The Deputy Director of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials had never had much of a presence.
In fact, he had tried before.
Before Director Dale arrived to take up his post, he had arrived in Golden Port City a step ahead and had invited some of the core agents to meet for dinner to build relationships.
To be able to become a deputy director in such a department under the direct management of Congress meant that he also had connections and a network behind him.
Unfortunately, Dale’s connections were stronger than his, and as soon as he arrived, he got involved with the mayor.
So, he, the deputy director, was gradually marginalized without realizing it.
Many matters that he should have handled were handled by Director Dale himself, and he had no good solution.
He definitely couldn’t win a fight, so he could only pretend to be invisible and wait for a special opportunity.
Maybe this opportunity would come soon, but it was also possible that this opportunity would never come.
When he got off work at night, he got into Director Dale’s car. He didn’t know what Director Dale wanted to say to him, but the submissive and respectful attitude he showed was absolutely not a problem.
When he got off work, he arrived at the parking lot five minutes early. Then he saw Director Dale walk over. After the two greeted each other, the deputy director got into Director Dale’s car.
The car left the parking lot of the Bureau of Hazardous Materials. Director Dale, while driving, asked, “We have been working together for two years. What kind of person do you think I am?”
This question… left the deputy director a little confused, but it did not prevent him from immediately answering, “You are an excellent leader. Under your leadership, the Bureau of Hazardous Materials has frequently cracked some cases of smuggling and selling liquor. We are not unknown in this system.”
Director Dale nodded. “A very formulaic statement. I know you may not like me very much because I have always kept you idle and have not arranged any specific work for you.”
The deputy director was even more confused. “My ability is still insufficient, so my main job now is to learn how to be an excellent manager, not to let me mess up our work.”
The red light in front of them lit up. Director Dale stepped on the brake, and the car stopped in the middle of the road.
There were some honking sounds around, the sound of pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, and all kinds of other sounds. They were mixed together, forming a very special sound, full of vibrant life.
Director Dale thought for a moment and found an entry point. “…Have those things about (a certain agent) been negotiated?”
It was impossible for him not to arrange any work for this deputy director at all. So sometimes when he encountered some problems that he also found tricky, he would throw them to the deputy director to do.
For example, the Prohibition agent he mentioned in his mouth, at the end of last year, in a capture operation, was shot in the spine by several moonshiners and was now paralyzed.
The parts of his body below his abdomen had completely lost sensation, and he couldn’t even control his bladder and bowels.
The Bureau of Hazardous Materials had various response plans and measures. Whether it was disability benefits or death benefits, they had compensation standards.
But the problem was that this colleague’s trouble was too great. He was not an ordinary disabled person, for example, organ failure caused by serious injury.
After the one-time treatment fee was paid, there would be no subsequent fees.
This colleague would generate a considerable bill every week, one or two hundred dollars.
Besides various medications, there was also a special person to take care of him.
After all, being unable to control his bladder and bowels meant that he would be in bed at any time. Even his parents couldn’t stand this. A special caregiver had to be hired.
At the same time, he would not die in a short period of time. The hospital said that as long as the money could keep up, he could live for another thirty years.
Thirty years, one or two hundred a week. This expense was not in the compensation clause at all.
So this had become a problem. Either sue the agent and confirm that the Bureau of Hazardous Materials did not need to continue to pay him any fees, or have the State Prohibition Committee or the Federal Prohibition Committee’s members issue instructions.
For example, paying his lifelong bills, but the probability of this was very small. They would not agree.
If they agreed to this, they would have to agree to others’ requests.
The rules are always cold and impersonal. The State Prohibition Committee did not intend to continue to compensate, so now this agent’s problem had become a trouble.
He was injured and paralyzed for the federal government, but he had to pay for his own treatment. This was unreasonable.
The deputy director did not do nothing after accepting this matter. He had run to the State Prohibition Committee several times, but there was no progress at all.
Including now, there was still no progress.
He shook his head. “The ordinary committee members don’t care much about this matter, but the executive committee over there firmly demands that we execute it once and for all according to the compensation standard.”
If it was executed once and for all, this meant that this agent would soon die in his hospital bed because he could not afford the medical bills.
This was very cruel to him, and a very cruel thing for everyone.
They had dedicated everything for the federal government, for the Bureau of Hazardous Materials, but in the end, they were abandoned by the department. Even the “business is business” people of the Federation could not all accept it.
Director Dale sighed softly. “Actually, I also heard something.”
The deputy director asked, “What?”
He organized his thoughts and said, “I hear that the police department over there also has a similar situation. Someone is paralyzed, someone is injured, some are seriously ill, and even they need to buy a house but don’t have enough loan qualifications, or their children can’t afford to go to college.”
“They have some kind of foundation that specializes in handling these matters and helping these people get through the difficulties.”
The deputy director nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard of it too, but I hear that this foundation seems to be Lance’s business. He uses this method to win over all the police officers.”
Director Dale nodded. At this time, the red light ended and the green light came on. He stepped on the accelerator, and a slight feeling of being pushed back told the people in the car that the car had started.
“Sometimes his actions make it difficult for me to identify with his identity. He is more like a politician, or something else, than a gang leader.”
The deputy director nodded in agreement with the director’s point of view. “Although I am unwilling to admit it, you are right. He is a very special and charismatic guy.”
Hearing the deputy director say so, the smile on Director Dale’s face grew a little more. “If someone could, like him, also set up a foundation for us, this case would not be so worrying.”
At this moment, the deputy director had vaguely sensed that something was wrong. He did not answer immediately, but sorted out what Director Dale had said before and after.
He felt that Director Dale seemed to be conveying a certain message to him, a message that he could not believe.
After the vehicle started, it re-entered the traffic flow. Director Dale’s gaze was always fixed on the car in front, as if he were asking casually, “Our work is very dangerous. We often have firefights with those armed transport criminals. Although our pensions are in the upper-middle range in the entire government department.”
“But danger is not just the two options of injury and death. We need more support.”
“In the past two years, our struggle with the moonshiners has become more and more intense. Many people have been injured and left us. I feel guilty that I can’t give them enough support.”
He mentioned a few more people who had to end this job early because of injuries.
But what the Bureau of Hazardous Materials could give them in terms of financial assistance was very little. It could only be said that it was enough for them to barely live.
To live with quality, and even to be able to take medicine on time, might not be possible.
It’s not that the system is not perfect, it’s just that no matter how perfect the system is, there will always be some places that are not taken care of.
For example, lifelong treatment, lifelong medication, and the like, they will all be compensated once and for all according to the disability standard.
That money is enough for people to use for a short period of time, but not for a long time.
“You mean…” he turned his head to look at Director Dale.
Director Dale smiled. “I’ve chatted with Lance. He’s also interested in setting up such a foundation for our Bureau of Hazardous Materials.”
At this instant, the deputy director felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His whole body went numb, and then his scalp tightened, and a large patch of goosebumps appeared!
How could he have ignored the name that Director Dale had said as if it were a casual remark?
Even if his reaction was slow, he knew what had happened.
Director Dale was actually in contact with Lance. What did this mean?
He was a little horrified.
The car slowly stopped again because of a red light. Director Dale took out a cigarette case from his pocket, gave one to the deputy director, and also lit one for himself.
“Lance… is a very interesting person. We can’t look at him in the traditional way of looking at a gangster.”
“He’s different from those people. You’ll have this feeling after you’ve had contact with him.”
“He’s a person who likes to make friends. He wants to make friends with you.”
The deputy director tilted his head and glanced at the director, who seemed to be seriously waiting for the traffic light. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
He also had a background. If he didn’t have a background, it would have been impossible for him to become a deputy director, nor would he have been assigned to Golden Port City.
To use a more common phrase, the person behind him, or the person who provided him with help, could get him onto the most dazzling stage in Likalai State.
As for what level he could reach, that was his own problem, but the people behind him had already done their part.
The deputy director did not really want to contact Lance. Director Dale’s repeated mistakes and his current mediocre performance had already made the State Prohibition Committee have the idea of transferring him away.
Once he was transferred away, the person with the most hope of taking over the position of director would be him.
At this time, if he was dragged into this small group of his and Lance’s, he would not only lose all his initiative, but he might also become a blind and deaf person after he took office.
The power he had would not belong to him.
So he didn’t want to agree to Director Dale. In his eyes, in his heart, his attitude towards Director Dale was actually not as respectful as he had shown.
The green light lit up again, and the car was on the road again. Director Dale, while driving, smoked his cigarette. “You think about it?” he said.
The deputy director breathed a sigh of relief. Not forcing him to answer immediately was the best answer.
He would find a way to contact the person behind him and let the people from the State Prohibition Committee know that Director Dale had already betrayed them!
“Okay, I’ll think about it!” he said, following Director Dale’s words, with a slight smile on his face. “In principle, I am very willing to get close to Mr. Lance. Just as you said, he is not a gangster in the ordinary sense.”
“He has truly brought stability and order to this city. Perhaps cooperating with him is the best way.”
“Smuggled liquor can’t be banned completely. What we actually need to do is not to completely eliminate smuggled liquor, but to keep everything under our control.”
Director Dale also smiled and nodded in agreement. “You see it very clearly. The law has been around for so many years, but there are still so many people who commit crimes every year. Prohibition is the same.”
“No one will really give up such a large profit just because we have enacted and implemented the Prohibition. If we catch one, we will only create two new ones.”
“Anyway… you think about it.”
The deputy director agreed. Director Dale then chatted with him about work for a while, and then parked the car outside the community where the deputy director lived.
“I have other things to do, so I won’t see you in…” he said after the car had stopped.
The deputy director nodded repeatedly and pushed open the car door. “Okay, you go ahead and get busy.”
The two looked at each other for about two or three seconds. Director Dale nodded in acknowledgment and then drove away.
After watching Director Dale’s car drive far away, the smile on the deputy director’s face gradually subsided.
This matter was somewhat of a trouble.
What he didn’t know was that after Director Dale had turned at the next intersection, he had immediately pulled over to the side of the road and then dialed Lance’s number from a phone booth.
“He’s not willing to cooperate. We need to shut him up as soon as possible. He knows about our relationship.”
Since he was going to pull the deputy director into the water, he would definitely have to expose their relationship, so Lance was not surprised by this. He just said he knew and then hung up the phone.
Director Dale did not drive away. He made a circle and then drove his car back to the outside of the deputy director’s community. He then bought some fast food and sat in the car, staring at the community’s main gate.
At the same time, the colleague in front of Ponda angrily threw away his hand. “I thought you were a warrior with faith, but I didn’t expect you to actually… ” he looked around, walked up to Ponda, his forehead against his, and lowered his voice, “You actually colluded with Lance!”
“Holy shit, I even told them they should learn from you. You’re a shameful thief, Ponda!”
“You’d better take the initiative to explain your problems to the higher-ups. For the sake of us once being colleagues, I’ll give you three days.”
“Three days later, if you don’t take the initiative to explain your problems, I will report you!”
“Fuck, you’ve completely ruined my appetite tonight!”
“Now, you fucking stay away from me. I have nothing to say to a person like you!”
Ponda’s persuasion had failed. He had only slightly revealed that someone wanted to meet this colleague, to chat, to make friends.
Then he had said Lance’s name, and this colleague had started to explode.
Looking at the righteous expression on the other’s face, Ponda was a little dazed.
Once, he was also like this, his heart full of sunshine, without a trace of shadow.
Watching the other party leave, cursing, he walked into a phone booth on the side of the road.
He knew what would happen to this righteous messenger who still had a sense of justice after this call was made.
But he also had his own difficulties. He wanted to gain people’s respect. He wanted his wife to have a sense of security. He wanted to control his own destiny!
He needed power. Only power could let him do this.
“I’m sorry!” he turned the last number on the dial.
Soon the call was answered. He said the word he had just said again into the mouthpiece.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lance. I couldn’t get him. He rejected my proposal and told me to turn myself in to the director within three days, otherwise he would report me.”
“Okay… I understand. Yes, okay, goodbye.”
He hung up the phone, a little wistful. When he came out of the phone booth, his addiction to cigarettes flared up.
He took out a cigarette case and took one out.
The rapidly moving pedestrians around him and him standing motionless outside the phone booth formed a strong contrast.
The lonely and solitary temperament on his body was out of place with the bustling and noisy street. No one could understand him, only cigarettes and alcohol.
He took a puff of his cigarette, looked at the colorful city, slowly exhaled, and then said the word “sorry” for the third time.
About ten minutes later, Director Dale, who had been observing the community’s main gate, perked up. Four cars began to turn and enter the road inside the community.
The guard at the gate just briefly intercepted them and then quickly let them pass.
Looking at the figure sitting upright in the car, Director Dale knew that they were about to make a move.
At this moment, he had a… morbid, he himself didn’t know what kind of pleasure.
Since you’re not willing to go with the flow, then I’ll destroy you!
What are you being so righteous for?
What are you pretending for?
He squinted his eyes, a light that was difficult to understand flickering in them.
At the same time, the deputy director was sitting in his study, supporting his chin with one hand and thinking about the problem.
It was dinnertime now. He had just called the person behind him, but he couldn’t get through. They should be having dinner.
They were also big shots. The longer the dinner time, the more socializing was needed.
Besides eating dinner, there were many other things to do. So before nine o’clock, there was a high probability that this call would not go through.
He was thinking about how deep the “cooperation” between Director Dale and Lance was, why they would suddenly start to “self-expose.” Was it because Lance or Director Dale thought everything was under control?
This made him feel a sense of horror. They were so reckless to expose these relationships because they were not afraid at all?
The deputy director was uneasy at this time. Besides wanting to tell the person behind him about this matter, he was also considering whether to transfer away from Golden Port City.
The Lance Family had dealt with the Five Families and had become the emperor of the underworld in Golden Port City. In addition, Councilman Williams had taken office.
One of them controlled the daytime Golden Port City, and the other controlled Golden Port City after nightfall. This city was like a sandbox toy in front of them.
Even if he squeezed out Director Dale, could he really sit in this position himself?
If he agreed to cooperate with Lance and make friends, then he would become unable to act on his own. It would be better to just leave early.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t wait to try to dial the phone number of the person behind him again. After the phone had rung twice, the busy tone suddenly disappeared, as if… the phone line had suddenly been cut.
He stood up abruptly and looked out the window…
(End of a Chapter)