Shadow Empire

Chapter 1186 Blocking the Road
Taking down a high-ranking politician is always a very cautious endeavor, as it is not a good "start".

When a political group starts using physical means to deal with its political opponents, its political opponents will also start considering using physical means to deal with them.

"Terror politics" and "bullet politics" are terms that politicians have always tried to avoid. After all, the human body is so weak that it has little resistance when faced with bullets, assassinations, and various "accidents".

If you can use these methods, so can others, and you never know when or what methods those people will use to take your life.

The purpose of maintaining rules is not to better constrain others, but to ensure that the power of rules can protect oneself who has not strayed from the scope of the rules.

So when Lance proposed the hypothetical scenario of "what if he had met with an accident," Senator Cleveland's first thought was to reject it, but he quickly frowned.

The Senate seats are crucial, determining whether the Socialist Party can hold its ground over the next four years.

Although the six seats held by the Federalist and Labour parties are “volatile” and can be bought off, swinging back and forth, these people cannot always be bought off, and they cannot be bought off on certain proposals that may contradict their positions.

The veto power has great political value; a veto can balance the political power between parties.

Therefore, this seat in Indenor is very important, and more importantly, if Governor Wade does not pay a price for betraying them, it will set a bad precedent.

Others might think... maybe he was just unlucky this time, and they themselves would have been luckier, so they would try to make some deals behind the scenes.

The next few years will inevitably belong to the Liberal Party, as they control the release and implementation of major policies. Coupled with the change of governors, it will be difficult for some Socialist governors who want to stay in their positions to make any adjustments.

They can even find reasons to justify their actions—I'm not disloyal to the Socialist Party, I just want to hold onto the governorship and not give the Liberal candidate any chance!
Even in Socialist-controlled areas, the Liberal Party committee can nominate a Liberal candidate for governor of that state, and people can still vote for Liberals in Socialist-controlled areas.

Humans are complex, and that's normal.

Therefore, the seemingly non-fatal changes they made to ensure their position remained secure seem quite reasonable.

We must teach him a lesson!
The gentlemen in the room remained silent, because whether they refused or agreed, they would actually have to bear certain responsibilities.

Senator Cleveland, among others, remained silent.

Finally, the chairman of the committee coughed and said, "Let's see how things go. If he decides to break with us and take another path, whichever one he chooses, as long as he's not on our side..."

“Well…”, he looked at Lance, but didn’t continue, though his stance was clear.

Lance nodded slightly. "I will make him understand that the price he needs to pay is one he cannot bear, a heavy price, even a price that could be his life."

The committee chairman was momentarily surprised, then a smile appeared on his face. "Jeffrey has always said you are very smart, but I never believed it. I'm sorry I had such a bad stereotype; it's my problem."

“You’re very interesting, Lance. Just as you imagine yourself to be, please do it that way.”

The committee chairman did not elaborate on what to do, but as a top politician, he was well aware of the importance of not revealing any "flaws".

If Governor Wade's actions have stirred up strong emotions, then he could say that Lance himself misunderstood, which led to such serious consequences.

People won't necessarily accuse him of doing something just because of such a small trick to shift blame. They'll only blame Lance, even if they know he was just an executor.

That's how the game works for those in power. The people at the top are always the same, but the tools they use are constantly being replaced.

But Lance made it very clear that he didn't really want to take on this responsibility, and he couldn't afford to.

So it's better to be clear-cut. That way, if anyone raises objections, he can retort, "Since I misunderstood, why didn't you correct me?"

This is why the chairman of the Socialist Committee laughed. He glanced at Senator Cleveland and said, "Well... that's settled for now. I'll contact Wade later, and you can wait for my notification."

After leaving the Socialist Committee office, Senator Cleveland got into Lance's car.

His car was also bulletproof, but not as luxurious or "new" as Lance's. This bulletproof car was only bought a few months ago and features the latest bulletproof and safety technologies.

Even using toxic fumes is useless; the entire vehicle uses two circulation systems, and it takes about 20 to 30 seconds for outside air to enter the vehicle.

This process can be stopped at any time, and then the internal oxygen supply can be used to ensure that the people in the car will not suffocate to death due to the enclosed environment within an hour.

Simply put, its defenses have been upgraded.

It's more upscale, safer, and offers a better riding experience.

"You did a great job just now. It's our responsibility, and we need to take responsibility for it. We have no problem taking responsibility ourselves."

"But we shouldn't have to bear the responsibility for other people's problems."

He lit a cigarette and rolled down the windows a little. "I don't know much about Wade, but I know that once he's made his decision, even if the chairman calls him, it won't make a difference."

“You need to be prepared, if necessary…” He took a drag of his cigarette, his gaze lingering on the bustling streets and pedestrians outside the car window.

The city of New Gold is bustling and vibrant during the day, but it's not as beautiful as it is at night. When night falls, the flashing neon lights give the city a strange and unrecognizable appearance.

It was lively during the day, but it lacked a certain feeling, an atmosphere that was hard to describe—ethereal and elusive.

He watched for a while, took two or three puffs of his cigarette, and then turned back to look at Lance, his expression somewhat indifferent. "...Just kill him."

Lance remained calm. "I'm fine, I'm just a little worried that the others might cause trouble."

Just like in another world where "the law does not apply to high-ranking officials," doing so would provoke hostility from people.

Senator Cleveland took another drag of his cigarette. "As long as they don't have any evidence, I can guarantee you're absolutely safe."

"As for the Chairman..." He chuckled twice, his eyes somewhat enigmatic, "After all, he's getting old. You know, people become much more tolerant as they get older, and they tend to respond to problems in a gentler way."

"Don't worry about him."

As Lance drove Senator Cleveland back, the committee chairman had already dialed Governor Wade's number.

"Wade?"

“It’s me, Zorn.”

“Mr. Chairman?” Governor Wade seemed completely unsurprised by the call from the committee chairman. The moment he made his decision, he knew what he was about to face.

"Yes, Wade."

"The chairman of the Socialist Party Representative Committee of Indenau State called me earlier, but I am only dealing with this now because of work."

"He told me that there were several more Liberal candidates on your list of Senate candidates."

The federal government always does this: nominating governors, reviewing them by the legislature, making everyone who doesn't understand federal politics think that it is a truly free, fair, and equal government, free from corruption, personal connections, and dictatorship.

But that's not actually the case at all, otherwise such a phone call wouldn't have happened. In the past, governors basically wouldn't nominate Liberal Party candidates, and even if they did, it was someone nobody knew, a mere figurehead who might drop out halfway through the race due to illness or other reasons.

But this time, Governor Wade's nomination was very formal and has already threatened the Socialist Party's seats. This is not just "running alongside"; this is betrayal!
Governor Wade seemed oblivious to the dissatisfaction and slight heaviness in the committee chairman's tone; his voice even carried a hint of amusement. "This is how I see it, Mr. Chairman."

“Fairness and freedom in elections have always been our pursuit. Recently, I realized that for a long time in Indenor, for more than a decade or two, we had only three Liberal Party members on our list of nominees for Congress.”

"This is actually a very bad practice. People will think we've used some dirty tricks in the election, and I believe that in Indenau, a Socialist stronghold, voters will continue to support our people even if we nominate a Liberal candidate."

"Doing this not only tells everyone that even if we lose this election, our dominance over our established power has not diminished,"

"Don't you believe that our nominated candidate can defeat our opponents in the election?"

After listening, the chairman remained silent for a while. "You're very good at talking, Wade, but no matter how good you are at talking, it doesn't change this fact."

"It is a fact that you nominated the Liberal Party's parliamentary candidate at our worst time, putting us at a disadvantage in the power struggle in Parliament."

"You have betrayed us, you have betrayed all members of the Socialist Party."

After listening, Governor Wade snorted twice. "Mr. Chairman, I have never betrayed anyone. I have no reason to do so, nor do I need to."

He paused for a moment, and then some other voices came through the receiver, "I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, I still have work to do. I'll call you back later when I have time."

"terribly sorry."

The Chairman knew this was just an excuse; he simply didn't want to talk to him anymore, but he couldn't bring himself to completely sever ties.

Of course, the most important thing is that even if things fall apart, it won't make a difference. He could only grunt, "I understand," and then hang up the phone first.

His face was grim. The seemingly respectful but actually arrogant words of Governor Wade on the phone were still fresh in his mind, fueling a surge of anger within him.

Having reached his position and class, he rarely felt this angry anymore. At this moment, his anger transformed into a destructive desire, and he clenched his fists tightly, refraining from doing anything shameful.

Even though he was gritting his teeth and wished he could smash everything within reach on the ground!
After a while, he suddenly exhaled, his tense body relaxed, and Lance's words echoed in his mind.

Indeed, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, otherwise these people will never understand that they are playing with fire!
On the other hand, Governor Wade's expression after hanging up the phone was not as smiling as the chairman had imagined. He was well aware that he no longer had a solid relationship with the Socialist Party. The two sides were only maintaining the most basic decorum and were only one step away from tearing off the mask.

However, he also has his own thoughts. Currently, many cities in the entire state of Indenau do not support him, and it is hard to say whether those who seem to support him truly do so.

After the two sides broke up over the profit issue of alcohol sales, some cities still support Lance, about 40% to 50%, while the rest are former adversaries who have now sided with Governor Wade.

This is a very delicate situation. To put it more bluntly, it might not be easy for him to seek re-election as governor unless he can re-cooperate with Lance.

He could continue serving as governor of the state, even with substantial funding, but it would be difficult.

Given Lance's friendly relationship with the top leaders of the Socialist Party, it is highly likely that the Socialist Party leadership will not support him in continuing to run for governor, which means that his "dynasty" will end before it even begins.

He couldn't accept this outcome, but he needed financial and political support. Since he couldn't rely on the Socialist Party, he had no choice but to try to get some help from the Liberal Party.

Whether it's financial or political support, as long as they can support him to continue in the election, what does it matter if he leads a group of people to switch camps?
Even if we can't change Indenau from a Socialist state to a Liberal state, we can still plant a seed here.

In the past, when the Socialist Party was in power, having one more or one less seat didn't mean much. But when the Liberal Party is in power, one seat means who is truly "strong".

Although he had prepared himself mentally, he still felt a little emotional when the moment arrived.

Having been a socialist for most of his life, his sudden change of allegiance can only be blamed on Lance. If he hadn't been so focused on profit and willing to share his earnings, none of this would have happened.

Ultimately, it was all Lance's fault.

After returning to the manor that evening, Lance called Irwin to inquire about the current sales situation in Indenor.

“Half and half,” Erwin said, his tone somewhat awkward. “I’ve tried my best to develop it, but it’s not an easy task.”

"Even if I offered those mayors better compensation, they would still refuse to talk to us about getting alcohol into the business."

The state of Indenau has now become an "abnormality," and what's abnormal is that for alcohol to enter a city for sale, it has nothing to do with the local gangs or anything like that, but rather with the mayor.

This seems to have become a local "unspoken rule": only if the mayor approves can alcoholic beverages be sold in the city; otherwise, the entire city's underworld will come to raid their products.

To get the mayor's approval, simply offering money won't be enough; we also need to find a way to persuade Governor Wade.

Irwin had never directly interacted with Governor Wade, and Governor Wade didn't value Irwin much. In his view, the only person in the entire Lance family worth paying attention to was Lance.

But he and Lance had already fallen out, so naturally they wouldn't talk anymore.

Without the substantial profits provided by Lance, he is now short of cash and can only continue to solicit kickbacks from other suppliers to support some of his plans.

To turn the entire state into the Wade family's "traditional sphere of influence" would require an investment of funds and resources that the current Wade family simply cannot afford.

Faced with multiple predicaments, he had no choice but to switch sides; only by doing so could he gain more benefits.

Irwin has been in charge of things in Indenor State for the past two years, and he's become quite adept at "senses"—"Has something happened?"

Lance didn't hide it from him, and there was no need to hide it anyway; the Socialist Party would soon discuss it, and the Liberal Party would also actively promote it.

After all, the Socialist Party's "disunity" is a good propaganda tool for the Liberal Party.

After listening to Lance's brief explanation of the current situation, Erwin asked, "So... should I send someone to deliver the money to him?"

Lance gave him a negative answer, "Even if you bring a hundred million over now, he won't accept it, and he wouldn't dare to accept it. After all, he hasn't been doing these things for long. As his enemy, sending him money is unthinkable unless he has mental problems."

"But we need to make a statement, do you understand what I mean?"

“You can have someone openly bring a few boxes over, then I can easily tell the people here that they are vigilant and won’t be easily fooled.”

"They will then resort to more extreme methods."

"Wade has caused us to lose so much money; it's time for him to pay the price."

"Find out information about his family, keep an eye on those people, and then wait for my news."

Erwin agreed, but he also had some concerns. "Didn't we say... we can't just take action against officials of this rank?"

Lance chuckled twice. "But he's blocking the way for officials who are even higher up!"

(End of this chapter)