Blackstone Code-Chapter 680: The Three Conditions

The young man looked at the youth.

The youth lowered his gaze and quietly sipped his coffee, avoiding eye contact.

The Emperor of Gephra had issued a strict order: the political power and stability of the Amellia region must be ensured at all costs. The nation couldn’t afford to be a laughingstock in the eyes of the world. If necessary, even shocking methods were permitted to eliminate potential threats.

But Governor Sedel had no intention of doing that. The reason was simple. Though the idea came from His Majesty, the one executing it would be Governor Sedel. Even if he didn’t fear being discarded by the Emperor once his use was up, he still had to think of himself.

A dictator might be disliked, but still tolerated. A butcher or executioner, however, would never be accepted.

Few executioners from Gephra’s past had met good ends. Everyone understood that executioners merely enforced the law on behalf of the nobles.

But nobles were still nobles. Few dared to cross them. Retaliating against an executioner, on the other hand, carried far less risk.

If public opinion turned against him, even if the government held firm, Governor Sedel himself might not be able to.

So, a new compromise had to be sought.

And since all of this began because of Lynch, perhaps it could also end with him.

Soren set down his coffee cup, still not looking directly at Lynch. Only now did he realize this negotiation was much harder than he had imagined.

All his prior meetings with Lynch had taken place with Governor Sedel present. Lynch’s imposing aura had been directed mostly at his father, not at him.

Governor Sedel had absorbed nearly all of that pressure. Back then, Soren hadn’t realized how difficult this task would be. Now he understood.

He understood the weight in his father’s tone when discussing the matter. It wasn’t to suggest he could shoulder the responsibility—it was doubt over whether he could even complete the task.

Clenching his fist, Soren finally moved his gaze toward Lynch, though he avoided direct eye contact.

Looking into Lynch’s eyes brought immense pressure. He didn’t want to negotiate under that kind of weight.

“Some businessmen used various means to disrupt Amellia’s free market. The Governor’s office has already issued orders to arrest them. They’ll be hanged soon in Zhuris Square,” he said.

“Mr. Lynch, the Governor has entrusted me to convey our commitment to maintaining a fair and equal market. We also welcome any friends from the Federation to do business in the Amellian Province. For certain key goods and projects, we’re prepared to offer tax breaks and even financial subsidies.”

Negotiation was business—give and take. Soren felt his father had already made a significant concession by indirectly admitting fault and offering compensation. He now awaited Lynch’s response.

Lynch curled his lips. “It seems you still don’t fully understand the Federation, Mr. Soren.”

Soren made a gesture of attentiveness. His attitude was acceptable, but still lacked true sincerity.

“You people forced me out of Amellia…”

“No, Mr. Lynch, that’s a complete misunderstanding!” Soren immediately interrupted, denying the accusation.

Lynch just smiled and waved it off. “It’s only the two of us here. There’s no point arguing over things we both know are true.”

“You caused me a lot of trouble. That’s expected. If you’ve read the Federation’s charter, you’d know we have a unique spirit—one that allows us to express ourselves anytime, anywhere.”

“You used your means—that’s your capability. You did what you could.”

“And so did I.”

“It’s just that I won this fight, Mr. Soren.”

“If you think I’m being harsh or unreasonable, that’s only because I’m now exercising the rights of the victor.”

“If I had lost, I’d likely be in prison, disgraced. I know you wouldn’t have given me a second chance. But I wouldn’t blame you, because as I said—you would’ve been the victors, and that would’ve been your right.”

“But as it stands now…” Lynch spread his hands. “It looks like I won. So the decisions moving forward are no longer yours to make. Do you understand?”

His tone wasn’t aggressive—on the contrary, it was calm, even gentle. But every word carried a chilling pressure.

Soren recalled the weight he felt in the Emperor’s presence. Lynch’s pressure was even greater—because it was personal, and not at all benevolent.

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his temple. “It’s a bit warm…” He tried to deflect.

But Lynch didn’t let him. “Shall I repeat myself?”

“And do you understand?”

“I… I think I understand.”

From that moment, Lynch had seized total control of the negotiation. He nodded in satisfaction. “That’s the foundation of resolving our misunderstanding, Mr. Soren.”

“My demands aren’t many.”

“First, completely open the Amellian Province’s market and trade. Allow Federation merchants to operate without discrimination.”

“Second, permit me to build roads, railways, and all kinds of infrastructure in Amellia.”

“Third, allow my exploration teams to conduct mineral surveys in Amellia and potentially carry out future mining operations.”

“These are my only three conditions.”

Lynch took a sip of water, giving Soren time to process.

He had just finished breakfast, and the taste still lingered in his mouth. It wasn’t the right time for tea or coffee. Water was better.

Soren was drenched in sweat. He pulled the handkerchief from his pocket again. “These terms… are too harsh.”

“I’m helping you,” Lynch said, shifting his posture and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “Mind if I smoke?”

Soren shook his head. Even if he did mind, he wouldn’t dare say so.

With a soft ding as he lit the cigarette, Lynch took a drag and exhaled slowly. “Amellian Province’s role isn’t just about giving Gephra a stable inland territory. I’m not here to judge the monarchy’s impact on your nation, but Gephra’s capital is far too restricted. That’s why you’re losing your place as the world’s number one.”

“You lack drive.”

“Capitalists are forced to share profits with nobles. The nobles divide markets based on titles and land. That system may have worked in the past when productivity was lower…”

“But in this era, it has become a burden—so why not change it?”

“Not just opening the market fully to me and us, but to yourselves as well.”

“With completely free competition, capitalists and capital will unleash a level of aggressive drive you’ve never seen to develop this region. All you need to do is adjust the taxation accordingly.”

“You can relay my words to Governor Sedel, even to the Emperor himself. Don’t worry about any hidden agenda—I am, after all, a noble of the Empire myself!”

As he spoke, he stood up. Soren immediately followed.

“These three conditions are my bottom line. I’ll be waiting for good news from you. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you.”

After shaking hands with Lynch, Soren took the initiative to leave. These decisions weren’t his to make—they would have to be decided by his father.

And Lynch wasn’t lying about being busy—he truly had other matters to handle.

In a few days, the first round of formal negotiations with Nagaryll would begin. There were many issues to settle around the creation of this new Kingdom of Nagaryll.

Weakness truly was a form of original sin. Despite having enviable populations and natural resources, these nations could only survive as the plundered, living precariously—rulers included.

The Nagaryll Joint Development Company had passed a resolution to help Nagaryll build a political structure suited to modern society, with the Federation government playing a significant role.

Lynch had heard that some people planned to turn Nagaryll into a dumping ground for industrial waste. His “important matters” were related to this.

Over an hour later, he arrived at an estate in the suburbs of Eminence, where many people were already gathered—executives from the Joint Development Company.

As expected, representatives from several of the Federation’s top military-industrial groups were also present.

“I thought you’d arrive earlier,” said Mr. Wadrick, who paused his conversation and came over as soon as Lynch arrived.

In recent days, the Merrick Consortium had chosen to cut its losses. With his foresight, Mr. Wadrick had gained significant support within the board of directors. Meanwhile, the few main planners responsible for the consortium’s major losses had been removed from the board.

Collectively, they handed over 0.17% of the shares to the board for redistribution. Mr. Wadrick received 0.07% of that.

Additionally, his trusted aides had nominated him for the board chairmanship. Whether or not that would happen was uncertain, but it was already a significant step forward.

Even if he didn’t ultimately succeed, people would begin treating him as a de facto chairman—failing to seize the chairmanship didn’t necessarily mean a lack of strength.

Lynch’s series of maneuvers had dazzled Mr. Wadrick. He had great confidence in their small group now.

While greeting others, Lynch said quietly, “Amellia has backed down. Soon we’ll reach a conclusion, and that’ll open up more paths for us.”

Then, with a hint of jest, he added, “I work every day for our people and our future, yet there are always some who make it harder. They still haven’t ended their investigation of me—it’s really quite frustrating.”