Blackstone Code

Johnny was a worker at Listoan Chemical Factory. Six years ago, during an "accident," he and some of his colleagues lost parts of their skin.

Yes, their skin. Who knew that the chemical gases produced by heating those materials would quickly erode their skin? The exposed skin turned red, blistered, and then the outer layer peeled off.

The factory's official statement was that errors in their production process led to such severe consequences. This included failing to control the dosage precisely, not following the standard procedures, not wearing full protective gear, and not handling the accident site according to protocols.

The company's explanation seemed reasonable, with every point well-documented. However, some of them, including Johnny, knew that they had followed the factory's requirements exactly. The real issue was a mistake in the factory's laboratory formula, leading to the severe outcomes.

They agreed to the company's terms because if they didn't, not only would they receive no compensation, but they would also be sued by the company as the company had lost a significant amount of money, reputation, and workers due to their operational mistakes.

Later, the union's lawyer told them they had a strong chance of winning a lawsuit against the factory. Just as everyone was about to celebrate, the lawyer reminded them that winning would require a long, two to three-year lawsuit and exorbitant legal fees. The amount they might receive in the end wouldn't even cover the lawyer's fees.

Moreover, their condition had worsened. One colleague had severely damaged his trachea and lungs by taking deep breaths during the accident out of panic or for some other reason.

Ultimately, they had to sign an agreement with the help of the union lawyer. They admitted the accident was their fault, and the company, out of humanitarian spirit, provided some compensation.

The money was barely enough for initial medical expenses. Within three months, Johnny was kicked out of the hospital. His wife divorced him, and his children avoided him, calling him a "monster" and fleeing from his desperate hugs.

Losing some skin meant bacteria could easily proliferate in his body. In the early years, he had some money for treatments and ointments, and his resistance was relatively strong. Now, many of his exposed muscles had turned black and developed black circles, indicating severe infections. The doctor told him that without roughly two hundred thousand bucks for medical treatment, he could die anytime from septicemia or organ failure.

Today was one of the last days he could still see the sun. Lying on a bed in the yard, Johnny gazed up at the sky, which appeared gray and hazy. Inwardly, he sarcastically thanked the company for at least providing them with protective goggles, which allowed his eyes to still see, albeit blurrily.

Soon, he heard the director's scolding, a lot of noise around him, and even exclamations from people. What were they shouting? The mayor? Did the mayor come?

Johnny's eyes flickered briefly, but he soon resigned himself to his fate. Even if the mayor himself came, it wouldn't change a thing for him. He decided he might as well make the most of the little life he had left, knowing no one would bother to take him out of the room to enjoy a bit of nature normally.

On January 1st of the new year, the entire city of Sabin was shocked by the report "Hell Is Empty, Devils Walk The Earth!"

People had long known about these groups but had always used various means to ignore them. When someone ripped off their veil of numbness, they finally had to face the bloody reality.

The first to react was the mayor. He specifically chose this morning to visit the welfare home to see the victims of the accident, cancelling all his other engagements.

Next came social elites, opportunists, journalists, and onlookers.

The mayor, in front of the public and journalists, expressed his shock, anger, and sadness at these events. The atmosphere was heavy, but they didn't know that Johnny, nearby, was mocking their reactions.

The mayor had known about these issues long before but in a different context. In the past, these people, regardless of their condition, were just part of a number in some reports. Just a small part, not the whole. No matter how their lives were threatened and endangered, their names wouldn't even appear in that document.

Anyone seeing "11 injured" would never imagine that these eleven people weren't just suffering from minor cuts or bruises.

Vibrant lives couldn't melt the coldness of data unless people saw it firsthand.

When Johnny came to his senses, he only heard the mayor's last words: "Thorough investigation."

After ending his semi-improvised speech, the mayor felt it was enough. He had shown his stance to the people. Honestly, he hadn't planned to handle Neo like this before.

Essentially, such an exposure would not only shame Neo and Listoan Group but also the workers' union, the city hall, and the indifferent society as a whole.

Maybe that was why he hadn't thought of this approach, but Lynch did.

He called Lynch yesterday to ask about this issue, and Lynch's answer surprised him.

He remembered Lynch said over the phone that instead of avoiding these issues, he should acknowledge them. People would appreciate those who had the courage, responsibility, and willingness to change, and they would hate the silent perpetrators more.

Silence cannot hide their crimes.

More importantly, this could set Listoan Group as a negative example, and no matter what happened after, people would only be glad and think they deserved it.

So, today's events unfolded. In fact, about seventy percent of the speech that Johnny just missed was the mayor's apology.

He apologized to those mistreated over the years, to society, and he begged for forgiveness. He also insisted on bringing some people to justice.

His speech was a great success. Whether it was the social elites, media reporters, or onlookers, they all applauded enthusiastically and looked forward to it.

However, what everyone was looking forward to might be different.

Social elites hoped Listoan would follow in EverBright's footsteps and collapse, which would be a rare opportunity for all industries.

Pillar companies in a region would not only bring benefits; from certain angles, their downsides would outweigh their contributions. Because of their dominance in regional finance and economy, they would almost endlessly exploit local resources to grow themselves. All small and medium enterprises under such companies' "care" would be doomed to work for others forever. They would have no chance to grow because once they did, they would compete with the pillar company and eventually fail.

Now, this stone pressing down on those businesses was about to be lifted. They had every reason to be happy.

What about others?

Reporters were excited about the big news, which meant significant social reactions, more wealth, and greater personal influence.

Ordinary people simply looked forward to seeing the downfall of the wealthy and powerful, nothing more.

Led actively by Mark, people started the "tradition" of donations. It was as if initiating donations could turn misfortune into luck. At this moment, Johnny became focused, curious about how much they would donate and how much he could get for his treatment.

At this point, the mayor also slipped out of view, moving to the edge of the crowd to stand with Lynch.

His assistant handed him a handkerchief to wipe his hands. The assistant had noticed the mayor secretly wiping his palms twice, probably due to emotional reasons causing sweaty palms.

"Why did you decide to join this game?" the mayor asked curiously. It wasn't convenient to discuss this over the phone yesterday, so he asked now.

Lynch didn't joke or dodge. He had to clarify his position and demands, avoiding conflicts with others' demands, which was crucial for forming a united front.

"I'm interested in the machines in Listoan's factory—sewing machines, cutting machines, steam irons, and some other small things…" Lynch turned to the mayor. "Do you think auctioning these items would be enough to compensate these people for their suffering over the years?"

The mayor's eyelid twitched. He suddenly felt cautious. "What do you intend to do?"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

Link

Please do not delete thisHow to find a list of chaptersPlease find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.