[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-945":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},2268565,4428,"Chapter 945: Pressure and the Point of It","the-shadow-empire-chapter-945",945,"\u003Cp>As a full general, even with General Miles under investigation, he didn’t need to live in a prison or detention room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still resided in his standalone villa within the military district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, within the military district, there were dedicated standalone houses and villas for officers; General Miles’ villa was the innermost, largest, and most luxurious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat on the sofa, his face calm and composed, showing no sign of despair or dejection from the investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side of the sofa sat three naval generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The information I got from old Wood suggests the key charges they currently hold against you are likely negligence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They claim you failed to deploy patrol vessels around the surrounding waters as required during wartime, and failed to provide timely warnings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This charge can be big or small—we’ll keep pushing hard to minimize the damage to you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Miles slightly closed his eyes. “I heard they already knew the Dentrans were going to attack Jincheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he said this, the other three naval generals froze, then frowned. “You can’t just say things like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If others pick it up and press it, your troubles will be worse than they are now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker meant that if there was no evidence, it shouldn’t be spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And such sensitive intelligence, even if known, was best pretended unknown—if anyone found out you knew, they’d wonder how you found out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why were you digging into state secrets? What was your purpose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now it might just be negligence, but if you tell others you know something behind it, you won’t just face negligence—you might face treason for stealing state secrets, a far heavier charge that could land you on the electric chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was best not to say anything at all about what you knew; once someone grabbed even a small thread, the trouble would be enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, beyond all this, General Miles was willing to believe this might truly not be theater—it was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jincheng was attacked, the Lianbangzheng Prefecture quickly formed this joint investigation team, giving General Miles a sense of being targeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because this wasn’t happening to someone else, others might act indifferent, but he couldn’t pretend indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used considerable favors and connections to obtain an uncertain rumor: the Lianbangzheng Prefecture might have known in advance that the Dentran United Fleet could have an operational mission in the East Ocean, but the National Defense Force had given no word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as for actual evidence, the person who passed him this rumor couldn’t provide any.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every link in handling such top-secret intelligence was logged and traceable; if leaked, the intelligence department would investigate layer by layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today you leak it to Lianbangzheng Prefecture personnel—tomorrow will you leak it to another country?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the insider gave him an ambiguous answer: don’t even dream of evidence—this was already the limit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing it was meaningless—even if he had evidence, it wouldn’t help—General Miles sighed, shook his head, and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t tell anyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another naval general didn’t want to press the topic further; they only wanted more control over the war—not to become enemies of Congress—so they avoided such taboo subjects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s talk about this later. Right now, the most critical thing is how to protect you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Miles pressed his lips. “I’ll arrange for several officers of sufficient weight to sacrifice themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By “sufficient weight,” he meant members of his own military family clans. The Lianbangzheng Prefecture had two simple ways to dismantle General Miles’ military faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either remove General Miles from his position—no matter who replaced him, they couldn’t allow his people to permanently control these key posts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military chain of command held absolute authority over subordinates; the new commander would quickly replace everyone in critical roles, turning the conflict into one between the new commander and General Miles, while simultaneously resolving the problem of General Miles clinging to control of the naval fleet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this had a downside: the new commander would soon build his own faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That didn’t suit the Lianbangzheng Prefecture’s thinking—they didn’t want to eliminate one General Miles only to see another emerge. So it wasn’t a smart choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other method was simpler: what General Miles was considering—clearing out key positions in the military and letting Lianbangzheng Prefecture and Guofang Force appoint their own people, thus achieving the ultimate goal of planting seeds throughout the entire naval fleet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every move the military made would be watched by these officers and reported back to Congress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d be surrounded by people constantly monitoring him, trying their hardest to make him err—big, glaring mistakes—so they could “punish” him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the maximum concession he could make, and it left his expression grim; if the military couldn’t achieve ideological unity, new factions would soon arise to oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Miles’ mood was clearly terrible; the other naval generals stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, one said, “Once this wave of public opinion dies down, we’ll find a way to send them to the front lines. The fighting there is fierce—accidents can be easily accepted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Miles nodded. “That’s all we can do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed. “I’ve dragged you all down—if it weren’t for me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest of the three generals laughed heartily. “Miles, don’t overthink it. Even if you hadn’t been caught, they’d find other ways to hassle us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They won this round, but next time, it might not be them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, the Lianbangzheng Prefecture’s desire for a cleaner military isn’t new. Even if it weren’t you today, could you escape tomorrow? Or the day after?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pull yourself together—the coming war still needs you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In times of crisis, these words were most effective—they reignited determination. Their conversation quickly shifted to the war itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Guofang Force has approved additional funding for the army, and troop numbers will surge again—they plan to push into Dentra!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some soldiers are already shouting to plant the Lianbang flag on the tallest rooftop. The army’s strength keeps growing, but we’re stuck in place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Miles comforted the naval general. “Once the new warships are launched, the navy will undergo an unprecedented expansion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another naval general shook his head. “That’s not enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we can’t shift the main battlefield from land to sea, we’ll never match the army.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know the Wallace brothers?” He suddenly mentioned a name General Miles didn’t recognize; others didn’t either, and all shook their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The naval general continued: “The Wallace brothers were the first to propose using aircraft in warfare. The Guofang Force plans to test it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for aircraft, they weren’t new—just limited by technological development, their payload capacity was tiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the pilot, engine, and fuel accounted for, there was little room left for anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People had long wanted to use them in war, but so far, they’d only been used for land reconnaissance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, you’d see them flying over the front lines, circling once, then returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Short range and low payload limited their use as weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wallace brothers recently developed a new engine—they can let pilots carry an extra seventy to eighty pounds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then they built a rail and mounted mortar shells on it...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished, someone beside him interrupted: “Why not just use a mortar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s simpler—we don’t need runways or extra supplies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>General Miles nodded in agreement—he also thought aircraft had little practical use in war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether for close or long-range strikes, artillery could handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps precision strikes offered some value, but precision strikes often made aircraft disposable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once it landed, rifle bullets might hit it—machine gun rounds certainly would—making aircraft perpetually awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their indifference, the naval general who raised the idea only shrugged and spread his hands. “Alright, this needs more research.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As these men were still talking with energy, a captain hurried in. “General Miles, all generals, something’s happened—some soldiers and officers have been taken by the investigation team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker looked anxious, making General Miles sense something was wrong. He asked quickly: “Why is the Lianbangzheng Prefecture arresting them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain’s expression turned grim. “They say these people are involved in corruption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, the generals’ expressions changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negligence, for those in power, was—as General Miles had just said—something you could fix by having a few key figures take the blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lianbangzheng Prefecture isn’t saying patrol vessels weren’t deployed in the waters, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could shift blame to the officer in charge: he’d ordered it, but the officer was negligent—he didn’t act, not the general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then General Miles would only face the lighter charge of dereliction of duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dereliction of duty? Apologize, handle it, and it’s over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But corruption was different. Whether official or military, corruption was a major case, a serious crime—and stealing one yuan was no different from stealing a million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, they all knew Congress was fully determined to remove him. General Miles’ face turned even darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He told the captain to leave, then sat silently with closed eyes for a long while, before suddenly standing. “I need to make a call. Gentlemen, carry on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If before he could sit still, now he couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, corruption was a serious crime in the Lianbangzheng Prefecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this charge alone couldn’t topple high-ranking officials or senior military generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At their level—like General Miles, or Senator Cleveland—ordinary laws, even the constitution, held no power over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention them—even years ago, the wealthy in the Bay Area had already operated beyond legal control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they killed someone daily, it wasn’t a crime in the eyes of their peers—just an unfriendly quirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing that could bring them down was political maneuvering, political defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They lost the struggle, and so a minor, seemingly insignificant charge—like false accusation or an undone zipper—could send them to prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t truly punished for crimes—they were defeated in political struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like criminals facing the executioner, they wept and begged forgiveness for their sins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because they realized their guilt—only because they feared death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A corruption case couldn’t convict General Miles—but its exposure signaled Congress’ intent: they meant to crush him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Negligence won’t work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine—we’ll plant a corruption charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corruption won’t work?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No problem—we’ll find another charge. He can’t defend against them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One mistake—and he’ll face the abyss, hell itself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to talk to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villa’s soundproofing wasn’t perfect—gaps between door and floor still let some sound escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The generals beside the sofa heard General Miles’ furious roars from the study; their moods sank further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were also dissatisfied with the federal government’s actions and deeply resentful of the army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were merely fighting for control of the war, yet they carried out such retaliatory strikes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave the navy commanders some additional thoughts—this matter isn’t over!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, in Denuozhou, after six months of siege and defense, the Lans family had firmly established themselves in the eastern region of Denuozhou and began supplying goods to more distant areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would inevitably affect the local leading enterprise, Jinbiao Liquor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jinbiao Liquor also supplied alcohol to gangs, reaping enormous profits; their scale was expanding, and under Richard’s management, they had secured several gangs that answered solely to Jinbiao Liquor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Friction between the Lans family, these gangs, and Jinbiao Liquor began to escalate frequently, and Jinbiao Liquor soon adopted a capital-driven competition model, launching a price war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...From February until now, their low-end whiskey prices have dropped a total of eleven dollars, and I hear they plan to cut another dollar next month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  was reporting to Lans on some developments in Denuozhou during this period, and Lans listened intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our goods are transported from Likalai State; our costs are inherently higher than theirs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And since we must share profits with politicians, our costs are now very hard to reduce.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve figured this out and slashed prices to an extremely low level. If we continue this price war, we’ll lose one to two dollars per bottle sold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In some cities under our control, gangs are sourcing from them, and we can’t restrain this behavior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gangs are organizations driven by primal desires; their goal is identical to that of capitalists—excessive profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Capitalists merely use more refined methods, while gangs generally resort to cruder tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Lans asked, “What about the Prohibition Bureau?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They may have found key contacts too; now the Prohibition Bureau either arrests everyone or no one—we gain no advantage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The State Prohibition Committee isn’t under state control; it’s a federal agency directly managed by Congress and answers solely to the Federal Prohibition Committee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not just Lans who can find connections; Jinbiao Liquor has operated for years—they’ve found connections too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, the Prohibition Bureau would inspect Jinbiao Liquor’s products, but now, with their non-interference, they no longer inspect them—or if they inspect Lans’s alcohol, they must also inspect a batch of Jinbiao Liquor’s to appear fair and impartial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could an outsider with high costs possibly compete against a local low-cost enterprise in a fair and impartial environment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  couldn’t resolve this—he could only turn to Lans for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans considered for no more than a moment: “Burn down their factory. Then we won’t have to worry about them lowering prices further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing this,  Aierwen  couldn’t help laughing and asked, “Is that appropriate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you say at the family meeting that we’re not just gangs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aierwen  and some others couldn’t return, but they’d heard what Lans said at the meeting—that’s why they called.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans smiled back: “True, we can’t be only gangs—but we never said we aren’t gangs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2251,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8f6587f6f7590dd05674b1dbf0b7e2d711e62f1d0ccb5162f84606476dd2ef86","the-shadow-empire-chapter-946","the-shadow-empire-chapter-944",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]