Shadow Empire

Chapter 979 The Eve of the Election and Unexpected News
The new federal center is boosting Lapa's economy!

Lance flipped through the newspaper in his hand, a smile appearing on his face. The person who took this photo shot it from a low angle, with the sky serving as Lance's background, making him appear very...tall.

It gives people a somewhat sacred feeling!

"What he holds in his hand is not just a simple set of keys, but a beacon guiding the impoverished people of Lapa toward happiness."

Lance read the passage aloud, then put down the newspaper. "Well written."

Mayor Wade, sitting on the other side of the table, chuckled twice. "Now you've gained some popularity and recognition in the country, and some people have even asked me if I know you or something."

Lance has returned to the country these past few days because Indenau State is about to hold a gubernatorial election.

The election will conclude before the Segunda Divo festival, and the new governor's team will enter the state government in mid-November to officially take over the work here.

With more than a month to go before the election results, there was nothing left for Lance to worry about in Lapar, so he returned early to meet with Mayor Wade.

If Mayor Wade wins the election, it will be a very important piece of good news for Lance.

This means that the two neighboring states of Indenau and Likale can be closely connected and become his territory.

There are still many liquor businesses in Indenau that he can't get involved in; these people—gangsters, mayors—are all on the lieutenant governor's side.

Only if Wade wins the election can these people be cleared out of here, allowing Lance to take control of these businesses.

In response to Mayor Wade's praise, Lance smiled and said, "Actually, such prestige isn't that important to me. You know, I care more about your campaign than prestige."

"Reputation, fame—as long as you have money, I can give you as much of these things as you want."

Mayor Wade did not refute it, because what Lance said was true.

For example, some of the most popular celebrities right now have gained wider recognition and greater influence due to the booming film industry.

Of course, he himself was also quite good-looking, handsome and even a bit pretty. It is said that in some high society social events, some people mentioned more than once that they wanted to spend the night with Gerald.

One can imagine that Gerald's appearance was enough to make the gentlemen of high society overlook the fact that he was male, which of course is also related to the chaos in the Federation's high society.

People at the bottom of society often lack imagination.

The reason for their exhaustion is not that their imagination is limited, but that their understanding of the world is limited.

For example, many people speculate whether those important figures change female companions every day. They look at the young and beautiful girls standing next to these important figures and talk about what will happen between them in a slightly envious, jealous, and sour tone.

Or they might talk about celebrity gossip, stories about a famous man and a famous woman.

Because that's their perception of the world: men go to women, and women go to men.

They couldn't imagine that sometimes even powerful men would seek out men, and some of them would even willingly lie on the bed with their buttocks sticking out.

Their understanding of high society and the world as a whole is too limited; they only know what happens around them and consider it common sense.

Some people want Gerald's ass, but others want to give their own ass to Gerald.

Besides his appearance, Gerald's fame and status were also important factors in his popularity with these people.

Lance had been involved in some things before, such as some hosts who would often take on jobs privately.

Some of these hosts aren't particularly attractive, and their figures aren't necessarily great, but they seem to sell well, and at a high price.

People are not just buying a one-time enjoyment, but also enjoying the identity of these people.

People enjoy seeing public figures act humbly in front of them, enjoying watching them bow their heads or look up.

This gives them a sense of pleasure in destroying things that people consider beautiful!
The two quickly ended the conversation. Lance took out his cigarette case, lit a cigarette, and asked, "How's the election going?"

Mayor Wade nodded, a knowing smile on his face. "Very well, that's all I can say."

"Based on these two opinion polls, people are more inclined to have me as governor."

The election of federal governors is a direct election by voters within a state, which involves a large number of votes and many regions. It is not impossible to cheat, but it is quite difficult.

However, Wade still has his advantages, namely that some of the economic adjustments he made have been quite good, and the economy in his own city has recovered earlier than in other places.

His campaign team used this as a campaign tactic, promoting the idea that Mayor Wade was an expert in economic matters.

Moreover, during his campaign speeches, Mayor Wade repeatedly emphasized that once he took office, he would rapidly boost Indenau's economy, create more jobs, and attract more capital.

These are indeed very eye-catching and popular among voters, since everyone hopes for a stable and prosperous life.

The federal electorate is not large, and meeting the federal government's almost stringent requirements to become a voter is not an easy task. To date, reports from unofficial organizations indicate that only 12 percent of the entire federal population is eligible to vote.

Furthermore, among this group of voters, there are some who are not interested in voting or elections.

Politicians are generally aware of where the largest number of voters are in each region. If they can firmly grasp a few core voter bases, winning the election is not too difficult.

"If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know," Lance said, offering his assistance.

It wasn't that he was trying to curry favor with Mayor Wade, but rather that he didn't want his investment to go down the drain.

He didn't care about the losses in campaign funds; the key thing was the relationships and favors he invested, which are immeasurable in money.

When a person has enough wealth, they will find that money is really just a string of numbers, and that human relationships are more important.

Mayor Wade naturally wouldn't refuse. "Perfect timing. Since you brought this up, I have a few small questions I need your help with."

Lance gestured for him to continue, saying that this was not the time for politeness and deference; resolving some minor issues now would increase their chances of winning the election.

“Some people…” He placed his hands on his thighs with his fingers interlaced. As he said this, he opened his hands, revealing a helpless expression, but quickly interlaced them again. “…They have some objections to my running for governor of Indenau State as an outsider.”

Lance interjected, "Politicians?"

"No, no, no, they are just some ordinary people with a certain social influence," Mayor Wade quickly added.

Lance's help in dealing with politicians isn't actually that great. Politicians are divided into camps, with three parties, and within each party there are factions. Behind every politician who can get to the forefront is often a faction, a whole bunch of people.

Therefore, the only way to deal with politicians is through political means; that's the rule of the game.

However, Lance would be more suitable for dealing with ordinary people.

Mayor Wade briefly explained his troubles to him, as he himself was a native of Golden Harbor City and an outsider to Indenau State.

He is currently a strong contender for the election, which has drawn criticism from some of the more conservative locals.

They believe that appointing an outsider as governor of Indenau could undermine local traditions and make everyone feel ashamed.

They clearly have no shortage of qualified politicians, yet they let an outsider win, which only shows that they are not united enough.

These people are all quite old and belong to prominent local families; they still have some influence over ordinary people.

Mayor Wade spoke with them privately, discussing whether they could settle the matter through some behind-the-scenes deals, but they refused.

They refused to negotiate with an outsider, much less compromise with him; their goal was to rally people against Mayor Wade's victory in the Indenau state gubernatorial election.

"...That's the general situation. It's not really appropriate for me to do it myself. After thinking it over, I think it's more suitable for you to do these things."

The Lance family is not a native local gang, and they don't have many intertwined interests in the area, so they don't have many concerns when they do things.

Lance agreed without much hesitation.

Mayor Wade then gave him a list with photos of three guys and their personal information.

“Three old men,” Lance said, glancing at Wade after receiving the documents.

Wade nodded. "That's why they're so stubborn."

After quickly glancing at the document and finding nothing particularly noteworthy, Lance put it away. "I'll handle this." They then chatted for a while about areas where Lance was needed in the campaign, such as Mayor Wade needing his manpower to help him with speeches in other parts of the state.

Although television exists now, it is not yet widespread. Most people's understanding of elections comes from newspapers and public speeches.

In order to gain more support, Mayor Wade and the lieutenant governor are prepared to spend the next month or so traveling throughout the state.

Visiting six or seven cities in five days is not considered a very tight schedule.

He has a well-established campaign team, but the team lacks some more "flexible" people.

Those who have no direct connection to him, but who can use criminal means to handle things that he cannot do himself when necessary.

Lance didn't refuse any of these requests; he agreed to them all.

After meeting with Mayor Wade, Lance returned to New Birmingham, which had become the Lance family's base of operations in Indenau State.

Even before the convoy entered the city, numerous smuggled vehicles could be seen coming and going.

These smuggled cars are almost instantly recognizable.

They were almost all old, secondhand cars that had been modified, and all of them had curtains so that people couldn't see what was inside.

Furthermore, the car's surface may have some markings or symbols that are related to gangs.

These vehicles are almost ubiquitous on the roads leading into the city from outside, which shows that Lance's business is booming.

When the convoy stopped downstairs at the company, Lance met Irwin in his office, and the two embraced tightly.

They were separated for half a year this time, and the two hadn't seen each other for a long time.

They had been together for many years. Lance and the family's officers, as well as some of the combat captains, had spent a very long time together, and they were like family!
“Let me see, you look much more mature, and you’ve even grown a beard!” Lance looked at Erwin’s current appearance with some surprise.

He had even grown some beard, which made him look... Lance didn't know how to describe it.

Irwin chuckled twice. "At first, I was always too busy to take care of my face and beard. Later, I simply stopped doing these things, which actually made me look much more mature."

He put his arm around Lance's. "How long are you staying this time?"

The two walked over and sat down on the sofa. Lance crossed his legs, looking very relaxed. "I'm not sure. I hope to leave after Mayor Wade wins the election."

"In case of any unexpected events, I can handle them promptly."

He paused, then asked, "How's things going with Jinbiao Liquor?"

"I heard that their production line has been rebuilt."

After Jinbiao Winery was burned down by Lance and his men, it took them three or four months to rebuild. Lance has not heard anything about what happened after that.

Irwin explained, "Gold Label has stopped selling whisky to the market; they only provide it to the soldiers."

The Lance family's actions made Gold Label Winery feel a sense of crisis. After all, they were just businessmen, not professional gangsters.

Faced with this situation, the board of directors of Gold Label Winery ultimately gritted their teeth and abandoned the market within the state of Indenau.

However, there are rumors that they are actually shipping to other states.

Listening to Erwin talk about the developments here, Lance couldn't help but walk to the window and look outside.

Across the street is the "distillery," a very large establishment. More than half of the gangs in the state source their liquor from here, and the entire city of New Birmingham also benefits from it. So the mayor turns a blind eye to their blatant sale of alcohol.

Thanks to instructions from the state's Prohibition Commission and the deployment of a group of less steadfast agents by the Bureau of Dangerous Goods, the city is now peaceful.

Lance could see the trucks entering the winery's warehouse area in sequence, and then the workers loading the wine onto the trucks.

Once they've moved most of the cargo, they'll close the doors, pat the roof, and the vehicle will quickly leave the factory area, speeding away from the city and heading in the direction they came from.

Everything was in perfect order, even pleasing to the eye.

This is the most characteristic scene of our time: workers, factories, and business!

Yes, business!
Lance turned his head. "Are there any other gangs trying to provoke us now?"

Irwin shook his head and said, "After a few fierce battles, we calmed down."

There's now a general consensus in the Southern Underworld of the Federation: don't mess with the Lance family.

These people are all crazy!
If you offend members of other gangs, you can resolve the conflict through methods such as negotiation.

But if you offend the Lance family, then someone will always die.

It's either you or them who die.

But if someone dies for them, then it's a fight to the death, so in the end you'll be the one to die.

More than one gang has proven this, from Golden Harbor City to Indenau State.

Lance inquired about other things, such as the sales of Sumuli brandy in the area.

When the topic came up, Erwin suddenly slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered something. "Look, I almost forgot something important."

Lance turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What?"

“I arranged for some people to try selling whisky in South Yaan State. The quality of the whisky there is far inferior to what we have, so I think our liquor can open up the market there.”

Lance listened and nodded, lighting a cigarette for himself. "And then?"

"Are you in trouble?"

Erwin shook his head. "There have been some troubles, but that's not what I wanted to talk about."

“One of the people I sent there knew Dover. He said he saw a guy over there who looked like Dover, and he seemed to be the person in charge of the Sumuli people there.”

Lance was taken aback. "He's back?"

Erwin also had some doubts. "I don't know. I haven't heard anything about him, so I can't confirm whether this news is true or not, which is why I didn't tell you."

"If you hadn't asked me about it, I probably would have forgotten about it very soon."

Christopher had changed his name, but deep down he was still somewhat afraid. The things Lance had done made him feel a bit crazy and horrified.

A nobody managed to take control of the entire Golden Port City, and even the entire state of Likale!
To be honest, he was a little scared.

If Leonardo hadn't insisted that he take charge of the Federation's alcohol sales, he would never have wanted to return to the Federation!
So in order to avoid attracting the attention of Lance and his ilk, he did not use his real name, but instead used a fake name, Camillo Bianchi.

Those who were trading with him were unaware of this, so no one realized that the "leader" they had been trading with was actually Christopher.

"Send a few more people who know him to go and investigate. Since there is such a possibility, we should not ignore it."

"If it really is him..."

Lance took a drag of his cigarette, looked at the busy porters in the factory across the street, and slowly exhaled the smoke. "Then find him and I'll take care of him myself."

Alberto is a very important person to Lance; without Alberto's support, there would be no Lance family as we know it today.

In gang fights, people are born and people die; that's normal.

Alberto died while seeking revenge on Sumuli Island, and Lance will definitely avenge him; it's just a normal vendetta.

What truly enraged him was that when he sent men to demand Alberto's body back, that son of a bitch not only refused but also killed the men he sent.

This feud is now completely settled, and no one can change it now!
(End of this chapter)