[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-empire-of-shadows":3,"chapter-empire-of-shadows-empire-of-shadows-chapter-34":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Empire of Shadows",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1432163,1884,"Chapter 34: How Did You Do It?","empire-of-shadows-chapter-34",34,"\u003Cp>Chapter 34: How Did You Do It?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Families of missing children?\" Officer Brayden frowned. \"So you’re planning to…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Give them a child,\" Lance replied, \"healthy, handsome, polite, and willing to pay them $200. Of course, they’d need to keep their mouths shut about the arrangement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lance didn’t hide his intentions, as he needed Brayden’s help to execute the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brayden’s eyes lit up. \"That’s quite the unique business. You shouldn’t share ideas like that so freely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lance leaned forward slightly. \"Consider it a gesture of goodwill, Officer Brayden. I believe the profits from our future collaborations will far exceed this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged, feigning indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brayden, however, was clearly intrigued. \"I’ll keep an eye out. Plenty of kids have gone missing in Jingang City over the years. Matching ages shouldn’t be too hard either. I have to admit, you’re opening up a whole new market!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pocketed the envelope. \"Tomorrow, same time, same place—I’ll have an answer for you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brayden and his partner exited the restaurant and got into their patrol car. As they drove off, Brayden filled his partner in on the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His partner perked up. \"How much money could we make from this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brayden lit a cigarette, his eyes on the rearview mirror. \"Not sure yet. It depends on how much he can negotiate with others, but we can set a baseline.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know what Jingang City has in abundance?\" Brayden’s voice trembled with excitement, as if he’d stumbled upon a gold mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his partner could answer, Brayden floored the gas pedal and exclaimed, \"Illegal immigrants! We’ve hit the jackpot!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lance watched the police car speed away, shaking his head as he returned to his coffee and waffle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The waffle was a chaotic blend of flavors: maple syrup, fruit jam, chocolate shavings, and powdered sugar—a typical Federation-style overload of sweetness. Paired with unsweetened coffee, it was slightly more palatable, but still overwhelmingly rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lance only managed to eat about a third before giving up, feeling as if his teeth were screaming in protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he went to pay, the shockingly low price made him doubt if the bill had been calculated correctly. The owner only charged him a dollar: 35 cents for two coffees and 65 cents for a waffle and a burger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Anderson should see these prices,\" Lance thought wryly. \"He’s the real thief around here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was confident Brayden would take this matter seriously. The potential business seemed enormous, and Brayden wouldn’t want Lance sharing this lucrative opportunity with anyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, the business wasn’t as promising as it appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many illegal immigrants in Jingang City could save up hundreds of dollars?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People like Elvin, who worked on the docks, barely saved three to five dollars a month despite extreme frugality. Even at the high end of savings, they’d need five years to accumulate $300. Р𝘈𐌽ôBĚś\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While some exceptional cases existed, they were rare—maybe one in a thousand. This venture was more akin to selling real estate to the homeless. If they could afford homes, they wouldn’t be homeless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saturday morning was a day for gatherings outside St. Naya’s Cathedral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lance arrived punctually, greeting a few adults before heading to the side area where the younger crowd gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teenagers greeted him warmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, $5 was a significant amount. At Fat Boss’s place, a meal cost just 20 cents. At Mr. Anderson’s restaurant, meals ranged from $20 to $30, sometimes more—an unattainable luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With $5, these kids could splurge and have fun for days. Their recent upscale dining experience, complete with free $2 meals, left them with nothing but admiration for Lance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Gerald was thrilled. The teenagers’ fondness for Lance elevated his own standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, not everyone was kindhearted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, Lance, I’m curious,\" one of the teens asked with a sly grin, \"how much did you make from this gig?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greed and jealousy are human nature. Someone had calculated that Lance had spent over $100 on them in just one day. Surely, he must have earned much more to afford such generosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buzz about Mr. Anderson’s restaurant over the past couple of days only fueled their curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gerald quickly rebuked the question. \"That’s none of your business!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teen chuckled awkwardly. \"I didn’t mean to offend, Gerald. I was just curious. I mean, I made money too, so I was wondering how much Lance earned.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others spoke up in Lance’s defense. \"You don’t have to answer that, Lance. We’re just grateful you thought of us when you did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lance surprised them by answering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All together? About $1,000.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasps erupted. Even Gerald was stunned, blurting out, \"That much?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first teen, his jealousy barely concealed, exclaimed, \"A thousand dollars?! I’ve never even seen that much money!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lance remained calm. \"If it shocks you that I made $1,000, wait until you hear this: the person who assigned me the job made at least $2,000.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another round of astonished gasps rippled through the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow, Lance, will there be more opportunities like this?\" Ennio couldn’t resist asking the question on everyone’s mind. \"If there’s anything I can do, I’d love to help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group chimed in eagerly, their voices growing louder. For the chance to earn $5 with minimal effort, who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the main gathering, Mr. Jobav noticed the commotion and turned to see a large group of teens surrounding Lance. Intrigued, he sent an assistant to find out what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant returned shortly, looking bemused. \"You won’t believe what I just heard, Mr. Jobav.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Spit it out, or I’ll dock your pay,\" Jobav replied irritably, disliking the theatrics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant quickly complied. \"That young man made over $1,000 from a recent job—and the kids say he spent over $100 on them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the assistant seemed incredulous. A thousand dollars was no small sum, even to someone earning above-average wages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jobav’s curiosity deepened. \"How did he manage that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",987,"2026-06-06T01:02:09.211Z",1,"novelbin.me","0977487e0ef22d4fa84dd6d8d6e8b7f38605b037a6ae5350470bfa9a28c50ae2","empire-of-shadows-chapter-35","empire-of-shadows-chapter-33",646,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fempire-of-shadows-cover.jpg"]