Shadow Empire

Chapter 1107 Talking and Making

Bob stood by the door, gave the person behind him a look, and then went into the room alone. He walked to Fran's bedside with his back slightly bent and head down.

Fran had to exert all his strength to breathe, with only half a lung left, which was also damaged by tar. Furthermore, his lung function was not very good to begin with, and after this injury, some strange changes occurred, making his breathing ability even worse.

Seeing how miserable he was, Bob sometimes thought that if he ever ended up like that, he would rather die.

Of course, this is just "his opinion," because if such a day ever comes, he would be willing to pay any price to restore his health, no matter the cost.

"Have you found the person I'm looking for?" Fran turned to look at him, his cloudy eyes revealing no emotion.

This is completely different from the impression he left on Bob before. Although Fran's eyes were also a bit dim before, his gaze was very sharp, which is completely different from now.

"I've already sent someone to look for the person, and I believe the hospital will have results soon."

The kidnapping of a few people is not a big deal to the Perez family. Every year, at least two or three hundred thousand people go missing in the federal government. A few more or fewer people will not have a significant impact on the country or on missing persons cases.

He wouldn't offend Fran over this matter, after all, Fran was the true head of the family.

Hearing that Bob hadn't forgotten his instructions, the stern expression on his face softened a bit. After taking a few deep breaths, he shook his head slightly and said, "This damn body of mine, I feel suffocated even when I talk for a long time."

He paused for a moment, as if waiting for his body to recover, "I watched TV, you guys made a mess of it."

Bob squatted down by the bed. There was a chair next to him, but he didn't sit on it. Instead, he squatted down, holding onto the edge of the bed. His head was even shorter than Fran's, who was lying on the hospital bed.

"I came here to talk to you about this."

“We’ve been on the defensive in our firefights with the Lance family lately. The police have been watching us closely. As soon as our gunmen make a move, they’ll show up and take our men away.”

“Hel, that ungrateful dog, is targeting us. What’s even more troublesome is the mayor’s attitude. Without the mayor’s authorization, that old dog Hull certainly wouldn’t treat us like this.”

Bob wasn't stupid; he knew very well that if the mayor didn't approve of Hull's actions, the police chief certainly couldn't go against the mayor's wishes on this matter.

The mayor has absolute power to appoint the police chief; he could simply dismiss Hull and replace him with someone more obedient.

But he didn't do that, which means the mayor is aware of the police department's current actions and has tacitly approved them.

The root of the problem lies not with the police department, but with the mayor.

Bob knew the mayor, but only in a simple way, exchanging a few words. Only Fran could have such a deep connection with him.

That's why he's here.

As Fran listened to Bob say these words, he was constantly analyzing the situation in his mind.

After a while, he tried to keep his breathing as soft as possible. "Our mayor is actually just a nobody. There might be higher-ups maneuvering behind this."

"Please contact him for me and tell him I want to meet and talk to him."

Bob looked at Fran's terrible condition and said softly, "You can't leave the hospital."

Fran shook his head. "He can't come to see me, so I have to go to him."

"Just have the doctor prepare an oxygen cylinder I can take with me, and find me a wheelchair."

Bob squatted there for a short while, about ten seconds, then got up to go find the doctor.

The doctor did not stop Fran from leaving the hospital; how could such an important person really lie in bed doing nothing forever?

Fortunately, it's summer now, and the natural environment isn't in bad shape.

On the way to the park next to City Hall, Bob also recounted the failed attack in Likale.

After listening, Fran sighed, "We all underestimated the power of Lance and the Lance family, and we also underestimated the Lawrence Farm."

"Stop all operations against Likale State. Don't send any more people to their deaths until we figure out exactly how strong they are."

"We need to resolve the issues here first, drive them back, and then we can continue fighting them."

"If things continue as they are, the trouble will only increase!"

Fran had to gasp for breath after saying a few words; his condition was indeed very bad.

After receiving Fran's call, the mayor immediately agreed to meet with him. The two were considered important "partners" in the old city, and the mayor needed the cooperation of the Perez family to gain complete control of the city.

However, the Perez family's desire to truly dominate the city required the mayor's tacit approval.

Therefore, they can be considered a model of mutual success. Naturally, in this cooperation process, there will inevitably be all kinds of shady transactions and money-power exchanges.

Twenty minutes later, the mayor saw Fran in a secluded corner of the park. This was the first time he had seen Fran in person since the shooting at the Perez estate, and the shock on his face was hard to hide.

I didn't know you would turn out like this!

After a moment of shock, he asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Fran tried to speak slowly so he wouldn't be so breathless. "The doctor said... I might need some more surgeries to recover. For now, it seems okay, at least I'm still alive."

The mayor looked at the once spirited old man, now thin and sitting in a wheelchair, occasionally gasping for breath as if he couldn't breathe, and his mood became somewhat somber.

"Was it done by someone from the Lance family?"

Fran smiled. "Who else do you think could it be besides them?"

“I was lucky and only got shot once, but this incident tells me that someone betrayed me.”

"They found out some of my personal habits, such as having a drink on the terrace when I'm in a good mood."

“I remember that the news I received that day was that Lance had been attacked in Licale.”

"Then I got shot."

The mayor's expression was serious. As a seasoned politician, he knew very well that a giant often falls not because his opponent is as tall and strong as him, but more likely because a small splinter on the ground pierced his foot.

The presence of a traitor within the family, or within the interest groups surrounding the Perez family, is alarming, as it suggests that many more secrets may have been leaked.

He also became somewhat nervous, wondering if his collaborations with the Perez family had been leaked.

Fran looked at the mayor, who was deep in thought, and a faint, hard-to-detect smile appeared on his face. His purpose in saying this was not only to let Fran know his situation and evoke his empathy, but also to make him feel nervous and to make him understand who was on his side!

"Bob said that Hull has been arresting our people these past few days. Have you run into some trouble?"

Instead of immediately questioning him, he raised the issue through a show of concern.

The mayor couldn't resist lighting a cigarette. Just as he was about to hand one to Fran, he paused and handed it to Bob instead.

“There is a lot of pressure from above. You know, Lance is backed by Senator Cleveland and his ilk. They have a lot of influence in Congress now.”

"They put a lot of pressure on me through the governor and secretary of state. It's already the best I can do by not siding with Lance!"

This answer clearly shows some signs of being manipulated, but that's what politicians do!
He seemed to have answered everything, but in reality, he hadn't answered anything. Fran stared into his eyes for a while, then said, "I believe you."

He took a few deep breaths. "If, I mean if."

"What if something unexpected happens to Hel..."

Since this matter has nothing to do with him, or at least that's what the mayor has said, the Perez family can't let a mere bureau chief get away with it. No matter the cost, they must regain control of the situation as soon as possible.

When the mayor heard Fran's plan to kill Hull, he felt a bit annoyed. He had initially sympathized with Fran, but at this moment, he thought Fran was being tactless. He had just said the matter had nothing to do with him, and Fran immediately declared his intention to kill the police chief—was he trying to send him a warning?
It could even be a subtle threat, threatening him to make him understand the serious consequences of certain things?

He couldn't help but think that way because he was a politician, and when he thought about something, he would often over-interpret it and then choose the possibility that met his expectations as his own explanation.

After a brief silence, he nodded without any change in expression. "I will be very sad, but this city cannot be without a police chief to run the business, so I will choose a new one when the time comes."

“You’re a local from the old city, can you recommend a list for me? I’ll consider it.”

Ultimately, after weighing his options, the mayor decided to side with the Perez family. After all, Fran would be in danger after his downfall, but Lance wouldn't be if he couldn't break in.

Fran smiled with satisfaction. "Very good..." He took a couple of breaths. "I'll have Bob contact you. You see, it's very difficult for me to say even a few words now."

“No matter where I go, even to the toilet, I can’t leave this tube!” He tugged at the oxygen tube, then turned to Bob. “Next, you contact the mayor and have him push me back. I’m a little tired.”

The mayor walked over, bent down, and hugged him, saying, "I hope you recover soon."

Fran replied with a smile, "I hope so too."

Bob quickly pushed Fran away, and within minutes they had decided the fate of the city's police chief.

The mayor couldn't say he was particularly satisfied with the result, but he wasn't particularly dissatisfied either. Keeping Hull in his position was actually a bit embarrassing for him, but now things were fine.

However, he was still somewhat unhappy because he felt that Fran was using this incident to warn him.

Back in the hospital, lying back in bed, the strong smell of disinfectant in the air made Fran relax completely.

In the past, he disliked the smell of disinfectant in hospitals, which he found offensive.

However, as his health deteriorated, he actually grew to like the smell and environment here. The desolate atmosphere, which made him feel cold and even uncomfortable, transformed into a sense of security.

Because he knew that as long as someone was in the hospital, even if they wanted to die, it would take some time before they could actually die, rather than dying immediately.

“I’ve already spoken with the mayor, and you heard our conversation. Make arrangements for Hull, and make sure people know why he died.”

Bob hesitated, "Wouldn't doing this at this time be too... extreme?"

"Too extreme?" Fran shook his head. "It's precisely at times like these that we need to make them understand the price of betrayal!"

"Now is not the past. We are actually facing a critical juncture of life and death, and we can no longer back down."

Bob's expression changed slightly. "Is it that serious?"

"We still have many people at our disposal."

"We still have many industries and a lot of money!"

"If necessary, we can quickly pull out several thousand gunmen; they are not afraid of a direct confrontation!"

Fran glanced at him sideways. "Haven't you felt it during this time?"

"When the police and the federal government sided with the Lance family, how many of your ideas and the family's actions actually succeeded?"

"Do as I say, and let people know that taking sides comes at a price!"

He closed his eyes after saying that, and took a few more breaths. "Remember to bring me the person I need as soon as possible. I'm fed up with this awful state of being!"

Bob said okay and left. After he left, Fran's bodyguards came in from outside, and Fran asked them to bring him the phone.

Simply solving the problem of Hull is not really useful; we need to find a way to solve the problem at a higher level.

He called the senator behind him and explained the situation: "If the federal government is also targeting us, we can only try to retreat further, or even withdraw altogether."

He spoke very tactfully, without using any threatening language, but such tact itself was a way of forcing the other party to make a statement.

They helped these bigwigs suppress strikes in the central region of the Federation more than once or twice, and there was a considerable amount of bribery involved. It might not have been as exaggerated or as much as Lance's, but it was still quite common for the money to be concentrated on a few individuals.

If they retreat, the security situation in some areas will become significantly chaotic, as the departure of the Perez family will create a power vacuum in some territories.

The small and medium-sized gangs that have been suppressed in the city will start fighting each other for these territories. Secondly, those who benefit from these congressional interests can forget about it.

Finally, if another large-scale strike occurs, they may not be able to resolve it quickly.

After a moment of silence, the senator behind Fran said, "I've already spoken to them about this. There are some things I can't go into detail about, but I can say that remaining neutral is the attitude of all of us now."

"If you can handle them, then you'll still be you."

"If you can't handle them, I can only say I'm sorry."

"There are only four months until the general election, do you understand what I mean?"

"With the Liberal Party coming to power, there will be a reshuffling of the Senate seats. Many people will leave, and nobody knows if they will be among them, including me."

"So the help I can give you is very limited, and how far you can go... depends entirely on you."

"All I can do is prevent them from interfering, but I can't interfere myself either."

Hearing almost exactly what the mayor had said, Fran was somewhat displeased, but quickly realized, "So, the Lance family's situation is the same?"

"Yes, even Senator Cleveland can't use his power to pave the way for the Lance family, otherwise do you think you could have held on until now?"

“State police, militia, once they get on the field, you simply can’t handle them. That’s all I can say.”

"It's best not to call me in the short term, it's troublesome for me too."

After he finished speaking, the senator behind him hung up the phone, not wanting to get involved in the matter.

The Liberal Party's presidential primary race is about to be decided, and the candidate with a high probability of winning, or rather, the one who has been largely chosen by the Liberal Party, also advocates "de-gangsterization."

The Liberal Party has shown strong support for this proposal. It is said, just said, that some people believe the current federal government, namely the Socialists, has frequent and close ties with gangs across the country, especially large gangs.

If the de-gangsterization of the federal territory can be achieved, it would itself be a way to suppress the Socialist Party.

The Liberal Party has these ideas and will naturally work towards them. There is no need for these old guys in the Senate who are about to leave to offend the core ruling group for the next four or eight years, or even longer, for the sake of some "sunset gang".

Therefore, giving way is inevitable.

Even Senator Cleveland chose not to help anyone until the situation became clear.

This could be a bad thing, or it could be a good thing.

Fran put down the phone and closed his eyes. He was thinking, waiting to see how things would develop, and then figuring out what to do.

At this point, the bearded chief was unaware that Bob had put him on the kill list, but he had a suspicion in his mind. After all, his allegiance was clearly skewed, and perhaps the Perez family would take action against him.

He was always on guard against possible assassination attempts, and he was always accompanied by several police officers when he went out. He tried to avoid going home whenever possible.

Especially during this period, he sent his family on a trip while he stayed in the police station all day, avoiding any accidents.

But humans are not gods, and there will always be some oversights.

Where there are oversights, accidents can happen.

(End of this chapter)