Blackstone Code-Chapter 258:

It took less than fifteen minutes for the entire state division to learn about the incident, including its cause and development. Soon after, the division issued a preliminary decision on how to handle the matter.

First, they demanded that the manager of the bank where the incident occurred pacify the injured Joegleman and persuade him not to report the incident to the police.

According to reports, Joegleman's head was bleeding profusely after being struck, and he reportedly fell unconscious while being transported to the hospital.

If the police were to get involved, it could turn into a disturbing and embarrassing scandal—something the bank, with its intertwined wealth and power, could not afford to expose, yet constantly took place behind the scenes.

If the police were to hold Bennett accountable and investigate the underlying causes and escalation of the conflict, it might expose some secrets within the bank that certain people would rather keep hidden.

These secrets were unpleasant, and while the public might have some vague suspicions, there's a significant difference between guessing and confirming. It's similar to how some people suddenly become wealthy—there might be speculation that their wealth comes from criminal activities.

These baseless, jealousy-fueled suspicions may be close to the truth, but as long as there is no evidence, no public exposure, the public image of those involved remains unaffected.

In the end, Bennett's transfer to a small bank branch in Sabin City was orchestrated by those who were envious and wanted to cause trouble for Joegleman, hoping to humiliate him.

If these events were exposed and investigated, it would be a devastating blow to certain individuals. Therefore, they insisted that the bank's manager must placate Joegleman and ensure that he would not pursue the matter further.

Fortunately, the bank's manager handled the situation decisively and effectively. In less than half an hour, he reported to the state division that he had successfully persuaded Joegleman to forgo reporting the incident and pursuing the matter further.

As for the incident's origin, the regional division decided to suspend Bennett from his duties and investigate any existing issues.

At that moment, in the hospital, the bank manager was casually chatting with Joegleman.

There was a half-inch wound on Joegleman's forehead, but this injury wasn't actually caused by the crystal nameplate.

These triangular crystal nameplates, used to denote the room owner's identity, were designed with safety in mind during manufacturing, ensuring that the corners were rounded to prevent injury.

The wound was actually caused by the face of Joegleman's ring. When Bennett struck him on the forehead, Joegleman deliberately twisted the ring's face and made a deep, intentional scratch. The gem's sharp edges easily tore the flesh, leaving a cut from which blood immediately flowed through his fingers, shocking Bennett.

"The headquarters is furious about what happened today. Bennett likely has no chance of recovering from this," the bank's manager remarked casually about a mid-career bank employee, whose once-promising future had suddenly turned dark.

The bank manager didn't like Bennett either, but he didn't show it. He had been biding his time, quietly gathering power for a decisive strike when necessary.

The regional division's interference in his personnel decisions was not a good sign. If they could sideline Joegleman today, they could do the same to him tomorrow.

There's nothing people won't do if the stakes are high enough. Sidestepping the authority of a second-tier city branch manager would only take a few documents.

They could assign him an assistant, and everything would be over.

Even though he hadn't made any overt moves recently, he had been actively contacting friends at the regional division and headquarters, friends with whom he had close ties. When the incident suddenly occurred, he immediately mobilized these connections, applying pressure from multiple sides until the regional division issued a decision that satisfied everyone—an internal investigation into Bennett, coupled with a suspension.

Most people who have worked in banking understand that once someone is under internal investigation, even if they're ultimately found innocent, their path to promotion ends at that moment.

In the bank's internal power struggles, even someone as clean as a sheet of white paper might not have a chance to rise, let alone someone with "blemishes."

People are inherently complex, and this complexity deepens within society. Even if the internal investigation team found nothing substantive against Bennett, it didn't mean he was entirely innocent. It might simply mean he was guilty, but his mistakes hadn't been discovered yet.

Next, Bennett would face a series of transfers to unimportant and marginal positions, eventually ending up in a small town's archive or warehouse, working as an ordinary employee, with the lowest pay, leading the most monotonous life.

Lying in the hospital bed, Joegleman smirked. "Thank you for speaking up for me..."

Before the manager arrived, Joegleman had already contacted some of his friends from the hospital, and they had informed him that others besides his friends had also intervened.

He knew exactly who was behind it and why, but he still needed to thank the manager.

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The manager waved his hand dismissively. "No need to thank me; I'm just protecting myself." If he didn't take action when his subordinates were being sidelined by higher-ups, his authority would quickly erode.

There was only one thing he couldn't figure out. "What exactly did you say to Bennett that made him act so recklessly toward you?"

Joegleman's smile was intriguing. "You'll find out in a few days."

If this matter were to end here, it wouldn't align with Joegleman's patience and restraint over the past few weeks. He didn't just want to bring Bennett down; he wanted to crush him so that he would never recover.

Changing the subject, Joegleman apologetically said, "After I return, I might apply to dismiss some employees. I hope you'll support me."

During this time, Joegleman's concessions had caused some people to side with Bennett. Now it was time to clean house.

Cruel?

No, this is reality. If they had steadfastly supported Joegleman, they might have had a brighter future. But since they bet on the wrong person, they must now face the consequences.

The manager gave Joegleman his full support. He had no sympathy for employees who quickly sided with the new superiors.

After finishing the conversation, the manager stood up to leave. "When can you return to work, or should I give you a few more days off?"

Joegleman confidently replied, "Anytime, I'm ready to get back to work."

On the same day as the incident, several complaint letters appeared at the bank's regional division and even on the desks of some headquarters managers.

These letters, accompanied by photos, detailed a story of someone in power abusing their authority, mainly involving relationships between them and some women, and these people had just made statements unfavorable to Bennett.

Now, these photos provided them with even more reasons and excuses to push for harsher penalties against Bennett. Moreover, not only was the bank involved, but Bennett's family also received similar letters, and his wife was on her way to Sabin City with her family.

Meanwhile, back at his rented apartment, Bennett had no idea what was coming. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head in despair.

He knew he had made a huge mistake. He shouldn't have treated Joegleman that way. If he had held back and actively apologized to Joegleman, perhaps the outcome would have been different…

No, it wouldn't have changed much. He knew about Annie…

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Bennett jumped up and quickly walked to the next room. The reason he lost control was because Joegleman had mentioned Annie. Now, he realized something—Joegleman knew about Annie and her identity and their current situation.

A suffocating and desperate realization quickly spread through him. When he opened the door, Annie was sitting on a chair, watching TV.

She hugged her legs, her face showing an unreadable calm.

"What's wrong?" Annie looked at him, and they locked eyes.

One was full of confusion and anger, the other calm, almost devoid of any emotion.

After a few minutes, Bennett suddenly said, "You had a motive, didn't you? You came to me with a purpose."

The more he spoke, the more he felt his suspicions were correct. This woman was in cahoots with Joegleman and the others. A wave of betrayal and anger overwhelmed his senses, mixed with heartache.

"I've been so good to you, and you conspired with others to hurt me." His voice was filled with a deep sense of despair. He had believed that this was the beginning of a beautiful life. How foolish he had been.

This wasn't the start of something beautiful; it was a trap, a scheme, and he had walked right into it like a fool.

Faced with Bennett's anger, the girl didn't argue. She calmly asked, "Are you going to hit me?"

Bennett had indeed intended to do more than just hit her. Ever since they started living together, Bennett had "respected" the girl's wish not to take their relationship further.

Even when they were naked together, the girl maintained her final boundary, which Bennett found admirable. He saw it as a form of strength, a refusal to compromise with a cruel reality, something he could relate to.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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