Shadow Empire

Chapter 1178 Confession and Intentions

Everyone knows that humans are flawed and capable of experiencing unbearable pain.

They become very obedient as long as the pain they endure exceeds their maximum tolerance.

The term "painful education" is not only applicable to children. When they are disobedient or do something wrong, giving them a beating can teach them a profound lesson and make them remember it, so that they will not repeat the same mistake.

This method is equally applicable to adults; it applies to everyone, regardless of age.

Many people... especially some young people, children, always think that their parents are the most powerful people in the world.

But in reality, once they are subjected to torture, they are not much different from children.

My legs tremble with fear, and tears stream down my face from terror.

That's how people are.

However, some people can use these methods, such as Lance, a gang member, who uses violence and death to threaten others and achieve his own goals.

However, there are some people who are not suitable for using these methods, namely those who hold power.

If they use these methods recklessly, society will collapse.

The greater the power one holds, the more vigilant one needs to be about these things. Perhaps some people want to become tyrants or dictators, but no one wants others to become tyrants or dictators.

Upon hearing Lance's name, the prosecutor considered for a moment, nodded, and even showed a slightly envious expression on his face, "They have more freedom in doing things than we do."

If prosecutors could act as freely as gangsters, there would be far fewer problems in the world, and far fewer cases that are difficult to solve.

After the prosecutor left, Senator Cleveland told Lance about it, which was a minor matter to Lance.

A day later, Roland was brought into the interrogation room again. His expression was calm and composed. He was well aware of the procedures of law enforcement agencies, including the prosecutor's office.

Without resolving all the issues and verifying the truth, this case will not proceed to trial.

If he were just a minor figure, some procedures might be skipped. But since he is not a minor figure, the prosecutor's office must investigate every case he "confessed" to based on the case information he provided before proceeding with a unified prosecution.

This is his chance.

He could stall until after January 1st. He believed that once "Mr. Potter" became "President Potter," he would definitely help him get out of this predicament. So what he needed to do now was to reveal some clues and evidence, both true and false.

Let the prosecutor's office busy investigating these cases instead of starting his trial.

When he was brought into the interrogation room, ready to "remember" something again with the prosecutor in charge of the case, he paused for a moment.

Because the person sitting across the table wasn't a prosecutor, nor the chief prosecutor, but Lance.

"You seem quite surprised?" Lance smiled and gestured for him to sit down. "I'm not used to talking to people with my head tilted back, why don't you sit down?"

Roland's mood changed; his eyes were visibly filled with tension.

A few seconds later, he came to the opposite side of Lance, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

He wanted to say something to ease his tension, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only lower his head slightly and remain silent.

Lance seemed quite relaxed. He took out his silver and jeweled cigarette case. "Want one?"

The prosecutors did not restrict Rowland's smoking here, after all, he was a senior federal employee, and he could still enjoy some privileges until all his crimes were fully proven.

Moreover, even in prison, inmates can smoke cigarettes, so Roland doesn't lack cigarettes here.

But right now, he really needs it.

He took one from Lance's hand. "I have no fire."

Although they didn't restrict Roland's smoking, they didn't give him a lighter. That's how the federal government always is—it makes you feel like you have everything, but when you actually try to use what you have, you find that it's already been shackled.

Smoking is like that, voting is like that, and there are many other things as well.

Lance took out a lighter and lit his cigarette for him, then lit one for himself as well. He maintained that faint, reserved yet confident smile on his face. "They asked me to come over and have a chat with you, to see if we can reach an agreement on some issues."

Roland took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled. "You want me to confess?"

He knew what these people wanted, and he was also well aware that they had seen through his delaying tactics, but... so what?
A smug smile appeared on his lips. "Dream on."

It was a very calm statement, but it revealed his inner confidence.

Lance shook his head as he smoked, "You see, that's the biggest difference between me and you guys."

“You are law enforcement officers, and everything is governed by judicial procedures and regulations. There are strict standards for how to do each step, to what extent to do it, and what not to do.”

"Problems will arise if the rules or procedures are violated."

“But Roland…” Lance placed his hands on the edge of the table and leaned forward, “I’m the gangster bastard you’re talking about!”

Seeing the astonished look on Roland's face, his smile widened, and the corners of his mouth curved even more. He slowly leaned back. "I don't need to follow any of those things you mentioned. There are no procedures, no rules or regulations. I can do whatever I want."

He put the cigarette butt in his mouth, hissed, and took a drag. "I remember you guys said in the newspaper or somewhere that gangsters are inhuman, despicable criminal groups. See, you already know that, so why are you still having illusions at this time?"

The smugness on Roland's face had vanished, replaced by unease and a hint of hatred. "What do you want to do?"

Lance cut straight to the heart of the matter without hesitation: "Your family, and yourself."

“Like I just said, you think I’m a gangster, so I’ll do what gangsters do.”

“If you don’t follow our rules, then I will punish you.”

"First your children, then your wife, and finally your other family members, such as your parents and siblings."

“We don’t have much time, so I won’t give you too much time to think about it. You have two children, so let’s start with the older one.”

As he spoke, he lit a cigarette, went to the back, took a phone from a cabinet, placed it on the table between the two of them, dialed a number, and handed the receiver over.

Roland hesitated, hesitant. He roughly knew what was inside, so he was hesitant to accept it.

"Don't you want to hear your eldest son's voice now?"

"This may be the last time you communicate."

Roland's eyes suddenly turned red, and he glared fiercely at Lance, "One day, you will pay for everything you've done, Lance!"

Lance curled his lip indifferently, "I don't know if I'll pay the price, but you definitely won't live to see that day, and neither will your child."

Roland's trembling hand picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. His heavy breathing seemed to let the person on the other end know that he was on the phone. Then he let out his son's cry for help, "Who can save me? Anyone will do."

"I'm so scared right now, I don't want to die..."

Death was something a young man had never thought about before, not even occasionally in his casual reverie. But now it was truly happening right in front of him. How could he not be terrified?

As Roland listened to his eldest son's cries, his face grew darker and darker. He gripped the receiver tightly, knowing full well what was going on.

Maybe others are joking, but Lance is definitely not joking!

"...Don't worry, you'll be fine, everything will be alright," he said, and placed the receiver on the phone stand after finishing the call.

His heaving chest revealed the turbulent emotions clashing and struggling within him, and a conflicted and pained expression appeared on his face. He had actually experienced something similar before, but not on his side now, but on Lance's side, or rather, on the side of the "perpetrator."

He always mocked those people who only confessed after suffering immense harm, when they could have confessed without any harm.

Or perhaps the final result is the same, so why must one endure pain to test one's "magnanimity" before doing what one should do?
Isn't this stupid?
So he's in a real dilemma right now.

Lance didn't urge him. People always have to go through some struggles before they gradually understand. It's just that some people's struggles end quickly, while others have to pay a price.

After about four or five minutes, Roland let out a heavy sigh of relief. "You won."

"Let them go, and I'll take full responsibility for this."

He looked completely exhausted. He considered countless possibilities, but could see almost no light at the end of the tunnel.

He could remain in his current state, saying nothing, cooperating in nothing, and waiting for Lance to kill his family, but then what?

When the hatred between them had completely reached a breaking point, Lance, or rather the Cleveland Senate interest group behind him, was next going to kill this minor character.

Because if he were to leave here alive, he would only become Mr. Potter's most vicious dog, tearing apart Senators like Senator Cleveland.

They won't allow him to continue living; they'll definitely find a way to kill him in the prosecutor's office.

Here's something really interesting: if you can kill him, why make him confess?
Killing someone is easy, but such a death brings no "value" to society. However, if Roland were to plead guilty, it would cause a huge reaction in society, and Mr. Potter, who was appointed to the position, would also be affected.

He appointed a federal parasite, making a criminal the head of the fastest-rising law enforcement agency in the federal government. People would question whether Mr. Porter's judgment was as good as they thought, otherwise why would he appoint a criminal?
This effect is not immediately apparent, but it is real. When similar things happen again in the future, people will not trust Mr. Potter as much because of the "precedent".

Political struggle is never a simple matter, especially when you know that you can't win in a short time, and you can't win against Mr. Porter and the Liberal Party.

Gradually eroding public trust and exposing more of their problems will play a crucial role in paving the way for a future head-on confrontation.

Federal citizens not only like to dream about the future, but they also like to dredge up the past. The president likes to dredge up the past, the ruling party likes to dredge up the past, and any politician is like that.

Therefore, from a value perspective, Roland admitting his crimes, and possibly even involving some matters concerning Mr. Potter, is the best and most valuable option for the current Socialist Party.

Discovering an individual's value is the right choice for those in positions of power, but if they remain stubbornly defiant, then the only option is to eliminate them.

Although it's a bit of a pity to do this, at least it won't cause any other trouble.

Lance knew these things, and Roland knew them too, so he made the decision quickly.

Rather than dying silently here with my family, I'd rather burn my last bit of value so that at least my family can live on.

Roland licked his lips. "I'll plead guilty if you agree to two things."

Lance nodded. "If I can agree."

"First, give my wife and two children some money and stop harassing them."

Lance nodded. “That’s easy. I’ll give them two hundred thousand, and they can come of age and find new lives.”

After considering it for a while, Roland had no objections. "Two hundred thousand is a lot. It's enough for them to live on for the rest of their lives."

He didn't ask for more. More money would be good, but it could also cause some unnecessary trouble, such as making the children lazy or causing problems because of the money.

He used to take care of them, so he didn't dare to give them too much at once. Now that he's no longer taking care of them, if someone finds out that this family is very wealthy, then some people will definitely target them.

The federal government has never been a paradise. As a law enforcement officer, he knew very well that the upper class engaged in cunning and extortion, while the lower class engaged in blackmail and blackmail. If a person has wealth but does not have the corresponding ability to protect it, then he is in danger.

Then wealth is poison, not a guarantee of happiness.

"The second thing... I need you to help me deal with the man who got my wife pregnant."

This was a disgrace to him. A woman not only betrayed him but also got pregnant by another man and made him feel so humiliated. He had never felt so wronged before!

Lance was somewhat surprised. "Do you need me to get rid of that woman for you too?"

Roland shook his head. "Although I hate her just as much, I owe her."

It's not that he doesn't know, nor that he doesn't understand.

Lance agreed, "You can wait two days, I will arrange everything, and I also hope that you will keep your promise, instead of taking my goodwill as a joke."

He watched as Lance stood up and immediately added, "I can plead guilty now."

Meeting Lance's gaze, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I believe you wouldn't lie to me."

A dozen minutes later, the chief prosecutor arrived in the interrogation room with some prosecutors. Roland did not struggle much and began to confess.

What surprised Lance, or rather the prosecutor, and everyone else, was that he not only confessed himself, but also revealed the identities of the upper-class people from his hometown.

It seems he knew that his case would be turned into an insurmountable, ironclad one, so everyone implicated in cases related to him would go to hell with him!

So why did he let those people go?

Those who influenced his entire life!

If it weren't for those people, perhaps he would still be the same person he was before, instead of the person he is now who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Roland's confession spurred the case to develop rapidly. A prosecutor from the Liberal Party took an opportunity to leave the prosecutor's office, call his good friend, and deliver the news.

Mr. Porter learned of this immediately, after all, he was the one who had promoted Roland. Although the nomination was made by the current president and passed by Congress, everyone knew that he was the one who actually nominated him.

If Roland reveals more information in the prosecutor's office in order to protect himself, including some of the things he asked others to do, it could very likely lead to some unpredictable consequences.

He's now hesitant about whether to kill Roland.

He sat there deep in thought, and had been in that contemplative position for some time now.

His son couldn't help but ask, "What are you waiting for?"

"Roland knows a lot about us, including the matter of silencing the journalist. He knew about it and was involved in it."

“If those people in Cleveland made a deal with him, like saving him or getting the current president to sign a pardon, he might just expose us.”

"The prosecutor's office and parliament are still under the control of the Socialist Party. If they initiate impeachment proceedings ahead of schedule, they will definitely maintain the current parliamentary lineup until the impeachment case is over in order to maintain the integrity of the process."

"You are very likely to be impeached successfully!"

"Moreover, Father, you are not the Liberal Party's only option."

He has already won the election, and he is indeed very important to the Liberal Party now, but he is not an indispensable part, because even if he is impeached, the vice president will take over as the new federal president, and the vice president will also be a Liberal.

Power has always remained within the party; it's simply a matter of the left hand transferring to the right. The Liberal Party may not be able to fight to the death to protect him.

Politics is something that changes every moment.

One second they might be friends, but the next second they could be rivals.

Mr. Potter seemed to be gradually making a decision under his son's persuasion. He pursed his lips, making them thin, and said, "Go do it, I'll arrange it for you."

(End of this chapter)