Chapter 567

“…Alright, let’s play golf together sometime.”

Senator Cleveland hung up the phone, a look of impatience on his face.

Although they were all senators, not all senators were exactly the same.

For example, there was a difference between majority and minority party senators, between core senators in a political clique and those on the fringes, and between committee members and executive committee members. These were all different.

They were all senators in Congress, but could you say their identities, statuses, and powers were the same?

No, they were not the same.

In the past two days, several people had called him, hinting in their words that they wanted to inquire about some news.

He sat at his desk in a daze for a while, perhaps his mind was wandering. After about ten seconds, he pressed a few buttons on the phone. “Have Tom come over.”

Five minutes later, Tom knocked on the door and, with his permission, entered the office.

Senator Cleveland did not deal with Tom immediately, but first attended to the documents in his hand. After another seven or eight minutes, he directly threw the document in his hand into the file basket labeled “Return,” and only then did he look up.

“How are things going on Lance’s side?”

“Several people have called to inquire about this matter these past few days. Did he make some news that I don’t know about?”

He was drinking coffee while leaning back in his chair, and he was also using the strength of his toes and ankles to make the chair turn back and forth slightly.

Tom nodded slightly. “He has now purged the Golden Port City police force. I hear that only the Kodak Family is left of the Five Families…”

When Senator Cleveland heard this, he couldn’t help but laugh twice. He raised his hand and said, “Sorry,” “I couldn’t help it.”

“The Five Families… a very funny title.”

This feeling was like… a gentleman from a big city hearing that his own dog and a country farmer’s dog had the same name. He laughed not because the two dogs’ names were similar, but because the farmer’s dog dared to have the same name.

He was laughing at the farmer and his dog’s overestimation of their own abilities!

He laughed a few times. “Alright, I’ve laughed enough. Please continue.”

Only then did Tom nod and continue to recount what had happened recently. However, he was not very clear on how Lance was going to deal with the Kodak Family, and Lance’s series of moves also piqued Senator Cleveland’s interest.

Looking at these events from a God’s perspective after the fact, one would get a feeling that Lance’s handling of the problem was very well done.

He was not a fool, a fool who only knew how to solve problems with violence. There were fools like that everywhere in the Federation, and they would not attract his attention at all.

On the contrary, Lance’s current very clever way of handling things had piqued his interest. The most crucial thing was that Lance had not left any bad leverage for himself!

This meant that his value had once again increased!

Thinking of this, he had Tom make a call to Lance. After changing the number twice, the call was answered.

“This is Tom,” he said quickly, stating his name as soon as the call was connected. This was out of fear that Lance would say something wrong and displease the senator.

“Tom?”

“Is there something?”

Tom glanced at Senator Cleveland, who shook his head slightly. Only then did he continue, “How are things going on your side?”

“It’s not many days until June. I remember you said that everything would be resolved in June. Have you done it now?”

Lance didn’t know why Tom had suddenly made this call. It might be that Bandy was looking for help in Congress again. He immediately replied, “It’s almost done. They’ll be finished soon.”

Tom glanced at Senator Cleveland again and asked cautiously, “How are you planning to deal with them?”

When he asked this question, Lance knew that it was not Tom who wanted to ask this.

Tom was actually also a handy tool, just like him.

A tool would not ask another tool how it works. They would not care about each other. Tom only cared if Lance’s matter was done and finished, and Lance also only cared if Tom could provide him with assistance.

He wouldn’t care how Tom usually handled his work problems. That had nothing to do with him.

But now Tom had asked, which could only mean that someone had instructed him.

There was only one person who could instruct Tom to ask these details, and that was Senator Cleveland.

He adjusted his line of thought and said, “I plan to use legal means.”

“Legal means?” Tom felt that he had misheard. Senator Cleveland also couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Two jokes today had contracted his happiness for the whole day!

Lance also heard that laughter. Although it was not loud, he really heard it. But he continued as if he hadn’t heard it. “Yes, legal means.”

“The core figure in the Kodak Family responsible for handling gangs and crime is now in my hands. After friendly communication and persuasion, he is like a lost lamb in the kingdom of heaven who has found his way home.”

“He is willing to testify against some of the criminal acts of the Kodak Family. With his accusation and some of the evidence he submitted, they are like lambs in a noose, unable to escape.”

“When to tighten the rope is just a matter of when I want them to be finished.”

A satisfied look appeared on Senator Cleveland’s face. This time, without waiting for Tom to speak, he took the initiative to ask, “Is there anything I can help with?”

After all, this involved the transfer of tens of millions in benefits each year. Even he was very much looking forward to the arrival of this money.

What he said seemed meaningless, but in fact, it was not.

Because if they went through the normal litigation process, it might take two or three years before they were finally sentenced, and only then could the assets of the Kodak Family be liquidated.

And he clearly did not want to wait that long. If he intervened, he could use his connections in the political world to quickly advance this case.

But Lance didn’t need it. “Not at the moment, Mr. Senator. The Attorney General has given me some help…”

“You know Bob?” Senator Cleveland frowned. Bob was not on his side.

If Lance had also contacted Bob, did that mean he was not necessarily on his side?

But fortunately, Lance explained quickly. “You’ve misunderstood my meaning. I was referring to the Attorney General of Likalai State, Mr. Terry.”

An image of a person, a bit blurry, appeared in Senator Cleveland’s mind. “I remember now, Terry. Yes, he is also an attorney general, but a state attorney general.”

“What, are you very familiar with him?”

Lance’s laughter came from the receiver. “On your account!”

Tom was a little emotional. He had seen many interns, congressional interns, or interns from some connections placed in their office here.

These interns had graduated from Ivy League universities, and many of them had prominent family backgrounds.

If they did not have a prominent family background, they would not have been able to get a letter of recommendation to intern in Congress or a senator’s office.

The starting point for these people was very high. They might have been in contact with politicians or big capitalists of roughly this level with their fathers.

But even so, when they first came, it was very difficult for them to communicate so smoothly with the senator, let alone flatter him.

But look at Lance. He spoke so fluently and subtly flattered the senator. Looking at the smile on the senator’s face, you could tell that he liked Lance’s flattery very much.

“You didn’t promise him anything, did you?” Although Senator Cleveland liked Lance’s flattery, he did not completely fall into it and lose his reason.

“Of course not, Mr. Senator.”

“I didn’t promise him anything. I didn’t even mention you!”

This made Senator Cleveland even more satisfied. If this little fox wanted to use his authority as a lion, he wouldn’t mind.

But he couldn’t use his name to make any promises outside. That would only bring a lot of trouble.

Lance did this very well, which he liked very much.

“Very good. You are the most capable young man I have seen in recent years. Your future should not just stop at Golden Port City.”

“Do a good job, do it beautifully. If you have face, we all have face. Do you understand what I mean?”

“If you have any problems you can’t solve, call Tom. You have his number.”

Senator Cleveland’s hand rested on the end call button. “That’s it. Let me know when you have good news.”

After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone without waiting for Lance’s response.

Then he thought for a while. “Terry…” He looked up at Tom. “Whose man is he?”

An attorney general, the number three figure in the state government, was proactively leaning towards them. Although from Lance’s perspective it might be a bit blind, he believed that there must be a reason for this.

If there was no one behind him, on what basis could he sit in the position of the number three figure in a state?

Could it be that some people, like foreigners, really believe that in the Federation, as long as you have ability, you will definitely be put in an important position?

What a fucking joke!

Tom shook his head. “I’m not sure. I can investigate.”

The governor, the president, the secretary of state, the cabinet members, the numerous senators in Congress, any of these people could be his former backers.

A state’s number three figure is indeed of some value, but you can’t be adventurous, nor can you be reckless.

On the other side, Lance also put down the phone. He looked at the dumbfounded Stone and said with a smile, “You see, I have people upstairs too!”

“So you are not hurting your family, you are protecting it.”

“Without you, what it would face is complete destruction.”

“But because of you, some of them who would have died have the right to live. You are much greater than Bandy, than Gorry, than Fleming and the others!”

If Lance had said this before, Stone would definitely not have believed it. But now, he believed it.

Bandy was always talking about whitewashing, which also made them understand who this country was really controlled by.

Anyway, not in the hands of the people.

And it was precisely because he knew this that he understood how terrible that phone call just now was!

(End of a Chapter)