“They thought… with Charlie dead, we were no longer a threat to them.”
Sitting behind his desk, Councilman Williams spoke, a cigarette held between his fingers.
He knew why those people had initially agreed to come to tonight’s gathering. It was because everyone knew that Charlie had been caught.
Charlie had been doing the Bay Area’s dirty work for nearly forty years. He held too many secrets related to the Bay Area.
The gentlemen of the Bay Area hadn’t made a move on him before purely because this old dog was too useful, and for a time, they couldn’t find anyone to replace him.
Hunter might have been a candidate, but Hunter was still not as good as Charlie. When Charlie and their interests were highly tied together, they allowed Charlie to exist for so long.
He was even on the verge of truly squeezing into their circle as an individual, even if it was just the outermost ring.
But he was just that little bit short. In the end, he failed, so he had to die.
Even if those two large trucks hadn’t stopped him, they had other backup plans.
They still had their people in the Highway Patrol. They would do everything in their power to finish Charlie off.
Of course, if by some chance Charlie wasn’t finished and fell into Lance’s hands, it would be the same as falling into Councilman Williams’s hands.
So when Councilman Williams invited them to a gathering, basically everyone agreed with a smile.
Then, what happened next happened naturally. Charlie died on the side of the road. Those secrets were no longer known by anyone, at least on the surface.
Councilman Williams had no leverage over them. They no longer needed to feel fear and threat, so they held their own party.
Councilman Williams knew the reason, so he said it directly, which also meant that the rift between him and the Bay Area had become even larger.
Lance nodded and said, “We don’t necessarily need Charlie to deal with them.”
Councilman Williams laughed out loud. “You’re absolutely right. We don’t necessarily need Charlie to deal with them. Even without their leverage, we have ways to deal with them.”
“It’s just that with Charlie, some things would have been easier,” he paused. “What are you planning to do about the Kodak Family?”
Lance also had a cigarette between his fingers. Lighting up a cigarette after a full meal was as joyful as being God.
The satisfaction brought by the desire for food and drink, fused with nicotine—this was double the pleasure.
“Charlie is finished. The cleanup at the police department will be over soon.”
“As soon as it’s over, I will make a move on the Kodak Family.”
Councilman Williams nodded repeatedly after hearing this. “That’s right. The more critical the moment, the more calm and cautious you have to be.”
“So, the Kodak Family doesn’t have much time left?”
Lance said with a smile, “The countdown on their lives has already begun.”
Councilman Williams closed his eyes and thought for a moment. “Those licenses he has, do you have any ideas?”
The reason the Kodak Family was left to be dealt with last was because of the licenses they held.
These licenses represented huge interests. The people in the state government and Congress would all be eyeing these interests. They could be replaced, but the flow of their benefits could not be stopped.
Dealing with the Kodak Family was not complicated, but how to continue to maintain the entire chain of interest transfer was a more troublesome matter.
As an old Golden Port native, an old Likalai State native, his understanding of the political ecosystem here was far beyond Lance’s.
Lance knew that he was saying these things because he wanted to offer some help, because later he would need more help from Lance.
This was actually also a kind of transaction.
Why is it said that only when the classes are the same can a normal social relationship be established?
Just like Lance at this moment. He and Senator Cleveland were not on the same level at all. A problem that was very tricky for him could be solved by Senator Cleveland with a single phone call.
On the other hand, if Senator Cleveland encountered some problems, even if he ran his legs off, he couldn’t provide much help.
Even if he could provide help, it would be at a huge cost.
In this situation, the efforts and rewards of both sides were not equal, so they could not have an equal relationship.
But Lance now, and Councilman Williams, had already reached the same class.
He controlled the city’s police force, commanded the largest gang, and controlled the workers on the docks.
He already had the ability to arm-wrestle with anyone, at least in this city.
If you want his help, then you must definitely pay something. And Councilman Williams’s payment was the complex relationships behind him.
Now, he needed to know what Lance was thinking, and then give his advice.
Lance pondered for a moment. “The overall benefits sent to Congress will remain unchanged, but the direction of delivery will change a little.”
He glanced at Councilman Williams. “Tom’s people will be responsible for the subsequent interest transfer issues.”
It was he who had introduced Lance to Senator Cleveland. Now it seemed that his relationship with that side was a little closer. Councilman Williams would more or less definitely feel a little strange and uncomfortable.
Because they had bypassed him to interact, but he couldn’t say anything. This was Lance’s ability. He could bypass him, this springboard, to reach Congress. That was Lance’s skill. He couldn’t stop Lance.
He could only nod slightly. “What about the ones in the state?”
Lance didn’t hide anything either. “We need to re-evaluate. Those who are valuable to us can continue to be our friends.”
“Those who are not valuable to us, then we’ll kick them out.”
A smile appeared on Councilman Williams’s face. “I can help you with that.”
Lance nodded. “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”
He waved his hand. “We’re helping each other.”
The re-evaluation here didn’t just mean telling Lance who could continue to benefit from these licenses and who couldn’t.
Although he would indeed give Lance a list, at the same time, he would also introduce Lance to these people.
This was the sharing of a network, and it was not easy to achieve this.
Bandy had done it for so many years. His network of relationships in the state government and in Congress was also maintained only by the benefits he sent over.
Once these benefits were to be cut off, the higher the status of these people, the faster they would cut ties with him, for example, those people in Congress.
Perhaps the first moment Senator Cleveland intervened, they would wish they had never known Bandy, and hope that someone could make Bandy shut up forever.
A relationship connected only by the most superficial interests will never last long.
What Councilman Williams wanted to do was not just to let Lance be able to transfer the benefits, but more importantly, to let him establish a more stable relationship with these people.
Lance looked at him. He knew that this was definitely not a free lunch, and the value of these connections was far higher than what he had done for Councilman Williams. He was waiting.
Besides the two of them, James and Arthur were also in the room.
He had been begged by his wife—
Sometimes, when dealing with these old men, especially old men, a young wife often has more of an advantage.
She just needed to put on pretty lingerie and then show a look of desire, and Councilman Williams would surrender.
He was so old, he couldn’t take it anymore. And it wasn’t just a matter of not being able to take it. He needed to spend more energy on maintaining his health. He needed more time.
So Arthur could now follow him and James, but there was one thing that would not change, and that was that he would not let Arthur join the family’s political work.
Arthur’s start was too late. He was completely unqualified to inherit these things. If he had talent, he could use the family’s advantages to build his own future in the future.
Councilman Williams looked at James and said, “My original plan was to serve as mayor for four years.”
Lance nodded. This was indeed his plan. He had said so more than once.
“But now, I’ve changed my mind,” Williams flicked the cigarette in his hand and said, under James’s surprised gaze, “I plan to serve a second term.”
The Federation has no mandatory age requirements for officials. Even if you shit your pants, as long as you think you’re up to it, and others also think you’re up to it, then you can continue to serve the people.
So even if he might be almost in his late seventies after eight years, that was no problem.
“I will lay the most solid foundation for the Williams family!”
James almost subconsciously stood up. Arthur, who was in a daze, also quickly stood up with his star big brother, although he didn’t quite know why.
“Father…” James’s expression was a little excited, a little moved. He knew very well the reason why his old man said this.
After eight years, he would be in his forties, just in his prime.
With the foundation laid in these eight years, he could completely follow in Councilman Williams’s footsteps and connect directly!
At that time, the entire city would have already been under the feet of their family. They would be the kings in this city!
With such a foundation, the influence and social status of the Williams family would also be greatly improved.
Maybe in the future, the family would also have the opportunity to produce a governor!
That’s a governor…
The thought of Councilman Wade giving up everything here just for the promise of being nominated as a gubernatorial candidate to participate in the gubernatorial election.
At this moment, he also had that kind of ambition!
Once a governor appeared, plus they had the base of Golden Port City, after one or two generations of accumulation, they could also become a real “political family.”
No one can refuse such a beautiful future, not even Councilman Williams.
And James also knew very well that this was not an easy task. His father would use all his strength for the rest of his life to pave the way for him. Apart from being moved, he had no other thoughts.
Oh, right, there was another thought, which was to make the Williams family more glorious and great!
If he wanted to be re-elected, he would definitely need Lance’s support.
Because while Lance controlled huge funds, he would gradually control the entire city’s underworld.
If his goal was to become the “ruler under the daylight,” then Lance was on the road to becoming the “emperor of the underworld.”
Everyone was advancing by leaps and bounds. At that time, he would need Lance’s help more than Lance needed him.
So some things had to be made clear from the beginning, to avoid future disagreements due to some information gap.
Lance nodded slightly. “I will help you.”
Councilman Williams laughed out loud. “It’s a pity I don’t have the fate of having a daughter in this life. Otherwise, I would definitely let my daughter have one for you.”
He suddenly looked at James. James was stunned for a moment. He said with a smile, “I’ll do my best.”
James didn’t have a child yet. If he hadn’t run for councilman, he might not have gotten married until now.
On the contrary, Arthur was a philanderer.
In fact, at this moment, a thought inexplicably flashed through James’s mind, but it was quickly suppressed by him, because there was actually a suitable person in the family, but it was too offensive to think so.
The harmonious atmosphere made the atmosphere very relaxed. Councilman Williams did not ask Lance how he was going to deal with the remaining forces of the other Five Families.
Because he knew very well that as long as Lance dealt with the Kodak Family, the rest would be no match for him.
In this model of gangs plus police, who could stop them?
No one!
When Lance was about to leave, Councilman Williams said a few words to him alone. He asked a question.
“Do you think… Charlie might also have a notebook or something?”
Lance looked at him for a while. The old man smiled and looked away. He seemed to have said something, but he also seemed to have said nothing.
After returning to the villa, Lance found Ennio. “Go and check where Charlie’s family went.”
Looking at Ennio’s blank expression, he explained, “Charlie’s son and daughter have their own careers. They have their families. They were very smart when they left this time. It’s impossible that they didn’t leave any clues.”
“Go and ask the community service companies where they lived, ask those postmen, ask if there have been any things like train tickets or boat tickets sent recently.”
“In addition, send some people to keep an eye on their relatives, especially his son’s wife’s and daughter’s husband’s side. They left so smartly, those people will definitely find a way to contact them.”
“In short, do everything you can to find these people.”
Ennio listened very carefully and kept nodding. “After we find them, should we directly… or bring them back?”
Lance thought for a moment. “Bring them and their things back.”
Ennio nodded and agreed.
He was the “house steward” of the Lance Family, specializing in dealing with outside gangs. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he had indeed inherited some of the “salesmanship” ability from his father.
He knew how to deal with those strangers. Now the Empire immigrant gangs in various parts of Likalai State had a good relationship with him.
It would be more convenient for him to find Charlie’s family than others.
Then Lance had Elvin send some people to search Charlie’s house to see if there was a safe or a secret room, including Charlie’s old house and office.
But this time, the people Elvin sent out came back very quickly. They brought back a piece of news that Charlie’s office and house had already been ransacked. They had also gone and searched, and nothing of value was left.
Undoubtedly, it was the people from the Bay Area who had done it. Maybe they were also tracking down the whereabouts of Charlie’s family.
Perhaps Charlie had known from the very beginning what his future would be. When he first faced his “future self,” he might have already understood the arrangement of fate.
It was just that when people were in that position, sometimes it wasn’t that they didn’t understand that their choice might not be a good one, but that they simply had no other options!
The next day, Charlie returned to Golden Port City, in the form of a corpse.
He was put in a body bag. The highway patrol over there did not perform an autopsy on him, but left this task to their forensic counterparts in Golden Port City.
However, they took a bullet to make a ballistic record. This was just in case.
In case the killer who killed Charlie used that gun to commit a crime on the highway again, and happened to be caught by them, they could then charge the other party.
This situation seemed like an impossibility among impossibilities, but what if?
When he saw Charlie again, Chief Bruce was somewhat sad, and there was also a grotesque texture after being played with by fate.
Charlie’s face was very pale. He had been bled at the first opportunity. This was to prevent the body from decaying faster, and to prevent the blood vessels from rupturing after the body decayed, which would contaminate the body and accelerate its decay.
So when the body was sent to the medical examiner, even if he didn’t plan to dissect it, he would immediately drain the blood.
This also led to Charlie’s face being ridiculously pale at this time.
Chief Bruce had seen a corpse before. He was not afraid of this. He looked at him with a complex expression for a while, then sighed and zipped up the zipper again.
After dealing with Charlie’s affairs, he looked at a police officer standing by the car.
This guy was wearing a highway patrol uniform and sunglasses, looking a bit restrained.
Chief Bruce walked over and proactively extended his hand. “Bruce, police chief.”
The man also quickly extended his hand and shook it. “Walker, Walker Kingston.”
“I saw your reply, so I… when do I start work?”
This police officer was the one who was attacked while escorting Charlie back to the highway patrol station that day. He regarded this as a disgrace in his life.
The reason he applied for a transfer to Golden Port City this time was to find out who wanted to silence Charlie, and then bring these people to justice.
Chief Bruce found his righteous thoughts a little ridiculous, but he also supported him very much.
He hoped that this guy could create a miracle, although it was unlikely.
“You don’t have a place to live yet, do you?”
“First find a place to settle down, then take a tour around the city, rest for two days, and then I’ll send you to start work.”
Walker quickly said, “I can start work immediately.”
Chief Bruce shook his head. “No, not yet, because we…”
He pursed his lips. “are having a big cleanup!”
Every day, police officers were arrested and taken to a certain place to have them confess their problems.
This also made the police force a little panicked now. People didn’t know if this huge purge would affect them. They could only bite the bullet and face the “storm” from the upper echelons.
(End of a Chapter)