Blackstone Code Chapter 166

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Chapter 166: Now It’s Time to Officially Talk Business

The lively atmosphere in the venue never ceased from afternoon until night. People were eagerly raising their bid paddles, with the excitement peaking during the auction of the two apartments.

Many people came here just for the experience, not really expecting to win the bids for the two apartments. But people always needed some fantasies.

This, in turn, made the atmosphere even more vibrant. The excitement continued until the event ended, with some people actively asking when the next auction would be held and what items would be featured.

This auction, which captivated many, did not disappoint Lynch. The transaction amount of 610,000 created a new high in the history of Interstellar Trading Company's second-hand goods auctions. Whether it was Noah, the investors hidden in the venue, or the mayor of Sabin City waiting for the results, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The outcome in Kurland City, to some extent, also represented the approximate results in other cities. Maybe their transaction amounts wouldn't be higher than today’s, but their value could still be reflected.

People were very much looking forward to this kind of auction. To know if a policy was popular, the most straightforward example was to see how many people were willing to spend money on it voluntarily.

Behind the 610,000 transaction amount, these buyers might have saved at least 400,000 in their budgets. It not only satisfied their consumer desires and needs for some necessities but also eased their financial burdens.

People liked it, understood its value and benefits, which was why they enthusiastically bought these items.

Reporters surrounded Lynch, with Richard beside him and Katherine standing outside the crowd. She wasn't quite suitable to enter this scene.

Occasionally, a reporter might capture a photo of her standing with Lynch, which could be seen as a young man’s romance.

But if Katherine were to stand with him in such a nearly public interview, it would send the wrong signal to the public, making people think they were still together.

In reality, neither Lynch nor Katherine was ready for that.

For Lynch, dating was no longer his main job. Moreover, even if he let Katherine into his life now, they would eventually part ways for various reasons.

A certain institution once conducted a thought-provoking study. They found that among highly educated married couples, those with similar educational levels tended to have longer-lasting marriages compared to couples where one partner's education significantly outpaced the other's.

This study also raised another question: "Are shared interests, similar levels of education, and effective communication necessary prerequisites for maintaining a marriage?"

To put it simply, as Lynch’s pace quickened, Katherine definitely wouldn’t be able to keep up. At that time, even if Lynch reached out to pull her, he still wouldn’t be able to move her. She would gradually become an unnecessary burden in Lynch’s life and career.

Even if Lynch didn't abandon her, she would eventually leave on her own because more outstanding women would appear around Lynch. As she felt increasingly inferior in the presence of these dazzling women, she would only feel more and more despair and self-doubt.

For Katherine, too, looking at Lynch in the center of attention, apart from familiarity with his body, she felt a kind of estranged unfamiliarity towards him.

Sometimes he seemed familiar, but when he got serious, Katherine felt he was suitable for someone else.

She didn't know how to describe this feeling. Maybe this was what they called growth. She also wanted to grow, to reach Lynch’s level, and then unveil his mask to see which one was the real him.

She wasn't ready for this yet. She needed to use this idea as a source of motivation, urging herself to grow and mature quickly. Only then could she understand what happened, changing both herself and this most familiar stranger.

Watching Lynch’s back, Katherine sighed silently. Sometimes being too outstanding wasn't good.

Back in high school, Lynch was the only student who could enjoy the air conditioning in the teacher’s office while having lunch. He was also the object of affection for many girls. It was easy to imagine the pressure Katherine felt dating him in that environment.

Now, she felt that pressure again, because a group of girls was “on their way,” and she had to work harder.

Meanwhile, Lynch was chatting and laughing with the media reporters. “Of course, we created a new miracle. But the purpose of creating this miracle is not to make it a benchmark for us or the entire industry…”

This statement was a bit disingenuous, but the reporters loved this kind of rhetoric. News without highlights lacked appeal. Whether readers bought it or not was unimportant; what mattered was that their article fees would be reduced.

“…The purpose of creating miracles is to create a new miracle in the future to surpass it.”

Lynch slightly raised his head. His smile, handsomeness, and feigned maturity made it hard for people to dislike him, even if some thought he was boasting.

Facing the camera, he smiled confidently, his eyes filled with a forward-looking determination. “The only ones who can defeat us are ourselves.”

This statement sparked the reporters' enthusiasm, fueled in part by the small gifts and experience vouchers that Lynch had prepared for them.

Using this experience voucher, reporters could choose a second-hand item worth no more than fifty bucks from the Interstellar Trading Company’s catalog for permanent use. The reporters were thrilled and almost instinctively gave Lynch a very positive image in their articles.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Lynch arranged for someone to send Katherine back. He still had many things to do that night and might be late.

After sending Katherine off, Lynch asked Richard to celebrate with the boys.

When the boys arrived at a place filled with delicious food, fine wine, beautiful women, and money, everyone instantly tore off their civilized masks and became wild and rowdy.

It must be said that Richard was truly the closest person to "success" in Lynch's eyes, without question. At least so far, no one could surpass him.

He was competent in his work and wild enough when playing. He even had money crumpled up and filled a rubber kiddie pool, placing two chairs inside.

From the outside, the money looked like water. He then had the girls stand on the chairs, squat halfway, and pick up the money in a special way. Each person had only one chance; whatever they picked up was theirs.

The crazier these guys played, the more they couldn't live without such a life, without Lynch’s company and him.

After drinking a bit of wine at the scene and encouraging everyone, Lynch left. The hotel staff had notified him that the people he was waiting for had arrived.

After tidying up his appearance a bit, he took off his jacket on the terrace next to the corridor and shook off the strong smell of smoke and alcohol. After waiting for a while, he walked into a small conference room in the hotel.

About ten people were already seated in the conference room, with more than half of them from Sabin City. They were the initial group of capitalists of the Progressive Party, whom Lynch had first connected with and who were interested in investing in his company.

The rest were local investors, also members of the Progressive Party.

Often, choosing a political camp wasn't a very serious matter for capitalists. As long as there was profit, they could change their political stance anytime, like CEO Neo who must be smirking at the moment.

These people came here on Noah's recommendation and attended this auction in person. They were also looking to gain some benefits from this business deal.

During the economic recession, losses were widespread. The agriculture and livestock industries were almost entirely controlled by large corporations and economic conglomerates. No industry could confidently claim to be consistently profitable. So when a business suddenly emerged that could make money against the tide and was promoted as a "beneficial policy for the people," it was only natural that they wanted to get involved.

Not for anything else, just to keep their money safe in this tide and leave some capital for the future.

Lynch was very satisfied with the current situation. When he heard that two groups wanted to meet him, he had the hotel arrange them together.

Competition creates miracles, a saying very fitting for any game involving money.

Looking at the two distinct groups, Lynch sat on a single sofa with a smile and asked for a cup of coffee.

While waiting for his coffee, he leaned his elbow on the sofa armrest, supported his chin, and looked at these people with a smile. “I believe we will get along very well in the future.”

Thinking about these people transferring money to him soon, Lynch found them quite endearing.

Sometimes he wondered if something was wrong with him. After experiencing so much in his past life, why couldn’t he let go?

He had considered this issue. Wealth was just a string of numbers. To him, it was. He had countless ways to create one miracle after another in this still somewhat backward world.

But so what?

In the end, he figured it out. After all, he was just a vulgar person who couldn’t live without those numbers, without the dazzling, glamorous lifestyle of neon lights and constant revelry.

He enjoyed showing off in front of people. He liked it when these well-dressed people stood before him, bowed their heads, and respectfully called him “Mr. Lynch.”

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