Shadow Empire

Chapter 972 Departure, Distrust, and a Larger-Scale Battle
Fernandez said with a smile, "So just because you don't interfere, we can't interfere either?"

He made no attempt to hide the barbs in his words, openly displaying his sharp edge!
However, these arguments were not very effective against Lance, because Lance was not yet a politician, and he was thick-skinned enough.

Or rather, any politician can ignore these sarcasm and ridicule; if they can't even get past this hurdle, then they're not qualified to be a politician.

Lance responded with a smile, but he didn't speak; this was not a question that was really suitable for a clear verbal response.

“What an overbearing Federation!” Fernandez sighed. “Are my wife and children in your hands?”

Lance neither denied nor admitted it, saying, "Your two children are very sensible. They didn't do anything they shouldn't have done along the way, saving us a lot of trouble and also saving themselves unnecessary trouble."

That statement makes it clear: his family is in Lance's hands.

As the situation became more critical, Fernandez's emotions became increasingly stable, as everyone had already revealed their hand.

There is nothing unknown, and there is no need to scare yourself. Put the best and worst outcomes together, and all that's left is to choose.

He hesitated for a moment, "What if I say 'no'?"

Lance wore a very regretful expression. "People will not remember the contributions you and your family made to world peace, Mr. Fernandez."

"This world is forgetful. Perhaps before long, your president and your country will stand on our side."

“You will become a ‘stubborn element’ that hinders our pursuit of a better tomorrow, and you won’t even be considered a hero.”

"People will spit on everything you've done at your grave if they can find it."

He crossed his legs, leaned slightly to one side, and rested his elbow on the armrest of the sofa. "This is the trend, Mr. Fernandez."

"Anyone who resists the tide of history will eventually be crushed into dust under the wheels of history."

Lance's words gave Fernandez a power he had never felt before, a power hidden in language.

At that moment, he seemed to see history transform into a giant wheel that kept rolling forward, crushing everything that stood in its way.

He thought of many things, such as the conservatives in the Czech Republic, who were also the vested interest groups and privileged classes.

They were the most opposed to reform because it touched their core interests. After their attempts to persuade them failed, they launched a coup.

Unfortunately, the coup failed because of the power of the "historical tide".

That's just how the world is going; no one can stop it. Those extreme conservatives have been almost completely wiped out.

Some conservatives were left behind, which was a decision made by the former president.

Absolute power not only corrupts absolutely, but also decays absolutely. He did not want his children or his family to have a fool in one generation, causing all their efforts over so many generations to be for naught.

So leaving an opposing voice is to warn those who follow that they need to be careful and vigilant.

Looking back on the entire development process of Giesecke & Devrient, it seems as if there was a force driving them to do everything, and every single thing that now seems absolutely right.

What about the future?
Could it be as Lance said, that he, and those who are trying to oppose the Federation, become like the extreme conservatives of the past, the ones who hinder the arrival of the right era?

Then it was crushed to pieces?
He didn't know, he remained silent, and Lance didn't urge him to make a decision.

Now that he has the upper hand and the initiative, "respecting" his opponent is to elevate himself.

After a long while, Fernandez seemed to be trying to find a way to bridge the gap between idealism and reality, saying, "She and the children are innocent."

Lance nodded. "I don't deny that, but you should understand that when you join this game."

"The winner takes all, not just those of you sitting at the table, but everything behind you."

He shook his head slightly. "I thought you were prepared the moment you sat down at this gambling table, but it turns out you weren't."

"But you are not entirely without options."

"Is it because of your friend's ambition and desire to maintain his power that you and your family are sacrificed?"

"It's better to go back to your family, reunite with your loved ones, and run with the tide of history, rather than being someone who goes against the current."

"Or, you could consider joining the Federation. There are many people in the Federation who are very interested in the people and things of Geed right now."

“You are a close friend of the president and a high-ranking official in the government. You know far more than we can gather.”

"Three choices, don't say you have no chance!"

Lance's words dispelled his last thought. His original idea was that he had lived up to his friendship, his country, his ambitions, ideals, and perseverance.

If Lance says he will spare his family, he will fight the Federation to the very end.

But now, it seemed pointless; he quickly went from straightening his spine to hunching over.

Perhaps sensing his hesitation, Lance placed his hands on his thighs, appearing very composed, and asked, "So, what's your choice?"

"Mr. Fernandez?"

Half an hour later, Fernandez returned to his office. He locked himself in for a while, lay down on the sofa, stared at the ceiling, and his mind raced.

Many things, many people, many sounds and images kept switching, and he didn't even know what he was thinking or what he was thinking about.

It was as if a storm was erupting in his mind, and it wasn't until quite some time later that the storm gradually subsided and his thinking returned to normal.

He sat up again, went to his desk, and dialed President Czerd's number.

"Fair?"

“It’s me. I’ve already spoken with Lance.”

“My wife and children are in their hands. He made a condition that I take my men back to Jedd and never come back.”

"Only by doing this will he return my family to me."

After he finished speaking, there was no response from the receiver; it remained silent.

The longer the silence lasted, the sadder he felt.

Although he knew this was Lance's "open conspiracy," and that Lance had even predicted the outcome, he still felt some pain when it actually happened.

Yes, the nation and the people are indeed far more important than a few people in a family, but what about even false concern?
He recalled what Lance had said: all reforms in the Republic of Geed were based on maintaining the power of the presidential family.

They are not truly delegating power to the people; it's just a trick by the rulers to fool the people.

If they truly want to become more advanced, they should completely hand over power to the people, instead of keeping it in their own hands all the time.

Wouldn't it be better if the president were elected as well?
Despite the many problems of the federal government, at least the mayor, governor, and president are all elected by the people.

Although there may be some minor issues involved, the overall direction is correct.

Power comes from the people, and the people are the masters of the country!
The seemingly progressive Republic of Germany is actually a more hypocritical country than the Federation, because when it comes to the interests of the rulers, they become a different person.

At this very moment, Fernandez desperately wanted to hear the president, his dearest friend, tell him to give up everything, bring the children back, and then think of other solutions.

Even if it's fake or hypocritical, he'll feel comfortable and might impulsively go to extremes.

But he said nothing, he simply remained silent.

After about two or three minutes, the president asked, "Why don't you come back first?" In fact, Fernandez knew very well what "come back first" meant; he knew his classmate and close friend all too well.

He will also arrange for others to come, and this time, those people, including his family, will be protected even more closely, or Lance and his group will not be given the opportunity to solve the problem in this way at all.

In the Geddes, some people are in their thirties or forties and still unmarried. They seem to have dedicated their lives to building the country. Of course, in reality, they live a happy life that is equally unimaginable to people, in places that are not visible to them.

These people, who want more opportunities to climb higher, will inevitably come to Lapa.

Fernandez did not refuse; he agreed, "Okay, I'll pack up and be back soon."

Not long after he hung up the phone, there was a loud knocking on the office door, and Diego's voice came from outside, "Fernandez, I want to talk to you!"

He heard that Fernandez left the presidential palace in Lance's car, and then returned in Lance's car. There was no doubt that this presidential advisor from the Geeder family, whom he trusted, had not lasted long before being "corrupted".

At least that's what he thought.

During the screening process initiated by Fernandez, he has already discovered many people who have been bribed at the presidential palace.

Although Fernandez's opinion was to keep these people around, since as long as these people who had been discovered and proven to be traitors were kept under control, even if there were quite a few of them, it would be difficult for them to know the information that they did not want to leak out.

Furthermore, if they wanted to leak false information, they could pass it on to the Federation or other factions through these individuals.

However, Diego couldn't control his temper and killed almost all of the bribed people he had discovered, leaving only two or three alive at his insistence.

He could imagine how furious Diego must be at that moment.

But that's exactly what Lance wanted to do, making it difficult for both presidents to trust him.

He arrived at the door and opened the office door. Diego rudely pushed the door open and entered, almost bumping into him.

"I heard you left the presidential palace in Lance's car?" Diego staggered a few steps around the room, then suddenly turned to Fernandez and asked this question.

Fernandez did not deny it, "That's right, my family was kidnapped by Lance, and I had no choice but to talk to him."

Hearing his candid confession, Diego was somewhat at a loss for words.

He actually hoped Fernandez would refute him, make excuses, and deny it, so that he could slap those witnesses and evidence in his face and question him about why he had betrayed him.

But Fernandez blurted out all the questions at once and admitted to seeing Lance, which left Fernandez at a loss for what to do.

After a while, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

“We talked…” Fernandez looked at Diego, who was still standing, “Are you sure you don’t need to sit down and listen to me?”

Diego glanced at the sofa and sat down.

“We talked about some things. I wanted to find my family, and he offered me some conditions, including leaving Lapa.”

Diego's emotions were complicated at this moment. He hoped that Fernandez could tell him that he and Lance had reached an agreement.

He hoped that he would say that he and Lance had not reached an agreement.

The former means that he hopes to find a suitable and legitimate reason to simply stop using this person. He is very suspicious, and once he has doubts about someone, it is difficult for him to change his mind.

Now that he has admitted to having an agreement with Lance, he has sufficient reason to inform President Geed that this man must be replaced and will not remain by his side.

At the same time, he hoped that Fernandez would say that he had rejected all of Lance's conditions, which would make Diego feel better, at least not everyone would give up their principles in the face of coercion and temptation.

They should stand firmly on their side.

He was conflicted; he stared intently into Fernandez's eyes, as if trying to find the answer he sought within them.

Unfortunately, Fernandez's gaze was firm, and no change in expression could be seen.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, it's difficult for me to continue serving you and the Rapa government."

"Giesecke & Devrient has asked me to return as soon as possible to report on my work, so..."

"And you don't need to worry too much, Your Excellency. If nothing unexpected happens, someone will soon replace me."

Diego looked at the anger blazing in the man's small, narrow eyes. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only stomp his foot and then stagger away.

He transferred all his dissatisfaction with Fernandez onto the Commonwealth, and in this respect he still acted like a normal person.

As news of Fernandez's impending departure from Lapa spread, the morale of the government forces suffered, with some soldiers beginning to suspect that the Asian Union had abandoned Lapa.

This prevented them from fully concentrating on the battle and resulted in some casualties.

To make matters worse, news began to circulate that the Rapa government forces were running out of ammunition, and now immense pressure was weighing on Diego, making it hard for him to breathe!
He felt more relaxed than ever before when Fernandez was around; he didn't need to do anything, Fernandez could handle everything.

Now that he has lost this traitor, he is somewhat at a loss.

Meanwhile, two people who could be considered "old friends" had already taken their entire families on a trip to the federal government, and when they returned, only the two of them would be left alone.

More and more people are starting to have a negative view of Diego, whose performance has been truly disappointing. On the contrary, a few members of the anti-government forces are attracting more attention.

This also gave Diego an urge to perform; he desperately needed a huge victory to boost morale and make people aware of this.

He is the ruler of this country, he was, he is, and he will be.

He needs to choose an opponent for himself, such as Rose or Pedro.

Fernandez quickly packed his things and left. Without him and some of the officers from the government forces, the government forces became much less efficient. They used to be able to suppress some anti-government armed forces, but now the situation has become evenly matched.

It's only a matter of time before they can't defeat these anti-government militants.

It only takes three days to travel from Lapa to Geed by train. After Fernandez returned to Geed, he proved to Lance, as agreed, that he had gone back.

Not long after, he saw his wife and two children.

When the couple met, they both felt a sense of luck, as if they had barely survived a disaster. When the children saw their father return, they all came over and hugged his legs.

At this moment, he seemed somewhat relieved, perhaps realizing that family was what he should pay more attention to.

After returning to Jedd, he only met the president once. The two, who used to be able to talk about anything and chat for hours on any topic, now couldn't find anything to talk about except for the most basic greetings and work reports.

That day was exceptionally uncomfortable for both of them.

After Fernandez finished speaking, the two sat on either side of the desk, looking at each other, until the president said he had to work. Only then did Fernandez get up to leave. Their conversation was as if they were strangers!
They did not lose to time, they lost to their own identities.

He never saw the president again after that day, and there was something very unusual about it: the president never assigned him any work, not even anything highly confidential or just odd jobs.

However, he doesn't care much about that; he just wants to return to his family now.

He has spent most of his nearly forty years of life on his ideals and pursuits, and very little time has been spent with his family. He wants to make up for it!

Lance's words did have some effect after all; he seemed to be able to see something like "the trajectory of history."

Perhaps, the Federation truly is the "trend"!
During this period, because the anti-government militants learned that the government forces in Rapa had limited ammunition reserves, they shifted from passively resisting to actively seeking more battles in order to deplete the government forces' ammunition.

This approach was very effective, resulting in more frequent and larger-scale firefights.

The daily consumption of ammunition is increasing, which means that Diego has little time and opportunity left to choose from.

(End of this chapter)