Blackstone Code

Chapter 255:

After dealing with Vera's issues, Lynch called Arthur over. This time, he chose a high-end café for their meeting.

In the past, this café would have been bustling with people, but now it was nearly empty. With everyone tightening their belts, they were no longer as willing to splurge on expensive and unnecessary things. This resulted in the café being quiet with only a few customers around.

Arthur arrived quickly, and Lynch had him sit opposite. "Don't be nervous," Lynch began, "There's no specific task at hand. I just wanted to talk to you about your hometown."

"My… hometown?" Arthur's expression momentarily froze, and his eyes lost focus as if trying to recall something. The memory seemed to last only a brief moment before he returned to the present, apologizing for his lapse and feeling confused about Lynch's question.

"Mr. Lynch, my hometown isn't a wealthy place. It doesn't have the advanced technological systems of the Baylor Federation, nor any industrial foundation. It's just a poor place, which is why we left." Arthur spoke with a sense of melancholy when mentioning his hometown. It was indeed a poor place, not just backward, but also impoverished and ignorant.

The people there still believed that after death, they would be embraced by their god, who they believed created the world. Each breath of this god represented the rebirth and destruction of the world, making Him truly extraordinary in their eyes.

In any country where divine authority surpassed secular power, technological development lagged because much of their time, energy, and resources were spent trying to please these non-existent gods who offered no feedback. This neglect of technological and social progress left Arthur feeling that there was nothing worth mentioning about his hometown.

If one were to consider the religious atmosphere and the natural beauty that resulted from the lack of technology and industrial development as positives, then these might be the only few merits left.

Since Lynch brought it up, Arthur talked a bit about his hometown. He still had some correspondence with his family, though each exchange was spaced far apart.

Lynch's further probing only deepened Arthur's confusion. "Mr. Lynch, I mean no offense, but can I ask why you're interested in this? Or perhaps what specifically you're interested in so I can provide you with more detailed information."

Lynch smiled, "You know, a new president is about to take office, and we're on the verge of a new era. In the past, we kept our doors shut, and no one knew where we stood. Now, we're opening those doors and showing our stance, which will bring us many opportunities that we never had before.

"I often talk to you all about social responsibility. This responsibility isn't just domestic within the Federation, but also in the international community, a responsibility we must shoulder."

Arthur clearly understood every word Lynch said, yet when these familiar words were strung together, he found himself unable to comprehend their meaning. But not understanding wasn't embarrassing for Arthur, who admired Lynch. Without hesitation, he began recounting the details of his hometown—its society, economy, culture, and the biggest conflict there: the struggle between political power and religious authority.

The two sat there for forty to fifty minutes, during which the waiter refilled their cups multiple times. By the time Arthur finished, his throat was dry, but he maintained his composure in front of Lynch.

Lynch listened intently, his face showing deep thought. After several minutes of contemplation, he asked another question, "Arthur, if given the chance, would you be willing to go back home?"

Arthur, who had been relaxed, immediately tensed up. His expression turned uneasy, "Go back home? No, Mr. Lynch, have I done something wrong?"

In Arthur's mind, going home had become the greatest punishment in his life. Now that he had settled in the Baylor Federation, his family had received many benefits as a result.

His home country was relatively backward in the international community, with an innate fear of powerful nations. Ironically, this only fueled their reverence for religious authority.

This might seem hard to understand—shouldn't they be uniting to advance technological development? But no, when a place was too backward, people would see advanced technology as something mythical. Meanwhile, the supporters of religious authority, in order to consolidate their power, would instill in the people a misguided belief—that faith could triumph over material wealth.

While the common folk were thoroughly deceived, the ruling class would remain relatively clear-headed.

When Arthur received his residency permit and social security number in the Baylor Federation, becoming a legitimate "foreigner," the social standing of his parents and siblings improved slightly. If he were to go back now, all the benefits his family had received over the years, all the respect they had earned, wouldn't just disappear—it would be lost with interest.

Seeing Arthur's anxious expression, Lynch slowly picked up his coffee and took a small sip. "Arthur, my friend, you're too tense. Haven't you considered another possibility?"

He gently placed the cup down without a sound. "Not just you, I'll be going too—to do business."

"Business?" Arthur's eyes widened further. "Sorry, Mr. Lynch, I don't understand. What could that backward, poor place possibly offer that would catch your eye?"

Lynch smiled slightly, "You're mistaken. Your hometown is actually full of incredible wealth, but neither you nor the people there can see it.

"Gold, gems, spices, rare minerals, certain plants, even some animals and their furs—once these things are exported, they can all be turned into money."

This was one of the most basic forms of exploitation by advanced societies of backward ones. Some resources were known to be valuable, but because of technological shortcomings, they could only be exported as raw materials, earning a paltry profit—if they could even be exported at all.

This was a great time. The entire world was busy rebuilding and developing itself, with little attention paid to the rest of the globe. No one cared about the changes in a poor place, which gave Lynch a great advantage.

Arthur thought about it and realized Lynch was right. Although his memory of his hometown was a bit hazy, there were some things that stood out.

For example, the village priests adorned with gold and silver, the dense forests where one could easily lose their way, and the various minerals hidden underground that they lacked the means to extract.

These were indeed sources of wealth, but…

"What about transportation, Mr. Lynch? If we export those things, the costs might be higher than if we bought the finished products locally." Arthur raised another concern, noting that when transportation infrastructure was underdeveloped, transportation costs became a significant challenge.

Lynch, however, dismissed the concern lightly, "Then we'll solve it locally. The value of a ton of gold ore is vastly different from a ton of refined gold. If we're talking about a ton of gold, I'm confident that even after paying to transport it, we'll still make a substantial profit."

Indeed, refining raw materials into finished products could be highly profitable, couldn't it?

Before Arthur could ask more questions, Lynch continued, "This is also part of the international responsibility I mentioned. As a developed, advanced nation, we should help underdeveloped countries advance their technology. I believe if I bring equipment and capital to invest in your hometown, they will offer me some conveniences. Don't you think?"

This left Arthur speechless. His hometown may be poor, backward, and ignorant, but the ruling class wasn't entirely foolish.

They would greedily allow Lynch to do as he pleased, letting him lower his guard, and then subtly, slowly, they would begin to change things until they seized Lynch's assets.

Arthur felt he should warn Lynch about this, but Lynch only smiled and didn't respond, even telling Arthur that the plan was already set, and it was the main focus for this year.

As soon as he got the President and that damned new department on board, he would immediately head to Arthur's hometown.

As for why it was Arthur's hometown? It was simple—it was poor, backward, ignorant, but rich in natural resources. Plus, Lynch had a reliable local guide—Arthur.

With these advantages, the rest was just simple work.

If the natives wanted to resist, Lynch wouldn't hesitate to teach them and their god the meaning of the word "bullet," its implications, and the fear it commands.Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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