[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-930":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},2268550,4428,"Chapter 930: The Flag Must Be Clear","the-shadow-empire-chapter-930",930,"\u003Cp>“Mr. Lans, I’ve got everything ready,” said Editor Mason, after receiving a report from his staff, and he called Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning of this call was simply that Mr. Auger could kill himself at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he killed himself or was made to kill himself didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this confrontation between Lans and the Labor Union, and in the Shitanxing  force behind Lans representing Congress against the Labor Union, both sides were already prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like… a perfect date night, you’ve kissed, touched each other, now you’re naked before each other, and only one step remains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That step must be chosen by Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well done, Editor Mason. I’ll handle it appropriately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I need to do anything, I’ll call you first. Keep an eye on these matters for me during this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Editor Mason smiled amiably, laughing heartily, “This is all within my duties, and working for you is already an honor, Mr. Lans!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By all rights, Editor Mason was a “cultured man,” well-read, with deep cultivation and refinement—he shouldn’t have spoken so bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this world, under the erosion of capital, even intellectuals, even those with cultivation and refinement, still bow when they must.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, they knew better than ordinary people when to bow, and how to bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one dislikes being flattered; Lans’s face softened with a smile, his tone lightening, “Once all this mess is over, let’s get together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still need a formal meeting with the upper management of the News Group—you know them better than I do. We’ll go together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an indirect offer to promote him from editor to management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Editor Mason’s wrinkles folded into layers of smiles—hadn’t he done all this precisely for this moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had won the Golden Paper Award, yet still had to obey the demands of the newspaper board chairman, who hadn’t even graduated high school and had never touched the Golden Paper Award.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his level, in the upper-middle class, he could now see the underlying mechanics of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Personal ability, once reaching a certain level, could no longer propel him upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Editor Mason answered immediately, “I am at your disposal at any time, Mr. Lans!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans laughed twice more, “I will.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After putting down the phone, he thought for a moment and called Ms. Debbie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie was on vacation at home when she received the call; the failure of this strike had placed immense pressure on the Labor Union of Likaile Province.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a supervisor clearly not aligned with the Labor Union, she had been placed on indefinite leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her friends in the local chapter and the central union had privately contacted her: this strike appeared lost, but if they could turn the tide during the later investigation into Lans’s responsibility…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Ms. Debbie might return to her office—not as supervisor, but as deputy supervisor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The central union was highly sensitive about her “passive attitude toward the strike”; had she not remained clean over the years, she might already have been expelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Labor Union failed to regain ground in the coming confrontation, she would bear part of the blame and be directly expelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, as the Labor Union’s most effective weapon, its first failure demanded someone of weight to take the fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was one, the local chapter chair was another, and two vice-chairs as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only she faced expulsion; the others were merely suspended or reassigned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Labor Union would use this to tell people: it wasn’t the strike weapon that failed—it was the Likaile chapter that used it wrongly, hence the failure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie didn’t care at all about losing her job; she had already amassed enough over the years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most textile-related enterprises in Likaile Province had privately contacted her; she held advisory positions at over thirty companies, for more than ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if each company paid her only fifty dollars monthly, thirty companies meant fifteen hundred dollars a month, twenty thousand a year, two hundred thousand over ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention two hundred thousand—even twenty thousand was a lifetime’s fortune for many!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she wasn’t worried at all; she could start her own business too—she knew the industry inside out, could easily open a factory and still make money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden ring of the phone piqued her curiosity; when she answered, she learned it was Lans calling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have something to discuss with you. I called your office, and they said you’re on leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie chuckled, “More like suspended. I hope this doesn’t affect why you’re calling me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans was slightly surprised, but only slightly. “No, of course not. Could you come to my office?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some things can’t be explained over the phone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie didn’t refuse; soon she arrived at Lans’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please sit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had his secretary bring two drinks, then sat down and smiled, “I hope it’s not because of me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie shook her head. “No, not at all. You don’t need to feel guilty, Lans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve lived in Jingang City for many years. I know this city well. This is my own choice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t spell it out clearly, but it was clear enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans nodded slightly. His secretary brought two cups of coffee—last time, Ms. Debbie had loved Lans’s coffee, so he ordered coffee again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the door closed, Lans asked, “They’ve been quiet lately—no trouble at all. They must be brewing something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie nodded. “I heard—just heard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They still have someone accusing that young man, Karl, and they plan to extradite him to another state for trial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans whistled. “That’s very federal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each state had different laws; in some, theft was a minor offense, punishable by fifty dollars and immediate release.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In others, theft was a serious crime, punishable by twenty years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting a criminal extradited to a state favorable for trial had long been one of the top skills of high-level lawyers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lans realized this might truly be a challenge for Karl—but it made it even more critical that Karl not be captured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment. “Thank you for the warning. This matters to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stirred his coffee with a stirrer, then took a small sip. “Do they plan to bring you back to work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie seemed relaxed. “They haven’t considered it, and I have no particular desire to return. It makes no difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To them, I may be a supervisor without responsibility—but I am responsible to myself. I am first a citizen of Jingang, then a Labor Union supervisor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was signaling her stance, ensuring Lans understood it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans understood perfectly—she was too blunt, but that was better; sometimes bluntness prevents misunderstandings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a moment, he said, “Then my invitation today isn’t too forward. I’m offering you a new position.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie’s interest stirred. “May I know what it is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans adjusted his posture. “Senior Consultant and Vice President of the Labor Services Company. You’ve dealt with many factory owners, entrepreneurs, capitalists, and workers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know how to handle capital, and how to handle labor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your experience is exactly what we need. My company is growing rapidly—I plan to turn it into a massive labor system this year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll be one of its founders!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans was a man who loved to paint grand pictures—and he painted them convincingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie could feel, through her own experience, just how much damage Lans’s company could inflict on the union and the Labor Union.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, what Lans described was genuinely possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If his labor company truly became another behemoth, a new “Labor Union” would emerge—and as its vice president and one of its founders, what honors would she receive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Vice Chairman Walter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Towering above millions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know—but she was deeply interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She set down her coffee cup. “Thank you for seeing potential in me, Lans. But I’m not sure I’m qualified for this role.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And will my Labor Union affiliation become a barrier to building trust with my new colleagues?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the direct conflict between Wanli Group and the Labor Union, if Ms. Debbie joined as a Labor Union supervisor, some people—perhaps a small group—might resent her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Labor Union was a vast institution, inevitably filled with things ordinary people never saw: power struggles, office politics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she was only one person—even if given the title of vice president, would it be merely ceremonial?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had many things to consider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lans thought none of these were problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’ll need to complete an interview. If you pass, I guarantee you’ll be the perfect candidate for this role.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even… becoming president one day isn’t out of the question!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ms. Debbie’s breathing quickened slightly; her heartbeat accelerated. She lifted her coffee again, lowering her head to steady herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking a large sip, the bitterness dissolved, and the rich, thick aroma spread—her composure returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the interview?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving Lans’s office, Ms. Debbie didn’t go home immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t told the full truth—about whether she was a citizen of Jingang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t from Jingang. She came from Mantong. She was from Likaile Province—but not a native of Jingang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Jingang’s textile industry was massive and highly concentrated, the Labor Union’s textile office was located in Jingang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made it easier for her to liaise with companies and unions; all other Labor Union offices were in Mantong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lived alone here; her husband and children remained in Mantong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, even if she wanted to consult someone, she had no one to turn to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sitting on a street corner for a while, she thought again and dialed her husband’s number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s that noise?” she frowned, hearing sounds that invited speculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew her husband… would inevitably cheat. He worked in finance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crazy industry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either it drives everyone mad, or it makes everyone depressed—this line of work carries immense psychological pressure; those strings of numbers aren’t math problems, they’re money problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d heard the industry was chaotic, but finance simply made too much money to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1010, the Federation’s financial sector began emerging from its infancy into maturity; exchanges started appearing, finance became more regulated, and the Financial Age was declared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her husband had been in this field longer, one of the first practitioners; now he worked for a brokerage, and money came to him like found coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the pressure was real—rumor had it that over half his colleagues had either gone to prison or jumped off buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d lived apart for years, so she knew the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as a woman, as a wife, in a marriage, if it didn’t show on her face, she could pretend not to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rustling of fabric came through the receiver; she recognized the sound well—she’d once been a textile worker herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honey… uh… what did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Debbie stood there, holding the receiver for a moment. “No, nothing. I just wanted to ask—how’s the child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, God, yes—the child. He’s fine, excellent. You know I hired the best tutor, housekeeper, and maid—they can take perfect care of him. Don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could tell her husband wanted to say more, but Mrs. Debbie didn’t give him the chance. “As long as he’s fine, that’s all I wanted to know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve other things to do. I’m hanging up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hung up the phone, stood in the phone booth for a moment, then left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes what pushes a person to make a hard choice isn’t “support”—it’s “harm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Mrs. Debbie’s husband hung up the phone. He looked down at the mischievous girl and smiled the same mischievous smile. “You little troublemaker—let me check you out…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t give a single thought to that earlier call. Since both he and his wife had built their own careers and lived apart, marriage was merely a performance to prove to others they fulfilled their social responsibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for real life—who the hell cared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Debbie strode back to her car and drove home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took out a sheet of paper and began calling each number and name listed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, a few people arrived at her villa—all from the textile industry or affiliated with the Labor Union, the so-called “skilled workers” or “certified technicians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their conditions were clearly bad; most were injured—some with broken arms, others with broken legs. None had it easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Debbie had called seventeen or eighteen people; only six showed up—not even half—but it was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, a voice doesn’t need to be loud to be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew Mrs. Debbie, at least a little. She invited them to sit, then studied them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know who I am. You know what I used to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five nodded. One wasn’t sure, but the man beside him whispered the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before this big strike, if you remember, I told you not to join it—because this is Jincheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Things here are different. Do any of you remember that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two raised their hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Debbie continued, “I’ve been removed from my post because I knew our strike couldn’t succeed. They think I’m a traitor—or that I caused the strike’s failure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They never look at themselves. They believe if someone strikes, their goals will be met.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gentlemen, your current suffering isn’t caused by refugees or the Lans family—it’s caused by the Labor Union’s unrealistic greed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words from the “former head of the Labor Union’s Textile Office in Licaile Province,” the six present were stunned into silence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One middle-aged man, his arm broken, couldn’t help asking, “Mrs. Debbie, I don’t understand what you mean!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others stared at her, waiting to hear her meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Debbie tilted her head slightly and loosened her shoulders. “I’ve made myself clear: if not for the Labor Union’s wrong ideas and actions, you wouldn’t be like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you can’t afford hospital bills—some mortgaged your homes, others took out high-interest loans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s job hunting these days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or—are you barely holding on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces changed. Mrs. Debbie was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most had taken high-interest loans—not from casinos, but from legitimate lenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Notably, in parts of the Federation, the interest rates on personal high-interest loans weren’t much higher than bank loans—especially in the south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes these financial firms could even be called philanthropists!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how charitable, the money was never easy to repay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2388,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","310e51f8c405693a7f032a2c297e288890be5a015c7a5eb1e9bd4ca258d33e21","the-shadow-empire-chapter-931","the-shadow-empire-chapter-929",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]