Empire of Shadows

Weapons are actually quite common in Gold Port City.

When violence becomes the rule under the sun, weapons inevitably become an important resource for ensuring one's own rights and infringing upon the interests of others.

"Having a gun in hand" versus "I'll call the police afterward," the smart people of Gold Port know which to choose.

Although weapons are common, not everyone possesses them, and even fewer openly display them.

Only three types of people dare to do so:

Federal law enforcement officers, who have legal gun permits. Even if they shoot you, they only need to write a report stating, "…I showed my identification, and then he rushed at me to seize my weapon. According to rule…and rule…, I fired," followed by a vacation and enthusiastic greetings from colleagues upon their return.

The second type is gang members, who not only don't hide their weapons but actually hope more people see them.

The fear caused by the lethality of weapons makes them feel excited.

The third type is the capitalists' people.

They are even more terrifying because the first two types still adhere to some rules, but the capitalists' people only recognize money.

In the face of money, laws and morals cannot stop them from pulling the trigger.

In the western suburbs of Gold Port City, there is a place called "Angel Lake," a tourist attraction. There is a local saying in Gold Port City that only locals know.

"When capitalists get angry, the water level of Angel Lake rises!"

Outsiders may not understand this, but locals know that the lake level rises because too many gasoline barrels have been thrown in!

Regardless of which type, the son-of-a-bitch drunkard couldn't afford to offend them.

This kind of low-level character actually knows better than the big shots how to deal with this kind of crisis and make choices.

When faced with a potential crisis, he immediately compromised without the slightest hesitation, so quickly that it felt... practiced!

"I'll do it right away. I guarantee this won't happen again!"

Fordyce withdrew his hand, and his coat naturally fell, concealing the weapon, which made the son-of-a-bitch breathe a sigh of relief.

In just a few seconds, he felt his head heat up, his body sweating, as if he had almost died!

He looked at Elvin and Lance with uncertain and suspicious eyes.

"I have something I want to talk about with…this gentleman."

Fordyce looked at Lance for a few seconds, then turned around, "I'll be here. You can call me if there's a problem."

Throughout the entire company, Fordyce is the boss's confidant. The fact that he was sent out to work must be because the boss found this young man interesting.

He knew what to do.

Lance looked at the son-of-a-bitch drunkard, signaling that he should step aside, "Unless you want to stand at the door and talk, your neighbors will definitely be curious about what we talked about."

"If you hope to become the laughingstock of this apartment building tomorrow morning, then we can stand here and make things clear."

The son-of-a-bitch drunkard suddenly woke up. Although he was a little fearful, disgusted, and hateful, he still stepped aside and welcomed Lance in.

Federal people also care about face, even a son-of-a-bitch drunkard.

Typical low-level apartment. The space is less than forty square meters. The kitchen, dining room, and bathroom are almost squeezed together, and inside is a bedroom and a small storage room.

This is very interesting.

The federal lower class can live without an independent kitchen, but they cannot live without a storage room.

Most of the lower class are very poor, but they always have a lot of inexplicable and useless things that they are unwilling to throw away. Generally, this kind of thing is called a burden.

Just like themselves, and their value on their life path.

If there is no storage room, the house will only be a mess.

There are no traces of a woman's life, no traces of a child's life, but there is a photo frame on the dining table, with a photo of this man and a child. It seems that this son-of-a-bitch drunkard's life is not good.

The dubious stains on the sofa and the strange smell made Lance have no intention of sitting down to chat. He just stood there, not too far from the door.

"Listen, Ethan is my friend. I will have him apologize to you for his recklessness, but you are also at fault. You shouldn't have tried to withhold the money that belongs to him."

The son-of-a-bitch drunkard was a little dazed, just nodding subconsciously, making an "um, um" sound.

"So after the charges are dropped, I will have him apologize to you, but you must also return the wages you withheld from him."

"I can let him not pursue your behavior this time, but you must also guarantee that this is the last time."

"After that, your relationship will still exist. He will continue to use your work card every month and pay you appropriate remuneration, and you can no longer make things difficult for him or take advantage of the remuneration."

As Lance spoke, he walked to the dining table and picked up the photo frame, "A very beautiful little guy. Is this your child?"

The son-of-a-bitch drunkard, who was still a little confused, suddenly woke up. He seemed very nervous, "This has nothing to do with him."

Lance put down the photo frame and said with a smile, "Whether it has anything to do with him depends on your choice, sir."

"We are just some hateful stowaways, thieves from other worlds. There is nothing for us to miss here."

"But you have your family here, your child, right?"

The drunkard nodded repeatedly, "I know, I will give him all the money, but don't mess around."

Lance's hand rested on the edge of the dining table. The sticky, greasy feeling suddenly made him feel very bad, but now was not the time to show it.

"I have always believed in one thing, that the operation of everything has a trajectory and rules."

"When the rules exist, we do it according to the rules. That's enough."

"The market price, fifteen dollars, is what you deserve, and no one can take away the money that belongs to you. This is the rule."

"As long as you abide by the rules, we will also abide by the rules."

Ethan looked at Lance at the door with admiration in his eyes. He had never thought that so many things would happen in one day!

Ethan ran away, they encountered trouble, and then Lance took him to borrow money. Although he didn't borrow money, the problem was solved.

He also took a car and saw Lance being so handsome at this moment!

It was worth it!

So handsome!

A series of surprises, even if his mind was muddled, the son-of-a-bitch drunkard was now completely awake, "I know what to do."

He hesitated for a while, "Can I know your name?"

Lance's face had a smile that seemed to be in control of everything, full of confidence, and even a little arrogant, "Lance!"

A few minutes later, the son-of-a-bitch drunkard changed into a set of clothes. Although there was still a strong smell, it was much better than before.

He sat in the car without saying a word. After arriving at the branch, he immediately explained the situation and signed a document under the impatient urging of the police.

Lance, sitting in the car, witnessed everything through the glass window. This feeling was magical.

Fordyce couldn't help but ask curiously, "Aren't you afraid?"

Lance turned his head and looked at him through the rearview mirror, "What are you referring to?"

Fordyce curled his lips, "This is the police station, and as far as I know, you are an illegal immigrant, and the kid next to you is too."

Lance couldn't help but stroke the car door. The delicate feel of the walnut wood made him feel very comfortable. No wonder some people like vintage cars.

"Not at all."

"Can I know why?"

"Because between me and them, there is still a distance of twenty thousand dollars, and this distance is insurmountable for them."

Fordyce thought for a long time before saying with some emotion, "Full of wise remarks. Are you really only eighteen years old?"

Lance didn't answer this question, just smiled.

Ethan was hiding in a culvert under a bridge not far away. This place had been abandoned, and many homeless people lived here.

The advantage here is that it is very warm in winter because the outside wind cannot blow in, and it is very cool in summer because the shade and some cold air in the pipes will slowly release outward.

In front of Lance and Elvin, Ethan apologized to the son-of-a-bitch drunkard, "I shouldn't have hit you so impulsively. I apologize to you. I'm sorry, sir."

When he said these words, the son-of-a-bitch drunkard could still feel his cheekbones aching again.

Ethan was only twenty years old, but he looked at least twenty-seven or eight years old, or even older.

He was very strong. His father was a leather craftsman. In the Empire, including the Federation, leather craftsmen were actually a respected profession.

Because it represents a craft and social status.

It is hard to imagine what social status a leather craftsman can have, but from the evolution of past social classes, this actually exists.

Because those who could afford leather goods at the beginning were often nobles, so leather craftsmen were initially a group serving the nobles, and their social status was higher than ordinary people.

It was precisely because leather craftsmen had a stable income and better social status that Ethan's father raised him tall and strong.

This guy, who made the son-of-a-bitch drunkard both surprised and frightened, bowing and bowing, also dispelled some of the haze in his heart.

He glanced at Lance and Fordyce next to him, and finally recognized reality, "I also have things I did wrong. It's not all your fault. We've made up…"

Ethan got his twenty dollars, not a penny less. Originally, the drunkard planned to give a few more dollars, but Lance refused.

Rules are rules. Try not to be a rule-breaker, especially when you lack power; it's a survival tip.

After watching the son-of-a-bitch drunkard leave, Lance asked Fordyce to wait a little longer. He had some things to say to Ethan.