"Michelle's father was quite trusted by the Emperor, given such an important position, but he still did such a thing."

Dismas' words made it clear that he harbored no awe for the Empire Emperor, but he felt a simple disdain for such corrupt behavior.

"You're wrong, this position is no good place," Lance chuckled, slowly shaking his head, thinking Dismas was still too young.

This position might seem profitable, but in reality, it's a role that offends people because getting grain involves many little maneuvers.

The price set by the Empire is just like bait; initially, there might be some money and perks, but then the delays start.

At that point, if you don't supply the goods, your initial investment is lost. If you do supply them, you have to pay out of pocket. The longer the delay, the more lethal it becomes until you're completely trapped and have to invest your own money.

Look at Gene, who shipped so much grain over, even drained Ovando dry for it, yet ended up having to resort to robbery to maintain control.

He was still better off, having someone's support and even receiving a Knight title as a consolation prize.

It's fair to say this position forces one to offend people to secure grain, and that's just when maintaining logistics.

If grain issues cause the army's defeat, you'd end up like Cao Cao's grain official— offering your head to stabilize military morale.

At that point, no matter how much is embezzled, once your assets are seized, all the money ends up in the Emperor's pocket.

Being a close minister to the Emperor does grant power; otherwise, Michelle couldn't have developed such a ruthless character, capable of raising an extravagant Personal Guard.

But anyone with a little political acumen can see they are just discardable pawns for the Emperor.

Engaging in political balance, hiding behind the scenes, supporting one faction to fight another, skilled in political manipulation, but the current stalemate proves...

"This Emperor does have some skills, but not much."

Lance mocked with a smile, without further explanation, issuing orders to Dismas.

"But still, be careful, our operations need to commence."

...

Ovando, river dock.

Once the busiest place in Ovando, the flow of goods downriver to Totnes brought wealth through transshipment, storage, or replenishment, providing for countless people.

Perhaps due to war or chaos, the safety of merchant ships couldn't be guaranteed, or due to high grain prices triggering inflation that stripped away commercial value.

Regardless, the dock's prosperity brought by shipping is long gone, leaving a large number of sailors and dockworkers unemployed, quickly breeding various sizes of gangs, further squeezing ordinary people's living space.

The areas controlled by the Gang are filled with suffocating despair.

At that moment, inside a house in the Shark Gang's territory.

Gathered in the hall were several rough-looking individuals, faces filled with hostility, currently revealing a difficult-to-express oppression.

The reason was simple. A recently emerging gang continued expanding its influence, taking over several areas of the Shark Gang, killing many, causing those present to feel pressure.

For those involved in gangster activities, this was nothing unusual; the existing gangs have survived through battles and emerged victorious.

What truly pressured them was the Sailor Gang's ability to provide food to ordinary people, leading more to secretly flee to them.

Gangs must control people to profit; if everyone leaves, are the gang members supposed to work?

It's more intolerable than losing territories, so several minor leaders immediately bellowed.

"Those Sailor Gang bastards are bullying us; if we keep retreating, we'll have nothing left."

"Damn it! Let's fight them!"

"Exactly..."

Suddenly, one person slammed the table with a loud thud.

"Shut the hell up!" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Instantly, the hall fell silent, with everyone's eyes on the table-slamming individual.

A somewhat skinny yet vicious-looking man, the leader here, nicknamed Shark.

Rumor had it, as a child, he was a fish seller tangled in disputes with gangs over money collection, killed someone in a rage, then rallied other bullied sellers, making a name with a sharp fish knife.

Because of the ridicule about being a fish seller, he renamed the gang Shark Gang, establishing them as a local legacy.

Surviving with only a sharp knife proved his cunning; the Sailor Gang's unreasonable expansion couldn't happen without support.

His concern was the hidden support, not the overt conflicts.

But his men's reasoning was sound; backing down meant losing everything.

"We have to fight, but we should ally with other gangs; this guy pressures everyone."

He made up his mind to gather allies; even if there were problems, he wouldn't be the only one unfortunate.

Yet someone made a decision faster; suddenly there was noise outside, accompanied by panic-stricken screams.

At that moment, a lackey rushed in, shouting loudly.

"Boss, it's bad! The Sailor Gang has attacked outside!"