Empire of Shadows

“Bandi…”

Gao Li looked at Bandi with some disappointment in his eyes. The Koda family wasn't like this in the past.

Back then, in order to monopolize the casino project, their ancestors worked hard towards this goal.

During the time of their grandfather's generation and their father's generation, the power and deterrence of the Koda family reached its peak!

Any forces that didn't abide by the rules they set would be subjected to their cruel bloodbath until all the casinos in the city were closed down.

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There wasn't so much lobbying, communication, or negotiation.

They just spoke with bullets and gunmen.

If you opened a casino in the morning, a gunman would stand in front of you that night and shoot you.

The unreasonable and reckless actions did cause them a lot of trouble, but it was undeniable that they ultimately unified the industry.

Everyone knew that if the Koda family didn't allow it, it was best not to get involved in the casino business, otherwise, it would be a never-ending battle with them.

At that time, even criminal businesses that had nothing to do with casinos, they could say a few words about. People feared them because they saw their muscle!

But now, the Koda family seemed to have become less pure.

Laundering money has made Bandi less courageous than his father's generation. He seemed to be losing the courage and muscle of a gangster.

Bandi looked at Gao Li, "What do you want to say?"

Gao Li's lips moved, and finally, he shook his head, but Bandi clearly wanted to continue on this topic.

He felt that Gao Li not understanding him was the worst thing!

"We got on a very fast car, and it's running straight ahead."

"It was difficult to get on. We needed to have enough to impress the driver and the owner of the car so that they would stop for us."

"But after getting on the car, it's even harder to get off."

"Because it won't stop for us, even if we take out everything we're carrying."

"The only way to get off is to jump."

"But jumping out of the car is certain death!"

"I'm not afraid of them, nor am I afraid of starting a war. What I'm afraid of is that our efforts over the years will be dragged back into the mud because we can't help ourselves for a moment!"

"We've already cleaned ourselves up. There's no need to wade into the muddy water again, don't you think?"

Gao Li didn't understand, nor did he want to understand. He only knew that everything the Koda family had wasn't because they licked some senator's ass, but because they were more ruthless than others and were willing to share wealth.

"You have the final say, but I think, Bandi, sometimes what we need is to show our fangs!"

"Instead of letting people know we have fangs, but don't want to use them!"

Bandi just nodded. Gao Li knew that he had said enough, so he found an excuse to leave the office.

Bandi in the office smoked a cigarette. He actually knew these things, but sometimes, once a decision was made, it was difficult to change it.

It's like a very long ship entering a narrow river. When it's halfway through, even if it finds that this is not the road it wants to take, it can only bite the bullet and continue.

Because it can't turn around.

Going down might still have a chance to return to the sea and choose again.

Turning around has a high probability of getting stuck here.

He picked up the phone, dialed Mr. Hairick's number, and took a deep breath.

After seven or eight rings, the phone was finally answered.

"This is Hairick."

"It's me, Bandi."

"Ah ha, Mr. Bandi, you're calling me at this time, do you have any good news?"

Bandi's expression showed some wry smiles, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hairick, I wasn't able to convince Lance. I believe we can't accept the conditions he proposed."

Although he knew that this "unacceptable" would most likely make him angry, he still wanted to hear it. "What requirements did he make?"

"Compensate him for the loss of three and a half million."

Actually, Lance said it was four million when he left, but he said it was three and a half million, "For my sake, he's only willing to reduce it by five hundred thousand. He originally wanted four million."

A favor is worth five hundred thousand, it can't be said that this favor is cheap. His purpose in doing this is to show his value.

He didn't do nothing, it's just that Lance's side is indeed not easy to deal with.

Hairick laughed in anger after hearing these words, "It's so funny, Mr. Bandi."

Bandi didn't respond. After waiting for a while, Hairick continued, "I have something I don't quite understand. As one of the most prestigious gangs in Goldport City, can't the Koda family even solve a small gang?"

His words made Bandi a little annoyed, "Mr. Hairick, when you called me to help you solve this trouble, did you consider that your conventional methods are actually ineffective?"

"That's why you called me, hoping that I could help you solve these troubles?"

This range directly stumped Hairick. He was stunned for a while, and then he realized that this was actually a kind of "provocation."

The expression on his face also became not very friendly, "I thought we were friends."

He said.

Bandi didn't give in at all, but he wasn't so tough, "We can be friends."

He paused, "The price to be paid to take down the Lance family is too high, Mr. Hairick. Its price is far higher than what he's asking you for."

"Can you understand what I mean?"

Hairick didn't understand, but he didn't want to continue talking to Bandi, this piece of trash, "I understand, then I'll think of other ways."

"If you have any other good ideas, you can also call me."

He hung up after saying that, and didn't even mention the annual meeting invitation. He couldn't muster the slightest interest in a long-established waste.

Using Bandi is because in his eyes, even if the Koda family's reputation is great, it's still a gang.

If he looks for someone else, then he will really owe someone a favor, but he can't owe this favor.

There is a saying in the Federation, called "Do not owe others favors for interests that are not related to you", to put it simply is not to put your own promises or interests on official business.

Lance, who walked out of the casino unimpeded, got into the car. He glanced at the tall Goldport Casino office building, and the car slowly started to move.

"Do you want to arrange for someone to show them some color?", Hiram, sitting in the passenger seat, flicked his hair and looked at Lance through the rearview mirror.

Lance's gaze stayed on the street outside the car. After about half a minute, he said, "Not for the time being. If they want to mess around, then let them wake up."

"Goldport City is not only the Goldport people's Goldport City, but also ours."

Bandi, the threat of the Koda family, in his eyes, there is actually nothing that can make him uneasy. In some of his and Councilor Williams' previous decisions, the Koda family was to be sacrificed.

Changes in the Senate seats, subsequent job adjustments in the state government, new interest groups and old interest groups have begun to form, split, and confront each other.

This is very obvious. Mr. President did not have an advantage in the election, but he won again. It is the moment for those "own people" who do not support him to be purged.

Political purges will be a little gentler than gang purges. They will first remind those who are about to be purged —

It may be a morning news broadcast, or it may be the front page of a newspaper. A reporter, under circumstances where no one knows how he did it, began to reveal that someone may have some illegal phenomena.

This is actually equivalent to telling these people "We are going to take action against you. If you have a way to solve this problem, then do it as soon as possible."

If they can reach a compromise through other methods, such as exchanging interests, the official media will tell people that these reports are nonsense and are fabricated to attract people's attention.

Now the rumors have been clarified, and there have been no accidents. Everything is normal.

But if you can't find a way to compromise, then the official will soon start to take action and carry out a bloody purge.

There may be some changes in the people behind Bandi. Lance doesn't care. That's the game and confrontation of the top level. He only needs to be able to deal with Bandi and transport the benefits to Congress through this "pipe"!

The convoy's driving routes are irregular. Sometimes it will go from here, sometimes it will go from there, and sometimes it may even go around in a circle.

Today, Mador, who was responsible for setting the route, drove directly through the city center. Lance hadn't been to the city center for a while.

The central business atmosphere of the entire city is still very strong, and there are many people walking on the street who look very professional.

This is the place with the most companies in Goldport City, and it is also one of the most prosperous places.

However, its prosperity is different from the prosperity of the Bay Area and the prosperity of the Star District. The prosperity here reveals a taste of money!

Lance had been thinking about some things, and at the same time, his eyes were locked on the outside of the window. He suddenly realized that this road was a bit familiar.

"Is this the road to the Hazardous Materials Administration?"

Mador nodded, "Yes, we will pass by its door."

Lance didn't say anything else, nor did he express his position.

When the car passed by the Hazardous Materials Administration, he looked towards it half a kilometer away, looking without any purpose, just simply taking a few more glances.

What he didn't know was that Panda was also looking at the scenery on the street outside the window at this moment.

He saw a luxurious motorcade passing quickly outside the gate of the Dangerous Goods Administration. It's so nice that these rich people can be so rich!

"Panda, did you hear what I said?"

Panda's gaze returned from outside the window, and stopped on Director Dale's body. There was no expression on his face, only a kind of expression that could be regarded as numbness.

Originally, Director Dale told him before the Saint Nong Festival that he should be able to be promoted to senior agent soon.

By then, he would have more income, a higher status, and he would not need to run on the front line every day.

He only needs to take the files and go on missions with people when there are missions to do.

Most of the other time is spent reading magazines and newspapers in a separate office to pass the time.

Of course, he doesn't want higher income, higher status, or a separate office. He just feels that this is what he deserves.

But now, the senior agent position that originally belonged to him has a problem.

Panda looked at Director Dale and nodded, "I know, I will obey the arrangements of the bureau."

Director Dale looked at him, "You still have resentment in your heart."

Panda didn't speak. He had made so many contributions. Although many of them were "fed" to him by Lance, he was indeed more impeccable than others in his work.

Now a senior agent is parachuted in to fill the vacancy.

In other words, if he wants to be promoted to senior agent, he will have to wait until the next opportunity.

But he doesn't know when the next time will be.

The Tobacco, Alcohol and Dangerous Goods Administration is a department directly under the National Assembly, with vertical management. The only way to get a senior agent vacancy is for someone to be promoted.

But as a vertically managed department where a potato fills a hole, wanting a senior agent to be promoted means that there needs to be an extra director's position.

This is a very young bureau. When it was established, the National Assembly selected elite forces from law enforcement agencies across the country.

The oldest is in their fifties, and the youngest are young men in their twenties.

In other words, he may have to wait more than ten years before he can be promoted to senior agent through normal procedures. How could he not be angry?

Director Dale also knew that this matter was a bit inappropriate, but it was an exchange of interests.

He had to do this, although he felt a little sorry for Panda.

"Next time, next time there is an opportunity, no matter who speaks up again, I will veto it. The next promotion will definitely be yours, I swear!"

"In addition, I have asked someone to organize an office. You can move in then."

"I will also give you the salary according to the standard of a senior agent. What I want to say is that I will do everything possible to make up for your losses."

Panda nodded and said in a muffled voice, "I know, the office is unnecessary, I don't want them to say that I'm making a special case."

Director Dale nodded, walked around the table and came to him, held his hand and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Panda, I guarantee, there will definitely be a chance for you next time..."

After coming out of the director's office, he wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, but the muscles on his face refused to listen to him.

He is very angry now!

He came out of the office, returned to his desk and sat down. The female colleague next to him tiptoed and pushed the universal wheel chair over, "Boss, did you talk about promotion early in the morning?"

"Panda, you have to treat us this time!"

The people around him looked at him with smiles on their faces. Panda is actually a good colleague. He is closer to them than those colleagues who were senior agents from the beginning.

As Panda's "good friend", once Panda gains higher status and power, they can also benefit from it.

They will form a new interest group. This kind of thing is actually everywhere in society. This is just a microcosm.

Panda squeezed out a not-so-good-looking smile, "It's all gone."

"Why?"

The female colleague's voice suddenly became louder, and everyone else looked over here. Some of the colleagues in the distance looked puzzled, but others had schadenfreude smiles on their faces.

Anyway, I'm happy as long as my colleagues are unlucky. This kind of person is very common.

"The higher-ups transferred a senior agent down to temporarily fill this position, so my transfer has been temporarily shelved."

The female colleague patted the table with empathy, "Didn't Dale resist?"

Panda didn't speak. Obviously, Director Dale probably didn't resist, and may even have accepted it happily.

"Fack!", the female colleague cursed, and then comforted him, "He's too much. You've done better than anyone else. We've all seen it."

"He should have confronted the higher-ups. Front-line work is inherently dangerous and difficult. They don't think about solving our burdens, but they come to snatch our positions. I've never seen anything like this!"

His colleagues around him were also comforting him. No matter what, Panda was the most promising to be promoted.

There will always be another chance. Next time, he will definitely be promoted.

He thanked everyone for their comfort and accepted it, then packed up his things and left work early on the grounds of investigating a case.

No one recorded these things, and it was indeed time for him to go out for a walk.

Director Dale also knew about this, and didn't delve into it. This was in line with the requirements of the work manual.

Moreover, this matter was indeed his problem. If he had submitted Panda's name earlier, then there might not have been a situation where a senior agent was parachuted in.

It was because he had not stated his thoughts on the arrangement of candidates for this position that the people above simply arranged one directly. He was mainly responsible for Panda not being able to be promoted.

So now that Panda was obviously going out to relax, he didn't say anything.

After wandering around outside for a long time and drinking some wine, he drove home.

Lisa walked over to take off his coat for him after seeing him come back, "Have you been drinking?"

Panda was originally dizzy, but he was much more sober at this time, "Yes, I'm sorry... I forgot that I shouldn't drink."

He was referring to Lisa's pregnancy.

Lisa shook her head, "Are you in trouble?"

Panda came to the sofa with her and sat down. He didn't know how to say it, "I... my promotion may be gone."

Lisa knew very well how much he had prepared for the promotion during this time. He even planned a small promotion event, and then called everyone together to celebrate.

He also made some work arrangements, but now, it's all over.

Lisa saw his grievances. She hugged her husband, "Did they bully you?"

"No, no..."

He hugged Lisa back, as if he wanted to rub her into his own body!

Panda drank some more wine in the evening, and rarely went to bed early, sleeping alone in the study.

Since Lisa became pregnant, he and Lisa have been sleeping in separate beds, mainly because he was afraid of hurting Lisa.

Looking at Panda's aggrieved and disappointed appearance, Lisa felt very unbearable.

After hesitating again and again, she dialed Lance's phone.

"There's something I think I should tell you..."