Blackstone Code-Chapter 267:

The words spoken by the President and the people around him, if listened to closely, all pointed to many policy changes that had not yet been announced. The people in this room would get the inside scoop on these changes before they were made public.

Often, people's lack of success isn't due to insufficient effort; it's that they inherently lack the factors for success. Those who hold the true keys to success, the ones who have these success factors, will tell people that hard work is the key to success.

Lynch, having been singled out by the President, made a brief appearance in the spotlight. Those who couldn't get close to the President chose to chat with Lynch, hoping to gain some unexpected insight. Even if there were no real benefits, establishing a connection could be useful in the future.

When the President mentioned Lynch and referred to the past six years of the Baylor Federation's "isolationism" as "escapism," it left an impression on people, causing them to associate these ideas with Lynch. Some began to think that Lynch might be a significant figure, possibly one of those businessmen-turned-politicians—a common occurrence, as businessmen were often closer to politics than the average person.

After all, there are many similarities between the roles of politicians and businessmen. For instance... neither speaks plainly, neither does anything straightforward, but both appear more human and dignified than most.

"Mr. Lynch…" A well-dressed man took the initiative to stand in front of Lynch, speaking before anyone else.

Before Lynch could say anything, Severella started a conversation with the man's companion about her handbag, and the two women quickly bonded. They naturally drifted away from Lynch, joining a group of other women.

This was a moment for the men. A good female companion knows when to discreetly leave her man's side, giving him enough space to discuss more private matters.

Even though the men here were impeccably dressed and behaved as perfect gentlemen, it didn't mean there weren't a few scoundrels among them. To avoid discussing topics that might upset the women, it was best to have separate conversations. Besides, sometimes the women's topics could be even more terrifying than the men's.

"I am…" The man, who for now remains nameless in this story, introduced himself. Perhaps, after learning the truth, he might be interested in paying to become the main character in this story, rather than one without even a name.

After his introduction, he began to share his thoughts. "Mr. Lynch, do you think the mistakes of 'escapism' might repeat in the trend of deepening international cooperation? How long will it take for us to emerge from the current predicament?"

No matter how people criticized escapism, they couldn't escape an awkward fact: the peak of the Federation's economy and finance occurred when escapism was most rampant.

A few years ago, people used the results of a certain war as a warning, constantly reminding others of the dangers of international involvement. They used newspaper figures to warn their neighbors and even strangers on the street about how dangerous it was for their children and their economy to be involved in international affairs.

They sang praises of the benefits of staying out of everything—higher employment rates, a more comprehensive welfare system, everyone getting richer...

Many of today's Progressive Party supporters were once supporters of the conservative Party President. Of course, back then, they would appear in different places, with different faces. Betting on both sides was a common tactic of businessmen, especially those of small and medium enterprises.

No one cared much about the clarity of these people's political stances. Politicians only cared if these small businessmen were sending their political donation checks to their offices on time.

The brighter the smiles of the past, the more they now highlighted the hatred on people's faces.

Writers and artists often portray the changes between love and hate as mysterious and hard to understand, making countless young people shed tears for love... But in reality, love and hate are not that complicated. What benefits oneself is love; what takes away from oneself is hate.

Lynch didn't rush to answer. He held his wine glass, thought for a moment, and then began to speak, of course, taking care to stand on the correct political ground.

"The mistake of 'escapism' was choosing the wrong path from the start, but at the same time, it left us with valuable lessons."

This statement was essentially meaningless, but it wasn't wrong either. It catered to the mainstream opinion, like a cover for the truth.

With this safe and politically correct opening, he could then speak more freely. "Our previous policy was like building a strong fortress. It rejected both internal and external exchanges. We all know well that an isolated city, with no communication with others, is like a solitary island in the ocean.

"It may experience brief glory, but soon it will decline due to its closed environment.

"We feared engaging with the outside world. We avoided the international responsibilities we should have borne. We thought we were protecting ourselves, but in reality, we were wrong.

"Broader international exchanges, involvement in more international affairs, and contact with more countries and forces may indeed expose us to challenges and crises we've never faced before. Intense competition might cause us to fall behind at first.

"But from another perspective, harsh competition can stimulate our potential.

"Gentlemen, my metaphor may not be entirely appropriate..." He paused, took a small sip of wine, and as he hadn't lowered his voice, more people gathered around.

He needed to give them time to absorb his ideas, then introduce the next wave of concepts.

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After a moment, Lynch continued, "A wolf king is never chosen by the previous wolf king. Only through brutal competition and fighting can one prove their ability to lead the pack, and a new wolf king emerges.

"This… gentleman asked me how long it will take to overcome our current dilemma. Honestly, I don't have a definite answer, not even a likely guess.

"That's because this doesn't depend on our naive hopes. It depends on when we're ready to face international competition and rise above it.

"Only when we achieve that can we stand strong in the complex international society. At that point, we'll have a chance at reviving the great Baylor Federation."

His words shattered some people's optimistic fantasies. There were still many optimists in society, and some were in this very room.

It might seem hard to believe, but this is the most ironic and fascinating aspect.

Outside, people queued for food stamps and relief stamps at welfare points, while inside, or in places like this, some people's lives hadn't changed at all.

They hadn't noticed any problems because they were eating meat before and still eating meat now. They were drinking fine wine then and still indulging today.

Some laughably believed that everything would improve as soon as the new president took office. But that's not how it works; things won't improve quickly.

From decline to recovery, the process will take at least three to five years, not three to five days or months.

Lynch's words left the crowd around him silent for a moment. Just then, another somewhat familiar voice came from behind him.

"Mr. Lynch, how do you think we should face this new era and this world?"

The voice seemed familiar. Lynch turned around to see a middle-aged man, dressed as finely as the others, with neatly groomed hair and elegant accessories, blending in perfectly with everyone else.

Lynch nodded slightly in acknowledgment and replied, "War."

This word instantly pulled everyone's wandering thoughts back, their faces showing hints of fear.

Isolationism had once thrived because the people of the Baylor Federation had grown fearful of death and war, especially the common folk. Some had been led to believe that involvement in international affairs would inevitably lead to war.

The Conservative Party had thoughtfully designed isolationism to cater to these fears, securing their electoral victory.

Now, it had been proven wrong. When Lynch mentioned "war" again, a word people instinctively avoided but couldn't ignore, everyone's expressions changed. Even those further away who had been deep in conversation stopped talking.

All eyes were now on Lynch—The President and his aides, the Vice Chairman of the Progressive Party, and even Mr. Waldric, who had been chatting with someone.

Despite being the focus of so many important figures, Lynch remained unphased. He even felt a bit excited. After all, he had experienced such occasions more than once.

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