[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-20":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},2267640,4428,"Chapter 20","the-shadow-empire-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>Where’s Johnny?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar yet repulsive voice came from beside him; the apprentice rolled his eyes upward, looking at Lans, “You can’t call the boss by his first name—you call him Boss, or Boss!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you didn’t come back during peak hours—the boss is furious, and he’s going to dock you a big chunk of pay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the apprentice wore a smug, gleeful grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own life was already miserable—he’d been here over half a year and had learned nothing but how to knead dough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat boss was a meticulous man; in guarding his recipe, the apprentice still didn’t know exactly how much of each ingredient to use, or in what order—only the general list of what went into the flour!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those six months, he’d learned only how to knead dough hard, shape dough bases, and put them into the oven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for everything else, he’d mastered nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he carried an inexplicable sense of superiority, especially when facing Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he could find some psychological comfort in Lans—that’s why he kept doing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since his mother came last time, that superiority seemed to be fading—or rather, his bluff had been exposed; he had nothing left to be proud of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet habits ran deep, and his inexplicable hostility toward Lans kept him doing it, even now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans paid no mind to the apprentice’s words—he even drove another knife in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just because he sucked your mom doesn’t mean he’s your father—if I were your father, I’d be heartbroken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least by frequency, he doesn’t even qualify!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apprentice froze—he swore he’d never heard anything so filthy, cruel, or piercing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans walked past him without pause, adding another slash: “Better mop the floor clean before he shows up, or your mom’s gonna suffer again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several seconds passed before the apprentice reacted—he spun around, shouting Lans’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans paused slightly, turned his head, and said, “If I were you, I’d shut up and lick the floor clean—not rage helplessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it came to cruelty, Lans was undoubtedly the master—he’d endured far more than this apprentice who only knew how to sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and kept walking toward the back room; the apprentice stood frozen, his face, moments ago flushed with rage, suddenly turning pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, things were worse than imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nearly half a year as an apprentice, he hadn’t learned to make a single decent cake—and had plunged his already poor family deeper into debt, with a large portion of their monthly income sent to the bakery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last time his mother came here to give the fat boss a blow job, it was because she hoped to get his tuition fee waived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what kind of man was the fat boss? He wouldn’t agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they struck a deal: she’d come at least four times a month—once a week—and in return, the apprentice wouldn’t have to pay tuition anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From one angle, the fat boss had clearly won—after all, even the cheapest stripper at the port charged five dollars for this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four times a month meant twenty dollars—yet suddenly switching from hand jobs to blowjobs cost him ten dollars a month in lost income, which annoyed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, compared to ten dollars, he’d rather have cash than blowjobs or handjobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he refused, this free laborer might leave—so he ultimately compromised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apprentice learned all this after returning home and arguing with his mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family could no longer afford to pour more money into a skill he’d never master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more desperate things became, the more he couldn’t leave—he couldn’t let his past six months of labor, all the money spent, and his mother’s sacrifices become sunk costs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to learn something here, to prove these sacrifices had meaning, had value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t think like an adult, capable of letting go—even many adults couldn’t do that. All he could do was fulfill his original wish: learn to make delicious bread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then could he face those unfair sacrifices with dignity…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring the apprentice’s daze, Lans knocked on the fat boss’s door. Soon, the man opened it wearing a torn T-shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he saw it was Lans, his expression twisted slightly, overdone: “Damn worm, you missed our busiest time tonight—I’m docking you three bucks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You already owe me fifteen this month—starting today, I’m charging you interest…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans didn’t give him time for more talk—he cut straight to the point: “I’m done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… what did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re done?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat boss burst out laughing: “Besides me, the generous one, who else would hire an illegal immigrant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you knew what’s happening outside, you’d know the whole city is boycotting you imperialist thieves and criminals!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one else will give you a decent job!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans could tell he was already nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I worked about a week this month, plus last month’s pay—you only owe me twenty bucks total.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat boss raised his voice: “What are you joking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then lowered his tone: “I know you’re angry, Lans, but this is your fault…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here’s the deal: your debt stays the same. I’ll give you five bucks as last month’s wage—it’ll give you some face with your friends. Don’t make this hard on both of us, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans shook his head and turned to leave, saying as he walked: “You make me sick, Johnny.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next time we meet, I hope you’re still in this state.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him leave, the fat boss took two steps after him—he didn’t want to lose this free laborer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding another worker who was hardworking, obedient, and free was nearly impossible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t not hire anyone—if he couldn’t find another free laborer, he’d have to spend at least twenty to thirty bucks more each month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That twenty to thirty bucks was his before—now it’d go to someone else. The pain nearly stole his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apprentice was mopping the front hall—he heard their conversation and opened his mouth to say something, but the fat boss yelled at him: “You ain’t a lamppost—why are you standing in the middle blocking me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out of the way—and if you don’t scrub the floor clean before bed, you’re out of my bakery tomorrow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed past the apprentice and ran outside—but only saw Lans getting into a car and starting the engine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did he realize—he might really lose Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even know how to keep this free laborer; at least Lans had a car, while he could only ride a bicycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood on the sidewalk and shouted: “I’ll report you for stealing my money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans simply stared calmly through the window. Meeting Lans’s calm gaze, Johnny suddenly shivered—and dared not mention it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the car grow smaller, the fat boss cursed Lans’s misfortune, while already dreading where he’d find another free laborer tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned to the restaurant in foul spirits, glared at the dazed apprentice, and vented his rage with more cruel words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He circled endlessly between mocking the apprentice’s intelligence and his mother’s body—only after ranting for a long while did he finally feel some relief, then sulk back to the back room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looks like he’d have to hire again tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These damn, ungrateful vermin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t notice the apprentice’s bloodshot eyes fixed on his back, fingernails digging into his palms without feeling the pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans found a cheap inn near the docks—one dollar a night, with limited free hot water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room reeked of stale decay—typical for wooden houses near the sea if poorly maintained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bed was soft; Lans wasn’t used to it. Worse, from late night onward, moans erupted from all directions—above, below, left, right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loud, unhidden, as if in competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just when they’d stopped after a few minutes, they’d start again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, even at midnight, some people were still struggling, heavily burdened, riding along life’s thorny path.\u003C\u002Fp>",1311,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","56493c3ab877f288dd5229beb11ebd77947537c116855f155d9410dcdb876504","the-shadow-empire-chapter-21","the-shadow-empire-chapter-19",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]