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Chapter 226: Winter, Impeachment, and Flight
When Lynch shamelessly uttered those words, even Mr. Fox felt that this guy was truly a... At the same time, he shuddered at the solution Lynch proposed.
The shudder came from deep within his soul because he knew that what Lynch suggested could indeed solve his problems.
As for helping them, he couldn't see it. All he saw was a capitalist standing in front of him, like a devil draped in human skin. At that moment, he thought of many famous capitalists who perhaps used similar methods to drain every last drop of blood from people.
Noticing the hint of shock in Mr. Fox's eyes and the slightly ironic look, Lynch smiled modestly, "I am not lying. I am not only trying to help them but also you, Mr. Fox.
"If someone borrows a thousand bucks from you and ends up having to sell their house to repay the principal and interest, what do you think will happen?"
As Lynch spoke, Mr. Fox began to ponder.
Such things were not unheard of in the finance company industry. They would lend money to their target groups without reminding them to repay on time, allowing the compound interest to balloon out of control until the borrowers had no choice but to sell assets coveted by the finance companies.
This tactic was mostly used in land acquisition.
When some capitalists showed interest in a particular piece of land, they might have had insider information or believed the land's value would rise significantly. To acquire the land, they often employed tactics to financially squeeze the landowner out of the business. These tactics included creating various traps and problems to push the landowner into a financial crisis, ultimately forcing them to sell the land.
As long as the landowner borrowed money from the bank or a finance company, they would eventually lose that piece of land.
They would go bankrupt, then sell their land at a very low price to repay their debts, having no other option.
There was also another group of capitalists who would obtain what they wanted almost without spending money, perhaps only exchanging some favors.
But the consequences of such practice were something a finance company could not easily bear. Society enjoyed reporting such news: someone borrowed a few hundred bucks, and months or years later, they had to sell their house and still couldn't clear the principal and interest.
Exposing social evils could significantly enhance a media outlet’s positive image, and the public’s shared sense of indignation and curiosity would boost newspaper sales. They would only add more subjective speculation rather than narrate an issue fairly.
Most finance companies caught in such issues would eventually have to change their names or even face investigations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tax Bureau.
Mr. Fox looked at Lynch. He didn't pretend to be smart by guessing what the answer was; he knew his mind wasn’t as sharp as Lynch's, and it was better to wait for Lynch to tell him the answer.
"A person forced to sell their house over a thousand-buck loan and a person forced to sell their house over a ten-thousand-buck loan are essentially no different, but people sympathize with the former and disdain the latter."
His voice guided Mr. Fox’s thoughts. It was a magical force.
"People will denounce you for your actions with the former, as they only borrowed a thousand bucks, but you are taking their house."
"But with the latter, people will laugh at them, saying, 'If he couldn't afford it, why did he borrow so much? Serves him right.'"
"This will spare you a lot of trouble—public opinion trouble, social supervision trouble, and some legal issues. Moreover, this help is mutual."
"The borrower gets a large sum of money in the short term. If he can solve his problems, such as illnesses, a house is clearly less important than life. In this case, the deal is not too bad."
"If he borrows a large sum without reason just for enjoyment, then his house is rightfully ours. After all, he will lose it eventually, so why shouldn't we take it?"
Lynch paused for a moment before continuing, "By the way, if you pay attention to the current housing and land prices, you might consider buying some properties in Bupayne or southern cities; they have great appreciation potential, and banks favor them."
"Where was I?" Lynch, realizing he got off track, quickly recalled, "For those who need jobs, we can send them abroad through labor exportation.
"The federal economic downturn has led to a decrease in free market demand, and we no longer need as many workers. Meanwhile, agricultural and pastoral industries have accelerated industrialization due to labor shortages in recent years, meaning fewer people can now complete the work that once required many. There’s nowhere for the surplus labor to go, which is why the unemployed can’t find jobs.
"But if we look at the international community, many countries lack a large workforce due to wars. The women in those countries have to take on men's work.
"Form a company to export these people as labor to other countries; I believe they won’t refuse."
Turning to Mr. Fox beside him, Lynch asked, "So, any questions?"
Mr. Fox licked his lips, "No, Lynch, my friend, I have to say you are a natural capitalist. But I have a very personal question..."
Lynch joked, "If you feel it’s inappropriate, you don’t have to ask."
The joke was funny, and Fox laughed, "I'm curious, do you have any compassion?"
"Of course." Lynch’s answer was immediate and firm, "Charity work is also an area I am very passionate about..."
Mr. Fox obviously knew what charity really meant. With a peculiar sense of values and justice typical of the lower classes, he asked, "Is that still charity?"
It was like many criminals clinging to strange moral codes. Mr. Fox, a finance company boss who could ruin families, oddly had a sense of justice.
Lynch didn’t mind his offense. People would get stubborn as they aged. He seriously asked, "When needy families receive aid, if even one percent of it comes from me, what else can it be if not charity?"
Returning to the set after a walk outside, they found some scenes had been changed, and the lead actress was chatting with Fox Junior.
Lynch reminded Mr. Fox, "Instead of worrying about my compassion, you should consider that your son will not marry such a girl..."
A smirk appeared on his face, "Countless men will have seen her body and gratified their urges with her image."
Old Mr. Fox's eyes twitched. After replying "He wouldn’t dare," he still went over to interrupt their conversation. What if Lynch was right?
The film's basic exterior shots were almost finished, giving the Foxes a new understanding of film making.
To save costs and time, scenes were usually shot out of sequence, selected and filmed together rather than linearly as in the final film. Some might even film the ending on the first day.
When reporters interviewed film stars after filming, asking about their scenes and feelings, most of them wouldn't answer.
It was not that they didn't want to, but they genuinely didn't know what they filmed. Everything was fragmented, and only after final editing would they fully understand their performance in the film.
"The film is scheduled for release on the second Friday in January, without much competition," said the film company's manager, a young industry professional the Foxes hired for specialized work.
Perhaps influenced by Lynch, they began to trust young people more.
This was good news, but Lynch was more interested in what he noticed. He saw something unusual in the eyes of Fox and the girl, making him anticipate the development of the situation—a mischievous interest, but an "interest" nonetheless.
As the weather got colder, more beggars appeared on the streets. The presidential cabinet seemed to have disappeared from the Baylor Federation since December.
They no longer appeared on TV, singing praises of the president, deceiving the public that things would get better; they remained silent.
The impeachment case against the president had entered the second phase, with the second vote around the end of January. This phase involved investigations, hearings, and the president’s defense in Congress.
This also increased public dissatisfaction with the president and his cabinet, as if they had forgotten how fervently they supported them a few years ago.
People were fickle, or rather too realistic; they wouldn't remember things for long.
This period was bound to be difficult and trying, but things would eventually get better. Everyone believed in this.
During such a time, Gap fled.
Lynch learned this news from the TV. In the increasingly cold winter, Gap mysteriously disappeared from his place of house arrest. The Sabin City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had both issued wanted notices.
But everyone knew it wouldn’t be easy to catch him.
The fact that he escaped showed he was well-prepared. Investigators even doubted whether he "escaped" or "disappeared."
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