Shadow Empire

Chapter 224: Doubts, Encouragement, Some Trouble, and Barbecue
The mayor was slightly surprised to hear Lance's name from the receiver, but then he became very annoyed.

"How can you be sure he did it?"

Chief Dale looked at the car parked on the opposite side of the road and said softly, "Because he's right here!"

Under the watchful eyes of Chief Dale, Attorney Robben led a group of people on bail to the front of the car. He bent slightly with a flattering smile on his face, "Mr. Lance, I have brought everyone out. If you need anything later, please call me anytime, anywhere."

He really likes clients like Lance, who are rich, pay quickly, and most importantly, are always in "trouble".

Constant trouble means that Lawyer Robben can continue to get new work from Lance and get new compensation.

And the most important point is that every time Lance needs him to open up certain connections, it is actually equivalent to asking him to use Lance's money to continue to maintain his network of contacts.

Of course, Lance is not the only client of Lawyer Robben, but Lance’s business volume has been higher recently, so he and his friends can naturally gain more benefits from it.

"Thank you, Mr. Robben, keep in touch."

Lawyer Robben didn't have the demeanor of those elite lawyers at all. He bent over, stuck out his butt, and put his hand on the side of his face to say goodbye to Lance, "Goodbye, Mr. Lance."

There is a reason why mainstream lawyers look down on him. At least he has lowered the average image of criminal lawyers in Jingang City, and not just a little bit.

But for lawyer Robben, face is nothing to worry about. He has been working exclusively for the mafia. The only thing he cares about is how much money he can make, not whether he has face or not.

After Lawyer Robben drove away, the others came over.

Several young men held up the bartender, who still couldn't stand up on his own.

Lance frowned, "What's wrong with him?"

The manager came over and said, "Mr. Lance, he was beaten up by that Lucard. He can't stand up now and his stomach hurts."

"Send him to the hospital. Don't worry about the medical expenses. Make sure to let the doctor check him out. If he is injured, remember to ask them to show you the diagnosis report."

"The company will pay for this. After you go back, take a good rest for two days. I will ask Erwin to give you an extra sum of money."

"Don't run around, there could be work at any time."

"I have noted what happened to you in there. I will seek justice for you."

Lance looked at the weak bartender and asked them to wait here for a while. "I'll arrange a car to come over later..."

After explaining these things, Lance's car left, and Director Dale withdrew his gaze from the car that disappeared at the end of the road.

"He came here in person, as if to provoke us in some way. I felt it was a bit difficult."

Director Dale's tone seemed to reveal a hint of weakness. He really wanted to climb higher, or even use the job of the Hazardous Materials Administration to climb back to the capital.

If he can crawl back this time, he will no longer be a small character who is dispensable, but a big figure who cannot be ignored.

He thought the journey would be very easy, but what he couldn't imagine was that so many things had happened in not too long since the Hazardous Materials Administration officially began to perform its duties.

He could still remember the corpse hanging in the air in the morning, swaying in the sea breeze, and even smelling a slightly disturbing stench in his nose.

He actually knew that it was just an illusion caused by his uneasy mental state, but he could not ignore it.

People have started to die. No, it should be said that a more intense counterattack by these local forces has begun. He is very worried. He is worried about whether he can really return to that place and he is also worried about his own safety.

He didn't know how many people would die, and he began to doubt whether it was really worth it.

The mayor heard a hint of weakness in his tone and immediately said in a very tough tone, "Dale, they are afraid!"

"Because they are scared, they hang a dead body to intimidate those who are planning to tell on the whistle, because they are scared!"

"There are so many bars in this city, they can't control everyone's thoughts. I believe our cause is right, and the gentlemen in Congress and the president can see our efforts."

"The more difficult the situation, the better our results, and the higher our value in the eyes of the bigwigs!"

"If I put you in a place where no one drinks, your job will be easier, but do you think anyone will take you seriously?"

“I know we have a difficult start now, we have to face the whole city, but believe me, we will be the winners in the end!”

"And think about it, if you give up and stop resisting, how long can you stay in this position?"

"Will they allow such an important position to be given to someone who does not resist?"

"Think about it carefully. I think we have a chance of winning. Don't let the difficulties get you down!"

After listening to his words, Chief Dale regained his spirits and said, "Yes, you are right. I will not be defeated by temporary difficulties."

"But this incident also made me realize that the enemy we are facing is more difficult to deal with than I thought."

The mayor breathed a sigh of relief. "So, that's why we're here. They want to see us fix this, so let's show them!"

He wanted to say something else, but in the end he didn't.

After this incident, the public obviously will not trust the Hazardous Materials Administration too much and do not think they can protect the personal information of whistleblowers well.

So from the mayor's point of view, what Director Dell should do most now is to give the public an "explanation", find a random idiot, say that this person is the leaker, and then deal with him.

Only in this way can we restore our image in the eyes of the people.

But the Hazardous Materials Administration is Director Dell's own territory, and it is not easy for the mayor to interfere in his work. He can only hope that Director Dell can understand this as soon as possible.

After hanging up the phone, he said to his personal secretary, "Let Brinton act as soon as possible. I am tired of hearing bad news about Lance and his stupid Lance family!"

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the vibrant city outside. "The war has just begun!"

When Lance just returned to the office, Fordis came over and said, "Paul invites you to dinner tonight. There's no one else, just us."

Lance thought about it and didn't refuse.

It can be said that he stole the show today, and he chose a very clever location and time point. When the struggle between the locals and the mayor's faction is escalating, his statement is like a clear position and banner.

Nowadays, locals don’t care whether he is a real local or not. Sometimes people set very low “standards” for locals.

You don’t necessarily have to be a local by blood to be a local. A local in spirit can also be considered a local!

There is no doubt that Lance slapped Director Dale hard, and this slap made many people couldn't help laughing when they saw the newspaper or heard the news.

The more ordinary Lance's reputation was, the harder the slap was. Mr. Pasletto couldn't help laughing when he found out.

Now he alone has contracted more than 70% of the mid-to-high-end liquor sales market in Jingang City, so the Dangerous Goods Administration will also be his "enemy".

And everyone has reached a consensus that Lance cannot "fall down".

The patriarchs of the five major families have already communicated with each other. In fact, the whole thing is very simple from their perspective.

If Lance could continue to live well, the longer he existed and the better he lived, the greater the impact of killing the informer would be.

But on the other hand, if Lance and the Lance family fell soon, no matter what the reason, people would think that this was revenge from the mayor's faction.

Some small gangs may become neutral as a result, especially those that are not as big or powerful as the Lance family.

So Paul invited Lance to dinner this time. Besides being a statement, he also planned to talk to Lance about this matter and give him some financial support.

Weapons, or something else, it depends on what Lance needs.

After accepting Paul's invitation, Fordis left. They have been very busy lately because Alberto also has a bar of his own, which is quite large.

Now the Hazardous Materials Administration is chasing people around like a mad dog, and they have to take care of that bar too.

"How's Bolton doing today?" Lance asked Erwin after finishing some of the work at hand.

Erwin immediately replied, "I heard that he started working early in the morning, which is no different from the past. I have someone keeping an eye on him." "After we left last night, he had a big fight with his daughter Nancy, and then Nancy moved out with her luggage and went to her boyfriend's place."

Lance raised an eyebrow, "A kind of protection."

Erwin agreed with Lance's point of view, "I think so too."

Keeping Nancy away from things related to gangs and Lance, and even keeping her life away from gang life, is the best protection for her.

I have to say that his approach was correct. Without intersecting lines, there would be no connection or contradiction.

As for revenge for Rob?
Nancy might have such an idea, but she would never be able to implement it in her lifetime because she did not have the ability to do so.

"Also, while you were away, Gerard called and he's on his way back."

Gerard was filming a movie in Valley City, and he used Alberto's connections to find someone to help him.

Now capital, including gangs, have begun to show interest in talkies. It just so happens that the previous film crew has directly changed the silent film into a talkie and is already in the process of filming.

Gerard has very good looks, and originally he was just a character with no plot, but now the director and screenwriter think he can get more plot, and he has become an important supporting role.

As one of the important satellite cities of Jingang City, "Jingang Today" will also be published and sold in Xigu City.

He saw the body of his cousin Rob in the newspaper early in the morning, so he immediately asked for leave and rushed back.

Erwin glanced at his watch, "Should be here before twelve o'clock."

Xigu City is only more than 100 kilometers away from Jingang City, so people often say that the population loss in Xigu City is directly related to Jingang City.

The City Hall planned and began to build a railway from Jingang City to Xigu City. This is a railway that will not be connected to the entire railway network, but will specifically serve people traveling between the two cities.

The mayor of Valley City strongly opposed it, but the state government believed that it would facilitate interaction between the two cities. With the promotion of the Socialist Party, it approved the construction of the railway, which accelerated the speed at which Jingang City "sucked blood" from Valley City.

However, it will take at least one or two years to complete.

Lance was not worried about Gerard coming back. After all, compared to his cousin who was like a stranger, these people were his real "family".

A little after half past eleven, a car stopped outside the office and Gerard got out.

After saying hello to some people he knew, he was taken to Lance's office by Alvin.

After they met, Lance hugged him. Gerard smelled of perfume. At that time, men in the Federation did not have the habit of spraying perfume, which made him feel a little awkward.

As soon as he sat down, Gerard couldn't help but ask, "What happened to him? Is it like what the newspaper said?"

Lance nodded, but his movements were not fast. "Yes, he betrayed the information about our bar to the Hazmat Bureau, and we had two bars busted."

Gerard immediately showed an indignant expression, "This damn guy, he really deserves it!"

He said nervously again, "Will this not affect our relationship?"

"I never understood what he did and I don't support him."

Lance nodded, "This is between him and us, and has nothing to do with you."

He looked at Jellal, who seemed to be hesitant to speak, and Lance leaned back, "There's no need to hide anything between us."

If it weren't for Lance's help, Gerald would have been in trouble on the smuggling boat!
He pursed his lips, "I have something over there that I might need your help with."

Erwin came over and sat next to him, "We are brothers, you can talk to us directly."

Jellal tells why he needs help.

Because he is very handsome, he is very popular among the girls, directors and screenwriters in the crew.

Of course, the director and screenwriter chose him because of his background, but people are visual animals, and a handsome man is not only good-looking, but can also add some content to their movie.

For example, Gerard, who was supposed to be the fourth or fifth supporting character, is now the first supporting character.

They gave him a new identity - a handsome young master of a wealthy family.

This not only caused Gerald to snatch some of the roles that originally belonged to the first and second supporting actors, but also made the leading actor somewhat unhappy with him.

He is so handsome that the protagonist looks less dazzling, which makes the audience think that the heroine must be blind to be with the hero.

This is a film about love.

So they took advantage of Gerard's inexperience in acting and often troubled him.

The director talked to him privately and told him that if he had a backer, it would be best to bring that backer out as soon as possible, otherwise these people would only become more and more excessive.

Before, he thought... he wanted to achieve success through his own efforts so that his friends like Lance could be proud of him.

But as those people threw some dead rats, cockroaches and other things into his room and even into his water cup, he felt that Lance had to step in on this matter.

Lance found what he said a little funny. "You should have called me earlier to tell me. Don't forget what we do."

Erwin couldn't help but laugh. "We are not planning to run for the title of Good Youth of the Federation. On the contrary, I am somewhat interested in these people. Didn't you tell them about your relationship with us?"

Lance raised his hand. "We are a little famous in Jingang City, maybe not so famous in Valley City, but it doesn't matter, they will know who we are soon."

He thought about it and said, "I have other things tonight. Let's go to Valley City together tomorrow morning. This way, we can be back in the afternoon after finishing our work and it won't waste time..."

Throughout the entire day, the Hazardous Materials Administration did not seem to come up with any response plan, which made those who wanted to gain benefits by reporting feel that something was wrong.

If they didn't have any countermeasures, who would dare to risk being killed and sell out the locations of those bars?
At least these people won't report it until they find the mole.

In the evening, Lance drove to find Alberto first, and then they went to the manor in Sumuli District together.

When we met, Mr. Pasleto was cooking barbecue himself.

"Every Sumuli man knows how to barbecue!" Mr. Pasreto didn't mind the smoke at all, and he even invited Lance to come and barbecue with him.

There were many armed bodyguards standing around the lawn. On the buildings of the manor, Lance also saw some people carrying rifles like sentries.

This place looks very heavily guarded.

Lance and Alberto put on aprons together and came to the oven.

Different from the Federal people's barbecue style, the Sumurians like "big". They either put a lot of meat on the grill together, or put a whole leg of lamb or a large piece of beef on it.

Instead of cutting it into small pieces and roasting them individually.

Just watching it is very enjoyable.

The three of them gathered around the oven, and Mr. Pasretto skillfully used the fork in his hand to determine whether the meat was cooked.

His movements were very skillful, as if he did this frequently.

"Lance, you gave all of us a surprise. You are the one everyone talked about the most today."

"There are some things that we are not very good at doing, and once we do them, you know, it means things will move forward faster."

"But if you do it, there will be no problem at all."

"You made a critical decision at a critical moment. Everyone says you should be given something. I want to ask, what do you want?"

He turned around and looked at Lance, asking Lance's wish like a wishing elf in a myth.

(End of this chapter)