Darkstone Code

Chapter 660 - 0658 Choose One of Two [This - is sponsored by: Mountain Spirit Laughing Loudly - Extra Update 3/9]

Mr. Wardrick came home just after noon, which surprised his wife, "Don’t you have work this afternoon?"

Mr. Wardrick smiled after taking off his coat, "Lynch is coming this afternoon, I have some things to discuss with him...," he paused, "Where’s Severa?"

Since Severa was politely rejected by Lynch last time, she had been down for quite a while. As her father, Mr. Wardrick was still quite relieved.

Emotional pain has an essential role in personal growth, not only bringing pain but more importantly, growth, spiritual growth.

He had previously overlooked this positive aspect of life’s growth, but now it was fine. Someone had accomplished these things without further hurting his precious daughter, which made him very satisfied.

Since being rejected by Lynch, Severa had devoted all her energy to writing and managing her personal brand.

This is a good thing. At least she understands now the benefits of actively striving for her future, rather than waiting passively.

When considering these matters, Mr. Wardrick never paid attention to the thoughts of ordinary people, nor did he find it excessive that his daughter published a book with her own ability in her twenties and has her own personal brand. He thought it was normal because it proves how good his genes are.

Of course, if the meeting between Severa and Lynch could be avoided, it naturally should be, hence his question.

"She has an appointment with several designers today to discuss the autumn release at the company...," despite it being just early summer, people in the fashion industry were already racking their brains over autumn and winter attire and color combinations.

In a little while, sometime in June, Benlit will hold this year’s "Midsummer Fashion Week," and no brand can miss such an opportunity.

Mr. Wardrick nodded in satisfaction, kissed his wife on the cheek, then went upstairs to start working.

Even at home, many matters of the group company still needed his attention, working by phone.

Working by phone has been a trendy term recently, reportedly related to a telephone exchange patent, which greatly reduced manual work, allowing telephone meetings to be held anytime, anywhere.

The timeliness led to this service being embraced as soon as it came out, though it was costly, those who needed it managed to afford it.

After reviewing several documents, Mr. Wardrick took a nap. He always got up very early in the morning, so he needed a nap to replenish his energy and spirit.

Presidents in Bupen and even the Federation are always a hardworking bunch. A few years ago, when the Federation’s economy was doing well, a TV station made a documentary recording the weekly lives of seven presidents.

Once aired, that documentary was an unprecedented success. People were curious and fascinated by the lives of the wealthy and high society, and the program satisfied their curiosity.

It was discovered that all the seven presidents interviewed lived very disciplined lives, waking up at the earliest at five, and at the latest at six, working all day long.

They didn’t participate in any debauched parties, and even attended very few cocktail parties.

They didn’t consume high-calorie food, mostly eating vegetables, green plants, and maintained at least half an hour of exercise every morning and before bed.

Many people thought their lives were dull and boring, like ascetics, while others admired them for being so wealthy and powerful, yet not caring about indulgence.

It was also because of these presidents’ performance that a popular saying at the time emerged—"The wealthy work harder than you, how long do you plan to lay in bed?"

Well, those production teams merely overlooked the two-hour naps and rest after dinner these presidents had, focusing instead on their busy lives...

Around two o’clock, Lynch arrived here.

Awakening from his sleep, Mr. Wardrick quickly changed his clothes. This kind of life was usual for him. He even had a rest area in his group company’s office for napping.

As far as he knew, almost all presidents and high-level executives at his level had a separate rest room in their offices...

After some simple pleasantries, Lynch and Mr. Wardrick went into his study. Without asking, the latter made Lynch a cup of coffee and, surprisingly, asked, "Are you here to surrender?"

His eyes held three parts scrutiny, three parts playfulness, three parts helplessness, and one last part of expectation he hadn’t even noticed.

Even Mr. Wardrick, as the president, had no way to counteract the decisions made by his consortium. His signed documents and positions could be torn up at any moment. Even if compensation for breach of contract was required, it was no big deal.

When facing these issues, Mr. Wardrick didn’t show intense dissatisfaction. He always obeyed the board’s final decisions. He appeared very suited for his job and the capitalist game.

But only he knew, he did have a temper.

Everyone has a temper, even gods have a temper. There’s no such thing as people without a temper in this world. However, sometimes showing that you have a temper is a childish act.

There’s no point in displaying anything, so he simply chose not to.

In his view, Lynch is likely here to surrender. He knows those people on the board made connections and notified the Tax Bureau about Lynch’s company registration, and if nothing unexpected happens, they should’ve started auditing Lynch’s accounts now.

Everyone fears an audit. Mr. Wardrick himself is also afraid of being audited. It’s not that he’s genuinely involved in tax evasion, but these matters are complex, and the Federation’s laws are also complex.

Even if everything he does locally in Bupen is legal, it might not be legal in other states. When capital competition heats up, they often use Congress to initiate cases against their opponents.

You weren’t breaking the law before, but now you are. This is the power of capital against capital.

You claim you’re innocent. Are you really innocent?

Ultimately, it’s the law that decides, and behind those who make the laws stand countless capitalists!

Fearful.

Lynch paused his movement of picking up the coffee, then let out a laugh, "So do you hope I’m here to surrender, or to declare war?"

Mr. Wardrick stirred the coffee in his cup; his attention seemed fixated on the cup, "I don’t know. Any choice isn’t the best choice for you."

His gaze gradually lifted from the cup in his hand to Lynch’s face, "If you’re here to surrender, it means you’re not invincible, and some people will start eyeing your industry with greed."

"If you’re here to declare war, to be honest, I think you don’t stand a chance."

"Many people don’t have a specific understanding of a Consortium. They think it might be just a large company, but it’s actually more than that."

"Once you declare war on the board of a Consortium, the first issue you face is production; some things you can’t buy anymore, and some of your former sales agents also refuse to sell your products for you."

"Secondly, there’s market aggression. They will quickly set up enterprises with the same content as your business."

"You sell cups; they set up a company selling cups too, but at a lower price and with wider distribution."

"Including the current business in Nagariel, it will be hard to buy items from suppliers related to our group in the future. Essential items for the construction industry, talent, everything is gone, even some shipping companies refuse to transport for you."

"I’m sure you know this too; there’s no best choice."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head to sip a coffee, then casually took a cube of sugar from the table and threw it in, giving it another stir.

Federation people like adding milk and sugar to their coffee, some even add cocoa powder. There’s a joke saying a group of foreigners asked how to enter the Federation’s food and beverage market, and their Salesperson told them to give customers enough sugar packets.

Lynch tasted the bitterness and richness of the coffee, smacking his lips, "I am here to declare war, and at the same time, to find allies."

"You can’t be talking about me, can you?" Wardrick laughed heartily, "You’re really humorous. Do you truly think you can persuade me to help you against the Consortium behind me?"

He shook his head with a smile, "That’s impossible, Lynch. Though we have a good relationship, I know it’s impossible."

"Even if I stood by you, we can’t win."

Lynch firmly rebutted, "We can win."

"How to win?" Mr. Wardrick’s expression gradually turned serious as he analyzed, "Soron signed a long-term contract with the Consortium worth six hundred million (not a one-off payment) and also agreed to help the Consortium’s products establish a foothold in Gafura."

"We connected with Gafura’s Minister of Construction through some channels, and he confirmed Soron’s statement. If our products perform well in the Amelia Region, Gafura will place an order and is willing to list us as an important partner."

"This is crucial. It means we can quickly gain an international presence. Gafura’s past dominance will make many follow their choices blindly. This could be a project worth billions or tens of billions."

"Let me say something audacious; so much profit is enough to push the Consortium to act even crazier."

Mr. Wardrick saw it very clearly; money is alluring. He was actually tempted too. With the output catching up, just the Amelia Region could yield at least a billion in profit, and he could get a few million, not to mention the profits exceed a billion.

You have to consider the profit in transportation, installation fees, engineer calibration fees, and post-maintenance fees; these are all money!

And this money can continually generate more money. Anyone who hinders the Consortium from taking this becomes their mortal enemy!

Not even the President can!