Blackstone Code

The public's attitude towards the Listoan issue had become increasingly peculiar. Initially, through Listoan's internal propaganda, press releases, and appeasements, they successfully shifted the blame onto the city hall.

Especially when Neo, dressed in a worker's uniform, appeared before the workers and passionately fabricated a story about the corporation being persecuted and unable to complete its transformation, inevitably leading to bankruptcy, it garnered significant sympathy.

Workers even organized several protest marches during the strike, right outside the city hall. They chanted the mayor's name and juxtaposed his image with those of historical tyrants and dictators. At that time, the mayor was indeed in a passive position.

However, now things had changed. The mayor and the state government had decided to tear apart the facade regarding the Listoan issue.

Essentially, this was a poor display for both the mayor and the governor. It presented a very negative impression to the business community. If they were to become candidates for projects involving capital power in the future, the capitalists with the power to make choices might consider their current actions and thus deprive them of opportunities.

But they had no choice; Neo had pushed them to the edge of the cliff, and they had no way out.

Faced with the choice between a weak government and a strong one, they chose the latter.

This made Neo realize that when these rulers abandoned their scruples and rules to accomplish something, their destructiveness was not something a capitalist could resist.

The head of the Finance Department couldn't withstand the friendly care of the Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and, with some subtle hints from senior agents, started to make wild accusations, disrupting Neo's plans again. He had overestimated himself and underestimated others.

Listoan was a large local light industry conglomerate covering multiple sectors. If asked what people thought of Listoan Group, they might not be able to pinpoint anything specific.

But in their homes, the various appliances, clothes, shoes, bicycles, sofas, and furniture they used—if not directly from Listoan Group, would likely contain materials sourced from Listoan Group.

The company had initially started with garment manufacturing. During the era of great change in the Baylor Federation, there weren't many clothing stores on the streets.

If people wanted to prepare a new set of clothes for themselves, they either bought materials to make them at home, which few housewives could manage independently, or they went to a tailor. In old photos, people often appeared very spirited, not because they were more energetic, but because their outfits were custom-made, perfectly reflecting their appearance at the time.

In that era, the young Auburn, the chairman, embraced new ideas from home and abroad and started his entrepreneurial journey in the clothing industry. He collected extensive data, divided clothes into several standard sizes, and began large-scale production. He received his first loan thanks to the then-mayor of Sabin City.

Flipping through these records, Lynch couldn't help but marvel that some people seemed born to pioneer an era. Old Auburn had directly made Listoan Group the largest garment and shoe producer in Sabin City and even the entire state.

It wasn't until Neo appeared that the company's operations became increasingly diverse and multidimensional.

Although he couldn't see some of the more confidential information, Lynch believed that Neo might have foreseen the crisis, prompting his eagerness to diversify and find new businesses, albeit not very successfully.

Making clothes, especially on an assembly line, had no real barrier to entry. A few ordinary tailors could complete the entire process—cutting, pattern making, ironing, and forming, with the rest being mass production.

The lack of barriers meant others could easily imitate, compounded by industry competition...

After reviewing this information, Lynch began contemplating how to quickly bring down this conglomerate.

He sat behind his desk, looking out the window at the dim sun. The power of winter had sapped the strength of the sun that once scorched people's skin in summer. Watching the withered leaves and desolate world outside, he started to have some ideas.

When his gaze returned from the distance, several minutes had passed, although to him it felt like just a few moments, without a precise sense of time.

He tidied up the disorganized documents on his desk to make them look more orderly and said, "Arthur, how many years have you been in Sabin City?"

Arthur, who had been waiting by the side, was momentarily taken aback but respectfully replied, "Mr. Lynch, I've been here for over a decade."

"Over a decade..." Lynch repeated noncommittally.

Perhaps Arthur felt his answer was too vague, so he elaborated on his experiences, making the "over a decade" more substantial.

Lynch nodded slightly. "During your time here, have you heard of any accidents at Listoan Group? For instance, production accidents causing worker injuries, environmental impact from their waste, or anyone getting seriously ill or dying from inhaling or ingesting their materials?"

Arthur didn't answer immediately. He frowned and thought carefully. He valued his job greatly, knowing that apart from Lynch, no one else could give him the same level of respect they gave to the Baylorian. He needed to repay Lynch by using his abilities.

After about two or three minutes, he said uncertainly, "I heard some rumors from years ago. They used a new material, and something happened, but I don't have the details."

"Besides that, I don't know much. I'm sorry, Mr. Lynch," he apologized for his "incompetence," lowering his head in shame.

Lynch raised his hand slightly. "You don't need to apologize, Arthur. No one can know everything, not even me. I have a task for you. Find out about the accidents that occurred during Listoan's production over the years, preferably identifying some victims. Do it discreetly, understand?"

Arthur immediately understood. "I know what to do, Mr. Lynch."

Lynch's main interest was in Listoan's production equipment. As a recently shut-down large conglomerate, these machines would have undergone at least one round of maintenance and inspection, waiting for a new lease on life.

These were highly efficient machines, and now there was a chance to buy them at bargain prices, a profit margin Lynch couldn't resist.

He had initially thought he wouldn't get involved, considering he had no direct conflict with Listoan Group or the unseen CEO Neo. Moreover, his Interstellar Trading Company and Listoan Group weren't even on the same level.

But as fate would have it, Neo was in deep trouble while holding onto coveted wealth. This left Lynch with no choice but to join the battle.

Arthur's work began smoothly. He was diligent and thoughtful, unlike the lazy Baylorian workers who were often passive and unmotivated.

Arthur, an immigrant, was hardworking and diligent. For just ten bucks, he obtained an important document from an old man managing the archives at the workers' union.

There had always been a workers' union within Listoan Group, and even now it still existed. This document recorded the information of their successive organizers.

Arthur quickly found some older individuals among them and, by promising money, gained their trust, obtaining little-known information.

For instance, over a decade ago, Listoan had purchased a batch of supposedly new materials, which emitted toxic gases when heated. Over seventy people in the workshop suffered varying degrees of harm, with the worst cases resulting in organ failure and death.

Such production accidents were not uncommon. A large factory dealing with various chemical products frequently faced incidents due to workers' lack of chemical knowledge and training.

These incidents were swiftly suppressed by Listoan's legal department. They threatened workers with legal consequences for disclosing these incidents while offering small compensations.

In such circumstances, most workers had no choice but to comply.

At least by following the company's orders, they could get some money. If they spoke out, they would get nothing and be entangled in long, costly lawsuits they couldn't afford.Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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