Darkstone Code

Chapter 1072 - 1070: Pure and Noble

When Anna came out of the private room, she immediately saw the ladies and gentlemen still soaking in the pool.

Her face was a bit red, possibly because the temperature was too high, or maybe because... she felt a little embarrassed, she had fallen asleep.

The hot springs here were very comfortable, even in the private room.

Inside, there was a small pool, slightly larger than a bathtub, lined with many smooth stones; sitting on them didn’t feel uncomfortable, rather it provided a sense of comforting pressure.

Coupled with the appropriately warm spring water flowing in the pool—yes, it was running water, Anna quickly dozed off.

She was not sure how much time had passed now, ten minutes, half an hour, or longer?

She was unsure.

A group was eating, not knowing who had the sudden idea of suggesting a barbecue here; after playing cards for a while, the time approached evening.

The President felt it was a good suggestion to have a hot spring barbecue, so the servants of the estate began to bustle around.

Considering that the barbecue might bring some potential air hazards, they opened all the ventilation ducts.

The air circulation created an interesting phenomenon.

The steam rising from the pool could only remain briefly over the pool, a bit further and it was blown away by the cold wind, it was very cold outside the pool, but very warm inside, making it all the more tempting not to leave.

"Sorry, how long was I gone?" She sat down next to Lynch, naturally holding onto his arm.

Anna was wearing a vintage swimsuit, how vintage?

Who could have thought that this one-piece swimsuit actually had a short skirt, which showed just how old-fashioned it was!

Yet, for the people here, especially the President and his wife, it was the best choice.

This way, it wouldn’t make the men in the underground space focus their gaze on any one person, even though they knew men’s eyes always pursue young girls, they still didn’t want to see their partners looking at someone other than themselves.

People will always be selfish about certain things, and never learn to be generous.

"About thirty minutes, did you fall asleep?" Lynch pinpointed the truth with one sentence.

Anna was unsure whether to deny or admit, fortunately, Lynch bailed her out... if that was indeed bailing out.

"You must have fallen asleep!"

The gentlemen laughed kindly, they had just negotiated many things during the card game.

Lynch could sense the President seemed under heavy pressure recently, he didn’t quite understand where it was coming from.

Maybe it was self-imposed, maybe external, from Lynch’s perspective, he shouldn’t have pressure.

"Do you want something?" Lynch looked at Anna, the aroma from outside the pool had wafted in, everyone knew what dinner was.

Sweet sauce with barbecue, nothing beats eating this in the winter.

Anna was indeed a bit hungry, she had been chilled by the wind for over an hour, both cold and hungry, now that the cold issue was resolved, hunger was all that remained.

"Maybe our chef is willing to bring you a platter of barbecue, the most tender part!" The latter half of Lynch’s sentence was directed at the chefs outside the pool.

Being invited here as the President’s guests meant these people would become very close to the President, they had the right to request things from the chefs.

Soon a small platter of beef sliced into centimeter plus square shapes was served, the beef was perfectly marbled, you could see a thin layer of water-glossy beef fat membrane between each muscle fiber.

During grilling, fat had already seeped out, but the remaining bits were still a crucial factor in maintaining the tender texture of the beef.

Sweet sauce, coupled with distinctly garlicky barbecue, grilled to perfection.

"I seem to be getting hungry too!" Lynch handed the plate to Anna, Anna thanked him and took a small bite.

The President glanced at the butler, who checked his watch and made a subtle gesture only they understood; in short, the butler informed the President it was already past six.

Federation people are accustomed to dining between seven and eight because most factories work past six, with over half closing at seven.

By the time workers arrive home, it’s usually seven-thirty, so their dinner time is relatively late.

As for why they finish before eight, because at eight those ordinary working-class folks are promptly seated in front of the TV.

TV starts broadcasting all sorts of exciting programs at eight, all kinds!

A day has twenty-four hours, with six to eight hours for sleep, over ten for work, and two for rest.

The time that truly belongs to ordinary people, which they can freely control, is probably only three to four hours.

And this is precisely when the Federation’s television entertainment is at its most exciting, and no one wants to miss it unless they have a reason to.

As for why ordinary people have to adhere to such time rules, do the wealthy or high society also comply?

It’s actually quite simple. They have to monitor these people to complete a day’s work and exhaust their value for the day before they can finish work.

Strictly speaking, capitalists are even more hardworking than workers. Workers just need to work, while capitalists must discern who is slacking off and who is not engaged—well, that’s just a joke.

There are many reasons why people’s meal times tend to be later, although having it earlier isn’t impossible either.

"Perhaps we do need to eat something, if you’re all willing!"

The President is very wise. His every suggestion often meets the needs of the vast majority. When he said this, everyone expressed their hunger and thanked the President for his suggestion.

No need to stand up, nor to go out, just soaking in the hot springs, with top-grade steaks and side dishes floating on trays before everyone’s eyes.

A very special dinner, people talked about simple things, such as the weather, some interesting recent events, and... current affairs.

"I heard Ms. Trish wants to establish a foundation to help school-age children..."

The President started another topic, and people chimed in.

The plan for educational reform is almost completely settled. Any President with ambition, wanting to leave a page of their own in history, will definitely not be content with the status quo.

Social welfare reform and healthcare reform are things he dares not touch—whoever touches them will be shattered, at least at this stage he dares not.

The only thing that can differentiate him from his predecessors might be the less sensitive educational reform.

More schooling opportunities for the children of commoners do not mean their efforts in education will be rewarded. In the Federation, it’s always capitalists hiring various employees.

It’s not about how much common knowledge a person possesses but who the capitalists want to exploit.

Those whom the capitalists wish to exploit will have a decent job unless someone’s knowledge is so advanced that it forces the capitalists to relent.

The essence of educational groups is "association" rather than "knowledge," much like the Saint Harmony Association.

They won’t allow a commoner to join just because they’ve been to university. Those who could join the Saint Harmony Association before still qualify, and those who couldn’t before still cannot.

They still won’t enjoy the benefits brought by the Secret Society, so educational reform won’t touch the core interests of educational groups.

On the contrary, because more people have the qualifications to advance, educational groups’ interests won’t suffer but will grow.

Why would they refuse?

Publishing groups that play an important role within educational groups now have more people buying their books due to going to college, boosting their sales—why would they refuse?

The President chose a very good position to play his first reform card. This move is beautiful, and the perpetually clueless commoner class will thank the President for the heavy student loans they will bear in the future!

They actually don’t realize that their children going to university and now attending high school aren’t significantly different. It won’t necessarily get them better jobs, but instead, their families will bear even heavier debts.

As soon as the President started speaking, everyone expressed their opinions, maybe because Lynch was previously more active and now silent, so the President asked him.

"I heard Catherine, that young girl, is also helping Ms. Trish with her endeavors. She supports seeking more educational rights for women. Perhaps you have some insights I don’t know?"

Lynch nodded, "Of course, Mr. President!"

The President now sees educational reform as an important chip for his reelection, and Lynch certainly wouldn’t say it’s a fake reform, as that’s not popular, nor can it change anything.

He organized his thoughts, "Darkstone Security previously established a foundation to provide necessary educational assistance to families of fallen employees."

"So far, we’ve helped sixty-three children continue their education after losing their fathers."

"Therefore, I want to try establishing a new company over in Sabin City, which doesn’t have much business. Its core content is to provide assistance to all seekers hoping to go further in knowledge."

"Wealth, connections, even recommendation letters, as long as they genuinely want to learn and truly aim to change their fate through study, I will help them!"

"Besides these, I also plan to donate two universities..." Lynch took a glass of iced drink from a floating tray.

This formed a stark contrast with him soaking in hot water.

"As everyone knows, I couldn’t afford college due to poverty. My wish is quite simple—not to let a young person who wants to go to college be hindered by poverty!"

The President couldn’t help but applaud Lynch’s words, "A pure and noble ideal!"