Blackstone Code-Chapter 514: Making Money

The New Year was approaching, but the busy people hardly noticed time passing; it slipped away quietly.
The biggest change in the city recently was how clean it had become. The ubiquitous garbage was gone, and even the piles of feces scattered everywhere had almost disappeared.
In this country, public urination and defecation had become routine—even women would find secluded spots to relieve themselves, and some elderly women didn’t care about others’ gazes and simply went wherever.
With feces and decaying, bacteria-ridden trash everywhere, the stench was inevitable.
But now those problems vanished. No more feces on the streets, no trash heaps—this was a novel experience even for locals.
Once the spaces taken up by trash were freed, the city gained many open areas and looked much tidier.
Since foreign workers started collecting garbage, what used to be overlooked trash had become scarce—some even cut wood outside the city to pass off as garbage.
A curious joke spread: someone discovered dried feces could be burned and recycled as fuel. Feces suddenly became a rare resource.
People chose fixed spots to relieve themselves, dried the feces, and sent it for recycling.
They even shaped the feces into convenient round forms by hand.
Some deliberately ate wild roadside plants raw to firm up their stool, making it less likely to crumble.
In short, garbage became so scarce that people fought over it.
The next major change was the newly built coal power plant on the city outskirts beginning operation. It released thick white smoke daily. Though residents hadn’t yet felt improvements from the plant’s electricity, that day was near.
The city’s transformation lifted everyone’s spirits. People started caring about their appearance; everything began to flourish.
Lynch—the man responsible for these changes—was boarding a ship returning to the Federation.
He had been here for three months; now it was time to go back. The Federation had many matters awaiting him, including the preseason final of the Sabin City professional rugby club.
Lynch’s invested club had returned to the lowest tier of the men’s rugby professional league. The preseason was a warm-up before the official season.
The preseason coincided with the transfer window, allowing teams to adjust rosters and tactics before the long two-month off-season leading to the regular season. Discovering and addressing problems later would be rushed.
Preseason games were usually unexciting because everyone was experimenting with new players, coaches, and strategies. But Sabin City’s team played like they were on steroids.
While others were figuring things out, Sabin City was just focused on winning. No one expected that a club newly promoted from the amateur league would reach the preseason final.
As club chairman, Kane asked for Lynch to return early—his presence would motivate the players.
Having invested heavily, Lynch gladly accepted. Though he seemed wealthy now, building a championship team was still a big challenge—meaning he didn’t yet have enough money.
Sports were gaining popularity nationwide. Fans from Sabin City planned to attend the final, as sports were becoming a spiritual pillar for the city and surrounding areas.
Besides sports, many other matters awaited Lynch—New Year celebrations, meeting Mr. Herbes, who had nearly raised the needed funds, with contracts and transfers pending.
Because the sum was large and risky elsewhere, the transaction had to be conducted within the Federation.
The ship slowly left port amid deep horn blasts. Lynch exhaled, satisfied—his work here had been more than successful.
There was no direct route between Nagaryll and the Federation before; Nagaryll was just a resupply point in the Eastern Ocean.
But after a series of Federation initiatives, shipping companies launched multiple cruise and cargo routes, cutting travel time from over a week to about three days.
The sea journey was dull, but Lynch noticed something interesting: engineering ships laying submarine cables along the continental shelf.
This was specialized work few countries could do—only Gephra, the Baylor Federation, Is, and another neutral country had this capability.
After the cables sank from the tugboat to the seabed, workboats calibrated and secured them. Some spots required brackets, hence the need for a continental shelf.
Without it, cables suspended in water were vulnerable to marine life damage. The shelf allowed proper protection and placement to avoid frequent failures.
Passengers on the cruise, waving and cheering at the seemingly lazy tugboats, celebrated this small but impressive feat.
Lynch thought it was corny but was in good spirits. Their cheers reflected pride in having a strong nation.
He kept his return trip private, not wanting to stand out.
After docking, he took a train to Bentley, where the preseason final would be held.
In recent years, sports had outpaced fashion in popularity, understandable amid economic struggles—people cared more about saving money than spending on luxuries. As a result, Bentley, the fashion city, was losing national influence.
Following lengthy talks, Bentley’s mayor and the joint sports committee invested heavily to secure the preseason final location—though the city had little sports heritage.
Next year’s Federation Super Cup opening match was also planned for Bentley. The mayor was taking a big risk, understandable with upcoming elections—any advantage was worth pursuing.
Just outside Bentley station, Kane greeted Lynch warmly.
Coach Mordick accompanied him; he had performed well over the past year and was obedient.
They had discussed signing two or three star players to form a core, as stars boost team cohesion, but Lynch rejected the idea.
A struggling lower-league team would pay several times more to acquire true stars.
Though unfamiliar with sports, Lynch understood business: hiring a top male star for an adult film required paying well above market rates plus other incentives.
Movies and sports differed, but some principles were the same.
For now, the club’s tactic was to “fight desperately”—reckless collisions, risking everything to carve a path to the future.
Look—they made the final.
Lynch shook hands with them, then boarded the bus, where a young woman was also seated.
“Chairman Lynch, hello, I’m the new women’s team captain…” A blonde girl with a generous figure, perfect body, and pretty face—but somewhat cheap.
Like the previous captain, she hooked Lynch’s palm with her pinky during their handshake, trying to take a shortcut, but Lynch gave no response, disappointing her.
After they sat down and the bus slowly started moving, Lynch finally asked, “How’s the club’s recent financial situation?”
Finance determines a company’s development and a club’s future. Many see breaking even as natural, but few sports clubs truly achieve it.
The bigger the club and better the results, the more extra funding is needed. So Lynch’s first concern was the club’s operations—it was crucial for future growth.
Kane answered quickly, “The club’s finances are excellent. I can’t find better words. In short, no troubles. It’s making you a lot of money, Chairman!”
“How much?” Lynch asked curiously.
With a pride hard to imagine, Kane said, “370,000 a year. If we win the preseason championship, this could exceed 400,000 before next season starts!”