Shadow Empire

Chapter 1223 Unable to Leave and Investment
A thin mist shrouded the seaside in the early morning. Some people who are good at playing with words say: This is a beauty draped in a thin veil.

Christopher couldn't tell whether she was beautiful or not; he was more eager to leave.

Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, he brought those who were willing to leave to the dock. Since they were leaving the country, they had already entrusted someone to take all their other belongings back through other means. They only carried their personal luggage and some personal items.

Of course, to ensure the safety of this trip, there are also a few handguns; "a few" is a quantifier.

These pistols were cleverly concealed in the suitcases, making them impossible to find unless someone knew how to open the hidden compartments.

Holding their purchased tickets, they arrived at the dock, where a small crowd had already gathered.

Christopher glanced at his watch and then at the time on his ticket. He found a bench covered in condensation.

On early spring mornings by the sea, when the weather is just beginning to warm up, fog often rises. This mist envelops everything, making everything appear damp even though it's not raining.

The same applies to the benches, where a thin layer of water mist will form.

The fog will dissipate after the sun comes out, and the water vapor condensed on the surfaces of objects will gradually evaporate.

He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the bench. He had twenty minutes left, and he couldn't stand there forever.

His other men stood around him, also protecting him.

Time slipped away bit by bit, shattered by a mysterious force. The second hand raced tirelessly across the clock face. Sailors and crew members appeared on the cruise ship, making their final preparations.

The boarding ticket inspectors at the pier were also getting ready to work. Everything was just like what a normal pier should have in the early morning: quiet, peaceful, and without any waves except for the sea.

The closer it got to the time to board the ship, the more relaxed Christopher became.

"We will definitely come back, I promise you that!"

"This time we're going back not to run away, but to find a way to fight against Lance."

"He wields too much power now; we don't even need him to take action, and we're already finding it difficult to deal with him."

“Our goods can’t get in, we can’t get the final payment for the goods we’ve sent out, and we have to face difficulties from the police and the like. Staying here and being passively tortured is not something a truly smart person or a hero should do.”

"The right thing for us now is to return to Sumuli, consolidate our strength, make ourselves stronger, and then come back to the Federation with an even stronger presence to face Lance head-on."

“At that time, we will have the qualifications and power to confront him face to face, unlike now.”

When those around him heard his explanation, although they knew he was just making excuses, everyone's expressions softened considerably.

Whether he was making excuses or not, at least what he said was plausible.

Seeing that some tourists were already preparing to board the ship, Christopher composed himself, stood up, picked up his suitcase, and prepared to board.

Just then, some police officers arrived at the dock. They had a very clear purpose and went straight to the boarding area, talking to the staff responsible for checking tickets.

There were also some police officers scattered around, their eyes fixed on the passengers preparing to board the ship, making some of them very uncomfortable.

As someone who had managed to "survive" multiple times, Christopher had a keen "sense of smell." He stopped, sat back down, and told everyone else to disperse.

The police's "temporary inspection" made some people on the dock uncomfortable. They complained to the police, but to no avail. If they wanted to board the ship, they had no choice but to accept the inspection.

The police took a very tough stance this time. Even when someone said that their temporary checks were illegal and that they would be prosecuted, the police did not back down, which forced the travelers to accept the checks.

More and more people gathered at the dock. The federal economy’s upswing not only brought a lot of immigrants to the federal government, but also encouraged many people to venture out and explore the world.

The federal information they possess is their strength and advantage. Recently, the best-selling books in major bookstores are no longer those like "A Business Empire Starting with a Fishhook" or "The Financial Miracle Behind Potatoes." Even "How to Knock on a Customer's Door (Mind)," which Ennio's father loved to read, has disappeared from the bestseller list.

Instead, books on how to do international business have emerged, with one book that has topped the charts for the past six months coming from a publisher called "Moon House" and titled "Starting with a Ticket".

The book tells the story of the protagonist, who is also the author of the book. He bought a ticket to the continent of Tanfield with only two sets of clothes and a little over two hundred dollars. Over two or three years, he gradually built up his own business empire.

It details how he quickly found opportunities in Slard and how he used his advantage as a Federation citizen to connect Federation and foreign businessmen, earning referral fees in the process.

Ultimately, he went from being someone who introduced business opportunities to others to becoming a businessman himself, reportedly earning over ten million and still making money!
People are drawn to his seemingly replicable inspirational stories, and cross-border trade has become a direction that some people have begun to try. Who wouldn't want to get rich overnight?
What readers will never know is that the author of this book did not actually earn ten million, and a large part of the money he earned did not come from doing business, but from writing the book.

In this era where it's difficult for people to expose lies, too many fraudulent "biographical" authors inflate their own value by writing random things.

People enjoy reading inspirational books and imagine themselves as the protagonists, easily making countless amounts of money in this turbulent era.

Reading self-help books can be addictive, but people are not aware of this.

However, some things in the book are quite good.

That is, Slade now has opportunities everywhere, and as a victorious nation, Slade has received sufficient war reparations.

The war destroyed their homes, and many cities awaited reconstruction. People's living standards urgently needed to be improved, which presented opportunities for cross-border trade.

More importantly, the Slade also realized that a "new world order centered on the federation" was being established. They were unwilling to be just a supporting character in this new era, and they witnessed the power of science.

The whole world has begun to learn from the "federal model," which is to develop the country through science and technology. They are developing science and technology and developing a capitalist society, hoping to become a second federation. Even if they cannot catch up with the federation, they cannot fall too far behind.

This leads them to need more talent, and not necessarily highly educated talent, but also some lower- and middle-level "talent".

It's like the gold rush, where people flocked westward; now, those with ideas are flocking abroad to seek opportunities.

There are many people like this at the dock, carrying a simple travel bag with a hundred or two hundred yuan, and starting to fantasize about their future glory.

The police eventually stopped in the boarding passage and checked the passports and luggage of everyone passing by. Only those who passed the inspection were allowed to board the ship.

Not just here, he looked towards several other boarding gates in the distance, and there were police officers at each one.

This made Christopher even more uneasy. His gaze swept over the cadres around him, finally settling on a relatively obedient one. "Go and see if you can board the ship."

The two looked at each other for a moment before the official pursed his lips and said, "Okay, hopefully everything will be alright." Reluctantly, he dragged his suitcase and joined the queue of passengers preparing to board the ship, arriving at the ticket checkpoint.

After he handed his ticket to the ticket inspector, the police officer asked to see his passport. "Please show me your passport, sir."

The two officers' gazes were like daggers, giving him a sharp feeling. He glanced at the officers around him who were looking at him, and finally took out his passport.

The officer who checked his passport glanced at it twice, but instead of returning it to him like others did, he put it directly into his pocket. "You cannot board the ship, sir."

The official immediately started shouting, "Why can't I board the ship?"

"What crime have I committed?"

"I'm a foreigner!"

The police officer standing in front of him shook his head. "You are suspected of a smuggling case. You are not allowed to leave the federal government until the case is closed..."

The cadre's previously loud voice abruptly stopped, as if someone had grabbed his throat. His face flushed slightly, and just as he was about to leave, two police officers appeared behind him without him noticing. One took his suitcase, while the other placed his hand on his shoulder.

"We need your cooperation in the smuggling investigation, sir. We hope you will not resist..."

The officer glanced at the officers around him, then at Christopher in the distance, and finally chose to remain silent.

As Christopher watched his officers being taken away in police cars, his body trembled slightly, a mixture of anger, fear, and other emotions swirling within him.

He felt like a mouse in a silo, and the cat was getting closer and closer to him!
"Fuck!" he muttered under his breath, turning and walking towards the dock exit. "Fuck!"

His gaze swept around, and it seemed that every passenger on the dock was looking at him, or had looked away before he could even look at them. The feeling of being the center of attention gave him a strong sense of being spied on.

He kept searching for the person in the crowd who was spying on him, but he couldn't find a good way to do so.

“They know our whereabouts, or someone betrayed us!” He walked out of the dock and threw his suitcase into the trunk.

His complexion hadn't improved during this period, and he felt a deep sense of helplessness.

He didn't understand what Lance was trying to do.

But now he knows that if he doesn't run, he will eventually be "squeezed" into a cookie.

"What do we do now?" his brother-in-law asked.

Christopher, sitting in the car, bit his finger. "Find the smugglers. We'll go back via their boat."

It's a long way from the west coast of the Federation to Sumuli, but they most likely won't go directly to Sumuli. Instead, they'll dock in the coastal area of ​​Slade and then take other means, such as a train, back to the edge of Sumuli before finally returning to the island by boat.

The car started up, and Christopher sat in the car gazing at the scenery on the distant sea, but his mind was on Lance.

What is he doing right now?
Lance is currently chatting.

Chatting with the governor.

The West Coast has not developed as well as the East Coast in recent years.

The East Coast is home to important economic and political centers of the Federation, which has led to a concentration of economic development on the prosperous East Coast.

The immigrant communities of the Commonwealth first settled on the East Coast, which is the "Old Commonwealth" in the traditional sense.

The West, on the other hand, was a community of displaced natives. In the eyes of the old Commonwealth people, the vast and beautiful West became synonymous with poverty and hardship.

Moreover, the area is inhabited by many "primitive people," representing a harsh environment.

After the East developed, people gradually began to think about expanding westward, and with the federal government's promotion of the "Gold Rush," the federal government began to truly develop the western region.

Of course, the fate of the natives was not easy in this process. In the end, the hardworking Commonwealth people harvested the natives while building new cities in the west.

Land is cheap here, and the tax policies are good. Indeed, some cities here are developing quite well, but not all cities are like this.

The cities along the east coast are all quite good, but the west coast is different. Many cities there are not well-known and their economic development has always lagged behind.

Although each state has some development plans and ideas, it may take some time before they can be truly implemented and tested.

Lance came here to discuss investment matters.

As one of the biggest donors to the Socialist Party, he already enjoys many hidden privileges.

The West Coast has cheap land and cheaper labor compared to the East Coast, and most importantly, it has a lot of policy flexibility!
Some states can even continuously modify their methods to suit the development of investors or local conglomerates, which is not so easy to do in the East.

While Likale could do the same for Lance, Lance can't put all his eggs in one basket.

Increasing investment in and control over the three states will bring huge economic benefits to Lance, as well as significant political influence.

“Jeffrey spoke to me on the phone before, and he mentioned that you were very interested in investing with us. I was thinking of calling you sometime to invite you to come and learn more, but I didn’t expect you to come first!”

The governor was a 55-year-old... middle-aged man. He looked very energetic, had a good complexion, and was in very good health.

Judging from his appearance alone, he looks to be no more than forty-seven or forty-eight years old. People with money and power can always enjoy the best of the world and time, no matter when or in any world.

The smiling secretary placed coffee and some fruit on the table. She bent down, her pencil skirt hugging her round buttocks, seemingly giving Lance a hint.

Lance glanced at it briefly before looking away. He said thank you, then picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said, "Very good coffee."

After putting down his coffee cup, he continued, "I am very optimistic about the future development of the West. The federal economy is growing at a rate that exceeds our expectations, and this growth will continue for twenty years or even longer."

"More and more talent and capital will be concentrated in the Federation, and the entire business environment of the Federation will experience a major boom."

“The East is already crowded with established conglomerates and capital forces, which is not a good choice for new immigrant capital groups.”

"The west, with its more space and pristine ecology, will become their first choice. And with the explosion of local capital, the competitive pressure in the east will increase, and more people and capital will choose to move westward."

“Before they accomplish these things, I can invest in some industries and land here. When they come here, I believe my investment today will yield returns of tens or hundreds of times!”

The governor's face practically lit up with a smile when he heard what Lance said.

Every governor faces the same problem—to stay in office, they must demonstrate their value to their local voters!
Federal governors are not quite the same as federal presidents. Federal presidents have time limits for their term of office, but governors do not have this concern.

Some states may have rules that prevent governors from holding the job for too long, but they can also take a break and return to office immediately.

However, in a significant number of states, there are no restrictions on the governor's term; as long as he wants to serve and the voters support him, he can continue to serve.

Voters are the foundation of politics, even though they are at the very bottom of the political landscape. Perhaps this is the secret to the federal government's rule.

Improving employment and increasing income are the best answers governors can give to their voters.

The governor didn't know how much money or how many projects Lance would invest after his arrival, but he knew that it would definitely create a lot of jobs and the economy would grow faster.

It's a simple matter: when there are more people with jobs, the market's purchasing power will be stronger, and a hundred yuan in a person's pocket is just a piece of paper symbolizing currency.

However, once it starts circulating in the market, one hundred yuan can drive the flow of more goods, generate more value, and promote upward development!

The governor leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his thighs, which made him appear non-aggressive despite the forward lean. "So... Mr. White, let's have a frank talk. What can I do for you?"

"And what projects do you plan to launch locally?"

As long as it's not too outrageous, the governor will accept all of Lance's demands.

After all, the economy is the core concern of the federal underclass!
(End of this chapter)