[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-21":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},2267641,4428,"Chapter 21: Begin Your Performance","the-shadow-empire-chapter-21",21,"\u003Cp>In the morning, Lans bought a new set of clothes for ten dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t hire a tailor to make a custom suit; instead, he bought ready-made clothes off the street—they didn’t fit perfectly, but for him now, this outfit was already excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he went to the casino owned by the Koda family in the Bay Area of Jincheng City; he still had a few chips to exchange for cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Koda family’s casino here wasn’t some hidden, secretive place tucked away in obscurity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, their Bay Area casino sat right on the cliffs behind Golden Sand Beach!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dazzling building stood at the edge of the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day, brilliant sunlight shone upon its reflective exterior, and whenever the sun was out, people on the beach could hardly fail to notice this structure, gleaming like a mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than one person had complained to city hall about the building’s impact on beachgoers, but the Koda family paid every fine without ever shortchanging a cent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they made zero changes to the appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Jincheng City and local laws, after paying fines, they had at most one hundred days to fix the exterior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant they only needed to pay fines three times a year to maintain the status quo indefinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over time, everyone was forced to accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, the building would glow with astonishing light, having become one of Golden Sand Beach’s landmarks—many young people came specifically to see it, even taking photos to prove they’d been there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To reach the casino, you had to enter from the other side; the entire cliff area was private Koda family land. Lans presented his chips and named Fodis, then underwent a body search to confirm he carried no weapons or cameras before being allowed in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Casino security was tight: every ten to twenty meters, two or three armed guards patrolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t static posts—they moved constantly, enhancing overall security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he reached the main building, he realized it was far larger and even more dazzling, opulent, than it had appeared from below the cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the lobby was a long counter—that’s where you exchanged chips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he’d taken two steps, a scantily clad bunny girl approached him. “Are you here alone, sir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bunny girl looked no older than twenty, with an excellent figure; when she ran, the undulating motion of her chest was visible—even the afterglow was enough to stir the imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans smiled and explained, “Sorry, I’m just here to exchange chips.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bunny girl looked disappointed; as part of the casino’s entertainment staff, if Lans had come to gamble,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>she only needed to accompany him to the tables, and when he left, whether he won or lost, she’d earn one percent of his total settlement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the sole source of income for all companions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a good night, she could earn hundreds of dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a bad night, she might make only a few dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though disappointed, the girl still led Lans to the counter and explained the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl behind the counter placed a soft pad covered in red velvet on the counter. “Please place your chips here, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside to outside, the entire casino gave Lans the feeling that “this place is damn legitimate”—the decor, the service, the attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn’t seen the main hall, he could imagine it was equally legitimate and luxurious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One hundred and fifty dollars total, sir. What denomination of cash would you like?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These chips had their own anti-counterfeit markings, and in Jincheng City, even across the entire eastern federation, no one dared forge them openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small number of fake chips wouldn’t even cover production costs; if too many appeared, traces would be impossible to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Koda family appeared to be merely a casino operator—a legitimate, family-run business paying taxes—they held considerable influence in the federation’s underworld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That influence certainly wasn’t earned simply because they were rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have five-dollar bills?” Lans asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, sir, please wait a moment.” About two minutes later, the girl behind the counter counted the one hundred fifty dollars’ worth of five-dollar bills three times, placed them on the red velvet tray, then weighed them down with a token that looked like gold but was likely brass or alloy. She then presented the tray to Lans with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, here is your money. Please count it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excellent service always increased customer satisfaction; even though Lans had no intention of gambling here, he now decided he’d bring others along someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let them see the world, let them experience what “wine-soaked, gold-drenched decadence” truly meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the casino, he drove to pick up Aierwen , then both headed directly to Mr. Anderson’s restaurant in the Bay Area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was noon; the restaurant was packed, all seventeen or eighteen tables filled with customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans and Aierwen , guided by the manager, found a small table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a waiter brought the menu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he opened it, Aierwen  gasped; he flipped through several pages but couldn’t decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too expensive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A six-month-old Green beef rib costs seven dollars and ninety-eight cents. Add a bread roll and it’s another dollar. If we add anything else, this meal for just the two of us will cost… thirty or forty dollars!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, for thirty or forty dollars I could eat myself sick at the port district’s braised beef stall!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman at the next table couldn’t help but laugh out loud, then immediately looked apologetic and apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The port district had many laborers; their demand for meat far exceeded that of non-laborers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near heavy-labor job sites in the port district, there were many small stalls or restaurants catering specifically to these workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t even proper restaurants—more like fast-food joints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their main offering was braised beef, shredded to a pulp, boneless, all finely minced meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meat was cheap: three pounds for one dollar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vendors bought it, added extra sauce and a little spice, boiled it all in giant iron pots until the aroma of soy and meat filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who sat down and paid sixty cents got a huge bowl!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you paid seventy cents, you could eat bread until full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t expect the bread to taste good—it was just edible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most laborers ate this once every two or three days, savoring the joy of eating meat until they were stuffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the satisfaction of tearing the hard bread into pieces, soaking them in the broth, then swallowing the meat, broth, and bread together—many couldn’t forget it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These small stalls did booming business; every noon they were packed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Affordable prices were their killer advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  couldn’t resist—he’d eaten there several times and thought it might be the best food in the world, no contest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, mentioning it now was just about Xintengqian .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans ordered two bowls of clear soup, a salad, steak with fried sausages and bread rolls, and dessert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No alcohol—he’d be driving later, and neither was yet twenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total came close to forty dollars; Aierwen ’s face twisted in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans, however, was relaxed. “Someone will pay for us. Eat your fill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re going to Xinteng , it’s not your turn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Lans’s reassurance helped a little; Aierwen  felt less miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The restaurant’s business was truly excellent; by half past twelve, every table was full, and some customers had to leave because no seats remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire restaurant radiated vibrant energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as money was being made—even if it didn’t go to the waiters or cooks—they still gained morale from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling happy because the capitalist was making money was a shared “empathy” among the lower classes across nearly every region and ideology on Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though empathy here seemed meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undeniably, a steak worth nearly ten dollars was far tastier than minced beef; the carefully crafted sauce made every bite feel like happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  no longer dared say the steak was worse than minced beef—it was too delicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they neared the end of the meal, Lans pulled a large cockroach from his pocket and handed it to Aierwen . “Bite half.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  stared at the cockroach, as big as a thumb, stunned. “What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said bite half.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the struggling insect, Aierwen  suddenly found the beef less appetizing. “So this is your plan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans nodded. “I need your honest feedback. Don’t worry—I bought it from a roadside pet feed store. It’s healthy, clean, hygienic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  spent a long time psyching himself up, cursed “Fuck,” then closed his eyes and shoved half the cockroach into his mouth, biting down hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman at the next table was stunned!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Lans had the nauseated Aierwen  place half the cockroach in his soup spoon, letting it float half-submerged in the thick broth, while the other half he spat onto the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked at Aierwen ’s pale face. “Feel like throwing up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  answered honestly. “Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why wait?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vom…”\u003C\u002Fp>",1494,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","09dd268bd434cb136e169fe68393449ddb86a5d8cdbb1cc1cd36f4a8c1d712df","the-shadow-empire-chapter-22","the-shadow-empire-chapter-20",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]