Shadow Empire

Chapter 1122 Isn’t this a coincidence?
With the election just around the corner, the presidential candidate nominated by the Cleveland Senate failed to win the party's primary and become the Socialist Party's nominee. However, this does not mean that they will completely give up on the election and the benefits that a successful election might bring.

It's like a gamble. Everyone is already at the table. Just because they lost their own bet doesn't mean they won't bet when someone else is the banker.

This is a powerful group, and their betting could cause some turmoil and changes in the subsequent election.

Many people believe that the Liberal Party is certain to win the election, but before the election results are in, who can guarantee that the Liberal Party will win 100%?
Since no one can guarantee the outcome, it is natural that these politicians who have already placed heavy bets will try their best to gather intelligence that is useful to them.

Senators from Cleveland did not intend to actually contribute this time, so they did not do anything similar.

If it's the next time, or when they plan to go all out in the election, they will arrange for similar people to do the same thing.

Monitor more competitors and look for valuable insights from their work.

"Give me the list of those important figures, and I'll take care of it."

"As for the police department and the FBI, they're probably keeping an eye on you, right?"

This was a question, but he spoke with great certainty, turning it into an affirmative statement.

He knew why the FBI and the police were watching Lance: the issue of degangsterization that Mr. Porter had mentioned in his propaganda.

Every president gives many speeches about their political platform during the campaign, and if they come to power, they will pay attention to those issues and solve them.

Of the views they present to the public, 70-80% are actually things they cannot do.

For example, these candidates always mention issues like healthcare and education, but almost none of them can actually deliver on their promises.

They had to bring it up again because voters cared about it.

Therefore, a bit of skill is required here. They also need to come up with other viewpoints or their own action goals to complete this part.

Just as Mr. Porter mentioned the problem of corruption, he wants to rectify the corrupt atmosphere, but there is a high probability that he will not be able to do so. This goal will only be used by him and his people as a means of political infighting.

If he fails to do so, the public will be very disappointed, which will be detrimental to his election in the midterm elections.

Then he must present a portion of the work he has completed so that people know he has at least finished part of it, and that people should give him more time to finish what he hasn't.

Although these things could never be accomplished in the end, it didn't really matter to the presidents, because they couldn't do it again.

Compared to promises that are not easy to keep, degangsterization, while not a simple matter, is easy for the public to see.

In response to Senator Cleveland's teasing, Lance did not respond in a lighthearted tone, but instead asked, "Senator, the FBI has too many privileges. Is it possible that they would use the investigation of me as a pretext to collect information or intelligence about you and others?"

"We cannot rule out such a possibility, after all, its very existence was for political infighting."

"It's just that the previous bureau chiefs didn't do a good enough job. They didn't want to offend anyone, so they never achieved any results."

“I know Roland. He is a very ambitious and patient person. He may not be willing to be a tool to be manipulated by others.”

Previously, those bureau chiefs only arrested minor figures, ordinary people, and they didn't dare to touch politicians, especially members of Congress and high-ranking officials of the three major parties.

They don't even dare to take action, let alone monitor them or collect evidence, so the FBI has always had little presence.

Now that Roland has become the director, he has begun to consolidate his power.

Senator Cleveland thought for a moment and did not completely agree with Lance's point of view, but he did not completely oppose it either. "We do need to be wary of this issue. I need to think about it."

"If the people we catch don't have any problems, let them go."

"If it's inconvenient to put it there, then find a way to minimize the impact. You know how to do that."

After hanging up the phone, the senator rested his chin on his hands, his eyes revealing a thoughtful and scrutinizing expression.

He could tell from Lance's words that he wanted to cause trouble for the FBI, but he wasn't offended. On the contrary, he was somewhat supportive of him because he felt offended.

Those people knew he had invited those guests to his meeting, yet they were still monitoring them at the door. Did they record the guests coming and going, or anything else?
It may seem like this is just a business matter and has nothing to do with him directly, but in essence, these people have offended him.

Roland.

He pursed his lips. Originally, he didn't have a clear liking or dislike for this person, but now, he didn't like this person anymore.

On the other hand, Lance dealt with those who were not very cooperative. These people had been tortured during interrogation, and releasing them would clearly hand them a handle, so he had them disposed of immediately.

They put it into oil drums, filled them with concrete, and then threw them into the sea, where they were forgotten by everyone in a corner of the world.

This method works very well.

He didn't know if Senator Cleveland would take action, or how, but he knew he had planted a thorn in his side.

He went through the whole process several times, and after confirming there were no problems, he dialed Major General Bruni's (a Defense Ministry official) phone number.

"This is Bruni."

“It’s me, Lance.”

“Lance?” Major General Bruni’s voice clearly carried a hint of surprise. “I didn’t expect you to call me.”

"Is something wrong?"

Although Lance and the Department of Defense have cooperation and there is also the transfer of benefits, the connection is far less close and stable than with Congress. What remains is just "business as usual".

The Department of Defense purchases military supplies from them, and then Lance gives them kickbacks.

However, the scale of this business is shrinking because the war is over and the federal government doesn't need as many active-duty soldiers. This means that the profits and kickbacks from this business will decrease, and it's only natural that his contact with the Department of Defense will decrease.

Lance smiled and said, "There is something I need to discuss. I just met with Senator [name omitted], and he told me that the military is about to undergo downsizing. I've been thinking about it and I'd like to start a security company to hire some veterans."

"As you know, I have close cooperation with the military and the Ministry of National Defense. I am well aware that it takes time for these people to reintegrate into society after leaving the military."

“I have indeed made a lot of money over the years, so I am willing to take on some responsibilities.”

"I'd like to ask if this is convenient or not."

Major General Bruni was delighted to hear Lance's words. "Convenient, of course convenient, how could it not be convenient?" "How many people do you plan to recruit?"

If we calculate based on a salary of seventy yuan per person, he could probably hire between five thousand and ten thousand people.

This ensures that he can still earn some money every year.

However, he wouldn't give Bruni such an exact figure, "six thousand people."

"Six thousand people?"

"Six thousand people is quite a lot. This matter... you brought it up at a very opportune time. We've been discussing this recently. What are your specific plans for the arrangements?"

The Ministry of National Defense must also have a headache about this matter. These soldiers, especially the young ones, were tricked and coaxed into joining the army.

They have been out of touch with society for several years, and now that they are no longer needed, they are being kicked out immediately, which has already caused dissatisfaction among some soldiers.

How to resettle these veterans has always been a problem for the federal government, and how to get them back into normal life and work is also a problem.

Lance's initiative in bringing up this idea may serve as a leading example in resolving job placements for some veterans.

If we make him a role model, an example, it will be easier to solve the remaining problems.

Lance knew this wasn't something that could be explained in just a few words, so he suggested, "We can meet and talk."

Major General Bruni considered it for a moment, "No problem, but I don't have time today."

"Okay, I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock, which will end at about three forty. We'll meet then and talk in detail."

Lance readily agreed.

After hanging up the phone, he called Ford's senior agent supervisor and said, "My convoy will be outside Johnson Park around 4 p.m. tomorrow. Get that information out immediately."

Senior Detective Supervisor Ford hesitated for a moment, then agreed, "Should we let the Perez family know too?"

“Otherwise?” Lance retorted. “Don’t mess this up, it’s important.”

The senior detective supervisor agreed and guaranteed to complete the mission.

From the moment he was persuaded by his friend, from the moment he received his first sum of money from Lance, he was already bound to Lance.

Roland had him keep an eye on Lance and his men, and finding out their whereabouts and schedules seemed to be part of his job.

He quickly reported this to Roland, who said that Lance was going to Johnson Park the next day, around four o'clock in the afternoon.

Roland praised the Ford senior agent supervisor, and then he used his own channels to leak the news to the Perez family.

The Perez family, who were plotting to assassinate Lance, received the definite news in less than ten minutes and then informed Bob.

"Is the source of this information reliable?" Bob asked on the phone, sounding somewhat surprised. He was a little unsure whether the information these people had obtained was true.

If Lance's schedule could be so easily controlled, he certainly wouldn't be alive now.

However, after thinking about it carefully, he realized that the Perez family did indeed have some connections in New Gold City over the years, and this wasn't the first time Lance had been attacked and assassinated.

The person in charge of this assassination attempt on Lance is from the Perez family in New Gold City. The person in charge stated that the information is very reliable and that they have a very dependable source of intelligence.

He also told Bob that even if the information was false, they wouldn't suffer any loss; it would just be a wasted trip.

Furthermore, the relationship between the New Gold City Police Department and Lance is not good, so there is no need to worry about Lance using the police to make things difficult for them.

After hearing this, Bob finally agreed with their idea of ​​giving it a try.

If the news is true, then even if they can't kill Lance, they can still teach him a lesson he'll never forget.

If the news is false, then they will not suffer any loss.

With Bob's approval and consent, the Perez family members in New Gold City immediately began to take action, preparing for tomorrow's assassination.

The following afternoon, around 3:10 PM, Lance's car appeared outside the Ministry of Defense. By 3:30 PM, Major General Bruni's meeting had already ended.

At Lance's suggestion to "find a place to talk," Major General Bruni left the Ministry of Defense in Lance's car. Of course, after they finished talking, Lance would drive him back.

It's not that it's wrong to talk about these things in the Department of Defense, but it's not ideal. There are too many people and too many eyes, and if he and Lance spend too much time in his office, there might be some rumors.

After all, Lance still holds the identity of a mob boss and is a major financial backer in the Cleveland Senate circle. His obvious labels and political affiliations can sometimes cause unnecessary trouble.

Once seated in Lance's luxurious bulletproof car, Major General Bruni patted the plump seat cushion and said, "You know how to enjoy yourself."

Lance smiled. "If you like, I'll give you one."

This left Major General Bruni momentarily speechless. He stared at Lance, his eyes wide, and said, "You're making me a little tempted, to be honest."

"Has someone told you that you're too...direct?"

Lance chuckled. "Isn't it simpler for both of us this way?"

Major General Bruni thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "That's good."

He paused for a moment, then began to ask the question he wanted to know, "What are your plans for these veterans?"

Lance began to explain his ideas, “We have many reconstruction projects on the continent of Tanfite. You know, our relationship with the locals isn’t necessarily that good, including the Slade.”

“I’ve heard that there are some extremist groups in Slade who see us as invaders and spread rumors about us.”

“These people could affect businesses and workers in the area, so I plan to set up a security company to protect the personal safety and property of federal businesses in Slade and throughout the entire Tanfield continent.”

"Because this matter involves certain risks, they need to be armed and continue to maintain a semi-military management style."

"Of course, I will give them a satisfactory salary."

(End of this chapter)