[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-942":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},2268562,4428,"Chapter 942: Lifting a Stone","the-shadow-empire-chapter-942",942,"\u003Cp>Gomez has been busy lately, analyzing the situation within Lapar and trying to understand what’s going on with his brother-in-law’s people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he heard that Jincheng had been shelled and that Congress had passed the East Pacific Security Defense Act, he knew that Yalan and Lapar had already been thrown into the kitchenware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might only have three to six months before they’re served up on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the conclusion he and Ambassador Cassia reached together—the situation is grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both could feel the tension within the Federation, and they could sense the Federation’s firm determination to occupy the Yalan region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia sat in his chair, gazing out the window at two children playing on the lawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arriving in the Federation, they had raised two large pet dogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Lapar, Ambassador Cassia’s two children had kept pet dogs too, but unfortunately, they were stolen after only a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew whether they ended up in someone’s stomach or something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was highly likely they were eaten, because there were too many poor people, and safe food—or even safe access to food—was scarce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a small dog could feed someone for one or two meals, which was a powerful temptation for the poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Lapar, many wealthy people built special yards for their pets and even hired bodyguards, otherwise the poor would find every possible way to steal and eat them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if caught, it made little difference—maybe they’d be beaten, beaten hard, but that was all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a full meal, being beaten meant nothing compared to starving to death; people knew how to choose what benefited them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after coming to the Federation did they raise two large dogs again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re called large dogs, but they’re barely over a year old—they don’t look that big yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the two children and the two dogs run and play joyfully, and hearing their laughter from outside the window, Ambassador Cassia’s mood calmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to look at Gomez, his good friend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, “good friend” needs quotation marks—they’re fundamentally mutually exploitative, but after exploiting each other so often and growing familiar, they became good friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if faced with a choice where only one of them could live, both would find a way to kill the other before the other could decide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as long as that either-or choice hasn’t arisen, they remain good friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s the situation back home?” Ambassador Cassia took off his glasses and used a small deer-skin cloth, specially meant for cleaning them, to wipe them briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez, who had just arrived from home, sighed. He too stared at the dogs and the two children running on the lawn, thinking he must send his own family over soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew well that once his family arrived in the Federation, they’d likely never leave—just like Ambassador Cassia now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could leave, but his family couldn’t—that was the balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… it didn’t matter. At least the Federation was safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Diego is panicking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lit a cigarette, recalling his brother-in-law, the president of Lapar—the man he called “Diego”—and what the man had been doing lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re terrified and furious. I heard they’re contacting rulers of neighboring countries, trying to form alliances against the Federation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard they plan to recruit more personnel and buy new weapons to prepare for a possible invasion war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides that…” he inhaled, then couldn’t help laughing, “they’ve also hired me to transfer as much money as possible to the Federation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be seeing me now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When hearing the earlier remarks, Ambassador Cassia had felt a flicker of understanding—even sympathy—for these rulers, though they were all scum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when real trouble came, they still showed a certain bravery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, Cassia had underestimated them before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he heard Gomez’s next words, his composure shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew perfectly well what accelerating asset transfers meant—it meant these people were ready to abandon Lapar at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment things turned bad, they’d flee overseas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. Diego’s family and the other ruling families had ruled Lapar for years, plundering and squeezing its wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that trouble had come, their first thought was escape!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’d only considered this when the situation became truly hopeless, Cassia might have respected them a little more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you transfer their money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez nodded, then shook his head. “I’m considering something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia gestured for him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez gathered his thoughts and said, “I’m just a minor player. I’m not a ruler like Diego, nor a descendant of some tribal chief—I’m just an ordinary man who happens to have a beautiful sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t get the attention of Federation bigwigs—that’s different from you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez looked at Ambassador Cassia’s expression and eyes with some complexity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he’d actually… though they were good friends, deep down he’d looked down on Ambassador Cassia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought Cassia, though a government official, was still just a government official—his unreliable brother-in-law was the president, after all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, looking back, Cassia had already connected with the Federation’s Congress—his status was clearly far higher than Gomez’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassia enjoyed excellent treatment and lifestyle here—what about him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wealth he controlled might become the very bullet that kills him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to find a way out—for himself, and for his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Gomez’s words, Ambassador Cassia’s lips twitched slightly. He felt good and said modestly, “Actually, we’re no different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez didn’t argue. Instead, he said, “I plan to offer this money as a donation, in exchange for some opportunities, some power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia froze, staring at Gomez in disbelief. “How much money have you moved into the Federation on their behalf?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez didn’t tell the truth, but gave a staggering number: “At least seventy to eighty million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real amount was far higher—he withheld the full figure for his own reasons, and he was also wary of Cassia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the money passed through his hands, he didn’t have the bank withdrawal vouchers—but he believed his account details alone would suffice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precise targeting—the Federation wouldn’t let it slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia sucked in a sharp breath. “That much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who do you plan to contact?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez looked at him, lowering his voice. “How’s your relationship with Senator Cleveland?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia frowned slightly. “You could contact Lans—he could handle this for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez shook his head. “He’s just a gang leader. You have to help me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reasoning was simple: he didn’t doubt Lans could do it—he wanted to add more “leverage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person recommended by a gang leader versus one recommended by a foreign ambassador—especially one leaning toward the Federation—would be viewed very differently by politicians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself was part of the privileged class; he understood this judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a Lapar gangster introduced someone to him, he’d never take it seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What important person could a gangster introduce?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if a government official said he wanted to introduce someone interesting, even if he didn’t treat them with great importance, he wouldn’t be dismissive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d met Lans before—last time, Lans said the bigwigs wanted some local specialties: golden ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spent the night gathering items representing Lapar’s unique golden specialties, hoping to give them to Senator Cleveland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lans didn’t help him—he made Gomez hand the items over to him, then delivered them himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Lans told him the bigwigs had received the gifts—and that was the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know if they’d truly received them—or if the items were still in Lans’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he still wanted to bypass Lans and connect directly with the bigwigs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Cassia had once been barely qualified, he’s certainly qualified now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia hesitated. “Actually, contacting Lans is still the best choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez shook his head. “I don’t know him well—I don’t trust him. But we’re good friends. I trust you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, I know you’re not exactly comfortable here either, so…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled a brown paper file folder from his briefcase and pushed it across the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia looked at him; Gomez met his gaze. After a moment of silence, Cassia opened the folder and glanced inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Federation bank draft—directly exchangeable for cash at any bank with business ties to this one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled it out: thirty million Federation Sol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t planned to agree so quickly—but the money swayed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew better than anyone what money could do in the Federation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might be useful to Lans and the bigwigs now, but not forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Lans cut off his income?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How would he maintain his family’s expenses and lifestyle without this extra income?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thirty million isn’t small—and the current situation is extremely tense; no one knows what the future holds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he didn’t know how long his value would last—maybe a month, maybe a year?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he lost his usefulness, would Lans still send him benefits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought not. The longer he stayed, the more he felt the cold, brutal reality beneath this seemingly beautiful society!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia’s gaze lingered on the intricate, beautiful bank draft—and the number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at it for a long while, then resealed the folder and slid it into the drawer beside him. “I’ll try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to think about the future—he couldn’t let his family live worse here than they did in Lapar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez smiled. “No matter what, I’ll be grateful for everything you do for me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Cassia nodded. “But I must add this: don’t offend Lans. He knows those bigwells well—but to them, you’re just a stranger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomez nodded vigorously. “I’ll bring him some gifts too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing him say this, Ambassador Casia said no more, and they returned to the latest issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Federation truly invades Yalan and La Pa, what will you do?” asked Ambassador Casia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomes shrugged. “I’ll get my family to immigrate to the Federation as soon as possible, and then… my thought is, they’ll need a La Pa native to rule La Pa, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They can’t put a Federation citizen or someone else in charge of La Pa—the La Pa people won’t accept it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can be that puppet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his friend say this, Ambassador Casia again declared it the most astonishing thing he’d heard in recent memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone willing to volunteer as a puppet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomes chuckled twice, as if explaining. “At least then I’d be the ruler—no matter how long I serve, four or five years, or eight, according to their Federation rules.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eight years is enough to change a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gomes was a man with ideals, drive, and determination. He already had a full plan: if he became this puppet, he would make himself indispensable to the Federation—no longer a replaceable puppet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t it just listening to others and doing their bidding? Haven’t I spent all these years obeying Diego and working for him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who you work for doesn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for possibly harming the people of La Pa?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone dies eventually. In that dump of a place, dying sooner is a relief!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Casia did not call Senator Cleveland in front of Gomes. Instead, after Gomes left, he carefully organized his thoughts before dialing the senator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tom answered the phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of Lans, Tom had gained more opportunities and had successfully become the third-ranking aide to Senator Cleveland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief Aide had many duties—he was like the senator’s shadow, handling tasks assigned by the senator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Aide had his own responsibilities and rarely followed the senator closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those ranked lower could accompany the senator—like Tom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Tom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to speak with Senator Cleveland. I’m Casia, diplomatic ambassador of La Pa to the Federation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tom knew who it was, smiled, and relayed the message to Senator Cleveland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day brought countless meetings—large and small, discussions, research, tasks piling up from morning till night, never stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senator Cleveland, looking worn, entered the lounge and slumped onto the sofa with a sigh—his health had been poor, and he hadn’t moved much in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d sit there all day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Casia, it’s me. I’m listening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Casia wasn’t useless—he did have some value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could help Congress learn about internal high-level information in La Pa, and relay the Federation’s opinions to their president.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to say he was truly valuable? Not really. He was merely a messenger. Even if he wanted to align with the Federation, he held little real worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now that the plan regarding La Pa had been finalized, his role had diminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, since he retained some value, Senator Cleveland answered his call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senator, I have a friend named Gomes. Like me, he has long admired everything about the Federation. He is Diego’s brother-in-law and controls certain special resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Senator Cleveland showed slight interest. “What kind of resources?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He knows the bank account numbers of Diego and other La Pa elites in the Federation—and how much money is in each.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ambassador Casia hadn’t expected such a direct question. “About seventy to eighty million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was indeed a substantial sum—the senator had to admit that—but not enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since establishing ties with Lans, he had received over a million annually from that channel alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounds like not much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lans didn’t just send money to one person—he sent it to a whole group, continuously, without pause!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seventy to eighty million wouldn’t all go to him—it would be split among many. He’d be lucky to get a few million. So he wasn’t nearly as excited or concerned as Casia imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the sum were two or three times larger, it would make no difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the short term, it might be a huge windfall, but long-term, it paled next to the benefits from Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Federation politicians had strict procedures for accepting money—not just anyone could walk in and hand over cash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federation had enacted numerous laws to prevent politicians from illegally accepting bribes—to eliminate, at least on the surface, the abuse of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Direct cash payments were the stupidest approach!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why money laundering was an industry in the Federation. If you wanted to get money into the hands of the bosses, you needed connections. Many people—including brokers—earned their living by helping others who didn’t know how to deliver payments to the bosses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have him contact Lans. Lans knows how to handle it. I’ll have someone call Lans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If there’s nothing else, I have another meeting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2400,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bbcd11f2ee02e04ef61017878f98f5e6562b87e15f09206c7a7e4b49e980f470","the-shadow-empire-chapter-943","the-shadow-empire-chapter-941",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]