Chapter 459: 399. Chapter 393: The Umbrella Plan

399. Chapter 393: The Umbrella Plan

At first, police taking money wasn't something they initiated—it was business owners who offered it voluntarily.

Gangs changed too quickly: if you paid protection fees in the morning, the gang would be gone by afternoon, and the new one would demand payment again from every shop in the area.

No one could endure such constant turmoil; in an era when police could still curb evil, people had no choice but to place their hopes in them.

They gave police small favors—tobacco, alcohol, cash—to encourage them to show extra leniency.

Over time, this voluntary bribery evolved into police actively demanding fees from merchants.

You could refuse to pay, but then they'd spread word that a shop hadn't paid, and police would turn a blind eye to any crimes targeting it.

The shift in this relationship made people less willing to pay, so collecting these fees wasn't a desirable job—some officers resisted it deeply, yet it remained part of their duty: extorting merchants.

But to stop entirely, as Chief Bu said, would break the current rules everyone follows and throw everything into… chaos!

No one likes uncontrollable change—and they didn't have to live this way!

Lans looked at the two men. "The Chief Prosecutor has come here too. I spoke with him—you both know this."

"They'll send internal affairs officers to investigate illegal practices, including bribery and various forms of illicit profit."

"I'm not here to discuss whether you've taken bribes, or whether ordinary officers have—your personal involvement in illicit profit alone is undeniable."

"This investigation must establish clear examples. Jincheng's crime problem has spread across Laizhou. To preserve the integrity of law enforcement, someone must be sacrificed."

"As society progresses, such practices will become increasingly intolerable and unacceptable."

"We're choosing to run faster than the tide, not be left behind—when this flood sweeps everything away, you'll see."

"Others fear being swept under and destroyed, but we've already entered the next version."

"I don't know if you can understand this, but I'm truly acting in everyone's best interest."

Every era has its changes—right now, black money and corrupt cops are everywhere.

But as society advances, this will gradually diminish; the more developed society becomes, the more the Lianbangzheng Prefecture will care about the purity of grassroots institutions.

It's better to clean your ass now and get ashore than to scramble later to clean up a mountain of shit.

This internal audit greatly helps Lans—it lets him push rule changes in two districts ahead of time.

It earns him greater public attention and support!

Attention and support are power—immense power!

Chief Bu whispered, "We've heard about this, but we didn't know how far it would go."

Lans didn't hide it from them. "At least two or three will become examples."

"I'm not sure if Charlie has enough clout to protect his people. Jincheng has eleven districts—you two together already have a two-in-eleven chance of being picked."

"If he can get his people on the protected list beforehand, your odds drop to just a fraction."

His gaze settled on Chief Bu—last time they spoke, Chief Bu had told him he no longer attended Charlie's private parties, because Charlie was pushing him out.

"I…" Chief Bu glanced at Du Ke, then back at Lans. "I support your idea."

Du Ke hesitated—he wasn't Charlie's man, and he got along well with Hunter, but he wasn't sure Hunter would protect him.

He paused. "What exactly are you planning?"

"We'll set up a new investment company in the county. Everyone in the plan invests a small amount—five or ten yuan each is enough."

"Then, monthly, we'll pay you back legally and properly as investment returns, following our new rules."

"You can use this money to pay taxes, spend it openly—if you know local law, you know investment income is taxed at a tiny rate!"

"No illegal acts. No moral risk. No causal link between you and the merchants."

"Then I'll assign another company to collect this fee uniformly from everyone—I'm sure they'll gladly pay, since it'll be less than before."

Lans smiled broadly now—when police in two districts depend on his "investment returns," everyone's interests become tightly bound together!

They'll be more desperate than anyone else to keep Lans safe—this money is clean, unimaginably so, with zero risk.

As Lans explained, Chief Bu, though already decided to join, felt an inexplicable thrill.

He glanced at Du Ke again. "I think… it's excellent. I'm in."

After hearing it, Du Ke had to admit—the plan, the new rules—were incredibly appealing. He found no reason to refuse.

But he raised a concern: "Besides this, we have small slush funds for emergencies…"

That was even easier!

Once everyone joins, Lans gains a legal license to commit crimes—his entire illegal business becomes untouchable, free to generate super-profits openly!

He gave Du Ke a reassuring look. "I'll set up a dedicated fund for this—just one yuan per month, and I'll solve all your worries."

"Serious injury, even death—children's college tuition, not enough for a house…"

He crossed his legs, hands open. "Any financial need you have—insufficient funds, anything—I'll handle it."

"Direct grants, or low-interest long-term loans!"

Du Ke couldn't refuse—he knew if word got out he'd rejected this, the rank-and-file officers would make his position as district chief untenable.

"If it really works as you say, then I'm in too."

Lans smiled more broadly. "You've made the wisest choice of your life!"

He paused. "Go back now and gather information—tell me how much each officer, from patrolmen to chiefs, takes from these black funds. Just rough estimates."

"I'll send people to investigate too—we need a full tally to ensure every officer in the plan receives fair, equal benefits!"

Both nodded eagerly. "That's only right!"

Chief Bu smiled. "Lans, this plan—this whole thing—does it have a name? So we can explain it to them more easily."

"Instead of saying, 'We have some unnamed plan you need to join.' What do you think?"

Lans nodded slightly. "Yes. It's called the Umbrella Plan. We become each other's umbrellas—shielding each other from the storm!"

"Perfect. I can already picture the joy and excitement when people hear it."

The two left satisfied—how could they not? Even if roles reversed, Lans wouldn't refuse.

The plan benefits everyone—no downsides. Lans might spend a lot monthly, but it buys him immunity from police interference in his business!

Law enforcers and criminals become the closest partners!

The Dangerous Goods Administration's golden years won't last long—once they fade, whether it's the future Lianbangdiaocha Bureau or any other agency, none will match the growing power of grassroots enforcement.

This investment is more than worth it.

And Lans believes it will become a massive umbrella, large enough to cover the entire Lianbangzheng Prefecture—no one can refuse turning illegal income into legal, taxable investment returns!

The next morning, influential figures from every street in the port district arrived at a cinema as Lans requested.

Lans had rented the whole theater—no movie played. They sat quietly, whispering, waiting for him.

Many were nervous—past gangs weren't reasonable; they always found excuses to demand protection fees.

Even if you paid, they'd still squeeze extra cash from you—this was how these gangs made money.

But Lans Family was different—they'd heard Lans had stopped collecting fees in the Imperial District, and this stirred quiet excitement.

After all, influence on a street doesn't come from age.

In this capitalist Lianbangzheng Prefecture, influence and respect require "hard power"—more money than others.

So these men usually ran small businesses, even family-run factories.

They were the lower-middle class—or nearly so—living in poor districts, their status earned purely by money.

Around 10:30 a. m., Lans arrived at the cinema. He didn't know these people, but many knew him.

As he walked onto the stage beneath the big screen, everyone rose slowly.

He raised a hand, gesturing them down. "Sit, please. I'm not the mayor, and you're not my subordinates—we don't need formality."

He paused. "I called you here because I have a few announcements—and I need you to relay them to the port district."

"You know this place better than I do. People trust you more. You're the bridge between me and them."

"First: starting today, all protection fees collected by our side in the port district will be abolished…"

Before he finished, the theater erupted in shouts: "My God!" "Oh Lord!" "Is this real?"

The noise was loud—he waited for them to release their emotion, then raised his hand again, signaling silence.

"Someone's asking—is this real?"

"Of course it's real!"

"We've already stopped collecting in the Imperial District—and people accepted it."

He smiled. "If anyone finds it strange not to pay, donate the money—I'll deliver it to those in need."

He paused, lit a cigarette. People needed time to absorb this, to think.

Humans are sometimes contradictory—like suddenly giving a prisoner a good meal; he won't smile—he'll weep and beg you he's reformed.

People need time to accept the irrational, to wonder if there's a hidden trap.

Fortunately, the Imperial District's precedent made acceptance swift.

The murmuring lasted barely a minute—then silence fell.

Lans held up two fingers. "Second: I've spoken with the chiefs of two districts. Reform is coming to police protection fees."

The theater fell utterly still—only heavy breathing remained.

Lans smiled slightly. "As some of you suspected—your monthly payments to police will drop drastically."

"For ordinary shops, it may be just five yuan."

People began praising God again. Lans chuckled. "This isn't God's doing—it's mine. Calling it divine makes me sad."

The crowd quickly switched praise to Lans.

These two fees were the biggest burden on Jincheng's small merchants—most of their profits went to gangs and police.

They bore business risks, yet often kept less than a third of their income.

If Lans lifted this pressure, the entire port district would flourish—people would become far more eager to start businesses, with far greater risk tolerance!

If this region becomes more prosperous, then naturally Lans's income will rise as well!

There is a huge difference in consumption between a region where per capita disposable income is no more than ten credits, and one where it exceeds thirty credits!

"From now on, this portion of the police fee will no longer be collected directly by the police. We will establish a company to collect it uniformly, and you will receive a payment receipt—something similar to… business consulting."

"If any gang or police officer tries to extort additional fees from you, that is blackmail. You may report it to the police, or pay them first—but remember their appearance and identity details."

"So we can recover your money for you!"

"Third, my people will appear on the streets to handle part of the local security, just like in the Imperial District."

"If you have any problems, you may contact not only the police but also my people."

"Once you pay, I am obligated to protect your personal safety and business security!"

The news spread quickly, and soon Roger (the elder of the Imperial Chamber of Commerce) called.

"Mr. Lans, everyone hasn't seen you in a while—they've all missed you…"

Lans heard his words and knew exactly what they wanted: "Don't talk about missing me—you're after the new rules."

He laughed twice. "Old friend, I'm Imperial—how could I overlook the Imperial District?"

"Even if you hadn't called, I would have notified you—this area is the same."

"The police will fully cease collecting fees. I'll assign specialists to collect them shortly. Before that, we must meet to discuss and resolve some matters."

"As for meeting, I don't see the need right now. I'm busy lately. We'll arrange it when I have time."

Roger didn't press. Since what he—or everyone—wanted was achievable, he wouldn't disturb Lans: "Of course, Mr. Lans, attend to your affairs first. I'll inform everyone—they'll certainly understand you!"

"Forgive this old man for saying a few more words: please take care of your health. We all hope you and the Lans family will endure long into the future!"

The more benefits these lower-class people gain from Lans's actual rule changes, the more they cannot leave him—and they will become part of the "Parasol Plan."

Many people heard about this, as Lans never expected to keep it secret from everyone.

The public will spread the word, just as everyone now knows the Lans family no longer collects protection fees.

If even the police fees undergo favorable changes, both the public and the police will promote and exchange this news—so he never expected to hide it, nor did he try.

After the news spread, different people reacted differently. The Five Great Families were busy with warfare and had no time to care about this yet.

The most intense reaction came from Charlie, who was preparing for his election campaign.

The police were his base of support—now Lans was trying to undermine it. How could he react nothing at all?