Empire of Shadows

The sky was somewhat gloomy.

The motorcade traveled along the road, with two teams of motorcycle police clearing the way.

Inside an ivory-white luxury car, the Party Representative from the State was chatting with the Mayor.

“Will this have a bad influence?” Mike had a very ordinary name, but he was definitely not an ordinary person.

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From the perspective of the federal government system, he didn't hold any government positions, but even the Mayor had to give him some face, and even the Governor had to spare half a minute to try and explain himself when faced with his complaints.

This was the special thing about a Party Representative; his individual power might not be great, but if he could connect with a group of Party Representatives, they would have the power to influence the nomination of a regional leader candidate.

If the Mayor wanted to rise higher, he had to maintain good relations with these Party Representatives; they would vote to decide who was nominated and who wasn't.

Perhaps these few people couldn't make him the only candidate, but at least they wouldn't let him lose to his opponent by a small margin at a crucial moment.

What Mike meant by "not good" was the police escort outside, which he felt was a bit disturbing to the people, but the smile on his face didn't show any of the unease of "not good"; instead, it was like saying "well done."

The wonderful taste of power was especially strong at this moment!

The Mayor laughed heartily, rarely showing such strong emotional expression in front of others.

Because those people weren't qualified enough to make him "sincere," but Mike and his group were.

“Your visit to Goldport City is an honor for all the citizens. No one will feel disturbed. The Socialist Party has led the Federation to the forefront of global economic development. This is what you deserve!”

Mike smiled happily, “Not you, but us!” He corrected a small slip of the Mayor's tongue, “Goldport City's development is mainly due to your efforts; we haven't done anything.”

“The fact that we can see it developing better and better on this visit proves that all our decisions back then when we nominated you as the Mayor here were positive and correct.”

He paused, “These past few days, I've met many old friends in the Bay Area, and they are all very satisfied with your performance during your tenure here.”

“As for the issue of the Speaker of the House that you mentioned, we will seriously consider it!”

The Mayor was overjoyed upon hearing this. He suppressed the excitement in his heart, trying to appear very composed, “Mike, you know me. I have great ideals and ambitions, but achieving these requires me to be able to reach higher positions.”

“When the day comes that I can make the changes I want to make for this country, you will see it become better than it is today, and so will we, everyone!”

“We will all benefit from it, I guarantee it.”

He spoke as if it was the result of the country becoming better, but everyone in the car knew that they were actually talking about themselves.

Nomination, candidate, election, results.

After political commercialization, every link here is filled with a large amount of overflowing benefits!

These people were all qualified to get a piece of the pie.

The few people smiled at each other. Perhaps they did have the idea of doing something for the Federation and its people before entering politics, but when they really stood on this stage full of fame and fortune, everything would change.

Mike and his group had a great time in the Bay Area during this period. It was home to the wealthiest people in the State of Licar, and many of them were their friends and were very enthusiastic towards them.

Capitalists, of course, were very enthusiastic towards them.

From the perspective of the common people, "big shots" refer to those who can decide their fate, such as senators, governors, presidents, and the like.

But for the wealthy people living in the region, the local leaders and those who can decide who the local leaders are, are the ones they should respect.

You may be rich, but if they arrange for someone who doesn't get along with you to be the mayor of the city where you live and work, that's enough to make you suffer.

But if they arrange for a good friend of yours to come and accompany you, then without a doubt, this will be a huge opportunity for take-off!

They do want to respect the President, but the President can't help them, so they don't get their respect!

Capitalists have too many ways to corrupt these people, and it is difficult to resist. In addition, the Congress has not yet proposed public supervision and other requirements for political donations, so sometimes many problems are difficult to solve.

But for Mike and his group, this trip was pleasant!

As the motorcade entered the dock, the sky became even gloomier, and the cold wind was biting.

If they didn't have to come, they wouldn't want to come to the dock at this terrible time; the wind here was too strong, like a knife!

But this place was very important, and the next few days were expected to be cloudy, so they didn't have much time to stay here.

Goldport City's development depends on it being the largest port in the Northern Hemisphere, so the docks and dockworkers, to some extent, determine the upper and lower limits of this city.

The dockworkers' union had already received notice, and Chairman Scott and Vice Chairman Vaughn, along with others, had been waiting at Pier Three early in the morning.

They didn't seem to be so enthusiastic about the working class, especially on such a cold day.

Some workers had arrived early, and their faces were full of strong dissatisfaction with today's "visit." If it weren't for the sake of some freebies, they certainly wouldn't have come.

As the motorcade entered Pier Three, the union leadership immediately greeted them.

The Mayor was the first to get out of the car, followed by several other Party Representatives. Chairman Scott, dressed in elegant clothes, began to applaud, forming a strong contrast with the sparsely standing dockworkers around him, dressed in ordinary clothes.

On the contrary, Vice Chairman Vaughn was dressed a little more plainly, not in a wool coat, but just an ordinary, common cotton-padded jacket, which made him look a little… strange.

He didn't quite look like a worker, because he was too clean, but he also didn't look like a respectable person, because he was dressed too "casually."

“Welcome to Goldport Pier!” Chairman Scott had a look of “glory” on his face, as if this pier belonged to him!

Today's protagonists were the dockworkers.

After Mike and the others greeted them, they walked towards the representatives of the dockworkers. They chatted very gently, showing no airs at all, as if they were very approachable.

These people were all political veterans; they wouldn't make some stupid mistakes, and now was not the time for them to make mistakes.

They wouldn't dislike how prickly the dockworkers' cracked hands were, nor would they mind how dirty they were; they always talked and shook hands with them very warmly and kindly, and wished them a bright future.

These people all expressed their support for the Socialist Party, because the Socialist Party constantly emphasized overall economic development, creating more job opportunities in society.

These ordinary people had the opportunity to work, which made it possible for them to support their families.

To some extent, the Socialist Party did play a huge role in the Federation's economic development. If the Liberal Party, with its core of "liberal laissez-faireism," continued to govern, the Federation's economy might still be a huge mess.

As for the Federalist Party?

Hopefully, they are having a good time at work!

The result of the pier visit brought very good emotions to Mike and the others, because everyone didn't have too many complaints about the Socialist Party, except for the hope of being able to increase wages, there were no other ideas.

This gave Mike and the others a clear judgment on the election situation in Goldport City. Although there were some fluctuations, the overall situation was still under control.

Seeing that it was already eleven o'clock, Chairman Scott wanted to keep them for lunch together. During this period, Chairman Scott was thinking about working to get into the State Dockworkers' Union or even the Federal Dockworkers' General Union.

If he could get to know some more prestigious big shots in the political arena, it would undoubtedly add a lot of points for him.

Especially if he wanted to enter the Dockworkers' General Union, he couldn't get in just by relying on his personal ability. There were so many capable union management personnel in the entire Federation, so many excellent people, why could he get in and you couldn't?

However, Mike and the others refused. Rather than having lunch with a dockworkers' union chairman, they were more concerned about the upcoming banquets from those capitalists.

“There aren't any major problems with the dockworkers' position on the pier. You manage it very well. After returning, I will mention the situation here at the Party Congress.”

“The situation in Creek Valley City is not as good as yours. There are many problems there, and the election situation is a bit terrible.”

Mike was about to say something about the situation in Creek Valley City when suddenly the speed of the motorcade slowed down. He looked back and noticed something was wrong.

The road leaving the pier had been blocked by a large group of people wearing blue overalls, and a large number of workers wearing the same clothes were gathering.

Mike's face didn't show any change. He just looked at the Mayor and asked with a half-smile, “Is this also one of our itinerary plans for today?”

The Mayor's expression wasn't very good. He shook his head, “I didn't arrange this…” He saw that there were also some reporters around, taking pictures, and things were getting a bit troublesome.

More and more blue overalls surrounded them. They didn't do anything, nor did they shout anything; they just stood quietly.

But it was this quiet standing, everyone was looking at these cars, making the people in the car feel tremendous pressure!

Several minutes had passed, why hadn't reinforcements arrived yet?

He hesitated for a while, and finally decided to get out of the car.

It was at this moment that someone he had a bit of an impression of appeared next to the motorcade.

William was wearing that beige trench coat, with his soft呢 hat pulled down quite low. The wind was a bit strong today.

The sea breeze made his trench coat flap in the wind, and the raised collar was blown askew.

He looked at the middle car and walked to the door.

The mayor rolled down the car window. Although his expression was still calm, it was clear that his eyes told William that he was angry inside.

No one likes surprises, especially politicians.

“I think I’ve seen you before. Why are you surrounding us?” he tried to keep his tone free of extra emotion.

Flashes of light from the cameras flashed constantly. William didn't seem to feel the mayor's displeasure. He said loudly, “We and they heard that important people are coming to the port today, and we hope to chat with you.”

Mike became a little interested. After confirming that there was no danger, he got out of the car. “I am Mike. What do you need to say to us?”

The mayor also got out of the car. “Mr. Mike is very influential in Licarlei State, but if you only need to address some minor issues, you can go directly to the city hall and communicate with me.”

He glanced at the uniform attire of these people. “Which company are you from?”

William didn't answer his question, but continued, “Mr. Mike, I am a local, but these people around us are all illegal immigrants.”

“Some of them have been in the Federation for many years, working hard, earning the least money, and doing the most tiring work.”

“President mentioned solving the identity problem of illegal immigrants before, but we have never received an answer. When they knew that important people like you were coming here, they entrusted me to communicate with you on their behalf!”

He then looked at the mayor again. “Mr. Mayor, hello. I used to be a member of the city hall office, but I have resigned.”

“I am trying to learn from you. Sitting in the office cannot change the lives of the people at the bottom, so like you, I decided to come out and take a look. Maybe I can do something too.”

The mayor's expression softened a little. He looked at Mike, who looked at the people around him and asked, “What are your demands?”

“Our demand is to allow these workers who have contributed to Goldenport City for many years to truly settle down here, so as to encourage them to continue to contribute their strength to the construction of the Federation!”

“This is something that the Liberal Party cannot do, but the Socialist Party can definitely do it. In Licarlei State, we have hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.”

“If these problems can be solved, all of us will be grateful to you!”

Very straightforward. Sometimes straightforwardness is more effective.

Mike looked at the dense crowd around him, giving him the feeling of being completely surrounded.

This also gave him some other ideas. If these hundreds of thousands of people stood on the side of the Socialist Party and became firm party members, wouldn't that be a good thing?

He turned to look at the mayor, “It seems that our itinerary for today may have to be changed.” He had already decided to chat with them first.

Then he looked at William, “This is not the place to talk. Can you find a few representatives to come with you? Can we find a place to sit down and talk?”

William nodded repeatedly, “Of course, no problem, Mr. Mike!”

Before the police support arrived, the two sides reached a consensus on communication.

In fact, being heavily surrounded, they had no choice but to agree. Who knows if these undocumented people would suddenly become angry and do something inappropriate?

The negotiation location was chosen in an auditorium in the port area, with more than thirty representatives and William, who was mainly responsible for speaking.

Mr. Chobaf sat in the corner in a daze. He clearly realized that today's incident was definitely related to Lance.

Because only Lance could mobilize so many blue work clothes. He would be the first to not believe that they had no contact.

In a daze, he always felt that he and Lance were walking on two different paths.

He had thought about whether he could do something, but he was quickly dissuaded by the difficulties.

Even the more illegal immigrants there were, the more convenient it was for him.

Because illegal immigrants cannot open accounts in those big banks, most of them cannot afford houses, and cash can only be carried with them, which greatly increases the risk of losing their savings.

Robbery, carelessness, theft, these are all possibilities that could bankrupt them overnight.

The best way to keep funds safe is to deposit them in his bank, which allowed him to obtain another fortune from the illegal immigrant community!

So he always advised the illegal immigrants to actively deposit money and save money to deal with emergencies, rather than encouraging them to spend.

In a daze, these illegal immigrants were about to become legal federal immigrants because of Lance. How grateful would they be to Lance?

He didn't know, but what he did know was that among these people, Lance would be the first rank existence besides their parents.

Obviously, he had more fame, more social status, and more money, but… why did he feel that he was becoming more and more insignificant?

The negotiation process was very smooth, or rather, William's communication plan was very effective.

These illegal immigrants do not need the federal government to provide them with anything extra, they only need to recognize their immigrant status.

This can bring a considerable income to the local government. For example, the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Goldenport City will pay insurance and taxes. After they have normal wages, they can consume more and promote economic development.

William gave many examples, seemingly confirming that confirming their identity would only benefit the city and even the Socialist Party, with no harm.

He knew very well what these politicians cared about, so he gave them what they wanted.

As for increased competition, and the possibility that locals may not be able to live as comfortably as in the past?

That was not among the content they cared about.

“This matter is not so easy to decide!” Mike gave an answer at the end.

However, he had already recorded a lot of things on the paper in front of him, many of the contents and keywords that William said. “Even if I strongly agree with your views, I cannot directly decide whether you can obtain legal status.”

“This matter needs to be discussed at our party congress. As for whether we can persuade the President, I am not sure, but I think there is still some possibility!”

“The number of illegal immigrants is increasing, and this is indeed a problem that we need to face and solve. You can pay attention to the "Planet News".”

The Global Times is a more official and timely Socialist Party newspaper, mainly reporting on new trends in the Socialist Party, personnel changes, and some news that is worth boasting about.

If this matter can be passed at the party congress, it will definitely be published in the "Planet News" as soon as possible.

William also knew that today was just an expression, and it was impossible for a few party representatives to decide on a policy that would affect millions of illegal immigrants nationwide.

Their demands have been met.

After a simple farewell, Mike and others got back into the car and left.

Not knowing if he sensed something, after the car drove dozens of meters, the mayor suddenly turned around and looked towards the hotel entrance.

The representatives who came out of the hotel were shaking hands with a young man.

The status of this young man was clearly higher.

Because even William was just standing behind him.

Something came up, delayed me.