Shadow Empire

Chapter 1209 Charity Gala
Due to time constraints, Barbara was already running out of time to get there; she was currently filming a new movie in Alan.

The federal government is determined to incorporate the Alan region into its territory, and some countries in the Alan region are already actively contacting the federal government to discuss joining its territory.

In order to facilitate integration between the two regions as quickly as possible, Congress promoted some cultural exchange initiatives, including the joint production of films to promote the concept that the Commonwealth and the Alan region have always been one family.

Barbara, one of the hottest actresses right now, also got this job, and it was even a movie produced by Lance's Wanley Productions.

It's not that it's entirely impossible to rush back from Yalan, but it's too rushed and unnecessary.

He attended the charity gala alone, and there was no requirement for him to have a female companion.

In just a few days, the mayor who had humiliated Lance had been completely disgraced, and the prosecutors had uncovered more damaging information about him, even though much of it had no real connection to him.

It was all done by his family or friends, but it is undeniable that he knew some of the details but did not interfere further.

For voters, knowing that your family member has made a mistake but not interfering is considered condoning it!
A new wave of protests has erupted in the area, with the city hall surrounded. Protesters are chanting slogans demanding the punishment of the "corrupt mayor" and hoping to bring him to trial.

Ordinary citizens, especially ordinary citizens, have always been like this: they have limited access to accurate information, and they believe whatever the media or the federal government says.

It's not that they lack their own opinions at all; they simply don't have the qualifications to have their own opinions.

In just one week, the mayor had fallen to such a state, which sent chills down the spines of the others.

Lance didn't use any unconventional methods to deal with him; instead, his straightforward and overwhelming approach was chilling.

Soon, those who might have had some persistence and ideas before all chose to bow down to Lance.

Lance didn't make things difficult for them. They could choose not to participate in business, but they couldn't touch the businesses of other forces in their city.

The entire Indenor State was in harmony, and the exchanges among the dozens of mayors seemed to have become more frequent and lively because of Lance's presence.

On such a day, in early March, just after the coldest period had passed and the footsteps of spring were already on the horizon, the annual charity gala held in Redstone City began.

Lance will be the tenth person to appear. As a big shot present today, he will certainly have a brief interview.

This is also a tradition of the local government; they need to promote the concept of charity more through the media, or rather, they need to become more hypocritical, but also more sophisticated and attractive.

Today, Lance changed into a pure white suit. The pearl fluorescent white collar gave him an aristocratic air. With a few accessories, such as collar buttons and cufflinks, as well as the bright red ruby ​​ring on his hand, he accentuated his extraordinary aura!

He saw a perfect reflection of himself in the mirror, possessing the maturity and composure of an adult, as well as a handsome and dashing side. He raised an eyebrow and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

Time had left its magical mark on him for the second time. Looking at himself in the mirror, so different from how he looked ten years ago, he suddenly felt a pang of melancholy.

Time, years, and age are things that people most want to grasp, yet can never truly hold onto.

He shook his head. He would grow old like everyone else, eventually lying in a hospital bed, reminiscing about his past life, and then slowly closing his eyes, everything returning to absolute nothingness.

He went outside. The weather was nice today. It hadn't snowed in Indenor State for the past few days, and the sunlight felt very warm on his skin.

Although time is cold, cruel, and merciless, the process from birth to death is meaningful and wonderful.

Even if all of these things will eventually be erased.

"It's ready." Mador opened the car door, looking around warily, always standing in the most dangerous position.

Lance got into the car and smiled at him, saying, "There's no need to be so nervous."

"Perhaps what you felt a few days ago was just your imagination."

A few days ago, Mador told him that he felt someone was watching him, but Lance had someone take action and found no one was watching him; everything seemed perfectly normal.

He had different cars follow the convoy and further away, and those people didn't notice that any car was following the convoy for a long time; each car had a normal driving trajectory.

They might follow a section of road for a while, but they would leave soon afterward, and since each car had a different license plate, they hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Lance reassured Madol, but Madol felt that someone was definitely watching him.

Lance agreed with his vigilance; in fact, he understood it. He was now a typical target of attention in Indenor, with many people watching him.

His every move will be interpreted by some people. There may indeed be someone watching him, but he thinks there is not much they can do to him.

He has a professional team, a bulletproof convoy, and unlike those who have no ability to resist, he can also be a decent gunman when needed.

Madol nodded. "We still need to be careful."

He then got into the car and sat in the passenger seat.

During this period, everyone wore bulletproof vests, including Lance, who was also wearing a thin one.

The effectiveness of bulletproof vests during this period was questionable. To put it simply, even if someone was wearing a bulletproof vest, they would most likely not survive a shot from a large-caliber rifle that could kill with a single shot.

In records of bulletproof vest use, some people's vests, though not penetrated by bullets, still caused internal organ rupture and bleeding, resulting in death due to the enormous kinetic energy.

As for the bullets that can be stopped, as long as they don't hit the target, they won't cause immediate death. So, from a safety perspective, it's sufficient for Lance to wear a thin bulletproof vest.

If someone were to use an anti-machine gun on him, even if he wore two or three layers of body armor, he would still die when the time came.

The convoy slowly left the manor, which was one of the properties of the Wade family. After the Wade family fell from power, it naturally became one of the dishes on the plates of the diners at the table. Lance didn't really want it, but thinking that he might come here again in the future, he accepted the manor, which was not actually very valuable.

Throughout the journey, Madol kept observing his surroundings. Lance did not stop him from being sensitive and cautious, after all, it was for his own good.

As the location of the charity gala drew closer, the number of pedestrians and parked vehicles on both sides of the road increased.

The charity gala was being held in an opera house. When they were still about a hundred meters from the entrance, people were already there to guide Lance's convoy.

A large number of people came to the scene, including many reporters and onlookers. This was a fairly important social event for Hongshi City before the start of spring.

The money donated today will be used to improve the lives of citizens. The total amount may not be large, but everyone will feel that they have benefited.

It is precisely because of this feeling that they pay close attention to this matter. No one would pay attention to something that has nothing to do with them; that would be a pure waste of time!
The gray-haired man, holding a camera, was frantically pushing his way forward. There were so many reporters here; everyone wanted to get a closer look at the VIPs attending the event and, ideally, ask them a question.

At this hypocritical charity gala, all the big shots become exceptionally amiable, unlike at other times when they are driven away by their bodyguards before they even get close.

Today they will most likely answer one or two non-pointing questions, enough for these journalists to write a news article.

So they waited here early in the morning, hoping to occupy a favorable position.

"Fuck, what the hell are you doing, squeezing me?" a reporter suddenly elbowed the gray-haired man. "This is my fucking spot, you know?"

"You're late, you should be at the back!" He stared wide-eyed at the gray-haired guy, the one who had been trying to push him out from behind.

Other reporters were also getting impatient and began to ostracize him. Moreover, his gray hair made him an unfamiliar face, and in the journalism industry, being unfamiliar meant having no status.

"Which newspaper the hell are you a reporter for?"

"Don't you know the rules?" More people joined in the attack against him, and he was forcibly squeezed out of the group of reporters.

The gray-haired man standing outside the crowd put his hands in his pockets several times, but eventually gave up. He knew very well that his mission was not to argue with these reporters, fight or even kill them. His only goal had always been Lance.

He watched as so many reporters blocked his way, and he watched Lance get out of the car, trying to design something, but ultimately giving up.

Because the crowd was so chaotic, the reporters began to surge forward, forming a natural wall between him and Lance, and they kept raising their arms or moving around, hindering his shooting.

The uncertainties and risks are too great, and with Lance's bodyguards almost always by his side, he needs to better plan his position.

He stepped out of the crowd, and his companion immediately came forward. "You didn't make a move?"

The gray-haired man nodded somewhat dejectedly. "There are too many people, and it's too chaotic. I'm worried I won't be able to hit the target."

There is a park directly opposite the theater, and the buildings on the left and right are also quite far apart. This is not a good place to "ambush" the enemy. If you don't get close, it's really not easy to plan a trap.

The team's strategist glanced at the opera house's imposing entrance and thought, "Perhaps we should go up there."

The gray-haired man also looked up. The entrance was large and connected to the main building of the opera house, which was indeed a good location. "Let's give it a try, but I'm worried that the location is too conspicuous. When you stand up there, people below can see you."

"Let's wait until the interview is over, then I'll squeeze to the front first."

"These federal journalists are fucking insane!"

They watched as Lance walked up the steps from behind the human wall, answering some questions from reporters, all of which were not sensitive.

He didn't answer any of the questions, such as "Do you admit that you are a gang leader?"

At the theater entrance, Lance smiled and shook hands with the organizer, a very prestigious lady from Indenau State, and after exchanging greetings, Lance entered the venue.

This woman is a devout believer who has donated two churches and is passionate about charity.

She inherited a lot of money from her husband; some say it's hundreds of millions, others say several hundred million. No one knows exactly how much, but people say her wealth is still growing.

Otherwise, how could she have become richer and donated even more money?

This is clearly unreasonable. There's a lot of discussion about her, but she has indeed done a lot of good things.

Even so, some people still smear her, saying she is an evil witch who uses her wealth to eat children to prolong her own life and also helps other rich people prolong their lives to make money.

When someone appears too saintly on the surface, those who are influenced by them and feel ashamed will try to smear them to make themselves look less bad.

As for how this woman made her money, Lance didn't care much. When a person's wealth exceeds the human definition of wealth, someone will naturally come to help her make money. She doesn't even need to lift a finger or use her brain; her wealth will just keep growing.

Upon entering the venue, Lance was immediately greeted by staff who quietly inquired whether he planned to donate some of his personal belongings for auction at the charity gala that evening.

Of course, you don't have to donate. The organizers have prepared items specifically for wealthy people who don't know what to donate for the auction, including some items that aren't actually that valuable.

They might be worth a few thousand dollars, but the wealthy often pay several times, or even ten or dozens of times, more to bid on these items in order to express their enthusiasm and generosity for charity.

Lance placed his ruby ​​ring on the auction table, and the staff immediately registered it for him. After confirming that Lance did not have anything urgent to do and needed to leave early, they arranged for the ruby ​​ring to be auctioned off relatively late in the auction process.

The later the entry, the higher the price required. Of course, the staff had confirmed this with Lance in advance, and Lance had agreed.

It's probably around 100,000 to 200,000 yuan, not a lot, because there are at least dozens or hundreds of items up for auction tonight.

Lance was led to a seat near the front. He was surrounded by strangers, who all greeted him warmly.

If we're talking about who's been the most in the spotlight here lately, it's undoubtedly Lance.

Although Lance didn't know them, it didn't stop him from chatting with these people who showed goodwill. The atmosphere was very harmonious. This is how it is when you are rich, have status, and wield power.

Everyone presents the best side of their humanity to you, making you feel that the world is paradise!
As more guests arrived, the charity gala finally began, and the lady gave a speech first.

The general idea is that all donations received at this charity gala will be used for the protection of women, children, and people with disabilities.

As for how much of it can actually be used on those people, nobody really knows.

After deducting the operating expenses of various charitable foundations, if 200,000 out of one million can actually be used for those people, then she has already taken this matter very seriously.

In this world, the poor believe that charity is the last resort to save them from suffering.

For the rich, charity is just a business!
The auction began, and the first item was a necklace given to the woman by her husband, which held great significance.

After some people warmed up the crowd, the price reached 24,000 yuan.

At that moment, the woman raised her hand, "Fifty thousand."

The entire venue fell silent. This was the final price; she had donated 50,000 yuan through an auction and won back the item she had donated.

Next came the donations from the guests.

The first item was a wristband made of some unknown material, which a young girl eventually bought for two thousand yuan, which she herself donated.

The prices of the items sold at the beginning were not very high, but the prices increased as the auction progressed.

When Lance got to his side, the guy in front of him had already called out a price of 120,000.

This means that the price of Lance cannot be lower than this number. Of course, it can be lower, but this would create an awkward situation.

Federals don't like to embarrass themselves, nor do they like to break the rules.

"Next... is a ruby ​​ring donated by Mr. White..."

"Starting bid: 500 yuan."

Soon, people started making bids. These people included not only the charity foundation's staff who were raising prices, but also some people who were willing to support Lance.

Showing that they are willing to pursue the ring would win Lance some favor.

When the price reached 70,000 to 80,000 yuan, the bidding slowed down significantly.

Just as Lance was about to make his move, someone suddenly shouted "150,000!" The person seemed to be looking at the middle-aged man with gray hair, who gave Lance a friendly smile.

Clearly, he wanted to "make a name for himself".

Lance nodded to him, then raised his hand. "180,000."

Although he declined the other person's offer, he was willing to make friends with them, and he was sure that this person would come and chat with Lance when the meeting ended.

The auctioneer exclaimed the price in a surprised tone, and without any further surprises, the item ultimately ended up in Lance's hands...

(End of this chapter)