Shadow Empire

Chapter 91: Total Prohibition
Vaughn was easy to deal with because he was just a vice president.

Watching him put the check into his pocket, Lance knew that the union would not bother him in the short term, but if he wanted to solve this problem, he had to do it as soon as possible.

Complaints, when blocked, will not be vented but will only accumulate and eventually lead to a qualitative change.

If you go shopping with your opposite-sex partner, and you pass by your favorite snack stand and ask your partner if he or she wants to have a bite, he or she tells you no.

But after you buy yourself a portion, the other person not only demands the first bite, but a huge one.

Dissatisfaction, irritability, resentment, these emotions will accumulate.

You may not express anything on the spot, but one day, these things will become sharp swords that pierce the other person's heart when you quarrel!

The same is true for the dock workers. Now that the union has calmed their emotions, they don’t think that everything is fine. They will only think in their hearts, “You are lucky this time, but you can’t say for sure next time.”

So we have to think of all other solutions.

Lance suddenly had some good ideas in his mind, "Does our union have a ball game or some working-class sports competition?"

Vaughn was particularly fond of Lance at this time, and did not think that he was an enemy of the union, so he immediately replied, "There used to be a dockworkers baseball game. We had three teams in total, but it was discontinued after a few events."

Vaughan had a lot to say about this. "The venue problem is easy to solve, but the workers are working most of the time. They are already very tired after a day's work. It is a bit inhumane to let them go to the competition."

"And the capitalists will not allow them to take time off to train casually. They will be warned."

"Lance, after research, we found that if we want to make the competition interesting, participants must leave their jobs. This is not what we originally envisioned."

There was one more thing he didn't mention: the prizes for the competition were not very attractive.

Lance nodded and said "what a pity", but he didn't continue to explain what it was a pity.

"Anyway, we are friends now, Vaughn. If there are any...uncomprehending voices from the union, you must tell me in time. Federal workers and immigrant workers are both at the bottom of society. There is no need for us to fight each other."

Vaughan also agreed with this point of view, "Your point of view is very correct, and I support it, but not everyone understands it."

"But I will try my best to convey your views to them. As for how much I can do, I can only say that I will try my best."

It was almost time, Lance waved to the waiter, "Pack twelve more cups of iced coffee and send them to this gentleman's office. Remember to use extra cups or something to hold some ice cubes, it's too hot."

He paid the three bucks, and said, "The rest is a tip."

The coffee shop at the entrance of the pier doesn't cost too much. Iced coffee is ten cents a cup, and twelve cups are only one dollar and twenty cents. Together with what Lance and the others spent, the total cost was only one dollar and seventy cents.

The waiter could earn $1.30 for each trip, and he was so excited that he wanted to kneel down and kiss Lance's shoes!
Vaughn quickly and politely declined, "There's no need. There's really no need, Lance."

Lance grabbed his hand. "I know you're worried that some people will say I tried to bribe union workers. You can tell them you bought it."

"I asked him to do this not to please you, but simply because I think you also need humanitarian care. The weather is too hot!"

Who can resist such kindness?

Vaughn looked at Lance and liked him more and more. "Then I thank you on behalf of my colleagues."

Lance shook his hand and said, "I'd also like to meet your colleagues if I have the chance. I have other work to do this afternoon, so I'll leave first."

Vaughn walked him to the door, and after watching Lance go away, he found the waiter and said, "Give me a burger, double beef. I didn't eat enough today."

He looked at the waiter who was standing still, "He paid three dollars, don't tell me the rest of the money is not enough!"

The waiter looked at him for a few seconds, almost piercing the menu with the tip of his pen. "That's enough, sir."

"Then what are you still standing here waiting for?"

After coming out of the cafe, Alvin started the car. It was too hot, and even in the shade, the car was still very hot.

"Have you reached an agreement?" Erwin asked as he opened the driver's door. "What's the price?"

"It's four hundred bucks a month, and there's a bunch of extra expenses, but I think it's worth it."

He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his face. "This damn weather! The weather station said the temperature will drop in the next two days."

Erwin drove the car into the traffic flow and joked casually, "The only job of the weather station is to deceive the public, pretend that there will be good weather, and then let us believe it."

The weather station during this period was not accurate at all, of course this may also be related to the geographical location of Jingang City.

Climate change at the seaside is always rapid, and it is obviously not scientific to infer the climate based solely on observations and records from previous years. The heat made people not want to talk, including Lance, but before he shut up, he gave Erwin a task, "Find out who is reporting us and illegal immigrants."

Some people are enduring the high temperature, but others are enjoying the air conditioning.

After the two buses arrived at the City Hall, a large group of people came into the City Hall. The mayor had already prepared to receive them here.

When he saw the governor's assistant, he ran over and shook hands with the governor's assistant vigorously.

The governor's assistant is also a socialist, and there are rumors that he will consider running for governor after the governor takes office.

The Socialist Party has strong political influence in the state. Many people regard the City of Golden Port as the most shining achievement of the Socialist Party's economic reform in the central part of the Federation, so the next governor will definitely be a Socialist.

There are only a few socialists in the state who are eligible to run for governor, and the governor's assistant is one of them.

Regardless of whether he can get in or not, at least it’s a good idea to have a good relationship with him now.

Mr. Lawrence stood aside and participated in the reception, but he was just an insignificant role. He was not even qualified to introduce himself to the governor's assistant and entourage. He could only stand aside.

The mayor and the governor's assistant have a good personal relationship. Jingang City is the largest city in the state and also the place with the best economy in the state. It has a very high status in the state government.

As the mayor of this city, he is naturally not comparable to those small cities.

After the two men shook hands, the governor's assistant began to introduce other people to the mayor, starting with the church staff.

Although God did not say that people cannot drink alcohol, He does not encourage drinking too much.

In recent years, the church has always been behind the promotion of abstinence and prohibition of alcohol. Some extreme sects within the church have modified or deleted the original meaning, eventually forming a force to promote prohibition of alcohol, while providing strong faith and moral basis and support for prohibition of alcohol.

Next came some members of the Alcoholics Anonymous Association, who were introduced by the governor's assistant in a rather solemn manner. These people might look inconspicuous, but they had close ties with the federal upper class.

For the upper class, prohibition was a grand sociological experiment. Any experiment would have an initiator who then connected all parties.

They took on such roles, ranging from a city councilor in a remote area to the presidential palace.

And this force is not limited to prohibition of alcohol, they can also push for the prohibition of other things.

The mayor shook hands cordially with everyone and greeted each other. The group then began to follow the procedure to visit the prosperous Jingang City.

It’s hard to say about other things, but in terms of prosperity, Jingang City is absolutely impeccable.

However, these people are also dissatisfied with the bars and pubs everywhere in Jingang City. One lady said to the mayor, "If people use the time they spend on drinking and drunkenness to work and study, our work efficiency and the education level of the country will be greatly improved."

"Not only do they waste money and time on meaningless things, but alcoholism also leads to violence and crime."

"Alcohol is far more harmful to humans than anything else. It is imperative to ban alcohol in Jingang City, and it must start as soon as possible."

The mayor showed no change of emotion in response and just kept saying yes.

In fact, the various economic benefits brought by alcoholic beverages every year are also amazing, but now the whole country is banning alcohol, and this is a matter that has received attention from the upper echelons. The small mayor has no ability to oppose it.

The team stayed here for two days and completed the visit to Jingang City by viewing some old photos and the modern dock.

On the morning of the Holy Farmer's Day, under the watchful eyes of people from all walks of life, the governor announced at the state government that the state had joined the Prohibition Alliance and that from now on, a complete ban on alcohol would be implemented!
The whole state was in uproar!

But there was also a large group of people getting into a carnival!
With the manufacture, sale and transport of alcohol now considered a serious crime, the state's alcohol industry seems to be in dire straits?

Why does a statement become a strange question?
Because storing, possessing and drinking is not a crime!

In other words, the prices of the large quantities of alcoholic beverages previously hoarded by various forces began to skyrocket!
The price of Bronze Label Whiskey, which was originally sold at nearly two dollars in the market, has risen to nearly three dollars. It seems that the increase is not too high, but you have to know that its lowest price was only sixty cents.

When it was slowly rising some time ago, the price always remained below one dollar, but now, it has risen to three dollars!
In the bar, a glass of Bronze La Boquerque whiskey now costs thirty-five to forty-five cents, which many people can no longer afford.

So the bar started a new business: beer mixed with whiskey for only 19 cents, and sales were very good.

Of course, these bars have been transformed into underground bars. In Jingang City, in addition to the skyrocketing price of alcohol, the prices in the basements also started to skyrocket.

People gathered in various remote places. They were all drunkards who came here following the smell of alcohol.

Maybe for the government, taxes or other direct or indirect income related to alcoholic beverages will be reduced, but for those who sell alcohol, the era of huge profits has arrived!

(End of this chapter)