[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-88":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},2267708,4428,"Chapter 88: Watching a Movie and the Family Dinner","the-shadow-empire-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Lans leaned against the car, smoking, watching pedestrians along the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Middle-class neighborhoods had strict access controls; the guard eyed Lans with suspicion, convinced this kid wasn’t a good person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he had any psychic ability or mind-reading—just that he assumed every non-resident looked suspicious, let alone one who was handsomer than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, Lans’s business had begun to improve, and he’d met some people who told him about Patricia’s father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia’s father, Mr. William Lawrence, was a civil servant at City Hall, working for the mayor—a man neither prominent nor insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federation had three major parties: the Free Party, the Social Party, and the Federal Party; Mr. Lawrence was a member of the Federal Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, there had been only two major parties: the Free Party and the Federal Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Free Party better served the interests of the Federation’s lower and middle classes, until many years ago, when a major internal split occurred, leading to the eventual formation of the “Social Party.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Social Party members believed excessive freedom would bring disaster to society and the nation, and that industrial and economic development should be prioritized—completely opposing the Free Party’s platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Free Party promoted “liberalism,” but was denounced by the Social Party as “reckless liberalism,” arguing that excessive personal freedom had no practical value for national development or economic construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core conflict between the two parties—whether the individual or the state came first—was irreconcilable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, a group emphasizing that “individual freedom must not override national interests” broke away and formed today’s Social Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of the Social Party’s ideas received strong support from capitalists, allowing rapid growth; it frequently held power and commanded a majority in Congress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In comparison, the Free Party and the Federal Party were at a disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This might explain why Mr. Lawrence, at forty, remained only a mid-level civil servant—his faction offered him little backing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era where even ideals must bow to capital, ideals alone mean nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two young girls on the sidewalk waved at Lans; he smiled and greeted them back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summer winds always stirred hearts unintentionally—not to prompt action, but simply to let the breeze blow, making even brief moments feel enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lans!” Patricia emerged from the community like a spirit stepping from a painting; Lans tossed his cigarette aside and stepped forward, embracing her and lavishing praise, “You look beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being praised by someone you love always brought joy; Patricia laughed genuinely, “I think so too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She naturally linked arms with him, “There’s something I want to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans opened the car door for her, “What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia hesitated, “William and the others want to invite you to dinner tonight—to come home with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans returned to the driver’s seat and started the car, “Good news.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you nervous?” the girl asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans shook his head, “If meeting the person you care about most is a burden, then you should ask yourself: do you truly love me, or just want to sleep with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is something I must go through—either I convince them, or they convince me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll become a warrior!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flashed a bright, sunny smile; Patricia felt her heart melt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, they went to the movies—an uncommonly cheap and universal form of entertainment in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They went to a high-end cinema, where a ticket cost twenty-five cents; such places were cleaner and smelled better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In summer, at the ten- or fifteen-cent cinemas, you never knew what the previous occupant of your seat had done there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-five-cent theaters had dedicated staff to clean and remove trash, and those who attended tended to be slightly more refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Love in Turbulent Times, a film about war and love—people loved grafting war elements into romance, as if only hardship and tragedy could make love unforgettable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia watched intently; Lans’s attention wandered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She watched closely, yet for some reason, her face grew redder and redder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end, after a long wait, the heroine received her husband’s ashes, stroked her pregnant belly, and smiled with quiet strength as she faced a new life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, even then, they were already chasing political correctness—and it genuinely moved many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came scattered, hesitant applause, like an old man of sixty unfastening his belt in the restroom—half-hearted and weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came thunderous applause, as people were moved by the girl’s devotion to love, loyalty to family, and steadfast waiting for her husband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia clapped, and Lans clapped too—but less enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the applause was like a seven-year-old boy pulling down his pants and letting out a quick, messy burst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You cried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was so touching!” Patricia gripped Lans’s hand, “Don’t you think the heroine was great?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans shook his head, “Actually, she should’ve been selfish—then her husband wouldn’t have died, nor would her child’s father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pat, from a cinematic or artistic perspective, war, love, death, and the imminent birth of new life form an artistic cycle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But from an ordinary person’s view—if we married and war broke out, I’d take you away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t choose between loyalty to my country and loyalty to love—but if I must choose, I choose you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia, already weeping uncontrollably, erupted into a passionate kiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of kissing, she grew shy again, blushing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Church-run girls’ schools enforced strict discipline; the nuns often suffered psychological disorders and used public corporal punishment to destroy students physically and mentally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some schools had seen multiple student suicides, but all were suppressed by the Church and the Federal government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia was a good girl—never dared to make a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans knew the girl was embarrassed; he took her hand and led her out of the cinema. Outside, the sky had darkened, the sun no longer blazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They ate some street snacks—taste was mediocre, but Patricia devoured them happily, “I rarely eat street food—my father says it’s unsanitary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans didn’t deny or argue, “True enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused mid-bite, looking at Lans; he wiped grease from her face, “But if you avoid experiences you’ve never had just because they’re unhealthy, you’ll regret it when you’re old!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A little unhealthiness for a lot of joy—I think the small sacrifice is worth it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right, Lans!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans took her to try many street snacks; by the time night fully fell, she was full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at Lans nervously, “We have to go home for dinner—they’ll notice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then tell them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should have made Lans uneasy made Patricia uneasy instead—she loved Lans because he respected her, and she felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a… peculiar feeling, one she couldn’t describe, but she knew: in Lans’s eyes, she wasn’t just an object, not merely a body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car arrived at Patricia’s neighborhood; the guard lowered his head, peering through the window and recognizing Patricia, “Miss Patricia, this handsome gentleman is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My boyfriend. Please open the gate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guard nodded, opened the gate, then sighed as he watched the car drive away—this was likely the most painful moment every guard faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you nervous?” Lans parked the car and stepped outside her front door; she couldn’t help asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, she was nervous—not Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans shook the brandy in his hand, \"If Mr. Lawrence doesn't dislike brandy, then I won't be nervous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patricia took a deep breath, linked arms with Lans, and knocked on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the Lawrence couple had already been watching from behind the window as they parked; Mrs. Lawrence liked Lans, but Mr. Lawrence still needed to observe him further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened; Mrs. Lawrence had changed into a sleeveless pale pink dress, wearing a string of pearls, glowing with radiance—whether from naturally good health or something else, it was hard to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she definitely hadn’t waxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Welcome, Lans,” she took the brandy from him and handed it to her husband, “Thank you for the gift—how thoughtful of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Lawrence glanced at the brandy in his hand, then at his daughter—he knew she’d chosen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew what he liked, but he silently admired Lans’s generosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best standard cognac on the market cost over twenty dollars a bottle; even he wouldn’t drink it as daily liquor—only on special occasions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A very valuable gift—we can try it tonight,” he passed the bottle back to Mrs. Lawrence, “Open it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as head of the household, Mr. Lawrence invited Lans to sit in the parlor first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What would you like? Black tea, coffee, or juice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Lawrence paused, then laughed, “Aren’t you nervous?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Lawrence and Patricia stood nearby, eavesdropping on the two men’s conversation—far more entertaining than setting the table!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also eagerly awaited how Lans would respond to Mr. Lawrence’s first strike—a seemingly ordinary exchange, but secretly lethal.\u003C\u002Fp>",1444,"2026-06-19T21:10:27.799Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e3a7d50867cc85a6778eadd7d95b781c48768afd65073a8d0a7329c1333daddf","the-shadow-empire-chapter-89","the-shadow-empire-chapter-87",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]