[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-57":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},2267677,4428,"Chapter 57: The Interest from a Month Ago","the-shadow-empire-chapter-57",57,"\u003Cp>“...You have no idea what I did with Jennifer last night!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man with freckles and golden-brown hair sat under a roadside sunshade, holding an iced orange juice with alcohol, chatting with two close friends about what he had done with a girl named Jennifer the previous night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to say, this was the most enjoyable and coolest night I’ve ever had—you can’t imagine how gentle she was, and...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The freckled face paused. Around the table sat the three of them—both of the others were his best buddies, and Jennifer was his girlfriend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his friends’ sincere expressions, he pushed aside some unpleasant thoughts, assuming his best buddy’s “I know” meant he too had experienced an amazing girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the freckled face believed no matter how amazing his buddies’ experiences had been, none could match his girlfriend Jennifer, so he shook his head to defend her. “No, you don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His best buddy seemed off—mentally disturbed—and kept contradicting him. “No, I’m sure I do!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This stirred the freckled face’s temper. “What do you know?” he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His best buddy described some special kinks that left the freckled face stunned—because those were exactly what he had experienced last night, and even two of them he hadn’t tried!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t washed his ass last night, so he definitely hadn’t tried those two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared in disbelief at his best buddy. “Where did you hear about these?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, his other best buddy burst out laughing. “Of course from Jennifer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The freckled face’s expression turned serious, even ashamed and angry. “This isn’t funny. Even though we’re brothers, Jennifer is my girlfriend. I expect you to respect her—don’t joke about her. That’s respecting me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy who spoke earlier waved his arms. “Forget it. I told you—she’s a whore. I’ve fucked her. He’s fucked her. A lot of people I know have fucked her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you about this before, but you didn’t believe me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The freckled face shot to his feet. His face flushed red, then turned pale, then began to turn blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to say something vicious, a car pulled up less than five meters away. Elwin stepped out, carrying a travel bag full of heavy baseball bats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all three were distracted by the topic of “whether Jennifer was a whore,” and didn’t notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a dozen young men ran across the street, took baseball bats from Elwin, and charged toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did the three realize something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader—they felt like they’d seen him somewhere before. He was tall and broad-shouldered; people like that were rare these days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they could recall where they’d seen these men, it was already too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distance between both sides was only four or five meters—two steps, less than two seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the freckled face realized they were here for him and his friends, Ethan, who had already rushed up, swung a fist the size of a sandbag straight into his face. “Kiss my ass, whore!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flame of battle ignited instantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two forgot about their friend trapped in the fray, flipped the table, and bolted—but tables and chairs surrounded them, slowing them down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elwin summoned strength from nowhere, grabbed a metal chair, and hurled it—knocking one man flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another ran a few steps, crashed into a table, and as he struggled to rise, was pinned down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the beating—batons, shoes of every sole thickness, raining down like hail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans walked into the café, looked at the owner, and calmly pulled out a stack of bills. He counted out four five-dollar notes, one by one, and placed them on the counter. “A small matter. You and your staff didn’t see us, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans’s demeanor left the café owner uncertain of his background. Seeing the outdoor furniture was just metal chairs and tables—unlikely to be damaged—he took the money and bowed his head. “We didn’t see you or your friends, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave the café.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the three youths were being pounded by over a dozen men. Ethan, though unarmed, used his fists as weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every punch landed with a thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first they screamed, but soon they stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two or three minutes of beating, everyone was tired. Lans had nearly finished his cigarette. He walked up to the three. “Look up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stopped. But the three, having taken a brutal beating, couldn’t lift their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan squatted, grabbed the freckled face’s hair, and yanked his head up to face Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The freckled face had been stunned at first, but now he was alert. His eyes burned with hatred as he stared at Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was bruised and swollen, blood streamed from his nose, and his lips were split in two places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Bufu .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans continued. “Last month in the harbor, you led a protest group and beat our people. Do you remember now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The freckled face still said nothing—but his eyes told Lans he remembered perfectly. He’d bragged about it often since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, someone had manipulated them. They were all unemployed drifters from the harbor, occasionally taking odd jobs, otherwise stealing from family or conning people—anything to get money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last month, during the protest, someone approached them, offered two hundred dollars, and told them to attack the dockworkers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such an opportunity came once in a lifetime. They agreed—and, by sheer luck, ran into Elwin and his group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the atmosphere and pressure of the moment, they didn’t even think—just swung their bats and charged. Elwin’s group was beaten black and blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only good thing was no one broke bones—but everyone took several blows. No fractures meant luck, not mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans dropped his cigarette, licked his lips, and extended his hand. Ethan, quickest to react, turned his bat around, grip-first, and placed it in Lans’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans hefted the heavy bat, stared at the freckled face. “Today I’ll teach you a lesson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter what you did yesterday, today you pay for it. If not today, then tomorrow. Or the day after. It will come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans nodded. Ethan pulled up one of the freckled face’s arms. Lans gripped the bat with both hands, raised it high, and brought it down hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dull thud, followed by a shriek. The freckled face no longer cared whether his girlfriend was a whore—the pain made thought impossible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He curled up, clutching his arm, banging his head against the ground. The other two were terrified, begging for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tommy made us do it! It’s all his fault!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s Tommy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both looked at the freckled face, nearly unconscious from pain. True brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lans didn’t let them off. “But you swung the bat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans handed the bat to Elwin. Elwin breathed heavily—this was his first time truly going all out. Doing this required mental preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attacking, injuring, even killing one’s own kind isn’t easy. There’s psychological resistance, burden. Except for born monsters, no one can do it without emotional turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took quick breaths, recalled how he’d been beaten by this group, and anger surged. He inhaled sharply, puffing out his chest, raised the bat high, and smashed down—suddenly, he felt lighter, his breathing steadier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the next one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This one was the unluckiest—Ethan hit him. His strength was immense; he broke the arm into a “V” shape. The doctor would be thrilled—this meant a big medical bill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, people had begun gathering. The scene was over. In a blink, they were gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes later, a police car arrived. Two officers stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One walked over to the three, prodded the freckled face’s cheek with the tip of his shiny leather shoe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his eyes open, confirming no one was dead, the officer walked to a nearby sunshade. “Call an ambulance,” he told his partner, then turned to the café owner. “Do you know who did this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most business owners knew the local gangs—they’d all been extorted. The café owner touched the twenty dollars in his pocket and chose honesty. “Didn’t see them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Outsiders?” The officer shook his head slightly, pulled out a notebook and pen. “Can you remember what they looked like?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still shook his head. “Can’t remember. But they were all young.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was nonsense. The outdoor tables and chairs were in ruins, yet the owner refused to give any clue—only possible if both sides had some arrangement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officer closed his notebook. He knew these people knew who did it. These were small cases!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ambulance arrived quickly. The one with the broken arm, already unconscious, was loaded onto it. The freckled face and his friend refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A broken arm was bad enough. Add a few hundred or thousand in medical bills? Better to have those guys kill them outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Down a distant alley, the young men, panting, exchanged glances—then burst out laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t as terrifying as they’d imagined. When pinned down and beaten, they were no different from pathetic worms!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it, just as Lans said: You’re strong, they’re weak.\u003C\u002Fp>",1511,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","96a61a8aee9e1bc51c7241242ae094d60c1806ae96a501146959339fe2b396ea","the-shadow-empire-chapter-58","the-shadow-empire-chapter-56",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]