Money is something you can never make enough of. Lance firmly believes this.
As long as there are people and desire, there will be a market and ways to profit.
Since money is inexhaustible, why neglect the construction of the environment for short-term wealth?
If a person is stingy with every penny, then he will not have any friends.
When he encounters trouble, no one will lend a helping hand. Instead, many people will look forward to putting him on a plate and serving him at the dinner table.
Because he is too rich, everyone wants to get their own share from it. Even if they can only have one bite, it is better than having nothing at all.
But if he is a generous person, then he will definitely have many friends.
Friends gather around him not because of how noble he is, but because of the interests.
In order not to let these interests be divided up by more people, they will ensure that this person does not become the next main course.
An interest network is thus formed. In the end, each node is connected together, becoming a huge net, a huge umbrella, to defend against all crises.
The contract fees were only a part of Lance’s total interests in Golden Port City, not a large part. He would not be stingy with this money.
And there will be more people who will benefit from this money: the fire department, customs, the prosecutor’s office, and even the courts and judges.
As long as they dared to take it, Lance dared to give it.
When Director Dale left the club at night, he was the last to leave. He had something to talk to Lance about alone. Lance had also seen it, so he invited him into his car.
He asked the driver to drive around the vicinity first, not in a hurry to go anywhere.
Everyone had drunk a lot of wine. Both of them were smoking at this time, using nicotine to suppress the riot of their thoughts.
After finishing a cigarette and feeling the evening breeze for a while, after some calmness and rationality had returned, the two began to talk about serious business.
“I hear… you’re quite familiar with Senator Cleveland,” Director Dale said tactfully. The connections he had in Congress now were completely unreliable.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t performed well. He believed he had done his best. If it had been someone else, they would have been finished long ago.
The fact that he had been able to get this far, saving himself from desperate situations several times, meant he had used his greatest wisdom and ability.
But he also knew one thing: there were not few people like him.
For Congress, the people who could work for the gentlemen were all like him, top talents who had graduated from Ivy League universities.
This kind of talent is a very small minority in the whole society, maybe only one in a thousand, one in ten thousand.
But from the perspective of the gentlemen, there were many. The reason was simple.
They were all gathered together.
His amazing performances, the senators might have looked at them and felt, “Hmm, not bad,” and that’s it.
There were many others around the senators who could do what he did. He was not the only one, nor was he irreplaceable.
When he could not amaze everyone, then he was destined to be abandoned by his circle. After all, for his previous circle, he was just a marginal character.
Since his previous circle no longer valued him, then why didn’t he change to another circle?
Senator Cleveland’s circle was rising strongly. No one knew how far they could go, but everyone knew that in the next four or even twelve years, this political circle would be in its “prime.”
How many four years, twelve years does a person have in their life?
He decided to take a gamble.
Lance looked at him. When he saw that he himself felt a little… awkward, Lance finally said, “The you now has no value, Dale.”
“Although I don’t really want to be so direct, a director of a city’s Bureau of Hazardous Materials, what is his value to a senator?”
“Are you able to help them deal with their political opponents who hold opposing views, or can you leverage a state’s votes for them?”
“Or, can you provide them with a large amount of irreplaceable political resources?”
He shook his head. “No, you can do none of these. Anyone can replace you, even if they’re not human.”
“A cat, a dog, as long as it gets the appointment, someone will do its job for it.”
“You have no value.”
Lance’s words were very naked and very direct, but that was the truth.
He was not irreplaceable. He was not like Lance.
Before the next person who could overturn the current order of the city’s underworld appeared, Lance was irreplaceable.
And for the matter of overturning the Lance Family, it was very difficult for Congress to support and intervene, because they could not directly interfere with local administration.
They couldn’t demand that the mayor must do this, must do that, because the distance was too great!
In the bottom-level social framework of the mayoral system, if the mayor does not pursue a higher political status, for example, to be a governor, for example, to enter Congress, he can completely ignore the hints from Congress.
Especially this kind of local political force with a strong sense of factionalism is the most troublesome existence for Congress, because they simply don’t care what Congress will do.
Senators will always be replaced, will change, but local factional political forces will be passed down from generation to generation, and will become stronger and stronger.
Those states that are ruled by a few families, even now Congress can’t get a hand in. From the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general… to the local mayor, almost all of them are their people.
You want to give them a hard time?
They will only give you a harder time.
So Lance’s basic base is very stable and irreplaceable. Without him, the tens of millions in political donations each year would be gone.
The things that can be done with this money will not be done because this money is gone.
So Lance is irreplaceable. He is valuable, and of important value. Senator Cleveland cannot abandon him, replace him.
He also has to be nice to him, lest he fall into the arms of a political enemy.
A political contest is not as simple as adding one and subtracting one. Under the condition that the resources remain unchanged, if you are a little stronger, you are actually two points ahead of your opponent.
But what does Director Dale have?
He is just a director at the bottom of a vertically managed agency of Congress. A single administrative order from the Congressional Prohibition Committee, he doesn’t even need that, just a phone call, and he will soon have his job adjusted.
What irreplaceability does he have?
Lance’s words were very hurtful, so hurtful that Director Dale didn’t know how to refute. For a time, he fell into silence and self-doubt.
“Although you have no value to Congress, the you now is still of some value to me.”
“Deal with those subordinates of yours, and then go to the State Prohibition Committee.”
“You see, the private liquor business in a single Golden Port City can provide us with a profit of over a hundred million a year. What about the whole state?”
Director Dale’s eyes lit up slightly when he heard this. He was not stupid enough to ask why Lance didn’t just ask Senator Cleveland to step in. Once Lance did that, most of the profits would have to be transferred to Congress again.
Lance, himself, and the others, they were not selfless little bees. They also had their own interests to pursue.
So this matter, at present, he seemed to be the most suitable candidate.
At the same time, Lance was also sending him an important signal—
The person you should be loyal to is me, not Congress!
Seeing Director Dale fall into thought, Lance knew that he had understood his meaning, but he did not force Director Dale to take a stand.
For such a big man to suddenly have to bow his head and show loyalty to a twenty-something-year-old gang leader was indeed a bit difficult for him.
Lance patted his arm. “You think about it.”
“Only tangible benefits that you can get your hands on are worth investing in. Those false things may not necessarily come true.”
“We are friends. We have to consider each other, to fulfill our responsibilities as friends. Don’t you agree?”
Director Dale pursed his lips and nodded. “You’re right, Boss.”
Lance was slightly stunned, and then couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He pointed at Director Dale. “You really are an interesting person. I have high hopes for your future!”
He used a slightly joking “Boss” to express his determination, without making the scene too awkward or greasy, and also maintained his own dignity and grace.
Talking with smart people is comfortable and pleasant, much more comfortable than with those people in the gang.
But when it comes to being at ease, those old brothers are still more reassuring.
“During this period of time, after you have finished your work and gone to the State Prohibition Committee, quickly win over those people. Money, sex, anything, as long as we have it and they want it, give it to them.”
“If someone doesn’t give you face, send me his name and information.”
“We are a gang. On some issues, the way we handle things is not that complicated, understand?”
Director Dale nodded vigorously. “I know what to do.”
He had experienced it. The deputy director, because he was disobedient, had now absconded due to “official crimes” and other charges. Even if he died, he would have a pile of shit that couldn’t be wiped clean.
This was a gang, or rather, Lance’s style.
If it were him, he would have to think of many ways, use some political means to deal with it, which would make things full of variables and complexity.
Not as easy as how Lance and his people handled it.
The car soon stopped outside the community where Director Dale lived. After all, he had not yet dealt with those subordinates of his, and he still had to pay attention to some matters of dignity.
As for the car he had left at the club, someone would send it back.
Watching Director Dale stand on the spot and see his own car disappear into the night, Lance smiled and shook his head.
Why do emperors like court jesters? Isn’t it because court jesters can make them happy?
I hope Director Dale will be “worth the money.”
The next day, Chief Bruce pulled the chief of the city’s fire department to meet with Lance. Before this fire chief had met Lance, he had no idea what he had that could be related to this “big shot.”
This chief was a local, so his attitude was very careful. He knew what Lance and his current status meant for this city and the people living here.
Chief Bruce said there were benefits. He had thought it might just be a few tens of thousands of dollars as a gesture, but Lance’s side had directly given him a million.
At the same time, he also told him the most basic requirements—
“Everyone has to get a part of this money, even the guard at the entrance of your fire station.”
“This is a long-term thing, so I hope you can use your brain. Don’t let me pay this money and still have people think that I’m doing it wrong. Do you understand what I mean?”
The fire chief nodded repeatedly. As a local, he was very decisive. “I understand what you mean, Mr. Lance.”
“Most of this money I will divide equally among all the firefighters, and I will tell them that this money comes from your unconditional sponsorship.”
Lance was very satisfied after listening. This was a pragmatic person.
Having money in your hands and being able to spend it freely, the joy of it is right here. And this money, after being spent, will come back in other ways in the future, which is even more pleasant.
“The city is constantly expanding, and the scope that the fire department needs to cover is also getting larger and larger. I hear that our fire department hasn’t updated its equipment for some time?”
The fire chief quickly nodded. “That’s indeed the case. Our fire trucks are still from more than ten years ago…”
“I will donate another twenty of the latest fire trucks to you. I hope it can reduce the casualties of our firefighters and also allow you to save more lives and property of the public.”
If the people of the Federation didn’t have the custom of kowtowing, the fire chief would have been eager to kowtow to Lance right now!
The work of firefighting is very dangerous, and many insurance companies, as soon as they hear that they are firefighters, will refuse to provide commercial insurance.
In this era where equipment is relatively backward, the environment in a fire scene will not become simple just because the fire equipment is backward. A moment of carelessness could lead to major casualties.
The city’s fire problem has always been a top priority, but people are not very concerned about the safety of the firefighters.
Not only could Lance give them some benefits, but he could also donate some fire trucks. The fire chief had nothing to say.
How about applying to build a fire station next to Lance’s office?
The weather in September was getting hotter and hotter. It was already the hottest time of the year. Lance’s work of infiltrating the city government system had temporarily paused because Bruney had come.
This time, Bruney had come to check on the construction progress of the military base. Although the Dantra Republic had not given the federal government a positive diplomatic response to the establishment of a naval base in Golden Port City, they had begun to increase the number of warships patrolling the East Ocean and were constantly invading northwards.
This was a very dangerous signal. They were probing. This kind of silent probing was more unsettling than a vocal one.
The Department of Defense and the Presidential Palace had decided to arrange for warships to come over as soon as possible. Even if the military base was not yet built, they had to ensure that there was a military counter-attack force here.
Bruney, as a major general of the Department of Defense, was considered an advance officer. The navy would probably arrive here at the end of October.
There was still a month and a half left. He had to ensure that the camp’s infrastructure was built so that the naval officers and soldiers would have a place to live.
When Lance met Bruney, there was another guy next to him, Owen (the mayor’s secretary).
Originally, this matter should have been the responsibility of the mayor, but everyone had subconsciously skipped the mayor’s part.
But this time, the matter was official business. According to the official business process, the Department of Defense had sent a document to the Golden Port City Hall, so the mayor knew that Bruney was coming.
He had originally wanted to entertain this major general of the Department of Defense himself, but after Bruney came, he directly proposed to hand over with Lance. After a daze, the mayor sent his own secretary over to accompany him throughout the process.
The reason was also very simple. He himself was “not in good health” and could not accompany him throughout the process, so he had arranged for a mayor’s secretary to accompany him.
If there were any needs, they could be told to his secretary. His secretary could help him handle various official matters.
Bruney did not say no to this, because it was possible that he did indeed need it.
The two met at another hotel in Golden Port City. As soon as they met, Bruney’s face was full of smiles, because they were “good friends.”
Under the somewhat surprised and suspicious gaze of Owen, the two did not shake hands, but directly hugged.
It was Bruney who had first made the gesture of hugging, and Lance had cooperated with him.
“I’ve been thinking of coming over, but there’s too much work on the Department of Defense side. You know, it’s all related to that big guy across the sea!”
Lance nodded. “I can understand. The Dantra military alliance is gradually going crazy. I hear they have already invaded Slad?”
Major General Bruney nodded solemnly. “Yes, and they also carried out a massacre in the city they occupied.”
When he said these words, his tone was a little heavy. A massacre was a barbaric act, but as a belligerent country, in fact, everyone now, although they were disgusted by this act, was not disgusted to the point of not being able to listen.
After all, the people of the Federation were not good birds themselves. After they came to this land, they had also massacred many local natives.
Their own asses were full of shit. Now they had no way to laugh at others’ asses for having shit.
Lance still said with emotion, “A terrible news. No wonder there are more and more refugees.”
Major General Bruney nodded slightly. He didn’t want to say much more on this issue. “So the Department of Defense sent me over to inspect the construction situation here.”
Lance glanced at his watch. “If you have no other work, we can go to the site to have a look now.”
Major General Bruney stood up. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
Lance glanced at the mayor’s secretary. The latter smiled and lowered his head, not saying anything.
The group quickly went to the construction site of the naval base. When Major General Bruney got out of the car and went to a high place with Lance to overlook the entire construction site, a look of shock appeared on his face!
The ground of the entire naval base had basically completed the basic leveling work. There were also some who were building underground spaces according to the drawings.
There were many huge water pipes on the construction site, constantly spraying water mist at the workers around to cool down.
Just by looking, you could feel how hot it was on the construction site!
A super construction site with tens of thousands of people. Major General Bruney couldn’t help but turn his head and look at Lance. “They…”
He only said one word and couldn’t say any more. He had originally wanted to ask, “How do they endure the high temperature,” and the like, but he soon found that asking this was meaningless.
These were all refugees here. If they didn’t do it, there were plenty of people outside who would. So there was no need to consider issues like the working environment. As long as you don’t die from it, you work to death.
“Some of the surrounding areas have already started to lay concrete. We expect to complete the concrete laying and solidification work by the end of this month…”
(End of a Chapter)