Empire of Shadows

Alberto looked at Lance, unsure if he understood the meaning of what he had just said, "You're saying the film industry can help us?"

Lance nodded. "I believe you have a lot of money that needs to go into the bank."

Alberto certainly wouldn't deny this, because Lance also had over forty thousand that needed to go into the bank, but ultimately didn't, because the money wouldn't withstand scrutiny.

In reality, he could have just deposited the money in the bank. The bank doesn't care if the money you bring to the counter is ill-gotten or earned; all they want is for you to exchange money for a deposit slip that costs them less than two cents.

But the tax bureau cares about this. The bank tells the tax bureau that someone deposited four hundred thousand at once. The tax bureau gets the information, investigates, and finds that this person hasn't declared high income or paid taxes. They investigate him.

And then Lance would be finished.

In the hands of the tax bureau, no one is innocent.

So before this money is laundered, it can only stay in the safe. When it needs to be used, only a small portion can be taken out.

Lance's small amount of money already caused so much "pain." Alberto and the Pasreto family above him, whose main business was smuggling and other highly profitable activities, had even more dirty money that needed to be laundered.

Alberto nodded. He didn't deny it. "But what does this have to do with the film industry?"

"Each ticket is only five cents. How long will it take us to launder it all?"

"This isn't three or five thousand, Lance. This is…" He didn't continue, but Lance could infer from the context that it was at least three to five million that needed to be laundered, maybe even thirty to fifty million.

Lance had a different perspective. "Each person pays five cents for the ticket, but they can also buy a soda for another five cents, and then popcorn for two cents."

"If we also introduce three-cent shoe-shining coupons and attract enough people, then each person entering the theater can provide us with fifteen cents of legitimate income."

"One theater, four screens, eight hundred tickets, per hour!"

"Eighteen shows a day is two thousand one hundred and sixty dollars."

"If you have ten theaters, you can launder twenty thousand dollars a day."

"That's six hundred thousand a month, and seven million two hundred thousand a year."

"Instead of giving the Kodak family one hundred and fifty thousand or two hundred thousand to launder my money, I might as well take out a loan to build a few theaters first."

"And it's not just theaters that can launder money. The entire filming process can launder money."

"More importantly!" Lance's tone suddenly became heavier. "Building theaters can provide jobs for society, increase local tax revenue, and enrich social culture."

"And it's impossible for there to be no audience at all. As long as there is an audience, even if it's not much, the loss to us will be minimized while the money is being laundered!"

"The most important thing is, it's a respectable business. No one can accuse you of anything."

"When you and your theaters are all over the Federation, even in the western wilderness, people will respectfully call you 'Movie Mogul Mr. Cody'."

After listening, Alberto was a little tempted. They also had their own methods of laundering money.

They would smuggle the money out of the Federation, then return to Sumuli Island, where, with their local power and a shell company, they would complete the process of turning the money from illegal to legal.

By this point, one million would only be about eight hundred and some thousand, with each link getting its desired benefit, and only then could the money enter the local bank without problems.

Then they would let the money come to the Federation through legal channels, either in cash or by transfer. The Federation never cared how the money came in when people invested in the Federation.

But the money couldn't directly enter the Pasreto family's account, which would attract the attention of the Federal Bank and tax system.

Some businessmen from Sumuli Island would purchase legitimate properties and then "lease" them to the Pasreto family.

Cars, houses, or other things.

This way, although they didn't have actual ownership, they also shielded these properties from potential troubles.

If the Federal Tax Bureau and the Federal Police and Justice Department couldn't prove that these properties were related to the family, then even if the family encountered trouble, these properties would be safe.

It seemed like this approach was good, and the loss wasn't high, but it was still risky. Just smuggling the money out of the Federation wasn't easy.

If they didn't grease the wheels, and were caught, all the money would be gone. So, greasing the wheels to ensure the money could leave the Federation safely also required costs and risks.

Overall, after laundering one million, about seven hundred and fifty thousand to eight hundred thousand would be left. That was the limit; it couldn't be less.

Alberto originally thought this was very efficient, but now, after simply listening to Lance, he suddenly felt that Lance's method seemed better.

"I don't know much about these things. Maybe you should talk to Mr. Pasreto in person."

He paused. "But we do know people in this field. You can take your friend to contact them, and they will give your friend a role."

Alberto didn't take this matter seriously. He was only interested in what Lance said about laundering money through filming and screening movies.

The two chatted for a while, and suddenly Alberto seemed to remember something, "Are you busy tomorrow morning?"

Lance shook his head. "The police have been watching me closely lately. They follow me wherever I go, so I have nothing to do."

Alberto laughed loudly after hearing this, "You'll get used to it. They used to watch me often, too. We all have to go through these stages."

"Since you have nothing to do, why don't we go watch a baseball game together?"

"You'll definitely love the atmosphere there!"

Lance thought for a moment and agreed.

The next morning, Alberto took the initiative to pick him up in a car driven by Fordis. The three of them went directly to the baseball stadium in King's Port City, the home field of the Sailing Team. The game hadn't started yet, but the place was already packed!

Outside the stadium, many people were selling snacks and such. Lance even saw some people openly selling beer, but the police maintaining order didn't seem too interested in their actions.

This also had to do with many people not understanding the Prohibition, including many policemen who felt the Prohibition was inexplicable, and they were also part of the resistance.

Some policemen even changed into plain clothes after work to have a drink at a nearby speakeasy.

After Fordis parked the car, the three entered the stadium together. Lance noticed that Alberto was wearing a Sailing Team jersey and a baseball cap today!

"Our seats are in the best location, directly facing the batter. If we're lucky enough, we might even get a ball!" Alberto became excited after arriving at the stadium, showing that he really loved baseball.

There were many other people around him who were just as excited. They were all wearing Sailing Team jerseys, baseball caps, and gloves, discussing the game intensely.

Lance didn't understand much about this. Fordis drank beer and chatted with him.

As the players from the two teams participating in the game began to enter the field, the Sailing Team's anthem even sounded from the stands. Alberto also stood up, fanatically, not at all like someone from Sumuli.

"Unbelievable, right?"

At this moment, an old man sitting behind him suddenly poked Lance's shoulder. "Why aren't you singing?"

Lance looked at him with a "what the hell are you talking about" expression. Perhaps feeling that Lance and Fordis beside him were not easy to mess with, the old man finally restrained his temper.

"You're sitting in the Sailing Team's home stand. You have a responsibility to cheer for the Sailing Team with us!"

Alberto reacted, put his arm around Lance's shoulder, turned to the old man, and said, "This is my friend. It's his first time watching baseball. I believe he will soon become a fan of Davy."

The serious expression on the old man's face immediately turned into a smile. "Yes, no one can resist Davy's charm." Then he looked like he was "waiting for you to become a fan."

Lance suddenly felt that he shouldn't have agreed to come to the game with Alberto.

When the Sailing Team's main batter stood in his position and adjusted his posture, the entire home crowd stood up.

This forced Lance to stand up as well. He had a hard time understanding the enthusiasm of these people, but to avoid the old man continuing to bother him, he could only do as they did.

The pitcher was very nervous at this time. King's Port City Sailing Team's home field was definitely not a comfortable environment. Those home supporters who stood up put a lot of pressure on them.

And the fans at this time were not so honest and obedient. There were people who would rush onto the field to beat the players.

And baseball at this time was also considered a high-risk sport.

It wasn't that many professional athletes died suddenly because of baseball games, but that many baseball players were accidentally injured because they performed too well or too badly.

Davy, as a batter who could potentially enter the Hall of Fame, was very popular here!

The pitcher threw hard, and the baseball landed in the catcher's glove in an incredible trajectory. Davy swung and missed, and the referee called the pitch a strike, and boos and curses immediately erupted from the stands.

Of course, it wasn't directed at David, but at the pitcher. Actually, it's hard to curse someone out in the Federation's language, but even ordinary greetings, when shouted by so many people together, become unbearable.

In the second pitch, the pitcher's pressure obviously increased a bit. With a 'bing' sound as the bat swung, the atmosphere on the field instantly exploded!

Watching David sprint around the field, and the catcher chasing after him, Lance seemed to understand for a moment why people cheered for the game.

It truly was a game full of strength, speed, and passion. All eyes in the stadium were glued to that 'running elf' as the commentator described him—those were the commentator's exact words.

But an elf weighing over a hundred pounds... wasn't that a bit much?

Alberto had been waving his fists and cursing the whole time, but not out of anger; it was his way of cheering.

It was probably like shouting "Go!" "Run fast!" only now it had become "F*ck!"

This hit was far enough and demonstrated David's value as a star hitter. He made it to the final base before they retrieved the baseball and tagged him out.

The old man behind them laughed loudly, and Alberto waved his arms, hugging Lance and the guy on his other side…

Without a doubt, the Sailboat team ultimately won the game. David contributed a very exciting performance. Actually, from a neutral perspective, Lance felt the others did well too.

But... stars and fans are naturally biased; it's just the way things are.

After the game, Alberto dragged Lance and Fordis near the exit, wanting to get David's autograph, but the players seemed quite tired. Only the first few got their cards signed; the later fans didn't get any.

Alberto didn't get one either, and he was disappointed.

"You could invite him to dinner and get his autograph then," Lance said. He didn't quite understand Alberto's thinking and approach, since he could easily get David's autograph.

Alberto put away the prepared card and shook his head. "That would lose its meaning, Lance. You don't understand."

His tone was a bit disdainful. Lance really didn't understand.

On the way back, he took out a card and scribbled on it. Lance leaned closer to look—it was the schedule.

"I'm one step closer to ten million now!"

Alberto put the card away. "So that's the charm of baseball. You can not only get the passion and everything you want from them, but if you know enough about them, plus a little luck, you can get even more joy."

"Has anyone ever won the grand prize?" Lance asked curiously.

If it was just a single game, he didn't think it was a big deal, but if you had to guess all the schedules correctly, even without guessing the scores, it would be very difficult.

Even if you knew each team very well, problems would still arise!

He didn't believe anyone could win. Maybe someone had, but whether those who won were just lucky or were arranged to win the grand prize, he didn't know.

Alberto gave several examples. Every few years, someone would win the grand prize, from the initial two million to the current ten million. Everyone in the Federation who loves baseball is watching the annual league and the guessing game.

Hopefully, they're playing for real!

After having lunch with Alberto, a Sumuli Island-style lunch, Lance bid farewell.

Alberto needed a nap. Watching the game in the morning had exhausted him, and he needed to rest to recover.

Some people always envy the President's high position and power, but they don't know that while ordinary people can take a nap, the President still has to work.

The President is also a loyal baseball enthusiast. As a sport heavily promoted by the Federation, almost all males of all ages are very fond of baseball.

The President even has several championship signed baseball caps from his hometown team!

But at this moment, he didn't have time to watch a baseball game. He had just finished a meeting.

Now, he had a document in front of him, a document for the establishment of the Tobacco, Alcohol, and Hazardous Materials Administration, promoted by Congress and multiple departments.

As long as he signed his name on this document, this department would be established immediately.

And the job of this new department would be to investigate all smuggled alcohol.

The people in the church, some capitalists, and politicians were very dissatisfied with the current intensity of the Federation's alcohol ban.

Although a comprehensive alcohol ban had been in place for almost a week, according to their investigation, various semi-public drinking phenomena were visible almost everywhere throughout the country.

The so-called alcohol ban only meant that the price of alcoholic beverages had risen, causing some people at the bottom to be unable to afford alcohol.

Those who could afford alcohol were still drinking heavily, and even cases of robbery and theft for the purpose of obtaining money to buy alcohol had occurred in some areas.

This seriously violated the purpose of implementing the alcohol ban. Therefore, under the promotion of multiple departments and forces, they finally decided to increase the maintenance and management system of the alcohol ban to prevent alcoholic beverages from harming the citizens of the Federation!

The President held the pen and waited for a while. The few people next to him who were waiting for him to sign the document so they could execute it were a little impatient, but they didn't dare to urge the President and could only wait quietly.

Perhaps he had figured something out, the President finally moved, and the pen tip landed on the signature line of the document.

The President's name appeared on it with a stroke. After he signed, he handed the document to the waiting staff, put away the pen, "Let's do it this way…"

At 2:15 PM, the Presidential Press Secretary held a press conference. The spokesperson cited individual cases in some areas where the alcohol ban had led to vicious incidents.

Congress and the President were strongly dissatisfied with this, believing that some areas had not fulfilled their due obligations in implementing the alcohol ban.

At the same time, they realized that they should not add more extra work to the city police, so they established the "Tobacco, Alcohol, and Hazardous Materials Administration" to be specifically responsible for investigating the circulation, sale, and use of these commodities.

Sitting in his office, Officer Lucar was stunned for a moment after hearing this news. Before this, the inspection of alcohol was jointly enforced by the Tax Bureau and the Police Department.

But now they were going to establish an independent law enforcement department. He wondered who would be responsible for Golden Port City.

Just as he was thinking about this, someone knocked on his office door. "The Chief wants to see you."

Officer Lucar put his legs down from the desk, straightened his clothes, and quickly went to the Chief's office.

The Chief looked him up and down, pointed to the chair opposite, "Sit…"