Shadow Empire

Chapter 1143 Still chickened out
Back in the old city, Director Roland seemed much more relaxed. Although Mr. Potter hadn't given him any promises, he understood one thing.

As long as he demonstrates his due value, Mr. Porter will cover for him.

So now he's going to transform into a vicious dog, tearing Lance apart in a frenzy, to cause Senator Cleveland some trouble.

This would prevent him from posing any threat to Mr. Porter's election. In fact, from a politician's perspective, if Director Rowland could force Senator Cleveland to make some deals with Mr. Porter, it would obviously be better than making him scramble to make a decision.

Director Roland wanted to play his role well, so as soon as he returned to the old city, he began to keep an eye on Lance, including the people he had met that day, and he started to arrange for people to investigate them.

There must be a reason why Lance met with these people; he couldn't have met with them for no reason. And there must be some criminal involvement involved.

Find a way to send him in without telling anyone, so that he has no energy to do anything else and his safety is not threatened. As long as we can do these things, Director Roland's goal will be achieved.

So he actively began investigating matters related to Lance here. He did consider investigating in other places, such as Golden City and Likalai State, but the investigations there were very difficult.

Moreover, they could easily expose the personnel information on the other side. It seems they have come up with some very special plan, arranging for some people to infiltrate the periphery of the Lance family, and have already gained the initial trust of their periphery leader.

It may still take some time before they can infiltrate their ranks, but with the cooperation of the FBI, Director Roland believes it will happen soon, so they will not move forward for the time being.

New Gold City has also started taking action, but the results may not be very good, because they have been investigating Lance but have not found any concrete evidence of his crimes.

He has now moved beyond the most basic stage of violent crime and has begun to... commit crimes at a higher level.

The most basic crime is to go out on the street with a dagger, find someone, hold the knife to their body, and force them to hand over the money in their pocket.

Sophisticated crimes involve using various social identities to commit greater evils, which is the kind of evil that Director Roland has been trying to eradicate.

Those seemingly respectable people might be philanthropists, bishops, big capitalists, or even some officials.

On the surface, they bask in the sunlight and radiate a sacred glow, but in secret, they are the embodiment of evil.

There are many such people, and it is quite common in the federal government.

In terms of investigation, the former is easily caught and brought to trial.

However, the latter is much harder to catch.

Not only is it difficult to obtain evidence, but more importantly, there is resistance from society.

Some things investigators can resist, but others are things they cannot resist.

Lance belongs to the second type; his crimes are more sophisticated and he is more difficult to deal with.

Perhaps some of his actions in the old city will become a breakthrough.

Just as he was happily investigating the information of these people connected with Lance, Mr. Potter suddenly took the time out of his busy schedule to call him.

"notebook?"

"What notebook?"

Director Roland himself was unaware of what had happened, but some sensitive individuals had already heard rumors.

Fran kept a ledger that recorded the distribution of the criminal profits each quarter and how they were transferred to different accounts.

This notebook was originally just a simple ledger, but now it has become more than that.

Even if the above does not explain in detail that this is a transaction of money and power, the direction of these fund flows is too damn clear. Sometimes, what the people at the bottom of society and the voters need is not the truth, but "what they think"!
Who the hell would chase after the truth if they had nothing better to do?
All they seek is to fulfill their fantasies about certain issues, just like some people always believe that the federal government is corrupt, officials are corrupt, the whole world is a conspiracy, and the president is actually a lizard alien in human skin who has already ruled the world...

This is the truth that meets people's needs, not those real but cold things.

If people simply believe that this ledger reflects the transfer of benefits, then every single person listed in the ledger will immediately have their political life ended.

No voters will support these officials who engage in money-for-power transactions, let alone vote for them; their political future is over.

This was even more explosive and undeniable news than the secret information that Director Roland had unearthed from Bob, so Mr. Potter immediately called.

After listening to the gist of what was said, Director Roland was dumbfounded. "He's despicable, Mr. Potter, and utterly vile and disgusting. He's pinning these things on me that I didn't do."

“I swear to God on my family’s behalf that there were no ledgers or accounting issues at all; it’s all a lie.”

Mr. Potter paused for a moment. “I can trust you, but it’s hard for others to trust you. They will continue to doubt you, which is bad, but not too bad.”

This sentence is a bit rambling and seems difficult to understand, but its meaning is actually very direct—I am the only person you can rely on right now, so you need to be more obedient.

Director Roland hummed in agreement. "So what should I do now?"

Mr. Porter didn't think much of it. "Just do what you said before, do it well. These rumors will eventually be debunked."

"Focus on your work and don't worry about anything else. Some people are stupid, but others are smart enough to understand these things."

After ending the less-than-pleasant phone call, Director Roland slammed his fist on the table, but the trouble was far from over.

In mid-September, Lance's legal team officially sued the New Gold City Police Department. After nearly a month of evidence collection, they obtained concrete witness testimonies and statements from about twenty officers of different races, genders, nationalities, immigrant countries, and religions, who were willing to testify in court.

For these people at the bottom of society—and federal police officers are, in a sense, also at the bottom of society—life is not easy.

For these police officers, there's nothing they wouldn't betray if the money was right.

After all, not betraying someone means you have too few bargaining chips, while betraying someone means you've been fed.

This lawsuit has attracted a great deal of public attention. In addition to Lance continuing to wield his financial offensive to buy space in the Socialist Party's media, it is indeed the largest "people suing the government" case in the past two years.

Lance formally sued the New King City Police Chief, and the federal court in King State accepted the case. Because it involved a local law enforcement leader, the local court had to recuse itself.

Attorney Robben used his connections and abilities to eventually get the case heard in state court, which increased the case's visibility.

The police chief has also been temporarily suspended from his duties. He will only be able to resume his work as police chief after the trial concludes and the court issues a not-guilty verdict against him.

If he had only lost his job, he wouldn't be so desperate. He could have used this opportunity to become a deputy director or something at the FBI.

The director of the FBI, the position below Roland, is directly appointed by the Presidential Office, although Congress now also has the right to nominate him.

But positions like deputy director were all decided by Roland, the director himself.

He wanted whoever would be his deputy to become the deputy chief. The police chief believed that if he really lost his job protecting Chief Roland, he would do anything to help him.

He's not afraid of losing his job; he's afraid of going to jail.

Because once he goes to jail, his life is basically over, and there's a high probability he won't get out.

Before coming to the Federation, many people learned through various channels that the Federation does not discriminate against ex-convicts, and some companies even take the initiative to accept them, as if the Federation society is a society of truth, goodness and beauty.

But that's not actually the case; having been to prison in the federal government doesn't mean your life is over.

No employer would hire someone with a criminal record or prison history. This is a personnel management issue; these troublemakers could become the first to roar in protest against exploitation and oppression, or the first employees to throw a punch at them. Therefore, someone with a criminal record is absolutely unacceptable.

As for more important positions in government agencies, they are even less likely to hire these people. They will conduct a background check on everyone who enters a government department, but they never mention it.

If the federal government is so tolerant of released prisoners, why hasn't a single prisoner run for president?

If even a cat or a dog can be elected president, why can't a released prisoner?

Given the police chief's "profile," even if he survived to emerge alive from the district jail filled with people he had imprisoned, those people wouldn't hire him.

Therefore, he absolutely cannot go to jail!

That's not just going to jail, that's the gateway to hell!
He absolutely must not push open that door!

The first court hearing attracted a lot of attention. It was a public trial, and it's said that seats in the gallery could be sold for money.

The price can range from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars, and there are always some people who want to know the news as soon as possible.

In this era of slow information dissemination, people are more willing to participate in various activities in person, perhaps because of the atmosphere and the ability to learn about new things more quickly, so that they can show off before the news is published in the newspapers.

For the middle class in particular, having "insider information" is the most effective way for them to engage in social interactions, bar none.

Many media outlets, reporters, and television personnel arrived at the courtroom early in the morning. As both sides entered, what people wanted to see began to unfold.

This wasn't the first time Attorney Robben had appeared in state court, and the Supreme Court judge gave him several meaningful glances.

Before the trial, the Chief Justice and Robben's lawyer actually met privately. They were old friends and mentors.

They were alumni of the same school and had been in touch at an alumni reunion. Robben used to be very outstanding and dazzling; wherever he went, he was the focus of attention.

The Supreme Court judge had spoken with him at the time, telling him that he couldn't always walk with his head up, as it would cause him to fall. He needed to learn to walk with his head down, so that he could at least walk steadily.

At that time, the high-spirited lawyer Robben wouldn't listen to any of this advice until he took a hard fall.

During the meeting, the Supreme Court judge smiled and hugged him politely, praising him for finding a very reliable backer.

Everyone knew he was working for Lance, and Lance and Senator Cleveland were in cahoots.

Even if Mr. Porter wins the election and becomes president, as long as Senator Cleveland's base remains intact and Lance doesn't cause trouble, he will become a backbone of the Socialist Party in Congress, and even a kind of "leader".

When things are going badly, a symbolic figure like this is needed to tell people that the Socialist Party has not fallen and will continue to compete.

With such a powerful figure backing him, Robben's former colleagues, who were considered his enemies, were completely helpless against him.

The Chief Justice is an impartial person. He will not favor Robben just because he knows him. He will handle the case impartially.

After a brief introduction of today's case, the police chief stood in the dock.

He didn't really want to come here; he applied for a closed trial, which means the defendant's dock is covered with a cloth so that no one can see the person inside.

Such applications and permits exist, but his application was rejected today on the grounds that he is a law enforcement officer and a manifestation of the government's credibility, and should not be afraid to face the public.

He stood there, his face pale and numb.

Lawyer Robben came to his side and said, "You need to swear an oath according to the Bible."

Most federal citizens believe in God and that they will go to hell or God's kingdom after death. In court, if they cannot swear by the Bible that every word they say is true, then their words will not be believed by the jury or the judge.

This practice may seem ridiculous to some people, especially those who are habitual liars, but it is part of the federal judicial process; otherwise, there wouldn't be a Bible placed right next to him.

The police chief glanced at the Bible beside him, then slowly placed his hand on it. Countless thoughts appeared and disappeared in his mind. After a fierce internal struggle, he decided to tell the truth. After all, this was not his responsibility, and he did not need to take the blame for someone else's affairs and risk his entire life!

“I swear that every word I say in court is the truth and comes from my heart.”

Lawyer Robben was very satisfied; being able to swear an oath signified a shift in mindset.

In fact, there have been people in federal justice who refused to swear an oath no matter what, because they were afraid of going to hell after lying. As a result, they failed, because every juror believed that their refusal to swear was because they were the murderer, so they were found guilty.

“Chief, my client, Mr. Lance White, was subjected to a terrible armed attack in the area last month.”

"After a thorough investigation, we learned that the people who attacked him were from the Perez family, which had already been wiped out."

"But there is a very strange and perplexing mystery surrounding this attack that remains unexplained to this day."

"So that's why the police from New Gold City Police Department arrived at the scene of the attack before it happened and tried to arrest my client, the victim, first, instead of the attackers?"

"Could I assume that you knew the attack was going to happen, and that you might even be in cahoots with the Perez family, with the aim of harming, kidnapping, or even killing my client, Mr. Lance White?"

The police chief's lawyer raised his hands, saying, "I object to his questioning; these questions are clearly biased..."

The judge shook his head and said before the defendant could finish, "Objection overruled. I believe these questions are crucial. Defendant, please answer them."

The police chief remained silent; according to legal procedures, he had already taken an oath and could not lie now.

But he... still held onto a tiny bit of hope: what if they... couldn't handle him?
Moreover, he readily answered the question as soon as they asked him, which is tantamount to him voluntarily cooperating, isn't it?
Will Director Roland think he's become a traitor or something after seeing this?

Therefore, we need to be more cautious about this matter and persevere a little longer.

Seeing that the police chief remained silent, Attorney Robben did not press him further to speak, but instead resorted to the simplest method: inviting witnesses and testimonies.

Soon, the first police officer in uniform took his place in the witness stand and began to give his testimony—

"...I received orders from my superiors to arrive at my mission location fully armed at a designated time. I was not allowed to use the siren or appear on the roadside. They instructed me to hide in alleys and not to get out of the car, but to be ready to start the police car and take action at any time."

"I asked my deputy sheriff, and he told me to follow orders and not to ask why."

Soon the deputy sheriff also stepped forward, saying, "I was just following the sheriff's orders."

When the police chief saw a sergeant also step forward, he rolled his eyes and interrupted the questioning, saying, "No need to say anything, I'm willing to tell the truth."

“In fact, we did know beforehand that the Perez family would attack Lance, as well as a general time and location, considering these two gangs…”

Attorney Robben suddenly raised his hand. "I object, Your Honor. To date, there is no evidence to prove that my client, Mr. Lance White, has been involved in or operated a gang."

“In Golden Harbour City, he is a philanthropist praised by everyone, and everyone knows that.”

“The defendant is trying to downplay his wrongdoing by stigmatizing him. I need him to apologize to my client and admit his mistakes.”

The police chief stared at Lawyer Robben for a moment, mentally reviewing his limited vocabulary of insults, before reluctantly speaking—

"I apologize to Mr. Lance White. I shouldn't have stigmatized him. I'm sorry!"

(End of this chapter)