Empire of Shadows

Chapter 53: Crossing the Line

With a loud clang, the door swung open. The burly man inside stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at Ennio. “This isn’t a playground. Coming in and out like this might bring unnecessary trouble. You know what I mean?”

Casinos in the Federation required a special operating license to function legally, so most were technically illegal. However, Jingang City was unique. Its strategic location attracted sailors and travelers from around the world, prompting the state government to authorize casinos under strict regulations.

To operate legally, casinos needed full documentation and special licenses. Legitimate casinos paid hefty taxes—83% of their income went to three levels of government: local, state, and federal.

For the Kodak Family, which ran legal casinos in Jingang City, this left about 9% profit. Yet even that was an astronomical amount, making them one of the cleanest families in the city compared to others steeped in illegal activities like smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, and protection rackets.

While the Kodaks weren’t completely uninvolved in such crimes, their casino profits largely met their financial needs. Compared to the other families, whose very essence seemed steeped in corruption, the Kodaks appeared almost saintly.

But precisely because of the massive profits, the Kodak Family dealt with illegal casinos more ruthlessly than the government. To maintain their dominance in Jingang City’s gambling industry, they gave illegal operators two options upon discovery:

1. Install a Kodak accountant and hand over 70% of their revenue as an “authorization fee.”
2. Pay a hefty fine, shut down, and leave Jingang City permanently.

There was, of course, a third, unofficial option: conflict. Gunfights often erupted, leading to another “miracle” rise in Angel Lake’s water level.

---