[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-77":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},2267697,4428,"Chapter 77: Anomaly and Claim","the-shadow-empire-chapter-77",77,"\u003Cp>All eyes turned to Aierwen , Lans made a “please speak” gesture, then watched him in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  was clever and sharp-witted—Lans knew this well, so he had no fear Aierwen  would say anything out of place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were someone else, say Yisen , Lans would have warned Yisen  first not to say anything that dampened the mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  looked around at the others. “Actually, everyone wanted to come—Lans, Yisen , Meiluo , even Ainiao —they all wanted to be here, everyone was willing to work for the company, for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We just got lucky—you picked us, so we have this chance to split such a huge sum of money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m grateful to you, Lans. Before you, our lives were truly hard—until you decided to change everything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words resonated deeply with Hailamu  and the others; their lives had truly been miserable, and the anti-immigrant unrest still rippled through society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they hadn’t been utterly unable to get work permits or find decent jobs, they likely wouldn’t have come at all once they learned the company was shady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They merely thought, “What if they actually pay?” and worked here for a month—this reflected the dire plight of immigrants and undocumented workers at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen ’s heartfelt words moved everyone, evoking deep sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So my idea is—I’ll take two hundred, and the rest I’ll deposit into the company’s account.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Lisi was the first to raise his hand in agreement. “Yes, when I heard we’d get such a huge sum, I felt a flicker of delight—but soon I felt fear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never seen so much money. I’m afraid it’ll control me. I don’t want to become a criminal or a fool because of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take two hundred too—put the rest into the company’s account for me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone on Lans’s side chose this option. But Hailamu ’s group all turned to look at Hailamu .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hailamu  thought for a moment, shook his head—but his hair was soaked by rain and wouldn’t fly back, so he had to sweep it aside with his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Budebushuo , when he made this gesture, paired with his foolish face, he looked utterly, laughably stupid—deceptively so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lans, no matter what others say, from my perspective, you did this solely to help us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At first, I only wanted you to help us recover our wages and punish these people. I never imagined we’d get so much!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think… money isn’t better the more you have. Enough is enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have another idea…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at Aierwen , then said sincerely, “I want to follow you, Lans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From Aierwen  and your other friends, I can see you let me live with dignity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only need my wages. I’m afraid if I have too much money at once, I’ll spend it recklessly and draw attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hailamu  looked foolish—especially with his dull eyes and constant head-shaking, like some backward, mentally deficient farmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his actual abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you speaking for yourself—or for all of you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hailamu  turned to look at the others. They’d had some contact before, endured a month of oppression together, and their bonds had strengthened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few stepped forward, saying they’d follow Hailamu ’s lead—if they could just get fifty dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But two remained silent, which angered Hailamu —but he said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Lans’s domain. He couldn’t replace Lans in giving orders or making decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. This is what you deserve. You took huge risks. No one can say your choice was wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men visibly relaxed, but then Lans added, “Tomorrow, go to the company to collect your money. After that, you’re done with this matter entirely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I also hope you’ll keep a low profile. If your actions cause this matter to become known…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know I can deal with the Federation—and I can deal with the Empire just as easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want the day I have to personally throw you into oil drums and sink you into Angel Lake—let alone drag your families down with you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was grave. The two men were already regretting it—but four thousand dollars was too tempting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant working ten years straight without eating or drinking, with legal employment and no wage theft, to earn this sum!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this setup—renting someone else’s work permit—they might need twenty or thirty years to save this much!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side was a reckless fifty dollars; the other, over four thousand in hand. They quickly decided, their resolve hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand, Lans. I swear only I will know this—no one else will hear it from me. If I break this, do whatever you want to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other man said much the same. Lans nodded without comment, only warned them: “Remember what you said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his face broke into a smile. “Come on—there’s still so much meat. It’d be a waste to let it go cold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some ate easily, without burden. Others ate distractedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy rain stopped by midnight, leaving a clear night sky glittering with stars, their faint light illuminating the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Lans kept watching the warehouse. He’d expected police to arrive last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, losing tens of thousands in goods couldn’t go unnoticed by the owner—they wouldn’t shoulder the loss themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no police came. Instead, the warehouse was sealed shut again, with two large trucks parked outside, blocking the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This left Lans truly baffled. The only plausible explanation was that this batch of alcohol was contraband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sent Yisen  with two brothers to guard it—they all carried weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans himself went to find out what was really going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, three men in formal suits knocked on the door of the Jincheng City Police Department’s coroner’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coroner, busy with work, stood to greet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coroner had seen countless living and dead people—he instantly recognized these men as gangsters, and not just any gangsters, but ones with influence in Jincheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You couldn’t expect street kids who couldn’t afford dinner to wear hundred-dollar suits with crisp name tags and neatly tied ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After shaking hands with the man who entered, the coroner sat back down and handed over a file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the man studied the file, the coroner studied him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was under thirty, maybe early thirties—pale, slender, not physically strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he’d chosen a tailored suit, one that didn’t hang loosely—this was a man who paid attention to detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His collar, cuffs, and even his tie knot were meticulously arranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only flaw the coroner noticed was his hands—scars on the backs, calluses on the palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes later, the man set the file down, turned his head side to side, and a violent aura surged from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed ready to smash or destroy something—but this wasn’t his territory. He ultimately didn’t overturn the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his fists, then quickly unclenched them, pushed his hair back, and after a long moment, his emotions settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Above… said he died from overeating.” His voice was pleasant—slightly hoarse, fitting the female ideal of “magnetic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coroner nodded. “His facial muscles, including the masseters, showed tearing injuries. He was almost certainly force-fed, rupturing his stomach wall and causing fatal blood loss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man suddenly laughed a few times, then shook his head. “That idiot!” He raised a hand in apology, then pointed at the photo in the file. “I’m not talking about you—I’m talking about this dead fool!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were reddened. “Did you find out who killed him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coroner shook his head. “Ask Officer Lu Ka. He’s in the Criminal Investigations Unit. His office has a nameplate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man stood, took a deep breath, and shook the coroner’s hand again. “Thank you for your work. May I… see him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coroner nodded. “Not now. Officer Lu Ka will take you. There’s a formal body claim process and paperwork—you’ll see him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated. “People die. I hope you can find peace. Life goes on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man nodded firmly. “Thank you. Thank you for your words—I feel much better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and left. Watching his back, the coroner knew—Jincheng would be unsettled again…\u003C\u002Fp>",1351,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3ab9e74fbd1dc2c26c539dd608408b5d132d79e0bc28f7bb914ca39bebe616f5","the-shadow-empire-chapter-78","the-shadow-empire-chapter-76",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]