Empire of Shadows

"Where is this...?"

"Is that so?"

"Okay, no problem, who else is coming?"

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"Alright, I'll be there on time!"

After hanging up the phone, a gentleman leaned forward with a frown, one arm supporting his chin on the edge of the table, turning his head to look at the gloomy sky outside the window.

It had been snowing for the past few days, but it never seemed to finish, snowing for a while, then stopping, then snowing again, then stopping.

It couldn't just dump all the snow at once; it was always overcast.

The阴冷 of winter was like a chaotic magical attack, which was terrible for people living by the sea.

When the sun was out, the air wasn't so humid and cold; it was a dry cold, and as long as you wore enough layers, you could avoid the cold.

Now, the humid and cold air seemed to penetrate clothing, and no matter how much you wore, there was still a chill.

If the humid and cold chill of winter was a "physical" sensation, then the recent bad news was a mental one.

He came back to his senses, rubbed his face, and then glanced at his watch; he didn't have much time left.

He sighed, quickly tidied up, put some money in his wallet, and also picked up the checkbook from the drawer, then went to the cloakroom at the door, changed his clothes, and pushed the door open.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at a well-known restaurant at the time he had agreed upon with Chairman Vaughn.

The restaurant's head chef was a grumpy old man, but their general manager was quite good and likable.

This also made the restaurant one of the more well-known restaurants in Goldport City, with options ranging from mid-range to high-end.

The one they had arranged to meet at today was the high-end restaurant located in the Starlight District.

There was no lobby here; they were all private suites.

A restaurant, a reception room, an office, and a grooming area; an entire suite was like an independent house.

The hidden and private environment made this place the first choice for many people to discuss matters, but of course, the prices here were not cheap, with each meal costing at least three to five hundred dollars.

If you wanted to drink alcohol, it would cost thousands.

Spending thousands of dollars on a meal was a bit of a heartache, even for a businessman like him.

He didn't know if he would be paying today, so he brought cash and a checkbook when he came.

When he arrived at the room they had agreed upon, guided by the staff, he found that some people had already arrived, all of whom Chairman Vaughn had mentioned to him.

He was familiar with these people, then hung his clothes on the hanger and found a seat to sit down.

"Did you get stuck in traffic when you came?" someone asked casually.

That's how these gatherings were; although everyone knew each other, some small talk was needed to make the atmosphere more harmonious.

Starting with the basics of life—food, clothing, housing, and transportation—was a very simple and effective way.

Asking about road conditions, the weather, or recent happenings were all good.

He shook his head, "It's okay, the weather is too cold now, and there aren't many cars on the road."

With that response, he had greeted them, "Do you know what Vaughn wants us to talk about?"

Someone asked, and everyone had their own guesses. He sat there listening, occasionally expressing his own views and opinions.

At first, they guessed whether it was related to the war. Some had already heard rumors that the General Labor Union was going to transfer some dockworkers from various wharves and ports to work at a military port provided by Slader.

Goldport Wharf was one of the largest wharves in the Federation, and it also had the largest flow of goods and the most workers. They might have to transfer more skilled workers away from here.

Some people felt that the General Labor Union must have lost their minds, and there was no need to get involved in this kind of thing at all.

Instead of doing that, they should be considering how to create more value and benefits for the investors in these wharves!

But soon, some restless people were not satisfied with such ordinary guesses, and as more people arrived, someone leaned forward, pressing their arms on the edge of the table, and said with a "I have a secret" expression, "What do you think...?"

"Is there a possibility?"

"Is Vaughn bringing us here related to the recent situation in Goldport City?"

This topic first silenced the room, but soon someone began to express their own views.

Some people are always like this; if they are capable, they always hope that their performance can overshadow others.

"Very likely!" said a guy sitting in the middle, "Mayor Williams' power struggle with the Bay Area has entered a fever pitch. It seems to be just a matter of demolition in the old industrial area, but in fact, it is a battle for who is the leader."

"For Goldport City, if we compare it to a battlefield, then there is only one main battlefield!"

His voice lengthened a lot, leaving people more room for imagination and allowing them to think of what he wanted to express based on his words.

Another capable person continued, "Port, wharf."

The first capable person pointed at the second capable person, "Bingo. If we see them as two armies, then we are the targets they need to win over."

His face showed that smug expression of "we are actually very important," as if he had already guessed the standard answer.

"I don't know which side Vaughn represents, but in any case, let's not agree to anything he says."

"We shouldn't even agree to anything at this meeting. The more intense their war is, and the harder it is to determine the winner, the higher our value will be!"

The others nodded in agreement. This was indeed a smart choice.

While these people were discussing these sensitive matters, Chairman Vaughn pushed the door open from the outside. He shook off the few snowflakes on his body and hung his coat on the empty hanger.

"Sorry, there was traffic on the way."

Someone laughed, "You must have come from the wharf side."

The others also showed more or less smiles on their faces.

There were not many residents in the Bay Area, after all, the cost of living and housing prices here were too high. Which ordinary person could spend tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even two or three hundred thousand to buy a villa to live in?

Even small businessmen might not be able to come up with that kind of money, so the roads from the Bay Area to the Starlight District were very smooth, and there was no traffic jam.

Only coming from the port area would cause traffic jams, and you would have to pass through the Prussia District in between.

This was actually a slightly unfriendly joke that elevated one's own status. Chairman Vaughn couldn't miss it, but he didn't really care.

He smiled, "Yes, I came from the wharf side. There were too many cars on the road."

They were friends, no problem, just like a king would have a few ordinary friends, but that didn't mean that the two sides were really absolutely equal.

The king would also joke about the holes in the ordinary person's clothes, which was not too much, at most it was a kind of unintentional teasing.

He found a seat to sit down, and the person with the highest status among this group of people began to take charge of the situation, "Let's have them start serving the dishes, I'm already a little hungry."

He was just about to have someone call the manager to serve the dishes when Chairman Vaughn stopped him, "There's one more friend, he'll be here soon, let's wait a little longer."

That person was stunned for a moment. He looked around, "Who else is coming?"

"Everyone you and I talked about has already arrived."

Chairman Vaughn smiled, "Don't worry, I'll give you a surprise, it'll be here soon."

The atmosphere in the room changed slightly, and the person who had originally planned to control the situation himself smiled and closed his mouth.

A group of people began to chat, and after chatting for more than ten minutes, footsteps sounded outside the door, and after the room door was knocked a few times, it was slowly pushed open.

Chairman Vaughn immediately stood up, and when the others saw him stand up, they also stood up one after another, their eyes fixed on the outside of the room.

The moment Lance appeared from the outside, the thinking of the people in the room had a clear pause and a short period of blankness.

Lance came into the room, took off his hat and coat and handed them to the person next to him, then walked to a place not far from the table, with a smile on his face, "I have to apologize first, because for some reasons I can't personally invite you all, thank you very much for being able to show your face, I hope I'm not too late."

The crowd in the room immediately reacted, and someone took the initiative to say, "Not late, not late, we arrived early, you came just in time, the dishes haven't even started to be served yet."

Even the person sitting in the main seat took the initiative to give up his seat, "Mr. Lance, sit here."

Lance glanced at that position, then shook his head, "It's okay, I'll sit next to Vaughn."

He walked to Chairman Vaughn's side, and someone immediately came over to pull out the chair for him, making it easier for him to sit in. He said thank you, and turned to tell the manager to start serving the dishes.

This wasn't because those small shareholders were too "attentive," but because Lance now represented more than just a gangster boss.

He controlled almost all the order in this city. Many people heard about his wedding. The heads of almost all departments in the city went, and even the navy sent two colonels to send gifts!

What the hell does this mean?

This means that Lance's actual power may have exceeded the mayor's, at least in terms of "who to trouble," he is definitely number one!

Police, prosecutors, courts, plus his control over the docks.

Humility is just because they realize the gap between each other, this is the world of adults!

Here, it's not like an ivory tower where some people, knowing full well "I'm not as good as you," still try to show off their so-called integrity. In the adult world, integrity has long been broken and shattered into pieces.

After a few simple pleasantries, the restaurant began to serve the dishes. Because Lance had come in person, Anderson (the restaurant owner) was personally cooking this meal.

The story between him and Lance can also be considered one of Goldenport City's legendary tales—

This matter is worth mentioning.

Before Lance grew to the point where he needed to be looked up to, he didn't like mentioning Lance, because Lance made him feel humiliated.

That excrement, and being forced to bow his head, made him feel deeply humiliated!

But as Lance's reputation began to grow, he suddenly realized that there was actually nothing humiliating about it. Everyone was just trying to make a living and do their job.

When Lance's height had reached a point where ordinary people, and even most people, couldn't reach, he began to actively tell people about his "friendship" with Lance.

Although it was contradictory, they got to know each other because of these things. He also touted that his partner and manager had a good relationship with Lance, which also helped the restaurant accumulate some popularity.

Now Anderson almost never cooks personally, but Lance said he was coming to eat today, so he decided to personally cook a dish.

Before long, the manager pushed the cooking cart into the room. After Anderson greeted Lance, he stood smilingly beside the cart and, following the manager's instructions, created some flashy "special effects."

Finally, a dish was divided and placed in front of each guest.

Lance said a few words to Anderson, shook hands with the manager, and then these people left.

Returning to the table, Lance easily took the initiative.

"Have a taste. Mr. Anderson is a well-known chef. I've heard that he has some fame throughout the region, even in the South."

"It's not easy to eat a dish cooked by him personally!"

If others give him face, he will also give them face. Lance is not a complete scoundrel; he knows how to get along with people.

Everyone gave face and tasted it, praising how delicious the food was. Actually… it was just so-so; the reputation added more to it.

After tasting some of the dishes, Lance began to talk about the main topic as dinner officially began.

"Recently, you should have also noticed that some problems have appeared within the city."

The others all put down their knives and forks. Someone had just cut the meat in their plate into small pieces and coated it with sauce, but now they had to put down their knives and forks and sit up straight.

Although he really wanted to take a bite.

Following Lance's words, the others nodded in agreement. This was a fact, and everyone could see it.

He paused for a few seconds, letting them prepare themselves mentally, and then continued, "Like you, and even more than you, I hope this city is stable and peaceful."

"Only in this way will a steady stream of money flow into my pocket."

"We saw what happened during the infighting of the five major families. Tourists were afraid of being affected and chose not to come. The city's decline was visible to the naked eye."

"Our income has also been affected as a result."

"If possible, I believe no one wants the city to become chaotic."

The others nodded in agreement. The first guy who could even said proactively, "You're right, Mr. Lance, we all don't want chaos to happen."

Lance glanced at him, nodding slightly as a greeting, "But now you've also seen that conflicts have occurred and cannot be avoided."

"Whether it's Williams or those people like Charles, the two sides are definitely not just opposing each other for the price of land now."

"More importantly, they are fighting over who gets the final say in this city."

"Gentlemen, we are all masters of this city. We all don't want it to get worse, but since the problem has already occurred and cannot be avoided, the only thing we can do is find a way to accelerate this process."

"As long as it ends quickly enough, the impact it can have on us will be small enough."

The others nodded repeatedly, after all, the reasoning was indeed this reasoning.

Lance pursed his lips, took out a cigarette, and before Chairman Vaughn could react, someone had already taken out a lighter and walked over to light it for Lance.

"Thank you!" Lance showed his politeness and civility. He took a puff of the cigarette and exhaled it upwards.

"I have a better relationship with Mayor Williams, and I am very familiar with him, including his family."

"I am a sentimental person. Sometimes I don't care whether the things my friends do are right or wrong. As long as they are my friends, I will support them."

"Just like I will support Mayor Williams now, just because he is my friend."

"I also hope to make friends with you. Will you give me this opportunity?"

He smoked, looking at these people, his eyes constantly shifting across their faces, and these people also fell into thought.

Lance didn't urge them, letting them think slowly.

After a while, about two or three minutes, someone asked, "Mr. Lance, how do you plan to accelerate this process?"

"I have no intention of exploring your thoughts and practices, but I want to know, if I stand on your side, how fast will this acceleration process be?"

"Will some… drastic measures be used?"

"And what will happen to those people in the end?"

The others' attention also focused. Lance tapped off the cigarette ash, "Political matters will be handled by Mayor Williams. I am responsible for matters outside of politics."

"I am not afraid for you to know, and even less afraid for you to tell them."

"First of all, I will ruin the reputation of some people. I have their scandals and evidence, enough to make them be spurned by society."

"Immediately afterwards, the police and prosecutors will file a case and investigate these people, looking for evidence of their crimes and sending them to court to receive a fair trial."

"Then I will launch a strike, march, and demonstration by the dockworkers, forcing the group's board of directors to convene a shareholders' meeting."

"At this time, I should have a portion of the shares in my hand. Together with yours, we can make a powerful voice at the shareholders' meeting."

"Our goal is not to defeat them head-on, but to make them flustered."

"As for what to do next…" He smiled, "I will only let you know after you join us."

Listening to Lance's plans, everyone's minds were racing, accompanied by their occasional eye contact and their various expressions.

It could be seen that everyone's thoughts at this time were different.

This plan… it can only be said that the probability of success is not small, if he really has the evidence of these people's crimes and scandals.

Lance was not in a hurry to let them express their opinions. He could actually not win over these people.

But now that he was sitting here, the purpose of winning over these people was to make the whole process look better, and at the same time to form a "force," to form a new interest group, an interest group with him as the core!