[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-986":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},2268606,4428,"Chapter 986: Seeking Suffering","the-shadow-empire-chapter-986",986,"\u003Cp>The factory and warehouses of Jinbiao Brewery were burned to the ground last summer, and it has now been three or four months since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In October, Jinbiao Brewery sued the insurance company in court, claiming the fire was an “accident” and therefore the insurer must pay compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The issue of compensation itself isn’t about how much money the insurer must pay, but rather calculating the loss Jinbiao suffered based on an assessment, then paying according to that amount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a factory like Jinbiao with such a long history, the compensation would actually be minimal, and strictly speaking, the payout might not even exceed the total premiums they’ve paid over the years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the insurance company hasn’t lost money over the long term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this isn’t about whether they’ve lost money now—they simply refuse to pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they began going through the motions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, the case didn’t favor the insurer, but last month, in November, someone suddenly turned themselves in, admitting they set fire to Jinbiao’s warehouse, triggering the entire factory’s explosion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he confessed to doing it, the insurer refused to pay, citing the reason that “malicious arson doesn’t fall under insurance coverage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also leveraged some connections, and after review, the court accepted their argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, consequences from intentional arson don’t require the insurer to pay, because insurance fraud is too common, and the legal framework is too weak—capitalists dare not lower their thresholds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like car insurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brand-new car costing over ten thousand dollars might be worth only a few hundred after ten owners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone pays several hundred or even a thousand dollars in insurance for a car worth a few hundred, then crashes it somewhere—how do they get compensated?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pay a few hundred?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly not enough—after litigation, they could at least get a few thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many insurance fraud cases have occurred, making it extremely difficult to push forward relevant legislation, and such incidents have indeed happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One company, during an economic downturn, couldn’t secure orders and found it hard to shut down without upsetting workers, so they simply hired someone to set fire to their own facility, hoping to convert their losses into cash via insurance and flee the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They succeeded, exploiting the insurer’s clauses to collect compensation, paying a negligible cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, insurers have added supplementary clauses for such cases—denying compensation entirely, or paying only a tiny fraction, shifting primary responsibility onto the arsonist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something worth a million burns down, they pay thirty or fifty thousand as a token gesture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this happened to someone else, President Richard would treat it as entertainment—but now that it’s happening to him, he can’t accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides have been locked in litigation, but the outcome hasn’t been favorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lawyer told him the best possible result is the insurer covering at most fifteen percent of the loss, and even determining the loss amount is up to the insurer itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final payout might be just a few thousand dollars at most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few thousand isn’t even a fraction of the inventory stored in their warehouse—President Richard flew into a rage in court, shouting insults, and was ejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The case is still ongoing, and now he’s turned his anger toward another person: Lans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter is tied to Lans—Jinshi Brewery has been expanding relentlessly in Denuozhou, and nearly half the state’s whiskey now comes from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were all Jinbiao’s markets; now not only is their factory gone, but their market has been seized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reclaiming it would take unknown time and enormous investment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they’re furious, constantly harassing Lans’s family through the deputy governor, the state police, and the underworld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve been systematically intercepting our shipments on the highways—we now ship a significant portion by rail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once they catch on, it’ll become even harder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s daily gunfire on the roads—our transportation costs keep rising.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shouldn’t we think of a solution?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans lit a cigarette. “Have you spoken to Wei De?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entrusting Denuozhou affairs to Erwen, Lans naturally had Wei De, the mayor, coordinate directly with him—Wei De could contact Erwen directly, and Erwen could reach Wei De without delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have, but the results have been poor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The newly appointed head of the state police was recommended by the state secretary, but he also has ties to the deputy governor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The state secretary hasn’t openly declared allegiance to the deputy governor, but according to Wei De, their private relationship is quite good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whenever we clash with them, the police immediately come to arrest our people—but never theirs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our losses will only grow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Jingang City and throughout Likalai State, Lans used this strategy to crush every competitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either don’t fight back and get slowly devoured,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or fight back—no need to fear major accidents; at worst, your men get arrested and thrown in jail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fights between gangs and families ultimately come down to who has more men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have ten gunmen; I have twenty. I’m stronger—I can trade one-for-one and still have ten left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if a few gunmen are exceptionally skilled—one taking on two, three, even four—it’s still the absolute limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The age of firearms differs from the age of cold weapons—back then, a skilled warrior could handle several enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the age of firearms, even the most formidable individual can be overwhelmed by three-to-one or five-to-one odds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Lans understands how difficult it is to keep losing men and constantly needing to reinforce from Likalai State.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems President Richard still hasn’t learned his lesson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This carried clear implication—Erwen said nothing, waiting silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After long thought, Lans said, “Send someone to take care of him. The best way to deal with a rabid dog is to knock it dead with one blow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If new problems arise, contact me again. Choose a reliable gunman—this isn’t Likalai State.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, ask Lawyer Luo Ben if there’s any way to extradite the gunman back to Likalai State for trial or imprisonment after the job—spend money if needed, but the priority is getting him back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The extradition of Mr. Walter to the Swing State gave Lans some insight—sometimes you don’t need to worry too much about handling matters outside the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just hire a gunman to do the job, then extradite him back—no need to worry about his safety or whether he’ll talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. I’ll handle it immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans casually asked, “How are the Sumuli people doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jinbiao’s collapse, a batch of Sumuli liquor began infiltrating Denuozhou’s market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how gangs operate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They won’t stop selling just because Jinbiao can’t produce—they won’t miss a chance to make money; anyone who blocks their profits becomes their enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them have already formed adversarial relationships with Lans’s family during competition, so even though Jinbiao is gone, they won’t buy from Lans’s people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppliers from the farther west of Nanyaan State have become their top choice—the most powerful Sumuli faction in Nanyaan State is their only option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large quantities of liquor now flow into Denuozhou through Sumuli channels; though there’s been no formal contact, the competition is real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Erwen’s tone wasn’t serious. “They’re fine. They mainly sell brandy—their whiskey is poor quality. I heard they source it from local distributors in Nanyaan and mark up the price for Denuozhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in this area, we actually have the advantage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for some gangs having bad relations with us, our market share would keep growing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But in the brandy market, since we have no standout product, it’s entirely theirs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We currently have no intense competition, so there’s no direct contact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vineyards at Lawrence Farm still need another year—the grapevines won’t reach full maturity until then, and only then will the grapes be suitable for making proper wine and brandy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lans had no further questions. “Stay safe. Call me anytime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hanging up, Erwen began handling the matter—it was nearly the New Year, and he planned to end it all during the holiday days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the desk calendar—five days left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some people, five days pass quickly—especially those a bit older.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re less sensitive to time, so they always feel time is speeding up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young people, especially children, feel a single day drag on like a whole year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they’re more sensitive to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Richard is an adult, and not young—he feels time flies. In a blink, only three or four days remain until the New Year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should be a joyful occasion, yet he can’t feel joy at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new production line won’t be installed until February or March, meaning he must endure two or three more months without selling any product.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuous sales generate positive momentum—people buy what they see others queuing for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it creates exactly what capitalists crave and competitors dread—habitual consumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, customers who bought their liquor will keep buying it as long as it’s not vastly different from Lans’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he stops selling for a while, those customers will switch to Lans—and develop “loyalty” in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People always defend their purchases to prove their judgment was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So once a major strategic error causes market loss, it’s truly lost—nearly impossible to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>President Richard now faces this exact problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lans’s liquor has no quality issues, so reclaiming the market won’t be easy unless they maintain significantly lower prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their competition was already fierce—losing this market now will cost them far more to regain, bit by bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might lose his position as president, even get kicked off the board entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s still being kept on only until the insurance company’s final ruling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they win the case, he still has a chance to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they lose, he must surrender his power—and might even leave the company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is why he’s been acting mad lately!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must salvage everything before it’s beyond repair!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The company has many shareholders, but only one president—and only a dozen board members!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving the office at night, he ran into the vice president.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and the vice president had worked together for years—they were close friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past years of Jinbiao Brewery’s glory, two people were responsible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not one person—two people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without office politics disrupting the company’s efficient and precise operations, the two were partners and close friends outside work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Mr. Richard’s exhausted face, the vice president walked over and gently took his arm. “You need a few days’ rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You look worn out. You don’t have to torture yourself like this—we still have plenty of time to get everything right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard sighed. “I know, but right now… I must find a solution before my troubles explode.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, our partnership ends here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vice president fell silent for a moment. “Though I’d love to say this is what I’ve long hoped for, I still believe the company cannot do without you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard smirked. “The board and shareholders don’t think so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two walked toward the garage, the vice president continued to comfort him. “I heard some new materials might appear—maybe there’ll be a breakthrough at the next hearing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The New Year’s coming soon. Any thoughts about taking time off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard shook his head. “Good Lord, with all the trouble I’m in now, do you really expect me to want a vacation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vice president laughed and shook his head. “Guess I picked the wrong topic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stood beside their respective cars. “Happy New Year?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard forced a weak smile. “Happy New Year!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the New Year would be happy—only he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He got into his car and lit a cigarette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After smoking two puffs, once the vice president’s car had left, he drove away from the company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the drive, he kept thinking about these things, his mind in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he believed everything he had done was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we cannot defeat Jinbiao Brewery or Lans and his people through fair competition, then use their own methods against them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day, state highway patrol officers raced along the state’s roads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pulled over trucks that looked suspicious and only released them after inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might seem like this random inspection wouldn’t work—or at least, wouldn’t work well—but that’s a huge mistake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked very well. These officers, working daily on state highways, had gradually developed instinctive expertise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like you know how to apply glue most smoothly, or which teachers make you feel excited-bangbang (excited-bangbang means extremely excited), so you can finish today’s glue job smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply a process of practice making perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just by glancing at a truck, they could roughly tell which one was smuggling alcohol and which was just an ordinary driver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t 100% accurate, and the hit rate wasn’t impressive—but the effect was excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large numbers of vehicles used for smuggling were caught, because the inspectors were from the State Police Bureau, not the Prohibition Bureau.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The police could keep or discard the seized alcohol—it gave them a new solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, the board had suggested seizing the Lans family’s alcohol and repackaging it into Jinbiao Brewery’s own bottles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many board members had tasted Lans’s Golden Lion liquor and admitted that, despite the short history of Lans’s distillery, they possessed undeniable talent in brewing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing off Lans’s liquor as their own might not be a bad idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That way, they could at least give customers a temporary explanation and fulfill orders on time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mr. Richard refused. Jinbiao Brewery’s liquor and Lans’s liquor tasted different and had entirely different styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forcing Lans’s liquor to be sold as their own would only cost them even more customers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even argued fiercely with the board. The board believed the priority now was to make up for losses, not to keep feuding with the Lans family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, Mr. Richard’s days had been rough lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps… it’s time to take a proper break during the New Year holiday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, he stopped by a flower shop and ordered a bouquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he went to a bakery, confirmed the delivery time and address, and arranged for home delivery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after everything was ready did he return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard’s wife was gentle with him. She knew her husband was facing serious troubles, so she supported him in everything he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, seeing a faint smile on his face, she sighed in relief and asked curiously, “What good thing happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard smiled and replied, “It’s not too bad. The New Year’s coming—can I really show up looking miserable and crying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wife didn’t press further. Not over-inquiring was the elixir of a good marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They spent a peaceful night, and several days together, happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the New Year approached, the entire state’s liquor market had exploded. After a year of hard work, people wanted to drink well at the year’s end and beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sales were booming—but none of it belonged to Jinbiao Brewery or Mr. Richard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching competitors’ orders surge, Mr. Richard pretended not to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the last day of the New Year, after finishing work early, he returned home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No business dinners tonight?” his wife asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Richard walked into the dining room and sat at the table. “No. Tonight, I’m home just to celebrate the New Year with you…”\u003C\u002Fp>",2530,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d53cde96a5852759aa23125d48cab08226298193157e0d66462be409f44c0fe5","the-shadow-empire-chapter-987","the-shadow-empire-chapter-985",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]