Empire of Shadows

"Mom, when can we go home?"

In a small city in a neighboring state, the Bearded Director's wife was holding their child's hand, buying supplies for the coming week in a supermarket.

After the Bearded Director decided to align with Lance, he arranged for his family to move here.

This was the workplace of his wife's younger brother, who was the local Police Sergeant—a man who wielded some authority.

Small cities had their drawbacks, but their advantages were clear: the city was small, and any outsiders were easily noticed.

Coupled with an insider at the police station, the Bearded Director felt this arrangement was very secure. He hadn't even discussed it with Lance.

Lance had suggested that he send his family to Likalai State or the New Golden City, where Lance would arrange protection, but the Bearded Director refused.

His refusal was anticipated by Lance. As new partners who did not yet fully trust each other, if Lance were in the same position, he would also hesitate to send his family into the other party's territory.

The Bearded Director likely feared Lance might use his family to control him and force him into unwanted actions.

The mother and son had been in the rental villa for over a week. The Bearded Director repeatedly asked them not to go out.

Many gangs in the Federal central region were affiliated with the Perez family. These gangs might not actively participate in a gang war, but they would readily comply with simple, low-effort tasks like finding people.

If discovered, the family would likely suffer.

Initially, the wife listened, staying inside and patiently awaiting news.

But their child was young. His excitement about the villa quickly wore off, and he started clamoring to go out, even if just for a short time.

The Bearded Director's wife was not a tough person, and the one pleading was her child. So, she eventually agreed, but made the boy promise it would be brief.

Walking through the supermarket, the Bearded Director's child found the limited selection of goods and toys boring.

After wandering for a while, he grew tired of it and asked the question that mattered most to him.

When could they leave and return to Old City?

Although its name was "Old City," its development was excellent, far surpassing this place.

He liked the life there—pleasant, easy, with amusement parks. Here, there wasn't even one good playground.

Children, when they want something they can't have, tend to act out.

He wasn't truly interested in seeing a movie; he just wanted to express his frustration. As long as he couldn't go home, he would cause trouble.

His mother looked at him and finally agreed to his request to see a movie. The two police officers following them exchanged glances, then reluctantly shook their heads.

They had agreed on half an hour, but now the time was being extended. Still, they didn't think there was any danger; it was just a minor deviation from the plan.

They soon arrived outside one of the few cinemas in the city. A crowd was already gathered. In this small city lacking entertainment, movies were one of the few popular distractions.

A new dispute arose: the boy, seeing the poster, insisted on watching an art-house film, as the poster matched his aesthetic taste.

But the wife tried to persuade him to choose a comedy. Children wouldn't understand an art-house film, but they could understand a comedy.

Art films were often too deep for adults, let alone children!

After another argument, the mother finally gave in. However, she, the boy, and the two police officers protecting them didn't notice the gaze of a few young men outside the cinema, who were watching them intently while the boy was having his tantrum.

Initially, the young men thought it was just a normal mother-son argument over a movie. Such disputes between parents who wanted control and rebellious children who fought back were common.

But soon, their gazes grew strange.

When Bob decided to eliminate the Bearded Director, and the Chief refused to leave the police station, forcing him to compromise was the easiest and most effective way.

Gangs were not knights of justice; they only cared about results. If a tactic was effective, they used it.

Morality was irrelevant.

They had notified all the small and medium-sized gangs affiliated with them in the Federal central region to be on the lookout for the Bearded Director's wife and child.

They had photos (from school records) and descriptions of the mother and son.

Tens of thousands of gang members had seen the boy's photo. Finding people wasn't something the gang leaders did themselves; they assigned it to their subordinates.

No one had spotted the mother and son for the past few days. They assumed the Bearded Director had hidden his family well, making it a matter of doing their due diligence and leaving the rest to chance.

But now, it seemed, there was a breakthrough here.

The young men quickly dispersed. Some stayed to watch the cinema, and a few others reported the matter to their gang.

Soon, the gang's leader and cadres arrived, bringing the boy's photo.

"Are they inside this cinema?" A thin, even sickly-looking man wearing sunglasses pulled down his glasses to get a better look at the cinema sign.

The young men nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I saw them go in."

The gang leader nodded, instructed someone to block the back door of the cinema, and told the others to wait for the screening to end.

They didn't need to wait for the end. The art film was boring. The boy was restless after just ten minutes and started clamoring to leave and go home.

During this time, the Bearded Director's wife continuously apologized to the two police officers for her child's behavior.

The apology was effective. The two police officers, initially irritated, became patient and understanding.

When the four people walked out of the cinema, the two police officers immediately sensed something was wrong.

The moment they emerged, several people who had been parked by the roadside, smoking by the guardrail, or sitting on the steps, suddenly stood up, their gaze fixed on them.

These were gang members. The city was small enough that the police knew many of the gang members by sight.

The two officers exchanged a look. They immediately grabbed the woman and child and ran toward their patrol car, a movement that alerted the waiting gang members.

The gang leader was determined to curry favor with the Perez family and had given his men a death order: they must capture the mother and son!

The gunfight, however, ended the moment it began.

When the two officers saw the gang members draw their weapons, they raised their hands and dropped their pistols.

As the gang members approached, one of the officers said with a dark expression, "You won't be staying here much longer. Do you know who they are?"

The gang leader nonchalantly grabbed the woman and child, glanced at the officers, and said nothing. He got into his car and sped away.

Once they gained favor with the Perez family, why the hell would he stay in this small city?

Their future was the big city, the stars, and the sea!

When the Bearded Director's brother-in-law learned of the incident, ten minutes had already passed. The Bearded Director's wife and child were gone.

This small city had several roads leading out of town. He didn't know if the perpetrators were still in the city, if they had left, which route they took, or if they used the train. He knew nothing.

His only recourse was to inform the Bearded Director immediately.

"So... they've been confirmed kidnapped?"

The Bearded Director's voice on the phone was low, revealing his deep distress.

His brother-in-law reluctantly answered, "Yes." "I've sent people to search, but we found nothing. You know, I'm just a sergeant, not the chief."

He could only mobilize the men under his direct command. Mobilizing other departments or officers required following procedures.

The police department was a Federal law enforcement agency, not a private company that could be run arbitrarily. He was just a small-time officer.

Though he was distraught, the family was gone.

After a brief silence, the Bearded Director seemed to accept the fact. "I understand. I will find a way to rescue them."

His brother-in-law apologized for his failure. "If there's anything you need, call me!"

The call quickly ended. The Bearded Director sat there blankly for a moment, then dialed Lance's number.

Lance had already arrived in the New Golden City, not far from there.

"This is Lance..."

"It's me, Hull from Old City. I've run into some trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Lance asked.

The Bearded Director lit a cigarette and took a drag. "My family has likely been kidnapped by the Perez family."

They had discussed this possibility before. Lance paused for a few seconds. "What happened?"

He recounted the known details. Lance was somewhat exasperated. "I told you before, the best thing to do was send them to me. But you refused."

"I will have people investigate this, but I must be honest: the chances of finding them are very, very low."

"If this had happened in my territory, I could guarantee they wouldn't be transferred out.

"But this isn't my territory. I'm unfamiliar with the local gang landscape, and I have no connections with them. All I can do is arrange for people to investigate and have the State Police coordinate the effort."

The State Police fell under the State Government's jurisdiction. Lance could pull strings to inform them and have them watch for the kidnapping.

But the effect would be minimal.

The police couldn't stop every passing car, search it, and ask every child if they had been kidnapped.

They could only rely on experience and arbitrary judgment to randomly select vehicles for inspection. For example, someone might assume the kidnapping involved a box truck and focus the search there.

The success rate of such subjective searches was less than one percent. It was a matter of doing their best and leaving the rest to chance.

However, the suggestion still provided some comfort.

"Thank you. Thank you very much for your help!" The Bearded Director sounded exhausted, speaking weakly.

Lance chuckled. "You're welcome." He then asked, "Hull, I like to approach problems from a practical standpoint and prepare for all possibilities."

"I mean, if we don't intercept the vehicle with your wife and child, and they fall into Bob's hands, what do you plan to do next?"

"They will definitely force you to do things you don't want to do. Furthermore, they might even... You know, we've had a pleasant collaboration recently."

"The more pleasant our collaboration was, the more they hate you. I worry they will try to lure you out and eliminate you."

"Because the animosity and conflict between you and them will be very difficult to resolve easily. Do you understand what I mean?"

Lance's words forced the Bearded Director to confront the reality. He knew Lance was right but struggled to accept the potential outcome.

He didn't answer Lance, remaining silent.

Lance continued. "I'm not demanding you make a decision. I'm just telling you what you'll face. What you do is your freedom. I won't interfere."

"In fact, for me, it's just a matter of changing a partner."

"If the newly appointed Chief is willing to cooperate with us intimately, that's great. If not, I can only do what Bob is doing."

"I hope our cooperation can continue. We've established a foundation of trust. Think it over carefully."

"Call me if you need anything."

The Bearded Director only managed to say "Okay" before hanging up. He sat there, contemplating.

He loved his wife and child, but he also knew what he was facing. He sat there silently, smoking cigarette after cigarette.

That evening, Bob called him.

"Your wife and son are in my hands. I think we should talk."

"Look, we've known each other much longer than you've known Lance. If anyone should cooperate, it should be you and me, not you and him."

"Hull, I know what kind of person you are. We shouldn't be enemies. Now, God has given us a chance to correct our mistake. We should sit down and talk."

"To show my sincerity, regardless of whether we reach an agreement, you can take your family back!"

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