Empire of Shadows

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"He's going to lose a lot of money doing this."

Hunter and Charlie sat together, holding a simple explanatory document about the "Umbrella Project."

It was sent back by their people in the Imperial District branch.

They couldn't be considered undercover agents, just people on their side. After all, Charlie was, in the end, a "true Goldport native." He had supporters in the Bay Area, and there were always people looking for a shortcut to advancement who wouldn't mind siding with them.

Looking at the document in his hand, Hunter couldn't quite understand. His political acumen was clearly lower than Charlie's.

He only saw the surface of things and couldn't see the actual core. But Charlie was developing into a politician and could see some of the things hidden beneath the surface.

"That's what makes him so amazing!" Charlie exclaimed with some emotion.

"Everyone knows he lowered the police fees and has to spend a lot of money. He's definitely going to lose money."

"You're only focusing on the surface of the fact that he's losing money, thereby overlooking his irreplaceability!"

"The small vendors pay less, so they will always support Lance."

"The police get a clean and stable income without involving illegality or moral risks, so they will also rely more on Lance."

"Everyone is relying on him. He has tightly united the police, the people, and the gangsters he represents!"

"If someone tries to deal with him, the people and the police will resist even more fiercely than he would himself!"

"That's what makes him so amazing!"

Hunter was a little incredulous. "Is he really that good?"

Charlie nodded solemnly. "Very good, and his methods are very… crude, but also very clever. He's just throwing money at the problem."

When Hunter heard this, his expression softened slightly. "If he's just throwing money around, can he be richer than those old men in the Bay Area?"

The Bay Area was the symbol of Goldport's wealth, but Charlie's expression didn't relax. He remained serious.

"They can't bear to part with that money!" His insightful gaze saw through everything.

The dock management company caused the Goldport dock strike just to save thirty thousand a year in labor costs.

Now, asking them to take out millions every year to stuff into the police's pockets? They're even less willing!

They'd rather do nothing than take their profits and share them with those at the bottom!

That's why, even knowing the core of Lance's approach, it's difficult to replicate.

Lance has various criminal incomes, he has many bars, but Charlie has nothing. He has no way to do this!

Hunter's gaze was somewhat incomprehending, both regarding the Bay Area people's reluctance to spend money and the threat posed by Lance.

"He…" He looked at the page. "I don't quite understand, Charlie. Will he shake our power?"

Charlie nodded. "When everyone benefits from this plan, the entire Goldport police system will have to listen to him!"

He rubbed his temples, looking a little headachey. "You have to understand that the Bay Area values us not because we're obedient."

"There are plenty of dogs in Goldport willing to be obedient. We're valuable because we control the police system!"

"Once we lose it, we lose our value."

Hunter seemed to realize the seriousness of the problem. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Then can we cooperate with Lance?"

Charlie continued to shake his head. "Are you willing to put everything you have in someone else's hands?"

This also determined the potential adversarial stance between the two sides, and it was a difficult contradiction to reconcile.

Lance certainly wouldn't agree to spend so much money for Charlie, to do him a favor.

Charlie and Hunter certainly wouldn't be willing to give up their fundamental interests in Goldport.

So unless someone voluntarily gives up, they will inevitably stand on opposite sides!

In fact, both sides knew this. Their "conflict" had already escalated the moment the Umbrella Project appeared!

Just after noon, Madol returned with Griggs and Abel. Besides them, there was another person, Martin.

Martin Griffith was a core member of the Griffith family. After Earl Griffith was secretly executed, Little Griffith (the Earl's eldest son) inherited everything from the family and began a new round of resistance against the imperial power.

From the current perspective, the Griffith family is in an absolutely weak position.

The royal family stripped the Griffith family of their noble titles, deprived them of their territory, recovered everything, and branded them with the label of "rebels."

This surname is no longer recognized as nobility by the government.

However, they themselves did not admit this. Little Griffith sold all the assets he could cash in, and led more than four or five thousand soldiers to fight against the royal family.

The people in the family believed that now they needed to escape the royal family's pursuit while continuing to accumulate strength, recruiting more losers in this political game to fight against the royal family together.

In addition, obtaining external support was also very important.

As a core member of the family, Martin was sent to the Federation by Little Griffith to see if he could find some people willing to support them.

Whether it was money, materials, food, or support in terms of international political stance, it would be good to have something!

At least it was better than nothing!

After all, only a few Imperials lived well in the Federation. Most people did not live well. So when Martin heard that a small accident had happened to Lance, he rushed over.

Martin was a guy who looked very well-bred. He showed the temperament of an aristocrat in every way, but Lance didn't like this very much.

"Please sit down."

Martin said "Thank you" and sat down in the chair.

Griggs and Abel stood outside the room. Only Lance's people and Madol were in the room.

"Mr. Lance, may I ask very presumptuously, why did you leave the Empire and come here?" Martin tried to take the initiative. After a brief greeting, he asked his question purposefully.

Lance pondered for a while, "To avoid being sent to the battlefield for no reason."

Martin nodded in agreement. "Yes, many people have left their hometowns for this reason."

"The royal family is corrupt, and even the imperial system is corrupt."

"The will of the royal family overrides the will of the people. They trample on the dignity of the people, and don't care about the lives and sacrifices of the people, only for their own self-interest."

"Huge changes are taking place all over the world, whether it is the Federation or the wars breaking out on the continent of Tanfite."

"A new world order is coming to us, and the Empire has reached a time when it must innovate. If we cannot change the status quo of the Empire, it will lag behind."

"Lagging behind means becoming food on the plate of the strong."

"Mr. Lance, we all love our motherland, and none of us want it to become food on the plate of the strong. The Empire also urgently needs a revolution to break the shackles that the royal family and nobles have given it for so many years!"

"Only by breaking the shackles can the Empire usher in a new life and have our own living environment in the coming tide of the times!"

"I believe you must be very clear about this."

Lance nodded slightly. "I agree with your point."

In fact, many people in the Federation have not yet felt a sense of crisis. They even think that there is a wide ocean between the continent of Tanfite and the Federation, and that the lively fighting over there has nothing to do with the Federation.

But in fact, a small number of people are very worried now. The reason they are worried is that once the national forces on the continent of Tanfite complete their integration through war,

Then the next time their development encounters a bottleneck, when they choose to continue to expand, it will inevitably affect the world's pattern!

A monster integrated through war is a disaster for the whole world.

But no one buys this view now. They think it's unlikely.

Hearing that Lance was willing to accept this view, Martin breathed a sigh of relief. "The Empire needs your help, the people of the Empire need your help, Mr. Lance!"

The last words Martin said made Lance laugh directly. "Mr. Martin, you are a very eloquent person, but have you considered a question?"

He showed a listening expression, "What?"

"If the Griffith family completes its revenge, will the Little Earl ascend the throne to become the new emperor?"

"If today you ask us to help him move the big mountain of the royal family from the heads of the people, and then sit on the heads of the people ourselves, why should we waste so much wealth and resources just to change a mountain?"

"Anyway, we, the people, have always been pressed under the mountain. It doesn't make much difference to the people who the mountain is!"

"A mountain is a mountain!"

Martin was stunned for a moment. He didn't know how to answer this question for a moment.

Although they are all very pessimistic and believe that the Griffith family may not be able to complete their revenge, they can only go all the way to the dark now.

Then, if they really complete their revenge and defeat the royal family, will Little Griffith ascend the throne?

Isn't this a matter of course?

Isn't this what they are risking their lives for?

Could it be that after defeating the royal family, someone else will be allowed to be the emperor?

Watching Martin, unsure if he was deep in thought or simply didn't know how to answer, Lance spoke with a slightly teasing tone, "Mr. Martin, we are not as noble as we imagine ourselves to be."

"It's all about利益 (lìyì, profit), don't always use the people as bargaining chips."

"Whether you want to overthrow the royal family for revenge or to become the royal family yourselves, that's your business, not mine."

"I only care about what benefits I can gain from supporting you."

Martin had almost given up hope, Lance had been so blunt, but suddenly there was a turn for the better, and he felt that there might still be hope.

"If we truly succeed in our revenge, Mr. Lance, you will be ennobled!"

Lance shook his head and said, "I most likely won't return to the Empire in my lifetime. Even if you bestow upon me the title of a Prince, it wouldn't make much of a difference to me."

"Give me something practical."

When a new emperor ascends the throne, they will definitely ennoble a large number of people. Nobility seems valuable, but it's actually not that valuable because there are too many nobles.

The Griffiths family cannot grant real power to every noble. Most of them are symbolic.

Not only do they have to pay for maintaining their noble appearance, but they are also subject to the royal family's surveillance and vigilance. It's better not to be such a noble.

Martin didn't expect that even the status of nobility couldn't attract Lance. You should know that for real Imperials, if they could become nobles, even if it's just the lowest level of nobility, it's something they are very enthusiastic about and yearn for!

It can be said that becoming a noble is every Imperial's "ancestral wish"!

So in his eyes, Lance had already been "federalized," but that was fine.

He pondered for a moment, "I'm not sure what you want, but it seems you already have your own ideas. Why not say it out loud?"

"We can discuss it. Perhaps we can both accept it?"

Lance didn't hold back, "I want trade monopoly."

"I don't care about other places. The trade monopoly for alcohol, tobacco, furs, spices, timber, etc. in the eastern coastal states of the Federation must be in my hands."

Martin shook his head repeatedly after hearing this, "That's impossible!"

"Your demands are too great, and this involves issues between national trades. I can't agree to your request!"

Lance could only show a regretful expression, "Then there's no way. You can't give me what I want, so it's difficult for us to reach an agreement."

Martin frowned. Fundraising on the Federation side was indeed not easy. There were many people who would donate five or ten dollars, but there was still no one who could solve their real problems.

He was even considering talking to the federal government if it really didn't work out.

He wasn't sure if the federal government was interested in their rebel force, after all, their numbers were too small, only four or five thousand people.

But they had to fight against the Imperial orthodox ruling group, which nominally had hundreds of thousands of troops. Of course, if the nobles' forces were separated and returned to the nobles, the royal family had been hammered to the point where its strength had been greatly reduced.

Even if they were still conscripting, the number of troops directly under the royal family might not even reach 100,000.

This was not an insurmountable gap, and those nobles would not be too willing to help the royal family block the knife before the situation was completely stabilized.

So there was actually a great opportunity!

It's just that if they talk to the federal government, their demands will definitely be even more excessive.

Martin made a final effort and attempt, "I... if it's just a certain specialty, I can consider it."

Lance smiled slightly, "Mr. Martin, you are a wise man. I'm glad you can see the reality of the situation clearly."

"We must first have the apple tree, Mr. Martin, this is a pragmatic performance."

The apple tree and apple are a small story similar to a fable in the Empire, saying that two brothers were lying on a haystack chatting after finishing their farm work.

They talked about planting an apple tree, and then when the apple tree bears fruit, they can eat apples.

The elder brother said that he wanted to divide a few more, because he came up with this idea.

The younger brother said that he should divide a few more, because he did most of the farm work, and taking care of the apple tree must also be his job.

The two brothers argued endlessly, and even fought each other for who could divide a few more apples, beating each other black and blue.

When they went to the village chief, the village chief asked them to take everyone to the apple tree and help them distribute the apples fairly, but the two brothers said that the apple tree had not yet been planted...

The core of this story is to tell people not to fight for some illusory benefits, because the fight is meaningless in the end.

Lance used such a small story to tell Martin not to bargain for things they don't have now!

"Mr. Lance, you are absolutely right, everything must first have an apple tree, so now let's discuss how to plant the apple tree!"

He paused and said, "We need money, ammunition, weapons, food, and even medicine!"

Lance's eyes flickered slightly, "I can provide you with 100,000 Federal Sols in cash every month."

100,000 Federal Sols in cash can indeed alleviate some of the current difficulties. Although it is not the most stable currency, it is indeed easy to use, especially in Yalan.

Yalan is very close to the Federation, and they have a higher recognition of Federal Sols. That place is rich in food, and you can buy a lot of food with this money.

However, Martin still wanted to strive for more benefits, "Don't you think that 100,000 dollars a month is too little?"

"It's not that I'm too greedy, Mr. Lance, you must know that what you want is a trade monopoly. I think it should get more assistance?"

Lance did not deny it, "That's true, but Mr. Martin, you don't actually have these rights now, nor have you transferred them to me."

"If you can perform better in the confrontation with the royal family, such as having a territory, no longer being chased around, let us see the hope of your successful revenge."

"Then this assistance will increase!"

"How much money I can give you every month completely depends on your performance in the Empire!"

Martin considered for a long time, and he had to admit that Lance was very reasonable, "You convinced me, Mr. Lance, then this assistance..."

He was a little embarrassed, the family really needed these things now.

Lance didn't delay, "We need to sign an agreement, preferably with the autograph and seal of Count Little Griffiths to ensure it is valid."

"I believe you know better than me how to write it..."

Afterwards, Martin said that he would immediately arrange for someone to return to the Empire to bring the agreement, but he hoped that Lance could pay him at least one month's assistance in advance, and he needed to send some ammunition back.

The most lacking now are ammunition and food. Without these, the soldiers will have no combat power. With these, they can continue to fight with the royal army.

It's only one hundred thousand, Lance can still take it out.

"Please convey my respect to Count Little Griffiths, I believe your revenge will be successful!"