Shadow Empire

Chapter 278 People Can’t Think Too Much
At the gambling table, a gentleman in an ivory-white suit was shuffling the cards skillfully. The poker cards seemed to be given life in his hands.

There were five other people sitting at the gambling table besides him, but there was obviously an empty seat, and they were still waiting for someone.

The shuffler shuffled the cards twice and glanced at his watch. "Paul always comes so late. Next time we can move the agreed time forward by half an hour."

He complained and began to deal the cards, the popular poker style, two cards per person, and the five community cards that would eventually appear.

This is a very complicated game. If you want to win the final victory, it is not enough to just calculate the winning rate, you also need to have amazing enough luck, which is why many people like to play it.

Compared to blackjack, which has fewer unknown factors and is easier to calculate, this type of game on the table has more unknown factors, calculation becomes more difficult, and luck plays a major role.

After the dealer dealt the cards, he threw them on the table where everyone could see them.

He covered his cards with both hands, tilting up a corner so that only he could see them, then without changing his expression he picked up two red chips and threw them up.

"One hundred dollars."

The man sitting below him scratched his head. "You always give people difficult problems, Rick." He hesitated for a moment, and finally threw the cards in his hand into the deck. "I'm leaving," he said, tapping the table twice.

The cement made the sound less loud, he leaned back, picked up the cigar on the ashtray, took a puff, and looked at the person next to him.

But the person next to him seemed not to want to show him his cards. He glanced at him sideways, avoided him, took a quick look at the cards, and then covered them up.

"Kang Mang, Bandy, I just took a look at your cards, and I've already lost them!"

Bandy ignored him and took out four blue chips and threw them up. "Four hundred dollars."

"If you want to see my cards, give me two thousand and I'll show you."

The gentleman called "Rick" immediately lost interest in the cards in his hand, "Your cards are not worth two thousand dollars."

Bandy didn't indulge him, "You can take back the card you threw away and choose to follow. I will let you know if it is worth two thousand."

His strong self-confidence made everyone else subconsciously look at the cards he placed on the table. Unfortunately, they did not have the ability of X-ray vision and could not see what the two cards were. However, they had a guess, which was that they would definitely not be too small.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have such confidence!

The gentleman sitting below him also took a quick peek at the cards in his hand, took out the same chips and placed them on the table, "This deck of cards is worth another look."

"Follow me."

Then came the last two people, and they both threw away the cards in their hands.

It seems that a few hundred dollars should not be a big number for these gentlemen, but in fact, when the last river card appears in each row, the bet is at least several thousand dollars.

Sometimes, if both parties get angry, tens of thousands of dollars may be lost!
The dealer picked up the deck of cards, and Bandy poked his hand on the table. "Pass."

The person next to him showed no concern, and the dealer, smoking a cigarette, put the first card into the discard area, then placed the second card on the table and turned it over.

It seemed like a very safe card. The dealer looked at Bandy's expression and threw two white chips over. "Two thousand dollars."

Bandy is not at all weak. Maybe the wealth of all the people here combined is greater than his, but in a one-on-one comparison, he is not afraid of anyone.

He picked up a purple chip and threw it up, "Five thousand."

The man next to him stood up and threw the cards into the deck. "Fuck, it was only four hundred!"

His cards were actually pretty good, but the dealer and Bandy were so strong that he wasn't sure if these two really had any big cards.

The dealer grinned and said, "I'll borrow Bandy's words. You can take the cards back and put the money up."

The man shook his head. "It's lost, it's lost. You guys play with it."

As they were talking, the door suddenly opened and Paul walked in from outside with an apologetic look on his face, "Sorry, I'm late. There was a traffic jam on the road."

The guy who was dealing the cards held the cigarette at an angle and tilted his head slightly, so that the side holding the cigarette was higher, so that the smoke rising from the cigarette butt would not sting his eyes.

"Do you want to go again?"

"of course."

He passed another card and turned over the last card, an A. This card was not very friendly to both of them, because it failed to complete the combination and instead became a hat!
If there is a hat, it means that the opponent has the possibility of defeating you. So when everything is unknown, the best way is to check the cards and everyone turns them over to see who wins and who loses.

This is a very safe approach, but there are also unsafe approaches.

The dealer picked up two golden chips and threw them on the table. "Twenty thousand."

"Fergal, you're crazy again." Paul rubbed his hands and impatiently asked the servant to bring a box of chips.

Each box of chips is worth 100,000 yuan, but of course you can ask for more.

This is not free. If you want more chips, you must pay that much cash. However, the settlement is not made now, but after the game is over.

Bandy casually threw fifty thousand dollars onto the table and said, "You can push it back."

He was putting pressure on Fergal and at the same time exerting an influence, I must be older than you!

In fact, this is a very common psychological game at the gambling table. If Fergal admits defeat, he may not even realize it himself. When a similar situation occurs again, he may lose his cards.

Even though he knew that Bandy's cards might not be strong, because his momentum had already dropped and he couldn't get up again.

Unless he suppresses Bandy in a similar way, he will have no chance of regaining his momentum.

As for counter-attack, it’s fine if you win, but if you lose, you will also be at a psychological disadvantage.

Including following the cards, it is actually a sign of compromise or admitting defeat, but repeatedly pushing...

He glanced at the chips on his table, which were less than 100,000 left, and just pushed them all in!

"Just pretend that we didn't open today!" He took a puff of his cigarette, bit the cigarette butt, and his eyelids twitched.

Bandy raised an eyebrow, counted the chips nonchalantly, threw them up, and then slowly turned over the cards.

Rick, who was sitting next to him, cursed, because if he hadn't lost, he would have won this time!
But now, Bandy has won.

Bandy asked his servant to collect the chips. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, held a glass of brandy in his hand, and said to Fergal in a tone of teaching a child, "You are still as stupid as before!"

Fergal was so angry that his lungs were about to explode!

He asked his servant to get another 100,000 yuan in chips and stared at Bandy fiercely, "You can't win all the time!"

Bandy didn't care about his words. Instead, he smiled and said, "But I have won so far."

Before Feigal could continue speaking, he spoke first, "You said there was something wrong with the poker. Now you are using the poker that you asked someone to buy."

"You said there was something wrong with the dealer, so I asked you to deal the cards yourself."

"Last time you said there was something wrong with the gaming table, this time we are using a brand new gaming table."

"Fegal, why don't you think about whether there is something wrong with your IQ? Maybe changing your brain will help you defeat me!"

The five major families are not a monolithic group. They have also experienced a long period of war and are the ones who survived.

They once had hatred for each other and were constantly at war, but stable order and the desire to make money made them temporarily put aside their hatred and war.

This does not mean that they are one and the same, a solid block.

When interests collide and their now seemingly solid relationship becomes less solid, the family war will reignite!
Fergal is the patriarch of the Keane family. The Keane family once competed with the Kodak family for the casino license, and they even won a license.

Fights between the two sides have become almost a daily routine. Either you rob my casino or I rob your casino.

Later, under the mediation of the lieutenant governor, the Keane family gave up the license, but in return, the Kodak family compensated them with a large sum of money, and the state government also promised that the next time a license was issued, the Keane family would definitely have a license.

And then for almost... 30 years, the state government hasn't issued any licenses, and just this year, they talked to Bandy privately, promising that as long as Bandy continued to pay, they would not issue licenses for the next 20 years.

In fact, not just for the next twenty years, as long as he keeps paying, the state government will not issue new licenses.

Without a new license, the “next license” they promised the Keenes would never need to be honored.

The Keane family gradually came to their senses, but it was too late. They no longer had the qualifications to make trouble. If they continued to make trouble, not only would the Kodak family take the opportunity to take action, but even the state government would express dissatisfaction with the Keane family, so Fergal could only endure it.

Now they are still very peaceful and even united, because they can make a lot of money in other businesses and are not restricted to just one.

But the conflicts and hatred between them will not be forgotten because of these.

Rick Federation, who was sitting on the side, appeased both parties. He represented the Cassia family. The main members of the Cassia family came from Yalan. They were medieval immigrants of the Federation, with a combined immigration history of more than a hundred years.

After a long immigration process, they have gradually become recognized federal citizens, but a minority.

However, in recent years, as more and more people in Asia have tried their best to immigrate or sneak into the Federation, this group is also expanding rapidly.

The Cassia family mainly runs businesses related to population. Of course, they are also good at various common crimes. After all, as long as the desperadoes from Yalan are paid, they dare to kill people.

Their family doesn’t have a very good reputation among the five major families, but who cares?
Some people with good reputations are not as good as them.

Paul also interrupted to appease both parties, "We are here today to talk about Sidney, not to watch you quarrel. It's just a few tens of thousands of dollars."

He paused, and the others expressed their agreement. Fergal glared at Bandy again and started shuffling the cards again.

The one who remained silent was Salifo. “I heard that Wade and Old Williams are very unhappy with him and are trying to get the state legislature to impeach him.”

Paul looked at the cards in his hand and shook his head. "I think the hope is slim. Remember Mike from a while ago?"

"He is the representative of the Socialist Party of Likalai State. They have a certain status in the party and a huge network of connections."

"If Sidney and he have a good relationship, and he wants to protect Sidney, their idea will never be realized."

He picked up two chips and threw them on the table, "Follow."

Bandy placed his cigar on the ashtray, covered the cards with both hands, and continued to tilt one corner up, which was his signature move.

He then threw two chips on the table, "Both the state and federal governments are actually somewhat dissatisfied with us."

"Including the Wade and Williams families. We have occupied the interests here for too long. Every time they tried to intervene, we blocked them."

"This time they found a good opportunity and gave Sidney a chance. I even suspected that they were targeting us because of the prohibition of alcohol."

Prohibition gave the Hazardous Materials Administration too much power, which was a headache.

If it were just the police or something, they wouldn't care at all. Anyone living in Jingang City would know not to make enemies with the five major families.

But these people all came from other places. Although there were local people, they were not many. This gave the mayor, who already had administrative power, an opportunity to speak out among the law enforcement groups.

In addition, he has now appointed an acting director, and he is gradually eroding the municipal system of Jingang City.

"They are the most anxious. I think we should first see what countermeasures they have."

Salifo threw away the cards in his hand. "But what if they can't do it?"

"Watching him grow stronger little by little, until we are unable to resist him?"

Soon it was Paul's turn again. He threw some more chips in. "This is indeed a problem, and we don't really have any good options."

"Either we fight to the end or we compromise directly, but I don't think there is a good chance of compromise."

Several people were silent. They had been targeting the mayor for six years.

In the past six years, the mayor has not achieved any tangible results. Instead, it can be said that he has pushed them into a trap.

So there was no chance or basis for compromise between them.

If they compromised, who knows what he would do to them. For the sake of their family and their own interests, they had to find a way out.

When the mayor mobilized personnel from other cities, it actually showed his attitude.

He wants to make a major change in Jingang City!

If you don't want to go to war, the best way is to find a basis for compromise.

Fergal took a final drag on his cigarette and threw the butt into the ashtray. "Give him a little warning?"

Rickon, who had been silent all this time, continued to follow the cards. "I think it's possible. No one is not afraid of death, and no one will not die. Maybe when he feels death, he will be disintegrated faster than we think!"

"agree!"

"I agree!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Throw two dead cats and dogs on his bed?"

"Or mail him a threatening letter with a bullet in it?"

Although they have determined what to do, they have not yet figured out how to do it in order to intimidate the mayor.

In fact, the purpose of this deterrence is not to deal with the mayor, but to provide a basis for compromise and make the mayor realize that the consequences of going to war with the five major families in Jingang City and local political forces will be serious.

Then there is a basis for compromise.

By then, they will be able to fully support the development of the new bay area and the new port area, and will also agree to the creation of new administrative regions. Aren’t these all small problems?
But they still need to think about how to do it and to what extent.

This time they are facing an unusual mayor who is not as easy to control as the previous ones.

If the threats are not effective, they will not achieve the desired results and will not be able to force the mayor back to the negotiating table.

If the measures are too drastic, it may cause the mayor to turn the table and refuse to talk, which will be a huge trouble for them!

Be it the five major families or the two senior city councilors, the reason why they have not turned the table until now is that Sidney has run out of time.

He only has one and a half years left in his term in Jingang City!

Time actually passes very quickly. As long as you are patient, a year and a half will pass. He will be promoted to the state assembly, and Jingang City will return to its former tranquility.

By then they will clean up the forces left behind by the mayor, and everything will be back to normal!

As for the new mayor?
It could be a reincarnation, but it could also be the next puppet!
The mayor actually knew that the five major families and two local senior councilors were beginning to find ways to deal with him, but he was not afraid.

The local forces in Jingang City are too stubborn, which results in many people who want to make a fortune here failing to do so.

In fact, it was the local forces of Jingang City that blocked others, rather than others coveting their wealth.

Different perspectives lead to different worlds. Sidney believes that victory will eventually belong to him, not to those stubborn local factionalists!

At this moment, compared to the five major families who were brainstorming, or compared to the mayor who was confident, Eric seemed much more relaxed.

It had been a while since he had seen that unfortunate fellow's head smashed by Lance.

Lawyer Orson hired a psychiatrist for him, and he is coming out of his psychological haze.

His mood became cheerful again. As a young man, he now has many old friends around him, and they are doing well.

Eric couldn't help but run out to play.

The bar is his favorite place to go, and Lance's bar management style is quietly affecting the business practices of all bars in Jingang City.

Nowadays, there are some beer girls and prostitute girls in many bars. These girls always say that they are here to have fun and are not prostitutes, but if you really want to have sex with them, most of them will skillfully give you a quote.

Only a very small number of people actually come here to play, but even so it still attracts the attention of drunkards and perverts.

Eric also likes alcohol and women. Just like at this moment, he saw a beautiful girl and wanted to invite her to enjoy a brief affair with him.

But it looks like it's a bit difficult!

(End of this chapter)