Shadow Empire

Chapter 1140 Who can say for sure whether someone is innocent or not?
Many of the people behind Lance knew Roland from the newspapers.

After all, as a "hero who fights evil," Roland had quite a bit of media attention.

Newspapers and magazines published photos of the hero.

He was a very intelligent man. He did not give an interview to reporters, but the reporters uncovered some of Roland's past deeds through other channels.

For example, his colleagues, those who were willing to give media interviews without causing any direct impact on Roland, became Roland's "mouth substitutes".

A clearer image emerges before people: a "crime buster." Ordinary people like this kind of person because the qualities they exhibit can bring them a sense of security.

Just as people yearn for a Supreme Court judge who can truly be fair and just, only in this way can they have a place to seek redress when they are treated unfairly.

There is a person who specializes in fighting crime, and it is the same as that; the lower classes are always shrouded in various crimes.

The media frenzy surrounding Roland has made some people less enthusiastic about him, including local gangsters and even the bearded police chief.

Although they didn't like this person, it was a bit awkward that they ran into each other, especially with someone like Lance there.

After exchanging glances with Lance for a few seconds, Roland walked towards him, his gaze falling on the bearded chief beside him and the gang leaders.

"Your social skills are truly beyond my expectations. Are these all your friends?"

Lance glanced back at the people behind him, then smiled and said, "They've all contributed to the stability of the city."

"You have your way, and I have mine. I've heard a saying..."

"There is no distinction between good and bad jobs in society, because they all contribute to building the country. You can't feel superior just because your job is better or you have more power and influence than others."

These words stunned Roland, after all, he was a true high achiever, and his first reaction upon hearing this was that Lance had copied it from somewhere.

He didn't think Lance could say such a thing, but he soon realized that the core of the statement was mockery of him.

He sneered, "I'll remember your friends." After a few seconds of pause, he added, "Let's talk."

Lance gestured for the others to go first, and then he and Roland returned to the room they had just been in.

The cigar on the table still had a small flame, but Lance didn't pick it up again. Instead, he took out his yellowed ivory cigarette case and lit one for himself.

Director Roland noticed his somewhat worn-out cigarette box and casually remarked, "This cigarette box seems to have some significance for you."

He meant that Lance was so powerful and influential, and that the cigarette box, although it looked ivory, was no longer very attractive and wasn't well-maintained, yet he still kept it. It must have been a gift from someone special, or it must have a special meaning.

His purpose in saying this was merely to set the emotional groundwork for what he would say next, such as "We all have people and things that are important to us," to bring up the disagreement and then see if he could find some reconciliation on these issues.

Lance glanced at the cigarette pack in his hand, paused for a moment, then laughed and nodded. "If you put it that way, it does have some meaning."

“It was a gift from a friend I knew, but this friend was a bit…” He searched his mind for suitable words to express what he wanted to say, as Esperanto was sometimes quite inadequate. “…He couldn’t fulfill the responsibilities and obligations that a friend should bear, and then he accidentally died.”

Director Roland asked softly, "Did you do it?"

Lance laughed twice. "Don't talk nonsense. He's a foreigner. I was still in China when the accident happened."

Clearly, this approach wouldn't work. Director Roland watched Lance's changing expression, and after a few seconds, he decided to speak frankly.

"You killed him."

Lance knew who he was talking about, but at this moment he was in a superior position and held the initiative. He wasn't going to be so foolish as to play a turn-based game with him.

“I told you, I was in China when he died. I have an alibi. You can’t just make false accusations against someone.”

“You are a law enforcement officer, Director. I’ve also read the newspapers these past few days. Those reporters are very good at taking pictures; they always manage to make you look so noble and righteous.”

"You are a good person in people's eyes, and a good person cannot speak carelessly."

Director Roland stared at Lance, a somewhat formidable opponent. He seemed to say something, yet also seemed to say nothing at all. "There is no irreconcilable conflict between us."

Lance curled his lip; no one, not even a ghost, would believe such a thing, let alone a human.

"Yes, we are friends, and close partners. We have just accomplished a great feat!"

Watching Lance ramble on and on, Director Roland's patience was wearing thin. "It seems our problems can't be solved through communication."

Lance seemed to agree with his statement, saying, "From the very beginning, when you targeted me, the problems between us could never be properly resolved."

"If you're just here to talk to me about this boring stuff, honestly, I've given you plenty of time."

“If you have nothing else to say to me, I think our conversation should end here.”

Director Roland looked at him, his expression barely changing. "I want to tell you that you are leaving me with no choice. You are about to unleash a terrifying adversary."

Lance stood up. "We're all in the jungle. Who's the prey and who's the hunter? Who can say for sure?"

Instead of testing me here, you should think about how to deal with your dog owners.

Lance showed him no respect whatsoever, then excused himself and left without even offering a reason.

Watching Lance's departing figure, Director Roland felt neither joy nor pain, but rather calm.

He came to see Lance not because he naively thought that Lance would admit that he had done everything just by saying a few words.

What he was doing was simply... like a ritual, a farewell to his past self, a psychological suggestion to himself.

It's not that he wanted to become like this; it's that society and these people forced him to become like this.

He then stood up, supporting his legs, sighed, and walked outside.

Over the next two days, disregarding Bob's unexpected assassination at the FBI, the operation to eliminate evil proceeded very smoothly and successfully.

This deeply entrenched gang family was eradicated, and more criminal facts and sordid deeds were uncovered and sent to Mr. Potter in the form of case files, which would become an important bargaining chip for his election campaign.

Lance has been doing quite well these past two days. An agreement has been reached within the Old City Underworld, and under the leadership of Lance and the bearded director, they have peacefully divided up the Perez family's territory.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that the Perez family's territory in the old city is large and good enough that each of their gangs can make a living, so they won't fight tooth and nail for resources.

There were no violent clashes or turf wars in the city, and no other problems occurred. Some media outlets and the state government praised the local mayor, believing that he had done a good job in controlling the city.

But in reality, these things had nothing to do with him.

If we're talking about anyone who's had a bad time these past two days, then it's Director Roland.

As the third day approached, after two days of "self-reflection," he finally decided to take that step.

That evening, the dismissed guard was having dinner at home with his wife and children. Although he had lost his job at the FBI, his experience there would allow him to find a decent private job.

Some people are like that; they have a lot of faith in former employees of high-ranking federal government departments, thinking that these people make a lot of money.

For wealthy people in particular, expertise is a very important thing.

As for the mistakes he made, they actually had little to do with him. It just shows that Director Roland had too much influence in the FBI. Even just using his name could make the guards lower their guard.

"I have received interview invitations from two companies, and I am considering which one to go to."

He talked about these things with his family while enjoying his beef dinner.

Discussing work at the dinner table is not normal; if someone does it, it means they are either about to lose their job or will get one. The former is obviously bad news for the family.

The latter, however, can obviously have a calming effect.

With a family income, things won't seem unstable.

His wife immediately smiled. Although their savings were enough to support them for a while longer, having a stable income would obviously be better.

His child doesn't yet understand the importance of a job to the family; after all, for him, life revolves around going to school, which has no direct connection to making money.

He was more concerned about what kind of person his father would become.

"One company offered me a fairly average salary, around eighty-something after tax. The job was simple, mainly protecting some people. The working hours and holidays were irregular, but the income might increase to some extent."

"It's a bodyguard job; some people recommended me for it."

"There's another job that pays more, around two hundred dollars after tax, plus other benefits and commissions, but you have to leave the Federation and go to Tanfield."

“They have projects there and need some people to make sure the locals don’t come and take advantage of them. I can’t assess the risks, but the pay is quite good, plus two months of paid vacation every year.”

This is indeed something to consider. In China, a job pays 80 yuan after tax, which is 1,000 yuan a year. But to say how much that is, it's not really.

It's a bit risky; the income is slightly higher than the average person, but not quite enough to surpass the class difference, so it lacks a certain something.

The other job is quite good, with a net income of 200 yuan and other benefits. He might be able to earn 230 to 250 yuan a month.

Federal canned goods and other products are very popular in Tanfield. These items can be converted into cash directly, but the downside is that they require long periods away from home.

His wife wanted him to earn more money, but she didn't want him to be away from home for long periods of time.

As a mature woman, she knew very well that if her husband was away from home for a long time, he would definitely do something unethical.

He's already in his thirties or forties, and his income is still so high. You can't expect him to have to take care of himself with his hands, right?

Just as he was considering, there was a knock on the door. The family of three looked out. The guard's wife was about to open the door, but the guard stopped her, saying, "I'll do it."

He picked up a napkin to wipe his hands and mouth, then went to the door. Without canceling the lock, he peeked through the crack in the door and saw Director Roland.

He paused for a moment, then quickly closed the door again, removed the safety bolt, and opened the door again. "I didn't know you were coming."

Director Roland glanced into the room, then tilted his head at him. "Come outside, I have something to say to you."

The guard had no other thoughts. He and Director Roland had just stepped out of the house when they were pinned to the ground by FBI agents hidden on either side of the door.

He was a little slow to react. It wasn't until his family rushed out to ask what had happened after he was handcuffed and dragged up from the ground that he came to his senses.

"Why are you arresting me? What did I do wrong?"

"I only made a mistake at work, and you're treating me like this?"

He stared into Director Roland's eyes, unable to believe that this man, who always talked about justice, ideals, and the future, would treat him like this!

His family members are also asking, seemingly wondering if they've made a mistake.

Director Roland glanced at his family and said to those around him, "Keep them quiet."

Two agents quickly approached the guard's family, causing him to struggle frantically, yelling, "Don't fucking touch my family!"

But he was met with two heavy punches that pounded into his stomach, causing him to vomit up what he had just eaten.

These agents never hold back when they beat people, and this matter must be handled quickly and well.

The guard's family was also pushed back into the room. When one of the detectives put his hand on the guard's son's shoulder, the woman who had been struggling and arguing suddenly fell silent.

Director Roland looked at the guard who was kneeling on the ground and still nauseous, and took a few steps back with some disgust. "The fact that I came to arrest you means that I have some evidence."

"Take him away."

A crowd had gathered around, but they remained rational, simply watching from a distance, and no one was tempted to come and cause trouble.

They soon returned to the Investigation Bureau, the headquarters in New Gold City, where Director Roland finally felt a greater sense of security.

He wanted to personally interrogate the guards.

The guard was held in an interrogation room with Director Roland and others, as well as some other filming equipment. After all, once he made up his mind, he was determined to "go all out" and not give anyone a chance to cause him any trouble.

The guard remained seated, clearly uncomfortable. He had been to this room before, but not as someone being interrogated.

He looked up at Director Roland, still trying to defend himself, "This has nothing to do with me, why are you arresting me?"

Director Roland placed a piece of evidence in front of him: "After Bob died, $50,000 was transferred into your son's account."

"Do you think anyone would be stupid enough to transfer money to the wrong account, or do you think we wouldn't investigate your and your family's accounts?"

The guard was taken aback. He had indeed opened a bank account for his son. This account was used to store any extra pocket money he sometimes had, or money he would give his son as a reward for other reasons. The money would be transferred directly into this account.

Federal checks have many uses, and he applied for a small cash check for his son, which can be seen as helping him get used to society in advance.

When he heard that such a large sum of money had been deposited into the account, he was stunned. Could it be that I am really involved in this?

But why didn't anyone tell me?

Before he could think of what to say, he heard Director Roland's words echo in his ears, "It seems you don't want to admit it, so I'll just have to make you think about it carefully."

He didn't turn off the recording equipment; instead, he rolled up his sleeves and punched the guard twice, making him gag again.

Are you feeling any better now?

"Did something come to mind?"

"You know, we have a lot of ways of dealing with certain problems."

He didn't explain it clearly, but he believed that the big shots wouldn't care about his violation of the rules, since the law never applied to them, and naturally, they wouldn't let the law apply to obedient dogs, as long as the dog was a good dog.

The guard was on the verge of a breakdown. "I have no idea who the hell is making money out of my family's accounts. What does this remind me of?"

Director Roland's expression was stern. His nose was itchy, so he rubbed it with his knuckles. "Who was the person who delivered the poison that day? Who did you contact? Who gave you this money?"

The guard had no idea about these issues, and he had no other choice but to say he didn't know, which is exactly the most common situation in torture.

Everyone starts by saying they know nothing, but after the procedures are completed, they become know-it-alls, claiming to know everything.

Even if they genuinely don't know something, they can fabricate things according to the interrogator's demands.

Director Roland glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still early, with plenty of time to allow the guard to say what he wanted him to say, under his guidance.

He rubbed his wrist and swung his arm again.

Everything is for ideals, the future, and justice!

This sacrifice is worthwhile!
Change without bloodshed and sacrifice is always just an illusion. To change the world, you always have to lose something and give something up.

Only in this way can what we gain be truly precious!
(End of this chapter)