Darkstone Code

"I propose we adjourn for now..." The representative of the United Transport Association took out a handkerchief to wipe the barely noticeable sweat beads on his forehead. The development of the situation suddenly went beyond his control.

He couldn't make the decision on whether to support this matter to continue developing or to stop and restart; it must be made after the high-level leaders of the United Transport Association reached a unified opinion.

Everyone was aware of the United Transport Association representative's statement. There was no need to insist on getting a result during this meeting.

The meeting lasted less than an hour from start to finish. Once it concluded, the young representative of the United Transport Association immediately called the York State branch to report some issues that occurred during the meeting.

On the other side, Lynch had just left the hotel when someone approached him.

"Mr. Lynch, Mr. Adelaide hopes to invite you to lunch. Are you available?" The person was dressed in a slightly old-fashioned formal suit. By old-fashioned, it meant the clothes did not have trendy lines or color blocks. Formal suits could be trendy, for instance, in fabric, base color, or some edge treatments.

This person's attire was very outdated, which allowed the people of the Federation to display their special talent, just like how they could easily distinguish police officers from investigators. People could also instantly identify these individuals' identities — government staff.

The outdated style was to make them appear more stable. Working in government departments, especially at the middle and lower levels, stability is a very important label.

They could rigidly follow rules and procedures to carry out every task but could not stand out, break rules, or be different.

When the former makes a mistake, people would attribute the fault to the matter itself, thinking the execution process is outdated. They would say the executor is not flexible enough, but that's as far as it goes.

But when the latter makes a mistake, people would have an attitude of "I knew he would mess it up," "He never follows the rules and is bound to err," which can be quite deadly.

So, it's better to be rigid than distinctive, which is a rule, a system, that government staff at the bottom need to adhere to.

Lynch stood on the roadside and gave him a once-over. At this time, the Senior Soldier had quietly surrounded Lynch with some people, enclosing both Lynch and the person talking to him.

This time, Lynch brought some employees, or rather security guards and bodyguards, from Darkstone Security Company, as he had made some radical remarks at some radicals' salons, which made many people know him, including those who opposed him.

Where there is support, there is opposition, which is normal, but some things cannot be viewed from a normal angle, especially when related to politics.

Some people may have a sort of pessimistic doomsday thought, constantly feeling that certain ideologies will destroy the world, and to keep the world alive, they will obliterate those dangerous thoughts.

Incidents of attacks due to differing thoughts and opinions are not uncommon in history, so ever since returning from Bupen, more bodyguards have surrounded Lynch.

"I'll take my car; you just lead the way..." Lynch concluded without giving the other party a chance to refuse and directly got into the car the hotel had prepared for him.

The person inviting Lynch was momentarily dumbfounded, then got into the car to lead the way for Lynch.

Although the other's attitude made him uncomfortable, he could only endure it.

Shortly, Lynch arrived at a secluded small restaurant and met Adelaide there.

Adelaide was already seated at the table. With the help of a restaurant waiter, Lynch quickly took a seat as well.

"I must thank you, Mr. Adelaide..." Lynch said words of gratitude while shaking out a napkin.

Adelaide, however, waved his hand with a smile, "I didn't do anything. You must trust that the law is just and will deliver the most just judgment to the people."

They were speaking of Vera's case, a large case that could also have smaller cases extracted from it, not needing a jury. The final outcome would be entirely subjectively judged and decided by the judge.

This also meant that Vera could be guilty or innocent.

The Governor previously said that a thorough investigation into the Ristone Group's case was needed, which essentially set the tone for these dispensable crimes—they are all guilty.

Luckily, someone made a call, and the judge dismissed the state prosecutor's lawsuit due to insufficient evidence and motivation, resulting in Vera's acquittal.

If Adelaide hadn't made that call, Vera might have already started serving her sentence.

A word of thanks quickly eased the sense of unfamiliarity between the two. After the main course arrived, they began discussing more core matters.

"Among some documents sent from Bupen to York State, there's a free trade permit with you ranking first..." he continuously scrutinized the young man before him, always finding it hard to believe that he managed to impress both the President and Truman at their first meeting.

"I'm curious how you persuaded them. Is it convenient to share?" Adelaide said, raising his hands slightly, "I must declare first that I won't tell anyone about it. I am merely curious, and I might need these inputs when analyzing the country's policy for the next phase. Is it okay to share?"

Lynch pondered briefly and nodded, "Of course. If you noticed my speeches while I was in Bupen, noted some issues occurring throughout the country, you'd understand better than I do that we need victory!"

We need victory, which may seem unrelated to everything else, but it sharply pointed out the current dilemma that Bail Federal faces and the solution: Victory!

Defeats in the economy, defeats in diplomacy, defeats in international standing, defeats in national strategy... The Federation has failed too many times in recent years, and people are desperately yearning for a victory to change the current state.

Nothing is more uplifting than achieving victory. The economic wars Lynch proposed in some radical salons, the international trade hegemony, and the exploitation using asymmetrical conditions were all aimed at instilling this atmosphere in people.

We need victory, and we can create victory!

The resources acquired externally would feed back into Federation society, restoring people's confidence. The invincible, vibrant "Airei's Generation" that everyone meets head-on every day will return.

We need a victory, a big victory. Lynch's radical remarks do seem incredibly radical, but this is precisely what the Federation needs the most, which is also why he managed to impress Truman and the President.

Ultimately, whether it's the Progressive Party or the Conservative Party, they fundamentally reflect the demands of domestic and international society during an era.

When people start leaning towards caution, the Conservative Party emerges.

When people start wishing to try something new, the Progressive Party comes to power.

Many times, the emergence of a national strategy isn't born from the imagination of an individual or a political group but rather naturally evolves from domestic social demands.

If people didn't fear war, involvement in international affairs, or sacrifices, the Conservative Party president wouldn't have come to power six years ago, and his isolationism wouldn't have resonated with people.

Maybe people would choose the Progressive Party's president, and the Federation might engage in more international affairs, clashing with other countries.

Now that the Federation has confirmed that isolation and conservatism have no soil for survival in the new era, the Progressive Party must stand out.

Now people still prefer cautious contact with the international society, so the President is a moderate.

But moderates can't always stay moderate. If needed, he can also be radical or hardline. Changing him doesn't require a complicated political ecological environment; as long as "people need" is enough.

Lynch offered him a distinct solution from the current ones and let him see people's thirst for victory. So, why not give it a try?

With Truman adding fuel to the flames, Lynch quickly received approval to engage in international free trade.

These things aren't fundamentally complicated. With Adelaide's abilities, experience, and knowledge, he could figure it out in no time. But he still needed to invite Lynch and ask him face-to-face because his time was tight.

He couldn't concentrate all his energy on one thing and still had to take care of all sorts of large and small incidents throughout the entire state.

Sometimes, these staff officers like Adelaide are more governor-like than the governor, as at least they know what's happening in the state daily. In contrast, the governor only knows what he should do next, and those things Adelaide and others have strategically planned for him.

After pondering for a while, Adelaide roughly understood. He looked at Lynch with more admiration, "You are braver than I imagined. Do you know this is very risky?"

Lynch shrugged, cutting a piece of steak and putting it into his mouth. The explosive, tender meat juice had a flavor more delicious than any seasoning. After swallowing it, he smiled and said, "I know, but some things have to be done by someone."

"If you don't stand out, neither do I, hoping others will stand up. At the same time, others are hoping we will stand out. If we all wait, we will never wait for victory."

"Rather than disappointment every time in hope, I want to achieve victory with my own hands!"

Lynch's spiritedness is quite inspiring, really, what he is doing is very dangerous. If his judgment of the international situation goes wrong, he might become a scapegoat for some policies.

Of course, this also aligns with Lynch's nature as a merchant pursuing profit. If he doesn't fail and indeed achieves victory, it will undoubtedly be a terrifying victory!

Adelaide put down the knife and fork, raised his wine glass, "I wish you success."

Lynch also raised his glass, "To the Federation's success!"