Shadow Empire

Chapter 1201 A Brief Clash and the New Director

In February, New Gold City was covered with mountains of snow, and this year there was another heavy snowfall, from the perspective of Lance, who has been through it all.

In fact, such heavy snow and blizzards are very common in this era. On the contrary, in the future, with the development of the world, the development of technology, and the progress of industry, people may see less and less heavy snow.

Then, during a heavy snowfall, they were amazed to discover it was the biggest snowfall in decades.

He remembers that when he was a child, it would snow heavily every winter, and many people didn't know what heavy snow was.

This is actually a very vivid description. Each snowflake is as big as a child's open palm, or even bigger. As they fall, the world is dyed white in a very short time.

Later, the snow fell less, or even stopped altogether. When it did snow occasionally, it was enough to make people marvel at how cold the weather was and how heavy the snow was.

But in this era, such heavy snowfalls happen every year, and people are neither surprised nor unable to accept it.

The area outside the Capitol Building was bustling with activity today, with many vehicles gathered around. Early this morning, police officers from the New King City Police Department, in cooperation with the city's sanitation company, cleared the heavy snow outside the Capitol Building.

Around six in the morning, a group of police officers came over shoveling snow, rubbing their hands together; it was indeed quite a lot of work for them.

By the time Senator Cleveland's vehicle arrived, there was no snow left on the ground within a hundred meters of the Capitol.

"Good morning, Jeffrey!" someone greeted him, and he greeted them in a friendly manner.

Today is the first meeting since the change of Senate seats after the new president took office. In addition to adapting to my new position, I also need to adapt to some new colleagues.

The Socialists were clearly gathered here waiting for Senator Cleveland, some carrying briefcases and others empty-handed, their eyes fixed on another group of people.

Not far from them, a group of people were surrounding the Vice President of the United States, who was also the President of the Senate, as he got out of the car. They all had the smug smiles on their faces after satisfying their pursuit of power!
Who would have thought that the Liberal Party would have a chance to wrest power back from the Socialist Party?

The term "traitor," which had disappeared for a long time, has been brought up again by them.

They see the Socialists as traitors, after all, the Socialists split from the Liberal Party, and they now dislike these Socialists even more than their former rivals, the Federalists.

Senator Cleveland and his group were looking at each other, and those people noticed them and were also staring at them.

There was no communication between the two sides; they simply watched each other closely as they began climbing the stairs as two separate groups.

A reporter captured this moment, and he thought it might become a classic photograph.

In just a short while, both groups arrived at the steps, and the doors of the Capitol Building were opened.

The vice president, with his chin slightly raised, looked at the Socialist Party members with a visible air of arrogance and boastfulness. "Good morning, gentlemen!" he greeted them.

Even if Senator Cleveland doesn't like the person, he'll still greet him with a smile, "Good morning, Speaker."

The vice president paused for two seconds as if he hadn't quite caught on, then laughed exaggeratedly, "That's an interesting title. I almost forgot, I'm still the Speaker of the Senate."

Those around him laughed, because only the vice president could hold this position; it was a constitutional provision that no one could change.

He can be effective when the Senate vote is tied.

Actually... the Socialist Party has lost a lot of power. Not all votes need to be decided by a majority (66.7%). Some less serious votes can pass as long as more than half of the senators agree or support them.

Of course, those that require a majority vote are more important. Overall, there is a clear deficiency in power, but the core support base remains.

This kind of teasing, sarcastic boasting didn't amuse the Socialists; they all maintained indifferent expressions. Senator Cleveland had a hint of mockery on his face, saying, "Speaking of which, something quite interesting happened to me recently."

“My neighbor next door got a new collar for his dog, and the dog can’t help but run up to us to show off that shiny new collar.”

"Its craftsmanship is quite good, with gold and gemstones, but no matter how beautiful it is, a collar is just a collar, and it will only be worn around a dog's neck."

He spoke quickly, but his pronunciation was clear, and everyone understood what he was saying. Two seconds later, the Socialist senators burst into laughter.

On the Liberal Party side, senators, led by the Senate Speaker, all showed expressions of indignation.

Senator Cleveland's use of "a dog showing off its new collar" to allude to "the vice president's new status" is indeed somewhat...targeting.

The vice president snorted and turned to lead his men into the Capitol building, with the Socialist Party members following closely behind.

Is it worth offending these people so blatantly?

Senator Cleveland felt there was no question of whether it was worth it or not; these people wouldn't be lenient just because he didn't say those things. As long as rights were involved, they would definitely pounce on them viciously.

Since there are irreconcilable and irreconcilable contradictions between the two sides, why should they cater to each other?
The wide-open doors of the Capitol have now become the doors of an "arena," where every senator who enters fights like a gladiator until they get what they want, time and time again!
At the same time, Lance also met with the newly appointed FBI director.

"You must be Mr. White?"

As soon as he entered the private room, a young man who looked no more than thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old stood up immediately. With an uncontrollable smile on his face, he strode towards Lance and politely extended his hand first, looking eager to get to know Lance.

Lance reached out and shook hands with him. The young man's palm was full of warmth, radiating heat like a small hand warmer in the cold winter.

"Yes, that's me. You can call me Lance, that's what my friends call me."

The new FBI director was very enthusiastic. His attitude towards Lance was completely opposite to that of Roland before him, which was of course related to the different people who pushed them to the top.

It was the current president, Porter, who made a deal with the previous president to bring Rowland to power.

He listened to President Porter, not the Socialists, so it's normal that he targeted Lance and was at odds with him.

But the person in front of them was different. He was the FBI director who had been brought to power by the Socialist Party, and he was naturally on Lance's side, so the two were able to get along very well.

He looked at Lance and let go of his hand, because Lance was still wearing a trench coat and a hat.

As Lance hung his hat and trench coat on the hanger, he introduced himself and helped Lance hang up his trench coat as well, saying, "Chester Connery."

As the two walked towards the sofa further inside, Lance asked curiously, "I don't mean to pry into your personal life, but I heard that you used to be a regimental commander in the army. Why are you thinking of leaving the military?"

The regimental commander is at least a lieutenant colonel.

During wartime, a person's abilities might be considered to some extent, but after the war, he would definitely be a colonel.

A colonel, a colonel in his thirties, either has a certain background in the military or is an absolute talent. Either way, he will have a better future in the military.

Lance didn't quite understand why he had left the military to enter politics, which puzzled him.

It's important to understand that even though the FBI is now a rising law enforcement agency, in the traditional federal mindset, it is still just a law enforcement agency.

As the director of the FBI, he is merely an "employee" of the federal government; this role does not allow him to act as the master of the federal government, that is, the politician.

So even though people know the FBI will be important in the future, some politicians qualified for the position aren't interested in it. The military's development is better than the FBI's in the long run; once he takes the crucial step and becomes a major general, his future can only be described as smooth sailing.

By establishing its own foundation, the power of the military can be passed down from generation to generation, just like wealth.

What can the FBI do?
He has nothing. As long as the president and Congress have opinions about him, they can easily remove him from office. Moreover, he can't leave anything behind, and it's difficult for him to pass on this power to his descendants. He might also be quietly eliminated because he knows too many secrets.

This is what puzzled Lance the most. He was already sitting in a magnificent room enjoying the fruits of victory, so why did he have to run out, roll up his trousers, take farm tools, and work in the fields with the farmers?

Chester sat on the edge of the sofa, pouring coffee for Lance as he chuckled, “I guess it’s because I like challenges and I’m not always settled.”

“I didn’t really like some of the atmosphere in the military. Now that I’ve left the military and am no longer a soldier, I might be able to speak more boldly about this.”

“The environment there is too… You know, I was born into a relatively ordinary family, but it was a big family, and my grandfather was the only one in that big family who could give orders.”

“He required us to follow his rules, there were certain things we couldn’t do and certain things we had to do, and no one in that kind of big family could enjoy freedom.”

"Whether you like doing something or not, when someone tells you that you have to do it, even if it's something you can't accept, you have to do it first."

He used this method to tell Lance that he disliked the authoritarian atmosphere in the military, but Lance was unsure whether this was his true feeling.

People are multifaceted, and it's impossible to see their complex and true nature clearly in a simple way. So he didn't know whether what Chester said was true or false, and could only nod in agreement.

After all, they are now “partners” rather than enemies or rivals, and mutual praise and affirmation will accelerate their friendship.

“I understand that suffocating feeling, and from that perspective, your choice is correct.” He paused for a moment. “The FBI is a place where you need to fully utilize your abilities, which is a challenge for you. If you can do this job well, I believe you can go far in federal politics!”

This isn't just Lance's flattery; the FBI's position is very special. As its power continues to expand, the FBI will eventually become a ghost floating over the federal territory.

It monitors every individual or organization it deems potentially a threat to federal national security, and it also possesses law enforcement powers, which is quite frightening.

Chester wore a humble smile. "That's what I'm thinking too, but I don't know much about this kind of work, so I need... someone like Mr. Lance to give me some guidance and help in this regard."

He was a very humble person, but the more humble he was, the higher Lance's opinion of him became, and the more wary he became.

In terms of how he interacts with people, he prefers those who are a little simple-minded, straightforward, and capable of turning on you if pushed too far.

You don't need to guess what he's thinking, because his thoughts are written all over his face.

On the contrary, people like Chester seem to be good in every way, but in reality, it's all an act for him and shouldn't be taken seriously.

"Senator Cleveland told me that you are a very intelligent and thoughtful person. I am transferring from the Army to law enforcement and this is my first time dealing with this kind of work, so there may be many things that I don't understand or know how to handle. So I hope that if you have time, you can teach me how to handle these work-related matters."

He even offered Lance a cigarette and stood up, bending down to take out a lighter. "The senator is too busy with work, and the others are old enough to be my father. There are some things I can't easily talk to them about."

Lance lit a cigarette and patted Chester's hand. "No need for honorifics. We're all young people and friends. Friends don't need to be so formal."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know much about the FBI's operating procedures, so there's not much I can do to help you. But if you're having any trouble and can't figure things out right now, I might be able to offer some suggestions for solutions."

"However, I cannot guarantee whether it can be resolved."

Chester seemed pleased. "That's enough!"

Lance sat there thinking for a moment, then a few seconds, and asked, "Have you already been to the FBI?"

Chester nodded. "I've actually been in this position for over ten days now, and I've been to the Bureau of Investigation, but the total time I've spent there probably doesn't even add up to a single day."

“You know, transferring the army’s affiliation is quite complicated, and I have to sign a lot of things, including giving up some rights.”

Reaching the rank of colonel means that he has begun to be involved in some matters concerning the high command of the military.

Some things are not so sensitive and can be ignored, but there are definitely some more sensitive things.

The federal military was not a saint in this war, and their behavior on the battlefield was not what one would expect from righteous people.

Torture and kill prisoners of war, massacre civilians, and indiscriminately assault ordinary people who have no ability to resist, regardless of whether they are friend or foe.

If what they did were to get back to the Federation or be made public worldwide, it would be enough to make the Federation military lose face!
Similar incidents occurred in Chester's unit. Some soldiers, under immense pressure while resupplying and resting in the rear, claimed they mistook ordinary Slade girls for prostitutes and raped them.

Afterwards, the girls said they were going to report the incident to the police and the army. As a result, a soldier suddenly became enraged and shot and killed several girls.

Chester handled this matter; the girls were "arrested" and "tried" on charges of "espionage," and were ultimately "executed" within the military district.

As for those soldiers?
They were sent to the front lines, where the fighting was fiercest. Some died, and some survived, and this became a secret.

Such things happen almost every day on the front lines, in the midst of war, but the federal government and military have been covering up the atrocities committed by federal troops.

There are no innocent soldiers out there; these Federation soldiers are no different from villains when they turn bad!
To prevent these things from spreading, he had to undergo vetting and sign a confidentiality agreement before leaving the military.

If he violates this rule, the military will take him away.

Although he has been in office for more than ten days, he doesn't know his subordinates very well.

“You’re probably not from Golden State,” Lance said with certainty, his accent giving him a distinctly northern accent.

Chester also acknowledged this, saying, "I live in the north."

What are your family's financial circumstances like?

His question sounded like casual conversation. Chester thought for a moment and said, "The middle class, that's about it."

Lance had a general understanding of his personal situation. "You need to build good relationships with your subordinates first. Social skills are very important."

"Law enforcement is complex, unlike the military, where everything is a single line from top to bottom. So you need to observe and pay attention to those people, their situations, and your relationship with them."

"It's not too difficult to quickly build a good relationship with your subordinates."

He put a cigarette in his mouth, then reached into his jacket pocket, took out a small envelope, placed it on the table, and pushed it over, saying, "Take a look."

Chester glanced at Lance, then at the envelope, then picked it up and opened it.

Inside was a check with the number "100,000" written on it.

"Take this money and treat those senior detectives to a meal. Be generous and give them small gifts as well, so they know you're not there to make things difficult for them."

"On the contrary, you are leading them toward a better life."

(End of this chapter)