Blackstone Code-Chapter 438: This Is Capital

Lynch had once asked another person— a child— the same question.

The child answered, I dream about it every night.

He was curious how Mr. Herbes, the prince of this kingdom, would respond.

Herbes quickly recovered from his brief surprise, nodded, and composed his expression. He knew when to show the right attitude and emotion.

“Of course, I like money and want more. So, Mr. Lynch, what good business opportunity do you have to share?”

Lynch liked seeing unmasked greed on people’s faces—it was far better than dealing with hypocrites. But such people were also harder to handle.

Those who carefully hid their deepest desires didn’t do so because they wanted to, but because they feared others discovering their greed would lead to suspicion or attacks.

They dared not reveal their true selves out of fear of harm. But those who never hid their desires were a different matter.

They showed their greed openly because even if you knew it, you couldn’t do anything about it. They had no need to hide.

Herbes was such a man. His status, power, and wealth allowed him to reveal his true self without worry.

This explained why some wealthy people appeared so frank—they simply didn’t care about the opinions of ordinary people. In their eyes, commoners weren’t even human.

Would you care about a dog’s gaze judging your actions?

Lynch pulled a banknote from his pocket and slid it across the table.

Herbes studied Lynch’s serious, calm face, then glanced down at the note and picked it up with his clean fingers.

“A single banknote?” he said, looking at Lynch. Lynch nodded slowly. Herbes’s attention returned to the note.

He flipped it over several times, then shook it. “If I’m not mistaken, this is the local currency, the Valier. Honestly, it’s not worth much…”

Shaking his head, he put the note down. “I don’t see any business opportunities here. But I am interested in your Nagaryll Joint Development Company. If you want, I’m willing to buy some of your shares at a premium.”

Nagaryll had many local specialties—spices, furs, animals—that sold well internationally, especially spices, which required little cost and turned a quick profit.

Previously, buyers contacted the Praton Trading Company first, which provided quotes. Of course, some bypassed Praton to deal directly with locals.

But now, things had changed. Nagaryll Joint Development Company had taken over Praton’s role and imposed stricter controls.

Given the Federation Navy’s activity in the Eastern Ocean, even though Nagaryll Joint Development hadn’t yet asserted its authority, everyone knew it was unavoidable.

Such a closed, high-level monopoly was impossible for outsiders to enter, let alone interfere with. The only way in was buying shares from certain shareholders to gain board membership.

If Lynch was willing to sell shares, Herbes was ready to pay a high price. Just the annual dividends alone could recoup his investment in a year.

Lynch shook his head. “The company’s internal affairs are far more complicated than you imagine. As for this…” He casually picked up the small note. “It’s about to appreciate.”

“Appreciate?” Herbes paused, then sneered. “Impossible. We all know Nagaryll Joint Development’s value and purpose. I’d sooner believe the Federation Sol will rise soon than the Valier.”

“Because it’s been plundered, it’s suddenly valuable?” Herbes shrugged. “Sorry, I’m used to speaking frankly.”

Anyone with eyes could see Nagaryll was the Federation’s cash cow. Lynch claiming the Valier would appreciate sounded like a joke, which gave Herbes a strange feeling.

He couldn’t tell if Lynch was mocking his expertise or just foolish himself.

Lynch noticed the odd smile in Herbes’s eyes, turned his head to the window, and just as he reached for his coffee, he put his hand back down.

A layer of dust floated on the coffee’s surface, likely from the dust stirred up outside by the crowd.

“See that? Countless people,” Lynch said. Herbes looked where Lynch pointed but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

Lynch lit a cigarette. “We can’t send all Federation workers here—only a portion. And you know, Federation labor laws and unions have elevated the working class!”

The Baylor Federation had the most comprehensive labor laws, giving outsiders the mistaken impression that workers could now stand up to capitalists.

Herbes nodded naturally. Federation workers’ benefits and protections were among the world’s best.

“We must prepare supplies, bear heavy transport costs, and pay substantial wages…”

Lynch laid several banknotes on the table. “Is there a way to pay them less?” He took one away.

Herbes followed Lynch’s train of thought and almost blurted out, “Make the Valier appreciate and pay out wages in local currency based on the exchange rate.”

His eyes widened—he finally understood why the Valier would appreciate.

“Anyone who thinks of this method is shameless!” Herbes said, tapping his pipe on its stand.

Lynch smiled without hesitation. “Thanks for the compliment, Mr. Herbes.”

It was a shameless trick no one had used before. But finance and capital’s nature never changed, no matter its form.

Herbes immediately guessed the truth.

Suppose each Nagaryll worker earned 100 Valier daily. Ten thousand workers meant paying 1,000,000 Valier a day—no profit for capitalists.

Lynch offered an alternative: pay wages in Federation Sol, which converted automatically to Valier at the official exchange rate.

If the rate was one Sol to 100 Valier, workers got 100 Valier daily.

But if they pushed the Valier’s value to, say, 1 Sol to 80 Valier, Federation merchants would still pay one Sol a day but only pay workers 80 Valier in local currency.

To workers, nothing changed. For capitalists, labor costs dropped 20%.

Just by manipulating the exchange rate, developers eased financial pressure. The more the Valier rose, the more profit merchants gained.

It was shameless and despicable—but that’s finance, that’s capital.

Herbes picked up the worthless note again, realizing the wealth hidden inside as an international banker.

Once the Valier appreciates, the most immediate impact will be on the foreign exchange market, followed by a chain reaction in countries trading with Nagaryll.

The Valier’s rise means greater benefits in imports, exactly what Nagaryll needs right now. This is no longer a simple financial capital game—it involves geopolitics, international relations, global finance, and the operation of world capital.

Puffing on his pipe, Herbes felt the small banknote in his hand weigh a thousand pounds.

After a long moment, he pursed his lips and set the money down. “This can’t be done by just you and me.”

Lynch shook his head slightly. “Many will join—Nagaryll Joint Development Company, the Kingdom of Nagaryll, even the Federation government will push this forward.”

Herbes looked at Lynch and suddenly found the young man somewhat terrifying. But the fear came and went quickly—just a fleeting illusion he wasn’t even sure he had.

“You tell me all this so I can ditch you alone. What exactly do you want from me?” Herbes put down his pipe and wiped his lips with a handkerchief. “I have a moral code. If you give me information, I have to help you.”

“What can I do for you? Is there business we can cooperate on?”

Lynch nodded. “I want to borrow a large amount of Valier.”

“A large amount?” Herbes didn’t ask what Lynch needed the worthless currency for, nor did he want to know. What mattered was how much he wanted.

Lynch nodded again. “Yes, a large amount. As collateral, I have Gephra bonds worth over a hundred million. I believe they’d be happy to redeem them.”

Herbes gasped sharply. At the current exchange rate, that was nearly tens of billions of Valier. Even as an international banker, he couldn’t gather that much so quickly.