After a period of not seeing each other, nearly two months, a subtle sense of unfamiliarity emerged between them. Although she had eagerly anticipated seeing Lance again and planned what to say, now that he stood before her, she felt a bit lost for words.
Emily, however, was very hospitable, saying, “Please, make yourself comfortable. Wait for me a moment; you absolutely must tell me those thrilling stories during dinner!” She seemed quite excited. “William, come to the kitchen, I need you!”
Lance could actually understand this excitement. A figure who only appeared in newspapers and news suddenly appeared beside her, and Lance’s current reputation was good. Aside from the methods used against the Camille Gang, which left some people aghast, his management of the Empire District had gained widespread approval.
In nearly two months, with their family background, it was easy to clarify matters not involving high-level officials. Rumors described Lance as a gentle, civilized, and humane gang leader, not a violent one. His image aligned with some people’s perception of “romantic violence,” which sparked their interest rather than fear.
Federation citizens were captivated by romance. The image of a gang leader who was ruthless towards enemies but lenient towards ordinary people perfectly matched their understanding of “romance.” Of course, “people” here primarily referred to the lower social strata, with fewer from the middle class.
William put down his newspaper and went to the dining room. Only Lance and Patricia remained in the living room. Lance, taking the initiative, sat beside the girl and took her hand, holding it in his palm.
Perhaps the warmth from Lance’s palm dispelled some of the unfamiliarity. She seemed a little more at ease than before. “I was a bit worried about you,” she finally managed to say, her voice soft and her head bowed, a line she had prepared for days.
Lance played with the girl’s fingers, which were long, very white, and had a healthy pink hue. He suddenly chuckled. This laugh piqued Patricia’s curiosity somewhat, after she had felt a little shy.
“What are you laughing at?” she asked, looking at her clothing, then her hands and sleeves, puzzled. She couldn’t find anything amusing about herself. Lance looked up at her, “I was reminded of a book.”
“A book?” Perhaps getting into the rhythm of conversation lessened the unfamiliarity. “I hope it’s a normal book!” Lance naturally leaned back on the sofa but did not put his arm around the girl’s shoulders.
Many inexperienced men make a mistake here. Influenced by movies or literature, they believe that putting an arm around a girl’s shoulder at this moment is a good idea, but in reality, it is not. Firstly, from a physical sensation perspective, the person being embraced around the shoulder would not feel very comfortable.
If someone taller and stronger embraces your shoulder, you will only feel pressure, especially when there is still some unfamiliarity and a lack of intimacy between you. Furthermore, the girl hadn’t completely overcome her unfamiliarity with Lance yet, and excessive physical contact would trigger a negative reaction from her. So, he simply leaned back on the sofa and said, “It’s a very proper book. I’m sure you haven’t read it.”
Patricia became curious. “If it’s a proper book, how do you know I haven’t read it? What book is it?” Lance took her hand, rolled up a small section of her sleeve, revealing a tender pink wrist and a small portion of her arm. Then, he turned her hand over, palm up.
“Do you see these fine hairs?” Patricia focused on the delicate hairs liberally spread across her forearm and nodded, “Yes, I see them. What about them?”
“This indicates you’re very healthy!” Lance’s tone was assertive, as if he were absolutely certain. This made Patricia even more curious. “How can you tell?”
Lance’s smile broadened. “I just said I read a book, didn’t I?” Patricia nodded, “Yes.”
“That book told me that pink skin and these fine hairs symbolize good health.” “Its title is ‘How to Pick a Healthy Piglet.'”
“Haha!” Patricia was initially annoyed at being teased, but soon she too began to laugh. It wasn’t an offensive joke, and she found it quite amusing herself.
The unfamiliarity, nervousness, and discomfort quickly vanished, almost completely gone! “You’re really interesting, Lance. Do you have these fine hairs too?”
Lance smiled faintly, “This isn’t really appropriate here; I’m not used to taking off my clothes in other people’s living rooms.” When the atmosphere is right, subtle, harmless hints can quickly bridge the distance.
The girl’s face flushed with shyness, and she rolled her eyes. “People say you’re a gang boss, but you don’t seem like the rumors at all!” When she began to speak like this, it meant that everything had returned to how it was before, and the atmosphere became more relaxed.
There was no constraint, no distance, and the sense of unfamiliarity had significantly diminished. “So, what did you expect me to be like?” Lance countered, but didn’t wait for her reply. “I am who I am, and my profession won’t change that.”
Patricia was also quite interested in this topic. “Do you consider being a gang a job?” Lance reached into the fruit bowl on the coffee table, picked up two pieces of fruit, put one in his mouth, and gave the other to the girl. “It is a job.”
“We also work and earn money every day, but it must be said that it’s much more profitable than ordinary jobs!” The girl seemed to possess endless curiosity and a stream of “whys.” She moved a little closer to Lance. “How much? A thousand dollars? That much? Is it?”
Lance nodded. “Yes, but even more than that!” The girl’s expression turned to surprise; she found it incredibly unbelievable!
Federal civil servants received excellent benefits. If those benefits were converted into “cash,” Patricia, despite being a low-level civil servant, earned approximately ninety dollars per month. Sometimes, it might even be a little more.
She found it hard to imagine what “more than ten thousand dollars” even meant! Regaining her composure, she asked, “So, how do you make money?” Lance listed numerous sources. For example, the firm, which currently generates the most legal income, is the Wanli Firm.
As Wanli Labor Service grew, it occasionally advertised in newspapers. Additionally, the Lance Family had taken control of most of the Empire District. Currently, Lance held approximately four thousand seven hundred to eight hundred labor cards, with nearly eight thousand illegal immigrants working for him. Each month, he earned a net profit of at least six thousand five hundred to seven thousand dollars from these labor cards.
Does that sound meager? It’s important to remember that this is net profit after all other costs have been deducted. Moreover, this is clean money, taxed and deposited into the bank.
The income from Wanli Financial Consultant Service was fully taxable, as it complied with Federal laws and did not involve usury. As for service fees being expensive? You’d pay a lawyer dozens of dollars for just a brief conversation; if high service fees were unreasonable, then lawyers’ incomes would clearly be even more unreasonable!
This aspect brings in just over ten thousand per month, fluctuating between good and bad, sometimes only six or seven thousand. The remaining income comes from managing the mayor’s five bars and the “Empire of the Night” nightclub, although the first payment won’t be received until next month.
Thus, he actually didn’t know the precise amount; the mayor, or rather Orson, had placed their own people in all financially related positions. Even Lance was unaware of the nightclub’s daily income, let alone how much he would personally receive. After listening to Lance broadly outline these incomes and their sources, the girl seemed incredulous.
“You don’t have any other… sorry, you don’t mention criminal income or anything like that?” Lance shook his head. “If you mean selling alcohol, I’ll soon have bars belonging to our own family.”
“But if you’re referring to criminal income, such as kidnapping, extortion, or blackmail, then I’m sorry, I currently have no plans to engage in those activities!” Patricia’s last lingering bit of unease also vanished.
The two young people chatted happily on the living room sofa, and William also smiled as he watched them. Emily nudged him with her elbow; she knew her husband well, otherwise, they wouldn’t have married or remained together until today. “You seem less opposed now.”
While the two young people chatted in the living room, the two older individuals conversed in the kitchen. William was skillfully preparing steak. He was proficient in cooking and anything related to meat preparation.
“Patricia is a grown woman now, and one day she’ll marry someone else,” he said, flipping the steak. “Besides, I never said she couldn’t fall in love with someone. I merely said she shouldn’t so easily give away her most precious possession.”
Emily sensed a change in her husband. “So, Lance isn’t just a simple gang leader?” William shook his head. “He controls at least eight or nine thousand legitimate votes, which, as you know, account for almost one-fifteenth of Golden Port’s votes.”
“From the perspective of those in power, he already has some standing.” “Furthermore, when I attended the party convention there a while ago, they were very supportive of my proposal to run for municipal councilor.”
He spoke as he cut a small piece of steak, checked its doneness, and then put it back. “Lance is a good fellow; he doesn’t earn money by harming others.” Emily seemed to be looking for a fault, saying, “I heard he killed many people.”
The housewives in middle-class communities also had their own social circles, and their information was well-informed. William shook his head slightly, “If someone came into my house with a gun, intending to harm you all, I would do far worse than he did.”
Emily put down her cooking utensils, turning her wrist outward to avoid getting grease on William’s clothes, and kissed him on the cheek. “Oh, darling, you’re truly a warrior.”
William shrugged. “Everyone has something they want to protect, so I don’t think he’s a bad person.” “Also, I’ve been observing him. I heard he refused to take over the Red Heels, which I mentioned to you before.”
The middle class harbored intense curiosity about high society, meticulously gathering every scrap of available information, including the unsavory habits of prominent figures. Naturally, they had heard more or less about Red Heels. William continued to prepare the ingredients, adding, “Moreover, as you can see, the stability of Golden Port today isn’t Charlie’s doing.”
“That old dog’s only skill is acting as a thug for the wealthy; he can’t manage public safety effectively.” “Without the five major families, we wouldn’t have the stable life we enjoy today.”
“So, this might not be a bad path, and he has already taken the first successful step.” William held a low opinion of Director Charlie. When Director Charlie was the precinct chief in the Bay Area, he secretly assisted wealthy individuals, celebrities, and politicians with many unsavory deeds.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have remained in the position of police chief until retirement, and he wouldn’t have earned the nickname “Bay Area Hound” previously. For the true rulers of this city, they cared not about the competence of city management, only about whether the management would obey them—nothing more!
He sampled the steak again; it was perfectly cooked, almost well-done. As he plated it, he remarked, “If others can do it, I think I can too. I want to give it a try.” Emily said nothing, only giving him a determined look.
In the twenty-odd years since their marriage, William’s entire being had… remained completely stagnant. He approached his work like a chore every day, and even his life felt passive. He never discussed office matters and rarely talked about work, simply because there was nothing worth mentioning.
This was also why he insisted on being away on a business trip when Patricia’s cousin, Barbara, had her birthday and the entire family gathered. There was nothing exciting to discuss. His stagnant life lacked any ripples; it wasn’t despair, but it was gray, devoid of any color.
This man once held passion and ambition in his heart, but work had eroded all his youthful impulses towards the world. Until recently. From their sex life at night, Emily could sense William undergoing a transformation; he was more vigorously and actively releasing his desires!
This was a positive sign! As a wife, she would support William in this morally ambiguous society and era. Soon, a sumptuous dinner was served. Lance, holding Patricia’s hand, walked over. The initial awkwardness had vanished, and they were intimate once more.
The four individuals took their seats. As the hostess, Emily was best suited to speak first at the family dinner, ensuring the atmosphere remained relaxed. “I hope you enjoy tonight’s dinner,” she began. “I heard you two laughing quite loudly earlier. Is there anything amusing you’d like to share with us?”
The girl briefly recounted the story, which amused the couple; a harmless joke indeed proved to be a good social lubricant. Emily’s questions were mostly similar to Patricia’s, revolving around real gang life and work.
However, everyone tried to avoid the more negative aspects, focusing on more common topics. It was clear that she was genuinely curious about these matters. After dinner, Lance felt quite full. During this period, capitalists were still profiting from meat and eggs, so they consistently advocated for the consumption of eggs, milk, beef, and emphasized eating until satisfied.
Only by eating their fill could these workers generate more profit for them, thus, sumptuous dinners were a common sight during this era. After dinner, William “snatched” Lance away, reasoning that Patricia and Emily had taken up too much of his time and he also needed to chat with Lance.
The two men went to William’s study, where William brewed a cup of black tea. They sat in the quiet study, and as the fragrance of the tea permeated the room, the entire world seemed to fall silent for a moment. Outside, snow fell heavily, while inside, the room was warm, as was the black tea.
William drew the curtains and sat behind his desk. “I’ll probably resign soon,” he said, holding his teacup and taking a small sip. “Although the municipal councilor election is a bit more complicated than other government official elections, requiring a longer preparation time.”
“I am quite unfamiliar with the Empire District, so I must do something for them to get to know me. Only then will I have a chance of success in the election.” He looked at Lance. “I know you can also mobilize some votes, but we need to give people no room for criticism!”
He paused, a little emotional. “So…” Lance asked, “How much?”
William pulled a piece of paper from a drawer, covered with notes, and handed it over. “I took the time to compile this.” “I’ll need at least three assistants to work for me, and these people must have experience working in government agencies. Otherwise, just sending documents would leave them completely clueless.”
“I inquired, and it’s about one hundred twenty dollars per person, so three people would be three hundred sixty dollars…” Patricia, as a civil servant, would not be hired by such election organizations because she was the type of low-level civil servant who just drifted through her days. Beyond her assigned tasks, she knew nothing else.
William was referring to those working in city hall offices who were also eager for more. These individuals had a thorough understanding of the municipal system, government operations, and departmental structures. They also possessed their own connections. Although these connections might not be high-ranking, they were sufficient for William’s current needs.
Lance nodded, but then he pulled out a pen and changed the number to five hundred dollars. “I don’t care how much you pay them. I’m giving you five hundred dollars. You can hire one more person, or you can give them more money to motivate them.”
William nodded repeatedly, “You’ve considered everything very thoroughly.” In truth, he had also thought of this, but it was just awkward to bring up, especially since Lance hadn’t married his daughter yet.
“Then I need an office in Priliccia , as it’s closer to City Hall and various government departments, and not far from the Empire District.” “I found an office that costs twenty-five dollars per month in rent, payable three months in advance, totaling three hundred dollars for a year.”
Lance asked him, “How many square meters is it?” William scratched his head, “Roughly seventy square meters. It can be partitioned into a private office and still fit four desks…”
Lance crossed out that line again. “Find a place at least two hundred square meters or larger. Right now, you’re running for municipal councilor, but later, perhaps we’ll be electing the mayor.”
“It’s best to find a location in the city center. This will help you promote your image, and people will perceive you as very powerful!”
(End of chapter)