Free Web NovelMr. Wadrick looked at Lynch. Lynch glanced at Severella, who was standing not far away. He was starting to get a headache from this father-daughter pair.
Initially, Mr. Wadrick didn’t want him getting too close to his daughter. Although he later allowed them to date, it was strictly limited to just that—dating. Anything beyond was off-limits.
Not long after their brief relationship ended, Mr. Wadrick suddenly had a change of heart and began hinting that Lynch should consider pursuing Severella again.
Aside from Severella’s own issues, part of the reason was Lynch’s rapid rise.
Back then, there was essentially no difference between the Federation and today’s Gephra. The old aristocrats had already seized and locked down all available resources. New nobles simply didn’t have the capital to compete.
The same applied to the Federation—first and second-generation capitalists had firm control over all industries. The new generation could only rise through light manufacturing, which gave many of them their breakout opportunities.
But ultimately, true power remained in the hands of the old financial groups.
Manufacturing might look like a low-barrier, unregulated field, but the upstream and downstream sectors are tightly controlled. Without raw materials or distribution channels, manufacturers collapse—and the bigger they are, the faster they fall.
Lynch’s rise wasn’t easy. What surprised everyone was that instead of focusing on domestic development, he leveraged various means to gain a foothold overseas.
His involvement in Nagaryll gave him the capital to challenge the old financial groups, while collaborations with the military and the federal government gave him the courage to face these powers head-on.
He grew at an astonishing pace, using ruthless and shameless tactics whenever necessary.
Now that Blackstone Capital had entered the radar of major financial groups and had the strength to compete, Mr. Wadrick began to see Lynch in a new light and offered him the respect he deserved.
Unfortunately, Lynch clearly wasn’t interested in his daughter.
When Lynch looked at Severella, it was his way of telling Mr. Wadrick: if this is about your daughter, there’s no point continuing this conversation.
He wasn’t going to become dependent on the Wadrick family, and he believed Severella wouldn’t bring the assets of both families into a marriage with Lynch and let him take the lead in both the relationship and the business.
That was the core conflict.
At the bottom of society, people think it’s only natural to marry within one’s class. But at the top, it’s never that simple.
Everyone carries the hopes and dreams of many others—they can’t just walk away from that responsibility.
Even so-called peaceful marriages struggle to maintain balance and equality.
Mr. Wadrick glanced back at Severella and, as if explaining, said, “I want to have a word with Lynch.”
After nodding to Lynch, Severella turned and got back into the car.
Lynch looked at Penny, who greeted Mr. Wadrick and then returned to Lynch’s car.
With the others gone, Mr. Wadrick finally walked over, took out a pack of cigarettes, and handed one to Lynch.
“Use that million-Sol lighter of yours to light me up,” he joked.
Even though part of that million was due to donations, the auction had undeniably inflated its value. Maybe it wasn’t worth a full million, but at least seventy to a hundred thousand—not less than what Lynch had paid for it.
Lynch pulled out the lighter, and the two leaned in close to light their cigarettes. Afterward, Mr. Wadrick asked, “I heard you’re working on some kind of dual-core project in Gephra…”
Lynch gave him a surprised look. “Your intel is alarmingly good. Not many people know about that.”
Only he, the young Count, His Majesty the Emperor, and a handful of others in their circle knew about it.
No one else knew what Lynch had planned, much less understood what the dual-core plan even was.
To his surprise, what he thought was a well-guarded secret had somehow already leaked to Mr. Wadrick. He didn’t know whether it came from the young Count’s circle or the Emperor himself.
Faced with Lynch’s unfriendly tone, Mr. Wadrick remained calm. “I have a lot of friends. You know, money is the most convenient and useful thing in this world—bar none.”
“I have a lot of money, so naturally, I have a lot of friends.” He sounded rather pleased with himself. Getting this kind of inside information had been a nice surprise.
When he heard that Lynch planned to build dual-core cities centered around the Amellian Province, he was intrigued.
He’d never cared for minor projects—building a power plant here, a water station there. Sure, they made money, but they weren’t worth his attention.
At his level, no matter how the world changed, his wealth would only continue to grow. Bankruptcy or loss was never a concern.
During economic downturns and financial crises, they swept in to buy up basic industries for cheap, and once the economy rebounded, they cashed out for massive profits.
When the economy boomed, whether in real industry or financial markets, they played as the house.
Their capital and influence could easily manipulate stock prices or the trajectory of entire industries.
Using legislation to target industries had been overused, but it was still the most effective tactic—and they had plenty of people in Congress to wield that blade.
What truly mattered to them was their position on boards and how many shares of the group companies they held.
To gain more influence and stock, they needed those below them to make money.
Once those people profited, they trusted him more, gave him more opportunities, and that, in turn, raised his status and influence within the financial groups. That was the real game.
Lynch’s dual-core project was clearly one of those rare money-makers—big money. Each city would be reshaped around two core zones: a new development and a renovated old district. The profits involved were massive and irresistible.
Looking at Lynch, Mr. Wadrick said sincerely, “I want in.”
“Impossible,” Lynch rejected him outright. “This project is actually being led by the royal family, with the nobility playing supporting roles. You can’t join.”
His dead-serious expression made Mr. Wadrick take a long moment to figure out if he was lying.
“It might look like I proposed the idea,” Lynch continued, “but the entire ruling class of Gephra is watching this closely. The real point of the plan was to move money out.”
Lynch then briefly explained how he’d taken advantage of the collapse of Harmony Capital to stir up internal conflicts in Gephra and make a huge profit.
The story wasn’t long, but it left Mr. Wadrick wide-eyed and animated. At the end, he suddenly asked, “I remember Richard works for you…”
“He’s a partner,” Lynch corrected. “Just a partner—definitely not an employee.”
“He buys some auction seats from me, then brings his clients over to purchase second-hand goods. I give him a rebate according to the auction rules.”
“I never force him to do anything, so we’re partners, not employer and employee.”
Mr. Wadrick chuckled softly. “You’re too sensitive—I never said his death had anything to do with you.”
He crossed his arms and lowered his head in thought for a moment. “I don’t know if what you’re saying is true or if you’re just bluffing, but it sounds real. I have to say, if there were a chance, I’d definitely want in.”
Lynch didn’t give him any hope. “Unfortunately, there isn’t.”
“That’s a shame,” Mr. Wadrick said with a smile that showed he hadn’t truly given up. “Alright, I’m off. I’ll be keeping an eye on this.”
Watching Mr. Wadrick’s departing figure, Lynch frowned.
The plan had leaked before it even officially started—not good. He needed to warn the young Count and have them investigate who was spilling his secrets.
Lynch got back into the car.
The rest of the night passed in silence.
Early the next morning, news of the charity fundraising gala exploded across the media.
First, the amount raised was seen as nothing short of a miracle. The entire Federation was moved by the generosity of the donors. Some ordinary citizens, inspired by the First Lady, even offered what little was left of their wages to help abandoned children.
Second, the appearance of notable figures from all walks of life added extra luster to the event.
Not every charity gala could attract such a crowd. Likely only the President and First Lady had that kind of influence.
Some said the event was a who’s who of the Federation’s elite.
Want to know who truly belongs to Eminence’s high society? Just look at who attended the gala.
Lynch flipped through the papers. Most of them focused on these themes, along with discussions on how to practically support the orphan rescue efforts.
Unlike Lynch’s interests, Penny finally found herself mentioned in a tabloid.
She brought the paper over to Lynch. “Look, look, they wrote about me…”
As the only celebrity who attended such a high-profile charity event, it was as if the entire entertainment industry had been redeemed by her alone. Naturally, she received extra coverage.
The girl proudly lifted her chin, seemingly having forgotten how she’d begged for mercy the night before.
