Blackstone Code

The citizens were dissatisfied with the mayor, and the capitalists in the city were equally unhappy with him. They were the group most averse to social unrest, as it would spell disaster for their businesses.

The gathering organized by the wealthy merchant was ostensibly to protect property and combat illegal activities, but it clearly had other "intentions."

Lynch did not express any opinions; he merely stood quietly on the side. Although people paid attention to him, it was evident that the central figure of this gathering was not him, but rather the wealthy merchant.

The merchant's statements were not entirely accurate. According to federal law, "breaking and entering" generally referred to intruding into non-commercial private property, such as a residence, where defensive action was legally protected.

Nonetheless, whether commercial premises fell under the concept of "breaking and entering" and whether it was permissible to kill intruders involved technical and moral issues. Not to mention, when the merchant mentioned it in the gathering, this explanation no longer held any water.

If they arranged for armed guards in stores to eliminate those robbing them, the jury would not look favorably upon such actions. They would see it as premeditated murder.

It was possible that the shooters might be acquitted, but the instigator could be convicted of murder. Therefore, no one responded enthusiastically to the merchant's words; there were no fools among them.

After speaking for a while and seeing that the atmosphere was quite good, the merchant moved on to the main topic of the gathering. "Speaking of the recent problems in our city, there is someone with a unique perspective. Do any of you know Legislator Edward?"

Some people nodded. Legislator Edward was one of the state assembly members who had proposed some urban reform initiatives and often engaged with the public.

His proudest achievement was mastering blacksmithing and logging skills, claiming to have learned them from blacksmiths and lumberjacks to experience the hardships of labor.

The people at the bottom of society really bought into this, which earned him quite a reputation.

However, his actions did not resonate much with the upper echelons of society. Although a state assemblyman was quite influential, it was limited to that extent.

As the merchant spoke, there was a knock on the door, and Legislator Edward walked in.

The merchant briefly explained, "In the past few days, Legislator Edward and I have exchanged many ideas and opinions. I believe Legislator Edward is very concerned about our lives and interests."

"Recent events have made me realize that we need someone to speak out for us!"

At this moment, people finally understood the purpose of the gathering. It was essentially a political maneuver. Some were interested, agreeing with the merchant that nothing had changed so far.

Moreover, investing in politicians had always been a tradition. Politicians, funded by capitalists, expanded their influence and, in return, used their power to benefit their supporters once they gained authority.

The most common benefits included tax breaks and favorable local policies, which were what the capitalists sought.

Some found it boring, like Lynch, who knew more about the underlying issues. Legislator Edward and his potential supporters had already offended the mayor and those behind him.

Regardless of whether they belonged to the same party or faction, some small conflicts were inevitable.

This was understandable.

For any political party, resources were limited, even for major parties like the Progressive Party and the Conservative Party.

Resources could only be concentrated on a few individuals. Others had to fight for themselves, and among countless grassroots politicians, one might emerge as one of those few individuals.

The current mayor of Sabin City had also fought his way to his position, thus catching the attention of certain people and becoming part of the selection process.

Competition at the grassroots level was always brutal, whether for ordinary people, small business owners, or these "grassroots politicians."

The myriad small circles within countless rooms composed the diverse tapestry of society.

Among the bad news, there was some good news: the drinking water company and its employees had reached an agreement. After two days of water stoppage, the company guaranteed limited water supply twice daily for two hours each.

The agreement was reached because the employees, after two days of strike, realized they were also victims of the strike.

Others indeed had no water, but neither did their own taps. After several rounds of intense negotiations, a compromise was reached.

The workers would work two hours less each week, their monthly salaries would increase by 3.5% based on hourly rates, and they would receive three more days of paid vacation annually. That was all they could get.

The workers contentedly enjoyed their legal strike leave, unhurried to return to work, and sought to bolster the strength of other striking groups.

Perhaps noticing Lynch standing alone, Legislator Edward, having just finished a topic, walked over with a glass of wine.

Lynch was currently a highly regarded businessman in Sabin City. In these adverse times, for any enterprise, it was already quite an achievement to avoid losing money, let alone making a profit. Lynch's company not only avoided losses but also made substantial weekly profits.

Even more incomprehensible was that, despite the generally negative view of capitalists, many people were grateful to Lynch and his businesses.

Even the mayor sometimes needed Lynch's influence to promote certain initiatives. Furthermore, they planned to collaborate with television stations and communication companies to launch live auction broadcasts and telephone bidding!

If these initiatives became reality, everyone would see a formidable entity emerging.

Lynch's company's valuation was nearing the standard for going public. If they maintained their success at the state capital's auction, more companies and individuals would invest in Lynch.

Gaining Lynch's help was almost equivalent to gaining the attention and even assistance of those behind him.

"Did you not bring a date?" Edward approached Lynch proactively, not underestimating him due to his youth.

Lynch turned slightly and nodded, "I don't have a girlfriend yet. You know, people like us always feel we don't have enough time, let alone for dating."

He swirled his glass slightly, the liquid inside moving gently. "Maybe I'll consider it when I'm thirty."

This was a typical opening. Edward clinked glasses with Lynch. "What do you think is our main problem right now?"

It was a broad question. Lynch thought for a moment. "Communication."

If workers and capitalists could sit down and communicate calmly instead of using drastic measures like large-scale strikes to express their demands, perhaps the problems wouldn't have escalated to this extent.

But every issue had two sides. Perhaps they had tried this before and failed, so strikes had become a customary method, as only then would the capitalists listen to the workers.

However, this strike, in terms of scale, impact, and destructiveness, far exceeded previous ones.

Edward pointed at Lynch with the hand holding his glass. "Exactly, communication. So far, we haven't seen effective communication channels. Calls and speeches can't change anything substantial."

He was hinting that the mayor's actions were futile, which indeed seemed the case.

He smiled more broadly. "I'm different from Langdon and the others. They are either from elite schools or prestigious universities. They don't know what the people truly want."

"But I…" He stepped back, making some gestures. His body language was very expressive, making his words more convincing. "I come from an ordinary elementary school, an ordinary high school, and an ordinary university. I know what those people want because I came from them."

This statement was also flawed because those who truly belonged to "them" couldn't afford universities. At the very least, they were middle-class.

He shifted his tone. "I'm quite familiar with the local union president. In the coming days, I plan to discuss solutions to the labor disputes with them. If you have any needs, maybe we can address them during the negotiations."

This was how he attracted support. By negotiating directly with the union president about the strike, he appealed to those desperate to resume work immediately. Legislator Edward effectively grasped their needs, his bargaining chip shining brightly.

Unfortunately, this chip didn't work well with Lynch, who had few workers and mainly cooperated with numerous partners.

Moreover, he never forced anyone to work hard. His attitude was to let them work if they wanted to, believing that personal interest was a better motivator than supervision. Money was more effective than a whip!

Lynch shook his head. "I appreciate you thinking of me, but I don't have those troubles at the moment."Please vote for this novel at https://www.novelupdates.com/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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