Darkstone Code

Chapter 1054 - 1052: Equivalent Exchange

The people of Mariluo are very pragmatic.

Although Isabella is indeed the general’s daughter and has the right to inherit his forces and territory, ultimately, everyone needs to survive, right?

Idealism cannot fill an empty stomach. While some people in the Federation may think idealism can sustain them, the people of Mariluo have come to this conclusion through their own experiences.

Idealism really doesn’t fill the stomach.

Whether it’s unifying Mariluo or establishing a new order,

or building a peaceful home without war,

these are all empty words, having ideals doesn’t mean you can eat without food.

Having ideals also requires food, and even more food; only when you’re full can you have the energy to pursue your ideals.

For some time now, people here haven’t been able to fill their stomachs; they have no economic source, and even the limited funds they have aren’t much.

Some are used to purchase various guns and ammunition as necessary supplies, and a small part is used to buy food.

Even wages have become quite small.

Previously, they didn’t have to worry about these things because the General and Every Moment would arrange everything.

Every month, a large amount of food and supplies would enter here through the border between the Federation and Mariluo, and they didn’t have to worry about poor nutrition or insufficient weapons supplies.

But now, they feel it.

If it weren’t for the fact that they are too far away from other warlords, and the road is too dangerous, some of these people might have already secretly run away.

The feeling of hunger is not pleasant. They work for the warlords just in hopes of getting enough to eat, hoping their families won’t be bullied, and hoping for some steady money each month.

When Isabella overturned the box, and a large amount of money spilled out like water, people immediately accepted her.

She is the General’s daughter and has led troops in battle; she has the right to inherit everything here.

Most importantly... she has money.

Whether the money is hers, left by the General, or from the Federation, they don’t care; they only care about when they can eat to their fill and when they can get paid on time. As for the rest?

They don’t care, not at all; after all, they’re just working for others.

Isabella’s takeover of this relatively small force was very simple, with no hiccups; the power of money is enormous.

The ensuing reorganization work was not very difficult, with the help of people from the Federation.

Isabella’s development differs from Sanchez’s; if Sanchez is developing in a "compatible" way, like a sea that can embrace everything,

then Isabella is like a distinct flag; she represents the traditional mindset, a barrier, and an arrow!

In the evening, after finishing some work, Isabella was about to rest when someone knocked on her door.

"Ms. Isabella, there’s a call for you from Mr. Lynch."

Isabella paused for a moment, "I understand, I’ll be right there," she said as she got up from her bed, changed into casual clothes, and opened the door.

Outside the door, two mid-level field operatives from Darkstone Security were protecting her. She didn’t feel the slightest bit afraid here, but rather very reassured.

She finally experienced the feeling that only Sanchez could feel; as long as she remained useful, the Federation would ensure her safety.

Though it sounds a bit... something, it’s at least good news; at least she won’t die.

She walked to the former mayor’s study; ever since the military government rose to power, Mariluo’s administrative units have become a mere formality, and the mayor was ousted.

In every city, the real power lies with the warlords and their armed followers, who play all roles.

Before picking up the phone, Isabella took a few deep breaths, then quickly picked up the receiver, "Good evening, Mr. Lynch."

Despite some things happening between them, Isabella still didn’t dare to casually call him "Lynch" or something else, maintaining a respectful attitude.

This also has to do with her upbringing; in Mariluo, women’s status has always been low.

"Good evening, Isabella, first I want to congratulate you on successfully taking the first step."

A smile appeared on Isabella’s face, "Thanks to your help, I know my situation, without your help, I couldn’t have done anything."

A chuckle came over the phone from Lynch, "No need to compliment me so much, you’re more important than you think, now let’s talk about something useful."

"We talked about those mines before, do you remember?"

This was also part of the bargaining chip Isabella used to persuade Lynch; the current Mariluo Central Government is just a puppet, unable to issue directives beyond the capital.

Except for that one city, all other lands are in the hands of the warlords, which means that extracting these mineral resources is not difficult.

As long as you can persuade the warlords, you don’t even need any expenses!

The profit from a mine cannot be easily calculated; it’s simply enormous.

It’s difficult for the locals in Mariluo to extract them, but foreigners can easily do so.

If they’re not afraid to offend Lynch, not afraid to offend Darkstone Security, not afraid to offend the Federation, then they can freely attack those mineral resources.

Initially, these things weren’t on Lynch’s radar, but circumstances have changed, so some adjustments are necessary.

The script adjustment for "The Rise of Isabella."

"I’ve discussed with the company and decided to slightly modify the previous plan. Now, the development path will head toward the area with the mineral resources you mentioned earlier."

Isabella was momentarily stunned; when she previously brought up the topic, Lynch showed no interest, like someone who’d just completed a tightening and relief session, devoid of any desire.

But now, she could hear a subtle change in Lynch’s tone—desire, greed, or something else.

He hid it too well for Isabella to discern what it was.

She gathered her thoughts and immediately asked, "What do I need to do?"

"Cooperate!" Lynch’s voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable force, "Your adjutant will explain the upcoming strategy to you shortly."

"A new batch of supplies and resources are being loaded onto trucks, and will reach you once you’ve organized your resources."

"Good luck, Isabella. I’m waiting for your good news in the Federation!"

After hanging up the phone, Isabella was a bit bewildered; she didn’t know why Lynch suddenly changed the initial plan, but she had no choice but to comply.

At the start, she had a choice, but she chose the most difficult path, and from the moment she set foot on it, there was no turning back.

Soon, the Federation’s adjutant came to her with maps and detailed the news from the head office. Their sole objective was to punch through a "corridor" and seize the entire mining area!

This is tied to a series of subsequent plans, and absolutely no mistakes are allowed!

Over an hour later, Isabella’s mind was filled with various marching routes, strategies, and maneuvers as she lay on the soft bed, gently touching her abdomen.

She wondered if there would be any outcome from that night with Lynch; she hoped so.

Lynch was too dominant, the Federation people too overpowering. If it continued like this, it made no sense to consider seizing the general’s territory or inheriting his forces.

Because everything was strictly controlled by Lynch and the Federation; she was merely a puppet, just like the current Mariluo Central Government and the nominal President.

She had the title but could do nothing.

She was not satisfied with this; she hoped to become a true ruler, a leader, and her only hope laid in bearing Lynch’s child!

It’s a primitive thought and action, using the next generation to link two adults, but sometimes it works.

At least both she and Lynch understood that should she perish or anything happen, the one who would ultimately inherit all she owned would be that child, Lynch’s child.

This could be accepted emotionally and profit-wise.

Meanwhile, Lynch sat in the study, pondering the issues at hand.

A market worth tens of billions, even if he takes just a small bite, would realize another leap in his wealth.

Such opportunities are rare, occurring perhaps once or twice a century, or possibly not at all!

Rich people do not often go crazy enough to join forces on something; to make them collectively insane is quite difficult.

But he’s remembered Mr. Pato’s reminder—a tens-of-billions-scale sniping operation might shatter him completely if mishandled.

So he cannot be the "sniper"; the sniper will be Isabella.

See, there’s nothing more logical happening.

Isabella urgently wishes to pay for hiring Darkstone Security, so she found a high-reserve, high-purity open-pit silver mine in her territory, isn’t that reasonable?

Since she discovered this silver mine, major mining and selling of these resources is a normal situation, isn’t it?

After all, she needs to turn these silver mines into money to pay various expenses, or she would lose Darkstone Security’s support—no problem there.

The silver market’s false prosperity triggered by a female warlord leader—there’s no better script than this.

She’s innocent, as she’s unaware of what’s happening in the outside Capital World. When people think it’s all conspiracy, they cannot find any valuable evidence.

As for sending someone to assassinate a female warlord leader?

Perhaps a good idea, but firstly it has to work, and after a failed assassination, there’s need to guard against retaliation from the female warlord leader.

Men might have a shred of reason when they go crazy, but when women go insane, never reason or use logic on them!

A bunch of big capitalists against a female warlord leader?

Enough to give them a headache!

As for Isabella shouldering these—it’s not a problem. After all, that’s her contribution.

To get something, one must pay for it.

The more you want, the more you have to pay!