Darkstone Code

Chapter 667 - 0664 Reporting the News [This - is sponsored and extended by: Fan Erlin - 4/9]

"Ms. Vera, there’s a gentleman named Gap who insisted I must call you. He said he has some very important matters to discuss with you and the President..."

Vera was a bit surprised to hear Gap’s name; it had been a while since she last heard from him. She knew, of course, that Gap was currently enjoying his life in Federation Prison.

Before Gap was arrested, they had already completed their property division. Gap had maximally protected their assets from being auctioned off by the Federal Court to fill the financial gaps in the Ristone scandal.

Gap was definitely a competent accountant. He knew what should and shouldn’t be done, including being the first to propose divorce.

He never intended for his impending imprisonment to drag his wife and kids down with him into hell. So when Vera heard the news about him, she didn’t react with the typical emotional surge of divorced couples.

After a brief silence, she asked, "Did he say anything else?"

"Yes, Ms. Vera, Mr. Gap left a phone number with the hope that you can call back as soon as possible..."

Her assistant then reported the number and hung up.

"What’s wrong?", Lynch came from behind her, naturally wrapping his arms around her waist, offering her a sense of security.

Since the Tax Bureau contacted Vera, she had been in a state of unease. It was quite normal, given she was by herself with no one to console or encourage her, only herself.

The sensibility of a woman made her increasingly afraid. Fortunately, Lynch arrived in time to calm her nerves.

"It’s Gap. He said there’s something very important hoping I would call back...", Vera did not hide it because the assistant mentioned Lynch earlier while discussing this matter.

She looked at Lynch, who slightly tilted his head, "Why not try calling back?"

"Perhaps he truly has a significant matter to discuss. It’s not easy to make calls from inside."

Upon hearing this, Vera dialed the number back while Lynch’s attention was drawn to something at her feet, "I see an insect on your shoe, oh god, it’s crawling up!"

Vera, slightly startled, looked down as the call connected. Gap had been waiting by the phone; this call was important to him.

At the moment he answered, he heard an exclamation from the receiver, "Oh, damn bug, where did it go?"

"Do I need to wait?", Gap asked calmly, his tone was gentle.

"No... earlier my assistant told me you have something very important to tell me?", Vera refocused on the call while Lynch was occupied with other matters.

"Yes, the Federal Tax Bureau people came to see Michael earlier. He discussed something with them, and from his expression upon returning, he seemed quite excited." An accountant’s observation is always meticulous, as his work involves finding inconsistencies in numbers.

His observation was very thorough; he could sense Michael was filled with energy now, no longer minding discussing previous issues. Gap believed this was related to Lynch.

Michael used to be reluctant to discuss how he ended up here or his work problems, but Gap was quite familiar with Michael’s situation.

Michael was a local tax investigator. During that time, Lynch and his case became widely known, with Tax Bureau officials illegally enforcing law and harming innocent citizens without proper legal procedures, causing public uproar against Michael.

But he wouldn’t discuss more details, indicating there were other matters involved.

"Hmm...", suddenly a sound resembling a slap came from the receiver, which puzzled Gap, "What happened?"

Out of normal concern, considering they were once married, Vera explained, "A bug just crawled onto my leg, and I killed it."

"Besides these... is there anything else?"

Gap thought for a moment, "You need to remind Lynch, this might be directed at him. Also, if possible, mention me to him. Do I have a chance to get out earlier?"

"You’re quite familiar with the situation on the Ristone side, I’m innocent too, the storm has mostly passed, getting me out shouldn’t be too difficult?"

"I can use my work as payment, you know my abilities. I can do many things, both in this industry and with connections, I have my ways... are you really alright?"

He heard Vera’s breathing become a bit heavy, seemed uncomfortable.

Vera gritted her teeth, "Nothing major, the temperature in Bupen has risen rapidly, you know, I’m a bit hot now..."

Though Gap found it odd, he didn’t say much. His only desire now was to escape this damned place promptly.

Though treated with great respect by the Prison Director and guards, allowed to access any place freely, even the Director’s office, a prison is still a prison, where criminals are the lowest existence.

He didn’t want to waste his best years in this cursed place; he wanted out, whatever it takes, just to leave.

"Okay, remind him of my role in this matter and... thanks."

After this sentence, both fell silent, and after about ten seconds, Gap asked, "How’s the kid?"

"He’s doing well, now enrolled in a new school. Bupen offers excellent educational resources, the best in the Federation. He’s much more outgoing now, making many new friends at school."

"If you get out, I don’t want you to see him, you understand my point!"

The mention of the child made Vera’s tone firm; before Gap’s arrest, both investigative and Tax Bureau incessantly harassed her and her child, leaving the child tense and fearful, even resulting in bouts of withdrawal and speechlessness.

This was an extreme reaction, according to psychologists, he received significant trauma and avoided outside contact.

Fortunately, after this situation, treatment was timely, and with the current environment, he returned to normalcy, but this doesn’t mean similar incidents won’t happen again.

Listening to Vera’s sudden change in emotion, Gap also became silent.

Ten minutes later, Vera abruptly said, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up. I’ll discuss your matter with Lynch, but I’m unsure of the outcome."

In the end, she hesitantly reported her office number, if he discovers new situations, he can call directly.

...

For over ten minutes, Vera gasped as she detailed Gap’s matters to Lynch, who roughly grasped the situation.

"Does it pose a threat to you?", Vera asked nervously. She didn’t want to relive past experiences, it would be a disaster for her and the child.

Lynch remained confident as always, "Of course not, even if they find what they believe is crucial, they can’t bring me down. Aside from myself and you, no one can lay me down."

Michael’s involvement was fairly limited; the boss was already dead, he’d seen it firsthand, and the hawkers connected with him through adoption relationships.

Furthermore, with the Green brothers’ ties, he’s not worried these youngsters would do anything impacting him.

Green brothers are well-known on some level in Sabin City; this fame means nothing to the upper-middle class since they can easily eradicate these forces.

But against these forces, this fame serves well; the more familiar with darkness, the more they fear it.

As for Gap seeking early release... just a few months shy of the original sentence plan.

Though he said this, Lynch still made a call to the Green brothers at night, asking them to keep this matter in mind.

After acquiring vital clues from Michael, Green-face didn’t return to the state’s Tax Bureau but went straight to Sabin City Tax Bureau.

In his view, neither the boss nor those hawkers could pose a massive problem in this issue.

It’s known the boss’s profession is fundamentally gray, using child labor in various ways, illegally.

And those hawkers are long oppressed and harmed kids, once they take down the boss, these kids would naturally speak the truth.

Without state Tax Bureau support, local Tax Bureau power suffices to collect the most critical evidence, time is of the essence.

By the time he arrived at Sabin City, it was already night. After communicating with the new Sabin City Tax Bureau Director, both went to Sabin City Police Station, awaiting further news.

Yet what they awaited was no good news.

"What, the boss is missing?", Green-face stood up in shock, "When did this happen?"

The policeman responsible for "inviting" the boss recalled, "Been one or two years now, we don’t typically pay much attention to these folks."

"People in this line are quite mobile, and they instinctively evade us. Even if we track their movements, it’s not easy."

Green-face’s expression turned somber, "What if we expand the scope?"

"Expand search to the city and surrounding areas, could there be new discoveries?"

The detective in the office looked at the Director, who slightly shook his head.