Empire of Shadows

Lans' kidnapping plan seemed perfect to everyone. Hiram looked at Lans with a strange expression, "You've definitely done this before."

"Don't talk nonsense, I haven't!" Lans said with a smile and a scold, "Alright, everyone, do as I instructed just now. We don't know when that guy will call me, but we must be prepared before he calls us."

"These next few days will mainly be about this matter."

Erwin raised his hand, "The Wolf Gang's bar opens the day after tomorrow…"

Lans blinked, quickly realizing that the Wolf Gang had opened a bar on the edge of the Imperial District and the Port District, close to the Triangle District.

This was a kind of probing, and also a statement. Lans didn't say much about it, "Since they dare to extend their claws in here, they must be prepared to have them chopped off. Then let's arrange something on the side…"

The next morning, the almost completely renovated bar made it obvious at a glance that this was a place selling alcoholic beverages.

With the mayor's interference, the Dangerous Goods Administration would never investigate the Wolf Gang's bar, even if someone reported it, they wouldn't investigate.

Even if they had to go, they would call in advance so that they could hide the alcohol in time, making it impossible for anyone to find any evidence.

This also made the Wolf Gang's bar relatively popular in the Port District. Although the prices were slightly higher, at least it was safe and comfortable.

Apart from those who just wanted to get drunk, most people drank to relax, and a comfortable environment could relieve them of their fatigue.

In some occasions, the Wolf Gang members directly stated that they had people above them, so there was no need to worry about police searches and other situations when drinking in their bar, which also led to their bar business being significantly better than others.

Such blatant display of business operations was itself a guarantee of strength.

Many people said that they had connections with the Dangerous Goods Administration, which was also one of the ways the Professor used to persuade those small gangs to coexist peacefully with them, or even integrate into them!

He could guarantee that these small gangs' bars would not be harassed, and that they would be notified of any news in advance.

This was very important for small bars that were not strong in themselves, because each time they were shut down, it represented a heavy blow. They were not Lans, nor any other big gang, so it didn't matter if they were wiped out.

Of course, the Wolf Gang's bar would not directly hang up the bar's sign. No matter how powerful the mayor was, he wouldn't dare to go against the congressional executive order.

The outside of the bar was actually a place that only sold beverages, fruit juice or soda, but further inside was where the alcohol was sold.

All kinds of alcoholic drinks, just them being in bottles and placed there, was enough to make people feel the smell of wealth they exuded!

With one day left before the opening, there were already some Wolf Gang members in the bar, doing the final inspection work.

The Professor had a premonition that this bar would be very popular!

So early in the morning, he had people come over to do the final cleaning and prepare for tomorrow's business.

For this reason, he also launched some preferential activities, such as buying five cups and getting one free, so that without changing the price of the drinks, customers could feel the benefits and would be more willing to come here.

Maybe at first they would come together in groups of a few people to buy wine together, just for the sake of the free cup, but as their consumption habits developed, they would gradually stop being greedy for small advantages.

Although the Professor was a high school teacher, he also had some of his own experience in business management.

The bar manager was taking inventory, with about ten thousand dollars worth of various alcoholic beverages stored here, and another batch would be sent over after the business started.

The Wolf Gang members stood at the door chatting, their faces filled with longing for a better life abroad!

After coming to Goldport City from Fides, no matter how much else they had gained, at least in terms of wealth, they had earned in just a few months the profits they might have earned in the past year!

Goldport City was just like people said, gold was everywhere!

Even the flesh trade, which wasn't very good in Fides, became easier in Goldport City.

Girls only needed to stand on the street for a while before someone would come to them to ask for prices, or drive them away.

The girls controlled by the Wolf Gang were very cheap, two to five dollars, they never did particularly expensive business.

Two dollars was the price for most common ordinary girls, who wore heavy makeup that didn't make them look ugly.

Girls who were around 75 points in the eyes of ordinary people cost five dollars.

Anything higher than that could not be peddled on the roadside, nor could it be enjoyed by those who ate fast food on the roadside.

They had to first have enough fame, and then they could cooperate with high-end hotels to send those beautiful girls in.

In short, no matter what kind of business, the profits that could be obtained in Goldport City were several times that of Fides!

Not all of these people were from Fides. In the past few days, the Professor had integrated some small gangs. When the Wolf Gang wiped out the Red Dog Gang and gave up the territory, many people were no longer so disgusted with them.

Some people even took the initiative to integrate into the Wolf Gang, some Goldport natives.

The Professor's strategy was very successful. He gave both sides more room and scope for cooperation. When the Wolf Gang was not all from Fides, but also had Goldport natives, then no one could say for sure whether it was a local gang!

These people stood outside the bar, chatting with slight excitement, because after the bar opened tomorrow, a considerable part of its income would be controlled by the manager. The better the bar's business, the higher their income would be. Who would be dejected because their income increased?

They were chatting about some new things, some gang affairs, and also about the Lans family.

Everyone said that the Lans family's control over the Imperial District was very strict, but now they felt that it was just like that.

The bar was about to open, and maybe the Lans family didn't even know about it. How could they still boast about being the "controller of the Imperial District"?

These young faces and their young souls, under the influence of the spirit of "daring to question" in recent years, not only questioned their parents and elders, but also questioned the Lans family, which had a great reputation.

Perhaps some people would mention their recent destruction of the Gregg family, but these things and their impact had not yet fully spread.

Just as they were discussing whether the Lans family would come and fight tomorrow, or pretend not to know anything and not care, just like now.

At the corner at the end of this street, three cars were speeding towards this side.

Hiram checked the drum magazine. He felt that the thirty-odd round magazines had too few bullets. The gunsmith had made a drum magazine for Hiram that could hold seventy-five rounds, but the price was that the weight of the gun would increase a lot when using the drum magazine.

Moreover, the barrel would heat up more easily due to continuous firing. Whether or not the last dozen or so bullets could hit the target depended entirely on luck!

He pulled the bolt, loaded the bullet, and the bar in the distance was already faintly visible, and he could also see the dozen or so gang members outside the bar.

These people looked like gang members at a glance. Good people wouldn't stand at the bar door smoking and chatting. As the distance between the two sides got closer and closer, Hiram rested the barrel of the submachine gun on the car window.

When the two sides were only about fifteen meters apart, he pulled the trigger!

Not only him, but everyone else in the car also pulled the trigger, and bullets poured down like a rainstorm!

The pedestrians on the road screamed and fled after being stunned for a moment, but those people at the bar door were not so lucky!

Some of them fell down on the spot, and some of them were hit and crashed into the bar, starting to pull out their guns and fight back, and the scene was in chaos!

Although no one could stand at the door anymore, they still didn't have the idea of saving bullets. Bullets were frantically fired at the decorated bar, including its sign.

Ten seconds later, the three cars left quickly. The passers-by who were dodging the gunfire didn't even know what had happened, and it was all over!

The survivors immediately told the Professor and Wolfe what had happened here. Wolfe's temper was a little irritable. When he heard this news, he slammed the table and stood up, "Son of a bitch, let's go kill them!"

But the Professor was obviously much calmer. He looked at Wolfe, "Are you planning to go and die?"

Wolfe had a ferocious expression on his face, "If we don't retaliate, they will definitely think we are afraid of them!"

"So, are you planning to go and die?"

Wolfe's eyeballs widened, "We have only just recruited so many small gangs, and now Lans' people have given us an ugly look. What will those small gangs think?"

"They will think that we are not as strong as they thought, and they will breed some thoughts that they shouldn't have!"

"We must prove to them that we are not to be trifled with!"

The Professor pushed his glasses, "So, are you planning to go and die?"

"Lans and the others obviously knew that we opened a bar a long time ago. Their control over the Imperial District is still very strong. I guarantee that you will be discovered as soon as you enter the Imperial District."

"Then waiting for you will be a large group of people surrounding your car and shooting, and finally they will be able to take out at least two pounds of bullets from your body!"

"Then your wife will find a new man, your children will be left unattended, and your money will either rot in the bank or be spent by your wife's new husband."

"No one will remember a clown who rushed to his death. People will only remember Lans who killed many clowns."

"So, are you going to die?"

Wolfe suddenly sat back down a little dejectedly. When it came to using his brain, he trusted the Professor more than anyone else.

If it weren't for the Professor, he might not have achieved what he has today, nor would he have the Wolf Gang.

He picked up his glass and took a large gulp of water, "But tomorrow my bar might not be able to open."

Seeing that Wolf's temper had begun to subside, the Professor softened his tone a little, "If it can't open, it can't open. Just wait a few more days and renovate it."

"Next time they want to stop us so easily, it won't be so easy!"

"If you want revenge, then you better figure out where Lance's bar is. They strafed our bar, so we'll retaliate!"

"We need to plan our revenge, not rush in like idiots and get shot to death!"

Wolf slammed his glass heavily on the table, making a loud noise, "I'll handle this!"

Watching Wolf take the initiative to leave for "work," the Professor breathed a sigh of relief.

Lance was not an easy person to deal with.

The Professor didn't know what else was waiting for them, but he knew that this bar would be very difficult to open.

But in reality, this was also the first round of confrontation between them and Lance, a probing before the official showdown between the two sides.

Testing each other's abilities, observing each other more closely.

If Lance had died during the previous attack, how great would that have been?

He sighed.

Compared to the Professor's pessimistic attitude, Hiram finally had a blast this time!

The seventy-five-round drum made his hand feel slightly numb, but it must be said, it was really enjoyable!

The bullets kept spraying out of the muzzle, tearing apart everything in their path!

Whether it was a human body, or glass, or wooden boards, they would be bitten hard and then pierced through. This feeling was fantastic!

The car was full of laughter and joy. They didn't think it was any trouble at all. This was the Imperial District, the territory of the Lance family. Even the police station listened to Lance!

Three cars entered the alley one after another, parked, and Lance stood at the back door with a smile, watching them.

"Everything went smoothly?"

Hiram put the gun in a trolley next to him, and so did the others.

These guns need to have their rifling changed again, so that they don't match the bullets fired. Hiram waved his fist, "It was extremely enjoyable!"

He described everything that happened at the time, his eyebrows dancing with excitement. The feeling of this job was amazing!

Compared to the seventeen dollars a month he earned at the dock, he loved this job even if he wasn't paid!

Mador, standing beside Lance, remained vigilant behind Lance. Since Lance was attacked, he temporarily put down his work as an instructor and stayed with Lance as the captain of the guard.

Their group was made up of veterans of the Empire, carefully selected by Erwin. These people all had excellent combat experience, were good with guns, ruthless in killing, and more professional in judging the situation. They could protect Lance very well.

While others were talking, Mador was always paying attention to some movements around him. Suddenly, he noticed a moving spot of light on the wall to the left. He turned his head to look in the direction of the changing spot of light. On a building across the street, a window was being opened.

The one opening the window was an old man. If it was just that, Mador might not have been sensitive or cared.

But he found that when the old man was also looking at him, when the eyes of the two people collided across a distance of perhaps seventy or eighty meters, he sensitively realized that there was something wrong with this old man.

After the two stared at each other for a while, the old man shifted his gaze and turned back into the room.

Mador walked to Lance's side and said softly, "The room with the open window in the middle of the building on our right is a bit strange."

Lance turned his head and glanced, "I didn't see anything."

Mador said, "The person who opened the window just now has been observing us. This position is very dangerous for you."

In an instant, many things came to Lance's mind. He nodded slightly, "Take someone to check it out. If you're wrong, give them some money."

Mador immediately turned around and left with a few people. Lance also took a few steps back and returned to the house.

Erwin looked left and right and chased after him, "What's wrong?"

"I just saw that Mador's expression was a bit serious."

Lance lit a cigarette. Although the lights were on in the room, compared with the dazzling sunlight outside, it still made people feel that the room was dim.

In the dim environment, Lance's face was a little unreal. He said expressionlessly, "He suspects someone is watching us."

Erwin was about to go out and take a look, but he was afraid of being discovered, so he could only stop, "I'll call a few more people over, lest they be in danger."

Lance nodded.

He believed Mador's judgment. He had no reason to lie to himself, and he had fulfilled his promise to bring their families over.

Lance only had kindness towards him, nothing else!

He slowly exhaled smoke, and countless people flashed through his mind, but none of them could stay there for long.

At this time, Mador had already blocked the front and back doors of the departure. This apartment had a front door and a back door, both of which were guarded, and he took the others directly to the fourth floor. That window was on the fourth floor.

He found the approximate location and knocked on the door. No one in the room responded.

He took two steps back and pulled out his pistol. He clearly saw someone just now, but now the people in the room were silent. How could there be no trickery?

The others also took out their weapons. Mador took a few more steps back, and then with an explosive front kick, the door lock, which was not very strong, was kicked open at once!

The men with weapons did not rush in all at once, but stood on both sides of the door to observe.

After confirming that there was no ambush, they took turns entering the room.

There was no one in the room. Mador put away his weapon. He walked to the kitchen and opened the lid of a soup pot. Inside were the ingredients for tomato mushroom soup, prepared but not yet cooked.

The others walked around in the other rooms. There were signs of life, but no one was there.

"They shouldn't have left long ago. I saw someone here before I came.", Mador stood at the window and observed the street opposite. Most of the scene in the courtyard behind the company's house could be seen. This was indeed a good observation position.

Just as they were about to leave after searching in vain, he suddenly stopped as he passed the table, casually touched an inconspicuous spot on the edge of the table, and then sniffed it.

Then he had the person next to him also sniff it, and that person came to the same conclusion as him, "Gun oil."

Mador nodded, "Yes, gun oil."

"Notify Lance, seal off the entire building!"