[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-5":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},2267625,4428,"Chapter 5","the-shadow-empire-chapter-5",5,"\u003Cp>Soon, someone brought two cups of water; the manager naturally placed both hands on his desk, fingers interlocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then separated his palms, spreading his hands open. “So… what are you here for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The company has many operations, not all under his direct control; he couldn’t possibly know the details of every transaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwenbuzhiruhekaikou ， Lansiquexiandeziranqingsong 。\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We ran into some trouble and need some money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager smiled. “No problem at all—that’s what we do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two hundred.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two hundred?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two hundred!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager didn’t think the amount was too small; this financial firm didn’t let any fish, big or small, slip away—and from a practical interest standpoint, smaller loans yielded higher returns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand might carry an annual interest rate of fifty to sixty percent, but a ten-thousand loan might only be twenty to thirty percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And small loans carried lower risk; the probability of someone fleeing over a few hundred was absolutely different from fleeing over tens of thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, before that, he needed to verify the basic information of the people before him—he couldn’t just hand out money to anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t capital turnover; that was damn charity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think you sound like locals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue didn’t deny it. “We’re from the Empire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager smirked. “I see news about your place all the time on the feeds—what a terrible place. So, do you have any collateral?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not locals—if you run off, I won’t be able to find you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rather than fronting you this money, I’d rather not lend it at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue knew this would be a hassle, so he explained: “We don’t have collateral…”—then, seeing the manager’s expression shift to “Are you fucking with me?” Blue cut in: “But we can repay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the manager’s confused look, he added: “We’re fourteen people. We all work in Jincheng City. Without legal status, we can’t go anywhere else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know other places have fewer opportunities and are less safe. Other cities aren’t as tolerant as Jincheng—so we won’t run.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager agreed with this logic. He opened a cigarette pack, turned it toward them, and gestured an invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue took one; Aierwen  just looked, didn’t reach for one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager found Blue interesting, and pushed over a lighter—a classic desktop model. “Know how to use it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desktop lighters of this era had stories behind them; they looked like the size of an adult’s palm—just the base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the base stood a clown statue holding a torch; pressing one of the figure’s arms made it spit a spark onto the cotton wick, igniting the torch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soaked in kerosene—the wick, the flint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These desktop lighters were popular, with countless designs and price tiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue lit his cigarette, drew in a deep breath, and seemed to relax completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Blue smoke with practiced ease, the manager lit his own. “Back to our topic—how do I know you’ll repay me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re fourteen people. Even if each of us earns only fifteen a month, that’s two hundred ten.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We give you half—that’s one hundred five. In three months at most, we’ll pay you back in full.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if we lose our jobs and can’t pay, we can work for you to settle the debt. We’re many—you have nothing to worry about.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager nodded, convinced—but still had one concern: “How do I know I can find you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take our photos.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A good idea—but the manager asked one more thing: “Can I ask what you need this money for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For you, two hundred isn’t small change.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue didn’t hide it. “We’ve got a problem—a whore’s son is trying to shake us down…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Blue briefly recounted the whole story, the manager grew interested. “I’ve got a new proposal. Want to hear it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue flicked ash as he spoke. “Do we have the right to refuse?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager laughed loudly. “Looks like you don’t…” He paused. “I’ll handle this whore’s son for you. You still owe me two hundred—but I’ll cut the interest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, letting me deal with it benefits you more than just handing over cash.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Per company policy, for a small loan like this, we don’t charge interest. Principal plus interest, you pay me three hundred fifty in six months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m lowering it for you: three hundred twenty total in six months—fifty-three point five per month. That’s a reward for your performance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the manager’s confident smile, Blue didn’t accept or refuse outright. He offered a new option: “We pay you two hundred fifty total, cash in hand—no company records.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager froze, then burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue vaguely understood where the mistake lay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this company yours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager nodded, clutching his stomach. “That’s hilarious—you’re trying to bribe me to my face!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! You’re funny—nothing like that dull idiot beside you. By the way, what’s your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blue…” He spelled it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A strange name—but you’re interesting, Blue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you made me laugh so hard, two hundred eighty. Six months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Final offer. Anyone else who tries to haggle—I kick them out right then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the manager carried an air of pride; in this cash-scarce era, whoever held money didn’t fear finding borrowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some might refuse such brutal rates—but plenty were willing to gamble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hundred plus eighty in interest—this rate was not expensive here, in this city, in this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue hesitated only briefly, crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, stood, exhaled his last puff, and extended his hand. “Glad we’ve reached an agreement, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief pause, the manager stood and shook Blue’s hand. “You’re interesting, Blue. Now I’m your creditor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He called out toward the door: “Fodis! Get in here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a burly man pushed the door open, standing inside. “Boss, you called?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manager released Blue’s hand, pointed at him. “Go with him, deal with that whore’s son, then check out his workplace, and bring back some food…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at Blue. “You’re different from others your age I’ve met. Honestly—you’ve got something special. I admire you. You won’t stay ordinary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope I still hear your name mentioned around Jincheng someday, Blue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And don’t forget you owe me. If you do, I’ll send someone to remind you—you won’t like that reminder. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found Blue interesting—but business was business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Girls who ran cheap operations on the street didn’t lower prices just because a customer was a regular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they truly liked you, they might live with you after work—but if you wanted anything during work, you paid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief warning, he let them go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, two hundred eighty over six months meant less than forty-seven per month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But many such forty-sevens built his current life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this time, there was zero risk—he hadn’t spent a single cent himself, and he’d met an interesting man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue’s odd, out-of-place aura made the manager more tolerant, more willing to wait and see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Blue and Aierwen  stepped out of the financial firm, the others immediately gathered around, asking for the outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue told them it was settled, then warned them: “Each of you pays three per month—that’s forty-two. The remaining five comes from Ethan—he caused this, so he pays more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one objected. Everyone followed Blue’s lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis frowned. “We’re running out of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue agreed at once. He told the others to wait, then boarded the company car with Aierwen , heading toward the port under Aierwen ’s direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who’d reported Ethan lived in a worker’s apartment near the port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Blue’s first time riding a car in this world. Inside, it was far more luxurious than its exterior suggested—especially the walnut and calf leather trim, radiating quiet opulence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much does this car cost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fodis drove, not looking back. “Twenty thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue whistled, fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty thousand—he could imagine it, but gathering it? Not easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car jolted slightly; poor suspension made the ride stiff—but it was still a car, and no man could dislike it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car stopped outside the port worker’s apartment. Fodis followed Blue and Aierwen —mainly Aierwen —to the fourth floor and knocked on a door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You?” The drunk whore’s son’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of Aierwen . “You got the money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue pulled Aierwen  aside. Fodis stood before the man and said calmly, “Go to the police station and drop your report. That’s the end of this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whore’s son didn’t buy it—probably too drunk to think straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shoved Fodis. “Who did you hire for this act?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You smuggler scum, don’t think your size scares me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Listen: if you want me to drop the case, two hundred in my hand. Otherwise—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped mid-sentence, because Fodis had pulled back his coat, revealing the holster and gun inside. “Want to see if it fires?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drunk whore’s son snapped awake, stepped back, raised his hands, and retreated into the doorway. “Sorry—I didn’t realize…”\u003C\u002Fp>",1479,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","27e233f25f81afb9cc95fece58ef6a9a62d3948a0d424579c9a70874713cc31d","the-shadow-empire-chapter-6","the-shadow-empire-chapter-4",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]