[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-119":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},2267739,4428,"Chapter 119: Routine Matters and Building Bridges","the-shadow-empire-chapter-119",119,"\u003Cp>When Johnny and the man beside him heard the police siren, they sighed in relief—but then a small incident occurred—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several men in blue work uniforms deliberately blocked the police car, even surrounding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if these men were illegal immigrants, Officer Ferren dared not drive into them—murder doesn’t care about nationality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even for illegal immigrants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can beat them, humiliate them, curse at them—but if you don’t kill them or cause serious injury, the Criminal Investigations Unit will definitely intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This forced him to roll down his window and whisper to a worker standing angrily in front of his door, “One of us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, he truly felt Lans’s power!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men usually avoided police entirely—yet now they were willing to block them here—and Officer Ferren realized Lans would surely become one of Jin Gang City’s major figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several minutes later, the police car slowly arrived; they sent someone to escort Officer Ferren and his team out, or else they’d be stuck at the gate indefinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Ferren cleared his throat and walked over with his partner, pretending not to know Lans—though several people had already seen these two cops outside Lans’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made the imperial workers in blue uniforms feel Lans’s strength—he could even manipulate the police!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened?” Officer Ferren asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baker stepped forward voluntarily. “I beat them up.” He held up a baseball bat. “With this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone in the crowd couldn’t help laughing—no one man could possibly take on several others; this was blatant lying—but who cared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only felt satisfaction, amusement, greater cohesion and unity—they didn’t think it absurd or unacceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny had come to his senses; he held his arm, staring at Lans, his expression shifting constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could say Lans did it—or say nothing at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the primary victim, the police and the court would give his testimony more weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he was afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then someone behind him suddenly pointed at Lans’s group and shouted, “They hit back too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny stayed silent—it wasn’t him who said it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Ferren looked at Lans. “He says you hit back too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you strike anyone, sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is slander!” Lans emphasized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether you struck them or not, we’ll investigate thoroughly,” Officer Ferren said, sounding official. He turned to the man who accused Lans. “Your name and address, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man looked bewildered but answered anyway: “My name is… I live at…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he suddenly noticed someone beside Lans was writing down his words—he fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Ferren stared at him. “What number on this street do you live at?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t understand—why did it feel like the cop was helping this group?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he knew this wasn’t the time to speak—he shook his head and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you won’t talk, I can’t take them back for investigation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still said nothing. Officer Ferren closed his notebook and turned to Johnny, clearly more badly injured. “Need me to call an ambulance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny shook his head, gritting his teeth. “Take me to the hospital yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambulance transport and on-board treatment were expensive—and not covered by insurance. He didn’t want to pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Ferren nodded, then looked at Baker. “You’ll have to come with us. Before that, I need to search you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baker obediently pressed his hands against the police car. His partner quickly patted him down—found no contraband or weapons—then pulled out handcuffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Officer Ferren stopped him. “I think he’s safe—no need for cuffs.” He opened the back door. “Get in…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under federal local law, when an officer determines a suspect is merely suspected but not dangerous, they may refrain from using restraints like handcuffs—it’s the officer’s right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Baker thanked him and got in the back. Then Johnny—his left arm broken and severely swollen—managed to climb in, likely sustained by excess adrenaline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Ferren left his partner to finish the routine paperwork while he drove off with Baker and Johnny…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lans and the others left, the crowd dispersed—and what happened here spread rapidly as they went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dock quickly returned to silence—but its ripples had barely begun to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn arrived at the dock after nine and immediately called Lans—someone had told him what happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As vice president of the dockworkers’ union, he saw this as a very serious matter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could trigger a chain of unpredictable consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a union official, Vaughn knew that with a little prompting and organization, this could easily become another protest—he had to prevent it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans arrived quickly—it was his first time at the union’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood on Dock One, a two-story building, each floor roughly eight hundred to a thousand square meters; the vice president’s office was upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn opened the door after a knock and let him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell happened?” Vaughn complained the moment he sat down. “I was eating breakfast when they called me half a dozen times—said someone was causing trouble on the dock, dockworkers got hurt. If this isn’t handled well, it’ll be a mess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans briefly recounted the events. Vaughn listened and winced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew dockworkers often bullied illegal immigrants—even though they called themselves the Dockworkers’ Union, they didn’t care much for these immigrants either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when incidents like this happened, their usual choice was to ignore them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, illegal immigrants—especially imperial ones—were scattered, unorganized, and too afraid to speak up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there were no powerful figures among legal imperial immigrants, no dangerous players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Kamill Gang had some reputation—but they were even crueler to their own countrymen than to federals!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, local workers paid union dues; illegal immigrants didn’t. That alone told the union where to stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the union’s stance had always been to ignore everything unless it became a major scandal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now things were clearly different—Lans had appeared, and he’d acted personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans watched Vaughn’s furrowed brow. “What are you worried about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn stared at Lans for a moment. “I’m worried Johnny might cause trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans looked relaxed. “I guarantee no one will cause you trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn still wasn’t reassured. “But the image is bad—it could be exploited. You know, anti-immigrant sentiment hasn’t faded long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vaughn, we can’t keep ignoring these problems forever. Today’s just a small incident…” He paused. “Why are you looking at me like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did I say something wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just a small thing—someone got hurt, but dock operations weren’t disrupted, no one died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But will it always stay this small?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When tensions build to a breaking point and rules can no longer contain them, they’ll explode—and everyone will get hurt!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t keep doing nothing anymore!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn’s brow tightened further. “But what can we do? Do you have a plan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I plan to make them pay union dues. That gives the union more authority to intervene—you’re better than I am at controlling and resolving dock issues, and you’ll have a legitimate reason to act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn froze. “Do they have money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans’s answer still surprised him. “They don’t—but I do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn was speechless. “So many workers—each month’s dues add up to two thousand. You’re sure you’ll pay for them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, it wasn’t all Lans’s money—his agency took fees from both sides: the cardholder and the worker renting the card—each paid him one dollar per job, so he earned four dollars per card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The card owner got thirty-two dollars monthly; illegal immigrants earned at least fifteen dollars per job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t seem like much—but it was stable. If someone held two jobs, that was thirty dollars—close to a federal worker’s income!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These illegal immigrants didn’t lack hard workers—just job opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking part of the profit from them and returning it through other means—Lans believed this was entirely possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t short on money—he needed a good reputation and status among imperial immigrants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly a cheap way to buy a big reputation—he wouldn’t let it slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn was uncertain. “But… they’re illegal immigrants. We’ve never accepted dues from them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything has a first time. And I think this could become a federal precedent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re workers first, their status second. If they’re workers, why shouldn’t they pay union dues?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every part of the federation faces similar problems. If you solve this first, you give other unions a model to follow—you might become famous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn was tempted. For him, life boiled down to two things: money and reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, his desire for them wasn’t crude—he was more subtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his age, he saw through everything. Ideals meant nothing compared to survival—otherwise he wouldn’t have accepted Lans’s kindness and taken the twenty-dollar nutrition fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor would he have kept the three hundred dollars separate instead of depositing it into the union account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to discuss this with President Scott. No one’s ever done this before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans pressed harder. “Precisely because no one has, our being first matters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If someone else already did it, the fame and profit would belong to them—what’s left for us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vaughn, I treat you as a friend—that’s why I say this. People won’t remember who crossed the bridge every day—but they’ll always remember who built it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn was moved. If President Scott stepped up, and he pushed hard here, he could become president of the dockworkers’ union.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Gang City was the federation’s economic engine—many eyes were on it. Even as a dock union president, he’d gain real standing in federal politics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the years, many had jumped straight from union leadership into politics—like a certain state governor, once the head of the largest local union.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With strong public support, he easily won high approval when he ran for governor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind what happened after—he was already governor. Maybe someday senator—or even federal president!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His long-dead dreams surged back. He clenched his lips. “I’ll try to talk to President Scott.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you’re right—it benefits us both.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The union has received more dues, allowing us to better assist workers in need and to carry out our work more effectively.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the same time, we can also better help vulnerable groups, after all, they are workers too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What about Johnny and his friends?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vaughn no longer cared much, but he still had to say what needed saying: \"After I discuss this with Scott, I’ll give you word immediately. But you must clean up this morning’s incident— I don’t want it to escalate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans nodded, then stood and took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he left the union office, a number of people in blue work uniforms were already gathered by his car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately stepped forward as they saw Lans approaching—Jamie was among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning’s events filled him with an inner sense of relief; seeing Johnny knocked to the ground, he longed to be Lans, but he knew he could never be that man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet that didn’t stop him from reaching his climax!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lans, I don’t know what to say—no one has ever cared for us the way you have.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even my father at home never did this—I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude to you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was overwhelmed, having endured too much injustice and mistreatment; finally, Lans had torn through these shadows like sunlight, moving him to the brink of tears!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others stood beside him, thanking Lans for everything he had done for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We came from the Empire; none of us know if we’ll ever return. Here, besides looking out for each other, no one else will truly help us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now that I have some power, I must fulfill my duty and use my ability to help you resolve your troubles—this is what I should do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jamie’s friend looked worried: \"Didn’t they give you trouble?\"—“they” meant the union, since they had gathered here fearing Lans might be harassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans shook his head. \"Chairman Vaughn is easy to get along with—we talked a lot... Oh! By the way!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his voice slightly. \"I just spoke with Chairman Vaughn about paying your union dues— you won’t have to pay a cent. The office will cover it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That way, if any conflicts arise between you and local workers, the union won’t side with them—even if they don’t actively help you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not saying this to earn your gratitude—I only want you to know that you are no longer alone in the Federation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But remember: even if our working conditions change, we must remain vigilant and stay united.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe that one day, what we do will become the catalyst for changing our very environment!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clapped Jamie on the shoulder. \"Go back to work—don’t give the capitalists any reason to hassle you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you get fired for skipping work, I won’t help you—it’s your own fault!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere was light. Lans bid each of them farewell, then departed the dock under their watchful eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news quickly spread among immigrant workers: Lans would pay their union dues, and they would become members of the dockworkers’ union, entitled to its protection and benefits!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any capitalist mistreated them, the union would stand up for them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thrilled some of them—they had never experienced such a relaxed work and living environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had been here for years even felt it was unreal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a powerful figure was standing up for them; suddenly, they could join the union and gain membership—everything was improving, and they longed to weep, to release all their years of grievance through tears!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chairman Scott arrived in the afternoon. He knew what had happened at the dock, but since the situation hadn’t escalated, he wasn’t overly concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Vaughn told him the details, he quickly turned his attention to the issue of illegal immigrants paying union dues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Johnny and the like—he considered them trivial matters. If Johnny wasn’t smart enough, he wouldn’t mind helping him become smarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly paving the way for him to reach higher union institutions. Whoever sabotaged it would be his mortal enemy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Vaughn finished relaying Lans’s views and adding his own, he proposed meeting Lans in person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Set up a meeting with him— as soon as possible. He’s a young man with real ideas. I’m certain the central union will love him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I get promoted, Vaughn, I’ll nominate you to take my place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this direct promise, Vaughn clenched his fists—wasn’t this exactly what he wanted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll call Lans right now...\" Minutes later, he smiled. \"He’s busy tonight—I’ve scheduled it for tomorrow morning.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Chairman Scott was eager to meet Lans, he respected his busy schedule. \"No problem. You’ve done well, Vaughn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quick reminder: 298 more monthly votes will unlock an extra chapter, and you have 3 days left—after that, it’s gone.\u003C\u002Fp>",2424,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","05a6d1a77e261a661818f29df3ad74ebb777cc8470dc90c53a5b5225674ef568","the-shadow-empire-chapter-120","the-shadow-empire-chapter-118",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]