Shadow Empire

Chapter 456: Unconventional Means and Banks

In the bright room, Congressman Williams and James sat on either side of the table. The sunlight shone through the glass, making the room warm.

The room was very quiet. Both of them were thinking about what was on their minds and there was not much communication.

After about two or three minutes, James asked with some inquiry, "How do you think this will end?"

Congressman Williams smiled and said, "If a giant only arm wrestles with others within the rules, then this giant will not live to become a giant and will be eaten by other giants."

"Only by having means beyond the rules can they grow so strong and continue to grow stronger."

"If Lance is unwilling to compromise, someone must pay the price..."

After Congressman Williams' call, Lance received calls from several people, including the Secretary of State.

Agriculture in Likale State is also one of the more important economic components, accounting for a considerable portion of the state's total output value.

But he did not completely stand on the side of Liji Group to persuade Lance, but reminded Lance to resolve the matter as soon as possible to prevent it from causing more bad effects.

Withdraw?

Perhaps this could be one of the options for the Liji Group, but it is definitely not a solution that can take over Likalai State, because there are other agricultural channel providers besides them.

If they are willing to withdraw from Likalai State, other agricultural product distributors will wake up laughing in their sleep.

What the Secretary of State meant was that regardless of whether Lans wins or loses, it is not advisable to drag this matter on indefinitely, as it will affect some of the positive and active images of the State of Likasle in business.

Not artificially creating difficulties for investors is the state’s promotional point. Openness and inclusiveness must demonstrate these characteristics.

All these personal connections failed to convince Lance. Apart from continuing to put legal pressure on Lance and others and doing public relations with the judicial system, the commissioner also continued to exert pressure on Lance and others.

The board of directors had to hold another meeting to discuss Lance's matter.

The board members could no longer reach a consensus at the meeting.

Some people think that they should not accept Lance’s “threat” as there has never been such a precedent in the Liji Group.

One director even proposed to move the Liji Group's port warehouse from Likalai State to Lion Port in Golden State.

This would not only solve the current troubles once and for all, but also put the port within the core influence of the Liji Group, so they would not have to worry about similar things happening again.

But some directors believe that the most important thing at the moment is to solve problems rather than create more problems.

Jinzhou's Lion Port is certainly good, but it is obviously inferior to Jingang in terms of routes and geographical environment. This will increase costs and reduce the core competitiveness of Liji Group among companies in the same industry.

So talk to Lance again. If the problem can be solved by spending money, even if it costs a lot, grit your teeth and solve the problem first.

Some people supported this proposal, while others opposed it. In short, no conclusion was reached after all the arguing.

The board of directors is not a monolithic entity. Each member represents different interest groups. For federal companies or governments, making any important decision often takes a very long time.

The president asked a director who had been silent for his opinion, and he proposed an idea that no one else had thought of.

"I have compared and considered both options in my mind, and I don't think either is the best option."

Everyone else fell silent, and the directors who held different opinions looked at him with critical and even somewhat dissatisfied eyes.

He seemed to be unaware of these gazes and said slowly, "If we don't give him the money, who can help me solve this problem accurately?"

"We have already put in some favors. Although they were unable to help us solve this matter, the favors will wear thin, and this has caused greater losses to us."

"Promise them that this is four million. Add in the favors that have already become thin, and various expenses, and our losses may be much greater than we imagined!"

These words made the directors look thoughtful or agreeable. His eyes lingered on the faces of the board members around him one by one. "The core of the problem lies in the character of Lance."

"Without him...would the problem be easier to solve?"

The president frowned and asked, "You mean, get rid of him?"

"But we have already contacted the Kodak family. They think the Lans family is difficult to deal with and they can't help us."

The director who made this suggestion waved his hands and said, "This is against the law. I didn't say I wanted to get rid of him."

"I just think that people will always encounter various accidents. Some people get into a car accident while crossing the road, and some people fall down while taking a bath and hit their head on the bathtub."

"Someone accidentally got electrocuted while using a bread maker. Accidents linger around us and stay with us."

"Will he also encounter an accident?"

He paused, giving people time to think and accept what he said, before continuing, "The local gangs will definitely stand on the local side, and we don't just know those people from the Kodak family."

"Why don't we pick one from some of our local friends in the Golden State?"

The others all showed some interested expressions, after all, this was four million!

If they gave Lance this money, it would mean that they would have four million less funds to share this year. It was a very simple addition and subtraction.

"If we still can't solve it this time, it will be God's hint to us. We can pay the money again. I think there is no problem. What do you think?"

Gunmen are really cheap. You can hire one for a few thousand dollars, but whether he is good or not is another matter.

A better one might be more expensive, but it’s still cheaper than four million in cash.

The directors discussed it and quickly reached a decision.

If they sent someone to assassinate Lance successfully, they would save four million.

If he fails, it means that even God is on Lance's side, so what's wrong with giving him the four million?
"I agree with this plan!" The president was the first to express his attitude.

Soon the vice president also raised his hand, "I don't think there is any problem..."

"Then let's arrange it this way. Who to contact and how to contact them, you guys can discuss it."

The matter has been settled. Since the formal method cannot solve the problem, then the informal method will be used.

Even the directors among them had a hunch that even if it didn't work this time, there might be a next time.

Because the price Lance offered was too high!

For a while, Lance was free. Liji Group seemed to have given up the idea of ​​persuading him and began to actively respond to the lawsuit, as if it wanted to resolve Lance's claim for liquidated damages through judicial means.

But Lance always felt that this matter would not be that simple.

The temperature in Jingang City has dropped significantly in November. It is rare to see people wearing short sleeves on the roadside, and there are fewer tourists on the beach.

Even if there were some tourists, they were not like they were a month ago, lying in the sun in cool clothes and enjoying the caress of the sun.

They wore long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and at most walked on the beach, and that was their last thought.

The elderly also began to tell their children to keep warm, otherwise when they reached this age, even a not-so-cold wind would feel like a knife cutting their joints.

Most young people won't believe this until they are really old.

Everything seemed calm and stable. The bars in the Starlight District also started operating, but business was not particularly good, which was partly due to the fact that Lance did not publicize it.

In just one week, Liji Group already had several breached contracts to deal with. Lance didn't know nor did he care how they were going to deal with these obviously breached contracts.

But as long as they don't send the money over, he's going to let this situation continue.

Just at this time, several passengers from Golden State came down from the cruise ship carrying their luggage.

"As expected, it is the largest port in the Federation. It looks much more prosperous than Lion Harbor."

One of the middle-aged men carrying a suitcase stood at the port, looking around and couldn't help sighing. Lion Port is actually not small, but the number of cargo ships and passengers there is much less than here, and the reason is actually very simple.

While being further away from the world, we are also closer to the North.

The greenhouse effect has not yet appeared in this era, and the temperature changes are obviously more distinct in four seasons, and it may even be slightly colder.

This means that some of the shipping routes in Lion Harbor will likely become frozen ports in winter, which will have a significant impact on fleet transportation.

Even though they have icebreakers that regularly break ice in the port and nearby sea, not many ships choose Lion Harbor in winter.

Lion Harbor is very deserted in winter, unlike here, which is very lively even in winter.

The purpose of these people coming here from the Golden State is to find Lance. They will not hold up signs telling others that they are killers. They look like ordinary tourists.

"I heard that the federal government has accepted quite a few refugees from Tanfit. I really cannot understand this kind of behavior and thinking."

A gunman looked at the large number of refugee beggars at the port and couldn't help saying, "These people not only make public security dangerous, but we also have to give them food and winter supplies."

Another gunman explained, "This is related to the federation's strategy and image in the international community. Our government hopes to gain more international recognition and support. This is a stage we must go through to become a great power!"

It can be seen that although these people are gunmen, they all like to read newspapers, especially newspapers about current affairs. This may be the biggest difference between the gangs in Golden State and Likalai State.

The atmosphere of economic development in Likale State is stronger, so the only thing people care about is money.

But the political atmosphere in the Golden State is more intense, so whether it is gangsters, police, or even homeless people on the street, they all read newspapers and gather together to discuss national affairs.

When a few people came out of the port, there were already two cars waiting for them. One of them was kind enough to take out some change and throw it to the refugee woman begging on the roadside.

After getting in the car, the warm environment inside made them feel a little comfortable.

In the first car, the contact person sitting in the passenger seat told them what would happen next.

"You have three days to familiarize yourself with these things. After three days, we will stage an attack and see if we can lure Lance out."

"You only have one chance, I hope you can hold on to it."

The middle-aged man sitting behind him was the person in charge of this operation. “I have never heard of this family, nor have I heard of this person.”

The gentleman in the co-pilot seat was silent for a while. "They are a new force that has only developed in the past year. They are an imperial group. They are very strong."

"Has it surpassed your five major families?"

The gentleman in the co-pilot seat suddenly became a little annoyed, perhaps because he felt that he was being looked down upon. But after thinking about it carefully, he realized that what he said was not wrong.

After experiencing internal and external problems among the five major families, all of them except the Kodak family suffered severe losses.

However, the Lance family was developing and expanding rapidly and quietly.

They were unwilling to admit this fact, but they had to admit it. In a one-on-one battle, Lance and his friends were already qualified to compete with the five major families.

The person in the front said nothing, and the middle-aged man sitting in the back smiled. "If it were in Golden State, we would not allow such a small force to grow to this size without our consent."

"I'm not saying you are rubbish, but you do need to learn from us in some aspects."

The gentleman sitting in the passenger seat snorted coldly and shut his mouth. He didn't want to say anything more to these people.

The two cars quickly merged into the traffic flow and disappeared.

The case into Mr. Chobaff's suicide was essentially closed Tuesday morning.

The police conducted a detailed investigation and collected evidence about the circumstances surrounding his suicide, and ultimately confirmed that he was unable to bear his debts after bankruptcy, and ultimately chose to find relief through death.

After the liquidation of the remaining property of Mr. Jobaf and the Jinda Bank, and the valuation of all his unvested estates, only twenty-seven hundred and forty-four dollars remained.

This amount is calculated based on the auction proceeds from the remaining assets. As for whether the entire auction process is legal and complies with judicial procedures, that is another matter.

The more than 2,700 yuan was paid out in a unified manner according to the number of "victims" and the amount of their losses. The largest recipient received 43% and the smallest recipient received 1 cent.

This case is completely closed.

The city hall told the victims that if they were dissatisfied with the outcome, they could appeal and assert their demands, but there might not be a result.

Unless someone can find Mr. Jobaf's hidden funds or other assets, and even if they do, they will only pay compensation in proportion.

The entire empire was in wailing, and at least thousands of families suffered huge losses. The life savings of many people were reduced to a few cents!

Mr. Jobaf's bank, manor, and villa all became Lance's private property in accordance with the legally binding documents signed before his death, and will be supported and protected by law.

When I re-entered the bank lobby, it was obviously very messy, with papers, documents and garbage on the floor that had not been cleaned up yet.

The colorful marble floor gives people a sense of elegance, but the empty hall seems a bit lonely.

Everything that could be moved was taken away by the court and put up for auction.

Those exquisite solid wood office desks worth hundreds of dollars each were sold at the auction for only a few dollars each.

Now it's empty here, there's nothing.

If glass wasn't so worthless, they would definitely remove all the glass!
"I don't know how to put it, it just feels a little weird!"

Erwin patted the sturdy pillar, a little disappointed, "Mr. Jobaf is an extraordinary man, at least he used to be a man. They all told me that this is the light of the empire!"

Lance did not deny it. "For a long time, he gave the imperial immigrants the courage to live. People believed that as long as they worked hard, they could be like him."

“But people don’t realize that there are some things that can’t be done with hard work.”

He walked towards the back, "Is the vault safe?"

"No one touched it. I was watching as they moved the stuff away."

A group of people entered the underground vault, and the heavy vault door made everyone feel a sense of despair.

The locksmith also came today. When he saw the vault door, there was a kind of fanaticism in his eyes!
As an excellent locksmith, he has a fanatical love for all kinds of locks.

If nothing else unexpected happened, he would never be qualified to study the security system of a bank vault in his lifetime.

But now, he has the qualifications.

"I'm worried that someone left the key. You need to devise some new plans to keep us safe."

"Don't let anyone open him easily."

Lance asked, he didn't know who had the key to the vault, but there must be some left out.

Or Mr. Jobaf may have a spare key. If he doesn't replace the vault's security system, if someone finds a way to sneak in, his loss will be too great!
The cabinets in the vault are empty. No one can imagine how much wealth was once stored here!

But no matter how glorious it was in the past, from today on, this place belongs to Lans.

After walking around the vault, they returned to the upper floor and someone came over, "Boss, there are some people gathered outside."

Lance nodded and walked out. Outside the door gathered many depositors who had once deposited money here. They were also the biggest victims of this incident.

They looked at Lance with eager eyes, "Mr. Lance, are you going to take over Jinda Bank?"

If Lance takes over, does it mean they still have a chance to get the wealth back?

But soon, in their desperate eyes, Lance shook his head, "I don't have this idea. He owes too much debt, and no one dares to take over the bank's business."

"I'm sorry, gentlemen!"

(End of this chapter)