Darkstone Code

Lynch had a fairly long conversation with the mayor, and it was clear that the mayor seemed to have made some kind of decision.

Actually, he was at a point where he had to make a decision. The changing alignments within the Progressive Party and the shifts in the regulatory environment made it such that in this tumultuous era, any slight oversight could result in being slapped senseless by the times, then left far behind.

In two years, Sabin City would face a new election. Although the mayor hadn't hired a survey organization to conduct a public opinion poll for himself, he knew his approval rating wouldn't be too high.

During the general strike, it couldn't be said that he performed poorly; many governors elsewhere didn't perform as well as he did. However, it also couldn't be said that he performed outstandingly. In reality, his performance was not as good as he and others on his side had imagined.

The strike subsided quickly, but as a result, he offended some people, like those who lost their jobs during the strike.

Of course, they would also resent their direct supervisors or other factory owners, but they had no direct and effective means of revenge against their supervisors.

They couldn't storm into someone else's home, even the yard, brandishing something that a judge would deem an "offensive weapon," and curse their opponent.

That would only invite a bullet and death, and nothing else.

But they could take revenge on the mayor, and the method was simple: just don't vote for the mayor in the new election a year and six months later.

Doing so could be described as unnoticed by God or man. No one would find their names and information from those secret ballots. They didn't need to worry about anyone's revenge, just watch quietly as the mayor was driven out of City Hall by the newly elected mayor.

So the mayor knew very well that his support rate was low, and he didn't have many paths left. Either make a "deal" before his term ended, completing the power transfer through some tacit backroom operation.

Exchange the mayoral position for a seat in the State Legislature, then spend his days in the State Legislature bickering with others, wasting away his life.

Or find a way to win back public opinion, lead all of Sabin City out of its crisis, become the most prominent official in adverse circumstances, and then use this capital to make a leap that many people could not achieve in a lifetime.

From a governor of a third-tier city to a Legislator in the House of Representatives.

Afterward, there might even be a chance to climb further or join some important committees to hold a position, enabling him to continue contributing his light and heat to the country.

Faced with a dead-end future and a bright future, taking a gamble at this time was undoubtedly appropriate.

Returning from Mark's villa, Lynch didn't go home but directly went to his parents' house.

Lynch's mother, Serra, was very surprised and delighted by Lynch's visit, changing a bit in demeanor.

In the past, Serra was more like a typical housewife, her face showing a trace of timidness toward life, spending her days around the kitchen and living room, with only a brief moment to herself in the afternoon when she didn't have to do laundry.

Timid, numb, simple were Serra's most accurate portrayals, but she was different now.

She changed into luxurious brand clothing, got her hair done, and applied some makeup, making her seem several years younger than before.

"You didn't say you were coming back!" Serra proactively took the bag from Lynch's hand, then handed it to the servant to hang in the cloakroom.

She linked arms with Lynch and accompanied him into the living room, sitting down on the exquisite sofa.

"Tell the cook to add one more person for dinner, make something delicious with the best ingredients..." Serra familiarly instructed the maid, and Lynch watched her with some mixed feelings and emotions.

This woman, perhaps it's not very respectful to say it like that, but the meaning of the phrase remains unaffected.

This woman spent over thirty years learning to revere life, but only a few months to start enjoying life. This is the value of money, the power of money, and the allure of money!

"Do you need me to call Nell back?" Serra asked enthusiastically, "He should be at the construction site now!"

Some construction projects under Lynch Company were all contracted to Nell's company; tasks suitable for them would be done by themselves, and tasks lacking qualifications would be subcontracted to companies with the necessary qualifications.

Of course, this construction company is still held by Lynch through some third-party holding companies, thus saving costs and also making it easier for him to pocket the company's money.

This might sound illegal. Indeed, it's not entirely legal, but not being legal doesn't mean it's illegal either. It's just content that the law has not clearly defined yet.

The company where Lynch is the majority shareholder may slightly hire Lynch's other company at a premium. All procedures are legal, and the shareholders have no objections. If discovered, it may seem improper, but before it's uncovered, no one will talk about it.

As for Nell being Lynch's father and serving as a manager at this construction company, according to the Federation's family culture, aside from the legal father-son relationship, they are independent natural persons in practice.

Quite absurd, but very real.

More and more projects and workloads have allowed Nell to adapt to his new identity, navigating between socializing and construction sites every day, enjoying it immensely.

Lynch lifted his wrist to glance at the watch on it, and shook his head, "No need, he should be back in about an hour."

His words were highly respected; even though he was Serra's son, Serra would respect his choice.

Family ties are one aspect, but more importantly, Lynch is wealthy, which is a very real matter.

The two watched TV and chatted for a while, originally thinking Nell would return early. However, they waited from a little past six until nearly nine o'clock before Nell returned.

During this time, Serra called several times, but couldn't reach Nell. In this era lacking mobile communication, if a person does not actively contact others, no one can find them!

Nell returned home smelling of alcohol, and his eyes looked stiff when he saw Lynch sitting on the sofa. His somewhat hazy consciousness suddenly awakened.

He suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Come to the study, we need to talk..." Lynch said as he stood up from the sofa and walked towards the second floor.

In his newly moved house, Nell had also arranged a study for himself, which made him appear sophisticated.

At that moment, though Nell appeared to be doing well outside, he uneasily glanced back at Serra, his lips moved, but he ultimately went upstairs.

When he reached the second floor, Lynch was already standing by the study door waiting for him. Once Nell entered the room, Lynch closed the door, then sat in the chair behind the desk, which was supposed to be Nell's seat.

"I don't intend to pry into your private life, but that particular perfume on you made me realize I waited several hours, not for company affairs, but for your dalliances with women. I'm disappointed."

Just as he closed the door, a subtle scent of perfume from Nell drifted to Lynch's nose. As a person knowledgeable in various aspects, he could distinguish between feminine and masculine perfumes.

Undoubtedly, the faint scent on Nell was from a woman's perfume. In this male-dominated society where there's little acceptance of homosexuality, no man would use women's perfume to be unconventional; that would only alienate him from society.

Faced with Lynch's accusations, Nell apologized immediately, "I didn't know you'd come today..."

His lack of denial or rebuttal indicated Lynch's guess was not wrong.

Lynch looked at him, and the memories left by this body showed this man had many faults, with a machismo attitude. He now seemed aggrieved, but it was actually because his life was still being controlled by Lynch.

If not for Lynch, or if the construction company were his alone, he might be a different person.

After some time, Lynch shook his head, "I'm not interested in your personal life; fooling around with other women is your choice, and you need to bear the consequences."

"But I must tell you, you can fool around, but you cannot marry those women. I don't want my money distributed to others when I'm worthless."

"No marriage, no illegitimate children."

According to Federation laws, if a deceased leaves no will, illegitimate children have the right to inherit assets, which is why countless lawsuits over illegitimate children and inheritance occur annually.

The house Nell currently lives in, his deposits, including some shares he holds in the company, if there were illegitimate children, it would be a hassle.

After discussing this serious topic, Lynch paused briefly before continuing, "I plan to send you to Nagariel."

This sentence suddenly sobered Nell. He looked at Lynch with some astonishment, "I just drank too much and cheated once, I didn't even sleep with that woman, and you want to exile me to Nagariel?"

"It has nothing to do with your infidelity, I will be building roads over there, and this work will be assigned to you."

Nell was still skeptical, "But this sounds like a tyrant telling someone he dislikes, 'You're fucking exiled.'"

"If it helps you accept, then listen to it that way!"

"I don't care what you think; at the latest, by July, you must set off with the company team, we're short on time."

Nell knew this was unchangeable, and could only sigh, but he still held some hope, "How long am I exiled before coming back this time?"

Lynch shook his head, "I don't know, it depends on progress. We need to secure at least one or two provinces... you can think of them as states, for the highway network construction. It might be more, possibly three to five years before you return."

Nell's attention was not on the timeline at this moment; he frowned and asked, "Are Nagariel people that wealthy? I've seen TV reports saying they're very poor; where do they get the money to build roads?"

Lynch took out a pack of cigarettes, pulled one out, and held it in his mouth, before pulling out a lighter.

With a click, a flame surged, and he glanced at Nell sitting opposite him across the desk, "I lent it to them..."