Empire of Shadows

Power, that thing, is like those hallucinogens that can create a strong dependence in people.

Once you taste a hint of its fragrance, it's hard to quit.

In the past, Pang Da was just an ordinary agent in the Hazardous Materials Administration, nothing special, just like those agents in the public office (hall).

They only had good relationships with the colleagues around them and the colleagues in their group, and they didn't understand those who were farther away or not in their group at all.

Everyone might know each other, but there would be no contact, and no one would pay special attention to him.

No one would care about his joys, sorrows, and happiness. Others would not be happy because of his happiness, nor would they be sad because of his sadness.

Human joys and sorrows are inherently different, so it can't be said that these people are doing something wrong, they are just not wasting their emotions.

But now, it's different.

He found that people can actually empathize with his emotional changes.

When he comes in the morning with a smile on his face, his subordinates will also report their work to him with a smile, and actively seek to share his happiness—what makes you so happy?

People will also restrain their emotions because he has a stern face, so as not to let their emotions affect him.

Look, people can actually see and discover all of this.

What changed them was not the friendship between them and Pang Da, but the difference in their status.

Power is like magic, when you have power, it will turn everyone into the way you want them to be.

If the power could be a little more, a little bigger.

Wouldn't Lisa not be sad?

The phone was quickly connected, because he had his own independent office and a secure line, so he was not afraid of anyone eavesdropping on his call now.

"I have already reported the warehouse in the Triangle Area, but Director Dale said that he will not take action for the time being. I think his meaning is not only not to take action against this warehouse, but not to take action against everything that happened on your side."

He said it in one breath, then took a deep breath, "He seems very worried, I don't know what he is worried about, but it can be seen that he is indeed a little... I can't describe it, like he is being restricted."

"Is it related to your contact with the Department of Defense?"

Lance laughed after listening to him babbling a lot, "You listened to him?"

Pang Da did not deny it, "Only he can find out this kind of news, you know, he used to be from Jinzhou."

Lance considered it for a while, and selected some content to say, "Maybe he realized that the gap between us is not as big as he thought, this is a good thing, at least it proves one thing, he is not a brainless person."

"Since he asked you to stop, then stop, so I can save some money."

Pang Da didn't speak. At first, Lance thought he wasn't listening. When he asked, "Are you listening?", Pang Da immediately said that he was listening.

It was this process that made Lance realize why Pang Da didn't speak.

"You are worried.", Lance said.

He lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and slowly exhaled, "What are you worried about?"

In fact, he knew what Pang Da was worried about, but as for their special relationship, Lance needed Pang Da to be honest with him.

It can be said that this is a test, and the result of the test represents Pang Da's position here in Lance.

Pang Da was also hesitating, thinking, and weighing.

After more than ten seconds, he whispered, "If there are no major cases, how can I get promoted."

A slight smile appeared on Lance's face. People with desires are the easiest to control.

In another world, there is such a saying, called "The desireless are strong."

This is a very easy to understand word, but he didn't understand it very well when he was young, until something happened.

He had a friend who wanted to sleep with a girl, not a relationship, just a pure desire relationship.

His desire was so strong that he lost his power to a certain extent.

The girl gave him various orders, even asking him to do some lowly things. He refused some, but he did some.

At that time, they were all good friends and often together. The girl liked this feeling very much. She even wanted Lance to become her licking dog.

But Lance never gave her a good look. Once, when that friend was not there, there were only Lance and the girl. The girl asked Lance, "Why can't you be like him?"

At that time, Lance directly answered a reply that surprised and silenced the girl—

"Not everyone wants to fuck you."

His friend wanted to develop such a special friendship, so he would bend over.

Lance had no desire here, so he not only refused those requests, but also stubbornly refused to give her a step down.

Without desire, you will not be bent over by desire.

No matter what happens after success, at least before success, the waist bends down.

Pang Da also has something to ask for, so he can't be called "strong", which is a good thing, although Lance is not that girl.

"Do you have any ideas?", Lance asked.

After listening, Pang Da was silent again for a while, "If Dale's position doesn't move, then my next step is only the position of deputy director that can be promoted, which is only half a level."

"Or find a way to go to the State Alcohol Beverage Control, but I heard that it is not easy to enter that place."

The State Alcohol Beverage Control is under the management of the Federal Congressional Alcohol Beverage Control Committee and is a subordinate agency that is directly responsible to the Congressional Committee.

People who can enter this place are basically people with some background, at least not ordinary people.

Pang Da has no prominent background, no hard enough relationship, and even if he handles major cases, it is difficult to handle administrative levels.

Administration and front line are not the same thing, just like Chief Blue and the front-line patrolmen. Chief Blue's business ability may not be as good as a young policeman who has just graduated from police academy.

But he can manage the other party and decide the other party's destiny because of the power behind him, not his own power.

If nothing unexpected happens, the end of an ordinary police officer's life is to retire in various offices of the city police station as the first or second in command.

These positions are related to ability, but beyond that, ability is no longer important.

Pang Da is now facing such a problem, he is about to reach the top.

If Dale doesn't move, then he is basically at the top now.

This makes him very troubled. He doesn't want to be in this position, not because he is not satisfied with the work of a senior agent, but because this work cannot allow him to take revenge on the Bay Area, and cannot allow Lisa to obtain the security she wants.

So he must climb up!

"Last time you said... to deal with Dale, is there anything you need my help with?"

From passive to active, this is a good change.

Lance hesitated a little, "I still need to arrange this matter, I will contact you later."

Then he hung up the phone, thought about it, and dialed Tom's number.

Tom is taking his family on a "vacation". It is said to be a vacation, but it cannot be regarded as a real vacation.

Senator Cleveland went to the north to inspect, taking two other aides who had connections in the north, mainly to check the federal heavy industry situation to see if it could support a full-scale war.

If it can support a high-intensity full-scale war, then they will start to move.

If it cannot be supported, then the federal government will immediately strengthen these constructions.

In fact, this worry is unnecessary. The Federation had already achieved self-sufficiency in weapons during the slaughter of indigenous peoples, and successfully lit up the relevant technology tree.

So this time it is essentially a potential exchange of benefits—

They use this method to express their position to the military-industrial group and the heavy industry group, and also hope to gain the attention and support of the military-industrial group and the heavy industry group.

With the full support of these two interest groups, many problems will be solved easily.

In this way, Tom has a vacation, which adds up to about six or seven days.

He can't go to far places, and he has played in nearby places, so he can only stay at home with his family.

However, they recently bought a TV, which cost a thousand dollars, which is very expensive, but it is indeed a bit interesting.

Lance also "contributed" a lot to this TV.

Thinking of the fun brought by the TV, Tom had a smile on his face, "What's the matter?"

Lance was not polite with him, "Do you know Dale?", he said Dale's full name and his current job.

Tom searched in his mind for a while and found such a character, "I think I know who it is."

"A small role in the Socialist Party, graduated from a famous university, and... is an alumnus, and has been working for him since graduation."

"But this guy is just a marginal role, what's wrong with him?"

This kind of small role is no different from pedestrians passing by on the road to Tom, but at the same time, this kind of "small role" is the end of life for ordinary families.

They must be lucky enough, extremely lucky, to get rid of the increasingly rotten quagmire of public education, and then have good enough high school grades to get an invitation from elite institutions, and their families still support them to go to college.

During college, they must also be good at communication, and be able to recognize a bloody reality as a "social elite"—I am just an insignificant supporting role in other people's lives!

This is actually very difficult because after eighteen years of hard work, a person finally enters a top university as an ordinary individual with excellent grades, only to realize that their studies merely provide them with the opportunity to bark.

They won't admit that eighteen years of effort can only lead to such an outcome.

Those who cannot recognize reality will quickly disappear from people's sight after graduating from university. Only those who can recognize reality and are willing to bend over and curry favor with classmates who didn't study well but possess excellent social skills and prominent backgrounds can truly take a crucial step in society.

But even if they can do this, even if they push themselves to the limit and complete the "awakening" of each age group at different stages of life,

even if he did it perfectly!

In the end, they are still just insignificant, marginal figures in this circle.