Chapter 251

The thing about feelings is, if you want to be able to deceive people, the first thing you have to do is deceive yourself.

You have to invest yourself in having an emotional collision with someone you don’t necessarily like, and you have to find some good qualities in the other person.

Professional emotional scammers are able to timely withdraw themselves from the roles they play after the other party has taken the bait. Lisa was obviously not such a professional emotional scammer; she had somewhat sunk into the role she was playing.

The moment Ponda gave her the money without reservation, she fell.

Maybe not that deeply, but she had already fallen.

The initial difference between standing on sand and standing on quicksand is actually not that big, but as the quicksand flows and the person struggles, they will only sink deeper and deeper.

At the same time, Lisa also began to feel a kind of worry, a kind of fear. If one day… Ponda found out her identity, found out about all this…

In order to ensure that Lisa could complete the task he had given her well, and of course, so that she could find her ideal home, Lance made a suggestion, “I will find people to play your parents, and then when necessary, let them disappear.”

Lisa covered her wide-open mouth in disbelief, “Are you going to kill them?”

Lance rolled his eyes, “I’m just going to have them have an accident and then disappear from your life, but nothing will happen to them. They will live in other places.”

In this era where information dissemination technology was not developed, people living in two different cities, if they had no special connection, were unlikely to meet in their lifetime.

Lisa was very tempted, but she also knew that although these things were free, free things were more expensive. “I will help you handle Ponda…”

The next day, Elvin separated the recently recruited people as instructed by Lance and sent them to work in different bars, saying it was to let them familiarize themselves with the business.

The Viper Gang was already a thing of the past. Lance planned to take back the current nightclub and bars.

Nominally, they did indeed belong to Eric, but Lance believed that Eric would be willing to sell them to him at a very low price, for example, one dollar.

So this required a large number of people to familiarize themselves with these jobs in advance. This excuse was very suitable, and no one had any strange associations.

Finding an undercover agent was actually a very complicated matter. This still required a period of observation, or for Ponda to be able to get the information on those undercover agents.

In the afternoon, Patricia called Lance and invited him to attend Barbara’s family gathering together in the evening.

She had a little admiration for this cousin who worked in a financial company because Barbara always wore the most fashionable clothes, had the most fashionable makeup, plus a good job that everyone envied. She was almost the object of envy for most of the girls in the family!

Including Patricia, who was also envious. She always felt that her job was very dull and boring, spending every day helping others fill out forms, not at all chic, let alone cool.

Lance drove to pick up Patricia in the afternoon. Unexpectedly, William and Emily were also going together. Of course, they would drive their own car.

William now had some of his own supporters in the Empire District. He could lower himself more than Councilman Russ, and knew what the lower class wanted more than Mr. Jobav.

Now, every time he had a street event, there would be many followers who came for his reputation to wave flags and shout for him. This was actually a kind of success.

When the people around all knew him, or some of the people around were supporting him, it was destined for him to win the constituency!

As a family member who was about to become a city councilman and achieve a class leap, William now had a not-so-low status within the family.

He could also have others chat around him, instead of him chatting around others.

Although everyone was family, even within a family, there would be a division into different ranks.

The two cars stopped one after the other in the parking lot. There were no more parking spaces outside Barbara’s large villa. Many people had come today.

On the way, they met some of William’s relatives who greeted them. Patricia introduced these people to Lance.

Some of them didn’t know Lance at first, but when Patricia brought out his name, the smiles of these people became even more sincere!

They also suddenly understood why William, this guy who had not made much progress for twenty years, suddenly wanted to run for city councilman.

When they arrived at the lawn of the villa, there were already many people here. Emily immediately let go of William’s hand and went to exchange tea skills with the women of the family.

And William also gave Lance a hint, then walked towards the middle-aged men who were chatting about national affairs.

Lance and Patricia got some food, then stood together with the other brothers and sisters.

When Jack saw Lance, he took the initiative to walk over. After the two shook hands, they stood to one side.

“I have some news you’ll definitely be interested in.” Jack shared a cigarette with Lance.

Lance tapped the cigarette on the matchbox to pack the tobacco, “I hope it’s good news.”

Jack had a half-smile, “It’s hard to say if it’s good news or bad news…”

He dragged out the last sound slightly, then said the news, “Congress feels that the Coast Guard has not played its role. Now smugglers from all over the world are transporting liquor to the Federation.”

“So the Coast Guard will receive key support in policy and resources, and will focus on strengthening the crackdown on smuggling ships.”

He lowered his voice slightly, although no one would be eavesdropping, “They have also equipped the patrol team with gunships.”

Lance’s eyes widened slightly, “So congratulations to you, Jack. The role of customs will become more important.”

If the Coast Guard patrolled with gunships and Congress allowed them to attack those smuggling ships, it meant that the difficulty of smuggling by sea would increase.

Especially for that kind of large-scale smuggling, the target was too big and easily discovered.

If the smuggled goods were seized by the Coast Guard, it would be almost impossible to get them back, so in the end, they would most likely still try to smuggle through customs.

Disguising the goods as other things, or entering the Federation by land, borrowing a route from other places.

So no matter what, customs will become more important, for the smuggling groups.

A reserved smile appeared on Jack’s face. He knew that Lance could understand this, “This news might not be released until late June. I heard there are still some details that haven’t been settled yet.”

“But overall, there won’t be any major changes. All that’s left is the vote after the problems are resolved.”

Lance nodded slightly, “This is indeed very important news. I have to make some preparations.”

Once sea smuggling was curbed, the price of liquor would see a new round of skyrocketing. He had to do something. This was another opportunity to get rich.

It was not beyond Lance’s expectation that Congress would do this. After all, on one hand, they were strictly investigating smuggled liquor, and on the other hand, they were almost undefended against sea smuggling. Congress would definitely notice this.

Once they noticed this, it meant that the good days of sea smuggling were coming to an end.

Those Coast Guard patrols driving speedboats certainly wouldn’t dare to fight with fully armed smuggling ships, but when they switched to gunboats, they would have no more worries.

The two chatted about other things for a while. Jack asked about the conflict between Lance and the Liji Group. After learning that they were in a lawsuit, he followed suit and cursed the Federation’s capital groups a few times.

They have always been the most disgusting and enviable group of people. In fact, everyone hopes to be the hunter rather than the prey, but this can only appear in their dreams.

Lance’s “success” made many of Patricia’s brothers and sisters take the initiative to come over and greet him. They had also heard their parents sometimes talk about how the family might rise to a new level with Lance’s addition.

Especially after William becomes a city councilman. Status, power, wealth, including force.

These things could give the family the foundation to rise, so they were all very enthusiastic towards Lance.

After chatting with everyone here and there for a while, he felt a long-lost relaxation. Although the topics most people discussed were relatively boring, this was the true face of life.

No power struggles, no bullets and death, only complaints and aspirations about life and work.

As dinner was ready, everyone came to the table. They had already prepared four large dining tables, and everyone sat at different tables.

Lance was unexpectedly invited to sit at the first table—here were the core forces of the family. They were all civil servants from various departments, or middle and lower management of enterprises.

He was arranged to sit next to William, in the fifth position on the right.

Presiding over today’s family gathering was Barbara’s father. He had a big belly, and the formal suit and bow tie made him look a little ridiculous, especially since the Federation’s formal wear was slightly loose, making it look like he was wearing a black cloth sheet.

He gave a series of passionate speeches. The general meaning was that the Lawrence family had existed on this land for 150 years and would continue to exist.

Although they were not as prominent as the Wade family or the Williams family, he believed that with the efforts of some family members, the family would eventually achieve leapfrog development.

He also singled out William, saying that William would become the light of hope for the family’s rise.

This made William’s mouth not close during the entire meal. In the past, they didn’t call him that!

Dinner was very sumptuous. In fact, from a practical point of view, the Lawrence family could be said to have already touched the edge of the privileged class. Now they were just one step away, and William and Lance were the last piece of the puzzle.

The atmosphere of the family dinner was very relaxed. There was no rule that young people were not allowed to speak. Everyone was discussing delicious food and other things.

At Lance’s table, the topics everyone discussed were relatively “high-end.” They were discussing the international situation.

Because recently, one of the first rebel armies in the Empire was wiped out. The head of the rebel leader was sent to the emperor. The image of the emperor holding the head of that rebel leader and standing on the city wall was also widely circulated in many countries.

In the Empire, they used “His Majesty the Emperor is Suppressing the Rebellion” to report this news, but in the Federation, the “International News” used the headline “Brutal Empire Emperor Arbitrarily Kills Civilians,” and used the picture to tell a story, fabricating a story that the emperor killed civilians every day to relax.

The people of the Federation believed this. They also believed that he was a cruel, brainless emperor who had suffered from polio and might even be the product of royal incest, with obvious genetic defects.

But it was this emperor who was gradually regaining everything he had lost!

Then they talked about the issue of war in Tanfit. The smell of gunpowder between several major powers was getting stronger and stronger, and some regions had even seen military friction.

A group of civil servants, sitting at a table in Golden Port, a city on another continent, were discussing the possible development of the war and the trend of development if war broke out.

Everyone would have their own ideas, but on one point, everyone’s views were consistent.

“Lance, do you think war will break out?”

It just so happened that Lance had also been reading some “International News” recently. When reporting on the conflict on the Tanfit continent, they were obviously more neutral.

At least there was no brain-dead emperor suddenly declaring war on the Federation, causing some people to suffer from serious mental illness.

Lance put down his knife and fork and thought for a moment, “It will definitely break out, and I think that once the war breaks out, the scale will be very large, and it might even affect the whole world.”

“I don’t want war to break out, but obviously, my personal hope or not hope will not change its course.”

Actually, when they initially asked for Lance’s opinion, it was just out of the idea of not neglecting him. It was like when everyone was enthusiastically chatting about something, and one person didn’t speak, seeming marginalized.

But this person was valuable, so the host would definitely find a way to let him speak too, so that he wouldn’t feel isolated.

As a result, as soon as this person opened his mouth, he used a very certain tone, even with some unsettling descriptions, which attracted their attention.

At this time, these gentlemen had to consider whether this was Lance’s real thought, or if he was deliberately saying something so sensational to attract attention.

“Is there any evidence?”

Lance did not answer “yes” or “no,” but instead talked about the speed of technological development.

“The speed of modern warships is getting faster and faster, and so are steamships.”

“In the past, it took us two or three days to go to Yalan, but now one day is enough.”

“In other words, with the rapid development of technology, the world is shrinking.”

“The friction between several countries in Tanfit cannot be resolved. There are racial, cultural, historical, and geographical issues, plus the constantly accumulating internal contradictions.”

“For all these years, they have always been ready to open fire at any time. The people’s inner desire for war is far greater than their fear of war. Everyone is holding their breath, waiting for the outbreak of war!”

“So once the war starts, it will be a full-scale war, not just a war between these few countries, but may also trigger a series of diplomatic reactions, and may even trigger a world war that affects the whole world!”

“As the Federation, currently the fastest-growing economy in the world with the most significant economic achievements, has already gained the qualification to be invaded.”

“Wealth!”

The gentlemen at the table were all thinking about the possibility of what Lance said. Some even frowned.

He didn’t speak in great detail, but these civil servants already understood Lance’s worries through those words.

William was also thinking. Perhaps this was the advantage of the Lawrence family: having the worries of the Presidential Palace while living the life of a low-level civil servant.

“If it really breaks out… a world war, that’s what it’s called, right?”

“That must be the most terrible thing. Golden Port’s location might not be very good. We have a high probability of suffering heavy losses.”

“Gentlemen, we can’t just sit by and do nothing. We have to do something.”

Lance looked at William, picked up his soup spoon again, took a spoonful of soup, and said teasingly, “Are you planning to call the president?”

“I hope you have his number.”

William didn’t seem to mind, “Lance, this is where the gap between you and us lies.”

The others also showed some smiles. These smiles made Lance feel inexplicable, while William looked at him with a slightly proud expression, “You are a non-partisan, while we are all party members.”

“We can contact local opinion leaders, or directly contact party representatives. As long as they approve of our views, they will pass them up.”

“Eventually, these issues will be placed on the desks of congressmen and become one of the problems they have to solve!”

“This is the benefit of a political party. Although I don’t have Mr. President’s phone number, I have a way to influence him!”

“And, after I become a councilman, I will have greater influence, both inside and outside the party.”

Lance was also a bit stunned. He really hadn’t thought of this link, “Alright, Councilman William, you’ve convinced me, but I won’t join the Federation Party!”

The gentlemen around suddenly burst into laughter. Some of them were almost laughing to tears. This joke was hilarious!

William was also laughing, “What we lack is an opportunity!”

Barbara’s father said with a big laugh, “You said that a hundred years ago!”

William couldn’t help but start to fight back, “At least the Federation Party hasn’t been split into two parties. We are very united!”

He was referring to the fact that the Liberal Party had split into the Liberal Party and the Socialist Party. For a long time, this was a big blow to the Liberal Party members, even making them question whether the party’s platform was meaningful.

But fortunately, they persisted, and it seemed that in three and a half years, the chances of the Liberal Party winning the election were very high!

Emily, sitting at another table, looked back at the first table, whose voices were clearly louder than the other tables, shaking her head and shrugging, “I really can’t understand why he’s always so passionate about politics, even more than using that energy on me!”

The other ladies giggled upon hearing this. Compared to the gentlemen’s world situation and nationalism, they chatted about more ordinary things.

For example, what positions to use, how long they can last. Those men didn’t know that their most important private secrets had long been revealed by the people closest to them.

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “Emily, are you showing off?”

Emily raised an eyebrow and said without hesitation, “Showing off?”

“A little!”

“William is full of energy now, like a dog in heat. We do it at least several times a week, sometimes even back-to-back!”

The ladies immediately let out cries of envy and jealousy…

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