Empire of Shadows

Chapter 280 The Stage is So Big [666+17]

Remember the first website domain name 𝕥 𝕨 𝕜 𝕒 𝕟 . 𝕔 𝕠 𝕞

There was a very oppressive atmosphere in the mayor's office. Sidney lit a cigarette. He leaned back in his chair, his right arm, holding the cigarette, pressed on the armrest, supporting his body.

The cigarette was slightly exhaled by him, then sucked back in. The smoke exposed to the air seemed to produce some kind of wonderful chemical reaction, becoming more intense.

He twisted his neck. This was indeed a difficult problem.

He had seen many dark or aboveboard schemes. He could find solutions to most problems, and the more complex the scheme, the easier it was to crack.

A conspiracy, whether overt or covert, is like a machine. If this machine is very precise, it has hundreds or thousands of parts, and each part must be placed in the correct position.

Then it is very easy to crack it. His purpose is not to dismantle the machine intact, but just to stop it.

So as long as one link can be broken, the entire machine will stop turning.

On the contrary, those machines that are so simple that they only have two gears cannot be destroyed at all. Clumsy and simple are precisely its advantages.

Just like the impeccable blackmail letter on the table.

He suddenly chuckled twice, picked up the blackmail letter, and then looked at his personal secretary, "Do you believe it?"

"Maybe many years later, this blackmail letter will be sold for a sky-high price like an antique!"

The young man couldn't laugh, "I don't know if it will become an antique in the future, but I know we have to solve this problem."

The mayor threw the letter back on the table, "Do you know why they solved Red High Heels first?"

The young man nodded, "They are afraid that Red High Heels has some handle that we can grasp, putting them in a passive position."

The mayor pointed at him, "That's right, because these are private, secret, secrets that cannot be discovered by people."

"That's why they are afraid, uneasy, so they are eager to destroy Red High Heels, even sacrificing Charlie, that old dog!"

"I have to thank them. If they hadn't sacrificed Charlie, I wouldn't even have been able to get John into power!"

The corners of the mayor's mouth turned up slightly. This was a very proud decision of his. They wanted Sam and Booker, so he gave them to them.

As long as they wanted to silence them, someone had to come out and take responsibility, and that person could only be Charlie.

He didn't approve of anyone else, so Charlie was doomed no matter what!

But if Sam and Booker hadn't been silenced in the police station, then he wouldn't have been able to get Charlie out, for a simple reason: even the mayor has to be reasonable.

This society, this world, is so damn funny!

The ruler actually has to be reasonable!

Perhaps this is the greatest constraint on the ruler, rather than the law!

But they did that, which gave him a chance.

"What they are afraid of is making the secret public, so they lose the initiative, but I am different from them."

The mayor stood up, holding the armrests of the chair with both hands. He straightened his clothes, "Go help me call the newspaper. I want to personally hold a press conference."

The young man was a little silent, "What about Eric..."

The mayor turned and walked to the window, looking at the city, "This is his mission."

Soon, all the newspapers in the city knew that the mayor was going to personally hold a press conference and announce a big news.

The members of the five major families who heard about this matter all smiled. They felt that their threat strategy had worked!

The mayor was afraid, he was going to compromise. The rest was for them to make an appointment, sit down and talk about the future development of the city. They could give the mayor some benefits and make him a member of the "local" community.

The five major families all arranged for people to attend the press conference. They had press passes, which were actually just handwritten little cards that anyone could forge.

When a large number of reporters and people inquiring about the news appeared at the press conference at City Hall, they saw a man who looked very haggard.

Some people even exclaimed, unable to believe that this was the mayor!

He no longer had his usual demeanor, with messy hair, a disheveled collar, a worried expression, and tired eyes.

When his personal secretary told him that almost everyone had arrived, he tapped the microphone.

Then he spaced out for a while, "I... I don't know how to start this matter."

"This morning, someone sent me some things, some special gifts."

"I have this habit. I will receive emails from citizens. I want to know their views and opinions on some of my policies and management, but I didn't expect to encounter this!"

Soon, a box containing a dead cat and a kraft paper bag were placed on the table one after another. The City Hall guards showed these things to the reporters.

In an instant, the flashbulbs popped wildly, and bursts of smoke floated on the roof. People looked at the dead cat and the bullet, and they felt a little cold.

Of course they knew what this was. This was the five major families' intimidation!

But this news was explosive, and they wouldn't miss it.

"If these threats were not enough to shake my determination to make this city more prosperous, then now, I am hesitating."

He picked up the kraft paper bag in front of him, opened it, took out a piece of paper from it, and showed it to everyone.

"It looks like a child of a few years old cut out some fragmented pieces of paper from the newspaper and then pieced them together randomly."

"But, gentlemen, please read this passage carefully, and you will find that it is not cute at all, but very scary!"

A reporter read it out loudly. For a moment, people couldn't believe that all this was really happening!

Someone kidnapped Eric to threaten the mayor and force him to resign!

The reassembled flashbulbs completed their mission in an instant, and the room was a little choking.

But the reporters' excitement made them ignore this.

"I know many people hate me because I tried to shake their interests."

"They have always wanted to force me away, and now they are even using such despicable means. I can already imagine what they are going to do."

"They will kill Eric and then tell people that I sat idly by and watched Eric being killed because I was greedy for power."

"For a mayor who wants to make people live a happier life, this is a devastating blow."

"They value their own interests very much, above the interests of ordinary people!"

"Just because I want to build the new port area."

"Once the new port area is completed, it will add at least 15,000 jobs to Golden Port City. 15,000 families will be better off, the employment rate will increase, the unemployment rate will decrease, and the public security problem will be alleviated."

"We will become the world's largest port city, and we will become the core of world shipping!"

"This place will become more prosperous, and everyone can live happily as in a fairy tale."

"You will have soft, fluffy bread, whole pieces of beef, be able to afford fruit, and even no longer need to rent apartments and have your own houses."

"But now, they are trying to end all this. I don't know what to do, to be honest."

"On one side is my family, an innocent child, and on the other side are 1.2 million citizens of Golden Port City. You are also my family!"

"I am very conflicted!"

"I want to save my family, but the price is to plunge 1.2 million citizens into darkness."

"I know how to choose, but I don't know how to choose!"

"Perhaps, this is their purpose."

The mayor stood up, "I have been thinking about it for a long time, and I have made a decision."

"I want to declare war on the criminal forces, and I want to declare war on the evil forces that are preventing happiness from coming to Golden Port City!"

"When I have fulfilled my promise, I will voluntarily resign from my position, no longer serve as the mayor of Golden Port City, and even not take on other jobs. I will atone and repent for giving him up!"

He slammed his hands heavily on the table, "The interests of the people are above everything, including me, or Eric!"

The frantically flashing lights made the young man standing in the corner breathe a sigh of relief. He suddenly realized that no one could stop the mayor from moving forward!

Even if he really resigned from all his positions at that time, with his "legendary" experience and reputation, it would not be a problem to participate in various elections again!

He could even directly run for governor. As long as he left enough traces in Golden Port City, he could run for governor, and even have a great chance of winning!

He sincerely admired this mayor. Perhaps he had the qualifications to become a truly great man. The young man firmly believed this!

The news spread throughout the city in less than ten minutes, including the five major families, Councilor Wade, and Councilor Williams. They all knew about this.

For a time, the brains of the two councilors were... frozen!

They couldn't understand what the five major families were doing—

In their perception, apart from the five major families, no one else could do this, nor did they have the ability and courage to do so!

That was the mayor's illegitimate son. Not only did you kidnap him, but you also wanted to kill him?

What made them even more frightened was that the mayor, that madman, Sidney, was actually confronting them head-on!

He directly made this very troublesome matter public. Just look at the citizens on the road who are going to City Hall to support the mayor, and you will know how high his prestige is now!

These idiots have ruined their great plan!

The five great families were also dumbfounded. Countless phone calls flew back and forth between them. They even began to suspect each other. Just who had kidnapped Eric?

But asking wouldn't reveal anything, especially at this time. If they were honest with themselves, even if they had kidnapped him, they couldn't admit it.

Whoever admitted it would become everyone's enemy!

Almost everyone had the same question.

Where was Eric?