Shadow Empire

Chapter 971 Unbearable Wealth is a Sin
The reason people find it hard to accept bad news is because of the "unknown".

They feel uneasy, or even fearful, because they don't know what they're going to face before receiving this bad news.

However, once they know what they are facing, their emotions can gradually stabilize in a short period of time.

As people often say, things can only get this bad; nothing can get any worse!
This is an attitude, a mindset, and a state of psychological and emotional stability.

Before he knew where his family and children had gone, Fernandez was terrified during those few short minutes.

He was afraid that the kidnappers would hurt his wife and his children.

He is not a saint; he is just an ordinary person with ideals and ambitions, and the opportunity to realize them. He is not that great, and this matter does not allow him to be great.

If his wife were assaulted, he would be at a loss for how to handle the situation—the wife of a politician being raped?

Even if they are victims rather than perpetrators, this will become a political scandal, forever depriving him of the opportunity to gain more power, at least in the public eye.

That's how smart people are; they can think of a lot of things in a very short time.

Could it have been done by political enemies?

Despite the fact that the Republic of Czedály and Rapa are essentially the same, it is also a highly centralized country.

However, the reforms of recent years have also awakened some people's awareness, and most importantly, different factions still exist under the president.

We are all from the same family, but we belong to different factions.

There are many political groups, including some reformers, some conservatives, and some progressives.

Can the president decide everything?
Obviously not, and this would give them the opportunity to fight for power and profit. Whoever can reach a higher position can exert their political ambitions to the greatest extent.

Some of the Jetto people had long since turned against the federal government, and Fernandez even suspected that they had been bought off by the federal government and were always speaking on behalf of the federal government.

These people may also be extremely eager to oust him, who advocates for independent reform, especially since he is the president's college classmate and close friend.

These conditions and affixes, when combined, made him have a much greater influence over the presidency than others.

While creating a major scandal might not remove him from office, it would severely embarrass him, weaken his influence among the public, and even diminish his influence with the president.

But when he heard the president mention the date the incident occurred, all his unease and fear vanished, leaving only a vague sense of melancholy.

"Was it Lance made it?"

"How did you know?"

Fernandez lit a cigarette, took a puff, and became more relaxed. "Ah, yes, he did it."

"That afternoon, he called me and said he wanted to meet with me to talk."

“I declined his offer, but he said we would still have a chance to meet, and he said it with great certainty, as if he knew that I would definitely contact him and ask to meet him.”

Hearing Fernandez's words, the president not only didn't relax, but became even more nervous. "Do you want to see him?"

Fernandez nodded and said, "My wife and children are in his hands, how can I not go to see him?"

The president opened his mouth, his hand gripping the receiver tightly, intending to say something that might be rational, but could also hurt feelings—

In the Republic of Czechoslovakia, the most developed and advanced country in the Asia-Pacific region, polygamy also exists, and there is a market and custom for it.

Capable men should take on more responsibility for the lives of young and beautiful girls and their families.

There have been previous reports of a 91-year-old man marrying a 19-year-old girl and having a child together.

Regardless of whether the child is his or not, this incident at least demonstrates that he still possesses that capability.

Okay, that's getting a bit off-topic. The president's idea is that Fernandez is clearly worth far more than his wife and children, who are just women and children.

If Fernandez wanted, the president could find him a hundred women and have a thousand children!

Because of this woman, no matter how many children there are, their combined value cannot compare to that of one Fernandez.

But he couldn't say such things; if he did, it would cause problems. Even if Fernandez didn't say anything now, it would still plant a thorn in his heart.

"Good luck, and be careful. Should I arrange for some people to go and meet you?"

The president eventually replaced his attempts to persuade him to give up with words of blessing and advice to be careful.

Fernandez chuckled twice. "He's willing to talk to me simply because he thinks I'm more valuable alive than dead, and he knows about our relationship."

The president also believes this is possible, saying, "Given the federal government's intelligence-gathering capabilities, there's a high probability they know how good our relationship is."

"Perhaps they want to use you to influence some of my decisions and judgments."

He spoke very bluntly, followed by a moment of silence. Fernandez stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. "Anyway, I'll be careful."

The president did not offer any further advice.

As the two of them continued to talk and communicate about this issue, they gradually discovered the most terrifying aspect of this damned plan.

The Federation people, Lance, these people never thought of hiding their thoughts.

They just swaggered away and left plenty of clues for them. Why?
They have actually achieved their goal, which is to create some trust issues between Fernandez and the president.

Even the smallest problem, like a hair-thin crack on a super dam, is so short and thin that it's imperceptible to the entire dam.

But it does exist, and it will continue to grow larger as you think about it more!

They don't need to discover anything; as long as they keep thinking about this problem, the two of them will go further and further apart.

This is also why they suddenly stopped talking later on, because the more they talked, the less they trusted each other.

After hanging up the phone, Fernandez rubbed his cheeks. This conspiracy was truly terrifying, because he could feel it.

Even I myself will eventually wonder if I made any compromises in this matter.

If Lance releases his wife and children, things will become even more complicated.

I hope they're not that smart!

Thinking about this, he went through some things again, and after about twenty minutes, he dialed Lance's phone number.

He had Lance's phone number, which he always kept on hand, and now he was putting it to use.

The call was answered after a while, and the person on the other end wasn't Lance, but someone close to him.

“I’m looking for Mr. Lance White. Please tell him that I am Fernandez.”

After a while, a voice answered the receiver, "I've written it down. I'll call you when he gets back."

After hanging up the phone, Fernandez couldn't concentrate on his work at all. He would deal with his work for a while, then suddenly look up at the phone again.

Unable to work properly with his attention so scattered, he simply stopped working and leaned back in his chair, his mind filled with the events of the past few days.

About two hours later, the phone rang for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

It had rung before, but not Lance's.

He quickly answered the phone, put the receiver to his ear, and took a deep breath. "This is Fernandez."

His familiar Lance's voice immediately came through the receiver, "Mr. Fernandez, good afternoon, what can I do for you?"

At this moment, Fernandez did not appear to be someone whose wife and children had been kidnapped, and who was in a state of anxiety and anger. He was able to maintain his calm and rationality. "You said last time that you wanted to meet and talk?"

Lance chuckled twice. "Looks like you have time now."

This is clearly ironic, since last time he said he didn't have time, so he could only talk to Lance on the phone.

But now, even though he shouldn't have time, he has time to chat with Lance.

Lance used his past answer to mock him, which suddenly made Fernandez find it somewhat amusing. Of course, he didn't laugh out loud; he wasn't in the mood for it. He found it amusing, but only vaguely.

"Yes, I have time now. How can I see you..."

He hung up the phone quickly and then tidied up a bit.

There was a weapon in the drawer, but he didn't bring it with him because he knew very well that if he were to actually appear before Lance, he would definitely not be carrying any weapons, and even if he did, he wouldn't have the opportunity to use them.

Carrying a weapon would only make me look ridiculous, so I'd rather not carry one.

Soon, three armored vehicles appeared outside the presidential palace. Fernandez stood by the window upstairs for a while, then sighed, went downstairs, got into the car sent by Lance, and left.

He had previously suggested arranging a location over the phone, and then he would go there himself.

This makes it easier for him to operate.

Whether he drives there directly or goes home first and then drives there, he can effectively "avoid suspicion".

After all, the Federation people led by Lance are the root cause of the unrest in Lapa. He, who should have come to Lapa to resolve the root cause of these unrest, has now joined forces with Lance, and he will definitely lose Diego's trust.

Diego is a very suspicious person, and once he finds someone suspicious, he becomes increasingly suspicious, just like Gomez.

He had no evidence that Gomez was involved with the Commonwealth, but as long as he believed it and knew that Gomez was close to the Commonwealth, he could make a decision.

He wanted to avoid his connection with Lance being discovered and publicized, but Lance refused his request outright, saying he would arrange for someone to pick him up.

He tried to resist, insisting on driving there himself, but Lance told him, "If you're not ready yet, I can keep waiting for you," leaving him with no choice.

Lance's armored vehicles were very conspicuous; Lance was the only country in the entire Lapa with such vehicles, so if he got into one of them, Diego would definitely be informed.

He only stood upstairs for a short while, about ten or twenty seconds, and a number of people had already gathered around the first floor of the Presidential Palace.

He had no other choice but to bite the bullet and get on the bus.

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, he left the presidential palace in Lance's car.

"Where are we going?" he asked from the back seat.

However, the driver didn't say anything, but drove quietly all the way to Lance's manor.

He slapped his forehead; he had forgotten about it.

For Lance, the safest place right now is Lance Manor. He could have guessed that, but the news made him lose his composure.

After the vehicle came to a stop, he was taken to a destruction room.

They appear to be already seated.

When he saw Fernandez arrive, Lance didn't even stand up or shake hands with him. He simply pointed to the sofa next to him and said, "Sit."

The word "sit" carried the weight of a command, pressing Fernandez down onto the sofa.

He looked at Lance. "Mr. Lance, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Lance wasn't the only one in the room; there were several other people, though they were either sitting or standing far apart.

Lance didn't beat around the bush. "Actually..." he shook his head slightly, "When you came here, I had already gotten what I wanted."

"But you see, this matter is actually very simple and easy."

“I called you and you came over, but you were unwilling to cooperate with me, which has led to the situation that neither of us wanted.”

Fernandez gritted his teeth and bowed his head, saying, "This is my fault."

Lance did not accept his apology, but changed the subject instead, "You are a smart man, and you should know about some of our current plans, so I hope you can cooperate with us."

Fernandez's expression twisted slightly, and he looked completely bewildered. "I really don't understand, Mr. White."

"Is there anything you don't understand?"

He continued, "The Federation is already so advanced and developed; your level of science and technology is many times greater than ours."

"Perhaps even if we take another fifty or a hundred years, we still won't be able to catch up with you."

"Why can't we coexist peacefully?"

"We can absolutely become solid and reliable friends in important geopolitical areas, and we will become the best strategic partners!"

"And I believe that, under the influence of the Federation in all aspects, although we may still be an independent country with an independent government, people in society will see themselves as spiritual members of the Federation."

"You absolutely don't need to do this!"

He was speaking his truest thoughts. He still didn't understand why Asia, which was so poor, would invade this place.
Lance pressed the pads of his index fingers together, a very obvious "thinking sign." Some say this gesture often represents thinking, but I don't know if that's accurate.

“Mr. Fernandez, you see, the biggest difference between us on this issue is that you stand on the side of the Alan people, while we stand on the side of the Federation people.”

"This place has abundant mineral resources, cheap labor that is practically free, and a very important strategic position, with a great strategic influence over the Eastern Ocean."

"With so many advantages, even though this place is poor, it is an essential part of making the Federation strong."

"There is no conflict, no hatred, and no problem between us that could cause friction or conflict between us."

"But only because you possess the key to our new world and have no intention of handing it over to us."

"You think that as long as you have control of the things and we can use them, that's enough, but ultimately, they are still in your hands!"

“So…”, he separated his hands, pursed his lips, and shook his head, saying, “…we are destined to have an irreconcilable conflict, and in the end we can only resolve it in a way that neither of us wants to see.”

"Or you can persuade your president to join the Union and become part of the federal family."

"By the way, I can make you a promise on behalf of Congress: if Your Excellency the President is willing to join the federal family, we can promise him the position of governor, and this position of governor can be inherited."

The current federal policy makes voting almost entirely manipulable. You must own a house, have a job, and pay taxes. With these three policies in place, any troublemakers who don't comply can simply be made unemployed in an election year.

It's like some companies that require workers to vote according to the company's requirements, and anyone who doesn't vote according to the company's requirements will be fired.

They have too many ways to control these votes, and even if controlling the votes doesn't work, they can directly modify the votes and the election results.

In reality, people don't understand true federation. If they did, they would realize that democracy, like freedom, is a joke within a federation.

It is worth mentioning that freedom is enshrined in the Charter and is at least one of the national elements recognized by the federal government.

You can hold up a sign and spit at the president, telling him it's an expression of your free will, and the president will just pretend you didn't see it.

But if you try to demand democratic rights from the president, he'll most likely punch you.

The federal government does not recognize democracy because it is not mentioned in the charter; the federal government is a society governed by the rule of law.

They don't recognize anything that isn't written into law, but of course, even if it is, they have the right to amend it.

So when Lance said he could guarantee a hereditary governorship, he wasn't joking.

This is indeed a very sincere solution, but the problem is, before that, the president is first and foremost a president!

But a governor is just a governor!
Fernandez kept shaking his head after hearing Lance's words. "I can't make that decision, Mr. White. It's the president's business how he makes his choice. I can't interfere with his decision."

Lance spread his hands regretfully. "You see, we lack the most basic honesty between us. We both know that you have a great influence on the president."

"But since you can't help with this, you should be able to help me with another one."

"That means taking your people back to the Czech Republic and telling your president not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."

For some reason, Fernandez felt like laughing at that moment.

(End of this chapter)