Shadow Empire

Chapter 1145 Thinking Crookedly
"...Director Roland believes there is a conflict of interest between the Lance and Perez families, and there have been rumors that they are fighting each other over certain things."

"But since we don't have concrete evidence, perhaps Director Roland hopes to gain some important clues or evidence by observing this attack."

"As a fellow law enforcement agency, I chose to cooperate with the FBI's actions, which is why the plaintiff's lawyers have been trying to find out."

He spoke these things frankly, and all his personal issues in this case were resolved at once. His reason for cooperating with other law enforcement agencies was plausible.

Then everything can be explained. It's like there's a very famous magazine in the Federation called "The Psychic," which introduces many mediums and their so-called real stories.

In the early years, many people were fooled, and the magazine became a disguised form of advertising and platform.

Later, because of its slightly greater influence, according to rumors, the wife of a certain important figure also believed in these mediums and did some things that were detrimental to the family's interests at the mediums' request.

So the big shot was furious, but he couldn't just shut down the magazine or arrest the mediums.

Federal officials are elected, and regardless of whether that's true or not, public support is very important.

This is something any official who wants to go further in politics must grasp.

The people of the Commonwealth are superstitious and religious. They believe that their deceased family and friends go to heaven or hell, and these mediums who can communicate with the spirits of the dead are clearly part of the real world.

Many people believed in them, and a forceful crackdown on these people would only provoke public discontent. So soon, a major state-level newspaper began publishing articles exposing the scams of psychic mediums.

When people realize that the miracles they thought were incredible were just scientific methods, they suddenly have an epiphany.

Just like the people listening in now, and all those who are concerned about this matter but do not know the truth.

There was no conspiracy or hatred, at least not on the police chief's side.

At this point, the case no longer needs further investigation. All that's required is for him to provide some evidence, and then the rest is just an investigation into Roland.

Because he is a government employee, the investigation surrounding him will be handled by professionals.

The moment the trial ended, the news spread like wildfire, and almost every media outlet and newspaper reported on it.

Their discussion wasn't about whether the police chief abused his power, but rather about the standards of law enforcement within the FBI and all law enforcement agencies.

Without a doubt, this was a failed law enforcement operation, and the main person responsible was none other than FBI Director Rowland.

This Director Roland was recently hailed by some media outlets as a "hero in the fight against evil," but now his extremely unreasonable behavior has been exposed. This stark contrast has not only sparked public discussion and attention but has also prompted some people to investigate and become more curious about him.

What kind of person could exhibit so many facets?

The public quickly split into two groups. Some supported Director Roland's actions, believing that although there was no evidence that Lance was the head of a criminal organization, everyone had heard that he was a gang leader, and that it was acceptable and necessary to do so in order to eradicate evil.

Another group of people, guided by certain articles, developed a sense of unease.

If power can be indulged and abused in this way, who will ultimately be harmed?
Some articles reported on the injuries sustained by innocent people during the shootout that day. Seven or eight passersby were hit by stray bullets as they walked by, and some of them were seriously injured and are still unable to live independently.

Some of the injuries were minor, and they have already returned to their daily lives and work.

However, their medical expenses, along with various other costs, continue to trouble them.

In addition, some cars, houses, and shops were damaged, and no one has compensated them for their losses.

What led to all this was the condoning of gang warfare.

This leads to another discussion: when law enforcement has intelligence about a crime, should they prevent the crime from happening in advance, or let the crime happen and then try to remedy it?
In short, Director Roland became famous, even though he didn't really want to be.

The FBI is not a place that can be in the spotlight; it hides too many dark things, and once they are discovered, they will inevitably become new news hotspots.

But he still attracted attention, and his family also came under scrutiny.

This includes marriages that have been childless for many years, as well as various other issues.

Even in the old city, Roland was harassed.

He knew Lance would definitely have countermeasures, but he didn't expect them to come so quickly, or in such a way, in a way that would attract nationwide attention.

"Director, there are many reporters outside who want to interview you..." His subordinate stood by the office door looking at him, only to be glared at by him.

This was clearly said with a temper: "Get them out of here, don't let them ruin our work, find some lawyer to warn them, send them lawyer's letters."

He walked somewhat irritably to the window. A number of reporters had gathered outside the branch office, and they were clearly eager to see him.

Just then, the phone on the table rang. He went over and answered it. "This is Roland."

"it's me……"

The familiar voice coming through the receiver made Roland frown. "I told you, don't call me when I'm working."

"We can talk about it tonight!"

He hung up the phone without waiting for the other person to say anything.

The henchman at the door shrank back and quickly left.

It was his wife calling.

He had very complicated feelings for this woman; it wasn't love, but also some resentment and annoyance.

He disliked the woman's attempts to seduce him, even though he knew he was almost wasting her best years, but it was ultimately her own choice.

It's not that Director Roland is a saint. Like most men, he needs to release his sexual urges from time to time. But even if he goes out to find prostitutes, he won't sleep with them!

Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, the woman, much younger than Roland, gripped the phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She looked out in alarm at the large number of reporters present.

They were banging on the windows and doors and making a lot of noise, trying to get her to agree to an interview.

She had already called the police, but because the case involved Chief Roland, the police station was being very cautious and only sent two officers to maintain order, preventing them from storming into Chief Roland's house.

But they are hesitant to take anything further.

In recent days, a rumor has been circulating in New Gold City that "the police are all FBI dogs," and some fanatical and extreme news enthusiasts have even held up some extremely humiliating banners in front of the police station to satirize them.

Some people even had a police uniform custom-made for their dogs, then walked the dogs around in front of the police station, constantly having the dogs greet their "colleagues."

In fact, people in this era have a stronger desire for entertainment and emotional release than ever before or ever before.

This is an open and advanced society where people's minds have become more active and open due to various changes, and they crave individuality and social influence.

However, society lacks such a channel and more forms of entertainment. When a hot topic emerges in public opinion and many people start to participate, a public opinion frenzy begins.

In reality, this is more of an organized "social violence," a form of violence perpetrated by society as a whole against an individual in various ways.

People's desire to know about Director Roland's personal life and privacy has allowed the media to see the power of monetization, with every link in the chain playing a full role, under the interference of some unseen forces.

Now they're not content with just causing trouble for Director Roland; they've gone to his home, and his wife has become the focus of attention. This should have been a story celebrated, with the rescued girl marrying the hero who saved her, but people have discovered that the girl doesn't seem to be living a happy life!
She seemed dull and lifeless, rarely socialized, and they had no children.

Not having children is also a difficult thing for the Commonwealth, but if one of them is unable to have children for some reason, then it can be forgiven.

However, a tabloid broke the news first, saying that Director Roland's wife had had an abortion after their marriage.

Abortion is a very serious "crime" in the federal government because God told people that they have no right to dispose of the little angels He sent to earth, so abortion is illegal. In many states, abortion has even evolved into a very profitable illegal business.

However, some regions support abortion, but they strictly register every family that has an abortion to ensure that the abortion will not ultimately affect them.

The tabloid reporter obtained the records from that time, showing that Director Roland took his wife to have an abortion.

This news has once again ignited public outrage. In a society where conservatives still predominate, this is nothing short of blasphemy!
Not to mention that Director Roland and his wife's families of origin were all devout believers, including Director Roland himself, who had stated that he was a devout believer when he was young.

These things he said and did in the past were dug up one by one, forming a larger phenomenon of collective social participation.

Someone came over and smashed the windows of the house with bricks, cursing Director Roland's wife as a "filthy, disobedient whore." Everything they did was too much for the woman to bear.

The police wouldn't help, and she didn't know who to call. Ever since she tried so hard to get pregnant last time, was discovered, and had a huge fight with Chief Roland, a clear rift had appeared in her relationship with him, the kind that couldn't be repaired.

She didn't know any of Director Roland's subordinates, let alone contact them for help. She felt extremely helpless.

She actually knew that Director Roland probably had a real wife and children, otherwise he wouldn't have been so hostile towards her.

Over the years, she tried everything to change things and strive to be a good wife to her partner, but she never succeeded and the two drifted further and further apart.

She herself didn't know that this had become a demon in her heart, an obsession, and she was constantly falling into a hell that began with repaying a debt of gratitude!

Eventually, her neighbor couldn't stand the noise anymore and called the police, who then came to disperse the extremists and reporters at the entrance.

Unable to feel the noise around her, Roland's wife finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They then told Roland about it, and Roland finally understood why his wife had suddenly called him (using the phone number she had left before she left).

He believed that Lance was behind all of this. Lance's relentless pressure gave him a terrifying feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on. The feeling lingered around him, making him uneasy.

We can't continue to deal with this passively. According to the local investigation, Lance has hardly been involved in any crimes, and his liquor hasn't been delivered yet.

Even if it gets transported over, it's actually not very useful.

As one of the defense suppliers, he has the right to produce and transport those liquors. He also has a license. As long as there is no evidence to prove that Lance transported the liquor here to sell to those gangs, rather than those gangs stealing his liquor, then he is still not committing a crime.

To catch Lance's tail, simply following behind him won't work; you have to take the initiative.

He stood by the window for a long time, lost in thought, before returning to his desk and dialing Derek's (director of the FBI's Golden Harbor field office) phone number.

"You've become a big celebrity lately!" Derek and he were quite close; it was Director Roland who chose to promote Derek, which could be considered as giving him a hand.

The two had a good relationship before, and now that they are far apart, their relationship has actually become even better because of the friction and conflicts that arise from not being in close contact.

"Don't even mention it, it's really awful. I get a headache just looking at those reporters."

"I called you today because I wanted to talk to you about Lance."

Derek quickly became serious. "What do you want to talk about?"

Director Roland did not speak immediately, and his silence made Derek realize that this was definitely not a good thing.

After about ten seconds, Director Roland said, "I've been thinking about this for the past two days. Lance's attack was fierce and swift, but we were very passive."

"This is because we are always in a disadvantageous position, and we are on the defensive."

"In war, the side that dares to attack always gains more benefits, while those who only defend will eventually lose every inch of their land!"

"We've been on the defensive, constantly on the defensive, constantly on the defensive, constantly on the defensive and on the counterattack. The whole world is chasing after these criminals!"

“Lance is very intelligent, and their gang is very disciplined; they almost never leave us anything useful.”

They have the motive and the ability to carry it out, but without a body or a murder weapon, it's impossible to file a case. This is what makes it so hard to control your emotions when dealing with these powerful gangs and criminal groups.

The Lance family was very adept at handling such matters; even Director Roland knew that they had set up a "cleaner company" to quickly take over the cleanup work under the guise of exterminating rats, termites, and cockroaches.

At this stage, rat and insect control mainly relies on toxic gas. As long as they set up a cordon outside, people will stay far away when they see white smoke rising from the ground.

They didn't even bother to get close enough to see what those people were taking away from the house.

Furthermore, some chemical agents can destroy any traces that may remain at the scene. They carefully wipe every object that may have fingerprints and use chemical agents to wipe every place that has been stained with blood.

They always handle things very carefully, making it completely worthless for anyone on the spot!
Faced with such a systematic and large-scale criminal organization, and their crimes, trying to run after them is simply not an option; you can't outrun them.

Director Roland was well aware of these things, as was Director Derek at Lance headquarters.

"What are you planning to do?" Director Derek asked, lighting a cigarette as he did so. He knew he would soon need a cigarette to calm himself down.

Director Roland paused for a few seconds, then said, "You said last time that you had someone infiltrate the Lance family."

“It’s the perimeter!” Director Derek emphasized.

"Whether it's the outer perimeter or the inner perimeter, he got in, right?"

Although somewhat reluctant, Chief Derek still grunted in agreement.

“Very good, I have a plan that requires the help of these undercover agents.”

"Instead of not being able to find evidence of their crimes, we should just create evidence to prosecute them."

“I know that every gang treats traitors cruelly, and the Lance family is no exception. They like to carve words on people’s bodies, then kill them and leave them on a lamppost.”

“That’s good. I need at least one undercover agent to step forward, betray them, and then escape to a place we control.”

"As soon as they make a move, we'll catch them red-handed."

“With evidence, we can take these people away for a thorough interrogation. I don’t believe they are all tough as nails. If they are, then I will smash every single one of their bones!”

"Someone will eventually tell us what we want to know. Their testimonies and statements will be the key to solving the Lance family problem!"

At this point, Director Roland could no longer tell whether he was genuinely passionate about fighting gang crime or simply trying to prove something to Lance or others.

Evil cannot triumph over justice!

After a moment of silence, a loud bang erupted from the other end of the phone.

Flower Q!

(End of this chapter)