Darkstone Code-Chapter 1011 - 1009: A Chat

Wood walked to the side somewhat agitatedly and answered the phone, but his mind was on other matters.

He had discussed with his girlfriend to get married early next year, but now the situation was getting more and more severe, and it’s been difficult to earn any income from the auction house anymore.

However, the bills from each cycle won’t stop just because he doesn’t have income, he still has to pay those bills on time.

Otherwise, the bank would take his house.

The troubles of not earning money, worries about the future, along with some elusive inner conflicts touching the bottom line, made him extremely irritable now.

This also affected his tone when answering the phone, "This is Wood."

"You sound like something’s up, perhaps I could call you back later?"

The voice that was both familiar and somewhat unfamiliar made Wood pause for three or four seconds, then he responded, held the receiver with both hands, turned around and lowered his voice carefully, "Sorry, Mr. Lynch, I didn’t realize it was your call and didn’t react."

He explained a bit, "We haven’t talked for a long time."

Lynch didn’t refute his statement, "Yes, since I sold the company, we haven’t kept much contact. Do you have something going on now, should I call back later?"

"Something going on?"

"No, no, of course not, just now it’s that..." He glanced at his companions sitting in the living room smoking and drinking, then continued, "It’s just some dogs barking incessantly, bothering me a lot."

This was an excuse that seemed like a lie, yet appeared true.

"Since I sold my shares, I haven’t contacted anyone else from the company. Recently, I’ve got a new venture and thought of you first. If you have time, perhaps we can sit down and chat."

Wood felt a slight tingle on his scalp, he pursed his lips, "Of course I have time, are you in Sabin City now?"

"No, I’m in Bupen. If you have time, come over, the travel costs are on me. I’ll give you a phone number, contact me when you arrive."

After hanging up the phone, Wade looked at the number written on his white shirt, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Because of Lynch, he embarked on a different path in life, who would have thought he would resign from the Bureau of Investigation.

Who would have thought that at such a young age, he’d buy such a large house in Sabin City, have his own car, and other assets.

These are things he couldn’t get by being an investigator and undercover agent.

The person who gave him this opportunity was Lynch, and now, when he needs help, Lynch has appeared again. Even though he’s an atheist, he couldn’t help but wonder if whenever he’s in trouble, there’s always someone who comes to help him solve it?

When he returned to the living room, looking at the companions around him bickering endlessly, he suddenly didn’t want to share this news with them.

He’s not a selfish person, if he was, he wouldn’t have shared his money-making insights with his companions. But he cannot accept that to make money, one has to trample on the law and moral bottom line, which he cannot accept.

If Mr. Lynch could offer him a good job and he can perform well, he would select a few people to work with him; as for those who are unqualified, he’d leave them be.

Maybe he’s not a good person, but he certainly won’t let himself become a bad person.

In a blink of an eye, two days passed quickly, and two days later, Wood appeared in Bupen and dialed a number at the station. Shortly after, a car stopped at the curb, honking several times.

He walked over proactively, and the driver got out, confirmed his identity, and opened the car door for him.

The car slowly started, leaving the station, and Wood looked at the bustling streets of Bupen, the crowded, busy and quick-moving people. He couldn’t help but ask, "Where are we going?"

The fear of the unknown surpasses curiosity, in this bustling city, Wood suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.

He couldn’t accurately describe the feeling, his breathing a bit rushed, as though something was stuck in his throat, he coughed a few times, with nothing coming out.

His heart rate sped up slightly, and his stomach felt uncomfortable.

The driver in the front seat smiled, glanced at Wood through the rearview mirror, "Sir, Mr. Lynch is waiting for you at his home, that’s where we’re headed."

He looked at the nearby hill, "See that small hill over there? That’s where we’re going."

Wood looked at the protruding ’hill’ in the distance, his expression showing some curiosity, "The houses there must be very expensive, right?"

He actually didn’t know what the housing price structure in Bupen was like, he simply instinctively believed that Lynch wouldn’t possibly live in a poor and rundown neighborhood.

The driver nodded, "Yes, the Half Mountain Villa District has the highest housing prices in all of Bupen, to live there means you’re already a successful person."

There was a strange sense of local arrogance in his words, but more so, a yearning. Everyone wishes they could live in the Half Mountain Villa District, but only a few people in the city can reside there.

Wood didn’t say anything, it’s the disparity, although he knew the disparity was vast, seeing it truly made him a bit bewildered.

He recalled, Lynch seemed... about the same age as him, maybe even a bit younger?

While Lynch is already residing in the most expensive house in Bupen, he’s still worrying about where tomorrow’s money will come from.

Soon, the vehicle turned off onto the community road, the security guard at the entrance saw the driver inside and let them pass, this was a community service company person.

The vehicle finally stopped in front of Lynch’s villa.

He carried his briefcase, rang the doorbell, and it opened to a pretty girl, "Mr. Lynch is waiting for you in the study on the south side of the second floor, Mr. Wood."

When the car returned, the community service company had already called Lynch, so he arranged for the maid to greet Wood.

He passed through the hall, held the unknown material of the stair railing, and went upstairs, finding the study on the south side.

The door of the study was open, Lynch sat in a shaded area reading a book, immersed in the reading.

Perhaps hearing the footsteps, Lynch looked up, backlit, revealing a smile that inexplicably touched him.

He stood up, stretched his hand out from afar, instinctively, Wood walked inside and grasped Lynch’s extended hand, "You’re here."

Wood nodded, "Yes, just arrived, this place is too grand, much more bustling than Sabin City, no wonder you’ve settled here."

"Settling is not quite accurate, just dealing with some matters here is easier, everyone’s here!" Lynch invited Wood to sit, chatted for a bit, then brought up his thoughts.

"I have a company, to be precise, it’s a company primarily held by my mother, and I plan to push it to go public, but currently there’s a small issue yet to be resolved."

Wood was unfamiliar with these matters, he didn’t dare to comment casually, in fact, at this moment he didn’t even think he would be of any use.

He didn’t know what steps were involved in bringing a company public, nor how to proceed with each step, he felt like he might have come in vain.

But Lynch kept talking, he didn’t interrupt Lynch, just quietly listened. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"For a company to go public, the most important thing is to have appealing performance data."

"You’Er Mei, I don’t know if you’ve heard of this company..."

Wood unexpectedly nodded, feeling surprised himself, "I’ve heard, it’s a fitness company, there’s one at the entrance of the community I live in, with some members, and the fees aren’t that cheap."

Lynch pointed at him, "Yes, that’s it. Now You’Er Mei’s operations are stable, which is good, but it lacks appeal, you understand what I mean?"

Wood nodded, then shook his head, "I’m not sure if my thoughts align with yours."

"Then let me explain, actually it’s quite simple, I need better-looking data to attract investors and shareholders."

"They won’t spend money buying a company that appears to have no value, so we have to make this company valuable; that’s why I brought you here."

"You need to cooperate with me to get this done, I’ll give you two and a half percent of the shares," Lynch looked at him, "If things go smoothly, that two percent will be worth hundreds of thousands."

"Besides, all your operational earnings during this process will be yours, you don’t need to give me or anyone else."

Just the rewards of shares already made Wood thrilled. If it’s hundreds of thousands, it could completely solve some problems he’s currently facing and leave him tens of thousands extra.

Whether it’s starting a small business or looking for a new job, at least he wouldn’t worry about those countless bills anymore.

Of course, he still needed to clarify what Lynch wanted him to do, he had his bottom line, if it’s fraud or similar, he absolutely wouldn’t do it.

Hence, Lynch introduced a new perspective, explaining what the "Federation Dream of hard work leads to success" truly meant.

The conversation between them lasted until dusk, Wood finally understood what Lynch was getting at.

It’s not illegal, and Wood even wondered if Lynch was doing something good, as he’s giving money meant for his own earnings to others, Wood wasn’t sure how to describe such behavior!

Great?

Or foolish?

Or something else?

He didn’t know, he only knew this was something he could do and succeed in, to solve all his troubles.

"I think there’s no problem, Mr. Lynch.", he said.