Empire of Shadows

This era of the Federation can be said to be the most wonderful, with everything developing barbarically.

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

In a situation where social rules are not yet fully完善, where people's courage has not been bound by the judiciary, and where desire overwhelms reason.

Here, now, will be the most wonderful era in the Federation's long history.

It's better than when the Federation was first established, because complete lack of order isn't necessarily a good era; people don't have a good life beyond plunder.

At this moment, we are at a very interesting point in time, where everything is at its best.

Future historians and sociologists will use "Golden Age" to summarize what is happening and will happen here at this moment.

They will probably describe everything that is happening at this time as "gold everywhere."

Higher incomes, lower unemployment rates, everyone has money.

Because everything is still in its primitive stage, still in the stage of barbaric development.

You can take a stack of banknotes to the police station and give each policeman you see five dollars.

They won't refuse, they'll just smile and say "Good morning, sir" or "Good afternoon, sir," then thank you for your generosity and put the money in their pocket.

Instead of refusing to do so and telling you with embarrassment that they can't accept your money.

When you are committing a crime and happen to encounter them enforcing the law, they will smile and put away their weapons, telling you and the other victim that it must all be a misunderstanding!

But this is also the worst of times, because everything is uncertain; it can be the ladder to your success or the express train to hell.

You never know what you're going to face.

Recently, Lance has been following some newspaper reports that certain local Federation consortiums have been sanctioned for violating the "Anti-Monopoly Law," but strangely, the more they are sanctioned, the wealthier these fortunes become, and the larger their scale.

Originally, a company monopolizing an industry had a market value of only one billion.

But now, this company has been split into ten companies, each with a market value of five hundred million, and the core shareholders are themselves.

In an instant, their assets inflated fivefold, but the federal government and capitalists told the public that the monopoly had disappeared!

And those foreign capitalists, just because they were unwilling to include the Federation people when they were making money, were dismembered, put on the table, and became delicious.

For the people of the Federation, this is the best of times; they can wantonly trample on the law to barbarically plunder all the wealth they want.

But for those outside the Federation, this is the worst of times; if you can't make the Federation people feel that you are covered in thorns, then they certainly don't mind preparing the seasonings and cooking methods for you in advance.

Just like... Mr. Chobaf at this time.

Lance looked at him; this wasn't the last time he'd be extorted; it was just the beginning, and Lance was well aware that Mr. Chobaf couldn't refuse this kind of extortion.

His current struggle is essentially meaningless.

Considering that we are all fellow villagers from the Empire, and with the idea of uniting more Empire people, Lance said softly, "Mr. Chobaf, actually, my personal suggestion is that you talk to the mayor, give him twenty thousand dollars, privately, and then give Arthur two hundred thousand to resolve this matter."

"Instead of trying to do it through other, possibly more intense, means."

"Perhaps my analogy is not quite appropriate; if you feel offended, please forgive me."

"It's like... you are now a beautiful young woman, blocked by a group of thugs in a dead-end alley late at night; they have robbed you of your belongings and are demanding that you take off your clothes ①."

"You feel very embarrassed, so now you are thinking about whether to resist; you may think that resistance will make them lose courage, thereby losing further violation of you."

"But, Mr. Chobaf, sometimes resistance not only fails to achieve this effect, but instead makes them reveal a more brutal side."

"They may have initially just wanted... to get a little sweetness from you, but because your resistance makes them feel that they have been underestimated, they not only want sweetness, but they also want your life."

Mr. Chobaf stared straight at Lance; this example was really offensive, but it gave him a feeling of hitting the bullseye!

That feeling... was so right!

That's how it is, a group of hooligans, surrounding him, and now he wants to resist.

Mr. Chobaf looked at Lance, his expression a little strange, wanting to laugh, but also wanting to cry, a little distorted.

"Could it be that I can only endure their violation?" he said, suddenly unable to help but laugh, his voice very soft, and he stopped quickly, but he did laugh.

There was self-deprecation, laughter at Lance's exaggerated and humorous analogy, and also helpless laughter.

The assistant's expression was also a little distorted; it was very impolite to laugh at this time, but... he turned to the side, ignoring Mr. Chobaf's warning gaze, and trembled for a while before turning back.

Lance nodded, "If you endure it, you only lose a little dignity."

"But if you resist, you may lose everything you have."

"If you weren't a rich man, but someone like me, with no burdens, then let them come!"

"Before the last moment arrives, no one knows whether they are violating me or I am violating them!"

This is also a very interesting phenomenon; the organized crime groups in the Federation are currently developing crazily, and some of these criminal organizations have already reached a very alarming scale, with incomes no lower than those of the large consortiums.

But no one ever bothers them; instead, they have relatively close ties with them, because every plunderer knows that these gangs are not easy to mess with.

If you are not careful, you will prick your own hand, and the poison on the needle tip will cause them to lose their lives.

On the contrary, those foreign capitals that are not threatening and do not have thorns are their best targets.

Listening to Lance's words, some things that he didn't quite understand in the past suddenly became clear; his emotions are now a little relaxed, "Then it seems I can only do this?"

Lance considered for a while, and in Mr. Chobaf's expectant gaze, he said softly, "Actually, there is another way: bankruptcy."

"Bankruptcy?"

Lance took out a cigarette, and the assistant quickly took out a delicate silver lighter to light Lance's cigarette, "Yes, bankruptcy."

"If you have no value to be plundered, they won't bother you; it's like... when they lift your hair and plan to inflict violence, they find that you are the ugliest person in the Federation."

"That will make them lose all interest at once!"

"And you will be safe!"

"Sometimes poverty is not a problem; for us immigrants, it is a kind of protection."

"Who would bother with poor immigrants?"

"They can't avoid it in time; if they get bitten by an immigrant, they can only be bitten for nothing; do they have to bite back?"

Mr. Chobaf looked at Lance in amazement, "I have never heard of anyone who has seen through the surface so thoroughly and pointed directly to the core; you are the first, Lance."

"A way for me outside of obedience and resistance; I am very curious why you have such terrible wisdom at such a young age?"

Lance took a puff of his cigarette, "Maybe it's because I don't want to become someone like you."

Mr. Chobaf was stunned for a moment, and then fell silent.

Lance was still speaking, "Whether you want to anger them, obey them, or let them know that you make them unable to swallow you, you must be prepared to bear the corresponding consequences."

"Of course, my personal suggestion is still the same; if you want to squeeze into the upper-class circles of the Federation, you must first learn to be a bitch."

"Even if you become a mistress to different people."

"If you want to get something, you must definitely pay something, Mr. Chobaf; logically speaking, your experience should be richer than mine; you should be clearer than me that there is no gain that does not require payment."

"The more you get, the more you pay!"

Mr. Chobaf then smiled bitterly; he also lit a cigarette, "You have indeed provided a lot of ideas, but it seems we haven't done anything; I am not willing, Lance."

"It was like this in the Empire."

"The nobles oppressed and exploited us; I had no choice but to come to the Federation; after developing for more than ten years, I have achieved success, and then the nobles of the Federation started again."

"You are right; as long as I don't enter the upper-class circles, to them, I will always be just a bitch."

"Used when needed, and discarded when used up."

He put out the cigarette that he had only smoked twice in the ashtray, then got up and extended his hand, "Thank you very much for providing me with help; this has made me think clearly about many things."

"I have decided to give you a gift; I hope you will not refuse."

Lance revealed an appropriate and just right curiosity; he looked at the assistant, "Have the lawyer prepare a debt transfer agreement and transfer the debts we picked out earlier to Lance for one dollar."

The assistant was stunned for a moment, but quickly did as he was told.

Mr. Chobaf looked at Lance, "I know you might think... this is not a good gift; of course, I also have my own ideas; my current funds are very tight, and I can't come up with too much money to reward you; these debts may be another way to thank you, if you can get them back."

Lance was a little curious, "How much is it?"

Mr. Chobaf was silent for a while, then couldn't help but laugh and say, "About five hundred thousand."

Upon hearing this, Lance couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "Mr. Chobuff, although we are friends, after learning this number at this moment, I even want to join them in extorting you!"

Mr. Chobuff also laughed, "You should have done it sooner."

He made a decision: if he had to be a prostitute, then he would be the most glamorous and high-class prostitute in this circle.

Oh right, prostitutes in the upper class circle are not called prostitutes. That title is too vulgar. They are called—

Courtesans!

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①: Using the night to describe how the federal law cannot illuminate the people at this time, and using dead-end alleys to imply that people are trying to find a way out through legal means such as law, to describe the darkness of the federation at this time.