[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-68":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},2267688,4428,"Chapter 68: Killer","the-shadow-empire-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>But in the end, Mr. Chobaf did not immediately contact a killer; instead, he called Koen, a senior officer of the Kamil Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen and Mr. Chobaf came from the same state, making them half-countrymen, and it was thanks to Mr. Chobaf’s help that Koen rose smoothly to his position as a senior officer in the Kamil Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Federation, even in this world, whether in politics, capital, or gangs, climbing upward requires financial backing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in gangs, if you want greater influence and more support, you must give people tangible benefits to attract more followers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two had maintained contact, though Mr. Chobaf’s relationship with the Kamil Gang was average at best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Koen received Mr. Chobaf’s call, he was reclining in his chair, a girl kneeling before him; he tilted his head back, eyes half-closed. “Mr. Chobaf, is there… something you need from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Chobaf” was his special way of addressing him—it felt warmer, more familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf glanced at the receiver in his hand, finding it absurd. “If you’re busy, I can call back later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Busy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No no no, not busy at all—I’ve got both hands free!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What brings me the honor of serving you?” Koen’s words carried hidden meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, their contact had mostly gone through assistants—or even the assistant’s nephew—Mr. Chobaf avoiding direct communication with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was perfectly normal: one was an upper-class figure among Empire immigrants, the other a stinking gang officer; even if they had ties, they couldn’t be direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Mr. Chobaf’s goal was to enter the Federation’s upper class, not to sink into the sewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least before truly joining the Federation’s elite, he must keep as few stains as possible on himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gang banker? That was clearly the worst interpretation, the worst label.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he rarely contacted Koen directly—this was reasonable, appropriate—but inevitably left Koen with a small resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps when he was still a poor boy, just beginning to be funded by Mr. Chobaf, he hadn’t felt any discomfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as his status in the gang rose, he gradually realized that even as a senior officer, he still didn’t earn Mr. Chobaf’s respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This complex emotion slowly settled, fermented, and intensified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf, hearing the implication in Koen’s tone, cursed inwardly but held his temper. “I’ve run into trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen pressed the girl’s head deeper. “Any problem, you can just order me—it’s repayment for your years of support.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jimmy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jimmy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen paused. “Jimmy from the Brother’s Gang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen, who had originally hoped to profit from helping, now realized this was messy. “What did he do to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf fell silent for a moment. “He extorted me several times. Today he took another thirty thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen felt a strange surge of emotion. “Mr. Chobaf, everyone says you own millions. Thirty thousand is nothing—don’t stoop to the level of lunatics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You probably don’t understand Jimmy and the Brother’s Gang. They were once the most notorious gang of street kids in the harbor district—almost all were from single-parent homes or orphans, raised to act without restraint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honestly, if it were someone else, I might help you do something. But if it’s Jimmy of the Brother’s Gang, I can at most arrange a meeting for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You meet him—not me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harbor district’s street-kid problem had once made front-page headlines in the Federation Daily, covered across multiple consecutive editions, with the first and last both on the front page.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harbor’s problems were complex: sailors and travelers from around the world, after long voyages, needed release, so many women offered services here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were professionals—organized, disciplined, operating in designated venues with thorough safety protocols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others were desperate for cash, occasionally stepping in without preparation—or even awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add to that the unorganized streetwalkers, and the harbor’s industry was chaotic; people often got shot by accident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every year, many babies were abandoned here, no one knew their mothers, but most guessed their fathers weren’t locals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These children were taken in by the Fuli Academy and raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Federation law permits child labor; these kids learned to form gangs early, quickly establishing power in the harbor district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, they still exist—though as the economy improved, the street-kid issue pierced the Federation’s fragile conscience, so the media stopped reporting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t gone—just unreported. People assumed it no longer happened, but it still did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Brother’s Gang was built atop these street kids—a gang whose members were all vicious, ruthless types; otherwise, they wouldn’t have survived this long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people had no families, raised under constant scorn, so they acted without restraint, without fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the police found them troublesome—they killed cops without hiding it. Other gangs might kill officers too, but only as a last resort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These guys? They killed whenever they felt like it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when speaking of them, Koen no longer thought of profit—he didn’t even want to get involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen’s attitude nearly made Mr. Chobaf explode: Do you think I need you to arrange a meeting with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he had to stay calm. He took two deep breaths. “So I just let myself be extorted?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Koen chuckled. “Mr. Chobaf, you wear expensive, proper clothes and move among the elite, while they’re mud-crawling dogs. You’re rich—why risk yourself over thirty thousand? Not worth it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s unbearable, you could relocate to another nearby city. The Brother’s Gang is different from other gangs—they only have limited influence in Jincheng’s harbor district.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And as I said, Mr. Chobaf, you have millions. If a few thousand can solve a problem, why bother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words all urged him to let it go. Mr. Chobaf took a deep breath. “Fine. I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then…” Koen began, but saw only a dial tone on the phone. He cursed twice, then turned back to the girl before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his office, Mr. Chobaf grew angrier by the moment. Was it his fault he was rich?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—in the Federation, being rich was the right thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fault was that he was rich but didn’t act like a rich man should. He looked at his assistant. “This must end in a result I’m satisfied with. Find a killer. Pay him. Kill Jimmy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want the sixty thousand back—I’m going to make him pay for this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant knew he was furious. After careful thought, he decided to honor his choice. “I’ll find a reliable killer. How much are you willing to spend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf’s lip twitched. “One… two thousand at most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant left quickly—he had to protect Mr. Chobaf, for only then did he have value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found his nephew. “Under two thousand. Find a killer. Kill Jimmy of the Brother’s Gang. I’ll send you his photo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant’s nephew was thirty, had long handled dirty work for Mr. Chobaf, and nodded repeatedly before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had his channels. Soon, he found someone willing: a recently smuggled Imperial deserter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To repay his snakehead quickly and prevent his family back in the Empire from suffering, he needed to earn twelve hundred fast. This job was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man offered him five thousand—and a weapon—for one kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the battlefield, he’d killed several men. This job was easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t hesitate. He accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a week, he prepared. Of the five thousand, he gave two thousand as a deposit, twelve hundred to the snakehead, five hundred to his family, and spent nearly all the remaining three hundred before beginning his work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his words: if he died, wouldn’t it be a waste to leave money unspent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For days, he wandered the harbor district, mapping Jimmy’s routine. Today would be Jimmy’s last day on earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of it, he pulled out his flask and took a sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Federation liquor was real liquor. What he drank in the Empire? What the hell was that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He touched the weapon in his coat, opened the door, and stepped out—the sunlight ahead, like a new life, opened its arms to him.\u003C\u002Fp>",1322,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b7bd85e5d5126fe8c93267fff7b0e18adc276acc2f4da78cac14acedccdd3ee6","the-shadow-empire-chapter-69","the-shadow-empire-chapter-67",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]