Empire of Shadows

The suppressed gasps coming from behind the half-closed door made the apprentice's fingernails dig into his palm, and blood slowly seeped out from the cracked wounds.

The dark doorway seemed to hold everything he hated!

He clearly hated it, wanting to rush in and slam his fist into that fat face, but he was too cowardly, only daring to vent all his hatred here, in his heart.

Sometimes he didn't understand what was happening to the world, why it seemed all the misfortunes happened to him!

His parents were already divorced, and the man he once saw as his life goal and role model had left Goldenport City with a woman seven or eight years younger than him.

He was assigned to his mother because he was not yet an adult, and his father explicitly stated that he was unwilling to be his guardian.

After a brief consultation with a lawyer, he lived with his mother.

In recent years, more and more illegal immigrants had come here, making it difficult to find work and wages were low. Everyone was talking about the development of Goldenport City, saying that its economy was developed, but as a native of Goldenport City, he only felt the enormous pressure of competition.

More than half a year ago, his mother suddenly told him to learn a craft. At that time, he had already graduated from high school. After some "investigation", he learned that the best business nearby was Johnny's Bakery.

Earning one or two hundred dollars a month was like an astronomical figure to a child from a single-parent family.

Then he was sent over. In the past six months, he had used up most of his mother's meager income, but he hadn't learned anything.

Apart from kneading dough, making dough blanks, how to make bread delicious, how to match ingredients, or even the production process of some high-end breads, he didn't know anything!

Not only did he do high-intensity free labor, but he also had to pay Johnny ten dollars a month.

He hated everything that happened here, hated this store, hated Johnny, and even hated himself.

Now, another person was going to be added, his mother.

To save that little bit of money, she was currently in the room helping Johnny relax his body. He knew what was happening, but he couldn't do anything.

A few minutes later, she came out, adjusting her disheveled top.

Seeing her son's terrible gaze, her expression also changed slightly.

Without saying a word, she nodded slightly and planned to leave, but the apprentice chased after her.

"Why?" he asked.

In the alley behind the bakery, the woman stopped and turned to look at him, "Because Johnny's craftsmanship is the best. If you learn his bread-making skills, at least you'll have a way to survive in the future. This is also your own decision."

The apprentice didn't understand and still asked, "Why?"

"Why do you have to... do those things."

The woman was still so calm, "Because we're out of money."

The apprentice suddenly fell silent, but the woman didn't stop talking because of his silence. She knew that this boy hated her, "Now you don't have many choices. Either you leave here and find a job to support yourself first."

"He promised me that he would let you stay here for at least three more months."

The apprentice wanted to say something, but didn't know how to start. He had used up a lot of the family's money, and she had also sacrificed herself so that he could continue learning.

Leaving at this time was no longer as simple as leaving or not. It seemed like there were two choices, but in reality, there weren't that many choices.

He didn't know what sunk cost was, but he knew that if he left now, everything he had invested would be wasted.

Seeing that her son was silent again, and recalling the suppressed anger and frightening gaze he had just given her, the woman's expression also changed slightly.

"You're all grown up. There's something I haven't told you. I'm also planning to leave here."

The apprentice suddenly raised his head to look at her, "You... when are we leaving?"

She shook her head, "Not we, but I. I met a man at work, a foreign tourist. He hopes I can go with him, and I agreed."

"So... the time left for you is not much."

After the woman said this, she left. This may be the best choice she thought. She had already given enough to her child.

Time, youth, money, and even dignity. Now she should live for herself.

The apprentice didn't say a word until her back disappeared into the alley. He was completely stunned.

First his father, now her.

After a day of numbly working, he mopped the floor twice and lay exhausted on the bed, thinking about how to change the situation, how to... learn Johnny's bread-making skills.

He thought that he would learn it one day, but now it seemed that he was too naive.

In a daze, he thought, if Johnny couldn't make bread himself, could he replace him to make bread and learn those recipes and techniques?

As he fell asleep with this thought, in his dream, Johnny was injured, disabled, and unable to make bread, so he had to let him help him make it.

He learned all of Johnny's recipes and techniques, and then opened his own bakery, selling it more affordably and selling better. Soon Johnny and his damn daughter lost their income and were homeless...

The next morning, when the apprentice woke up and looked at the simple ceiling, he realized that everything was just a dream.

Today was Thursday, and business was starting to pick up. Johnny would personally make bread today.

After finishing his work in the morning, he stood in the back kitchen waiting for Johnny to come over. Johnny came in shortly after and started preparing the ingredients.

But just as he started, he suddenly turned to look at the apprentice, "What are you still doing here?"

In his dreams and thoughts, the apprentice launched a heavy attack on Johnny, but in real life, he was submissive, "I... I think I might be able to help you with the work."

Johnny sneered, "Trying to steal my skills?"

"Get out, you little bastard. Don't think that just because your mother sucked me off, I'm going to teach you this."

"People offered me five hundred dollars and I didn't sell my skills. Your mother is only worth five dollars at most!"

"Now, get out of this room before I get angry, and then close the door!"

The apprentice's fists were clenched tightly, but Johnny wasn't afraid at all. He knew about the apprentice and the woman's situation, and he was sure he had these two in his grasp.

"You still want to hit me?" He walked over and slapped the apprentice's head with his flour-covered hand, "Either pack your things and get out, or get out and add water to the boiler!"

In the end, the apprentice compromised. He released his fists, "Yes, Boss." He was also required to call Johnny "Boss." Then he left the room, but the hatred continued to rise.

From now until the afternoon was Johnny's "working time." He would prepare all the recipes and make some of the more high-end breads or cakes, and the rest would be left for the apprentice to do in the afternoon.

So the apprentice had two or three hours. While adding water to the boiler, he thought of the dream he had vaguely had last night.

A dozen minutes later, he changed his clothes and left the bakery.

The advantage of being a local apprentice was that he had some friends. Although he was busy with work, he would sometimes chat with some people.

He actually knew everything that had happened in Goldenport City recently, the locals' hatred of immigrants, and the violent crimes that had evolved into robbery and vandalism.

A few days ago, he heard a friend say that they had smashed an immigrant's shop and robbed a lot of good things.

Originally, he just listened to this as a joke. After all, he couldn't do such a thing, and he didn't dare to, but now he felt that this was an opportunity.

In the afternoon, the door of the back kitchen of the bakery finally opened, and a large number of prepared doughs were placed on the shelves to proof.

Johnny, covered in sweat, walked out shirtless. His thick body hair made him look like a bear!

"Get in there and watch the bread on the proofing rack. When it's almost ready, put them in the oven. If it's over-proofed or not baked properly, you know the consequences!"

As he spoke, a lewd smile appeared on his face, "Although your mother's appearance is very average, she's really good in bed!"

He was a little surprised. Before, when he said this, the apprentice would have a suppressed anger. He liked to see the apprentice's incompetent rage, which gave him a kind of... pleasure of dominating other people's fate.

Although he was just a small person, he also pursued this pleasure.

Today, the apprentice didn't show the hateful but submissive look. He just glanced at him, turned around, and went into the back kitchen.

Johnny felt very bored and went back to rest.

Tired all noon, he had to get a good sleep.

Business was good today. Although the city was still a bit chaotic, it was generally moving towards re-stabilization.

Some people would stay in the bakery to eat bread, drink coffee, and chat, so his business would naturally not be too bad.

In the evening, Johnny sat at the dining table eating fried chicken, counting the money in the cash box with his greasy hands.

The apprentice was mopping the floor. When he mopped to the door, he quietly opened the bolt that was inserted.

In the shadows, his eyes flickered with hatred and pleasure...