Lance didn’t wake up until the afternoon of the next day. All the liquor had been sent to the farm in the suburbs for storage.
The situation in the city was a bit complicated now. The Bureau of Hazardous Materials was biting people everywhere like wild dogs, and their informant system was indeed very attractive.
Although Lance or others had let people see the fate of traitors, in the face of high rewards, there would always be people willing to take risks.
Up until July, three of Lance’s bars had already been discovered and shut down by them, but the losses were not very large.
The bail money for the personnel had instead become the largest expense, not the loss of liquor.
After eating some of the food they had bought back, Lance lit a cigarette with satisfaction.
People who don’t smoke can never experience the kind of happiness of finding a comfortable place to sit and then lighting one up after a full meal.
The newspapers on the table were stacked together. Lance casually picked up a copy, the “International News,” and he pursed his lips.
This newspaper could be said to be “notorious” internationally because the various fabricated international news stories made many of the mentioned countries feel very dissatisfied.
What was even more outrageous was that they always fabricated some vulgar jokes about the leaders of other countries, such as a certain prime minister might be impotent, or a certain member of a royal family was a slut, and the like.
Some of the fabricated news figures had publicly stated more than once that the existence of such a media outlet that twisted the truth was a regression and a disgrace to the entire civilization of the Federation!
But the “International News” didn’t care about these things. They didn’t care whether they were causing the Federation’s civilization to regress; they only cared about sales.
And the readers loved to see it!
They just loved to read the stories of the queen and the prince, just loved to read the stories of the prime minister and his son’s wife.
The front-page headline of the newspaper was about the upcoming negotiations between the four countries. This time, they used a very serious tone and relatively realistic vocabulary to describe this multilateral meeting.
The editor who wrote this report believed that this might be the last hurdle for peace to return, or for the flames of war to be ignited.
If the four countries could reach an agreement and put down their armed confrontation, then peace would continue.
If they refused to negotiate, then war would soon come.
It introduced the reasons for the continuous escalation of military friction between the four countries: geopolitical issues, resource issues, political and cultural issues, and even racial issues.
It also talked about the future trend of the Federation if a war really broke out.
A rare piece of news that didn’t talk nonsense. Lance was quite satisfied after reading it. This kind of article that could make people think was one of men’s favorites.
There was also another kind, like the “Tide Newspaper,” which was full of naked girls and call-girl phone numbers.
In this newspaper, it was also mentioned that the Empire’s emperor was once again being chased and fleeing in disarray by the rebel army. It seemed as if wiping out the remaining forces of the Empire’s emperor was something that all rebel armies could do at any time.
Lance threw the newspaper aside and went to look at other newspapers. Just at this moment, Mador came in from outside.
He would continue to serve as Lance’s bodyguard during this period until the situation stabilized.
“Have you eaten?” Lance pointed to the food on the table: boiled beef and bread, as well as ham slices and bacon. “I can’t eat so much.”
Mador shook his head, “I’ve already eaten. Actually, it’s not good for people to eat too much. You get sleepy when you’re full.”
Lance nodded slightly, “You’re right… Since you’ve already eaten, then I still need to eat some more.”
Mador indicated that he shouldn’t mind him, and as he spoke, he walked to Lance’s side and stood there, but his eyes inadvertently saw the newspaper on the table, “They are all talking bullshit.”
Lance glanced back at him, “Who’s talking bullshit?”
He pointed to the newspaper, “These reporters and editors are all talking bullshit.”
“Tell me about it?” Lance showed some interest.
Mador didn’t know where to start for a moment. After waiting for about ten seconds, he said with some gloom, “The situation in the country is starting to become clear now. Three rebel armies have already been wiped out, and the emperor has begun to consider going north to recover all the regions.”
“But in their descriptions, it’s as if the emperor is about to fail. This is all fake!”
Lance, while eating bread, said with emotion, “A while ago he was almost surrounded and killed at the seaside, but now he has taken back most of the country. Although I don’t like him either, I have to say, he is indeed a qualified emperor.”
Mador was not very fond of the emperor either. He, and most of the people of the Empire, believed that the current problems of the Empire were all caused by the emperor and the royal family.
But he couldn’t really turn a blind eye either. Everyone knew how difficult this was, and that absurd tyrant had done it.
“Your former… that rebel army, are they still fighting?”
Mador nodded, “Yes, they are still fighting, but the situation might not be very good now.”
“Lack of funds, lack of weapons, lack of ammunition, lack of recognition.”
“They had already gotten the key, inserted it into the lock, and unlocked it. They were just short of the last step of pushing the door open, but it turned into this. Sometimes I really don’t understand if the emperor is too smart, or if they are too stupid!”
The emperor’s power was getting stronger and stronger, and the royal family had the capital to return to the negotiating table.
Without the support of the nobility, it was impossible for these rebel armies to pose any threat to the royal family anymore.
So the civil unrest in the Empire was not a conflict between the rebel army and the royal family in the practical sense, but a conflict between the nobles and the royal family, expressed in another way.
Mador was very angry when he talked about this. Lance thought for a moment and commented, “It’s that the leaders of the rebel armies were too greedy.”
“What they wanted was not just to overthrow the emperor’s rule!” Seeing Mador’s somewhat confused eyes, Lance didn’t mind going a little deeper, “What they wanted was to be the emperor themselves!”
They ignored the fact that they were actually the puppets of the nobles, only thinking that if they could overthrow the emperor, they could become the next emperor.
In a country under feudal rule, without the support of the great nobles, the first step of an uprising is impossible to succeed.
They have no money, no people, no weapons and equipment. On what basis can they revolt?
This world has actually always been like this. Power has always been passed around in the hands of a few people.
The emperor’s son is still the emperor, just as the president’s son is either a senator or a certain president.
Everything, from the very beginning, was already destined!
Mador didn’t quite understand, or rather, was a little unable to accept, “So, from the very beginning, it was impossible for us to succeed?”
Lance thought for a moment and said, “If the people in the country are always waiting for others to save their lives, then they are destined to fail.”
“There is no savior in this world, only people who can’t stand it anymore and finally stand up to resist.”
Lance stuffed the last small piece of bread into his mouth and clapped his hands, “But all of this is too far away from us. What we need to do now is to make our lives at least not look so bad!”
There wasn’t much going on at the firm. The Wolf Gang’s bar, after being shot up once, had entered a state of renovation again, and there was no movement for the time being.
Towards evening, William gave him a call, “Did you buy the financial products of Basil Investment Bank?”
This question was a bit abrupt, but Lance immediately realized where the problem was, “No, was it Barbara who said it?”
“Yes, Barbara said you also bought a lot of products, so they are borrowing money, planning to invest it all at once.”
“Lance, do you really think this is a good investment project?”
“Last time you even said its return was a bit abnormal.”
It could be seen that William was also tempted. After all, a fifteen percent monthly rebate, if you included the introducer’s fee, you could get all your money back in half a year, and then it would be pure profit.
In two years, a 400% profit was enough to make many people go crazy.
Lance quickly stopped him, “It is indeed abnormal, and I haven’t invested a single cent.”
“William, use your brain and think about it. If these businesses were real, do you think those big capitalists would pretend not to see them?”
“Whatever makes money, capital will flock to it.”
“I’ve heard a very correct saying before: if hard work can lead to success and wealth, then the threshold for hard work will be so high that ordinary people can’t even touch it!”
“Capital is always many times, many steps faster than ordinary people. If they can really provide such a high rebate stably, then you, me, and others would simply not know about this matter. Its so-called share would have been eaten up.”
“Think about it carefully. Why is Basil Investment Bank so famous, but those rich people in the Bay Area don’t go to buy?”
“Is it because they really have too much money?”
“Or is it that they actually already understand what this is?”
William was not a dull and stupid person. Lance’s few words gave him a feeling of his hair standing on end, “You mean… the Bay Area side is also involved.”
The participation he was talking about certainly didn’t mean they had invested, but that they were involved behind the scenes.
Lance didn’t speak, “You can talk to them, but if they insist on investing, then let them be.”
Although he said so, William would definitely not let them do this, “I will persuade them.”
He quickly hung up the phone.
Then Lance received several more calls, including one from Roger.
He was also asking Lance about Basil Investment Bank.
“I heard from my son that they can give us a large rebate…” Roger had never been so rich in his life as he was now.
He, and some others, were also gradually tasting the beauty brought by “investment.” They were now a little impatient to find new projects.
Lance didn’t have time recently, so they could only do it themselves. Basil Investment Bank seemed to have been prepared for them.
But Roger, this old man, was not very bold. He felt it was best to ask Lance about this kind of thing. After all, Lance was a “big shot.”
And it was lucky that he had asked.
“That’s a scam, Roger. You can tell the other people in the Merchants Association not to touch anything related to Basil Investment Bank, anything!”
“If you can’t persuade them, you don’t have to force them to listen. I can only say that this is a bottomless pit. No matter how much money you have, it won’t be enough for you to lose…”
The final madness of Basil Investment Bank made their fame spread even faster, and the scope and social level it affected also became wider.
In the evening, William invited Lance to have dinner together. He did not refuse.
As usual most of the time, Emily was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and William was sitting on the sofa.
“Patricia went to play ball. She might be back a little later,” William explained. There was a tennis court in the community, and they were playing on the community’s tennis court.
This was the daily life of the Federation’s middle class. For the lower-class people, they had to spend money to rent a tennis court, but in a middle-class community, it was free, and it was even indoors.
There were also basketball courts and swimming pools here, provided for residents for free. It was said to be free, but it was actually all on the bill, it was just that no one cared.
Lance smiled and sat on the sofa with William.
“These few days, Jobav has been preparing to hold free clinics and small loan matters. I want to get some people from your side, Empire people.”
If in the election for the Empire District city councilman, many non-Empire immigrants caused trouble, it would easily create the opposite effect.
So he could only ask Lance to do this matter, and Lance would naturally not refuse. The higher William could go, the more he, as the actual beneficiary, would get. He agreed at once.
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
William rubbed his stubble, “A very simple plan. For the free clinic event, just arrange for some people to stir things up.”
“You know, I’m not belittling ordinary people, it’s just that they really don’t have much of a brain.”
“Stirring up emotions can make his plan completely fall through.”
“As for the small loan matter…” he showed a smile, “This is what I hope you can help me with the most. Mobilize some people to apply for loans.”
“If they succeed, the money in his bank will be a little less.”
“If they fail, we can also publicize that he is just putting on a show and doesn’t really want to lend money to people. No matter what, he will be the one who is unlucky in the end.”
Lance did not refuse. They were all very simple matters.
Before dinner, Patricia came back from outside, slightly out of breath. Her face was red from healthy exercise. She seemed very surprised when she saw Lance, but considering she was covered in sweat, she simply hugged Lance and then went back to take a shower.
Before long, she changed into a set of casual clothes and returned to the living room, then asked why Lance had come over.
At the dinner table, everyone was talking about very lighthearted topics. As they were talking, William brought up Barbara and her family.
“They have already mortgaged their house, just to buy the financial products of the place where Barbara works.”
“I remember last time you said these were all scams, right?”
William had been tempted once, but was persuaded by Lance. He believed Lance and finally overcame his greed.
Before Lance could answer, Emily interjected, “Basil Investment Bank?”
“We also have many families here who have bought their financial products. The return rate is amazing.”
“Recently, they have held many lively activities, all of which are for the people who have benefited from it.” She said while sending the cream soup in her bowl to her mouth with a spoon, talking about things that had happened in the community.
William frowned, “Many?”
Emily mentioned the names of several ladies she was on good terms with, “They even wanted to pull me in to invest. They were willing to split the commission with me, but I didn’t agree.”
“There are too many people playing this. And there are many who have bought but are unwilling to say it. This is very normal.”
She looked at Lance, “Last time I remember you said they were scammers, but can a scam last this long?”
Lance nodded, “We’ve talked about it. They use the principal to pay the rebate. Even if they give you a 20% rebate, the money you give them is enough for them to last for half a year.”
“During this half year, as long as others participate, they will have a steady stream of funds to pay the rebates, until they think the fund pool is large enough.”
“This time they set a deadline of the 25th of this month, which is actually a sign that they are preparing to abscond with the funds.”
“Maybe some of them have already left first.”
The Lawrence couple both found it a bit incredible after listening. Patricia, on the other hand, looked at Lance with a look of admiration. In her eyes, Lance was a very formidable person.
Regardless of whether it was illegal business or legal business, he could play it very well.
The firm’s income of $20,000 a month was already the ceiling in the same industry, not to mention he had other industries.
Legal, and illegal.
And at this time, what Lance was concerned about was that if so many people had bought the products of Basil Investment Bank, and they suddenly ran away, and the money was also gone, what would these investors do?
Parade, demonstrate, outside City Hall.
He seemed to be able to already feel that day coming. Was this a counter-attack where they were borrowing strength?
After dinner, Lance and Patricia went to her room. The girl’s room was always clean and tidy and had a fragrant smell.
The girl leaned in Lance’s arms, talking about things she found interesting. As she was talking, Lance kissed her.
Her face was always very red, her earlobes were also red, and her neck was also red.
At first, she was a little unaccustomed, but soon began to respond fiercely.
The Lawrence couple had already left here. They went to talk with Barbara’s parents again. Although William sometimes disliked Barbara’s father, they were brothers after all.
He couldn’t sit by and watch his brother go bankrupt. If he could persuade him, he would.
At this time, only Lance and Patricia were in the house. This time, they didn’t have to worry about others disturbing them.
The girl already had some experience with kissing, but with other things, she was a little less flexible. Lance had to teach her bit by bit.
This was actually not an easy thing. You had to take into account your own and each other’s feelings, so Lance was very slow, very careful, and very gentle.
After experiencing a difficult and arduous decisive battle, Lance finally got what he wanted.
Patricia hugged Lance’s waist, “Do you like me?”
Lance nodded, “I do.”
“Then what do you like about me?”
“Good-looking!”