Blackstone Code-Chapter 534: Breakfast and the Working Class

The direct victims of this economic downturn are mostly the lower-middle class and some of the newly wealthy upper-middle class.
Among the affected upper-class individuals, most have just barely crossed from the middle class into the upper class, newly established elites with some connections but little stability. They are the primary casualties.
The true old-money tycoons, like Mr. Patric and Mr. Wadrick, remain unaffected. Their situations are unchanged and, in some cases, they even profit more during the recession.
It might seem unbelievable that top tycoons can still make money in an economic downturn, but it’s simple: they use the recession as an excuse to apply for tax breaks from the government and reduce labor costs.
Before, when they asked workers to take pay cuts, unions would negotiate on behalf of the workers. Now, neither workers nor unions resist; everyone silently endures.
They can also legally close factories and lay off employees, cutting expenses within the law.
Federal law requires companies to employ a minimum number of workers based on the amount of land they own. Large corporations with factories and warehouses often have to hire more workers than they want just to meet these quotas, bearing unwanted social responsibility.
Now, thanks to the recession, they can lay off these extra workers, claiming they’re also struggling.
But this doesn’t mean they have no money—they are actually turning more profit than before.
Mr. Wadrick can afford to finance his daughter’s film ambitions and buy a production company. So when a scammer presents an intriguing plan, many invest, including Lynch, who wants to see if he can make a profit.
Vera doesn’t understand these complex matters and they quickly turn their attention back to dinner.
Lynch enjoys the meal thoroughly. Afterward, he and Vera relax in the living room while the boy quietly goes back to his room.
The boy has his own TV in his room, where he can watch shows or read—he’s a well-behaved, thoughtful child.
In the living room, Lynch introduces two bodyguards to Vera. Ignoring their ordinary names, he introduces them as
Chief Financial Officer
when referring to Vera.
“Are you setting up a
group company
?” Vera asks after meeting them, as they leave.
Chief Financial Officer is no simple title. A financial officer was basic enough, but larger companies seeking a touch of prestige often came up with fancier titles. In the past,
partner
was originally just called
senior manager
.
Now anyone interacting with clients could be called some sort of manager. To distinguish levels of hierarchy and make senior managers more willing to cooperate with the capitalist’s exploitation, the title
senior manager
evolved into
partner
—a partner of the capitalist, high class!
But the
chief
designation was different. It signaled that the scope of financial work had expanded, no longer limited to a single company office but spanning multiple companies, offices, and layers.
In short, it meant moving from managing the finances of one company to overseeing the main financial operations across multiple companies.
In the Federation, the Social Services Bureau does not impose strict requirements on company names. You could register something like
Universal Federation Group
as a sole proprietorship, independent of any other company.
While the Federation doesn’t care about company names, among business operators, there’s a clear difference between
so-and-so group company
and just a
group company
. The former may be a single company, but the latter implies a hierarchy with multiple branches.
In the Federation, this structure mostly manifests through shareholding and financial management. Take the Stardream Butterfly conglomerate: its parent company’s board controls all subsidiary stocks and has near-absolute authority over the branches.
The parent company exercises near-absolute control, especially in financial management—that’s the origin of the CFO title.
Vera wonders if becoming a CFO means a bigger scope and tighter connections between roles.
Lynch shakes his head, “Not yet. I founded Blackstone Capital, which manages finances for all my companies, directly or indirectly.”
“Originally, my work was limited to the Federation, but with increasing international business, I need someone dedicated to handling broader accounts.”
He naturally takes Vera’s hand, “It’s an important role, and you’re the only one I trust for this.”
“You sure know how to flatter, Lynch,” Vera smiles, enjoying the attention. Everyone likes to feel needed and appreciated by someone they like.
Strictly speaking, the position isn’t as important as Lynch claims. As someone with access to sensitive information, he controls himself well—he doesn’t even fully trust himself.
It sounds odd, but it’s true: Blackstone Capital’s control over these companies comes from managing shares held by other companies. For example, Company A’s shares are held by Companies B and C, whose shares are controlled by D, E, F, and G.
Cross-shareholdings aren’t enough. There’s also offshore financial management and power-of-attorney arrangements. Blackstone Capital serves these mysterious companies under delegated authority, which allows it to manage their finances legally (Federation law requires offshore branches to have financial managers registered in the Federation).
If an investigation targets Lynch and proceeds, they’ll find Blackstone Capital is unrelated directly to other Blackstone companies. Even its shares are legitimate investments.
Blackstone Capital mainly acts as a trustee managing finances for key companies. Lynch is just a high-level employee, not an owner.
When authorities dig into the real shareholders, they’ll find offshore companies or bankrupt entities—a black hole.
This buys Lynch time to handle risks before evidence surfaces. If he can resolve issues in time, things return to normal.
If not, Lynch will likely have left the Federation before the investigation concludes.
Vera feels touched.
That night, they watch TV together before going to their rooms.
At midnight, the first female soldier suddenly wakes, quietly draws her pistol from under her pillow, and opens the door.
She hears strange noises and, unsure if her suspicions are correct, maintains professional composure.
Her finger rests on the safety, ready to fire within 0.3 seconds. As she approaches the sound, she sees her companion, the second female soldier.
The second soldier, her cheeks flushed, sits on the stairs. Their eyes meet briefly; the first soldier realizes her suspicions were right.
Annoyed, she returns to her room. The faint noises continue for a long time before fading, causing her great distress.
Early next morning, Vera wakes early to prepare breakfast for Lynch. While cooking seriously, she suddenly laughs, “Isn’t this enough yet?”
During her exclamation, something else is happening.
It turns out to be a flavorful breakfast. Afterward, Lynch leaves Vera’s home, driving to the station to return to Eminence.
Mr. Herbes and his international bankers have raised sufficient funds and secretly transported them to Eminence, as Lynch requested.
The Federation is aware and has approved their customs declaration.To ensure everything is perfectly completed, on December 25th, the whole world will know the news.
Lynch invited many journalists in advance to witness the miracle.
In the past, Lynch might not have had the influence to gather so many international ers, but now, as a board member of the Joint Development Company, he easily brought them together early in Eminence, waiting for the news that would shock the world.