Empire of Shadows

Even though the car didn't look too new, at least they drove here, while they either rode bikes or took the bus, and that was the difference.

Those who got to know Lance here were all adults, around thirty years old, all of whom had struggled in the Federation for seven or eight years.

Despite some people being hesitant about Lance's job, most of them exchanged contact details or business cards.

Dealing with these people took over half an hour before Lance couldn't help but ask, "Did Jerald come today?"

He just didn't want to continue to be the tool of Mr. Burton's "bragging," which was essentially quite juvenile— "I have an impressive friend" and "my friend is so-and-so" were all hopelessly the same, but inevitably some people still do it.

Mr. Burton also had his fill today, "Of course, the young folks don't really enjoy being with us old guys. They are over there; would you like me to take you to them?"

Lance quickly declined and then trotted to the side of Saint Naye Cathedral, where indeed the young people gathered.

About forty young men and women were chatting. When Lance approached, Jerald spotted him right away.

There was no help for it; Lance had taken good care of them on the ship.

Jerald, because he looked a lot like a girl, often faced verbal assaults from some people, even bullying—being commanded to work or perform tasks for others.

Lance had helped him out of some troubles, and for Jerald, this had certainly been the impression of a remarkable person.

"Lance!" He jumped and waved his arms, also drawing more people's attention to Lance.

"Is this the good brother you mentioned?" Jerald's cousin commented critically as he watched Lance approach, "He's dressed too old-fashioned; he doesn't have the vivacity that we young people should have."

Of course, the jealousy in his words was unmistakable, since most of the young people here wore clothes that cost three yuan a set, with a maximum of five yuan a set.

But Lance's outfit, which cost more than ten yuan, instantly outshone theirs.

Moreover, at their age, who wouldn't want to appear more mature?

Jerald ran over and gave Lance a warm hug, but Lance always felt a little odd because Jerald was just too beautiful.

Fortunately, the hug ended quickly, and Jerald started introducing his friends to Lance.

"This is my cousin, Rob…"

"This is my cousin, Nancy…"

"This is my cousin's girlfriend, Selena…"

Lance greeted each of them warmly, shaking hands, while the eyes of a few others remained fixed on them.

His demeanor was different from the others', carrying an indescribable "firmness."

"Lance, do you have family here?" Rob asked first, his girlfriend Selena sizing up Lance, which made him feel a twinge of jealousy.

Lance didn't notice this, "No, it's just me here."

A smile spread across Rob's face, "So, you haven't got permanent citizenship yet?"

"That's right, not yet," he admitted honestly, without lying.

Initially, Nancy had also been observing Lance, but when her brother posed the question and Lance answered so honestly, her interest in Lance suddenly decreased.

Having that card made a big difference.

They had already met many peers who, without the card, worked over ten hours a day but could only earn about ten to twenty yuan a month.

But those who owned Federation citizenship enjoyed various legal protections, never worked more than eleven hours a day, and also enjoyed weekends off as well as other welfare benefits, including insurance coverage.

They were no longer young, and if they were to date at this stage, it was with the intention of marriage.

Nancy was unlikely to date someone without Federation citizenship, let alone marry them. A romance without a future was not what she wanted.

Rob felt his girlfriend was also losing interest in the man in front of them, and his mood finally stabilized, even carrying a hint of superiority.

"So what do you do now... for work?"

Lance didn't plan to beat around the bush with these young people and directly told the truth, "I work for a company, they assign me orders, and I earn income according to the order amount."

Rob thought he understood and laughingly said, "So you're a salesman?"

"Pretty much!"

He perked up again, "What do you sell? Maybe we can help you earn more commission."

Lance smiled and didn't say, thinking Rob was too embarrassed to speak, he continued to dig into what he thought was a sore point, "Does your job allow you to make money?"

Some sales jobs indeed didn't require a work card; they just needed to take customers to the company or store, pay and place orders, and then receive commission.

The purpose of this was for capitalists to avoid some unnecessary expenses, and also explained why Lance was dressed so decently.

Perhaps he had rented a suit specifically for work!

"I made two hundred dollars on the last order."

Rob, who had been about to say something, suddenly fell silent, while Jerald exclaimed, "That much money?"

"Is that a lot?" Lance shook his head, "That was just a small order, when you see bigger ones."

Rob's emotions became somewhat... complicated, just like his expression, "Listen, if you can't make any money, no one will laugh at you."

"But if you're just trying to get our attention by making up this lie, I don't think it's funny at all!"

"Do you think an illegal immigrant who has just arrived in the Federation without legal status could make that much money on one order?"

"You should keep your feet on the ground..."

Rob wanted to say more but was pulled away from the crowd by Selena. After walking a few steps, she pushed him, "What is wrong with you?"

"Almost everyone can tell you're targeting Lance!"

Rob paced back and forth, "I just can't stand his pretentious demeanor, he's just an illegal immigrant with no status, and didn't you notice?"

"He told a lie, planning to deceive you all, you, and Nancy."

"I'm your boyfriend, and you're not backing me up but defending him?"

Selena found it hard to understand; usually, Rob was a decent person, though he inherited a bit of Mr. Burton's well-concealed arrogance, was a tad harsh and had a bit of a sharp tongue.

But this could also be seen as a form of self-protection, yet she couldn't stand Rob's behavior today; he was like a spiteful old maid, bitter and vicious!

She shook him off, "You really should reflect on your behavior," she said as she planned to leave, embarrassed by Rob's behavior today.

Rob definitely didn't let her go, grabbed her hand, and the two playfully ran off into the distance.

After Rob had gone, more people gathered around...