Empire of Shadows

Because of the strike, work on the docks has completely ground to a halt, leaving many business representatives frantic.

They are both seeking solutions from the dock management company and actively searching for temporary workers at high prices to help them load their ships.

Some are also actively contacting the striking workers, hoping they can spare time to load their goods onto ships or unload cargo from the ships.

For some of the more specialized tasks, such as operating heavy machinery for loading and unloading, temporary workers won't do; they need specialized personnel.

Moreover, the dock management company wouldn't allow those who don't know how to operate the heavy machinery to do so, as any damage could result in huge losses!

If kneeling before the striking workers could get them back to work, the capitalists in front of the strikers would probably already be on their knees!

Although capitalists are usually the ones doing the exploiting, now they have become the ones being exploited.

After all, commercial claims are no joke; neither large nor small businesses can necessarily withstand lawsuits related to claims.

If it's a normal and long-term trading relationship, the situation might be better; for example, if two companies have been working together for many years, the contract might have some leeway.

After all, the two sides are considered friends, and they can leave some room for maneuver based on mutual respect.

However, some businesses are different, and some can't even be called businesses.

There are many companies active internationally that live by "eating orders"; their main source of profit is from breach of contract penalties.

For example, they might sign a contract with the supplying company that is quite strict, requiring a low defect rate and a relatively strict delivery time.

Assuming that manufacturing this batch of goods and achieving this passing rate takes thirty days, these people will sign a contract with them for thirty days of supply, or even twenty-eight days.

If they cannot complete the合格率 spot check and load the ship within the specified time, they will sue the supplying company for breach of contract and claim the penalty stipulated in the contract.

Often, this penalty is relatively high. To get the other party to sign the contract and bear the excessive penalty, they often give the other party more profit margin, using profit to lure them!

If the supplying company can complete the production task with guaranteed quality and quantity within a fixed time and get the goods on board.

Okay, then this time they consider it a failure. They sell these goods directly at the price they got them, or even a little lower. For these companies, they only lose time; they may lose some money, but definitely not much.

Or simply don't ask for a deposit and disappear.

These supplying companies can't really run to the foreign country where the ordering company is located to find the operator of this possibly non-existent company and ask them to pay the subsequent balance.

But if the supplying company cannot supply on time, they will immediately file a claim and lawsuit. Then they may earn one or two times or even more profit from this order than the total price of the order!

Just like the grape contract that Lance signed with the Ligee Group, he was willing to accept a higher price, releasing the profit margin to the Ligee Group, but the Ligee Group needed to agree to a five-fold penalty compensation.

It's just that a super-interest group like Ligee Group has the ability and capital to default on debts, while most small and medium-sized enterprises do not have such ability. If they are claimed against, they must pay compensation.

Some even worse companies will even arrange for people to sabotage the production site of the supplying company, preventing them from delivering on time.

Many times, supplying companies can only grit their teeth and accept it, because the contract clearly states that failure to deliver within the specified time is a breach of contract and requires payment of a penalty.

This situation happens every day in Goldport City, and many people know this, but they are still willing to accept such orders.

In fact, many small and medium-sized enterprises know about this kind of order, but because the people placing the orders want higher penalties, they leave a large profit margin for the supplying companies.

Some companies even think it's a good thing if the other party runs away, because they have received the deposit, produced the goods, and sold this part of the goods at a low price, and the profit can still be guaranteed.

Moreover, having an order is better than having no order.

They can't refuse such high profits, even if they know there is a risk, they will grit their teeth and take a gamble.

Now, the strike has started at the docks, which means that many small and medium-sized enterprises will be severely damaged as a result, and may even collapse and go bankrupt!

Those capitalists who used to stand on the workers' heads and shit and pee are also starting to feel helpless, and some people are even starting to cry!

But all of this cannot change the situation of the strike.

The workers, with hearts of stone, gathered together, shouting slogans, waving signs, and they would not go to work until the dock management company agreed to raise their wages!

All day long, the workers did not make the slightest concession, which also led some people to try to shift the pressure to the dock management company.

After all, it is indeed a bit difficult to deal with the workers, but it seems not so difficult to get the dock management company to raise their wages.

Dave is a worker representative. He is already in his fifties and has worked on the docks for almost his entire life.

He has been working on the docks since he was seventeen, and he still is now.

Although his position has been promoted, his salary has not increased too much, barely higher than the federal standard wage. He can get forty-five and a half.

For most workers, this salary is already not low, but for him, he has only received this salary after working for a lifetime, which is still too little.

This strike, his personal demand is to increase his salary to at least forty-seven, his goal is forty-eight.

He supports the strike because he has two sons, the eldest has already married and plans to have a child recently.

Whether his eldest son moves out of his house or not, this means that household expenses will increase significantly in the near future.

One or two dollars doesn't seem like much, but what he wants is not just one or two dollars, but to get the dock management company to affirm and accept the wage increase.

Then increase the salary once every six months. It won't be long before his income can break through fifty dollars. In three to five years, it may be more than fifty, and the economic pressure can be reduced a lot.

Returning home from the dock, as soon as he pushed the door open, he saw three guys who didn't look very approachable sitting on the old sofa in the living room.

He also saw his wife, two children, and the eldest son's wife in the dining room.

"Who are you?"

He hesitated for a moment, did not lock the door, and walked in directly.

One of the men was playing with a dagger in his hand. He glanced at Dave, "Dave?"

Dave nodded, "It's me."

He walked in front of his family and became a wall between these people and his family.

The three of them stood up, and the young man who was playing with the dagger put the dagger back into its sheath and walked up to Dave.

Dave raised his arms, protecting his family while signaling the other party not to get any closer. He was a little nervous.

After all, these people didn't look like good people. As the head of the family, he was like a lion protecting his territory and clan, "Stay away from us!"

The young man curled his lips, spread his hands, and stopped, "You shouldn't participate in the strike, Dave."

"If you don't want to see us here again, then you better go back to your post on time tomorrow morning and start working, instead of participating in those boring strike games!"

"If you do that, I guarantee you and your family won't see us again."

"If you can't do it..."

The young man showed some smiles, "You see, we know where you live and have met your family."

"I know you don't want to get hurt, right?"

Dave didn't speak, the man still had a smile on his face, "You better think about it carefully tonight and discuss it with your family."

"Really, there's no need to make a fuss over one or two dollars to the point where it can't be cleaned up."

Dave was obviously very angry. If he were only twenty years old now, he would spit in this person's face and then take a kitchen knife and tell him to get out of his house!

But now, he is in his fifties, and behind him is his biggest weakness in this life!

His feelings for his family are actually not very important, or rather, he usually finds his family annoying.

His wife is always nagging and talking non-stop, and what she says are all small things, such as vegetable prices have risen, beef prices have fallen, etc. He doesn't like to listen at all.

His two sons rarely communicate directly with him except to ask him for money.

It might have been better when they were young, but as they grew up and had their own social circles, that "omnipotent dad" gradually left their lives.

They gather more with their friends than with their family.

He doesn't really like these people, and sometimes he thinks, what if they all disappeared.

But at this moment, he suddenly felt that long-lost sense of responsibility. He is the head of the family, he must protect the safety of his family, and this is his biggest weakness!

He looked at the person opposite him, without speaking, without telling him to get out, and without directly refusing, just keeping silent.

The young man knew that his purpose had been achieved. He raised his hands to show his harmlessness, "Okay, I've said everything I need to say, and I'm leaving."

"Dave, think carefully, is it worth it!"

"This time we can still stand here and talk nicely, but next time..."

He showed a meaningful smile and then left.

The three swaggered off, and Dave quickly went over and closed the door. He turned around, looking at his family's worried faces, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

His wife looked at him, still somewhat in shock, "What have you done?"

Actually, Dave hadn't done anything. He had told his family about the situation at the docks, that everyone was on strike, and he was one of the strike's supporters.

"Tomorrow…"

His wife hesitated.

Dave sighed, "I'll think about it some more."

"Why don't you go to the countryside for a few days?"

Dave still didn't want to give up this opportunity, not just because he didn't want to give up, but even more so because he didn't want to be a traitor.

Everyone supported the strike. If he returned to his post, he would become a traitor to the strike, and it would be very difficult for him to continue working at the docks.

He was already a low-level manager. What would the people under him think of him?

It would be difficult for him to gain a foothold at the docks in the future.

Both sons remained silent and returned to their rooms. His wife worriedly held his hand, "They're gangsters. We can't win against them."

Dave pursed his lips, "I said, I'll consider it."

In fact, Dave's family wasn't the only one experiencing this situation. Many people were harassed by the gangsters. Some decided to withdraw from the strike on the spot, but others persisted.

The next morning, early, Dave tidied up and went to the outside of the docks. He saw many people.

The expressions on these people's faces were a bit strange, as if they had something on their minds.

Although his test scores in school never exceeded a C, at this moment, he could understand what these people were encountering.

"…Uh…"

Someone stood up, a crane operator in his thirties.

His child had just started elementary school, and he earned forty-two and a half dollars a month, considered a higher wage than the average person.

After he spoke, everyone looked at him. He seemed embarrassed, but considering the fright his wife and child had suffered the previous night, he gritted his teeth and ultimately chose to give in.

His salary wasn't low to begin with. There was no need to take this risk for a dollar and a half, "I'm withdrawing."

As soon as he said these words, a strong man next to him suddenly walked over and grabbed him by the collar, "What the hell are you saying?"

The two were actually good friends. His friend couldn't believe that someone would withdraw at this time!

The crane operator had an embarrassed and ashamed expression. He looked at the various gazes directed at him, and ultimately, he decided to tell the truth.

He still wanted to work at the docks, so he had to tell the truth!

"Last night, some gangsters came to my house. They threatened me and my family. If I didn't withdraw, they would take action."

"My child is still young, and I also want to continue the strike, to be with you, but I… I can't!"

He had a look of pain on his face, "I can't stand by and watch them threaten my family, and I can't resist them either. They're gangsters…"

Hearing this, Johnny stood up, "Don't rush to make a decision. I'll make a phone call."

In the office, people were constantly coming and going. The conflict between the Imperial District and the Port District was also escalating, with both sides beginning to probe each other with gunfire.

Several shootouts occurred in the Imperial District yesterday, with losses on both sides, but the losses were not significant.

"So far, they've all been minor skirmishes. Wolfe himself hasn't appeared. Those we've caught are all newly established local gangs."

"They've joined the Wolf Gang. Wolfe told them that whoever seizes the territory, it's theirs."

Lance nodded as he smoked, "I don't care if they're locals or not. If they bare their teeth at us, then eliminate them."

"Is there any news about Wolfe and that Professor so-and-so?"

Borton nodded, "They're in an arcade. They're surrounded by their people, probably seventy or eighty, maybe even a hundred or more. If we actively attack, there might be some casualties."

Attacking someone else's heavily guarded headquarters in their territory was indeed not a smart decision. Lance scratched his head, "Do we know where their bars are located?"

"The best way now is to force them not to stick together. As long as they don't stick together, we can dismantle them little by little."

Borton looked troubled, "I'm still investigating. We don't have many informants on the Port District side."

What he said was true, and Lance didn't blame him. As he was preparing to arrange some other tasks, the phone suddenly rang.

The room suddenly fell silent. He answered the phone, "This is Lance."

"Mr. Lance?"

"This is Johnny. We've encountered some trouble…"

After Lance patiently listened to Johnny explain the trouble he had encountered, he suddenly felt… perhaps there was a change in this matter.

"Bring some people over, to the company. I'll chat with them."

After Lance hung up the phone, he looked at them, "There might be a solution."

Looking at the others' inquisitive gazes, Lance explained, "The Wolf Gang is threatening the striking workers at the docks, telling them to withdraw from the strike."

"We don't know much about where the bars are in the Port District, but these workers certainly do!"

"They are native to the Port District. They know the environment there better than we do."

These words invigorated everyone!

Everyone knew that actively attacking the arcade was not the right choice, but if they couldn't continue to expand their gains, it would inevitably make people feel anxious.

If they could obtain the Wolf Gang's bar branches through the workers in the Port District, the pressure would shift to the Wolf Gang's side.

Choosing to send people to strengthen the defense of the bars would inevitably reduce the defensive strength of the headquarters.

Choosing not to send people to strengthen the defense of the bars, then Lance and his people would pull out all the bars!

For gangsters, wealth and economics are very important things.

One of the reasons for the demise of the Camilla Gang was that their funds couldn't keep up.

Ammunition, compensation, medical expenses.

Now, a gunshot wound costs one or two thousand for surgery, and this part of the cost alone is a huge expense.

Lance paid more than twenty thousand dollars in surgical expenses yesterday!

A gang war can't be sustained without several hundred thousand!

Half an hour later, Johnny arrived at the company with some people. Lance received them in the office.

Dave was also there. He looked at these young people who obviously didn't look like good people, and he was also a little nervous. At the same time, the way he looked at Johnny also changed slightly.

He knew Lance, and he also knew that Johnny's arm was broken by Lance, but he didn't know that Johnny could actually bring them to see Lance now!

This guy, who he had always felt was very familiar, suddenly became unfamiliar.

"…I heard Johnny mention your experiences, and I sympathize with and am angered by what happened to you."

"The people who threatened you are from the Wolf Gang. Coincidentally, I also have a grudge against them, so if you help me, it's the same as helping yourselves!"