Empire of Shadows

The distribution of benefits is a very important and rigorous matter.

There are rules about who can get how much money from the interest groups' benefit transfer, and there can be no mistakes.

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

Once a mistake is made, or someone takes money that they shouldn't, there will be problems, and it may even lead to the disintegration of the entire interest group.

After all, the core of everything in this world is interest.

Recently, news from King's Port has been constantly spreading to Menton, and people in Menton know what happened there.

For people with relatively low levels, they may find it a bit unbelievable that a gangster can appear on the stage like a star politician, being written about extensively by newspapers and media.

It is said that there are also magazines planning to interview Lance and want him to be the cover person, which is simply... incomprehensible.

But for those who have reached a certain level, they are very clear that, strictly speaking, the underworld is also a force.

A political force.

The stability of law and order in a region can never be solved by relying on the police alone. Given the current situation where police forces in various regions are covered by corrupt cops, whether law and order is good purely depends on whether the local gangs are willing to maintain stability.

This has led to gangs having more say in the field of social stability.

Affected by these, when considering some issues, the public will be more inclined to the information conveyed by the gangs.

Just like in the Imperial District now, whoever Lance says to vote for, they will vote for. It is not just because Lance is the only gang in the Imperial District, the city's largest gang leader.

It is because he represents the foundation for people to achieve a stable life. This is power, this is public opinion, this is political power!

Now that this power has been amplified by money, many people have a ridiculous illusion that Bandi's direction of whitewashing may be wrong!

Of course, they will only think about it. No one knows how to whitewash completely in this era.

Lance and Councilor Williams are about to "visit" Menton. This news was released a few days in advance. In these few days, some high-end clubs and other places in Menton were immediately fully booked.

Also, Menton's golf courses, opera houses, etc., all reservations are fully booked.

This is the first contact between the "new forces" of King's Port and the state government forces, and it is also an important specific division of interests. They have to be nervous.

Even if the booked clubs, golf courses, or anything else are not needed, it is better than not having a place to go when needed.

Councilor Williams may be slightly familiar with them, but only slightly.

Previously, Councilor Williams was just a city councilor. Although he and Councilor Wade controlled the internal political power of the entire King's Port.

But it has not expanded to the state government level, so he can only "know this person, met twice" with the people here, rather than becoming friends with them.

If they are not friends, it is not appropriate to hold the first meeting in their home, which does not comply with the federal social rules.

They need a non-private but sufficiently private environment to talk about things. Golf courses and relatively closed clubs are good places to go.

The wealthy people who come to Menton for tourism these days will find that high-end venues are almost fully booked!

On Monday morning, the train slowly pulled into the station. As steam quickly spread around, a large number of bodyguards got off the train.

They first checked the station, and then Lance and Councilor Williams got off from here.

At the steps to get off the train, Lance also reached out to help Councilor Williams, whose movements were a little deformed.

After all, he is old. Although these steps are just steps for ordinary people, they may be the scythe of the Grim Reaper for an old man in his sixties.

"I'm fine, thank you!" Councilor Williams, supporting Lance's hand, stepped down from the steps and tidied up his attire.

He looked at the bodyguards around him and smiled wryly, "Is such a big scene really necessary?"

Lance replied with a smile, "For safety reasons, Mr. Councilor, anything excessive is worth it, as long as we can live."

Councilor Williams curled his lips, but did not refute Lance's words, although he did not particularly agree with them.

James and others carrying boxes behind them also got off the train. The group quickly walked towards the outside of the station.

Lance's convoy had arrived here two days in advance. This time, they took the train purely because the train was more comfortable.

The federal old men are a group that knows how to enjoy themselves very much. They have special train carriages with soft beds, huge sofa sets, billiard tables, and even an indoor golf course!

Extremely luxurious, that's the life of the rich. Ordinary people, let alone enjoy these things, they haven't even heard of them!

After a journey of nearly a day in such an environment, it is much more comfortable than sitting in the cramped space of a car for a day.

Lance and Councilor Williams were in the same car. Their destination was the best hotel in the area. They booked two luxury suites.

They will not stay in Menton for too long, so there will be a lot of work and they will be busy during this time.

"Tonight, we will first visit the Deputy Governor." Councilor Williams looked at Lance and glanced at his son.

"The reason for not directly visiting the Governor is that we need a recommender. The Deputy Governor is a good choice. Of course, the Attorney General is also okay, but the Deputy Governor is better. As the Governor's deputy, he is very suitable."

Lance and James listened to the side without speaking. Councilor Williams arranged these things himself.

Lance was very relieved about this. After all, it also related to Councilor Williams' own interests. Only when the interests are highly bound will he trust this old man.

"Have the gifts we brought to the Deputy Governor been prepared?"

Councilor Williams asked James to be responsible for this matter. The latter nodded, "It's ready. It's in the hotel. We can see it as soon as we get off the car."

He is very familiar with these gentlemen in the state government. He doesn't even need to inquire about what to give to whom.

Lance also participated in the collection of these gifts. This is related to the coordination between them and the state government for a long time in the future, and they have to pay attention to it.

Some people think that since the federation is a mayoral system, there is no need to pay too much attention to the state government. But in fact, the state government controls the state legislature, and the state legislature decides what laws a city must abide by.

The federal seemingly makeshift ruling structure is everywhere because the patches become you in me, and me in you.

So these people must befriend and be in place.

The Deputy Governor is an extreme conservative, and his ancestors advocated and organized the removal of the natives.

In fact, until now, almost all political families are from that group of people. After all, they took this land from the natives with bullets and explosives, and not for any other reason.

They are also extreme in this regard. The gift given to him is a "leather kit".

It includes a leather hat, a pair of leather gloves, a leather backpack, and a pair of leather boots.

Yes, from the current point of view, it seems that there is nothing special about this, but in fact, they are all works of art.

Lance spent money to buy them from a private museum in a remote place. They symbolize the terrible things that the early federal immigrants did to the local natives.

Their production materials all come from the natives.

This sounds terrifying. People may not be able to associate these with the self-proclaimed civilized and polite federal people, but this is precisely the fact.

These things are definitely good things for extreme conservatives. They represent not only history, but also a "spirit of the ancestors", a symbol of conquering this land!

Lance spent three thousand five hundred dollars for these things.

Three thousand five hundred dollars is not a big expense. Giving gifts is not just about value, but more importantly, sincerity and satisfaction.

The car quickly stopped outside the hotel. The group entered at nine o'clock. After a short rest, the phone kept ringing.

At six o'clock in the evening, the group came to a very high-end club that had been agreed upon, and saw the Deputy Governor here.

The Deputy Governor looked very amiable, especially his white-gold hair and slightly chubby face. He was smiling as soon as he met him, making it difficult for people to have any ill feelings towards him.

He took the initiative to walk up to everyone, shook hands with Councilor Williams, then with Lance, and then invited the two to the sofa.

"I don't know what you like, so I randomly selected some gifts, and I hope people won't find it offensive."

Councilor Williams' words were a little strange. The Deputy Governor became a little interested in these gifts, "What is it?"

James pushed a small cart and walked up to him.

These gifts are all placed in display boxes, so a small cart is needed to push them.

The moment the flannel on it was lifted, the Deputy Governor couldn't help but show an exclamation!

His hand stroked the glass on the surface of those boxes, "They are simply perfect works of art!"

"These crafts are at least two hundred years old!"

"I like it very much!"

It can be seen that he really likes it. The "surprise" that burst out when they first met can definitely not be faked!

Lance sat aside and found this scene ridiculous, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it, because this is the federation.

They chatted for a while, and the topic began to turn to the theme.

"I heard that Lance has already taken control of all the casinos' actual control and management rights?" the Lieutenant Governor said, his eyes fixed on Lance.

He was somewhat amazed by Lance's youth. He couldn't help but ask earlier and learned that Lance was only twenty-two years old, which filled him with a sense of感慨.

A感慨for time, a感慨for everything.

Lance nodded. "Yes, it's all in my hands."

Councilman Williams kept the conversation going, not wanting it to drop and make the atmosphere stiff. "We're here this time to discuss this issue with everyone."

After hearing this, the Lieutenant Governor pondered for a moment and glanced at James, who was standing nearby. "And this gentleman is?"

He didn't recognize James. Only he, Lance, Councilman Williams, and James were left in the room.

The conversation they were about to have would be very blunt. If James wasn't someone important, his current meaning was to ask him to leave first.

Councilman Williams smiled and said, "This is my eldest son. He has successfully been elected as a city councilor and is currently fulfilling his duties."

The Lieutenant Governor's gaze lingered on James's face for a moment, memorizing his appearance, and praised, "Young people these days are truly remarkable. They can achieve outstanding results at such a young age, unlike when we were young."

"They might still be doing office work at their age, but he has already begun to express his political will."

This was, of course, a modest statement and shouldn't be taken entirely seriously.

James also responded with a few humble words, which brought the topic back to the main point.

The Lieutenant Governor held his wine glass and leaned back on the sofa. "Let me be direct. How do you plan to distribute these benefits?"

Councilman Williams didn't speak. He picked up his coffee cup, lowered his head to drink, using the opportunity to avoid the Lieutenant Governor's observation.

Lance said, "Forty-five percent of the profits will be transferred upwards, leaving thirty-five percent here."

"The remaining twenty percent of the profits will stay in Goldport City and will not be transferred out."

The Lieutenant Governor frowned. This was less than what the state government received when the Bundy family managed these benefits.

Don't underestimate that five percent; it's millions of dollars a year.

The higher the position, the more they receive. These losses are amplified by their larger base, naturally resulting in greater losses.

Five percent of one hundred dollars and five percent of one million dollars are both five percent, but they are definitely not the same magnitude.

He only frowned, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but this attitude itself was an attitude of disagreement.

Councilman Williams then put down his coffee cup, pursed his lips, and explained, "The navy will be stationed in Goldport City, and they will definitely take a cut."

Upon hearing the word "navy," the Lieutenant Governor's frown eased, but he immediately said something very interesting—

"Those in the military are much richer than us!"

His tone was filled with complaints and other emotions. He seemed very dissatisfied that the military would also receive money, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do about it.

Because the military was stationed in Goldport City, if those soldiers caused trouble at the casinos, as long as it wasn't too excessive, the military would definitely turn a blind eye.

If the casino business worsened, they would be the ones who suffered the losses. If they could give some to the military to satisfy their greedy appetites and ensure they wouldn't cause trouble, then it would be acceptable.

It's just that losing a little always makes people feel uncomfortable.

"The military replaces a large amount of supplies every year. Which ones are truly replaced and which ones are fake? Anyway, no one can say for sure."

"Congress should have established new laws to control their behavior. They can't let them put taxpayers' money into their own pockets so easily."

Corruption does exist within the federal military, and it is a serious problem, but it's not just the military that has problems; the entire federal ruling class has problems.

Sometimes, Lance was also puzzled. Why could this government and country, which had holes from top to bottom and were full of problems, continue to exist and grow stronger?

None of the three people responded to the Lieutenant Governor's complaint. It's best not to respond to such matters. For mature politicians, any response to matters involving one's stance is the wrong decision.

Perhaps you just think you're saying a few casual words or making the Lieutenant Governor happy, but who knows when he needs someone to support him, he will throw your response out as a bargaining chip.

On a certain day, in a certain month, I was discussing this issue with so-and-so, and he also expressed his agreement.

With just one sentence, you have completed aligning yourself without even knowing it.

What's even more annoying is that you bear the risk of aligning yourself, but you don't get a share of the benefits after the alignment is successful.

So, none of the three people spoke, and the Lieutenant Governor didn't force them to express their stance. This was just a complaint.

He paused for a moment, then said, "In that case, I have no objections. Should the list be adjusted?"

Councilman Williams nodded. "You can give us your list, and we'll discuss it."

Profit transfer is definitely not as simple as depositing money into their accounts. What these dignitaries want is not the kind of money they can't spend; they want money that they can take out and enjoy openly.

So, this money must be able to be deposited into their accounts openly. The most suitable method that conforms to federal characteristics is investment returns.

So, this money will become the investment profit of certain funds, which will be deposited into the capital accounts of these "investors" on a quarterly basis.

It can withstand scrutiny and can be taken out and spent.

How the foundation distributes this money has already been decided, and everyone has a share that suits their status.

It seems like there's nothing to discuss, but who can take it and who can't is also a problem.

This is what everyone needs to discuss.

The Lieutenant Governor said a series of names of his own people, and James carefully recorded these people's names on the side.

If there are no surprises, most of these people will be included in the foundation's list.

But it is also possible that some of them may displease Lance or Councilman Williams, thereby being removed.

After completing the most important matters, the group began to enjoy dinner.

The Lieutenant Governor was a very humorous person, at least after discussing the benefits, he became very humorous, and he also told many hell jokes about the natives.

From this, it can also be reflected that he did like the gift that Councilman Williams chose.

When dinner was almost over, Councilman Williams talked about asking him to introduce them to the Governor, and the Lieutenant Governor readily agreed.

He even called the Governor in front of everyone and set a time, which was two days later.