Blackstone Code

"I need some advice." The mayor standing at the podium rubbed his temples. "We're facing increasing unemployment and worsening public safety in our city. Reports of violent crimes in neighboring cities are on the rise. If we can't contain this, our city, built over decades, risks regressing to a primitive state!"

Everyone knew destruction couldn't bring prosperity—only construction could. But current circumstances were pushing some to desperate measures they'd rather avoid.

If people could have food and clothing without committing crimes, and still have some money left, the vast majority of people in this world would still choose to be good.

However, the mayor's words also raised eyebrows among some people because not long ago they had just donated money, yet now the mayor gathered them again to discuss how to save the city, creating the impression that he wanted to extract more money from their pockets.

This feeling was unsettling; no one liked being extorted, even by the rightful ruler of the city.

Silence filled the room. The mayor looked expectantly at the assembled, hoping for solutions. But his optimism seemed misplaced.

No one spoke. They maintained gentlemanly postures, observing the mayor on the podium, feeling like mere ornaments brought together for show.

The hope faded from the mayor's face as he scanned the faces of everyone present. People avoided his gaze, denying him the answers he sought.

This meeting was destined to fail from the beginning, a fact that could've been foreseen as early as Wednesday. When Lynch donated a hundred thousand bucks, forcing many others to contribute more, they already felt like they were being extorted.

Afterward, whether they had conducted an investigation or not, some might've concluded that Lynch wasn't a "plant" arranged by the mayor, but they still felt they were robbed.

If this were a few years ago, three or five thousand bucks was something they could easily come up with anytime, anywhere. Back then, everyone still had plenty of money on hand.

Nowadays, everyone was struggling financially, so coming up with three to five thousand bucks was actually quite difficult; people were feeling the pinch from it.

The purpose of the mayor gathering everyone again was clear to the people in this room—they knew what the mayor wanted. However, they were unwilling to compromise anymore, at least not this time.

Endless compromises would only inflate the mayor's estimation of his influence. In reality, people weren't that dependent on him anymore, especially now that they had a "role model."

On Monday, Listoan Group's stock price began plummeting, causing many to view it as intriguing news. Sometimes, the presence of such dominant corporations in a city wasn't advantageous for smaller companies.

With upward channels mostly closed off, city hall favored policies benefiting the powerful local pillar companies rather than nurturing developing small enterprises.

Only when this group collapsed would most companies receive some new opportunities and policy favors. So they had been observing the spectacle, witnessing Listoan Group's stock price plunge; some even sold their Listoan stocks in an attempt to accelerate its downfall.

This was also one of the reasons people were willing to shell out money on Wednesday. People had witnessed the frightening influence of the city hall as Listoan Group's stock plummeted simply due to their superficial statements. It was said that even announcements from Neo and the board of directors couldn't change this reality.

Furthermore, after Listoan collapsed, it would benefit businessmen in this city. They could acquire Listoan Group's assets at low prices, which amounted to a significant profit for them. Therefore, even if reluctantly, they were willing to spend money to support the mayor's actions.

But now, things were slightly different. Neo had publicly announced intentions to withdraw Listoan's operations from Sabin City and relocate headquarters to a Conservative Party's territory in the neighboring state.

The mayor of the neighboring state's capital city also stated on Friday night that they would try to bring in external support to help their city through this difficult time. They promised the public that if the Listoan Group could reach an agreement and settle in their capital city, the Listoan Group would provide no fewer than three thousand jobs for the community.

This was just the initial stage. By next year or the year after, the number of jobs they could provide would exceed five thousand, which instantly thrilled the entire city's residents.

In fact, in the context of the current era, people's needs were really simple: they wanted to avoid hunger and have a stable job, especially the latter.

A job represented the stable livelihood of an entire family. Work was essential, and in times like those, nothing was more important than employment opportunities; absolutely nothing.

However, looking at the situation now, it seemed that things might not have been as simple as people initially thought. Listoan might not have been without options; it was possible they had an exit strategy all along. This could have been why the mayor and governor expressed their dissatisfaction with them.

The power of a role model was immense. Listoan's experience had shown people that if they wanted to solve some of their problems, the best way was to turn to the Conservative Party. Now, the Conservative Party was facing the same troubles as the Progressive Party, but they were more approachable.

People sat in the audience looking at the mayor, and the mayor looked at them in return. Eventually, the mayor had to speak first, which made him feel as if he had been humiliated, "I need you to provide more job positions..."

"That's not possible, Mr. Mayor!" Someone interrupted, grabbing everyone's attention.

Lynch couldn't help but be curious about this brave soul who dared cut off the mayor during the meeting. What courage must he possess?

The man was probably in his early thirties. He even took the initiative to stand up. He had a decent appearance, though not as good as Lynch's.

He was calm, not frantic, which indicated he knew what he was doing.

He looked at the mayor and repeated his earlier words, "It's impossible, Mr. Mayor! I run a small metal processing factory myself, employing twenty-seven workers. This is already the largest scale I can sustain."

"Since the second half of last year, it has been very difficult to sell the things I produce. Nevertheless, I have maintained this scale without change. I continue to pay wages to my workers, although some may consider paying them at the minimum hourly rate under the law to be unethical. At least I ensure these workers still receive a monthly wage from me!"

"Since May this year, I haven't received a single penny in payments for three months. I can no longer sustain the factory or pay my workers' wages. Let alone hire more workers, if I can't find a solution by October, I'll be forced to shut down the factory. So, providing more job opportunities is simply not feasible for me!"

"And!" His voice suddenly rose, causing a shiver down the mayor's spine. The mayor pursed his lips and fixed his gaze on the man, but the man still continued, "And, I believe the current issues in Sabin City cannot be solved simply by increasing job opportunities. Our problem lies in the lack of market for our products. Mr. Mayor, as well as the state and federal governments, should be helping us find markets rather than burdening us with responsibilities we shouldn't bear!"

His words were lofty, resonating with Lynch and others. Applause erupted, quickly spreading through the room, worsening the mayor's already grim expression.

In fact, much of what he said was true. If businesses couldn't sell their products and earn profits or revenue, they couldn't sustain employing workers. At a time like that, forcing factory owners and entrepreneurs to create new job positions was no different from taking their money by force.

His words echoed the genuine sentiments of many businessmen present. Naturally, they supported him.

The mayor stared at the man, taking note of his appearance. However, the man seemed unfazed by the mayor's gaze, which was filled with what seemed like malice; he showed no signs of fear.

This inevitably made the mayor speculate about what might be behind him, perhaps he was part of arrangements made by the Listoan Group and Neo.

The applause soon subsided. They were well aware that if the applause continued for too long, it might escalate matters. However, they only wanted to express their stance, not confront the mayor.

Not everyone could leave the city like the Listoan Group.

While moving to another city might temporarily alleviate issues like worker salaries, new cities posed tougher competition and policy pressures. If they couldn't influence the lives of the majority like the Listoan Group could, it was probably best for them not to leave.

The mayor pinched his nose bridge, gesturing for the man to sit down, then apologized, "I overlooked the pressures you all face..."

It was the closest he could come to an apology, and everyone accepted it readily.

"Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't expect anyone to solve problems even the President can't, but we need some relief. Our situation is dire."

Facing the mayor's inquiry, silence persisted. At this moment, anyone with a solution would be at odds with the entire capitalistic class of Sabin City.

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