[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-984":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},2268604,4428,"Chapter 984: Aid and the Failure of the First Popular Movement","the-shadow-empire-chapter-984",984,"\u003Cp>Inside the presidential palace, Diego stood by the window, watching the crowds of soldiers in the square; his face showed no improvement despite the unrest having ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any dictator is inherently a creature that values face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they hold absolute power, no one dares to offend them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their threshold for being offended becomes extremely low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s like someone who dislikes jokes—you might just be teasing them, but to them, it’s enough to make them lose their temper completely!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diego also dislikes being mocked, especially in this way that slaps him in the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What will the people think?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What will the other member states of the Alliance think?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No doubt, the entire Alliance now knows, because the President of the Jide Republic just called specifically to ask what had happened and whether he needed assistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made his face burn red!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already inferior to the Jide Republic in every way, but at least he could still maintain the dignity of a ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he can’t even preserve that dignity—someone dared to riot in Zolan and turned his capital into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just imagining how those people were laughing at him made his head throb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pressed his temple and swallowed a painkiller.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know his headache was caused by high blood pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His physique had given him severe diabetes and high blood pressure, both already at critical levels—just a slight trigger could cause them to explode completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill them mercilessly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Make these commoners regret what they've done!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to face everyone in the room, his voice dripping with a coldness like winter rain, forced through clenched teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of National Defense asked softly, “Tens of thousands have flooded into the city—kill them all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diego gritted his teeth, “Kill them all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was clearly not the right choice—massacring rioters now could trigger even more unpredictable consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Outside the city, there are said to be over a hundred thousand refugees, with more streaming toward us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must be cautious: killing is simple—just order the soldiers to shoot. But the ripple effects of killing are impossible to control.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The refugees outside will sink into utter despair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of National Defense was a man in his sixties, his hair streaked with gray but his demeanor sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With ample food—chicken, fish, meat, eggs—and access to the nation’s best medical care, of course he was sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wealth and power determine everything, including health and mental state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His physique stood in stark contrast to Diego’s; Diego’s expression grew darker as his ideas were blocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps sensing Diego’s hostile gaze, the Minister of National Defense smiled and said, “Unless you want to drive the people outside to extremes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He placed one hand on the table, twirling his pen, then leaned back—defensive posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lapa has twelve million people; Zolan has less than one million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They may have hidden some population, and there are always people coming here to try their luck—even if it’s one million, one point one million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re facing over ten million people remaining!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they rise up too, Diego, do you think we can kill them all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This question prompted several ministers to nod—this struck at the core issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing is easy; the consequences of killing are not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diego’s dark face gave no sign of flushing, but he was certainly furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paced back and forth a few steps, “Then what do you suggest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let them go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of National Defense knew Diego had conceded—he wasn’t rigid, nor did he demand Diego obey him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having worked with Diego for years, they had long understood this short, fat black man's temperament and temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they didn’t directly oppose him, their status, power, and ability could still persuade Diego.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must kill some, certainly—they caused so many tragedies and turned the city into ruin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we kill only the ringleaders, those found with food or wealth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have grounds to execute them—they possess wealth that doesn’t belong to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But for those found with no food or wealth, we should not touch them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And this group consists mostly of the elderly, women, and children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To some extent, they are the hope of others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keeping them alive is far better than killing them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you have a wife and children to feed, and elders to care for, you won’t act recklessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re discussing how to stabilize this country, not make it worse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diego stared at him for a moment, then returned to his seat at the table and muttered grumpily, “Then what do you suggest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several ministers exchanged glances, smiles creeping onto their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To many, Diego was a complete bastard of a president—hot-tempered, foul-tempered—but to these men, he wasn’t truly terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, we must publicly execute those ringleaders I just mentioned…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they met, the President of the Jide Republic was chatting with two of his ministers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President of the Jide Republic was a “middle-aged” man in his fifties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That might sound exaggerated—on this world, even forty-year-olds were considered elderly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in politics, fifty-something was precisely the prime of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy, experience, mental acuity—all at their peak, the height of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President of the Jide Republic had studied abroad in the Federation, educated in their system and having lived there for a time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned to Jide only after being fired from his second job—at age twenty-six—to inherit his family’s business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years passed; everything he absorbed in the Federation became the foundation for Jide’s rise. In truth, he bore little resemblance to a traditional ruler of Yalan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some said he was digging up his roots—bringing more commoners into government, pushing capital expansion and growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jide’s rise as the strongest nation in Yalan proved he was no reckless president.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the creation of the Alliance was his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Over a hundred thousand people now linger outside Zolan. No one knows what Diego will do next.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly summarized events for the Minister of Agriculture, who had only heard fragments and lacked details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these details now, his face showed shock—and a touch of...anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Diego is an idiot!” he emphasized, “Food is already scarce—why did he sell it to the Federation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just because they paid a little more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That stupid pig!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the President’s influence, everyone in Jide’s leadership deeply distrusted excessive contact with the Federation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Federation was too powerful—they couldn’t avoid contact entirely, only manage it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federation government and some private firms had placed orders for their grain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the President had sold not a single grain of wheat, instead importing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year, Jide wouldn’t face food shortages—it would even have surpluses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lapa was the classic counterexample, yet they weren’t surprised—given Diego and his ruling clique’s greed and stupidity, such a decision was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lapa wasn’t alone—other nations were selling too, since the Federation paid so well!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After ranting, the Minister of Agriculture finally asked, “How much grain can we spare?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without affecting our own consumption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Agriculture realized something—he quickly calculated, “About five million tons of wheat and wheat flour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President nodded, “If we send fifty thousand tons, it won’t impact domestic supply?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Agriculture shook his head, “We have no pressure.” After a two-second pause, he couldn’t help asking, “Do we even need to help them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They might just resell the grain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President smiled and waved his hand, “Don’t worry—it’s not a gift. We’re selling it to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Alliance just formed—if it collapses now, that’s bad for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Federation’s hand is clearly behind this. I don’t know what they want, or what they hope to gain from Lapa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I know one thing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whatever the Federation wants to do, if we stop them, it’s good for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t let them succeed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President’s tone was firm—he wouldn’t tolerate interference. He turned to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, “You handle the contact with Diego. I can’t stand dealing with that fool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m afraid I’ll get dumber just talking to him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chuckled, and both ministers laughed too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As their laughter faded, he grew serious: “Lapa is in trouble—but for us, it might be an opportunity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Better to have those vital resources and talents handed to us than to the Federation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Foreign Affairs shook his head, “He won’t agree easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President didn’t care at all. “Then give them a price they can’t refuse!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if this grain is only part of it, see how you can negotiate—find out if they have what we need and any valuable talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they do, send the grain over and bring back those things in return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Foreign Affairs naturally didn’t object—he had no complaints. He knew this decision was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he felt compelled to remind his President: “What you’re doing might make the Federals unhappy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The President smirked and spread his hands. “Who cares?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only when we grow stronger will they have the capacity to resist risk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very quickly, the three finished their discussion. The two ministers left, but the President didn’t relax much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew well—the Federals had already moved. Time had become more critical, more tense for him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those damn Federals!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, in Zolan’s city square, a large group of rioters were brought here for public execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early that morning, people had ridden through the city announcing it, along with loudspeakers and other devices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Public execution had long been a key tool for the ruling class to intimidate the lower classes. When people saw their own kind killed before their eyes for wrongdoing, fear took root.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear of forbidden acts. Fear of the ruling class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The propaganda worked well—by early morning, many citizens had gathered to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minister of Justice of Lapa read out the crimes of these men through a loudspeaker. The onlookers felt no sympathy for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because during yesterday’s hours of rioting, the worst injured were these commoners and middle-class citizens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The millionaires, the privileged class, the ruling class—none of them suffered a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a failed “protest demonstration,” because it failed to achieve its intended purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the crowd, Pedro watched all this and sighed silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could have been a good thing—just a little guidance, and perhaps it might have brought change to this nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these greedy fools, ruled by desire, had turned a perfect opening into utter chaos!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Minister of Justice finished reading their crimes, the executions began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Diego and the ministers had compromised somewhat—he agreed to execute fewer people, but insisted they not be shot or hanged; that would be too merciful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So today’s executions would use a more primitive method—beheading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, the rioters were led onto the guillotine; heads rolled across the ground with wet thuds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time the blade fell, the square erupted in synchronized shouts, the stench of blood rising into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crows and Yalan’s Giant-Winged Birds (a kind of vulture) circled overhead, drawn down by the scent of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the ground, citizens lost in collective frenzy screamed and thrashed; executioners on the platform swung their whips; above, the birds of ill omen circled—forming a grotesque yet harmonious scene!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many reporters were present, faithfully recording everything happening here, to send to the Federation—to show the Federals how savage these people were!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1890,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ad2330ed2526f387c37c8af4c63c63d9d507f9f475235a4426e84ed23126d776","the-shadow-empire-chapter-985","the-shadow-empire-chapter-983",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]