The Mafia Empire

Life without telephones wasn't ideal, but having a phone didn't make things much better either. There was reportedly a phone network in the capital and other places, but it was still primitive, requiring operators to connect calls manually. In this process, conversations weren't secure, as they could be intercepted and recorded. People still preferred traditional, face-to-face meetings for private discussions.

Julian arranged to meet Shaun at the northern docks of Ternell. The docks were built on a tributary of the Agate River, with shallow waters that suited Ternell—a city mainly dependent on rail transportation—just fine. Every evening at dusk, dockworkers would gradually leave, and the empty, darkened docks would give off a chilling vibe, as if something darker than the night lay hidden beneath it, like stepping into a mystical, foreboding realm.

Under the moonlight, Julian sat alone on a bench by Dock No. 2 at Pier 3, while Dave hid nearby. Both of them carried guns, just in case.

Around nine o'clock, as Julian was beginning to feel the chill, a drunkard holding a bottle stumbled toward him. Julian instinctively slipped his hand into his pocket. Unlike a train station, a dock typically had no cargo at night, so it was rare to see a soul after working hours, especially in such a remote area. Could this person be Shaun?

"You're early!" Before Julian could speak, the drunkard spoke first, staggering over to sit on the bench beside him. He suddenly raised his head and started to vomit. The sour, rancid smell was unbearable, and Julian covered his nose and moved to another bench. After a while, Shaun wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and came over.

Now seeming much more alert, with his eyes bright, Shaun looked Julian over and chuckled. "I've been wanting to meet you for a while, but better late than never. Let me formally introduce myself—Shaun Connors, senior agent with the Imperial Security Bureau."

"I bet you're wondering what a senior agent is doing in a small town like Ternell, right?" Shaun appeared lively and energetic, shrugging. "I simply did what I thought needed to be done, that's all." He sighed, giving Julian a sly look under the moonlight. "You've had some tough days lately."

Julian simply smiled, a hint of denial in his expression.

"Don't bother denying it—I know who Jon is!"

The moment Shaun said this, a surge of murderous intent welled up within Julian, but he restrained himself. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I'd also like to know who this Jon is."

Shaun shook his head. "You're not being honest, friend." He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, but possibly due to drinking, he fumbled, dropping a cigarette on the ground. As he bent down to retrieve it, he exposed his back and the back of his head.

In that moment, Julian could have easily drawn his gun and silenced this man who knew too much. Time seemed to stretch, yet also pass quickly. By the time Julian hesitated, Shaun had already picked up the cigarette.

He put the cigarette in his mouth, the brief glow illuminating his amused face before it quickly faded into darkness. In that darkness, the ember of the cigarette suddenly grew bright, its warmth almost palpable.

"Let's work together. My goal is to return to the capital, and yours is to solve your current problem. Fundamentally, there's no conflict between us, right?" In the dim red glow of the cigarette, Shaun's proposal was especially enticing.

Under the moonlight, Shaun's bright eyes revealed a genuine sincerity that was almost embarrassingly earnest. He was serious—he truly wanted to help Julian overcome his current predicament.

But more than that, he wanted to personally expose the corruption of the Old Party in Ternell. Shaun dreamed of returning to the Empire's core, of proving to everyone that he wasn't a deserter. But all of this hinged on one thing: he needed tangible achievements, something that could impress the powerful figures of the New Party.

His superior had "assigned" him to Ternell to keep him out of the way, a thinly veiled exile, but Shaun wasn't resigned to this fate. He wanted to go back, to join in the investigation of the Empire's biggest conspiracy to date.

Previously, he had no leads and spent his days drinking heavily, taking precautions, but also frequenting bars and public places to gather intelligence on Ternell. The more he learned, the more he realized that Ternell was a place that could serve as his springboard back to the Empire's center.

This city was rotten to the core!

Under the Old Party's rule, everything revolved around money; transactions between businessmen and politicians were conducted openly. The influential figures in town cared nothing for the lives of the city's residents; their only concern was how much money they'd amassed this month and how much was theirs versus what they had to remit.

Yes, remit.

As a base of Old Party control, Ternell's primary purpose was to "fund" the upper echelons of the Old Party. A large portion of the black money would flow through various channels into the state-level Old Party campaign offices, some of it serving as campaign funds for the Old Party in Kanners as it fought for governorships and legislative seats.

But a larger portion continued upwards, flowing into the Old Party's "Imperial Lion Club" in the capital. This club's major shareholders were the Old Party's top brass, who redistributed the funds across regions to resist the New Party.

If Ternell's lifeline was severed, if its funding function was destroyed, a domino effect would ensue. Enraged citizens and the media would widely report Kanners's corruption, and the New Party would seize the opportunity to attack the Old Party's power in Kanners. Once the Old Party lost the Kanners "lifeline," all its plans would need to be revised, and some might even have to be abandoned.

At that point, Shaun would become famous, recognized by the New Party's leadership as a pioneer in anti-corruption efforts, earning his way back to the Empire's core, where he could continue investigating…