Darkstone Code-Chapter 751 - 0749 Shit Stirrer [This - is sponsored for an additional update on 8/15 by: An Jing the Handsome Manzi]
"We received a tip-off claiming that Mr. Richard, the president of Yuanrong Capital, who has already committed suicide out of guilt, once used bribery and other means to get Golden Certificate personnel to grant Yuanrong Capital the green light for its listing."
"In this suicide note, there is also a vague mention that the current Minister of Finance is involved."
"Before the program aired, we checked for similar cases in the last decade. There are over two hundred cases where there have been interest transfers between Golden Certificate personnel or finance department officials. These officials accepted benefits, enabling enterprises that didn’t meet Empire regulations to obtain certain qualifications or succeed in listing."
"This is not the first scandal around us, as there are at least hundreds before it. But it won’t be the last scandal as the Minister of Finance is still in office."
"We don’t know who gave them such courage, just a little benefit, a little money, can ignore the interests of the nation and the people, trampling on the dignity of the law."
"The exposure of the Yuanrong Capital case has made us realize that we are not only living under the sun but also in the shadows."
"Whether there are more enterprises with a history of fraudulent practices, with huge issues, that have gained certain qualifications or even listing status in this manner, we still don’t know."
"I suggest our government, our Emperor, conduct a comprehensive investigation of all enterprises already listed and those requiring certain financial qualifications to issue financial products, to prevent more ’Yuanrong Capitals’ around us, protecting our property security."
"If this matter can be thoroughly investigated, I personally hope to uncover the truth for the public..."
The Minister of Finance expressionlessly turned off the television, rubbed his chubby face vigorously, and then sighed heavily.
"It’s very troublesome now, you know?", he looked at his confidants, subordinates, and some officials and nobles known as the ’finance department’ in the room.
"Today, the Empire Financial Index fell another three percent," he looked at those people, his face was bad, but not to the point of being ’severe.’
He leaned back on the chair, staring at the white crystal chandelier on the ceiling, before continuing after a moment, "Actually, these reports, the criticisms from those people, won’t cause irreparable damage to me."
"His Majesty trusts me, that’s the key, but I’m gradually losing that trust."
"The financial index is the indicator of this trust. If it continues to fall, it means I will lose more points until I’m completely out of power."
He straightened his head, his gaze paused on everyone’s face in the room for a moment, until he finished looking at everyone, then said somewhat pointedly, "As long as I’m not out of power, His Majesty still trusts me, then I can guarantee your future."
"If I have problems and am abandoned by His Majesty, even if nothing happens to you, you won’t escape liquidation in the end."
His tone carried a slightly humorous mocking flavor, and hidden anger, "Did you hear what they call you?"
He sneered and said, "Finance department officials, that’s you!"
"I’m not asking you how to do it, just ask you to quickly, raise the financial index."
"This is our last chance..."
What the Minister of Finance considered the last chance, resulted in an unprecedented plunge in the Gafura Financial Index the next morning.
And the cause of the plunge stemmed from last night’s television program.
The host of the program suggested a comprehensive review of all listed companies in the Federation and enterprises needing some financial qualifications to issue financial products. This statement’s influence was larger than anyone imagined.
Early this morning, major financial and political newspapers all published this news and statement, and some newspapers clearly having noble holdings even placed this statement on the front page headline.
The citizens who came from all over the country were also angered by this, they spontaneously demonstrated outside the Minister of Finance’s residence and workplace, plus other countries also reported on the matter, eventually causing a market panic.
Retail investors do not have the ability to resist risks, nor channels to obtain insider information, all they can do is understand through newspapers what exactly happened and what to do in the future.
But newspapers basically have political backgrounds, they will only say what the nobles need them to say, or content that can cater to readers.
As for truth or even the real truth, it is impossible to appear in newspapers.
The sudden change in the situation makes it difficult for many to understand what exactly happened, but instinctively makes people realize that a huge storm is brewing.
As an ordinary person, the best way to withstand the storm is to stay honestly in the cellar.
Not only themselves, but also their money.
Financial stocks lament, retail investors’ cash-out and distrust of financial stocks make the financial index continue to decline without much resistance...
In a luxurious room not far from the Empire Royal Exchange, Lynch has moved from being a ’marginal person’ to the seat in the very middle.
Around him sit some nobles of the Empire, these nobles have one characteristic, they are young!
The oldest among them are only around thirty or forty years old, the younger ones are only about twenty.
These young nobles do not like the atmosphere of the Secretariat, the older nobles always look down on these young people, they most often use "when I was younger" and "if it were me" as methods to preach.
But they get along well with Lynch. First, everyone is young, secondly, these young people are far more receptive to new things, and at a faster pace than those old people.
While the old people still hold a hostile attitude towards the world, the young nobles have already begun to accept some culture transmitted from the Federation and other countries.
Whether it’s to prove they are not inferior to their fathers and ancestors, or just searching for peers with similar ideas, or wanting to get rid of the current ’predicament,’ these people soon gathered around Lynch.
Lynch is like a magnet, firmly attracting them, of course, it also has to do with the rumor that he is very good at making money.
"Every point is a change of hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands in numbers..." Lynch sits in the center, his hands on the chair’s armrests, fingers naturally but not tightly crossed.
People followed his every word and every expression as they shifted their gaze.
"So I’ve told you, making money is a very simple thing. Just fill out a few forms, then quietly watch the numbers in your account grow."
Lynch’s confidence is very appealing, not far from him, a count is staring at him with an admiring look.
This count is only nineteen years old and is the youngest noble in the Gafura Empire currently. His father passed away from illness, and with the help of his mother, he defeated numerous relatives and siblings coveting the title to become the new count.
But inheriting the title did not bring good days, not all nobles are very wealthy—there are actually two concepts to money here.
One refers to cash, money that can be used to buy things, real money.
The other is a general concept of wealth, such as a house, a car, these can also be called money but can’t be used as currency to trade things.
Most of these things have ’stories’ and heritage, some are even under the name of ’family assets,’ indicating that their ownership does not belong to an individual, selling ancestral property for cash is not a simple choice.
Moreover, nobles who value face greatly equate selling ancestral property to telling others their family is failing, they’d rather starve at home than lose face in front of others.
The young count has villas, estates, even a castle, and various precious art collections, but he has no money in his pocket.
This issue does not only trouble small nobility, many nobles face this awkward situation, even the Imperial Family and the country, otherwise they wouldn’t be thinking about defaulting on war bond accounts.
"Bitter lives have been endured for so long, after knowing Lynch for less than a week, he’s obtained a large sum of money, money that can truly be spent."
Looking at Lynch who is not much older than himself, the young count’s eyes are filled with admiration.
At this age, young people are like this, they easily get immersed in admiration for peers yet disdain elders with more life experience, and closer relationships.
"Mr. Lynch, how much time do you think we have left?", asked a noble in his thirties.
He has a decent appearance, but like the young nobles, he has no money in his pocket, actually, most nobles gathered in this room are ’poor nobles.’
Lynch thought seriously, "Half a month at most, no later than the end of November."
That noble nodded, considered it a thanks for Lynch’s answer, and then asked another question, "Mr. Lynch, how did you judge?"
They call Lynch ’Mr. Lynch’ as Lynch himself requested. Here he is the only Baron, if they called each other by titles, it would not be favorable to his image—
Respect for ’the weak’ is always momentary!
The title ’Mr. Lynch’ good avoids this issue, both parties can accept.
Lynch did not consider long before answering the question, "Because the Empire does not allow this turmoil to last too long, the decline in the Financial Index can actually be seen as a political struggle between different noble groups."
"This struggle won’t last long. For us, for those ministers, for His Majesty, stability is better than chaos."
"When a victor emerges, that’s when this game ends!"
