[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-26":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},2267646,4428,"Chapter 26","the-shadow-empire-chapter-26",26,"\u003Cp>Who is that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In another corner, seven or eight teenagers stood around a young man in his early twenties wearing a baseball cap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear this cap-wearing young man was the core of their small circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A younger one said, “I heard his name is Lans. He’s an illegal immigrant from Barmann Province.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He claims he earned two hundred bucks for completing one job—just now, that annoying Luo Bu argued with him over it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barmann Province isn’t a developed region in the Empire; its economy relies on agriculture. Though it has some prosperous cities, it still lags behind bustling areas like the Imperial Capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most Empire citizens with permanent residency and citizenship here came from the developed districts of the Imperial Capital; only these people could smoothly obtain permanent residency cards and citizenship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when mentioning Lans’s hometown, the youngest guy showed little interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter where he’s from, as long as he’s got it out with Luo Bu, we can be friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for that two-hundred-buck job, we can go listen to what he has to say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Might as well get to know him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Bu wasn’t popular here—he inherited Mr. Botton’s greed and snobbery but failed to mask these traits well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d sneer at or mock those he looked down on, making them feel clearly inferior to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To children from wealthy, socially prominent families, he acted like a lapdog, wagging his tail and flattery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he did this, the less people liked him—whether those he despised or those he tried to flatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, while no one liked him, it wasn’t outright hatred—just dislike. That’s why he could still show up here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the group approached Lans, they heard him say, “I’ve got a job right now that needs someone to do it. I don’t want to give this opportunity to just anyone, so I thought first of my own people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cap-wearing young man interjected, “Mind if I ask what exactly the job is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how much will you pay for it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans turned to look at him—a clean-faced young man, about one meter seventy-three to seventy-five tall, quite tall for this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was slender, wearing a white shirt, dark trousers, a suspenders, old but polished leather shoes, and a gray baseball cap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans often didn’t understand why anyone wore hats in this heat—yet not just him, many adults and passersby wore them. Didn’t they get hot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting Lans’s gaze, the cap-wearer extended his hand, “Ennio. From Dokanis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans shook his hand and smiled, “Lans. From Barmann Province.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They quickly released hands. Ennio asked, “I heard you’ve got a good job to recommend to us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I ask what it involves, and how much the pay is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the teenagers around wanted to know this—otherwise they wouldn’t have gathered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though most here held permanent residency and citizenship, that didn’t mean they were rich or middle-class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The majority of these immigrants lived like Mr. Botton—in cramped apartments in the slums.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming a banker like Mr. Jo Ba was rarer than rare; among thirty thousand immigrants, maybe two or three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most still craved more money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know if you know what my work is like—it’s basically solving problems for others, and they pay me for it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can assure you it’s completely legal, but there might be a bit of trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This job only takes one day—from ten a.m. to around eight p.m. No physical labor. Just sit in one place. Don’t leave during the shift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can pay you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly felt everyone hold their breath. He held up one hand, fingers spread, “Five bucks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone stifled a gasp—five bucks a day? That’s a hundred and fifty a month!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ennio’s breathing quickened. He needed money too—hardly anyone here didn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many days can this job last? How’s payment handled?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing more teenagers gathering, Lans patiently explained, “It’s temporary work—just one day. But there may be other jobs later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Payment will be given immediately after the job ends. No delays.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like I said, I could give this money to anyone—but why not give it to my fellow countrymen?” He glanced at the women beside him and added with a smile, “And sisters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls giggled, finding Lans an interesting person—few spoke like this, so openly and cheerfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ennio pressed on, “So what’s the actual task?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eating food…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Lans had considered hiring vagrants—but quickly realized they couldn’t even enter the restaurant; the manager would stop them at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If vagrants couldn’t enter, hiring them made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Providing them with proper clothing to enter would raise costs and defeat the purpose of annoying Mr. Anderson—better to just hire ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, giving this job to others was less effective than entrusting it to these second-generation immigrants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had legal status, the task wasn’t illegal, and the worst they’d face was a scolding—not serious consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, he’d build his image among immigrants as someone “capable.” A win-win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon enough, plenty of teenagers wanted to join—not just for the money, but because they were curious about Lans’s plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Mr. Anderson inspected the prepared ingredients and was very satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The point of recruiting apprentices was this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pay the least, get the most work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Fat Boss Johnny, who didn’t pay apprentices at all and made them pay him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Anderson paid each apprentice fifteen bucks—but they lived almost entirely in the restaurant, with no days off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They worked from six a.m. to ten p.m. every day, almost all their time spent working, unless the restaurant had no customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the harsh conditions, people still fought to become apprentices, because Mr. Anderson himself had risen from apprentice to restaurant owner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These apprentices and their families believed they’d learn real skills here and become merchants, middle-class, like Mr. Anderson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After checking all ingredients, it was nearly ten. Weekend lunch hours started a bit later—around noon—and lasted until two or three p.m.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without much rest, they’d begin preparing for the evening rush. Every weekend was the restaurant’s most profitable time—like yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today he aimed to earn even more, preparing for his expansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At exactly ten, the manager called out to customers. Mr. Anderson thought it was early, but who cared if customers came? As long as they paid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they paid, he’d serve them whatever they wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, waiters brought orders. The cooks prepared to work hard—then looked at the menu: total cost, one dollar and ninety-nine cents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One ninety-nine-cent bread basket, one dollar’s worth of mixed vegetable salad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bread was served in a handwoven basket—after all, a fifteen-cent loaf from a bakery filled you up; even a restaurant’s markup wouldn’t be outrageous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ninety-nine cents for a pound of bread—enough to feed two or three people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mixed vegetable salad was one of the restaurant’s best-selling dishes: crisp vegetables mixed with tender, slightly chewy shredded meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tangy, refreshing appetizer—but few ordered it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Anderson checked: only one customer. One person eating this? Definitely enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d seen people like this—wanting to experience upscale restaurant ambiance but short on cash. He said nothing, just told staff to maintain food quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t treat a customer poorly just because they spent little and came alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Anderson rose early. After the busy peak, he was now idle and drowsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He greeted the manager and went to the break room for a quick nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half-asleep, he didn’t know how long he’d slept—until loud knocking jolted him awake. He sat up sharply, stared blankly for a moment, then opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too many customers? Can’t handle it?” He grabbed the apron hanging on the wall, slipped it over his neck, “I’ll help right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager was frantic, “Something’s happened out front!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1288,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","870c82d6e6e106d06b4b73097046262815a48190693ae9d742f451307a7c09ed","the-shadow-empire-chapter-27","the-shadow-empire-chapter-25",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]