Chapter 798: A Visit from the Labor Federation

After Lanse gave a few more instructions, he let Erwen go about his business.

Erwen walked out of Lanse's office and headed straight for the company lounge.

As he walked, he pondered the tasks that lay ahead.

Lanse had sent him personally because, for one, the incident occurred in Denuozhou, which was not Lanse's territory; they had no influence there, so they had to be cautious.

Furthermore, this matter might be slightly complicated; it wasn't a case of just going there and taking action, but rather one that required observation and thought.

The path from Lanse's office to the lounge wasn't long, and before long, he stood outside the lounge door.

The rotating combat team leaders would usually be in the lounge when they had nothing to do. There were pool tables, some game machines like pinball, and the latest television sets.

They could do whatever they wanted there: play, chat, or just lie on the sofa, dazed, reading the newspaper.

The rotating leaders were required to be on duty there at all times. If a combat mission arose, they had to respond immediately, gather their men, and throw themselves into the fray.

It could be during the day, or at two or three in the morning; no matter when, if they were needed, they had to be there and respond instantly.

When they saw Erwen, the second-in-command of the Lanse family, push open the door and enter, many of the young leaders stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

Lanse had established various systems for the entire family, or rather, the entire company, to ensure it operated normally.

The look in their eyes as they watched Erwen was full of anticipation; staying there was just too boring, and a single shift lasted three days.

Three days of being unable to go anywhere was indeed a torment for these young men—

In that moment, they seemed to forget that a month had thirty days.

Erwen looked at these young men, who were practically crowding in front of him, raising their hands and shouting "Pick me!", smiled, and greeted them, his gaze finally resting on Allen.

Allen had saved his life, so he definitely had to take Allen on this mission.

"Allen, and... and...", he pointed to three team leaders. Those chosen punched the air in excitement, standing by Erwen's side amidst the envious and jealous glares of the others.

"That's it for now!"

"You lot, carry on with your own business."

The other leaders sighed in disappointment, but given the authority of family executives, they could only shake their heads and return to their "game time."

The three young men followed Erwen out of the room. Allen couldn't help but chase after Erwen and ask, "What are we doing this time?"

As they walked toward the main entrance, Erwen briefly explained the situation: "Lanse wants us to do something in New Jincheng. It might be a bit dangerous, so be prepared."

"Stay calm, be cautious, and follow orders—that is my only advice to you!"

He paused, then pulled open the lobby door. The city's clamor rushed in like a tidal wave the moment the door swung wide.

"Now, go contact your men!"

"I'll be waiting for you in the parking lot!"

The subordinates of these rotating team leaders were also stationed at the company. Some didn't like the atmosphere inside, mainly because there were too many executives and leaders around.

The lower-level family members might feel a bit uncomfortable, so they mostly gathered on the street outside the company.

Lanse had bought the building next door as well. The landlord had been very enthusiastic and generous, insisting on selling it to Lanse at a very low price.

After taking it over, Lanse turned it into a larger "lounge," where many of the lower-level gang members responsible for guard duty gathered.

The three men filed out of the main entrance, and the groups of people in uniform on the street spotted them immediately.

The three team leaders raised their arms, signaling their men to gather, and soon, a dozen or so people surrounded each of them.

Some team leaders controlled more subordinates than others, depending on their own standing.

Some of these leaders were "street families" from New Jincheng, young men from the same street who had joined the Lanse family together.

When one of them stood out, their old brothers would naturally gather under their command.

Theoretically, this kind of typical "factionalism" shouldn't be supported, but Lanse didn't oppose it.

Because a gang isn't a government, and gang members aren't civil servants; knowing each other well could actually lead to greater effectiveness in their work.

As long as the path for advancement remained open and fair, internal conflicts and issues were less likely to become unmanageable.

Those who stood by and watched them leave could only sigh at their good luck; they had no other thoughts on the matter.

In the parking lot, Erwen saw them arrive. "This mission might take a while, so you have forty minutes to take care of personal business."

"Before you leave, go to the warehouse and collect the gear for this mission. Of course, if you have your own, you don't have to."

"In forty minutes, we meet at the exit of Highway 11 heading out of the city. Don't be late. Any questions?"

Everyone indicated they had no questions, and Erwen climbed into his car and left under their gaze.

He had to go pack as well.

In fact, the company had a fairly complete "mission system." Ordinary gang members could sign for a handgun, two magazines, and two boxes of ammunition at the warehouse.

Team leaders and above could sign for submachine guns, rifles, and even grenades.

In addition to these, there were emergency medical kits, adrenaline, and some potent painkillers and surgical supplies.

Sometimes, these low-level gang members really couldn't tell if the Lanse family was a criminal organization or a regular armed force.

At the very least, other gangs didn't prepare so much equipment!

And this was one of the reasons many young men aspired to join the Lanse family!

Lanse had always emphasized "corporatization." The company system was very complete, formal, and the benefits were good, even if some might consider it a dangerous line of work.

After all, they sometimes had to participate in shootouts, and people could get injured or even die.

But that was the price of high income and high status!

Sitting or standing on a factory assembly line might not be dangerous, but the money they earned from a full day's labor was only enough to keep themselves and their families fed.

Want to let your family live a good life?

Want to live a good life yourself?

If you just worked honestly, you'd never have a chance in this lifetime!

To get something, you have to pay something; the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

And even with the risks, there were far more people wanting to join the Lanse family than those who didn't!

Especially now that they were effectively the strongest force in the state of Liklai, aside from assisting the highway police in catching smugglers, there were almost no other combat missions.

High income, high status, low risk—this was indeed an enviable job.

Even some police officers were inquiring about whether they could join the Lanse family and how to go about it.

Back at his residence, Erwen first called Yisen. They had planned to have dinner with some friends from back home that weekend; it looked like he wouldn't be able to make it this time.

He sat there in a daze for a while, then began to pack his luggage.

There wasn't much to pack—just two changes of clothes, a modified handgun, two modified magazines, and a modified speed loader.

He had over a dozen boxes of ammunition in his trunk; Hailamu was always running out and borrowing from others, so he had prepared plenty.

This handgun had been modified by a gunsmith; it had a faster rate of fire, and the magazine could hold twenty rounds, allowing it to serve as a submachine gun in a pinch.

Of course, the real heavy hitters were in his car; this was just his last line of defense.

If he ever had to use this handgun, it meant he had reached the end of the road.

He grabbed some loose change, put it in a briefcase, walked to the door, took one last look at the empty house, and turned to leave.

He had an idea: he wanted to bring his family over.

Half an hour later, at the junction where Highway 11 met the interstate, he saw the others arriving.

There was no excessive chatter; a dozen cars merged onto the interstate and raced toward Denuozhou!

News of Erwen's departure soon reached Lanse. Lanse didn't pay it much more mind; he trusted Erwen could handle the matter, and he himself needed some rest.

The next morning, he slept in. Enio called him to say that a lady named Debbie, along with two others, had come to see him.

Lanse sat up in bed and rubbed his face, thinking for a long while before he remembered who this was—the lady from the Labor Federation in charge of textile workers.

The workers in his garment factory had all been found by Debbie.

He told Enio to receive them first, then got up, washed, and spent twenty minutes heading to the company.

The moment he pushed open the office door, he saw Enio chatting with the three visitors, and they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation.

Enio possessed good communication skills and talent; Lanse felt he had inherited them from his old man.

Seeing Lanse enter, all four stood up. Lanse smiled, walked over, and shook Debbie's hand first. "You should have called me first; that would have allowed me to get here earlier."

"I just got back from out of town yesterday and was a bit exhausted, so I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Debbie was all smiles, showing no impatience at having waited. Power and status were truly wonderful things—so wonderful that even when you offended someone, they would take the initiative to make excuses for you.

"We came in a hurry, so we're the ones who disturbed your rest. We should be the ones apologizing, Lanse!"

Debbie said.

(End of chapter)