Shadow Empire

Chapter 316 Discovering the Bar and Being Promoted to Captain
After hanging up the phone, Beno came out of the public telephone booth with a cigarette in his mouth. He looked at the streets around him and made sure that no one was following him before going to a nearby restaurant to buy food for the morning.

Maybe for those rich people who don't need to do any physical labor and the only places they can sweat are in bed and in the gym, they will eat a lighter breakfast.

But for most manual laborers and young people, it is better to have some meat for breakfast.

Capitalists also encourage eating meat. They have come up with many ways to get people to buy meat instead of eating vegetarian food that does not make them any money.

When Beno returned to the apartment with a bag of food, everyone was almost awake.

"Why are you so nice today?" Alan was leaning on the bed and smoking a cigarette. To be honest, the room was a bit sloppy. The man was about twenty years old. Although he had come out of the stage of being hated by everyone, he didn't go far.

Beno walked to the table in the room, threw some bottles and other things into the trash, and put the food in order.

The food bag made of kraft paper had been soaked in grease. There was no "coating technology" at this time. When it was easily torn open, the strong aroma of meat came out all at once and penetrated into the noses of the young boys.

Several people in the dormitory couldn't sit still anymore and got out of bed one after another.

No brushing of teeth, no washing of face. Life is not as exquisite as literary and artistic creations. Even death cannot allow even a strand of hair to appear where it should not be.

Real life has lots of little flaws, and people understand and get used to them.

They sat at the table, twisting the pieces of meat with their hands and stuffing them into their mouths, and then taking a bite of the sandwich. It was so comfortable!
Some people think that such unbalanced food cannot play a positive role in their growth, but at least it satisfies their appetite!
"These are to celebrate your promotion to captain. When you become captain, don't forget us brothers who once lived in the same dormitory with you!"

Beno's words were very emotional. Alan was also a very emotional person. He chewed the food in his mouth in big mouthfuls, swallowed some, and left a little space.

He stood up and opened his arms, "Come here, I'll give you a hug!"

The two hugged each other, and Allen patted his body, "Don't worry, I'm the captain, and we will still be together."

The captain will have his own independent apartment of about 60 square meters, which is one of the motivations for them to be willing to pay.

Although they will not be given ownership of the apartment, they can live there themselves or with their families.

If they are promoted to senior cadres, Lance will arrange a single-family house for them.

These things are still very tempting to the lower-level gang members whose current income is actually not that high!

For someone like Beno, 40 to 50 yuan a month is the basic salary. If the task is completed well, you can get a reward of 20 to 30 yuan.

In the entire Lans family system, the income from "encountering trouble and then solving it" is always higher than doing nothing, which is one of the reasons that drives them to not be afraid of trouble.

If you want more, you have to give something!

Alan gave each roommate a hug and swallowed the food in his mouth. "Although we are not the first to follow Lance, I believe we will also be the most successful group!"

Until now, people like Alvin are still motivating them. Lance doesn't mind people knowing how much money they have now. Because of this, they are more willing to contribute to the family.

Brainwashing, using emotions, and other non-material things are indeed useful, but there is always a limit to their usefulness.

Only the desire for wealth and status has no limits!

After breakfast, the group went to the office. Alan told Lance all the information he had found out. He also took out four hundred and ninety dollars and put it on the table. "We only spent ten dollars."

Lance took the four hundred dollars and threw the remaining ninety back. "Take it and divide it among you." He paused and said, "Don't run around for the next two days. I will discuss with Ryder and see how to deal with this matter."

Alan took the ninety dollars and left, and Lance picked up the phone and talked about the matter.

"...I asked someone to check. This garment factory is called Henry Garment Factory."

A common one can find more than a dozen garment factories with similar names in the Federation. The people in the Federation lack some ability and judgment in naming, especially for mid- and low-level enterprises.

Initially, they often used their own name or surname as part of their name because it was simple and convenient.

Only after the business is really established will we consider changing the name.

"I know this guy." Ryder confirmed this "competitor". "What are you going to do?"

Instead of telling him what he was going to do, Lance asked him, "It's not what I'm going to do, it's what you're going to do, Ryder."

"If you want me to take care of this, I guarantee he'll be broke in a few days."

"If you want to handle this by yourself, then I will help you with some other things that you can't do anything about, but you have to defeat your opponent!"

"What I can guarantee is that he won't have the opportunity to defeat you by any means other than legal competition!"

It would be easy for Lance to solve the problem himself. He could just find two young men and bring some pistols over there, or burn down his warehouse.

If he had a loan, by using Jonathan's influence to force the bank to pay back the debt, there would always be a way to make him bankrupt in a very short time and leave him with nothing.

But he also felt that he could not do so, because poaching was just a means of fair competition, it was not illegal or against the rules.

If he has to resort to illegal means whenever he encounters a problem, Lance should consider choosing another manager.

It's not that he doesn't trust Reid, it's just that his ability is not enough to support the factory.

Ryder thought about it for a moment, but it didn't take long, "I'll take care of him!"

His voice was firm and full of strength. This was a test and he knew it very well!
"Very good, I will have someone go over there to help you keep an eye on them and not give them any other means of sabotage."

"Ryder, he can poach your people, why don't you poach his people?"

"Or poach people from somewhere else."

"I'll give you Debbie's phone number and you can ask her for help."

"You made the right choice, Ryder. A person's most valuable asset is never to cry to your parents, but to move on!"

"I'll support you!"

"Also, I will assign a few people to your side. You don't have to worry about them. They will protect the machinery in the factory, the materials in the warehouse, and the safety of the workers."

"The rest is up to you."

"Ryder, I have no requirements for the factory's profitability, do you understand me?"

It took Ryder more than ten seconds before he asked tentatively, "You mean, can I...overspend?"

He really didn't know how to express what he was thinking, so he used a very special word. Lance nodded in agreement, "But don't let it go bankrupt."

"I know what to do, Mr. Lance."

Lance was also very satisfied with his reaction and decision. Everyone has some potential, and if you don't push them, no one knows how far they can go.

He called Allen back over. Allen seemed a little excited. Fighting and killing were particularly attractive to young people. Not only could they get money, but they could also quickly accumulate fame and prestige.

"You may be disappointed. This time I'm not asking you to do something bad. Instead, I'm asking you to protect the factory for a month."

"Don't let others sabotage you. In a month, you will be the captain!"

"But there may be a slight delay. After all, Ryder is dealing with a person, not a piece of wood."

Allen would not refuse, as these were obstacles on his way to becoming the captain. "No problem, Boss. I promise that no one can harm the things in the factory and warehouse."

"Go ahead and ask Melo for some money. Three hundred dollars is enough for you to live a good life this month."

Three hundred yuan may not sound like a lot, but if you divide it up, you have a daily quota of ten yuan. You can use one yuan to buy cigarettes, and then you can spend three yuan on each meal. How fucking luxurious is that?
Of course, this account cannot be calculated completely in this way, but it does allow them to live a comfortable life.

After Alan returned, he told the other three people about this matter. The other friend didn't care as he was usually at the office anyway.

When something happens, just follow the team leaders and cadres to go out and work.

When there was nothing to do, I would either be asked to stand on the street, chat and brag in the office lounge, or find a place to sleep.

Resting anywhere is resting? But Beno is a little unhappy.

He came here to find a way to get key information so that he could be promoted to an agent of the Hazardous Materials Administration, not to do dirty work for Lance!
Although he felt very happy during the time he spent with everyone, he still longed for a stable and bright life.

Not like this now.

A month may not seem like a long time, but what about after a month?

What else are they going to do?
This is not the life he wants!
"When are we going?", he asked.

Alan thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow."

"Then shall I go buy some groceries?"

"Okay, bring some for us too." Alan gave him twenty dollars, which was more than enough to buy daily necessities.

Beno took the money and left quickly, so he had a reason.

Everything in the port area is very cheap because the docks are filled with mountains of goods.

Trade is a very interesting thing. Sometimes you can lose less money by throwing away some goods than by shipping them away!
So you can always see a lot of cheap goods at the dock. Some of them belong to the dock management company. They will open those abandoned containers and sell the goods inside to make up for some of their losses.

Some merchants will directly buy the entire container and then sell it outside.

There are many people looking for direction in life on the docks. There are not only work clothes and dock workers, but also these small businessmen.

It only took Beno a short while to buy everything he wanted, and the prices were even cheaper than in the supermarket.

After finding a place to put his things, he followed the address Lucard gave him and arrived at the bar in the evening.

The bar was left behind by the Red Dog Gang because of its nice renovation and the fact that the Hazardous Materials Administration turned a blind eye to their business operations.

As long as there is no neon sign telling people that they can drink here, we basically don't care about their business.

But even so, they were still very careful.

After observing for a while and confirming the entrance, he came to the door of the bar and knocked hard on the thick wooden door.

In order to appear more "reasonable", he changed into a set of shabby clothes, making himself look more like an ordinary person at the dock.

The observation port was opened with a bang, revealing a pair of eyes that looked him up and down. "Get out of here, poor fellows are not welcome here!"

Having said that, the gatekeeper closed the observation hole. Beno was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and knocked on the door a few more times.

"If you don't leave the fucking place, I'm going to get out of here!", the gatekeeper looked at Beno through the observation port. He was dressed so raggedly that he couldn't even afford a drink.

Although the wine at the pier is not the most expensive in the city, it is still a bit more expensive than the Imperial District.

Beno took out two one-dollar bills from his pocket and asked, "Who do you call a poor guy?"

The person inside stared at him for a while before closing the observation port. At the same time, there was the sound of the door bolt being opened. "You can go in, but don't cause any trouble here!"

Beno nodded and walked into the bar with a swagger.

It was very lively here. Although it was only afternoon, there were still quite a few people. He walked to the bar, ordered a glass of wine, and sat down to drink.

He could feel several pairs of eyes staring at him. He walked to the dancer's bar with a glass of wine and soon blended in with the people around him.

He throws money on the stage, uses obscene language, laughs, or spits, just like the other uncultured people here!
Those scrutinizing eyes quickly turned away from him. He drank two glasses of wine and met many friends before leaving reluctantly after dark.

When he came out of the bar, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He took the daily necessities he had bought and went to find Alan.

"Have you been drinking?" Alan punched him on the shoulder. "Why didn't you invite us to join you?"

Beno's expression became a little more serious. "I have something I don't know how to tell you."

Allen hadn't realized that what he was about to say was not simple, and asked with a grin, "What is it?"

"Do you have a girlfriend, or did you get drunk and sleep in the bathroom?"

Beno made himself look nervous and a little excited through some subtle changes. "I... I don't know how to put it, but I may have found a bar of the Wolf Gang."

"You asked me where I drank the wine. I was in their bar."

Allen was a little dumbfounded after hearing this. "Brother, what the hell have you been through?"

Lance was also very curious about this question, so Alan took him to find Lance quickly. Erwin was also there, having just returned after being busy for a day.

The two were discussing some other things when Allen brought Beno over.

Beno recounted what he had said to Alan. Lance was just thinking, and Erwin asked, "What are you doing in the port area?"

Beno already had a plan. "I'm going to buy some daily necessities. Alan told me that we are going to stay in the industrial area for a while."

"The daily necessities in the port area are very cheap. I always buy things there."

"When I came back, I noticed two drunks coming out of the alley. They looked like they had drunk a lot, which made me feel something was wrong."

"So I observed for a while and found the entrance of a bar. It shouldn't be our bar. I sneaked in. Their doorman was very casual. I showed him that I had money, and he let me in."

"Then I had two drinks, stayed for a while, and left."

He spoke all in one breath, not giving Lance or Erwin the chance to interrupt his thoughts. After listening, Lance looked at Erwin and wrote down the address.

Alan seemed a little excited. If this was the Wolf Gang's bar, then there was no doubt that Lance and the others would take action. But then he felt a little depressed.

If there is any action, he probably won't be able to catch up!

After a few minutes, Lance nodded and said, "This discovery is very important, Beno, you did a good job."

"We will first find out the situation of this bar. If they are from the Wolf Gang, we will take action against them."

"They have provoked us, and we will not fail to fight back."

He paused and said, "Go to Melo and collect 500 dollars. This is what you deserve."

Beno glanced at Allen and suddenly said, "Boss, I don't want this money. Can I get a reward in exchange?"

Erwin looked up at him, "What do you want?"

Most of the lower-level gang members just want money. After all, the reason they joined the gang is definitely not to shine with Lance, but to make their lives better and their family situations better.

Beno glanced at Alan again and said, "I know that Alan really wants to participate in this operation. Can I let him participate without paying?"

Alan looked at Beno in disbelief, and Beno just smiled in response.

Lance and Erwin looked at each other. In fact, they also liked this situation very much. This kind of emotional bond must be much stronger than the financial bond!

"You have a good brother, Alan!" Lance agreed to his request. "You still keep the money. I'll send someone else to Reid's place. Once Morris has figured out the situation in this bar, we'll take action."

"You guys join in too!"

Alan waved his fist with an uncontrollable smile on his face, and Lance leaned back in his chair.

He tapped his fingers twice on the armrest and said, "Beino is your brother, and you also have a share of his credit."

Lance glanced at Erwin, who opened his cigarette case, took out a cigar and threw it over, "You're the captain!"

(End of this chapter)