The New Year.
The city of Golden Port was filled with a New Year’s atmosphere. Many businesses were attracting consumers through promotions and discounts.
Business was getting harder and harder. This was the most common situation and problem people faced now, but it could not be solved.
During this period, the Presidential Palace had convened a group of economists, sociologists, and some capitalists to hold a “Federal Economic Development Seminar” to study why things like the Great Depression existed, by examining the development of the Federation’s historical economy.
In the Federation, and even in the rolling development process of various social economies around the world, similar situations would occur.
The economy emerges from a downturn—the economy begins to advance by leaps and bounds—enters a so-called golden age—the Great Depression.
This was a cycle. They hoped to find the reason for the current economic downturn by studying the economic cycles of the past.
But for ordinary people, life was no different from the past.
Lisa, with a large belly, was wandering in the mall. She had brought a maid, an immigrant maid, who was not tall, but was a good worker and also quite strong.
Her job was to take care of Lisa, whose belly was obviously showing, and at the same time, to take good care of her and prevent any accidents from happening to her.
In Ponda’s own words, there was absolutely no need for Lisa to leave the house and go outside, no need to take this risk.
But the more her belly showed, the more Lisa wanted to wander around.
On the one hand, staying at home all the time was too boring. The unchanging family environment, coupled with a life with no entertainment, made her feel suffocated.
In this period, there were not so many family entertainment activities.
There were no televisions, no personal computers. Even the radio would stop broadcasting after 2 PM and would only start broadcasting again in the evening.
Newspapers, magazines—no matter how good-looking these things were, they could be finished in a short while.
She had to find something to do.
On the other hand, the physiological changes brought about by pregnancy made her uncomfortable. Walking, or going out for a walk, was conducive to alleviating the various discomforts of her pregnancy.
She now had a maid with her. Whatever she bought was given to the maid to carry. Ponda could also be at ease.
The two came to the outside of a fruit shop. Looking at the bright red various fruits in the room, as well as the natural, fragrant aromas, the two ladies couldn’t help but stop.
The owner of the shop was also a woman. She took the initiative to start introducing the fruits here to Lisa.
She had very rich sales skills and cleverly linked eating fruits with the health of the child in Lisa’s belly, for example, “A doctor said that eating more fruits is good for the child’s health.”
These words… had no problem in themselves. At the same time, they were not very detailed, and were also very easy for people to accept.
The two entered the fruit shop. The maid couldn’t help but be tongue-tied when she saw the price tags of the fruits.
She had already begun to get used to her current work and life. For her mistress, Lisa, there were only things she liked or disliked, not things she couldn’t afford.
So those fruits that cost a few dollars, or a dozen dollars, were no different from ordinary fruits in her eyes.
You have to know, now grapes were also about $300 a ton, but here, with more than $300, you could probably only buy a few dozen pounds of not-so-expensive fruit.
Ponda had been working hard. After they caught the moonshiners, the Bureau of Hazardous Materials would give them a certain degree of reward according to the value of the case.
Even if he didn’t take any black money, Ponda could still get at least three to five hundred dollars a month. Plus what Lance gave, their family was not short of money at all.
“Buy some strawberries. I want to eat strawberries,” Lisa chose for a while and selected the big, beautiful-looking strawberries.
The maid glanced at them and was habitually shocked. A price of $6.99 was already ridiculously expensive.
But for Mrs. Lisa and Mr. Ponda, this was an ordinary commodity.
They chose some strawberries and some other fruits, which added up to more than $50. A slightly higher-level worker could only earn this much in a month, but for Lisa, this was just a small part of her daily expenses.
“Find a place to sit for a while. I need to rest and eat something.”
The two of them found a place in the mall where customers could rest and sat down. Lisa picked up a strawberry and eagerly put it in her mouth, a contented smile spreading across her face.
It was a little sour, but just the right amount of sour that people could accept. The rest was sweet, a sweetness that went straight to the heart.
“Madam, I’ll go and wash these fruits too. And by the way, I need to use the restroom.”
Lisa nodded. “I saw a restroom on our way here. I’ll wait for you here.”
The maid took some of the fruits Lisa wanted to eat and went into the restroom.
She first went to the toilet, then washed all the fruits, and even cut two of them with a knife.
Of course, to ensure that these fruits would not make Mrs. Lisa feel uncomfortable after eating them, she had specially tasted a little of each.
Delicious!
She returned to the place they had agreed on with the washed fruits, but she only saw their things and did not see Lisa.
She was a little bewildered. Maybe Mrs. Lisa had gone somewhere else, or had met an acquaintance?
She didn’t know. She could only wait on the spot. After fifteen minutes, Lisa still hadn’t come back. Only then did she become anxious.
She went to find the mall’s security guard, but it was no use. There were too many people today. No one would have noticed if a pregnant woman had left here, or remembered the face of every pregnant woman.
In the end, the maid had no choice but to run and call Ponda. She no longer knew what to do.
“…During this period, our business has been fruitful. We have arrested a total of more than two hundred suspects suspected of smuggling and selling liquor, and have seized smuggled liquor worth about $3,000,000.”
“To be honest, I never even thought we could achieve such brilliant results. A member of the State Prohibition Committee has already contacted me by phone. The State Prohibition Committee and the state are very appreciative of our achievements during this period.”
“So they have given us some extra rewards, as well as opportunities for promotion and study.”
“I hope everyone can continue to maintain this momentum, continue to crack down on the sale of illegal liquor and public drinking in the city, so that the Prohibition can be truly implemented.”
“If anyone can catch a big case, I will definitely ask for a commendation for him from the State Prohibition Committee…”
The office was filled with thunderous applause. Director Dale smiled and raised his hand to press down. “Alright, everyone, go back to your posts.”
“It will be a little more tiring during this period. After this period is over, we can take turns to rest.”
“Alright, everyone go back to your posts.”
Ponda also returned to his post. He glanced at a few senior special agents and Dale going to the director’s office, shook his head, and began to sort out the documents in front of him.
People will always regret and beautify the other option they have given up after making a choice. Just like now, he would sometimes think…
If he had chosen Lance’s suggestion at that time and had him find a way to get rid of a senior special agent, would he be one of them now?
Would he have a bigger and higher stage, would his job be a little easier?
He had hardly been home at all these past two weeks, because he was too busy.
This was the craziest time for smuggled liquor. Because it was the New Year, many people wanted a drink, and the price of liquor had once again risen significantly.
Whether it was smuggled liquor or those who brewed their own and secretly sold it, they were all undermining the achievements since the implementation of the Prohibition.
This kind of behavior should be prohibited.
Big cases couldn’t be caught, and small cases were endless. On the contrary, those senior special agents sat in their offices and did nothing, yet every day a large amount of credit and bonuses were recorded in their names.
Ponda was following a case of self-brewed liquor being sold. A couple, using their brewing skills, were frantically making self-brewed wine in their basement.
The brewing cycle for wine is not long, ten to twelve days. They could produce wine about three times a month, three to four barrels each time, which could produce one hundred and fifty to two hundred bottles.
Sold at a price of $3 per bottle, the illegal liquor alone brought the couple a gross profit of about $500 a month.
And the net profit was about three hundred and seventy or eighty dollars. This was also why, even though people knew that brewing, selling, and smuggling alcoholic beverages was illegal, there were still so many people who rushed into this industry.
The profit was too high.
So high it was a bit ridiculous.
When Ponda caught them, they were bottling the wine in the cellar with their family.
A family, more than ten people, were all arrested. They were facing five to ten years in prison.
And their family members, between two and five years.
Ponda was in charge of this case, so he had to see it through to the end. He still needed to sort out all the evidence and then submit it to the judicial office, where they would prosecute, and then hand it over to the court to announce the result.
Although he was now considered a “special agent,” he was essentially still in the middle and lower ranks. Strictly speaking, he was roughly equivalent to a “captain” in a gang, not a senior cadre.
From this point of view, the organizational structure of the Federation’s gangs was actually very scientific. After all, even the government law enforcement agencies were using it.
However, this also made Ponda a little dissatisfied. He had actually done a lot for the Bureau of Hazardous Materials, but just because of a parachuted-in senior special agent, all his contributions had become a joke.
He was a little unconvinced in his heart.
The phone suddenly rang. He picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. “This is Ponda.”
“Sir?”
“It’s me. Just now, Mrs. Lisa and I were resting in the mall. We bought some fruit and then chose a place to sit down.”
“I went to wash the fruit and came back, and Mrs. Lisa was gone…”
Ponda was stunned for a moment after hearing this. He immediately became nervous.
He loved his wife more than anything.
“You stay where you are. I’ll be right over.”
He hung up the phone and stood up as he spoke. His colleague at the next desk stopped him. “Are you going out?”
Ponda nodded, but did not say why. “I have something to do and need to leave for a bit.”
His colleague lowered his voice. “They said that now if you want to leave the office, you have to report it or ask for leave.”
This was a request from the four senior special agents, because there were particularly many small cases during this period, and there were not enough staff. If one person was missing, it might delay a case for another two days.
In addition, they also had to answer alarms from time to time, so Director Dale had also agreed to their decision.
Without a valid reason, you were not allowed to ask for leave for the first three weeks of this month.
His colleague’s reminder made Ponda feel inexplicably uncomfortable, but he still thanked his colleague and then went to the senior special agent’s office.
“Webber, I need to leave for a bit.”
Webber was his immediate superior, a senior special agent who had been parachuted in from the State Prohibition Committee. This position was originally his.
He had heard from others that Webber’s uncle was a member of the State Prohibition Committee.
Webber sat behind his desk. He looked at Ponda. He had also known before he came here that the person in front of him should have been the real owner of the position under his butt.
He had snatched this person’s original position. After he took office, he had been observing Ponda to see if he had any dissatisfaction with him.
The Bureau of Hazardous Materials was not an easy law enforcement department. They often had to have face-to-face conflicts with those moonshiners on the front line.
Those moonshiners, in order to protect their liquor and escape the punishment of the law, would pull the trigger on law enforcement officers without mercy.
So Webber had always wanted to transfer Ponda to another group, but he had never had a good opportunity to do so, nor could he do it directly.
He would leave a very bad impression on others, so he had been observing, waiting, and looking for an opportunity.
“Are you going out for work?” Webber maintained a false smile on his face. “You write a report, and I’ll approve it for you.”
Ponda hesitated for a moment. “My maid at home just called me. She said my wife got lost in the mall. I have to go and see.”
Webber looked at him, the smile on his face still there. “May I ask, your wife, is she…” he circled his finger around his head, “normal?”
Ponda was taken aback for a moment, a clear look of dissatisfaction on his face. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Of course she is a normal person.”
Webber did not mind his disrespect. “Since your wife is normal, what are you worried about?”
“She might just have been attracted by some promotional items, so she got separated from your maid. When you go back at night, she will definitely be sitting in the living room waiting for you.”
“I hear that the case you’re handling is going to trial the day after tomorrow. Have you prepared all the materials?”
Ponda was silent for a few seconds. “There’s still some that hasn’t been written.”
The smile on Webber’s face disappeared. “Then why don’t you go back and do what you’re supposed to do?”
“I believe that any lady with normal intelligence can find her way home.”
“If they can’t find it, they can call the police, and the police can also help them.”
The dissatisfaction and disgust in Ponda’s eyes were no longer hidden. “I said, I’m asking for leave.”
Webber leaned back in his chair. “I said, not for private matters.”
There was also a hint of provocation in his eyes when he looked at Ponda. He hoped to have some conflict with Ponda, and then transfer this person away, or even expel him from the Bureau of Hazardous Materials.
It wasn’t that he was that bad, but as a normal person, he felt that after he had snatched Ponda’s position, it was absolutely impossible for them to coexist peacefully.
Rather than being stabbed in the back by this person at some unknown time, it was better to throw him out before the danger occurred.
If Ponda hadn’t considered doing this, then he would apologize for these things one day, but he would absolutely not regret it.
Compared to an apology, the potential danger posed by Ponda’s existence was clearly more troublesome.
Ponda’s breathing became heavy. He clenched his fists, turned, and left his office, which disappointed Webber a little.
He pursed his lips, took out Tide from his drawer, and continued to read.
All the men in Likalai State, no one didn’t love Tide. He was one of them.
Ponda went directly to Director Dale’s office and explained the situation. Director Dale was silent for a moment. “Go on, I’ll talk to Webber.”
This made Ponda breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I’ll be back as soon as I find Lisa.”
After Director Dale had comforted him with a few words with a smile, Ponda drove his police car and left directly.
He saw the maid at the mall entrance, and also two police officers and the mall’s security guard. After showing his credentials, he joined the discussion.
“We have already searched the first and second floors and have not seen Mrs. Lisa. The third and fourth floors are being searched, and there will be results soon.”
Ponda’s anxiety grew stronger when he heard this.
Lisa was a sensible woman. Even if she had met a friend, or was attracted by some activity, it was impossible for her to leave without a word, or to go somewhere else.
Something bad must have happened that forced her to leave here and not come back.
He was a little anxious and wanted more police and security guards to join the search, but he was refused.
Just one person had disappeared, and it wasn’t a big shot. It couldn’t be classified as a missing person case yet, and it couldn’t alarm more police and security guards.
There was no way. Ponda could only dial the number of the Lance Family.
Lance had already returned from New Golden City. The illegal liquor market during these two weeks of the New Year was in a period of high activity.
There was demand everywhere, and the price of liquor had risen again and again.
There were already five regions of Empire gangs in Likalai State that were buying liquor from Lance’s side. Every month, they could take in over a million worth of goods.
And these goods could bring Lance a profit of at least $300,000.
As the price of liquor continued to rise, the profit would only increase.
“It’s for you.”
In the office, Lance was checking the accounts. He took the phone with a cigarette in his mouth. “This is Lance.”
“Lance… Lisa got lost in the mall. Can you arrange for some people to come and help me find her?”
“I’m worried she might have had an accident.”
Lance immediately agreed after hearing this. This was not a troublesome matter. “Give me the address. I’ll arrange for people to go over.”
“Thank you.” Lance’s straightforwardness made Ponda’s mood rarely improve a little. He thanked him again solemnly. “Thank you so much.”
Lance didn’t care much about this. “We are friends. It’s what we should do to help each other.”
(End of chapter)