Blackstone Code

Chapter 171

"Things haven't been great lately. Try not to go out after dark."

Ferrall showed up soon after Lynch returned to Sabin City, casually mentioning some recent issues with public safety. He advised Lynch to stay indoors after sunset.

Sometimes it seemed absurd. Baylor Federation, the most technologically advanced country on this planet and with a highly developed economy, had an alarmingly high crime rate.

Every year, a large number of unsolved cases piled up, filling several industrial warehouses—yes, those that were about ten to twenty meters high and cover thousands of square meters.

Each shelf was crammed with various files and evidence. But unless there was a breakthrough, those cases would remain untouched, and eventually be forgotten. Those records of crime would then be burned to ashes under the watchful eyes of many involved, illuminating the city... or maybe just a few light bulbs, considering the efficiency of fire-generated electricity.

So unless a case had a significant social impact, it would be left unsolved if no quick breakthroughs were made.

With the emergence of various societal issues, the crime rate started to soar. Some of the unemployed and desperately poor began taking risks. According to the Sabin City Police Department, the incidence of theft had been explosively increasing since three years ago, with no sign of abating.

Every day, dozens of theft cases were logged into the police records via the reporting system. There were likely many more thefts unreported because those affected had nothing left to steal and thus saw no point in angering the thieves.

For instance, in the burglary case Lynch reported, the police only took notes and made no special effort to resolve it. They merely reminded certain fences to watch for highly identifiable stolen goods.

This was because the officer who took Lynch's statement had a good impression of him. Otherwise, they wouldn't have wasted a call to spread the word, and the case would have been forgotten.

Violent crimes, robberies, and other serious offenses were also on the rise, making the city increasingly unsafe.

"Why not organize a force to clean out these gang members?" Lynch asked curiously. To him, solving the crime rate seemed simple, or at least not too difficult.

Ferrall smiled and shook his head, seeing Lynch's question as naive. "You might not know, but in the first half of the year, the local police spent about three hundred to a thousand bucks in manpower and resources per case, whether they were solved or not."

"You know how the federal judicial system works. Sometimes, even if you know the answer, you can't do anything about it. You must follow the legal procedures and rules."

"This indirectly increases the cost of solving cases. For a successfully solved robbery case, the police department spends about two thousand bucks, and solving a murder case can sometimes cost tens of thousands. If you wanted to solve every issue in the city, the city hall would immediately declare bankruptcy."

"So we only selectively solve certain cases. It's not that we don't want to, but we simply can't."

Ferrall understood these intricacies well. As he was striving to become the next mayor, he often paid attention to these matters and kept them in mind.

In fact, gangs, to some extent, helped the police maintain social order. At least the gangs, the police, and the politicians shared the same goal: stability, because stability would bring more money.

Shifting the topic, Ferrall congratulated Lynch on his recent success in Kurland City on behalf of the mayor.

The large transaction volume had validated the "policy" pushed by Sabin City's mayor, Mr. Langdon. The enthusiastic public support was the best proof, drawing attention from the state and the Progressive Party.

Now, any policy that could improve people's lives and was proven effective would garner significant attention, like the credit loans that would start in October.

Some things the politicians could participate in and gain dominance over, but others they could not. This selective approach allowed them to prefer controlling what remained within their grasp.

The governor's office had asked Sabin City's mayor to submit a report on the positive social impact of promoting second-hand goods transactions and idle goods exchange.

Other states might soon start similar auctions if things went as expected.

They might not understand innovation or key opportunities, but copying was innate.

The mayor had gained substantial political capital because of this. He hadn't expected that using Lynch's large audience for his speech would turn out so advantageous.

Of course, the mayor wouldn't forget Lynch's contribution. He even considered getting closer to Lynch.

Ferrall's visit this time was mainly for this. He needed Lynch to provide broader perspectives and explain the positive societal value of revitalizing second-hand goods.

Additionally, there was another matter. The tall, thin man and his associates hoped the mayor could pressure Lynch to agree to lower the cash ratio in their investment. They felt they had compromised enough, believing that reducing the cash ratio to twenty-five percent showed their sincerity; they hoped a middleman could help them complete this deal.

"This is just me conveying their thoughts, not representing my or the mayor's stance." Ferrall clarified cautiously, indicating Lynch could refuse without offending him or the mayor.

Clearly, Lynch's value was higher than the others'. The mayor knew how to choose. By conveying the message, he was merely acknowledging the tall, thin man's political support and donations.

Whether Lynch agreed or not was Lynch's business. Everyone knew Baylor Federation was a free country, with freedom enshrined in its constitution. No one could interfere with another's pursuit of freedom, not even the mayor.

Lynch nodded and smiled faintly, but Ferrall sensed refusal in it.

Though he usually avoided irrelevant topics, he couldn't help himself this time. "I'm just curious…," he began abruptly, looking at Lynch. Lynch's nod allowed him to continue. "I heard their offer wasn't low. Why refuse?"

Lynch's calm gaze made Ferrall's spine and scalp tingle. Just as Ferrall thought of changing the topic, Lynch spoke. "If someone thinks you're young and tries to teach you a lesson, like saying you're too young to run for mayor and persuades you to quit, would you compromise?"

"Even if they promise to support you next time, but you must step down this time, would you?"

"This is a war, Ferrall. There's no peace in the business world. Today I give an inch, tomorrow I lose everything."

"Even if we're all members of the Progressive Party and in the same camp, if given a chance to swallow them, I'd do it without hesitation. I believe they'd do the same."

Ferrall didn't pursue the topic further, knowing it was over. He soon took his leave.

Half an hour later, Ferrall reported his findings and Lynch's attitude to the mayor.

The mayor frowned, drumming his fingers rhythmically on the table. Already having enough troubles, he didn't want any more conflicts among the businessmen in his city,

Though indifferent to their fate, each businessman supported many ordinary citizens who relied on their jobs. If conflicts with Lynch intensified, it could cause unforeseen issues.

Neo had applied for a relocation order for Listoan Group to move to the neighboring state that belonged to the Conservative Party. Even a member of the president's cabinet urged the governor not to hinder Neo and expedite the process.

Once completed, Neo would leave, but a mess would remain.

Ignoring the soaring unemployment, the anger of the jobless could tear the mayor apart.

The governor had privately discussed this with the mayor. The conflict wasn't just between Sabin City and Listoan but also between the governor and Listoan. In order to relocate quickly, Neo had used some unfriendly resources to exert pressure on the governor, which offended the governor.

The governor told the mayor that even if Listoan left, he wouldn't let them leave easily, and he would make them pay for their actions.

Compared to this, Lynch's investment dispute with other businessmen seemed petty to the mayor.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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