Empire of Shadows

Ennio's breathing was a little rapid, and the constantly rolling water on the gambling table made his throat itch and his tongue dry.

He had never seen so much money!

His father was an Imperial… eager to become someone of importance and trying to imitate the Federals. He would only tell his children to abide by the laws of the Federation, rather than let him strive for happiness.

So, for the past twenty years, Ennio's life had not been good, and it was full of poverty and hardship.

But when so much money appeared in front of him, in that instant, he understood poverty, he understood suffering, he understood the essence of all misfortune—it was money!

Yes, more money meant happiness, less money meant pain, this was the truth, undeniable.

If his father had money, he wouldn't vent his emotions at home all day and resort to domestic violence, and his mother wouldn't have left them.

If his father had money, he wouldn't be with these poor guys, racking his brains about where to get a little more money for tomorrow. He would be driving the latest convertible in the bay area, chatting about ideals with those beautiful girls.

Money makes people happy, and it also makes people suffer.

So much money, it must make him very happy, right?

Just put five dollars on the table, and then bet a little luck, and five dollars will turn into ten dollars.

He looked at Maurice, and Maurice looked at him, and shook his head slightly, "Think of my father."

Maurice's father was a gambling addict, and he was a gambling addict even in the Empire.

Their family was able to come to the Federation because of a "big gamble." His father gambled that they would become happy after coming to the Federation, and of course, it was also to escape from debt collectors.

He sold the only house and then brought his family to the Federation.

Life in the Federation was not good. He had no job and couldn't find a suitable job. The only way to earn money for his family was to pimp his wife.

In the beginning, it was seven or eight dollars a time, then five dollars a time, and now it only takes three dollars for a session.

At least one-third of the men on this street had been to Maurice's house and experienced the little path he took when he came into this world.

At first, he hated it, but now, he was numb.

His father always felt that he could win back what he lost at the gambling table, but the result was only losing more.

Ennio knew that poor and hateful man. The hand holding the banknote was not so tense anymore. Maurice let go of his hand and watched Ennio put the money back into his pocket.

"We are here to make money, not to lose money. I have been here for several years, and I have never seen anyone really win. Everyone is losing money!"

While speaking, a gambling addict sitting at the gambling table shouted loudly at the dealer amidst the shouts of the people around him and asked for another card. Twelve points, a very contradictory number.

A deck of cards has fifty-two cards, and only sixteen are "ten points," with 10 and above all counted as ten points.

There are fourteen cards on the table, and five ten-point cards can already be seen. In other words, out of the remaining thirty-eight cards, only eleven are ten points. The probability of getting a ten-point card is only twenty-eight percent.

Of course, a gambling addict won't calculate these things. If he could, he probably wouldn't be sitting at the gambling table now, but in the office of some company.

But he knew that ten points were limited. According to the order of the cards, he was very likely to get a non-ten-point number, so he asked for a card.

The dealer turned over a ten-point card for him, "Bust, brother.", and took away the poker and chips in front of him in his unbelievable gaze.

Someone in the crowd behind him suddenly slapped him on the head, "Damn you, idiot."

He stood up abruptly, turned around, and looked at the innocent faces behind him. He spread his hands out, equally innocent, "You guys told me to keep calling!"

Someone shouted in the crowd, "They told you to eat shit."

The gambling addict cursed a few times, rummaged in his pocket, and couldn't find any more money, so he had to give way.

Several people greeted each other's families kindly in order to grab that seat.

Maurice tilted his head. Ennio knew what he meant and immediately followed.

"Lost everything?", he asked.

The person who had just lost money and was slapped rolled his eyes, "What, do you want to give me money?"

Ennio nodded, "I can lend it to you."

For gambling addicts, if someone is willing to give them money, whether it's selling their ass, pimping their wife, or a high-interest loan, they are willing to accept it.

Because at this moment, they believe more than ever that they can win back what they just lost from the gambling table, and win a fortune.

"Are you from the casino?"

"I haven't seen you before."

Ennio gave the other party a cigarette, a small pack of cigarettes. The gambling addict whistled, "So how much interest are you planning to charge?"

He thought Ennio was from the casino. The casino not only organized gambling but also offered high-interest loans.

There are always some fools who can't wait to win back their capital. At this time, they don't care at all whether you tell them the interest rate is for a year, a month, or a day.

He felt that if he had called the card just now, the dealer would definitely have busted because the other people's points were not small.

Give him another chance, and he is confident that he can win back two hundred dollars!

"Do you have a permanent residence card?"

The gambling addict lit a cigarette, took a breath, and asked somewhat casually, "Do you guys still care about this now?"

Ennio nodded, "It's easier to have a work card."

He didn't say anything for certain.

The gambling addict shook his head, "Of course, how much can you lend?"

"Anything within a hundred will do."

The gambling addict was stunned for a moment. The casino actually doesn't want to lend too much because they only run the casino. Small high-interest loans are just a side business, and they are all in the twenties or thirties.

The people who gamble here are all from the neighborhood, and everyone knows each other well. They know how much money they can borrow, so they are not afraid of the other party running away, but they will not lend too much.

He had never heard that the casino could lend a hundred dollars now. He had borrowed it once before, only lending him twenty, with one dollar interest per day. He quickly paid back the money.

"What about the interest?"

"No more than thirty."

"A week?"

Ennio was also shocked, "A month!"

The gambling addict, who was originally just planning to leave after finishing this cigarette, suddenly became interested, "If I can't pay back the money…"

"Your work card will have to be handed over to us for a period of time."

For the lower class, they know better than the middle class or even the upper class what a work card means in the Federation, and they know better how big the market for this thing is among illegal immigrants.

He hesitated for a moment, "How do you give it to me? Do I have to sign a contract?"

Ennio explained it simply, then greeted Maurice, and left with the gambling addict.

The strong man at the door didn't say anything when he saw the two leaving together because he could see that Ennio was also an Imperial. The police station would not use such young Imperials, even if they couldn't recruit police officers.

Ennio made a phone call, and soon Lance came over with the contract. He glanced at the gambling addict, "Has he already told you?"

The gambling addict had a flattering smile on his face, "That's right, use the work card as collateral, and then write a check to you."

He took out the contract, which only stated that the gambling addict owed him a hundred dollars, paying back thirty-eight each month for half a year. If he couldn't pay it back, his work card would be taken away for at least nine months, up to a year.

Because Lance wanted to open a labor service company, the contract now increased the usage period for the work card from six months to nine months.

Looking at this contract, the gambling addict hesitated a bit. The interest was indeed high, but he could afford thirty-eight dollars a month.

His own job pays thirty-five and a half dollars a month, and he also has a part-time job renting it out, with an extra seventeen dollars of income each month.

That adds up to fifty-two and a half dollars, which is already more than the average Federal's income. Taking out thirty-eight, he still has fifteen dollars. Although life is a bit hard, he can get by.

And… with this hundred dollars, he is confident that he can win back two hundred dollars!

Soon, he signed his name on the contract as required by Lance, copied the disclaimer, and handed over everything that was supposed to be handed over.

Lance took out twenty five-dollar bills from his pocket and handed them over. The gambling addict walked towards the casino while cursing. He was going to kill everyone and win back what he lost.

Watching the gambling addict walk away, he took out six dollars and fifty cents from his pocket, a five-dollar bill, a one-dollar bill, and two twenty-five cent coins, and handed them to Ennio, "Your commission."

Another six dollars and fifty cents. Ennio's heart started to beat a little faster. He said sincerely, "Thank you!"

Lance patted him on the arm, "Mutual benefit. Your business is good here. I'll consider opening another company nearby. It'll be easier to handle then."

"If that's true, that would be great!", Ennio carefully put the money into his pocket, "I'll go back first. I might have to trouble you to make a few more trips these days."

"It's no trouble at all. I even hope you can trouble me more. Only then can we all make money.", He took two packs of cigarettes from the car and gave them to Ennio, "Call me if you need anything. I'll be at the company most of these days."

Clutching the two packs of cigarettes and the newly acquired six dollars and fifty cents in his hand, Ennio felt that he was one step closer to happiness.

Watching Ennio leave, Lance quickly drove back to the company. Only two or three people were resting in the company. The others had gone out to find business.

Business is relatively easier to do in this area. Just bring people over directly. Business is really not easy to do further away. It seems that the matter of letting others learn to drive must be put on the agenda.

We can't always let him run around. Or we could rent some small places in other areas, just something with two rooms would do, but that would require someone to arrange it.