Darkstone Code-Chapter 726 - 0724 Take it as a warning

"Did I hear that right?"

"Did you just mention medals?"

Mr. Truman suddenly wondered if he was hallucinating, or if Lynch had misunderstood something, otherwise how could he connect it to "medals".

Lynch had already sat back down on the sofa, casually turned on the television, and lowered the volume. He spoke relaxedly, "Of course, I sacrificed my personal honor. You know, this isn’t easy to do; I’m someone with a moral obsession."

Mr. Truman laughed as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world, and after a while, his laughter gradually stopped. He also gradually understood some things, "You’re truly crazy, but I understand your point."

"This is tricky to manage. You can’t just tell the public you were awarded a medal for sleeping with someone for the country, but I’ll help you apply for it later," he said, fearing Lynch wouldn’t understand, and gave a hint, "Aircraft..."

It’s already August, soon it’ll be September, and around October Lynch will head to Gafura to be conferred the title of Empire Baron.

Indeed, this was arranged by the Emperor of Gafura to disgust Lynch and the Federation President on purpose, but Lynch can’t refuse to accept it.

If he doesn’t go, it would be like handing a dagger to Emperor Gafura, letting him hold it, while being wary of Emperor Gafura’s possible sudden attack.

Unless he never sets foot in Gafura again in his life, doesn’t involve himself with anything relating to Gafura, he must go.

Moreover, once this is publicized, for the "country bumpkins" of the Federation, they instinctively think it’s a good thing, an honorable matter. Lynch refusing wouldn’t make them feel it’s particularly...patriotic, only regrettable, with possibly some sordid undertones.

But once he goes, and he receives the title of Gafura’s Baron, it may become awkward when he returns.

After the initial excitement, people will start considering a question: a person from the Federation being conferred by the Empire, what does that entail?

This will be an advantage for him, after all, the descents of thieves, rapists, pirates, and exiles in the Federation have a natural yearning for nobility, and when interacting with the social elite, this status can be deciding.

But this status can also become a hazard. If someone uses it to attack him, it can easily provoke an irrational patriotic sentiment in the lower society to create some news.

Sometimes when you think about it carefully, it’s truly a joke. Those truly patriotic are down below, as for the upper echelons, most only have interests in their eyes.

Patriotic sentiment once manipulated can easily lead to ongoing conflict.

If Lynch holds a medal, things would be different—

"Lynch has been bought by Gafura!"

"I’ve contributed to the Federation!"

"Lynch is involved in interests exchange with Gafura!"

"I’ve contributed to the Federation!"

The Federation’s people are foolish, but the strength of the Federation’s people is strong, so the best way for Lynch now is to get a Federation medal.

Even if it’s the most ordinary medal, as long as it proves Lynch also has merit for the Federation, the people would quickly dilute this matter automatically.

This medal can’t be awarded now; it can’t be given just because Lynch satisfied some of Jenia’s needs, that would only be an accident, he still has a chance.

When the aircraft comes out, he possibly can get a medal.

If the aircraft can counteract submarines as Lynch described, he might even receive a "Federation Crystal Heart Medal"!

A silent night passed.

Early the next morning, after Lynch finished exercising, he came out of the gym, took a shower, changed clothes, and sat by the dining table waiting for breakfast.

Summer was too hot, even in the morning, the community’s health doctor advised all residents to complete morning exercises before the temperature rose or do them at home.

Lynch didn’t go out; he didn’t want to run with a large group.

The servant brought the newspaper, he unfolded it, and the front-page headline was about Sheep Ship.

Following their data release on the new submarine over the previous two days, Sheep Ship Company’s stock had a noticeable increase since yesterday. Today they even revealed they applied for hundreds of patents related to engine technology, hinting at a breakthrough.

Undoubtedly, after 9:30, Sheep Ship’s stock will witness a frenzy.

Lynch even faintly felt that Sheep Ship’s urgency to announce the Wave II submarine’s parameters wasn’t entirely a response to the defeat in the last event of the joint military exercise.

Their aim was to pull the diving stock price back; in the Federation, everything is fake except stocks and money in shareholders’ pockets.

As long as the price is right, to capitalists, betrayal is just a game.

Just as he was thinking about the Sheep Ship’s press conference and some financial market issues, the senior soldier’s voice made him turn his head.

"Mr. Lynch, here is Koman’s file..."

The senior soldier took a document from a bodyguard and handed it to Lynch.

Darkstone Security’s business is still expanding constantly. Now, not only taking on various military outsourcing, but also tasks such as reconnaissance, tracking, and investigation which may touch the law but do not violate the Federation’s laws are included in the business scope.

Investigating an inconspicuous fitness coach from a small place is still a very simple matter.

While chewing on the bread, he pulled out a not particularly thick folder from the file bag.

When he opened the first page, Koman’s photo appeared on top.

Lynch looked very seriously and occasionally made a few comments.

"Intentional injury, served time..."

"He was also divorced once..."

"Maintained ambiguous relationships with more than ten women of various ages over the years..."

Lynch was a little surprised, "It’s really a wonder that this guy is still alive!"

Koman’s past can be described as "magical". He went to prison at eighteen for intentional injury, but got a chance for parole after serving eighteen months.

The file said he was imprisoned because of a girl, and after getting out, he registered for marriage with her, at that time he was not yet twenty.

This marriage lasted only for two years because Koman didn’t want children and was unwilling to take precautions. After the girl had two abortions for Koman, they ended in divorce.

Afterward, he switched many jobs, not staying long for many reasons until he found a new opportunity in a gym, becoming a fitness coach, and then his life stabilized.

Serra was just one of his many "lover clients", and it’s not hard to see from the list of names that these women should all have good family backgrounds.

"Send a copy of this file to Serra too, and as for how she decides, that’s her matter." Lynch closed the file and returned it to the senior soldier.

For him, Serra’s choice is not important, as long as she is happy.

For the poor, "cost-effectiveness" is often a crucial factor when making choices, but for the wealthy, the most important selection indicator is "because I damn well want to."

In the period that followed, Lynch spent time accompanying Jenia around the Federation, either listening to "country operas" that Jenia criticized for having no merit in some opera house, or watching the latest hit movies at the most famous Ruby Theater in southern cities.

Or tasting the delicacies from different places, as the vast territory of the Federation, from south to north, east to west, with changes in latitude and longitude, each place has its local specialty food, unlike Gafura, which is just one small island with the only specialty food being <·)))><<

During this time of leisure, Gafura and more countries successively announced some new military equipment development plans and parameters, plunging the whole world into a rather strange cycle.

In the past, they used war to compete, but now, they start to compete with numbers, which is interesting and novel.

Additionally, the delegation also finalized some cultural exchange projects, signed some book and film distribution contracts, and imported some book and film introduction agreements, with two troupes from Gafura staging theatrical and operatic performances around, which were widely welcomed by the Federation public.

In any case, as long as something is related to the nobility, people will inexplicably like it, as if doing so could hide their own unnoticed inferiority.

As the time approached mid-September, the scheduled visit of the Gafura delegation was also coming to an end.

"We’ll be going back the day after tomorrow..."

Jenia, coming out of the bathroom, wiped her hair while sitting in front of the dressing table.

Diverse fashion apparel and cosmetics were the most purchased items during her stay in the Federation.

The Gafura nobility still retains a considerable degree of tradition, the higher the nobility, the less likely they are to easily change these traditions. For example, they never use perfume, always using aromatherapy instead.

Another example is that even to this day, some noblewomen do not use skincare products but use arsenic to enhance beauty.

It sounds unbelievable, but for some particularly conservative noblewomen in Gafura, arsenic has already become an indispensable part of their lives.

Arsenic can make them look whiter, more beautiful, and more flawless. Of course, they have to pay a very heavy price for this.

These women find it hard to bear healthy offspring and even get pregnant, and their life expectancy will be very short; depending on the manner and dosage of arsenic consumed, life spans range from thirty to fifty years.

Even though the Gafura Empire Science Journal has reported that consuming arsenic is harmful to health, some women are still drawn to it without hesitation.

Vanity is truly important; despite not living long and despite the immense suffering, as long as they can live in a world of praise, they are willing to take the risk!