The Shadow Tycoon
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 111: A Hand Outside the Cell
When Johnson left William’s house, his feelings and attitude toward William had become extremely complicated.
Earlier, William had given him a sum of money. He had checked the amount: twenty thousand dollars. It was not a small sum. The way William had framed it had been rather clever. He had called it an opportunity for Johnson to take care of Michael’s family.
That phrasing significantly reduced Johnson’s dislike of William. No matter how he justified it to himself, the conflict between William and Michael had not continued to escalate. On the contrary, after Michael had been sentenced, William had chosen to take a step back and provide money to help settle Michael’s family’s affairs.
He was not a good man, and he certainly was not a saint. Yet for some reason, he never gave people the chance to hate him openly and completely. There was resentment, but not much.
Besides, the whole thing had begun with Michael himself. As the media put it, William had always been the victim.
This latest matter had been Michael’s own idea. He was in prison, and not for a short term. He had already prepared himself psychologically.
While incarcerated, he had met a fellow inmate who had taught himself law. Supposedly, the man had been sent to prison over some trivial matter. He had started studying law on his own and planned to take the bar examination after his release. Even if he failed, at least next time he would not end up behind bars for some absurd reason without understanding what had happened.
Perhaps because they both felt they had been wronged, the inmate discussed these issues with Michael. After all, Michael was already in prison. Why should his child suffer alongside him?
If he took Young Michael’s crimes upon himself, there was a good chance his son could still have a bright future.
Once the idea took root, Michael contacted Johnson.
Because he was no longer being held in Sabine City Regional Prison, but had been transferred elsewhere to serve his sentence, things that should have been simple became much more complicated. The transfer had been arranged specifically to avoid inmates recognizing him as a former licensed federal officer and taking revenge on him.
Investigations and legal proceedings triggered by a confession from an inmate were much harder than those initiated by an ordinary citizen’s confession. Certain people had to be taken care of along the way, and the cost was not insignificant.
After all, proving that a court judgment had been wrong was, in effect, slapping the Department of Justice in the face.
Even if Michael admitted that he had used his authority as a father to force Young Michael to confess to crimes he had never committed, the Department of Justice might still refuse to accept the confession. It would amount to telling the public that the court had reached a verdict without uncovering the truth, relying only on testimony. That was not a message anyone wanted circulating.
So even Michael’s attempt to confess from prison had become an extraordinarily complicated undertaking.
Complicated enough that Johnson ultimately used the money William had given him.
Combined with Michael’s personal savings, they assembled fifty-five thousand dollars. Only after every necessary payment had been made did the situation finally begin to turn around.
As a consequence, a probationary employee was dismissed for negligence and related misconduct.
Young Michael still had some paperwork left to complete. He would be released that afternoon.
It was good news.
It was also a problem.
The money was gone.
Michael’s savings were gone. William’s money was gone. Johnson himself had contributed some of his own funds as well.
Michael’s wife had no work experience and, consequently, no real ability to support herself and her child.
On top of that, Young Michael might need to transfer schools, perhaps even move to another city altogether. That would bring another staggering expense.
This family, already shattered into pieces, could barely support itself anymore.
Johnson was a good man, but being a good man did not mean having no limits.
He could contribute some of his own money to help Michael and his family, but he could not support them indefinitely.
He did feel guilty toward Michael. After all, it had been Johnson who had ultimately decided to abandon him.
But guilt was not a justification for endless financial support.
Johnson had a family of his own. He had children. His children had children. He needed money to live too.
Once he retired and lost his primary source of income, his pension would allow him to live comfortably enough, but medical expenses and other costs would still require money. He needed to save.
Any serious illness could destroy a middle-class family.
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