Blackstone Code-Chapter 665: Catching a Thief in a Den of Thieves?

Finding someone who disappeared two years ago in a city is extremely difficult.

In the Federation, where there is no strict household registration system, the easiest way to trace someone’s movements is through their spending records—specifically, their use of cash checks.

Cash checks are almost as widely used as cash itself. Even children from middle-class families often carry checkbooks. Though the credit limit may be low, it still reflects broader trends.

Do ordinary people carry cash checks?

Yes. In this era where checks are widely used, anyone with more than fifty Sol in the bank would typically be offered a checkbook.

From small checkbooks with twenty pages and a fifty-Sol limit to large ones worth hundreds of thousands with fifty pages, there are options suited to every financial tier. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Beyond that level, people use bank drafts or promissory notes instead of cash checks.

The value of promoting cash checks lies in encouraging consumption. If someone has $100 in the bank, they might have an impulsive desire to spend up to $60. But with the money locked away, the impulse often fades.

Checks solve that. When someone wants to spend, they can—instantly—by writing a number and signing their name.

This convenience has fueled countless impulsive purchases over the years. Especially now, with so many vagrants and the rise of violence and crime, carrying cash is dangerous. But carrying a checkbook isn’t. A mismatched signature or a forged name renders the check useless.

— When checks are used for purchases, unless the amount is significant, the cashier will usually only call the bank to verify the account and funds.

If the amount is large, reaching the check’s limit, the cashier may also verify the signature’s features.

Overall, the system is reliable. Although fake checks circulate and hurt businesses, people still favor this method of payment.

Tracking someone by their check activity only works for average citizens. Those who deal heavily in cash, often in gray industries, are untraceable.

Cash doesn’t leave a trail. Once someone disappears from public view, they’re gone—unless they resurface on their own.

Bank transactions, check use, insurance claims—all of these leave a trace. Without them, it’s as if the person no longer exists.

To find such a person would require large-scale, high-intensity searches, which are nearly impossible in the Federation.

Even the Federal Investigation Bureau couldn’t pull off a city-wide manhunt.

So when the scarred man suggested a full-city search, the police chief gave no encouragement.

Realizing the impracticality, the scarred man asked, “Damn it, can we issue a reward?”

He quickly nodded as if convincing himself, “We should be able to. I’ll make a call…”

He took the phone from the chief’s desk, went to a corner, and quietly made the call.

He reported the situation to the assistant director of the state tax bureau. The request was approved, and a $1,000 bounty was issued for the dealer’s capture, with notices sent to the state government and the FBI.

When he returned, he made another request: “I want to find the dealer’s former subordinates…”

The police chief and the lead detective exchanged glances but remained silent. The scarred man sensed trouble and snapped, “What the hell now?”

The chief wasn’t intimidated. He rapped his knuckles twice on the desk and said, “Watch your language. This is the chief’s office…”

They stared at each other before the scarred man backed down. “Sorry, I’m just anxious.”

Antagonizing local police was unwise. Some believed federal investigators outranked the police—technically true—but in terms of local control, the police held more power.

Offending investigators might be manageable. Offending the local police could cripple his entire operation.

Seeing the scarred man back off, the chief smiled slightly and added, “Sir, the reason we…”

He shrugged. “It’s because the former newsboys have all become Lynch’s adopted sons.”

“Lynch legally adopted them. The two oldest among them are well-known locally—they’re the Green Brothers. Many people know them.”

Even the police chief had heard of the Green Brothers more than once. Lynch’s home-workshop model had created countless jobs in Sabin City—but not without problems.

Some people sold off the materials and equipment Lynch provided for personal gain, repeatedly applying for new quotas. This also involved labor union issues.

The police were called, but the local jail refused to take the offenders, and the station couldn’t detain so many people.

These troublemakers were broke and reckless. At most, they’d receive a warning.

Then the Green Brothers appeared and cleaned things up—using questionable methods, no doubt. But unless it was a major criminal offense, the police turned a blind eye.

They’ve since stopped those tactics, but their reputation only grew. A few convenient accidents made them seem even more dangerous.

People realized they weren’t just roughing up freeloaders anymore—they might actually be killing, though there was no evidence to prove it.

After the explanation, the scarred man looked troubled. “So there’s nothing we can do to them?”

The chief shook his head. “Sir, the one you want to deal with is Lynch. I’m not scared—I’m stating a fact.”

“Lynch’s connections go from the mayor, to the governor, to the president, and Congress. Maybe you’re not prepared to take him down.”

As the head of a frontline enforcement agency, the police chief sometimes had a better grasp of the real balance of power than state or federal officials.

Trying to bring down someone that powerful with crude tactics? That’s a joke.

When the EverBright Group, a multinational corporation, was taken down, it wasn’t by the local tax bureau—it was Congress.

When the Liston Group fell, it wasn’t due to local tax or investigative agencies either—it was the governor and members of Congress.

Without backing from the top, local forces are powerless against giants like these.Let’s not even mention anything else—if word got out that someone was targeting Lynch, Sabin City would explode overnight. The tens of thousands of people whose lives and jobs depend on Lynch would instantly rise up, organize themselves, and resist anyone trying to investigate him.

It could even trigger massive unrest or riots. At that point, not just a state tax bureau agent—even their director wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Of course, he could understand why this special investigator from the state tax bureau acted this way. These “big shots” are always involved in something major and tend to carry an inexplicable sense of superiority. He could understand that.

The scarred man didn’t look pleased. “This is my job—my mission.”

“Do as you like. I’ve said what needed to be said. You can get the Green Brothers’ and others’ files from the archives—they’ll cooperate with you. As for the rest…” The police chief tapped his pipe on the table. “I have work to do.”

After the scarred man left, clearly unhappy, the chief picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, “Someone’s investigating you and your former dealer. Also, give my regards to Mr. Lynch…”

Meanwhile, the scarred man, after leaving the chief’s office, took the files on the Green Brothers and the other newsboys and returned to his hotel. After reviewing them, he recalled what the police chief had said and decided to call the assistant director.

The order to investigate Lynch had come from the director himself, but right after assigning the task, the director left for training at the Federal Tax Bureau, leaving everything in the hands of his subordinates.

From the start, the investigation had been passive. Whether it was Fox or anyone else, digging into Lynch had proven shockingly difficult.

The chief’s words made it clear—this matter wasn’t something he, the assistant director, or even the state tax bureau could resolve on their own.

Unless someone at a much higher level pushed the case forward, it would go nowhere.

But the real question was—would anyone that powerful actually step in?