Blackstone Code-Chapter 439: Relief

Hundreds of billions of Valier—there are very few banks or individuals worldwide who can suddenly produce that amount.

Whether now or in the past, especially the past, the legal currency issued by the Kingdom of Nagaryll was seen by most financial professionals as little more than worthless paper.

Major banks and national banks were unwilling to waste money holding Valier as reserve foreign currency.

It couldn’t buy anything or accomplish anything. Even the Preyton Trading Company refused to accept Valier, so how could others be expected to accept such a worthless currency?

Because people wouldn’t accept it, gathering even hundreds of billions of Valier in a short time was nearly impossible. Even raising a few billion quickly was difficult.

Lynch sat opposite Mr. Herbes, who was considering whether raising such a large sum of Valier would serve his interests or bring him benefits.

“I don’t understand why you want so much cash. You can’t possibly use it all,” Herbes said, suspecting there were other issues he couldn’t yet grasp.

Borrowing isn’t exchange. In other words, Lynch would have to return the money to Herbes along with agreed interest.

Short to medium-term borrowing was common in this field—people sometimes urgently needed cash, and borrowing from a bank was the best solution.

Lynch requested a strange currency, and Herbes couldn’t guess what he intended.

Lynch didn’t answer his question, only smiled and looked at him.

After a moment, Herbes nodded noncommittally. “I’ll ask around, but the value of those bonds is questionable.” He leaned back. “Gephra hasn’t fully opened redemption of these bonds—only limited exchanges are allowed.”

“The bonds’ value can’t be truly reflected by their face value. I think their real value is only about 60% or less.”

After discussing something he barely understood, Herbes began his usual price-cutting.

Whether it’s stones or gold, there’s always a way to bargain. If the price fluctuates, you argue instability; if it’s stable, you talk about long-term price changes; if it’s steady, you discuss legality and international policies.

Even gold can be sold below its true value—let alone controversial war bonds.

Everyone in finance knows Gephra’s history of dodging debts. Even though they lost naval battles to the Federation, their willingness to redeem these bonds was weak.

The Gephra Royal Bank’s new announcement promised continued redemption: they would redeem a batch of bonds annually, without harming the economy, until all were redeemed.

This process might take three to five years—or longer. If their finances were poor, they might reduce each batch’s size, taking over a decade to finish. Ɽ𝐀ＮΟ𝐁Ęs

Ten years ago, one unit of currency could buy a whole chicken; now it only buys a drumstick. Bonds worth a hundred million Federation Sols today might be worth only twenty or thirty million in a decade.

This uncertainty and instability made discounting the best and most defensible strategy.

Lynch observed Herbes—he had presence and composure, a prince of a small nation.

He didn’t talk about friendship, morals, or industry rules—he bargained decisively for greater profit.

Lynch wasn’t interested in discussing friendship either. He cracked his knuckles and said, “We can sign a betting agreement.”

“Bet on what?” Herbes picked up his pipe again, though he knew he shouldn’t keep smoking. He couldn’t help it.

Whenever he talked to Lynch, his thoughts and emotions spiraled out of control. He needed something to distract and steady himself.

It might sound silly, but it worked.

“Bet on whether these bonds can be redeemed.”

Herbes lit his pipe, extinguishing the match. Exhaling thick smoke, he lost some of his gentlemanly grace, replaced by a fierce intensity.

“I’ll lend the cash for three to four months. At the end of our agreement, if Gephra issues a further statement—like fully opening redemption, allowing free exchange, and honoring the bonds’ original terms—”

Lynch gathered the excess bills on the table into his hand. “Then I won’t pay you a single cent of interest on this loan.”

Lending hundreds of billions of Valier for months without interest? Impossible.

And this wasn’t just Herbes’ money—he planned to borrow part of it from others.

Whether they stood with him or lent the money to Herbes, who then lent it to Lynch, Herbes needed to earn some interest to justify it.

Still, he didn’t interrupt Lynch immediately—any betting agreement cuts both ways.

One side could benefit Lynch, as in this case. The other could benefit Herbes, as Lynch was about to explain.

Herbes tilted his head, crossed his legs, holding his pipe in his lap.

Lynch smiled and continued, “If before the agreement ends, Gephra doesn’t issue that statement, then the bonds count as my interest payment…”

He placed the bills back on the table and put a fifty-cent Federation Sol coin on top.

“A 100% return, or more. What do you think, Mr. Herbes?”

Herbes nodded almost without hesitation. “Fair enough, Mr. Lynch. Huge risks, huge rewards. And from what you described, I might have the advantage.”

He frowned briefly, then relaxed. “But the terms are significant—I need to discuss with my team and can’t promise how much cash I can bring you. Give me a few days.”

Herbes didn’t know Lynch had arranged a major deal for him here, so he didn’t bring his team. He saw the trip as a vacation—thinking Lynch just wanted to borrow some money. The Joint Development Company had expanded too fast, and not all shareholders could keep pace.

Big financial groups grew quickly; smaller forces like Lynch’s grew slower. This imbalance could cause internal conflicts.

But as long as Herbes’ finances kept up with mainstream development, even if slightly behind, it wouldn’t be a big problem.

Herbes had brought his favorite hunting rifle, having heard the area’s natural ecology was well preserved—hoping to hunt while escaping the summer heat.

But on meeting Lynch, he was offered a huge temptation: bonds worth tens of millions of Federation Sols. If Lynch lost the bet, those would become his spoils.

That was far better than a few percent interest, and very appealing.

Even if he lost, the consequences were minor—no interest income, but no direct loss.

Still, he wasn’t sure if there were hidden traps—like Lynch possibly running off with hundreds of billions of worthless paper. That would be far quicker than slow development profits.

At the same time, he needed time to gather the funds and wait for those people to arrive by boat from elsewhere. He couldn’t make a decision immediately.

“Of course, that’s a reasonable request. But Mr. Herbes, our time is limited.” Lynch stood up and extended his hand. Herbes did the same. “I can only give you five days. If you can’t give me an answer by then, I’ll seek other partners—locals, though I don’t like them.”

They shook hands. “I’ll try my best!” Herbes said, picking up his walking stick and turning to leave. He didn’t want to wait another moment. He had to notify his team and friends to gather here and discuss whether the deal could be made.

Standing on the second floor, Lynch watched Herbes’ car drive away. After a moment, he shifted his gaze back from the distance to the workers gathering around Asel.

By now, the hiring standards had been announced, and many able-bodied men began lining up for preliminary screening.

Two locals in dirty long gowns first examined the applicants’ mouths, checking their teeth and oral health, treating them almost like livestock.

The condition of the mouth and teeth somewhat reflected a person’s overall health. Then they checked limbs, torso, and underarms.

After this rough inspection, each man was given a form.

Two days later, they could use the form to attend a more thorough medical exam, mainly to ensure none were carrying contagious diseases. Once they passed, they could start work.

Watching the workers eagerly competing to create value for Master Lynch, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.