Shadow Empire

Chapter 1191 Small People and Big Events

Standing on the street, the cold wind felt like tiny knives stabbing his face and seeping through the gaps in his clothes to pierce his body.

He shrank his neck, his eyes looking somewhat blank.

The bank entrance was bustling with activity, and the faces of the people coming and going displayed a variety of emotions. George glanced back at the glittering bank and knew very well that what was a small problem for him was no problem at all for the bank.

For some reason, scenes from movies about the West, cowboys, and bandits from the last century popped into his mind.

Perhaps those who rob armored trucks aren't all simply bad people; maybe there are other reasons as well.

In that instant, George felt a sudden urge to rob a bank or an armored truck, but the urge quickly vanished.

He knew he didn't have the ability to do it; he could only think about it.

He continued walking, and there were several homeless people gathered in a sheltered alley, wearing dirty, thick clothes. They were around a burning oil drum, and were warming their hands, which were covered in dirty gloves and were still smoking, by the fire.

They also looked at George, who looked away because the homeless men's gazes were not friendly.

He doesn't want to cause trouble.

His thoughts returned to the important matter: if the bank couldn't give him a loan, how could he save his wife?
take medicine?

The doctor said that at most, the rate of deterioration could be slowed down again within five years, not five carefree years. Perhaps she wouldn't even last five years; she would have already fallen into a coma.

Furthermore, he doesn't know how much it will cost to bring him to the hospital this time. He hopes it won't be an exorbitant amount, otherwise even if he manages to get the money, he'll have a hard time paying for it.

The sudden sense of confusion that comes with life is like a runaway truck, making a complete mess of his life.

Not long ago, everything was moving in a positive direction, just as he often told himself and his wife, "Things will get better."

But this time, things didn't get better, and it seems unlikely that there will be a future.

He felt like crying. At this point in his life, what kept him going was a strong belief that allowed him to keep moving forward, but he didn't know when it would collapse.

The collapse of faith can also bring about a more terrible destruction, the destruction of his life. It was still daytime, but as he looked at the road stretching into the distance, it was shrouded in darkness.

It was so black you couldn't see what was inside; it was just pure black.

The next morning, he went to the factory again. He planned to talk to the factory manager. He said he was willing to work at his own expense, and as long as the factory could issue a certificate, the bank should be able to give him a large loan.

Yesterday, he was still thinking about, and even somewhat mocking, those who pay for their own jobs and even their own retirement pensions, wondering what kind of mental state led them to make such a decision.

And today, he understood.

There weren't many people gathered outside the factory this morning, which made him a little curious, but thankfully there were still a few people around.

He also saw the factory security guards standing outside the factory with batons. Each guard looked very strong, and some of them were unfamiliar faces.

This might be related to the previous conflict. He arrived at the factory gate, but before he could say anything, two security guards approached and refused him entry.

“I just want to come back to work. I don’t need a salary.” George said this with some embarrassment, touching the bruises on his face. They had gotten into a fight just a few days ago.

The person in the duty room shook his head. "I'm sorry, the manager said that no one who isn't one of ours is allowed to come in, and he told me to tell everyone about you... whatever you want to do, if you feel it's inappropriate, then go ahead and sue."

"So, George, don't put me in a difficult position."

The security guard in the duty room clearly recognized George. In a large factory like this, all the workers pass by here every day. Over time, even if they have never spoken to each other, they generally know who the other is.

These words sent George's heart sinking. "Can I speak to the manager?"

The security guard in the duty room shook his head. "Don't make things difficult for me."

George sighed. He had only taken a few steps back when he ran into his friend. "What are you doing here?"

Before George could say anything, he spoke up, "I went to see you this morning. They said something happened at your house. What happened?"

The two were good friends and had indeed kept in touch, and they lived very close to each other.

George recounted the trouble he had encountered, and his coworkers, who had originally planned to invite him to Redstone City, ultimately had to cancel the idea.

He said a few nice things to George, such as that he could offer some help if he had any financial difficulties.

In reality, he couldn't offer much help, since he was also unemployed and he believed George wouldn't ask him for money.

After the two parted ways, George's friend returned to the other side of the road, where a young man asked him, "Would your friend like to come with us to Redstone?"

George's friend shook his head. "I was going to invite him, but his wife had an accident and now needs a lot of money and someone to take care of her. I don't think it would be easy for him to leave here with us, so I didn't invite him."

The young man's expression changed slightly. "Could you give me his information?"

"If we get some help from the governor, we might be able to improve his current situation."

Perhaps George's friend would find it difficult to give George the money in his own pocket, but he would not be stingy with the generosity that belonged to others. He explained George's specific situation and then focused his attention on the upcoming trip to Redstone City.

Later that evening, George went to some finance companies on the street, hoping to borrow some money and see if they could offer him any help.

The result was the same: the finance company couldn't give him that much money. For the sake of the house, the most they were willing to lend him was six hundred dollars, but they required that the property transaction be locked.

Finally, he returned home.

I was busy all day and it seemed like I did a lot of things, but in reality, I didn't accomplish anything.

He sat listlessly in the restaurant chair, his mind filled with memories of the past years. Perhaps his love with his wife wasn't as dramatic as the love depicted in movies or literature, but they were absolutely inseparable.

Just as his mind was in such a mess that he couldn't think straight, the doorbell rang.

He blinked, snapped out of his daze, and walked to the door. "Who's there?"

An unfamiliar voice came from outside the door, "Mr. George, we know about your predicament and have the ability to help you. Would you like to talk to us?"

After thinking for a while, George opened the door. He had nothing left to lose; his wife was his everything.

Two people stood outside the door: a young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, and a man who looked to be in his thirties, possibly a lawyer. "I don't know you," Mr. George, standing by the door, said, showing some wariness and caution, indicating he had no intention of letting these two strangers in.

The young man at the front glanced inside, then smiled and said, "You don't need to be so wary of us. Actually, we're here to help you."

"Your wife's condition."

With just a few words, George lost his courage to resist. His gaze darted back and forth between the two men before he finally stepped aside from behind the door and said, "Come in."

The three entered the cramped apartment, which wasn't large, but it was just right for George and his wife.

They have no children and no pets.

When George's first dog died of old age, it became the last dog he ever owned. He couldn't bear the thought of losing a pet he had invested so much emotion in, who had been like family to him, so he preferred not to keep any more.

This apartment, which is only fifty or sixty square meters, is just right if only two people live there.

The young man glanced at the slightly sunken sofa, and ultimately chose to sit at the dining table.

“I don’t know you,” George said, bringing over two glasses of water and repeating what he had just said.

The young man had no intention of shaking his hand. With a slight smile, he said, "We don't know each other, but we've heard about you, your wife, and your predicament from other places."

“We can help you and your wife get out of this difficult situation.”

"We can arrange the best hospital and the best doctor for her to ensure her safety."

"Even if the surgery isn't very successful, we can still provide her with the best possible conditions so that she can live as long as possible."

George didn't immediately agree with delight. Instead, he frowned and asked, "My father always told me that if something good falls from the sky, something bad is definitely going to happen!"

Do I need to pay anything for this?

After all, it's a medical expense of tens of thousands of yuan, and possibly even more.

The young man's claim is clearly not something that can be covered by 10,000 yuan. If he really doesn't need to contribute anything, that would be the most ridiculous thing.

They must have had an ulterior motive for being willing to help me.

Having lived for so many years, many things have become less difficult to understand through the accumulation of experience over the long years.

The young man nodded. "There is indeed something I need your help with, and it's very dangerous."

George took two deep breaths. "Come on!"

"Let me hear what you plan to make me do, and I want to know what I have that makes you want so much from me!"

The young man maintained his smile throughout. "You know," he said, "there's a group of people who are planning to go to Redstone and stage a demonstration outside the state government building."

George nodded. "I know, my friend went too."

The young man continued, “You should join them, go over there, and demonstrate with them.”

"The governor will definitely come out and communicate with you. I need you to be able to shoot him or shoot into the sky when the governor gets close to you."

"In short, all you need to do is create riots."

George's expression turned horrified and stiffened. He stared at the two men in disbelief. "You're going to assassinate the governor?"

The young man seemed quite composed, showing no anger or embarrassment at having his ideas exposed. "It's not me, or us, who are going to assassinate the governor, but you, and some people like you."

“George, the person who actually caused all of this is none other than Governor Wade.”

"He condoned the Wade family's plundering of some local businesses in Indenor, and your factory was one of their targets. You've seen the result."

"The first thing they did after taking over the factory was to kick out all of you old folks who had been exploited to the point where there was no more value to be squeezed out of you."

"Without their actions, you would be able to easily obtain a sum of money to help your wife through this difficult time."

"I'm not saying you have to do it this way. If you think this condition is unacceptable, then you just need to wait until things are over under our supervision."

"Of course, we will not interfere with your private life during this process, but we will not give you any benefits either."

“You can think about it,” the young man said, looking at George. “But you’d better think about it quickly. The plan will be implemented the day after tomorrow, after they arrive in Redstone City.”

"Once the plan is implemented, even if you want to participate, you won't have the opportunity."

The young man stood up and placed a card on the restaurant table. "Call me when you've made up your mind. You only have a few hours."

After he finished speaking, he stared at George for about ten seconds, then turned and left with the people behind him.

George stood there alone, his mind buzzing. He didn't know what had happened to him, that he had somehow gotten involved in something so important.

As he walked to the door to close it, he realized that someone was already watching him from outside.

He quickly closed the door, as if that would make him feel a little more at ease.

It was destined to be a sleepless night. George tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep because his wife's scent still lingered on the bed.

Around six in the morning, with dark circles under his eyes, he dialed that number.

“It’s me, George. I’ve made up my mind. I want to participate in this program.”

He wanted to save his wife; that was his strongest desire right now, and nothing else could compare.

The person on the other end of the receiver seemed very pleased. "You made the right choice, the one that's best for you. Get to the station as soon as possible, and you can catch the first train to Redstone City today."

"Let me remind you, you don't have to pack your things, because there's a high chance you won't need them!"

(End of this chapter)