Shadow Empire

Chapter 395 The Scenery on Three Forked Roads
Martin quickly left with Griggs and Abel, and he was going to other places to perform this "fundraising" ceremony.

I don’t know whether they went to find Mr. Jobaf. In the eyes of many people, he is still a prestigious imperial immigrant in Jingang City.

"I don't quite understand, Lance."

Erwin in the room was a little confused, "What's the point of us giving them money?"

"I mean...how can we be sure that this money will bring us a return?"

"And what good will it do us?"

Lance explained briefly, "What...was it?" He looked at Madore, and suddenly he forgot the last name.

Madore reminded, "Griffith."

"Yes, Griffith, if this guy can succeed in his revenge, then great, our investment will be rewarded many times over!"

"The more intense the war, the more they will need the outside world, and the more power we can extract from them."

"If their revenge journey is not so smooth, then we will be able to see the results in one or two years."

"Be wiped out, or forced to leave the empire."

"This is just a political speculation. The only risk we take is the possibility of losing money."

"But once we succeed, we will gain something that cannot be measured by money!"

“The money we invest today will come back to us many times over.”

"If he succeeds but doesn't intend to fulfill these promises to us, it doesn't matter. As long as those documents are there, I believe there will always be someone in the Senate who is interested in such a huge benefit!"

He paused, "Okay, this is just a simple matter. Anyway, we still have to continue recruiting people, but Mador..." He looked at the latter, "Don't recruit this kind of people. The situation in the country is a bit complicated. I don't like them very much."

"Just recruit people from the local area, and then you continue to be responsible for training and turn them into great guys!"

He didn't go into too much depth on this issue. On the one hand, they might not understand if he did, and on the other hand, Lance had some other ideas.

If Griffith can succeed, it would be great, and he will receive countless rewards.

It doesn’t matter even if he fails. At that time, we can sell some of his information directly to the royal family.

I believe the royal family would be very happy to use a sum of money and some other things in exchange for information about the rebels who have caused them so much trouble.

This investment will definitely not be a loss, just like those special medicines in the warehouse, their prices are still rising.

"That's enough for this topic..." He paused, "You need to keep the recruitment, training, and distribution of weapons in mind."

"We will soon face more challenges and opportunities. I don't want us to be unprepared to seize opportunities when they appear before us!"

In mid-August, the fierce gang war seemed to have temporarily slowed down in intensity due to the "fall" of the mayor.

The scorching sun turned the entire city into a huge furnace. During the two hours when the sun was at its strongest in the afternoon, there were hardly any people on the streets.

Most people were either hiding in the shadows or soaking in the sea water.

A large truck wobbled to a stop at the supply station in the industrial zone. The driver looked at the young man sitting in the passenger seat, took out two dollars from his pocket and handed it to him, "I hope this can help you."

The apprentice, who had been silent all the way, was stunned for a moment. He looked at the two dollars handed over by the driver in disbelief. For a moment, his mind was... unable to think!

He was released the day before yesterday. The police kicked him on the butt and kicked him out of prison.

He thought he would have to stay for a while, but the prison said he behaved well, so he could be released early.

He was even a little confused about this!
Life in prison is not easy. The management of state prison is relatively strict, but it is fulfilling!

Once a person feels fulfilled, he will forget the pain and the past. Now if we suddenly want to release him from that environment, he will suddenly feel a little uncomfortable.

Then he was dropped off on the road to the interstate with his simple luggage.

He wanted to go back and ask how to get back, but the prison guard standing on the wall pointed a gun at him, so he finally shut up.

He came to the interstate highway, figured out the direction, and walked along the road towards Jingang City while trying to see if he could hitchhike.

In this era of roadkill, enthusiastic drivers willing to help others are almost dead.

The rest are cold and inhuman.

It's not that they want to do this, but the current bad situation forces them to do so.

At least several thousand cases of interstate highway crimes occur every year and break records.

Every hour, someone may die on the road because of stopping the car. Even the federal government has warned drivers not to pick up strangers.

There was nothing in the desolate wilderness, and when he felt he was about to die, a large truck stopped next to him.

"Where are you going?"

The apprentice looked at the driver for a long time before he opened his cracked lips and said, "I'm going to Jingang City."

His voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible when he spoke, but the driver heard it.

The driver sitting in the cab made a "come up" gesture to him, indicating that he should sit in the passenger seat.

He even wondered if he was hallucinating until he actually got on the car.

After a brief exchange, he got some water and food, then silently accompanied the driver, riding in the truck all the way eastward.

It was not until this moment, when the hustle and bustle of the city could not be controlled and drilled into his ears, and the smell of decay behind the prosperity of the city was floating in the air, that he realized that he was really back.

"I..." He looked at the driver and choked up. The car had already stopped and was waiting in line for the workers to come and unload the goods.

The driver shook his fingers. “Don’t make me hold it all the time.”

"Thank you!" The apprentice finally kept the two dollars because he really needed it!
"I'll give it back to you, sir. How can I find you?"

The driver handed him a business card and said, "I work in these two states. If you need anything, or just want to talk to me, call this number."

"I may not be able to answer the call, but I will definitely know that you called me. Just tell them how I can contact you."

He looked the apprentice in the eye. "Before we part, I want to share a story with you. I hope you won't find me too wordy."

The apprentice nodded vigorously, "Of course, I'd love to share your story!"

The driver lit a cigarette and said, "When I was 19, I had a girlfriend, but she was not my current wife."

"She wanted to buy a ring, but you know, I had no money, so I resorted to theft."

"I was clumsy and got caught. In order to avoid being caught, I did something stupid. I hit the shopkeeper on the head with a stick I had with me. Several times."

"Thank God he didn't abandon me. He was seriously injured but not dead. I was sent to prison."

He smiled and exhaled a puff of smoke, and coughed twice, "The days in there make me nostalgic, but it is indeed not a place for anyone to stay."

"After I got out, my girlfriend got married, my parents disappeared, my family members didn't want to contact me, and no one wanted a released criminal who had committed theft and robbery. It was as if the whole world had abandoned me!"

"When I was most confused, a man appeared and helped me out of the predicament. He made me realize that there is still a ray of sunshine in this world that can shine on me!"

"He's the most important person in my life besides my parents, kid!"

“He opened a new chapter in my life and gave me a new life!”

He seemed to be quite emotional as he said this, and sighed, "In fact, when I saw you, I knew that you had just been released from the state prison."

"The moment I saw you, I suddenly thought of my past self."

"Someone gave me a chance to embrace the world again, why shouldn't I do the same thing and give you a chance to embrace the world again and be embraced by the world?"

"I want you to know, don't care about those who don't love you, protect those who care about you, and love yourself!"

He took out two more packs of cigarettes from the toolbox and said, "Adjust your mindset, and then embrace the world and your new life again. There will always be a way out in life!"

The apprentice was so moved that he could hardly speak. He pursed his lips and said, "I will, sir, I will!"

The driver grinned and bumped fists with him. "If you really don't know what to do, call me and we can go on a long trip together!"

"Come on, kid, don't let those people look down on you!"

"I will, sir. I will come to you after I finish some things." The driver laughed and said, "No, I am just your last resort. You should have your own life!"

"Only when you feel there is no other way to go, then come to me. This is a road that you can see the end of at a glance, and you are still young!"

The apprentice was still immersed in the emotion when he left the station. He quickly cheered himself up and decided to live like a human being.

Prison is a place where people can grow, and he has grown a lot.

But looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar city, he still fell into a brief confusion.

He didn't know where to go. His mother and her new boyfriend left the city, and he was completely abandoned.

For some reason, he now particularly wanted to go to Johnny's bakery to take a look, the place that changed his life and destiny.

When he arrived here by public transportation, he looked at the storefront in disbelief. Not only had the name of the store changed, but the operator had also changed.

"Johnny?" The salesman who was packing bread shook his head. "I don't know Johnny, but I know him. People say that the bread he makes is a little worse than ours!"

The clerk smiled a little, "You should give it a try, a classic sandwich is only two cents, want one?"

The apprentice nodded and asked for one, while asking, "Johnny...where is he?"

The clerk shook his head. "I don't know, but I heard that after he lost this house, he disappeared from the Empire District."

"If you want to find him, go ask the old folks over there. They are well-informed!"

In the corner of the room, there were a few old men wearing peaked caps sitting in the corner, with some chopped toast on the table in front of them.

It is just that kind of ordinary bread, cut into one-centimeter-sized crumbs, and then put into the oven to bake again. It is crispy on all sides and tastes crunchy, fragrant and crispy.

You can spread it with butter or sprinkle it with a little salt. There are many ways to eat it.

After thanking the clerk, he went to the old man.

When the elderly men saw someone approaching, they immediately stopped talking.

The apprentice looked at one of the older men, who was obviously of a higher status, and asked, "Do you know Johnny?"

The old man frowned at him and said, "You look very familiar. I can't think of where I've seen you before."

"What do you want from Johnny?"

The apprentice actually didn't know why he wanted to see Johnny so much right now. He moved his lips and said, "I... am his friend. I haven't been here for a long time, but I found that there are new people here."

The old man nodded and said, "He owed Mr. Lance some money, so he mortgaged this shop to Mr. Lance."

"The kind and forgiving Mr. Lance has forgiven all his debts. If you want to find him, go to No. 27 Phoenix Street. He should be nearby!"

After the old man said this, he looked at him with an expression that indicated "if you don't have any other questions you should leave." He said thank you, turned around and left with his luggage.

Number 27 Phoenix Street was some distance away from here, so he decided to go there in the afternoon. He needed to take a walk around the area during the morning and noon.

He walked around the Imperial District and found that it was very different from the past, and most importantly, he heard too many people talking about Lance's name.

After some inquiries, he found out what happened here after he was sentenced.

Lance and his gang of illegal immigrants from the Empire, often looked down upon by him and Johnny, quickly rise to become a force that cannot be ignored.

Now the Lance family not only controls the Empire District, but also the Port District.

To be honest, this is very frustrating. Two people working in the same bakery, one has just finished serving his sentence and has no idea where his future lies, while the other has become a big shot that he needs to look up to.

He still feels a little uncomfortable, which is normal, because someone who he thinks is not as good as him is now developing better than him, so he will feel uncomfortable and think that fate is unfair.

After having a quick bite to eat at noon, he took a bus to No. 27 Fenghuang Street in the afternoon. He thought this should be a bakery or something.

But what he didn't expect was that this was actually a large pharmacy.

Why is Johnny, a baker, here?

Does he have other abilities?

Just when he was still a little confused about why Johnny was here, the store door was suddenly pushed open, and a guy was pushed out by two people and thrown to the ground.

The guy looked a little scary, especially his legs, which had several bloody wounds.

It was as if the skin had fallen off, but strangely it didn't bleed and just remained bright red.

The man was disheveled, his hair tangled together as if it had been wrapped in cheese soup. He rolled and crawled to the feet of one of the men, hugged the man's legs, and said, "Please, give me some more, give me some more!"

"Just one piece is enough. I'll get the money. I promise!"

But all he got in return were punches and kicks!

The people around seemed to be used to this, and the apprentice just stood there, looking at the homeless man who was begging for something.

The homeless man seemed to notice his gaze and looked at him suddenly.

The eyes of two people met in the air. The familiar or unfamiliar appearance could not change their familiarity with each other.

Johnny quickly turned around and tried to cover his face with his tattered clothes, but soon he seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly struggled to stand up, limping to the apprentice, looking at him with shining eyes, "Don't you want to learn my skills?"

"I will teach you everything. I will not hold anything back this time!"

"But you have to give me some money, five hundred... no, three hundred will be enough!"

Seeing the apprentice's indifferent look, he began to lower the price on his own initiative.

"Two hundred is fine, actually."

"One hundred, no less, just one hundred!"

"Okay, I give in. Fifty..."

In the end, he almost knelt at the apprentice's feet, hugging his legs, "Ten cents, only ten cents, for the sake of our acquaintance, please!"

The apprentice pulled two nickels from his pocket and dropped them on the ground.

In his eyes, Johnny, who was once high and mighty, was now lying on the ground like a dog, holding two five-cent coins carefully in his hands, and then limping to the drugstore.

Two minutes later, he was pushed out, but his face was full of smiles.

He held two pills in his hand, as if they were the most precious treasures in the world, carefully stuffed them into his mouth, and swallowed them.

At that moment, the apprentice felt his whole body relax.

He also seemed to be back to "normal".

In fact, the painkillers have not taken effect yet, but with the psychological comfort, he already feels much better.

"Consider it, for twenty bucks, I'll teach you all my skills!"

The apprentice looked at him and shook his head slightly. "I plan to drive a truck. I have figured it out now. Making bread is not suitable for me. This is not the life I want."

Suddenly there was nothing to say to each other.

After a while, the apprentice said, "I came here to see you just to say goodbye to the past, but seeing you like this..."

He suddenly smiled, "I don't know why, but I'm suddenly very happy!"

"Johnny, you are like a puddle of mud now, and I hope you will stay rotten forever!"

The convoy passed by the roadside, and Lance, sitting in the luxury car, glanced at two strange-looking people on the sidewalk.

He just glanced casually and then looked away. Two unimportant people who looked a little familiar, but he didn't continue to search for them in his mind.

He knew so many people that he didn't necessarily have to figure out who every person who looked familiar was.

He picked up the expensive cigar on the ashtray beside him and took a puff, feeling the enjoyment of the high price.

Sometimes life is very simple, so simple that it is just so plain and unpretentious.

(End of this chapter)