Shadow Empire

Chapter 652: A Changing World [666+9]
Everyone is thinking.

This is a game, a gamble, but it is not a card game!

There is only one round here, and winning or losing is not just about the metal or other material chips on the table.

You have to bet everything you have. This is indeed not an easy choice. It requires not only money but also courage, so Lance did not urge them.

He smoked a cigarette and waited quietly.

Taking over the terminal management company and acquiring shares in the port terminal seemed to be simply supporting the war between Mayor Williams and the original interest groups.

But in fact, there are deeper reasons behind this.

The world is always changing, day and night change, seasons change, old neighbors leave, new neighbors come...

Every moment, everything is changing in ways that we can or cannot understand.

The same is true for interpersonal relationships.

Over the years, the Williams family and the Wade family have been in opposition and cooperation with each other, and together with the five major families in the Bay Area, they have formed a ruling class in Jingang City that is similar to a stable triangle system.

But as Mayor Sidney tries one last desperate move to disrupt this solid system, relations within the city of Golden Harbor begin to change.

The Williams family and the Bay Area maintained their independence while relying on each other. The five major families were split because of the mayor's decision, and eventually the entire city became "three parts" again.

As the mayor fell in the struggle, the five major families fell into civil strife, the Lance family began to expand and rise rapidly, and irreconcilable contradictions emerged between the Williams family and the Bay Area, continuing to maintain a "three-party tripartite" situation.

Now, Lance and Mayor Williams have formed an "alliance". They want to eliminate the interest groups in the Bay Area and completely pave the way for the Williams family to seize interests in Golden Port City.

Here again the relationship changes.

The Williams family and these people in the Bay Area used to be friends, but because of changes, interests and conflicts, they eventually became enemies.

After these interest groups in the Bay Area were resolved, there were only two "forces" left in the city, the Lance family and the Williams family.

So in the future, will there be contradictions or even conflicts between the Lance and Williams families due to certain interests?
In fact, there is another possible development here. Lance has been thinking about this matter. That is the "Lawrence Family" that he has ignored but actually exists and is rising rapidly.

It is likely to become a new "third party", the other side of the triangle, continuing to support the stable interest power structure.

But now Lance is not sure whether it can become that edge. He can't guarantee it, and the three old men probably can't guarantee it either.

If the Lawrence family does not rise quickly and strongly enough, then this triangle will be fragile and unstable. The consequence is that there will inevitably be friction, collision and even conflict between the Lance and Williams families.

Therefore, Lance's acquisition of the shares of the terminal management company and the terminal was actually a backup measure and a preventive measure.

After all, for those people in the Bay Area, the fact that the police chief is Lance's man is a result they cannot control and can only accept.

But for Mayor Williams, all he needs is an executive order and his signature to immediately replace the police chief.

The people who replace him become the sharpest weapons in his hands!
There are also other candidates who can even protest or even accuse prosecutors, courts, and judges of their positions on certain issues, thereby attracting the attention of higher-level political forces.

It's politics!
It's an exchange of interests. As long as he is willing to give out some benefits, there will always be people joining in.

In that situation, Lance would be very passive, so swallowing these things would be equivalent to giving himself a reliable trump card.

Mayor Williams is also well aware of this, and his current "generosity" is to reassure Lance and send a signal that "Look, I won't stop you, and I won't deal with you in the future."

But will he really maintain a long-term friendship with Lance in the future?
It depends on whether the two people's core interests in the future will conflict with each other. If there are no overlapping and unresolved interests, then they can live in peace.

If so, there may not be no tit-for-tat.

Just like his relationship with the Bay Area, these relationships are always changing, and no one knows what tomorrow, the next step, will be like.

Establishing a new interest group can be considered a way to protect the friendship between the two sides. At least it can help Mayor Williams cool down faster when he gets excited!
He felt his fingers getting warm, glanced at the burnt-out cigarette, and put it out in the ashtray.

At this time, a gentleman at the table asked, "Mr. Lance, if we... stand on your side, what can we get?"

After all, they are businessmen, and if you want them to bet everything, you have to give them the motivation to do so - attractive benefits.

Lance shook his head slightly, "I will keep a portion of the shares held by these people, and give the rest to you."

"In addition, I can guarantee that you will have a certain investment quota at the New Port Terminal."

"You have invested in the wharf for such a long time, you should be very clear about its value. I also believe that this is enough to reflect my greatest sincerity!"

The gentlemen in the room began to talk in low voices again, discussing how much shares they could get.

Then the gentleman who asked the question asked, "How much shares do you need to keep?"

Lance thought for a while. "That depends on how much shares we can squeeze out of them." "If, I mean, if we are the only ones holding shares in the entire dock, then my requirement is no less than a small number (≥33.4%)."

"If we can't get that many shares, I can appropriately lower my requirements for holding shares, but we need to sign an agreement."

"As long as I maintain my equity, I will have a veto power."

They started discussing again that since it involved interests, they had to be cautious.

Perhaps they were moved by Lance's sincerity, or perhaps the benefits were really tempting, and in the end they chose to accept Lance's conditions.

"I think that's acceptable..."

"I think so too!"

Soon everyone reached a consensus that if one wants to achieve leapfrog development, one must always take a gamble.

If you lose the bet, all you have to do is take the money, throw away your shares and walk away; you won't be left with nothing.

But if they win, they can embrace tomorrow!
The conversation in the room quickly returned to food, news, and some rumors.

Anderson and his apprentices’ cooking skills were pretty good and everyone enjoyed the meal. They had been full for the past few days and had also booked dinners for the next one, so what could they not be dissatisfied with?

Some people rushed to pay the bill, but they failed because the manager waived the cost of their dinner, which totaled more than 5,000 yuan.

Mainly some ingredients that are precious in winter, and several bottles of fine wine.

But Lance still paid the money. The higher his status, the less willing he was to owe favors to others.

It will take several days from the discussion and implementation of the entire plan. They need to raise funds and win over more people, all of which takes time.

After several days of gloomy weather, a sunny day suddenly appeared. After the last snow, one morning, the golden sunlight once again shone on the earth, bringing light back to Jingang City!
In the convoy that was rapidly entering the city from outside, David looked at the dazzling sunlight and smiled, "The newspapers have been saying that the weather in Jingang City is terrible, but now it seems that it is not bad."

“It’s like they’re welcoming us!”

When the caravan returned, it looked exactly the same as when it left, so no one would notice that it was different.

The car was empty when it left, but was packed with people when it came back.

The old men on the street saw the license plate numbers of several of the cars in the convoy and knew that these cars belonged to Mr. Hof, so they reported them as usual, and that was all.

Mr. Hof's face showed no expression, and he remained calm and indifferent. He knew that no matter how this matter turned out, he would have to face some bad things at the Socialist Party Congress.

His only hope now was that they could really deal with Lance and at least let him keep his wealth.

Listening to David talking about the weather, Mr. Hof also glanced out the window and nodded in agreement, "It was cloudy yesterday, but it's clear today, as if to welcome us."

“This is a good sign!”

He didn't believe this before, but inexplicably, at this moment, he believed it.

The convoy quickly passed through the city roads and arrived at his villa.

He arranged these people and then went to the study to call Mr. Charles.

During this period, more goods from factories in industrial zones have been detained at customs. No matter who asks, the reason is the same: they are suspected of violating the embargo list and can only be released after a thorough inspection.

"Someone has already gone to look for Williams again. We don't have much time left."

There was a rare hint of anxiety in Mr. Charles' tone, which he concealed well, but Mr. Hoff could still detect it.

The "authority" of the Bay Area is being challenged and is being questioned.

The "building" that they and their fathers have built over decades is collapsing bit by bit!

The pests that caused all this must be eliminated as soon as possible before it collapses completely.

Mr. Charles asked after a brief silence, "Have they arrived yet?"

"Yes, I have arrived. I am at my home now."

"In other words, apart from me, you, and your people, no one knows about the existence of these people?"

Mr. Hof vaguely realized that the development of the situation seemed to be beyond his expectations, and immediately asked vigilantly, "What are you going to do?"

(End of this chapter)