Shadow Empire

Chapter 1208 Opportunity
After everyone had left, Erwin asked, "What are you planning to do with that tactless guy?"

"Kill them?"

Lance shook his head. "Even if ascetics chase the sun every day, they are still just themselves."

“They also have families, and their families may not have the same firm and pure faith as them.”

"Mayor, Erwin."

"Do you understand what this 'mayor' represents in this small city?"

He casually pointed upwards, "It represents absolute authority!"

"Think about that bastard Arthur. He dared to do some outrageous things even before Mayor Williams was mayor."

"And what about these people?"

"Are they as strict with their families as they are with themselves?"

"Or perhaps they actually neglected to manage their families, and their families may have done something wrong?"

“Get the prosecutors involved and investigate whether their family members have done anything beyond what they should have done because of the power they wield.”

"Investigate this thoroughly!"

Lance emphasized that under such circumstances, even minor issues would be dissected and examined under a microscope, making it difficult to miss any problems.

For example... their family members' attitude might not be good enough, or their spending and income might be obviously problematic. In short, as long as there is a problem, even the slightest problem, it will be magnified.

Eliminating them directly is a very low-level approach, inefficient, and has many side effects, but dealing with them through political infighting is much simpler.

This matter is not completely over yet. He will continue to invite mayors, town heads, and sheriffs who did not attend this "profit-sharing meeting" to come here. Only when everyone naturally forms a group around these interests will they be solid and unbreakable.

Of course, Lance doesn't plan to gather them until this matter is resolved.

He needs a target that can serve as a warning to everyone, to remind them not to make the wrong choice!
Two or three days later, the prosecutors had already given feedback that the guy who led the way in making Lance and the others look stupid and embarrassed was actually not in any major problem.

However, his son, daughter, and son-in-law used their positions as family members of the mayor to engage in some money-for-power transactions.

The mayor himself may not know, but it's also possible that he does know something but simply hasn't taken the issue seriously.

It's like how some people are very good at finding fault with outsiders, able to spot their mistakes at a glance, while others are blind to the mistakes of outsiders and instead focus on finding fault with their own family members.

The mayor belonged to the former group; he felt that what Lance had done was a desecration and an insult to his position as mayor.

However, he chose not to see that his family members might have used his power for personal gain.

Perhaps in his view, as long as he didn't actually use his power, then it wasn't a transaction of money and power, or perhaps he had other ideas.

Now that we've caught them red-handed, let the prosecutors investigate thoroughly.

Lance raised this issue during a call with the state attorney general, noting that with the development of the times and the economic upswing, federal mayors also face many temptations.

Some people can resist temptation, while others cannot.

Some people may appear to resist temptation, but secretly they instruct their family members to carry out rent-seeking activities for them.

We must set an example to protect the rights and interests of investors and safeguard the achievements of the local economy during this period of rapid economic growth!
Lance would certainly say such nice things, and the Attorney General would naturally not refuse. To him, Lance was just a minor figure, and there was real leverage to be used against him. It didn't even count as framing him, and he was willing to do Lance a favor.

The news spread quickly, and by the morning of the third day, it was already known that the mayor who had fallen in love with Lance and his family were under investigation for suspected job-related crimes.

This punch made some people suddenly realize that Indenor State is no longer the Indenor State of the past; it has completed a glorious evolution!
Meanwhile, Gray Hair and his brothers arrived in Redstone City.

Christopher's company was destroyed by Lance here, but some people remained. They got some local license plates and cars and gave them to the gray-haired guys.

The gray-haired men didn't immediately attack Lance, but instead chose to tail him and follow him to figure out his daily routine.

They had heard that Lance's cars were bulletproof, and if the assassination failed, there would be little chance of a second attempt. Therefore, they were very cautious and not in a hurry to make a move.

Their surveillance methods weren't particularly sophisticated, but they were clearly not stupid either. No single car would follow for too long; they would change routes at some intersection, while another car would start from the intersection and continue watching Lance's convoy from a distance.

The vehicles that "escape" will change their license plates, then follow them after a few intersections.

After monitoring him for several days, they still couldn't find any particularly regular schedule for Lance, which gave the gray-haired guy and his team a real headache.

Another day has come to an end. As Lance's convoy headed towards the wealthy district, it became less appropriate for ordinary vehicles to follow, so they broke off their surveillance of Lance at the last intersection.

After they returned to their temporary lodging that evening, one of them couldn't help but complain, "His behavior is completely unpredictable. I can't even imagine the chances of us succeeding in ambushing him!"

“We might stay in one place for a long time before we find out that he doesn’t come this way, and we have to find another way.”

The gray-haired man nodded, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his gaze fixed on the food on the table. As he fiddled with the food, he asked, "What are your thoughts?"

The person who proposed this idea played a tactical role among them, someone who was able to graduate from high school.

For Su Muli in this era to graduate from high school was already a remarkable achievement. It at least proved that he studied hard during his studies, instead of wasting his best years on things like smoking, skipping classes, fighting, and dating, unlike others.

Then, when faced with a choice with no other options, everyone was sent to the battlefield together.

As it turns out, being better at studying, or even having gone to university, does not necessarily make you luckier or longer-lived on the battlefield.

When death arrives, it doesn't care whether you're a college student or a primary school student; as long as you're within its reach, no one can escape.

However, it's clear that this high school graduate was one of the lucky ones. He and the gray-haired guy were in the same company and fought in many battles together. In the end, he was also lucky enough to survive.

He plays the role of "thinker" in the team, helping to plan their actions. They often consult this "brain," even now.

“Try to create an opportunity,” he said, as he kept stabbing the beef on his plate with his fork, seemingly finding it very interesting. He stared at the beef with his head down, constantly poking and prodding it.

After listening, the gray-haired man nodded. "That's a good idea, but how do we get him to leave that car and stand on the side of the road where no one is protecting him?"

Lance has extensive experience being assassinated, so he always has a "meat shield" by his side whenever he goes out.

These human shields all come from the Lance family. Their loyalty to Lance is beyond reproach. Each of them is very strong, and they are wearing the best-performing bulletproof vests currently available.

Although being shot will certainly cause him a long period of pain, and may even result in a fracture, at least it can save his life.

They were always on either side of Lance, making sure there were no suitable positions to attack him; it was no easy job.

To successfully assassinate Lance, the first step is to prevent him from being protected by those meat shields.

Moreover, it will take time and is quite difficult.

Another rifleman muttered as he ate his dinner, "If only there were a way to get close enough to him, he'd be dead!"

The team leader responsible for providing the solution paused for a moment, as images of them tracking Lance during this time kept replaying in his mind.

He seemed to have grasped something, but he was just a little bit short, just a little bit short!

The gray-haired man, seeing him frowning in thought, told the other two to be quiet. He knew very well that this was a state of intense contemplation.

After about two or three minutes, the team's brain finished its not-so-long thought process.

"It's not easy. No matter what method we use, we have to get close to him first. Only when we get close can we shoot."

Gray Hair agreed with this view. Although they were among the best gunmen in the Bianchi family, they wouldn't kill someone from a kilometer or two away, as people said.

Those kinds of things are very coincidental; you might not hit the target even once in a thousand tries, but if you do hit it once, people will praise you to the skies, as if it has become the norm.

Even they need to get relatively close to the target to be safe when firing.

Firing from fifty meters away, with bodyguards around Lance and his rapid pace making it difficult to hit the target, the probability of success was relatively low.

In order to maximize the chances of mission success, Gray Hair decided to close the distance to at least fifteen meters, so that even if Lance was fast enough, he wouldn't have time to react or respond.

"Then in the meantime, find out if Lance has any activities he wants to participate in..."

The gray-haired man put down his knife and fork on the dirty-looking table, then picked up his wine glass and took a big gulp.

"A charity event?" Lance placed his glass on the clean tablecloth, picked up his silver knife and fork, and continued fiddling with the food on his plate. "Sure, no problem, I'll attend."

"Do I need to prepare something to donate?"

That's how charity galas are; people donate and then buy the items themselves. Of course, there are also cases where donated items are bought by others, but such things are ultimately rare.

Some say that people in the Federal Republic dislike formalism because they are direct and pragmatic. That's because they don't see those formalistic things, or perhaps those who say this are too low-level to see the superficiality and restlessness of high society.

The person who invited Lance was the chairman of the local Socialist Committee, a guy introduced to him by Senator Cleveland, who held a high position of power in Indenau.

Many members of the local Socialist Party committee are also members of the Indenau State Socialist Party Representatives Committee. These two political groups control local Socialist Party officials, including the power to nominate the governor.

The right to nominate has actually been downplayed by politicians, so in the eyes of many ordinary people, it seems that politicians are born to stand in the spotlight and wait for voters to cast their ballots.

That's not actually the case. They can only be voted on if the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference allow them to stand there; otherwise, they are not qualified to be voted on.

Lance had met this guy twice before, and they were just casual acquaintances. Today, the guy suddenly called to invite Lance to a charity gala, and Lance didn't refuse.

Socializing!
Interpersonal relationships.

Isn't it through such contact that they gradually developed and became familiar with each other?
He agreed and was quite happy to do so.

Attending charity galas can also benefit his image; who wouldn't want all those important figures to be great philanthropists?

Many people in the federal government are passionate about doing charity, which not only reduces their taxes but also earns them praise, elevates their moral standards far above others, and brings them peace of mind—a win-win situation.

The day after Lance agreed, a list of participants for the “Blooming Spring Charity Gala” earlier this year appeared in the local newspaper.

This is a traditional charity gala in Indenau, held in the spring when people, after enduring the bitter cold, finally escaped their predicament and welcomed the sunshine and warmth.

At this time, it is both necessary and morally sound to provide assistance to those in need.

In order to ensure that the money spent by these "philanthropists" is absolutely worth their efforts, the local media will report on the matter extensively, wanting everyone to know that there are kind-hearted people who have donated money for their better lives.

As one of the most important members of the Socialist Party, Lance's name is listed in the second row, second only to local top ten figures such as the governor.

Lance didn't mind their actions.

What he needs to consider now is what to donate and how much money to buy it back!
He didn't actually have many accessories, and after much consideration, he finally decided to donate his ruby ​​ring and then buy it back.

As for the price... 100,000 yuan is enough, anything more would be foolish.

For Lance, this might have been a small, insignificant matter, but it gave the gray-haired men an opportunity.

They also saw the news in the newspaper...

(End of this chapter)