[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-74":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},2267694,4428,"Chapter 74: You Scheme Me, I Scheme You","the-shadow-empire-chapter-74",74,"\u003Cp>Over the past two days, Mr. Chobaf had come to understand many things; he had always believed that Federals, especially those with some status and background, wouldn’t be too crude in their dealings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these past few days, he realized that not a single person in this Federation, from top to bottom, had any decency at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had previously mistaken those who appeared refined as not entirely evil—only because he hadn’t yet been placed on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he himself lay on the platter, sprinkled with seasonings and brought to the dining table, he realized how wildly wrong his earlier thoughts had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely having money wasn’t enough here; you needed a local identity, along with money—that was the bare minimum of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then you had to pick a side, join someone’s faction, and play the role you were assigned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by finding a sliver of opportunity amid a long process of exploitation could you possibly rise into the true upper class and become someone genuinely protected by the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he understood all this far too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had mistaken the cleaning process the chef had put him through as Federal welfare benefits—like a pig entering a new environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, people would vaccinate it, deworm it, examine its health to ensure it had no disease—and if it did, they’d treat it aggressively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, they kept it in peak health, living in a highly secure environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day it received scientifically balanced feed, occasionally got baths, and sometimes even listened to music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the pig would think this was the pinnacle of its pig life!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would tell others how happy it was here, how sweet the air smelled, how even the damn tap water tasted sweet—sweet enough to sink into the soul!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only when it was sliced, placed on a plate, and shoved into the oven did it realize everything it had enjoyed was merely to make it healthier, tastier, and more appetizing for the mouths of capital magnates and politicians!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by then, it was too late—even if it regretted having mocked those pigs who refused to enter or desperately tried to escape this so-called paradise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, all it could do was lie on the platter, waiting for the knife and fork to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. “Let him in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, Arthur’s loud laughter and the clacking of his spiked shoes echoed through the door. “Chobaf, my old friend, it’s been ages!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked in from outside, smiling broadly; had one ignored his past deeds and imminent plans, no one could have disliked such a handsome, cheerful young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he knew just how vile this man was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Mr. Chobaf showed no intention of embracing him, Arthur casually dropped his arms and walked straight to the chair opposite, then glanced back at his assistant. “Coffee with whiskey, thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant glanced at Mr. Chobaf, who gave a slight nod; only then did he leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Joe, I know you don’t like me because I took a bit of your money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A bit?” Mr. Chobaf couldn’t help asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur remained unchanged. “You want to talk about a lot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Mr. Chobaf sink back into silence, Arthur was pleased with his reaction. “Because I still owed you a little, I thought of you for a profitable business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf said nothing, but Arthur didn’t care. “The prohibition order will be signed by month’s end. I plan to stockpile liquor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know how it is in other states—once prohibition is signed, existing liquor prices will skyrocket. This is an opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And few people know about this. We can buy heavily before prices rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf was tempted, but reason warned him not to trust this little bastard—yet he was ultimately a merchant, a capitalist; profit was his core drive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We partner. I’m not lending you money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur frowned. Mr. Chobaf explained: “The outcome is the same. If you intend to repay me, then we partner—jointly stockpile liquor, profits split fifty-fifty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I provide the capital and the warehouse. You only handle the liquor’s security. Profits split fifty-fifty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t what Arthur had planned—he hadn’t intended to repay at all. This meant he’d lose fifty percent of the actual value increase of the liquor, plus the principal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I don’t like partnerships. You lend me money, I pay you interest and return the principal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf shook his head, unusually firm—he was dining with the mayor tomorrow night and would stand with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being slaughtered, placed on the table—better to be eaten by the mayor and excreted into a golden toilet than by Arthur and dumped on the roadside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were shit, but at least he’d touched the edge of a golden toilet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave him some backbone. “You know it’s impossible. You still haven’t repaid what you owe me. I won’t lend you more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur was already growing angry inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At home, though he was the favorite, everyone knew his brother was the true heir to Senator Williams’ power—he was too stupid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That damn brother always looked at him like an idiot, and Arthur could do nothing about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family behind Williams’ first wife held great influence in this state; several of them were in politics, including the strongest two: the Speaker of the State House and a State Senator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, Arthur had only a young, beautiful, and well-endowed mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father favored him but never let him into the family’s inner circle, fueling a twisted desire within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since childhood, his reckless behavior was, in a way, a cry for attention and recognition from Senator Williams—yet he never got it, and gradually lost himself in his own chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now even a simple, honest immigrant dared say no to him—and he couldn’t accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wouldn’t force Mr. Chobaf to do anything outright. He thought for a moment, and a notion surfaced in his full-of-shit brain: “What if I had collateral?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Collateral?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf was surprised. “What collateral do you have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forty thousand worth of Gold Cap Napo whiskey and Delanchin wine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I pledge these to you, how much can you lend me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can sign a loan contract. I’m serious about doing business with you—not extorting you. Understand that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf fell into thought. His past two days had been rough; rumors against him had been circulating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they hadn’t yet truly harmed him, the signs were there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was one reason he’d turned to the mayor—he needed to stabilize his position in the Federation and among Imperial immigrants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he could now ally with a seasoned power like Senator Williams, some rumors would collapse on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Arthur said he’d sign a contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a contract, even if the other side defaulted, it became a valuable bargaining chip—for threats or deals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s the liquor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur grinned broadly. Mr. Chobaf now saw his scheming but didn’t call him out—who didn’t have hidden motives?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the warehouse, by the docks. I can take you there now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s go now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur paused, but since this involved money, he didn’t refuse—he was telling the truth this time!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the two arrived at the warehouse district, where, in Arthur’s leased facility, they saw mountains of stacked liquor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf didn’t trust him—he kept opening boxes. The ground was indeed genuine Gold Cap Napo whiskey, wildly popular among the middle class and those with spending power!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a copper-cap Napo whiskey was the working class’s staple, then Gold Cap Napo covered from the lower class to the middle class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be given as a gift—now priced at seven or eight dollars a bottle, it wasn’t cheap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for middle-class families, it was affordable and had strong appreciation potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet its ceiling was ten dollars; beyond that, the market vanished—people chose Silver Cap Napo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real high-value sellers were still Copper Cap, but they were nearly sold out—even he struggled to get any.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Mr. Chobaf stand before the mountain of liquor, lost in thought, Arthur couldn’t help smiling smugly. “Joe, I didn’t lie to you, did I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you I never cheat! You still don’t believe me!” He even sounded wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf stepped down from the liquor pile, clapped his hands. “I’ll arrange people to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden thunderclap cut him off. His assistant reminded him: “The radio says heavy rain is coming these two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the sea, this was common—especially now, with cold air moving south, violent storms and downpours were normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll arrange people to seal this warehouse until the deal is complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arthur’s eyes flickered with hidden cunning. “No problem. I’ll have the keys delivered to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Chobaf was satisfied. “How much do you want to borrow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forty thousand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. The liquor’s worth less than forty thousand. I can only give you twenty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty-five!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After half a minute, Mr. Chobaf extended his hand. “Fine. Twenty-five thousand. Annual interest twenty-two percent. And I need an addendum: you pay me an extra ten percent of the principal and interest as loan conditions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That means we’re co-investing—profit split nine to one—you nine, me one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-five thousand would become thirty-three thousand five hundred in a year—within the Federation Savings Bank and Federation Justice Department’s legal interest limits—and he secured sufficient profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Gold Cap is expensive, but Copper Cap sells better. If you can get Copper Cap, I suggest you buy all of it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Arthur held some contempt for Mr. Chobaf, he took the advice to heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll consider it carefully…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the two returned to Mr. Chobaf’s bank, the dark sky began pouring rain. They signed the mortgage loan contract under thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the contract signed, Mr. Chobaf immediately transferred twenty-five thousand to Arthur and arranged guards at the docks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Arthur might try something—but this time, he’d give him no chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, two trucks had pulled up at the harbor entrance. Several people approached the drivers, asking if they needed work—but were all turned down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they already had jobs—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awaiting Lans’ orders!\u003C\u002Fp>",1682,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4c3652fb9d2659c3291f976bfa24852f0db68baf18f65bedc7977a82afcea735","the-shadow-empire-chapter-75","the-shadow-empire-chapter-73",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]