Darkstone Code-Chapter 777 - 0775 Gone

The Emperor sat high on the steps, watching the Prime Minister discuss various ways to handle the aftermath of Yuanrong Capital without showing any emotion.

Faced with the demands of the stockholders, he did not think much and instead threw the question directly to the Prime Minister, "What are your thoughts?"

In response, the other ministers naturally did not meddle. Since the Prime Minister wanted to gain financial power, it did not concern them, and they would not get involved.

For the other ministers, they held power for now, and there was no chance of losing it in the short term, so there was no need for them to do anything foolish.

The Prime Minister was silent for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, admitting mistakes is not shameful. We should acknowledge the errors in our work that allowed an unsuitable enterprise like Yuanrong Capital to be listed."

"During this process, some people made a fortune through unsavory means. I believe they should be made to return these ill-gotten gains, compensate others, and face corresponding punitive fines."

"We must make these opportunists, and even those associated with Yuanrong Capital, understand that some money should not be taken!"

After hearing this, the Emperor seemed thoughtful. Wasn’t Lynch the one who profited the most from this upheaval?

Taking away his earnings and fining him seemed like a good proposal. Whether publicly or privately, it was a great choice that tempted the Emperor.

However, he did not immediately agree. Instead, he pondered over the details of the matter for a while.

The Prime Minister had already compiled the charges and reasons, confiscating illegal income and imposing additional fines, which would not create fear among some merchants and foreign traders.

The Emperor nodded, "Implement it as soon as possible..."

If he wanted power, then offending people should be his task. There’s no such thing as gaining all the benefits without giving something in return.

Everything that happened in the Ruler’s Hall quickly spread. The already lively Secretariat became even busier. Many nobles who had not been to the Secretariat for a long time showed up, chatting amiably with everyone as if they came daily.

Previously, visiting the Secretariat was only useful for passing the time, and the only thing one could do was sulk.

With so many nobles, only a small handful held power, leaving the rest with nothing but a facade, which was infuriating.

But this time was different. A new Financial Minister might emerge from the Secretariat, and everyone, regardless of their chances, was striving to gather as many supporters as possible, hoping luck might favor them.

Besides, the Secretariat had its own rules. Those seasoned nobles would certainly choose someone from within the Secretariat, perhaps selecting a representative from the hereditary nobles.

Even becoming the lucky one in the tribe and establishing a good relationship with the future Financial Minister in advance was a worthwhile investment.

Who knows when such an investment might come in handy? Even securing a minor official position would be beneficial, having power in hand at least.

Even if the Prime Minister ultimately became the Financial Minister, they could still demonstrate their presence and value in the process, which was the motivation for the nobles.

Seeing the incredibly lively hall, the smiles on the faces of several old nobles were somewhat helpless.

Suddenly, there was some discussion at the door.

This chatter was slightly different from other discussions, with a higher pitch and a hint of something... peculiar, not entirely benevolent.

People looked toward the door as Lynch and his associates walked in, and the nobles at the entrance gradually spread the news to the depths of the hall.

"Lynch and those people have arrived..." people were saying, with a tone of schadenfreude and a flash of greed in their eyes.

In just over a month, some in this group earned millions, while others earned tens of millions, even the deeply rooted nobles felt a bit stirred.

Unfortunately, the ultimate beneficiaries were these minor nobles, who couldn’t even protect their interests, the sorrow of minor nobles.

The jealousy mixed with some ridicule about others making money was hidden beneath the nobles’ elegant and humble appearance, unlike their surface.

The news from the Ruler’s Hall was not just about the Secretariat discussing the nomination of the Financial Minister, but also about the Prime Minister’s plan to use Lynch’s group and some other speculators to resolve the protesters.

Whatever they earned this time, they would have to pay back, plus an additional punitive fine.

Regardless of whether Lynch had the funds, he wasn’t from Gafura, and he might just leave at any time, leaving the fine unpaid—the

This way the Emperor and some who disliked Lynch could always hang Lynch high, fostering a sense of resentment among all the Empire’s people towards him.

But those who couldn’t leave might become the first batch of bankrupt nobles. Unable to afford the hefty fines, they would have to liquidate assets to pay compensations, potentially soon ending up on the streets.

The thought of witnessing live bankrupt nobles in their lifetime excited the Secretariat’s nobles, something rare indeed.

While people subtly excluded this small group, it also made the group more united.

The young Count stood behind Lynch, clenching his fists, then releasing them helplessly; there was nothing he could do.

The most direct "bitter fruit" of his father’s sudden death, besides the fragmentation of the family, was the complete severance of external social connections.

These social connections were not inherited by the young Count because there was no successor to pass them on.

He didn’t like coming to the Secretariat often; it felt unfamiliar to him. Like now, the nobles not only did not make him feel secure, but rather uneasy.

Lynch skillfully blocked some of those nobles’ seemingly malicious gazes, striding forward without fear of the malice in some people’s eyes.

"What’s the matter?" he smiled at the surrounding nobles, "Are you so surprised to see me that you’re speechless?"

Everyone had been quite lively just now, but since Lynch walked in, those closer to him had shut their mouths.

It was a strange phenomenon. Clearly, these people owed Lynch nothing and had no issue with him, but at this moment, seeing Lynch, who was about to have bad luck, they sought to keep a low profile.

Even if he said something seemingly provocative, people wouldn’t take him seriously.

"Do you have something to say to me?" he looked at the surrounding nobles. The nobles still kept their mouths shut. Lynch smiled, "Since you have nothing to say, then make way..."

As he spoke, he moved forward, taking a step that gave the nearest nobles an illusion of an earthquake, as if the whole world was shaking with that step.

The expressions of these nobles changed, turning somber, and they all stepped aside, making way for Lynch.

Lynch walked towards the center of the hall with his head held high, as if those young nobles following him had their spirits lifted again after this brief confrontation.

When they reached their usual spot, the servers quickly brought drinks and pastries.

"Mr. Lynch..." a nobleman in his thirties couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke softly, "I heard we might be in trouble!"

There was a trace of uncontrollable fear in his eyes, for this time their opponent was the Prime Minister.

The Empire’s Prime Minister, even if he was merely a figurehead in the past, his position and family were not just for show, and he could easily make these "small fry" pay a heavy price.

Not to mention this matter was decided at the Ruler’s Hall, jointly by ministers and His Majesty, their opponents not only being the Prime Minister but also His Majesty and the ministers.

At the thought of facing such a terrible squeeze, the middle-aged nobleman began to sweat.

He kept apologizing as he wiped away the seemingly never-ending sweat until his handkerchief was soaked.

Lynch looked at him, then at the others, and shook his head easily, "So what?"

He soothed them with his attitude, including his words, "In my eyes, not even the Prime Minister can make people bow their heads!"

After saying this, he laughed easily, picking up the teacup on the table, "Besides, we haven’t lost yet!"

"But..." the nobleman wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the young Count.

He glared at the nobleman, "There’s no ’but’, Mr. Lynch says we haven’t lost, so we haven’t lost!"

His admiration for Lynch was almost ingrained, a kind of blind admiration, even if Lynch said the Emperor would duel with the Prime Minister tomorrow and both would die, he would believe it was true.

People are willing to believe in miracles not because miracles are amazing, but because they appear so ordinarily, making it difficult for people to question them.

Who would have thought that in such a short period, they would achieve what might take one or two generations, even two or three generations to accumulate?

Lynch raised his hand, signaling the young Count to shut up, "When facing external threats, what we need to do is not question my decisions, but unite together, only then can we defeat the enemy."

"Each one of us is important to our whole; no one can be lost."

"As for the issues you worry about, there’s actually no need to worry, just as I said, no one will take action against us."

He spoke with great certainty, and his confidence affected the others, calming their anxious hearts.

Gradually, they stopped caring about the discussions around them.