Blackstone Code-Chapter 277:

During Lynch's conversation with Herbert, he figured out the purpose behind Herbert's bidding: it was simply because Herbert didn't want to miss out on the reasonable profits. Herbert even admitted that he had enough channels to quickly sell off these items.

Compared to the technologically advanced Baylor Federation, many regions in the world were still far behind. Although these machines were not new and didn't feature the latest technology, they were still impressive to some of the more underdeveloped countries.

After chatting for a while, Herbert excused himself as he still needed to visit other places to decide where to establish his bank's branch in the Baylor Federation.

He told Lynch that York State was not an ideal location; it lacked the right atmosphere. Even Bupayne, in his opinion, wasn't suitable because its political environment was too intense.

He mentioned that he would next head south to check out the situation there. If the atmosphere was more favorable, Lynch might see him in the south in the future.

After this small interaction, Lynch wasn't sure if he had profited or lost. Emotionally, spending over a million more was hard to accept, but having made the acquaintance of an international banker before even leaving the Baylor Federation didn't seem like a bad deal either.

These international bankers played an extraordinary role in international trade and financial warfare. They were the real "capitalists," without allegiance to any country or faction. Everything they did was for profit.

They could freely lend money from any country to anyone, even to dismantle a faction or nation. They wouldn't ask about the purpose or the outcome; they only cared about the high interest rates. If someone wanted to overthrow a government and could afford the interest, these bankers would gladly lend the money.

If Lynch stayed in the Federation, these people would be of no use to him.

However, if he ever left, they could be of great help.

---

On the third day, Lynch and Mark arrived at a meeting room in city hall. This date had been set long ago, a part of an initiative aimed at enhancing the government's efficiency in the eyes of the public. There was a growing sentiment among citizens that city hall was squandering taxpayers' money on a cadre of employees who didn't seem to contribute anything meaningful. People often mocked government employees like this, never stopping to consider how much they'd actually paid—

Alright, they had indeed paid a lot, much more than the wealthy, but that didn't give them the right to belittle the government's efficiency.

Three days after the auction at the bank, the government would open the bidding process.

The auction at the bank had raised about four million bucks, which would be used to compensate workers who had lost their ability to work or live due to chemical injuries caused by Listoan Group.

However, this money wouldn't be handed out all at once. According to some regulations, these workers had lost their ability to work, and most had been abandoned by their families.

Giving such people large sums of cash all at once could lead to their downfall rather than improving their lives.

Thus, a third-party organization was needed to manage these funds, ensuring no corruption within the city hall or other government institutions. No system was more fair than having a third party manage the money while the government supervised its use.

So, they would open it up for public bidding. The government would provide some data, such as the total amount raised from the auction and how many people the money needed to be distributed to. The bidders only needed to submit their plans for how they would use the money.

The bidder whose proposal met the government's needs would become the fund manager, though the money would still be subject to the government's oversight.

At 9:40 AM, Lynch and Mark sat in the meeting room, dressed in very proper attire. Next to them was a young secretary, a female one — Mark's secretary.

This young woman looked to be around 23 or 24, with a sweet appearance, though it was clear Mark didn't treat her well. Her clothes didn't quite fit her, suggesting she couldn't afford new clothes that suited her figure. Mark was indeed a stingy person.

Lynch's gaze lingered briefly on the small gap in her blouse, noticing she couldn't even afford proper undergarments. She was truly a pitiable girl.

"Do you think we can win the bid?" Mark asked, sounding unsure. Before today, he had been confident about winning, but now he was feeling uncertain.

Too many people had shown up. A quick count revealed at least 20 or 30 institutions bidding, which was far more competition than he had anticipated.

He had thought this would just be a formality, with few people in attendance. He expected to simply be announced as the winner after making an appearance and then leave, not to face such intense competition.

In reality, this was no surprise. The entire society was experiencing a money shortage. No one had money in their pockets, so when people heard there were millions available in a bid, everyone, even those without prior experience, came to try their luck.

What if they won? Managing a few "useless people" wasn't a big deal; after all, many family-run businesses had such employees.

After asking, Mark looked at Lynch, whose smile calmed him down. "We're going to win, right?"

Lynch shook his head, which made Mark nervous again. "No, you're mistaken. It's not 'we' — it's 'you.' I'm just here to accompany you."

Indeed, Lynch's name wasn't listed among the shareholders of this private equity fund. In fact, there wasn't even a company directly linked to him. The major shareholder of the fund was an asset management company, and Lynch wasn't listed as a shareholder there either.

Through a complex web of cross-holdings in several shell companies, Lynch indirectly controlled this firm. Even if someone suspected that Lynch's significant spending at the auction and his involvement in the fund were improper, they would find no evidence of wrongdoing.

As Ferrall entered the room alongside the mayor's secretary, the noise in the room died down.

The mayor's secretary then announced the purpose, process, and selection criteria for the bidding. After some seemingly unnecessary talk that made Mark yawn, he answered a few questions and then began collecting proposals.

Some institutions made last-minute changes to better fit the details provided by the city hall. Such adjustments were common during bidding processes, as long as the final proposal was submitted before leaving.

The formalities concluded quickly, and Lynch and Mark left the meeting room, with Ferrall following behind.

Lynch noticed that Mark seemed to have a dislike for Ferrall, but he lacked the courage to express it openly. Instead, he quickly made an excuse and left.

Watching Mark's retreating figure, Ferrall shook his head. "I keep telling the mayor that some things should be left to professionals, but he only trusts Mark."

Ferrall had repeatedly advised the mayor that Mark wasn't a competent asset manager and might cause trouble for him.

But the mayor had his reasons. First, Mark was his nephew, and within their large, influential family, the mayor had immense control. Mark dared not defy him, unlike professional managers, who sometimes had their own agendas and might even try to influence policies to increase the value of assets.

Although everyone wanted to grow their wealth, professional managers were too risky. They might make things better or worse, with the latter being more likely.

Secondly, the mayor didn't want his assets publicly associated with him. They were hidden under Mark's name. Even if Mark owned many businesses, the mayor's wealth remained his, and he wouldn't lose control over it just because it wasn't under his name.

This was something professional managers couldn't be trusted with. If the mayor entrusted his assets to them, they might run off.

Given these reasons, the mayor often dismissed Ferrall's concerns about Mark's shortcomings. Sometimes he would scold Mark, other times he'd ignore the issues completely. Ferrall felt this was problematic, but he couldn't convince the mayor, which was why Mark disliked Ferrall.

As for why Mark didn't retaliate? The mayor disliked interference in his decisions, especially from Mark.

After reflecting on this for a moment, Ferrall and Lynch walked outside the city hall. As they walked, Ferrall remarked, "You know, a lot of what you said in Bupayne has spread. Some say you're inherently a radical, but others defend you. How did you manage to convince those people?"

Lynch's remarks in Bupayne were indeed considered radical given the current state of the country, but many people had defended him, offering an excuse: "He's too young." People seemed to accept the idea that being radical was part of youthful energy. This ended up boosting Lynch's public image.

Lynch simply smiled and didn't explain. The truth was that it was Mr. Waldric's assessment that had sealed people's perceptions of Lynch's comments.

Mr. Waldric wasn't protecting Lynch — he was protecting himself. He couldn't afford to let these issues affect him, especially since Lynch had appeared at the event with his daughter. If he allowed certain comments to spread, his opponents might seize the opportunity to link Lynch's words and attitudes to Waldric's own, creating dangerous situations.

Smiling at Ferrall's curiosity, Lynch replied, "Maybe I'm just likable. You know, being handsome has its perks."Please vote for this novel at https://www.novelupdates.com/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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