[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-43":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},2267663,4428,"Chapter 43","the-shadow-empire-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>Johnny woke up at just after four in the morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because he could sleep well after being beaten—it was purely because the pain woke him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just undergone surgery; once the anesthetic wore off, the intense, unavoidable pain of his fractures began to strike him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He screamed awake from his daze, and his daughter rushed over immediately, soothing him beside the bed, “It’s all over, you’re safe now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny’s consciousness slowly gathered; he gritted his teeth, staring at his daughter as sweat became visibly beading on his pale face, “I’m in too much pain—get a doctor, I need them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat daughter didn’t refuse; she quickly called the doctor over. The doctor gave a brief examination: “The surgery went well. Pain is inevitable. You have over a dozen fractured or cracked bones—this level of pain is normal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny could no longer endure it; he groaned in agony and pleaded, “Is there any painkiller? I can’t take it—I feel like I’m dying!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor nodded. “There is. Very effective. But painkillers aren’t covered by insurance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His meaning was clear: if you want relief, you pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny nearly blurted out “Give me one now!” but stopped himself; he clenched his teeth and asked, “How much per shot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor smiled. “Two options. One lasts longer but offers weak relief—for severe pain…” He offered a warm smile, “For a patient like you, it’ll only take you from screaming out loud to just gritting your teeth and enduring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This painkiller costs fifty cents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The other is a potent version—it eliminates all pain entirely—but it’s expensive and lasts only four to six hours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Each injection costs three dollars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t strongly recommend painkillers. The peak pain from fractures lasts only forty-eight hours. After two days, the pain will drop noticeably to a tolerable level.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny couldn’t hear any more. “Give me the best one. Quick—I can’t take it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor didn’t refuse. Selling non-insurance painkillers was part of his job. He had the nurse bring the drug and administered the injection right before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something miraculous happened: about two minutes later, Johnny, who had been alternating between screams and groans, suddenly fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… don’t feel any pain anymore!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor smiled. “That’s the value of three dollars, Mr. Johnny.” He paused. “If you need anything, find me anytime—before nine in the morning, I’m here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the doctor left, Johnny looked at his fat daughter. “Where’s the apprentice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The police took him away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did the police say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat daughter looked embarrassed. “I don’t know…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, a police officer stood at the door, knocked, and entered after seeing Johnny was awake and giving permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Johnny, the case is clear. Your apprentice colluded with some people he knew to orchestrate this incident. I’m just here to inform you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll arrest the suspects at dawn tomorrow. The case isn’t complicated, so we’ll withdraw our officers. Tomorrow, send your family to headquarters—they’ll give you all the details.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d better hire a lawyer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny pressed, “You’re certain my apprentice was involved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer nodded. “Regrettably, yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnny went blank, stared for a moment, then finally reacted. “Thank you for coming so late to tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat daughter expected Johnny to erupt in rage, but to her surprise, he said nothing—just lay there quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know what to say, what to do—only sat beside the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a daze, dawn broke…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans stretched, thinking the hard bed was more comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a quick wash and grooming, the others were waking up too—last night’s plans were all settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this era, cash flow was vital—or rather, it always had been—but how to rapidly accumulate wealth remained a problem no one could solve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Lans, this problem was easy to solve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With little money, there’s a way for little money; with more money, there’s a way for more. Alberto’s financial company was booming, and the Lianbangzheng Prefecture’s current tolerance of small private financial contracts gave him the idea to start by securing his first capital here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wouldn’t be as foolish as Alberto or others. The Lianbangzheng Prefecture’s stance wouldn’t stay unchanged forever—social order and stability were what every ruling group pursued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps financial companies had served some purpose in soothing the lower and middle classes during this phase, but they were ultimately not a good industry—and their interest rates were too high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also an opportunity. While everyone was still wondering how a hundred dollars could turn into hundreds in a year, lowering your expectations slightly could yield massive wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the morning, he took Elvin around the city searching for a suitable location—not too remote, not too close to the downtown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too remote, and people wouldn’t see it; too prime, and he couldn’t afford the rent. In the end, he chose a modest district between the port zone and the bay area, and picked a building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A two-story roadside house, formerly an electronics shop that had closed due to poor business. Altogether, it was about three hundred square meters, with a monthly rent of eighteen dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rent wasn’t just cheap—it was downright inexpensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For people of this era, this was a golden age full of opportunity—even rent was this cheap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then sent Elvin back to gather some friends, and together they bought furniture from the secondhand market. Soon, a consulting firm was born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The friends stood in the first-floor lobby as Lans addressed them, explaining their upcoming work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re doing only one thing: financial consulting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In plain terms, if someone urgently needs money but has none, our job is to solve their problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I divide this work into two parts. First: requests under a hundred dollars—we handle those ourselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second: requests over a hundred, several hundred, even thousands—I handle those.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in practice, you’re only responsible for loans under a hundred dollars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elvin raised his hand. Lans looked at him. “Do we have that much money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans pointed at him. “Good question. But it’s not your concern. I can handle it—and I need to tell you how to do this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I take fifty percent of all profits. You get twenty percent. The remaining thirty percent goes into the shared account.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In addition, I’ll pay you twenty dollars monthly. The two girls get thirty dollars each for front desk and phone duties. Every quarter, I’ll give you half a month’s salary as a bonus. Any questions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They exchanged glances and shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This income already exceeded their previous earnings, and last night Lans had said the company would cover their meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they saved carefully, even without commissions, each could save ten to fifteen dollars monthly—already a substantial sum. No one was dissatisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans nodded approvingly. “Now, I’ll show you how to create wealth, how to create value. We’re different from traditional financial companies—we must take initiative, actively expand the market, instead of waiting for people to stumble in like gamblers…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, he drove to Alberto’s. As soon as he entered, someone greeted him. Though he’d worked there only briefly, everyone liked him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis was playing pool and put down his cue stick, walking over to hug him. “Trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I’m here to discuss business with Mr. Codi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis’s eyes lit up. “So your company’s already operating?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pretty much. I’m waiting for the call from the Business Services Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked inside, Fodis asked, “What’s your business?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Small loans, and bringing you big deals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis whistled. “That’s a good line of work—but the competition will surprise you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, you need money. Second, you need this.” He mimed a gun. “In Jincheng—or anywhere in the Lianbang—your competitors aren’t law-abiding citizens!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans understood perfectly. “You need to introduce me to a seller.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave it to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis knocked on the door. Inside, Alberto’s voice came: “Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s been in a bad mood these past two days. I won’t go in. Wait till you come out—we’ll talk then.” He leaned in. “Boss, Lans is here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alberto paused, then gestured to open the door. “Then why aren’t you letting him in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis stepped aside, then turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was close to both Lans and Alberto, that didn’t mean he should stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lans, Alberto didn’t wait for a greeting. “I’ve run into trouble these past two days. Maybe you can help me…”\u003C\u002Fp>",1389,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c8ad57db65ac5a5f9659b4a25c7cabce2b05e1ca098e7d39112f7bc8b31d1302","the-shadow-empire-chapter-44","the-shadow-empire-chapter-42",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]