Blackstone Code-Chapter 465: Delusions and Measures

Many people don’t have a deep understanding of the term national power. For those living within a country, the nation often feels like a vague concept—only when they experience national power up close do they gain a somewhat clearer idea of what a country is and what it can accomplish.

Nagaryll is currently a strong remedy for federal issues, so national power is naturally shifting focus there.

Aside from past events, Fox Studios filming on location in Nagaryll is also a demonstration of national power.

“I’m not exactly sure which department made the decision, but basically, filming here grants us subsidies and significant tax exemptions.”

After Lynch and Penny talked for a while, Fox Jr. approached Lynch and casually mentioned, “The tax breaks here are even better than the federal ones. It’s very attractive. Before I arrived, I heard many studios plan to follow suit. You know, adventure and exploration films are really hot right now!”

Fox Jr. complimented Lynch, “You’ve led a trend, Lynch. Years from now, when people look back on film history, you might even win some special award—you’ve pioneered an era!”

The praise was certainly gratifying, and Lynch accepted it naturally.

In truth, it’s not just Lynch’s individual adventure novel or its adaptation that made such an impact.

What truly matters is this era: amid economic downturn, people have become more timid and humble, their past adventurous spirits worn away by harsh realities.

People grow fearful, cautious to try anything new, let alone take risks, because they can’t afford failure.

When wealthy, failure can be shrugged off with a smile; now, failure means tears.

Yet people still yearn for adventure. The Federation values freedom, and adventure is a natural part of that freedom. That’s why adventure and exploration films have become essential emotional outlets.

Through these films, people live vicariously, satisfying their hunger for adventure and emotional needs.

This is why such movies have exploded in popularity this year—they’ve become a vital spiritual necessity during hard times, helping people forget their current struggles and regain courage through film.

Fox Jr. glanced at Penny. “We’ll have about two weeks for location scouting…” He already felt fortunate to have chosen Penny as the lead actress.

Rumors still circulated that nothing was happening between Lynch and Penny, but Fox Jr., cautious and pragmatic, had insisted on casting Penny despite opposition. Now was the time to reap the rewards.

As Lynch’s influence grew, Fox Studios couldn’t keep up with his pace. Soon, Lynch might not even remember he still owned thirty percent of the studio.

How to continue tying himself to Lynch’s rising star was a question worth pondering. Now gaining more control, Fox Jr.’s first thought was through women.

Luckily, he felt he’d made the right bet.

Young people are naturally drawn to such things, and after giving Lynch a knowing look, Fox Jr. left them with their hotel address and departed.

Watching Fox Jr. walk away, Lynch glanced at the girl holding his arm tightly. They headed toward the bus as he asked, “I thought your agency didn’t want you to…”

He trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

The agency had invested heavily in her—not just money but connections and time. They wanted more than a quick romance, marriage, and retirement. That wouldn’t meet their goals.

Lynch found the girl’s overly affectionate behavior strange—it didn’t make sense.

He’d seen her agent earlier, but the agent seemed to ignore him and boarded the crew’s bus without a glance. Lynch was curious about what these people were really thinking.

The girl smiled. “They think that if I maintain some kind of rumor with you, it’ll help my career.” She grew serious. “Breaking into high society is tough, and you’re an opportunity.”

Her honesty was striking. Despite some calling film a new art, it wasn’t widely embraced by the upper class. Rather than squeeze into a smelly theater with ordinary people, the elite preferred sitting elegantly in opera houses for a few hours of refined entertainment.

The upper class valued film only for its returns, not its social status.

Even heavyweights like Sloan, influential male stars, couldn’t break into high society. No matter how wealthy they might be compared to so-called high society celebrities, they weren’t part of that circle.

They couldn’t enter private venues or reach exclusive contacts.

But is infiltrating high society really worth it, even for the wealthy?

Of course, everyone tries because that’s where more opportunities lie and it’s safer. Storms may ravage the outskirts, but they can’t breach the sturdy walls and structures inside.

After boarding the bus, the girl sat in the back while Lynch talked with Lime.

“Sorry, boss, this is all I could bring in…” Lime felt guilty, thinking he wasn’t as capable as Lynch imagined, at least in raising investment.

Lynch reassured him, “It’s okay. What matters is locking these people down first. Once they sign the contracts, they’ll promote the project and bring in more investors.”

“Have you heard of the aggregation effect?” Lynch continued quietly before Lime could answer. “Honestly, I hope they regret signing. That way, they’ll look for stronger support mentally. Bringing more people in as fellow victims is the simplest, most effective way to ease their regret.”

Lime didn’t immediately understand but noted it down. As he recorded, he began to see Lynch’s logic.

Regret often breeds paranoid victim mentalities because people want a reason for their regret—a justification for why I should regret this. Thoughts like Are they scammers? or This will definitely fail fit that need well.

Meanwhile, contracts become legally binding, and escaping is difficult. So they seek other support—comfort and affirmation to convince themselves their decision was successful.

Thus, recruiting more people or dragging others down with them is common.

It’s like certain risky investments always having active recruiters—not because they believe in the project or want to share profits, but to ensure if things go wrong, they’re not alone. The larger their group, the stronger their influence and the safer their position.

Or if they bring in enough people, even a scam or failed investment might succeed due to sheer numbers, protecting their own stakes.

This psychological dynamic has always existed but hasn’t been widely observed until Lynch pointed it out. Lime didn’t fully grasp it but sensed the truth.

“After resting, take them for a walk near the hotel, but avoid unlit areas. It’s unsafe and dirty outside.”

“I’ll be busy later, so you can start discussing how their investments will impact the region’s development and value.”

On the way from the port to the hotel, Lynch coached Lime on what to do and how—not shirking responsibility, but recognizing this as part of personal growth.

Some growth is planned, but more often it’s sudden and unprepared.

Stumbling while learning to walk or run, first heartbreak, first failed job—all come abruptly with no warning.

Investing is similar. Potential investors can crush days or nights of preparation with a single question, sometimes upending the whole pitch. The best approach is to adapt and stay flexible rather than rigid.

Along the way, people focused only on the city’s decay and backwardness. They didn’t realize that Lynch and Governor Drag had already made some changes—they had simply repaired buildings near the port and sent people to clean the streets.

If they hadn’t done so much, people would have seen an even more backward, dirtier, and unsettling Nagaryll.