Empire of Shadows

An apartment located in the central ring of the city.

The most bustling areas of Golden Port City are actually just two places; the first one is the city's downtown business district, which gathers the most interesting "Gold Caves" of Golden Port City.

From the top-notch hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and clubs to the most famous adult establishments like strip bars and casinos, almost everything is here.

The saying "every inch of land is worth its weight in gold" refers to the downtown of Golden Port City.

The other place is the port and its surrounding areas, which cater more to the "working-class."

If you were to rent a private room in a strip bar downtown and find a dancer to perform for you alone for thirty minutes, it would cost at least fifty dollars.

In contrast, in those cheap and lively bars near the port, it would only cost ten dollars to enjoy the same, and with an additional five dollars, you could also enjoy some excellent service—

This isn't illegal, for according to Federation law, illegal sexual services refer to specific acts, but this doesn't count.

The sailors don't mind splurging the money they've earned, and the girls keep themselves busy earning a living, nothing shameful about it.

Apart from these two places, other areas of the city could hardly be considered bustling.

As long as it's not bustling, the housing prices wouldn't be too high.

Looking at the apartment with its mediocre pricing, Lance hadn't even gotten out of the car before he started assigning tasks.

"Elvin, you and …(pal A), stay downstairs and keep an eye on anyone coming out from inside; if you spot that idiot running out, stop him. There's a crowbar in the trunk."

"Ethan, you and …(pal B), come up with me. Your main job is to help guard the door, and if any onlookers show up, take care of dispersing them."

"Remember to act aggressively."

Lance emphasized, "If this job goes smoothly, I will mention it to Mr. Kodi and get us some bonuses. This work isn't illegal, and it brings in money faster than a regular job."

He patted Elvin's shoulder, "Guard the door well, your task isn't easy."

Elvin gave a wry smile, "No need to comfort me, I know what I should do."

Lance laughed and punched him lightly, then opened the car door and took a baseball bat from the back of the car.

The three men walked toward the entrance of the apartment which had a reception desk manned by a security guard who looked to be around forty. Upon seeing the three men enter, he hesitated momentarily.

He seemed to be pondering whether to perform his duty, but luckily Lance helped him make that decision—

He raised the baseball bat at the apartment's security guard, who immediately raised his hands and sat down, "I don't know anything, sir."

Lance directed Ethan to press the elevator button, explaining, "We're just here to find someone; we won't damage anything in the apartment. If anything gets broken because of us, leave a bill and I'll take care of it."

"But don't do anything stupid other than what I've asked you to do."

"Thirty dollars a month is not worth dying for a capitalist."

After hearing this, the security guard's face showed a look of serious contemplation, "You're right, sir."

Lance put the bat away, and the three of them got into the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

The old-fashioned elevator always made Lance feel somewhat unsafe; Ethan's hands trembled slightly, not knowing whether it was from excitement or fear.

Pal A seemed more excited, "Do I need to take action later?"

"Should I punch his cheek or kick his balls?"

"Would it be trouble if I crack his skull?"

Lance rolled his eyes, "This time you just need to watch me; don't do anything until I give the order."

Upon reaching the fourth floor, they came to the door of an apartment. Lance knocked forcefully on the door, "Is anyone in there?"

After knocking for a long time without any response, Lance heard footsteps inside; clearly, the gentleman had no intention of opening the door.

He immediately changed tactics and continued banging hard, "You motherf**ker, you didn't pay the sanitation fee this month. Open the damn door or I'll lock it and starve your ass!"

Amid the surprised looks from Ethan and Pal A, footsteps were heard inside the room, "Hell, I just paid the sanitation fee!"

Then the door was forcefully yanked open, but what greeted Mr. White, the debtor, was not the annoying face of a security guard or apartment manager.

Mr. White realized something immediately and tried to close the already open door with force, but clearly Lance was quicker!

He shoved the door hard, and at the moment it burst open, Mr. White grabbed a fish tank covered in green mold nearby and hurled it at Lance.

Then came a vase, some books, and other items.

Whatever he could grab, he threw at Lance. After ducking and dodging, Lance finally cornered him.

In the moment he tried to run into the inner room, a bat struck his back.

A muffled thud echoed, and Lance twisted his shoulders, walking towards Mr. White, who was screaming on the ground.

At this point, his screams had already alarmed some of the neighbors around, he glanced back at Ethan and his buddy A, "Tell them to get back to their rooms, call me if there are any other issues, I need to have a serious talk with Mr. White."

Then he closed the door, and the screams inside the room instantly grew much quieter.

Those who peaked out, seemingly to spectate, closed their doors almost the next second upon seeing Ethan's sneer.

Living in such a place, who the fuck cares whether the neighbor is in trouble?

As long as the trouble doesn't spill over to them.

Inside the room, Mr. White was still lying on the ground howling like a ghost, and Lance pulled out a cigarette, lighting one.

He looked himself over, drenched in a foul stench, pungent like a filthy fish tank.

His arm had a bloody gash, caused by the fish tank, his gaze malicious as he approached Mr. White.

Mr. White, having recovered from the shock and pain, scrambled away from Lance, a distance of about four or five meters, "I don't know you!"

Lance pulled out the contract, showing it to him, "Three thousand five hundred yuan, remember?"

Undoubtedly, Mr. White clearly remembered this amount, his eyes darting away, "I was forced to sign that, I can't pay back this money."

Lance looked over the contract, "But when you took away this thousand yuan, you didn't seem so troubled."

"Mr. White, honestly, I have no direct relation with the finance company. They pay me, I handle the debts. If you have any complaints about this contract, you can sue them."

"But you can't, because of your disputes with them, cause me to lose my job, make me and my brothers go hungry."

"Now, I give you an option, don't make it hard for me, and I won't make it hard for you, I just need to take three thousand five hundred yuan to settle this, not take your money and leave with you."

"Mr. Kodi had already told me before I came here, we can forgo the money, but I must bring the person to him..."

"You know, these bigshots sometimes prefer to let some money slip away, just to vent their anger."

"Once you reach there, whether you can survive, whether you will be disabled, I can't predict at all."

"If you think three thousand five hundred yuan is more important than your life and health, nod now, and I will stop asking for the money and leave immediately!"

"Tell me your choice, Mr. White."

Mr. White looked terrified, he had actually owed this money for two years, the interest had already stopped accruing a year ago.

Alberto knew well, these types of people who don't plan to repay, even if you tell them the interest is ten times the principal, they would act indifferently, they never intended to repay from the start.

Those who take loanshark money are all the same at the core, in need of money, they wouldn't even blink an eye at signing their names, not even if the interest was a hundredfold.

Does anyone really care whether they can repay?

If they did, would they even take out a high-interest loan?

Some people are just like this, harboring a bit of hopeful thinking, believing these people won't harm them over a little money.

Mr. White didn't speak. Lance, cigarette dangling, grabbed the baseball bat, lifting it high.

He suddenly showed an expression of terror, his voice even broke, "I don't have money!"

"You're lying!" With a whoosh, the bat fiercely smashed on Mr. White's thigh bone, which was fairly strong, but probably fractured, sounding somewhat dispersed, not very solid.

He rolled on the ground holding his thigh, the pain from the broken bone unbearable; he even started sniffling!

Lance looked at Mr. White, glanced at the kitchen, and walked over to get a kitchen knife.

This scared Mr. White even more!

Lance wiped the knife, "I'm an Imperial person, an illegal immigrant, God knows when the Immigration Bureau will catch me and send me back."

"As long as I can survive here, Mr. White, I'm willing to take the risk of murder, but are you prepared to be killed?"

Watching Lance walk into the bedroom, he took out a bedsheet and started laying it on the ground, Mr. White shivered all over, his leg bone fracture hardly hurting anymore.

His expression was ferocious, struggling, he eventually cried out, "In the flowerpot on the balcony!"

"Damn it, Fack!"

"Take the money and get out of my apartment, I will sue you!"

Lance grinned, "That's your problem, Mr. White!"

He walked to the balcony, smashed several pots, and found two bundles wrapped in kraft paper in two of the pots, totaling five thousand yuan.