Shadow Empire

Chapter 1180 News, Horse Racing, and Infiltration

Lance didn't know what deal Senator Cleveland and Mr. Porter had made, but in any case, the heat surrounding Roland's case seemed to be gradually fading.

When the nation's most famous male celebrity was exposed for tax evasion, the IRS intervened, and people's attention was immediately diverted.

Since the new tax law was implemented at the start of the war, it has actually arrested many people who attempted to evade taxes and dealt with many others, but these people often do not have much social influence.

Just like a street vendor at the entrance of a community being fined 100 yuan, nobody cares about the news, and it won't be published in the newspaper.

Therefore, strictly speaking, this male celebrity's tax evasion is the "first case" since the federal tax law reform.

People were curious to see how the IRS would deal with this guy, and many were interested in the downfall of such a celebrity politician. The buzz quickly died down as newspapers stopped reporting on Commissioner Rowland.

In an era of highly developed information flow, trends can be easily suppressed, let alone in this era where information flow is not as developed.

If newspapers, magazines, and television news media don't report on it, people won't be able to access the information they're interested in.

They pay attention to whatever the media shows them; this is the truest reflection of our times, and it also marks an era in which the media is about to undergo a comprehensive upgrade.

Seeing the male celebrity in the newspaper, covering his face and looking somewhat disheveled as he walked out of the IRS office, accompanied by long paragraphs of text, even Lance, who wasn't particularly interested in tax reform or tax evasion, was quite intrigued by what would happen to this guy.

After reading a few more articles, he tossed the newspaper onto the dining table, ate something, and then got up and left the villa.

Today, the horses from Lawrence Farm were transported to the racetrack in New Gold City to prepare for the races.

The three old men had mentioned this to Lance during the Saint Farm festival. They had bred a number of excellent racehorses that had won two consecutive championships in the Lycalle region.

The next challenge is to take on more advanced horse racing competitions.

Golden State, as the political, cultural, and economic center of the United States, is undoubtedly a premier venue for various sporting events, including horse racing.

If the farm's racehorses can achieve good results, or even win the championship, in the Golden State races, it will not only increase the reputation of Lawrence Farm, but also bring in a lot of economic benefits.

For some horse racing farms that enjoy horse racing and operate as a business, a racehorse with excellent genes can bring them millions or even tens of millions of dollars in profit!
In recent years, with the continuous improvement of the economy, the business of horse racing has also increased rapidly from a few thousand or tens of thousands of yuan a few years ago to tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of yuan. Of course, this refers to those double and triple crown winners.

For racehorses with exceptionally pure bloodlines, such as four- or five-crown winners, the cost can easily reach hundreds of thousands.

Lawrence Farm is not short of money now. The ever-growing winery is like a printing press in a money printing factory, spitting out money every day. So what's left is their passion for horse racing.

After all, these three old men were not only farmers in their youth, but also cowboys and knights. Their affection for horses is something that people who grow up in the city today cannot understand.

To produce a champion horse for their farm and family is the achievement they most desire in their later years.

Around 9 a.m., a large amount of steam gushed out from the pressure relief valve, and the entire platform was once again enveloped in steam.

After a while, as the steam gradually dissipated, the people on the train began to work.

"Lance, kid!" Old Herbert, looking quite energetic, stepped out of the carriage, greeted Lance, and then gave him a hug.

"Seeing you makes me feel so much better. This is the first time I've ever taken such a long train journey to such a far place!"

For elderly people like Herbert, even if they were farmers, the so-called "big landowners," they probably never had the opportunity to go to bustling metropolises.

Life on the farm was their entire life. The farthest they had ever been was to a few small towns in the surrounding area; they had never even been to Jin Gang City.

Not to mention Xinjin City, which is far away in Jinzhou!
“You’ll be amazed by this!” Lance’s gaze was quickly drawn to the horse. “It looks even more magnificent than it did last month.”

Old man Herbert walked with a smile to his horse, which was now "armored." Because the weather was a bit cold, and to avoid wasting the horse's energy and because the large temperature difference between the inside and outside of the carriage could cause it problems, the rider had dressed it in a cotton coat before they came out.

So he looks stronger than last time.

However, this was obviously very pleasing to those who loved horses. Old Herbert patted the horse's neck, and its satin-like mane shook. The horse's round eyes (not the eyes of a horse) turned around and landed on the old man, then it nuzzled him with its head.

For this horse, perhaps the closest person in the world besides its mother is the old man Herbert.

“We came with ambition. I consulted some horse trainers, and they believe that ‘King’ has a high probability of achieving a good result in the race.”

"This will make our horse farm known throughout the country!"

Lance didn't know much about this, but he also knew that fame could always be monetized.

Soon the knight led his horse onto a special transport vehicle, and they went together to his villa in Lance, a suburb where he had recently purchased some villas.

As the old man left the station and saw the skyscrapers, he couldn't help but take off his hat, revealing his thinning head. He opened his mouth slightly and exclaimed, "Mare fak!"
It took him a while to come to his senses. "I've always heard people say that everything here is like an impossible miracle. You never told me that the buildings here are this tall!"

Lance opened the car door for him by the roadside. "You've never asked me that before."

This is the divide between people living in the countryside and people living in the city.

There is a serious disconnect between their understanding of society and their knowledge of the times.

In Herbert's eyes, the so-called "metropolis" was probably just a place similar to the cities around Lawrence Farm, except that the buildings were taller, the area was larger, the population was larger, and it was more prosperous.

Ultimately, isn't it still a city?

Only by standing here and looking at those skyscrapers that are hundreds of meters tall can one realize that the world's development has exceeded people's imagination!
Sitting in the car, he was still marveling at the skyscrapers around him, wondering, "When did they start building these buildings?"

"Has it been used for decades?"

Lance glanced at the nearly 200-meter-tall building that the old man on the roadside was looking at. "No, they only took two years."

The old man turned to look at him. "Two years?"

Are you sure there isn't a missing zero?

"Fuck, these guys are fucking insane!"

The speed of industrial development in the Federation has exceeded everyone's expectations. Every day, all kinds of "industrial miracles" are being staged on this land. Building a building that is nearly 200 meters tall in two years is actually not considered fast. There are even faster ones!
This is a manifestation of capital and power in the federal government and even in the world's central cities.

Those skyscrapers represent not only the miracles of this era, but also the display of the capital power behind them!
Wandering through these city streets, old Herbert realized for the first time that he was really out of touch.

Fortunately, he still has time to explore the world. When he returns, he will talk to his brothers and encourage them, including the younger generation in the family, to go out and see what the most cutting-edge places of this era are like.

After returning to the villa prepared for the elderly Herbert, Lance treated him to a sumptuous lunch before taking his leave.

The old man and the knight need to continue training their racehorse to ensure it can perform at its full potential on the track.

The temperature in New Gold City is about seven or eight degrees lower than in Likale, which is a bit unfair to horse racing in the south.

Southern horse racing has never been raced in such cold conditions, and many horses will experience some problems to varying degrees. How to avoid these problems and ensure that the horses are in good condition will be the main task of the old man and the rider for the next period of time.

Far away in Indenor, Governor Wade was welcoming some very special guests. It was the weekend, and he was hosting them at his secluded estate on the outskirts of the city.

“I heard you’re not a local.” There were four people in total who came to Indenau State. Apart from two people who didn’t seem to have any special status, the two people walking in front were the ones who mainly talked to Governor Wade.

Two of the key members of the Liberal Party committee are also senior members of the Liberal Party.

Governor Wade smiled. "Yes, everyone knows that. I moved here from Licale."

"For the governor's position," the person speaking to him stated bluntly, revealing his reason for moving.

Governor Wade glanced at him and answered without hesitation, "Yes, for the governor."

This is nothing to be ashamed of, and he succeeded. The Wade family has now produced a governor, and during his term, he will do everything in his power to consolidate his family’s local position so that the Wade family can produce more mayors and governors in the future.

Everyone hates factionalism because they themselves are not a faction.

If everyone were a mountain in themselves, they wouldn't hate those who promote factionalism so much.

It's like in Lapa, where federal officials enjoy superhuman treatment, with police cars escorting their motorcades on the road.

In China, if anyone goes even slightly too far, they will stand on the moral high ground and accuse others of abusing their power. But when it comes to enjoying themselves, they will feel at ease and enjoy everything.

Everyone is like this; their criticism and opposition to certain things are simply because they themselves are not among the beneficiaries.

The man speaking was one of the executive members of the Liberal Party committee and also the chairman of another state committee, making him a high-ranking member of the Liberal Party.

His unexpected visit did indeed surprise Governor Wade.

Governor Wade seemed to sense something was amiss when the topic turned out to be so straightforward.

He extended his hand in invitation, "Please..."

The group didn't say anything more until they entered the manor's reception room.

After everyone else had left, the executive committee member sipped his fine coffee and said, "You must be curious about our sudden visit, but we'll answer your questions in a moment."

“You should know that Porter has won the election and will be sworn in as the new president of the Union in less than two weeks.”

Governor Wade nodded. "These news items have already been published in the newspapers; everyone knows about them."

The executive committee member nodded. "What's your take on this?"

Governor Wade didn't react for a moment. "How I see this matter doesn't seem to have anything to do with whether Mr. Porter will be sworn in."

The executive committee member put down his coffee, a faint smile on his face. "How could it not be related?"

“Governor Wade, you should know that there will be a re-election for congressional seats next year, and we just happened to be in power. You should be able to see from this election that people believe in us and have chosen us.”

"You should be able to sense that this time, we've returned to the top, and we'll definitely try to stay there for as long as possible."

"In other words, we will seek multiple terms as president, whether two or three, and the era of the Liberal Party will begin."

"Governor Wade, have you considered the problems and situations you might encounter later?"

Governor Wade listened to what he said and began to think about it.

There has been some discussion within the Socialist Party, and their dissatisfaction with the current president has reached an intolerable level, as he is the reason the Liberal Party has gained an opportunity in this election.

It may seem like this has nothing to do with the president, but it actually does. The Socialist Party's continued victories, coupled with the president's unscrupulous methods in his bid for a second term, have raised concerns about the Socialist Party's continued success.

If they can use certain means to achieve their goal of midterm re-election, then if they are allowed to win the next election, will the Federation eventually become a dictatorship?

It is quite possible that the brief dialogue between the Imperial Emperor and the Federal President has fueled anxieties about this possibility, which is why there is a societal bias towards a Liberal Party victory, prompting the Socialist Party to "calm down."

If we win the war, the benefits of victory will last for two or three decades. This means that for the next two or three decades, the federal economy will maintain a high growth rate.

These achievements, which should have been attributed to the Socialist Party, have become the Liberal Party's achievements due to its defeat in this election.

So there is no doubt that the Socialist Party could very well win re-election and the next general election, something that happened to them in the past.

Once they begin long-term rule, it will cause huge changes to many things in the country. The simplest point is that federal policies and fiscal controls will cause some states that tend to be Socialist to begin to shift to the Liberal camp.

The Socialist Party did this before, and they will definitely do it again now.

If a policy that benefits the people is only promoted in Liberal states, then people in Socialist-controlled states will certainly be dissatisfied, and they will begin to resent the Socialists and turn to the Liberals.

Once a shift occurs in political alignment, it is often irreversible, and the Socialist Party is likely to be excluded from the core of power for a long period of time!

These discussions were almost entirely public, and Governor Wade had heard quite a bit about them; he was actually somewhat concerned about the situation.

If the Wade family wants to establish a foothold and settle down in Indenau, they will definitely need the support of the people.

If the federal government and the treasury cannot provide him with more support, he will find it difficult to maintain public support and will likely lose the gubernatorial election in the next one, or the one after that.

If you can't promise the people policies and social welfare, but the Liberal Party candidates can, then how the people will choose is clearly not a question mark, but an exclamation mark!

The way these issues were presented on the table by the executive committee member at this point caught Governor Wade somewhat off guard.

He frowned and thought for a moment, then looked at the executive committee member and said, "You want to bribe me."

"Bribery?" The executive committee member shook his head with a chuckle. "This is not bribery, Your Excellency Governor. This is a negotiation, or even a transaction."

“We are determined to win the Senate majority this time. To ensure our security, we need to gain more Liberal seats, which is why I am here.”

“I don’t need you to completely side with the Liberal Party, and you probably wouldn’t agree with that. My idea is that you can follow the example of those swing states and nominate a Liberal senator and a Socialist senator.”

"In this way, the Socialist Party will not only not blame you, but will also give you more benefits to win you back into their arms."

"Similarly, since we also need the Indenau state seat, we will give you the same policy and financial treatment as a Liberal state."

"You will not become someone else's enemy. Instead, you will become a very important person that both sides will want to win over. Even if they hate you, they will maintain the current relationship on the surface and try their best to meet some of your not-too-excessive requests."

"You see, you not only haven't lost anything, but you've actually gained a lot."

"It's not just our friendship, policy, and financial support; more importantly, the people will support you because of it."

"You, your family, will become an important part of this state!"

(End of this chapter)