Empire of Shadows

Chapter 540: Keeping Wealth Hidden [666+10]

Charlie chose a spot in the motel restaurant facing the entrance, with the kitchen door behind him.

After decades as a police officer, many things were ingrained in his bones.

No matter who it was, as long as they came in through the front door, he could see them immediately.

But also, no matter who it was, if they came in through the front door and wanted to reach him, they would need to cover a distance of about fifteen meters.

The briefcase he placed on the table had steel plates on both sides. The briefcase had no combination lock and could be unfolded instantly to form a temporary shield.

This would give him enough time to react, whether he drew the weapon from the holster in his jacket to return fire, or turned and rushed out of the kitchen door to escape.

There were some people in the restaurant. Spring had arrived, and people who had been hiding at home all winter were starting to think about leaving home and going out for a walk.

Goldport City was one of the best choices. It had some of the best beaches on the East Coast, as well as casinos and the Starlight District. It was one of the best choices for vacations and tourism!

Many people were driving towards Goldport City.

There were no insurmountable barriers between the two lanes of the federal interstate highway. People could drive however they wanted.

Although the survival rate of car accidents on state highways was very low, at least it was free!

So, whether they were going to Goldport City or leaving Goldport City, when they needed to rest or eat, they would choose the nearest motel, regardless of the direction they were going.

Charlie ate while observing the people there. He actually knew an old judge.

That old judge used to be a judge of the Licarai State Court of Appeals. He had some connections and prestige in the state's judicial field, but after thinking about it carefully, he gave up on this idea.

Not to mention how much money it would cost to ask the old judge to help him solve this problem, whether he could solve it was still a question!

Charlie's thoughts were roughly the same as those old men in the Bay Area. They didn't think Lance could push this matter through. In the deepest part of their minds, which they were unwilling to admit but had to consider, there was a big hand controlling everything.

The Williams family.

It must be them!

Charlie thought his guess was reasonable. Even if he solved the current problem, what would he do after Councilman Williams took office and became mayor?

Lance was his man, and Blue was Lance's man. Once he lost the basic foundation of the police force, Charlie would completely lose his value in the eyes of those old men in the Bay Area.

A city councilor?

For them, it was something they could create at will. Anyone could be a councilor, but that person had to be able to provide them with many services, especially services involving law enforcement agencies.

Once he lost his value, there was a high probability that he would end up like those worthless people he had dealt with.

On some moonless night, he would be shot in the back of the head or hit with a hammer, and eventually stuffed into a gasoline drum and thrown into Angel Lake.

After understanding this, Charlie decided to leave immediately and not stay.

Just like that year when he was in his thirties, he entered the basement of a deceased gentleman and saw the mutilated and bloody corpse. He decisively walked over, cut her open, and took her away in a travel bag.

He didn't hesitate at all, took all the money, got in the car, and drove straight out of the city.

To hide the fact that he was running away, he even deliberately arranged his work for the next few days with his city councilor's office before running away.

Once he left, there was a high probability that he would never return, and he also lost a lot of money.

Although he was a little unwilling, at least he was alive.

Over the years, the money he had earned, besides what was openly in Goldport City, had been transferred out through some relatively reasonable means—unregistered bonds and unregistered stocks.

These things could be cashed out anytime, anywhere, which was very convenient.

In fact, he had considered that such a day might come many years ago. No one is ever a winner forever, but when that day really came, it still made him feel uncomfortable.

He shouldn't be leaving the stage so dejectedly.

Swallowing the hamburger in his mouth, his expression changed slightly. He thought this hamburger would be very difficult to eat, after all, how good could the food at a motel be.

But unexpectedly, the beef patty was very delicious, the kind of taste that was very similar to the hamburger beef patties found in high-end restaurants.

He ordered a set meal, a hamburger, some fries, and a glass of lemonade with sugar.

Looking at the simple dinner, thinking that he still had a long way to go, he then raised his hand, "Excuse me..."

The girl who was talking to a young man at the bar took the initiative to walk over, holding the restaurant's order book in her hand, "Sir, is there anything I can do for you?"

The girl spoke with a bit of a lazy tone. Charlie did a little reading comprehension to understand, "I noticed that you have steak here...", he glanced at the menu on the bar.

The girl looked back, nodded, "Yes, steak, would you like some?"

"Bring me one, I'll eat it here, and prepare two more of these set meals and two steaks, and water, I'll take them with me when I leave."

The girl quickly recorded his requests in the order book, "So that's a total of three steaks, one to eat now, two to take away, and then two basic set meals to take away, right?"

Charlie nodded and said, "It seems so, how much do I owe you for all this?"

The girl did a simple calculation, sixty-nine cents for a steak, thirty cents for a set meal, a total of... She scribbled for a while before coming up with a number, "Two dollars and sixty-seven cents, sir."

"Check or cash?"

Check?

He didn't know if those accounts had been found, but in any case, he wouldn't use the checks under those accounts now.

Even if he wanted to use them, it would be a few years later, or he wouldn't even use them himself, but would directly hand them over to a money laundering group to clean them before using them.

He had cash on him. Cash was now the most difficult type of transaction to trace.

He took out his wallet, took out three dollars from it, and handed it over, "The rest is your tip."

The girl was stunned for a moment, "You're very generous, sir.", she said, taking a few more steps towards the table, slightly lifting the corner of her skirt, revealing her thigh, "Maybe you'd like to relax after dinner?"

This was actually quite normal. At this time, it was a common phenomenon for female waitresses in roadside restaurants on the interstate highway to work as escorts after get off work.

She saw a thick stack of banknotes in Charlie's wallet. What she wanted was not a tip of more than thirty cents, but more money!

Ten dollars, or even twenty dollars!

Charlie didn't react for a moment. He was already in his sixties, and someone was actually soliciting him, but soon he took out two more dollars and handed them over, "Sorry, I don't need it, but thank you for your kindness."

Please... You.... Collect _ (Six \\ \\ \\ Nine \\ \\ \\ Book \\ \\ \\ Bar!)

The girl looked at the two dollars for a few seconds before taking them. The flirtatious expression on her face faded, and she lowered her skirt, "Sorry to bother you, sir."

She returned to the bar, handed the menu recording Charlie's requests to the young cook in the restaurant kitchen, and then went back to serving other customers.

It was dinner time, so there were many people in the restaurant. Charlie quickly received his steak, which was indeed delicious.

There should be a small ranch behind the motel. These were either raised by them or there were ranches nearby that could deliver fresh beef every day.

As long as the ingredients are fresh and healthy enough, they will definitely be delicious.

He had been to slaughterhouses. After the butchers killed the cows, they cut the strips of meat and put them on the table.

Even without any processing, you could smell the rich aroma of meat from these meats.

He ate very satisfied. It would be even better if there was some wine, but he wouldn't do anything out of line at this time, which would make him subconsciously remembered by some people.

After dinner, he needed to rest for a while, so he opened a room in the hotel.

The girl stood by the window and kept watching him until she saw him enter a room on the first floor before withdrawing her gaze.

"What's wrong?", the cook in the kitchen asked.

They were boyfriend and girlfriend, and of course he knew that the girl was working as an escort, but that was their way of life.

The satisfaction brought by money was enough to make up for the sense of loss occasionally caused by others entering his garden, and sometimes he even felt excited because of it!

He also glanced out the window through the greasy window, but didn't notice anything unusual.

The girl withdrew her gaze, "That old man, his wallet is full of money, such a thick stack!"

She gestured with her hand, obviously exaggerating a little.

Her boyfriend didn't believe it at all, "That old man looks very ordinary, how could he have so much money, I won't be fooled!"

But the girl said very seriously, "I swear on my grandmother, it's true."

"And many of them are twenty-dollar bills, and he also has a briefcase..."

The cook's expression changed subtly. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "You mean, the briefcase is also full of money?"

For some reason, his heart started to beat faster.

Staying in this damn place and doing this job seems pretty good, but in reality their income is extremely limited, otherwise he wouldn't let his girlfriend do temporary escorting.

Those truck drivers are not gentle white-collar workers, they are all people who jump up and kick, sometimes when they encounter a particularly rude one, they can't close their legs for two or three days!

Now that she had told him the old man's wallet was full of money, and that his suitcase likely was too, how could he not be tempted?

He clutched his chest, trying to keep his heart from leaping out. "What… what do you plan to do?"

The girl looked annoyed. "He rejected me!"

The cook took a deep breath. "Damn it, that old bastard!" His eyes gradually turned sinister.

So much money. If he missed this opportunity, he might never get another one in his lifetime!