued, "Mr. Lance, what should I do next?"

His attitude became even more submissive. If even the mayor was no match for Lance, then he, as the police chief, should just obediently bow his head.

"It's very simple. The next task is to arrange for my people to go to the scene of the firefight to maintain order. They will take care of it."

"As for whether someone is arrested or killed, I will arrange for someone to write a report for you. You don't need to worry about that."

"If you still don't quite understand these things, to put it simply, just keep everything as usual, you don't need to do anything special."

Hearing what Lance said, the bearded director breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to step forward, which greatly reduced his chances of becoming a target.

At this moment, a hint of curiosity arose in his heart, "Mr. Lance, Fran..."

Lance didn't answer him directly, but after laughing twice, he said in a cheerful tone, "I hope God will like him!"

That's it!

With this answer, the police chief already knew the general outcome.

After ending the call, he immediately began to arrange for police officers to take action, stop the crime, and make a big arrest.

Of course, considering the current dangers of responding to calls, he mainly dispatched rookie officers, which earned him the support of many veteran officers.

Going out on duty at this time, no one can guarantee that it will be the last time in their life!
The unrest in the city continues, but with the addition of more police officers, the scale of the unrest appears to be decreasing.

Meanwhile, Bob, who had already arrived at the hospital, listened to his subordinates' report with a somber expression while waiting for the results of the surgery.

At this moment, he also realized that this was the Lance family's true "counterattack"!
Once he makes a move, it's hard to defend against!

(End of this chapter)