Empire of Shadows

The gun smoke curled upwards. Several police officers holstered their weapons, glanced at the two dead truck drivers on the ground, and then walked to the back of the truck, using pliers to cut the seal on the cargo door.

Some vehicles nearby noticed the situation, but as soon as they slowed to watch, patrol officers ordered them to drive away quickly.

One person, not wanting to be deterred, moved a short distance and stopped. As a result, a patrol officer immediately got into his police car and intercepted the disobedient vehicle and its curious driver.

Having just shot two "innocent passersby," the driver of that car didn't resist and was pinned to the ground.

At this point, no one dared to watch anymore.

As the seal was cut and the cargo door was pulled open, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out.

Two truckloads of whiskey. The patrol officers' faces lit up with smiles.

One of them went to the roadside and called the police station. Soon, a large number of reinforcements arrived.

As for the two dead drivers?

They were not innocent.

As drivers, they knew better than anyone else what was in their trucks!

But they were still willing to transport it, because the freight charges were several times higher than for transporting other goods. They were willing to take the great risk to transport these goods to their destination.

They had done it many times before, and they thought this time would be no different, that there would be no risk.

But they didn't realize that the rules of the city's underworld had changed.

Killing innocent truck drivers would certainly be punished, but killing smugglers of smuggled alcohol would only result in commendation.

Of course, a necessary vacation was also essential, but the vacation wouldn't be bad, because they wouldn't lose their jobs, they would be commended, and they would receive more bonuses.

At the same time, they also received a special "card" that allowed them to get a thousand chips from Golden Port Casino.

These chips could be used for games at the tables, or they could be circulated in the casino and then exchanged for checks, transferring the money into their accounts.

The train station, inconspicuous alleys, the seaside, the entire city was like a huge trap, leaving all the members of smuggling groups and their goods that fell into it.

People were surprised to find that the police, the Hazardous Materials Administration, and other law enforcement agencies were operating with unprecedented efficiency.

They thought it was a better start, but… it all stemmed from someone's will!

"…The largest alcoholic beverage producer and smuggler in the Republic of Aldera is a middle-aged man named Eduardo."

Lance and Chief Dale sat in a conference room. A Sumerian was explaining the situation of the gangs in the Republic of Aldera.

The Republic of Aldera is located in the northern coastal area of ​​Yalan, with a hot climate and vast land that can be used for crop production.

It is also rich in fruits. Almost the entire Yalan produces fruits, and various crops contain a lot of starch and sugar, which are essential raw materials for winemaking.

Eduardo is the leader of the largest gang organization in the Republic of Aldera. They control a large number of cash crop farmlands and plantations, and produce a large number of low- and mid-range wines, which are smuggled into the Federation for sale.

Plus, their geographic location is closer to the southern coastline of the Federation, so they smuggle alcoholic beverages not only to Golden Port City, but also to other cities and states.

However, Golden Port City is still their main target, where the unit price of liquor is higher and the profits are more lucrative.

A large number of photos appeared on the slideshow, including some photos of Eduardo's factory production, with a large number of wines boxed and placed together.

The Sumerian continued to introduce some of the content on these pictures.

"According to some people, Eduardo smuggled approximately 20 million alcoholic beverages into the Federation last year, and that number is even higher this year."

"He has opened more factories and also purchases various materials for winemaking from ordinary farmers."

"He has not announced their sales this year. Some people think it may have exceeded 25 million, close to 30 million."

Chief Dale's expression became a little excited. He repeated the number, "Thirty million!"

His eyes were full of surprise!

Lance had said before that he would give him a big case so that he could smoothly enter the State Liquor Control Board, and not just in some peripheral role.

He had been wondering what kind of big case could allow him to be promoted so smoothly.

In his opinion, if he could do what Lance promised, that would be a promotion.

Both status and power increased, rather than status increasing and power decreasing.

He had been confused for a while. If it was just about catching cases worth hundreds of thousands, honestly, he didn't think it would alarm Congress.

Because cases of this scale were becoming more and more common. As the price of liquor continued to rise, some medium- and high-quality whiskeys had risen to six or seven hundred or even higher.

This meant that a thousand bottles of this size of liquor would be worth six or seven hundred thousand.

Of course, many consumers in bars actually couldn't afford these liquors, but even if it was a cheap whiskey at a hundred dollars a bottle, a thousand bottles would be worth a hundred thousand.

It was very easy for a fishing boat to transport thousands of bottles. Just catch a few cases here and there, and they would be big cases worth hundreds of thousands.

Unlike when it first started, when liquor prices hadn't increased irrationally, catching a case worth hundreds of thousands could earn him the title of "National Case Value First."

He wasn't very optimistic about the "big case" Lance was talking about, but they were already on the same line, so he could only choose to believe.

But now, he realized that the big case Lance was talking about was really a big case!

"A smuggling group with annual smuggling of thirty million should guarantee that you can become an executive member, right?" Lance asked casually, as if asking, "Have you eaten yet?"

Calm and composed, with not so much emotional expression.

Chief Dale excitedly lit a cigarette. His hand was shaking slightly as he lit the cigarette. The nicotine calmed his emotions. He thought of some key points that he hadn't figured out.

Lance wiggled his raised toes twice, "Send someone over, arrest this Eduardo, and then squeeze out the money he's earned over the years."

"One share for me, one share for you, one share for the State Liquor Control Board, and one share for the Federal Liquor Control Board."

"Think about it, twenty million last year, thirty million this year, minus those costs and what he squandered, plus the money he got before, we can squeeze out at least twenty million from him."

"Even if it's divided into four equal shares, there's still ten million to send to the top."

"They get the big news they want, and they also get unparalleled benefits. Who can refuse to give you a decent promotion too?"

Lance said so, but Chief Dale was very clear that he would be very lucky to get two million from it.

Lance would definitely take a considerable share, the State Liquor Control Board would get about 20%, and then Congress would get about 40%.

His eyes gradually became firm, "What do you need me to do?"

Lance shook his head, "You just need to write a good speech."

Chief Dale was very excited and agitated. If he could become an executive member of the State Liquor Control Board, it would mean that he had come into contact with Congress again.

The superior agency of the State Liquor Control Board is the Congressional Liquor Control Board, but this time he would no longer struggle to climb into that circle that never had a place for him.

He would continue to follow Lance.

Sometimes people only need someone to poke them to see a problem clearly.

For several days in a row, the Golden Port City Police Department, the Hazardous Materials Administration, and the Coast Guard were in the limelight. A large number of smuggled liquors were seized and publicly destroyed.

The entire port was filled with a strong aroma of wine!

Many people watched the destruction of those liquors with heartache. That was money!

Maybe some of the liquor still flowed into Golden Port City, but Lance believed that before too long, the amount of liquor flowing in would become less and less, until there was none left.

He didn't pursue the responsibility of the gangs who bought these liquors. Just like those people guessed, before October, he wouldn't pursue the responsibility of the local gangs who bought these smuggled liquors.

But when his rules were fully implemented, anyone who dared to bring liquor in from outside would be challenging his rules.

In the blink of an eye, the second meeting was held. This time, most of the smuggling groups cooperated and agreed to Lance's requirements: two security deposits and a 10% commission.

They also put forward their own ideas: they might increase the price of liquor.

The purpose of doing so was to pass the losses on to the bar operators. Lance didn't object or raise any objections, which made them breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, they didn't know that whether the price increased or decreased didn't depend on them, but on the market.

Why do capitalists try every means to monopolize the market?

Because after monopolizing the market, the act of monopolizing can bring capitalists "absolute pricing power." When there are no other competitors in a market, if a monopoly group says it wants to sell something that costs one dollar for a hundred dollars, the people who need it must pay a hundred dollars to buy it.

But if there is no monopoly, the selling price of something that also costs one dollar may only be one dollar and a few cents, or one dollar and twenty or thirty cents.

Because of competition.

For capitalists, as long as there is profit and the shipment volume is large enough, it can bring them huge profits, and they can completely lower the price of the goods.

Not to mention that industrial production brings an exponential reduction in manufacturing costs.

Now, no company can monopolize the liquor market. They can sell at higher prices, but as long as Lance's price remains unchanged, they will eventually have to lower the price again.

Without market competitiveness, goods cannot be sold, and no profit can be generated.

In the end, they will still return to the origin, or even use a lower price to increase sales!

Earning ten yuan for selling a bottle of wine is different from earning fifteen yuan for selling two bottles of wine. Although they are not capitalists, they still know how to choose!

This negotiation lasted for two days, and it was finally determined that twenty-one commercial firms could freely sell alcoholic beverages in King's Port.

Of course, this "freedom" does not mean that they can peddle alcoholic beverages on the street, but sell these alcoholic beverages to bar operators in places where people cannot see them.

Lance asked them to set up offices here to ensure communication with the bars, to make everything more commercialized, and to ensure the stable operation of the entire system.

This was new to them, but they all agreed, perhaps this was another opportunity.

There was also one thing that made Lance a little curious. After the people from the Holy Bell Party inquired about his news, there was no follow-up action, which made him unsure of what the other party was doing or planning to do.

He could only have people keep an eye on these people.

They didn't even come to the final signing, which also meant that their wine could not enter King's Port.

Lance felt that they must be planning a big move, one so big that they thought it would be enough to destroy the Lance family and the new regulations.

By the end of September, the concrete floor of the military base had completely solidified. They used the best materials, and an eight-pound hammer could only knock out a white mark on the ground.

Lance didn't understand these things very well, but he heard that people added some iron powder and some other things to the concrete to make it so hard.

A large number of simple tents have been set up on the solid ground. "Federal Speed" has not yet become a joke. It represents the most advanced overall industrial level on this planet.

Various prefabricated parts are produced in the factory and pulled here, and then the workers can assemble them into houses or even buildings, just like assembling building blocks.

The military base has a new look every day. Except for those arrangements that still have a long construction period, the military base is now initially habitable.

So in early October, the first batch of naval forces arrived in King's Port.

On October 2nd, the docks were crowded with people, and many people made a special trip to watch the fleet moored in the offshore waters not far away.

They didn't know what those warships were, but they were very interested in those giant cannons. The powerful barrels gave people a strong sense of security!

A large number of naval sailors were also observing here. The places they were stationed in before were relatively harsh, and the scale of the nearby cities was not large, and there were no entertainment activities.

But King's Port is different. It is a rapidly rising new international city, with a city center that will never close and countless things to enjoy.

The soldiers were looking forward to life here.

October was also the time when the mayor began to hand over his work.

Councilor Williams defeated all his competitors in the election with a huge advantage and became the next mayor of King's Port.

Although Councilor Williams is not strictly the mayor of King's Port, everyone knows that the owner of this city has changed.

So today, Councilor Williams was in charge of some of the procedural work when the warship arrived in King's Port.

Lance was also on the scene.

Major General Bruner, as a civilian general accompanying the Ministry of Defense, also attended the meeting. The main content of the meeting was about the supporting facilities provided by King's Port to the Navy, as well as the rights and obligations of both parties under certain special circumstances.

For example, if an enemy attacks King's Port, the Navy has an obligation to protect the safety of the city and its citizens.

After the war, the mayor also needs to organize citizens and workers to repair the military buildings and fortifications that were shelled, and help salvage sunken ships.

For example, the city needs to provide fresh food and supplies to the military base on time and in quantity. Of course, the military base will pay for it.

How these specific arrangements will be made will not be discussed here, because there is really too much content in it, such as ensuring priority power supply to the military base, which cannot be discussed in a short time.

They just discussed a rough list of what to do and when to do it. As for how to do it and to what extent, they will continue to talk about it later.

This time, Admiral Vincent Myers is stationed here, and he is fully responsible for the daily work arrangements of the military base.

If a war breaks out, he will also serve as the commander-in-chief, commander, and arrange and command the combat plan.

Admiral Myers looks to be in his fifties. His ancestors are on that oil painting, and the entire family has always been a member of the core faction of the military.

In fact, factionalism in the military is much more serious than in the federal government. His brothers, sisters, sons, nephews, daughters, and nieces are also in the military, and their positions are not low.

It is not without reason that the federal government has been wary of the military's growth and strength.

The meeting lasted for about two hours. In the end, the mayor and Admiral Myers shook hands and exchanged documents and opinions, which was considered to have completed the entire process.

Although Councilor Williams also wanted to stay and chat with the admiral, he had a lot of work to do, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future, so he left quickly.

Lance stayed behind.

Although the Myers family does not need the help of Congress to continue to maintain their power, they do not mind having a good relationship with Congress.

After all, the Navy's budget is in the hands of Congress. Even if the entire Navy is his, it will be very troublesome without money.

Several people were in the captain's cabin of the command ship. Everyone here now is one of their own.

Admiral Myers has a strong military temperament, at least when he is sitting, he is not so slouchy, and his eyes give people a strong feeling.

"Before I came here, I heard your name from several people, which made me very curious about what kind of person you are."

"I learned about you through some of my own methods, but what I learned made me feel that you and the Lance they were talking about are not the same person."

"Because I learned that you are just the leader of a gang, but they said that you are here..."

He pursed his lips, seemingly thinking about what words to use to describe his thoughts.

After about ten seconds, he solemnly said the word, "Emperor!"