[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-111":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Shadow Empire",{"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},2267731,4428,"Chapter 111: Family Thoughts, Work Commencement, and Birthday Party","the-shadow-empire-chapter-111",111,"\u003Cp>When Hammer’s wife and child heard that he had beaten someone without cause, causing a loss of five thousand two hundred credits, and that the victim was considering pursuing legal action to recover the cost,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the honest woman and her child could not accept this reality—they simply could not afford such a sum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the victim refused to show mercy, their house might be seized and sold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sometimes I really think he’d be better off dead!” his son said with bitter hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A drunkard, unfaithful to his family, offering no help to any relative—his existence or absence makes little difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Federation, if you have an alcoholic father and live with him, finding a suitable girlfriend becomes an extremely difficult task!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because alcoholism often comes with domestic violence—no girl would want to live with someone who might hurt or even assault her, even if he’s her future husband’s father!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Feren reminded them, “If Hammer truly runs away and never returns, the court will most likely not proceed in absentia, because many issues cannot be explained.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So if you hear anything about him, notify us immediately—we still have many procedures left to complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother and son exchanged a glance, wishing he’d never come back in this lifetime!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hammer’s family did not pursue the matter, nor did they even mention it at the docks; rumors of Hammer’s assault and flight began to spread, and soon no one at the docks talked about it anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, no one liked him—but many hated him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Ryder arrived at the factory district; the workshop had long existed, a single massive room resembling a simple warehouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, sewing machines were already installed, and bolts of fabric purchased earlier were piled in one corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workers were already at their stations; the skilled laborers Miss Debbie had recruited were truly exceptional—they had already begun organizing the workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching vast quantities of fabric being cut into neat pieces by the master tailor’s shears, then stitched together, a complete garment soon appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was only the speed of the skilled workers; the general laborers were clearly much slower, and Lans noticed some were likely encountering sewing for the first time—they barely knew how to operate the machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Lans didn’t care at all; he even instructed Ryder directly: for the first month, even the second, don’t judge their quality—pay them fully and on time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But record every ruined garment, and note exactly how much money was lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the third month, if they still can’t manage it, fire them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Labor Union is a terrifying political organization; although Miss Debbie appears merely a liaison for the Jin Gang City Labor Union’s textile and sewing sector, the power she can mobilize is terrifying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the remaining illegal immigrants working with the work cards Lans rented them—fire them if they must; there are countless other illegal immigrants waiting for jobs here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryder adapted quickly, mainly because he had worked in this industry before, and the old tailor had been somewhat famous in the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the skilled workers realized this manager wasn’t an outsider—that he had even served nobility—they dropped their contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a factory, if skilled workers sense the manager or owner is easy to exploit, they will never hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conflict between labor and capital has long existed and is hard to resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans gave further details: occasionally provide coffee and donuts for afternoon tea, don’t fuss over a few credits, but never yield on matters involving core principles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming Ryder understood, Lans left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deadline for the presidential election was approaching; Jin Gang City showed no election atmosphere—people were saying this year’s election would be an indelible disgrace in Federation history!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before voting even began, the outcome had already been decided internally, so many refused to vote, because their ballots held no real meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said some were protesting in the Special Zone, expressing discontent over the unfair election—but it was utterly useless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they resisted dark politics, what was meant to happen would still happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the weekend, Lans declined several engagements, borrowed a luxury car from Alberto, and took Patricia to her cousin’s birthday party—as he had promised her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was rapidly transforming himself into a true Federation citizen, and thus needed to build a social circle within Federation society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might seem meaningless, but while he was still weak, doing so was meaningful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Barbara is two years older than me; my uncle also works in government, but he’s with the Social Party, and William is a bit…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia smiled knowingly, “You know—they always argue, one’s with the Federation Party, the other with the Social Party.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that has nothing to do with me; Barbara is easy to get along with—she works at Born Financial, and we get along well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way to Barbara’s birthday party, Patricia introduced Lans to people he might meet today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clearly a “big family”—many cousins, male and female, everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of her elders, William’s generation, held government jobs—but all were low-level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their political affiliations were complex: supporters of all three major parties were present; every gathering felt like a joint congress of the three parties—lively, yes, but after a while, it erupted into bitter arguments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car arrived in the northeast of Jin Gang City, near the Bay Area, with a pleasant environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many claimed that if the city expanded, this area would become the second Bay Area, so housing prices had risen rapidly in recent years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia’s cousin’s home was a standalone villa; due to “rumors,” its current price was nearing nine thousand credits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house was beautiful, with separate front and back gardens, a large area, and an independent swimming pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lans’s luxury car appeared outside the villa, everyone was drawn to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alberto, knowing Lans would be taking his girlfriend to a party, had Fodis lend him this ivory-white car with gold trim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supposedly, its new price was twenty-two thousand eight hundred credits—enough to buy two such villas, with money left over for renovation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several older guests at the party stepped forward to greet them; they harbored suspicions, and seeing Patricia confirmed their guesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing not confirmed was that William had not come today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the generational gap, they merely exchanged brief greetings with Patricia, introduced themselves to Lans, then withdrew, leaving them to the younger crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first to approach was Patricia’s brother; he seemed naturally familiar, “Cool car. What do you do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he reached out to shake Lans’s hand, he chatted about the car, “Let me introduce myself—Lu Ka.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lans,” Lans shook his hand, “Financial consulting, labor placement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ka whistled, “Any industry tied to finance is incomprehensible—you’re one of them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, Federation finance had been astonishingly prosperous; in the financial center, wealth myths played out daily—some randomly bought stocks and became millionaires after a few months; people always believed there was some incredible secret to getting rich, and many were drawn to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federation government had released a risk report on the financial industry, but amid constant cases of sudden wealth, the risks mentioned in the report were ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone believed they would be the one to make money—not the one jumping off buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ka glanced at Barbara approaching gracefully, lowering his voice slightly, “You should have common ground with Barbara—she’s in finance too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia beside him emphasized, “Lu Ka!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ka raised both hands, “Alright, alright—you’re his girlfriend.” He laughed and lowered his hands, “Even though we’ve never met, I feel we’ll be good friends. Now, let’s hand the stage to Miss Barbara…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped aside deliberately, using exaggerated gestures to highlight Barbara’s importance—after all, she was the guest of honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barbara’s appearance resembled Patricia’s in some ways, but her aura was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Patricia, purity and simplicity were perfectly displayed; seeing her, the unbridled energy and vitality of youth surged through the veins, as if the body overflowed with energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Barbara appeared far more alluring; though they were clearly relatives, their styles were completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she was only two years older than Patricia, she already looked utterly mature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When observing her, your mind filled only with images of her naked, and hormones swirling wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Patricia mentioned you—I’m glad you came, Mr. Lans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t want to be stuck with those old folks, just stay with us—we’re all family and friends. Hope you’ll feel at home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shook hands briefly, then released; Lans politely replied, “It’s a great honor to attend your birthday party—we’ll surely have a wonderful time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since more guests kept arriving, Barbara didn’t linger; she simply asked Patricia to introduce Lans to more friends, then departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Barbara walk away, Patricia affectionately linked her arm through Lans’s, “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1466,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7b83eef7196c620fba6acdd6259efa6a220bd43d14a90d1ae1ae29397a1f8b2a","the-shadow-empire-chapter-112","the-shadow-empire-chapter-110",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]