Blackstone Code-Chapter 601: International Observer

“Editor-in-chief, the Valier exchange rate has risen again…”
A er knocked on the open office door and poked his head in to inform the editor-in-chief, who was busy working.
As the editor-in-chief of
Wade International Financial Observer
, a magazine published in multiple countries, his responsibilities often had little to do with his actual knowledge or expertise.
After a few seconds, the editor put down his pen, rubbed his eyes, and sighed.
“I know. Go on with your work…”
He dismissed the er with a weary tone—it was clear he was in low spirits.
It was understandable. Most of the world’s financial analysts believed Valier would continue to rise in value—and so far, that had been true. The currency had been steadily appreciating. With trade negotiations between the Federation and Gephra underway, Valier had shown even more momentum.
As an experienced editor-in-chief, he understood that Valier was no longer benchmarked against the Federal Sol, but against the value of Federal interests within Valier.
If those negotiations were successful and resulted in broad cooperation, then Valier’s cheap labor force would be fully exploited. Its appreciation was inevitable.
But he couldn’t say that—not publicly. While mainstream media pushed that narrative, his magazine had to say the opposite.
Instead of following the crowd, they had to publish contrarian views to attract attention. That was how the magazine survived. That was how they drew investors.
When everyone else praises it, you criticize it. Some readers would buy the magazine out of a desire to refute it, others to see what absurd logic it used to make its case. Either way, it sold copies.
Still, the editor couldn’t help but feel a little bitter—and powerless.
They had just published a bearish outlook on Valier, and now the exchange rate had spiked again. It felt like a slap in the face. His stomach ached.
But there was no choice. This was how the magazine survived. Without a distinctive brand or a unique point of view, why would anyone read it?
Just as he was questioning whether it was time to change jobs, the phone on his desk suddenly rang, startling him.
He cursed under his breath and picked it up. “International Observer Magazine, editor-in-chief speaking…”
He deliberately left out
Wade
to make the magazine’s name sound more prestigious.
The look on his face changed as he listened—it was hard to believe what the caller was asking.
“I’d like to know what evidence your magazine has for predicting an imminent collapse of the Valier exchange rate. And also, do you accept sponsorships or investment?”
The editor quickly replied, “Of course, absolutely. We accept all types of sponsorship and investment, though there are minimum and maximum thresholds for equity stakes.”
After all, investing a Sol is technically still an investment. But to avoid scams disguised as
investment tours
—which often involved freeloading or even shady behavior—they had implemented a minimum requirement.
The caller chuckled. “That’s not a problem. You can have someone else handle the investment discussions. What I want to know is, why do you believe Valier will collapse?”
This was an opportunity—an unprecedented one. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the editor had to acknowledge the magazine’s publisher had a real talent for operations. The magazine wasn’t even that old, yet it had already attracted investor attention.
Suddenly, publishing contrarian theories didn’t feel so bad.
He composed himself and began, “Sir—”
“You may call me Herbes.”
“Mr. Herbes? My god, I know who you are! Your betting agreement with Mr. Lynch shocked the entire financial world!”
The editor became visibly excited. This was a celebrity in the industry.
Besides the Federal financial crash, the billion-Sol bet was one of the most astonishing events in recent memory.
Even if Valier was devalued, a hundred billion of it was still a fortune—roughly 80 to 90 million Federal Sols or over 40 million Gaels. Not just anyone could stake that kind of money.
A bet of that scale rocked the global finance scene. Many countries planned to include it in their financial textbooks once the outcome was known—an unprecedented case study in economic warfare.
Now, one of the participants was calling. Even if Herbes never invested, this call alone could elevate the magazine’s reputation across international financial circles.
The editor quietly pressed the record button. He needed to save this conversation—but he didn’t mention it to the caller.
“Editor, let’s return to the main issue, shall we?” Herbes said.
“What is the basis of your prediction that the Valier exchange rate will collapse? That’s all I care about.”
“Yes, of course. I’m just… a bit excited. I’ll explain right now.” The editor calmed himself, organized his thoughts, and began.
“Mr. Herbes, if you look at the actual situation inside Nagaryll, you’ll see a very clear trend.”
“The Federal Sol is gradually replacing Valier as the currency in circulation. The recent mass protests accelerated this.”
“As Valier’s value rose, workers grew dissatisfied with being paid in it. Under some unknown influence, they started demanding payment in Sols and began converting their Valiers into Sols en masse.”
“Valier is quietly being pushed out of circulation. But neither the Joint Development Company nor the Kingdom of Nagaryll has made any statements about it. They’re ignoring the issue.”
“If Valier’s circulation is restricted—or ends altogether—it will instantly become worthless. I believe this is the Federation’s strategy to plunder Nagaryll.”
“They’re using an unprecedented method to strip this country of its assets. Once Valier is gone, Nagaryll will need a new legal tender to stabilize its economy. What’s more stable or effective than the Federal Sol?”
“Nothing. The Sol will replace Valier. Once that happens, the Federation will do everything it can to block Valier’s return. Eventually, Nagaryll will become a financial colony of the Federation.”
“If you’ve read or heard Mr. Lynch’s speech in Eminence two years ago about
financial warfare
, you’ll understand the advantages of this approach.”
“These are just my theories. I can’t be certain. There are still issues I can’t fully explain—like why Nagaryll’s officials are doing nothing, or how exactly the Federation is forcing Valier out of the market.”
The editor had strong expertise in the field. He believed this scenario was plausible, although it had unanswered questions. If those could be addressed, his theory would stand.
The publisher loved it—because regardless of whether it was accurate, it grabbed attention. And now, it had drawn the interest of a major figure. From here on, just being able to advertise themselves as
the consulting agency trusted most by Mr. Herbes
could skyrocket the magazine’s sales—or even allow it to pivot into a financial consultancy.
The phone line was silent. Not even breathing could be heard.
After a long pause, the editor cautiously asked, “Mr. Herbes, are you still there?”
A few seconds later, a voice finally came through the phone. “Yes, yes, I’m still here. How likely do you think your theory is to come true?”
The editor hesitated. “I’m not sure, Mr. Herbes. Based on my professional knowledge and rational analysis, it’s almost impossible.”
“No country would easily abandon its long-used, self-issued currency to adopt another nation’s. That would be equivalent to giving up control over its domestic market.”
“But from an intuitive standpoint, everything happening now aligns precisely with my assessment of the situation. It is happening.”
“I can’t give you an exact probability—that would be irresponsible. All I can say is, there’s a chance. And it’s not a small one.”
The breathing on the other end of the line grew heavier. After a pause, the voice spoke again. “Thank you for your insight, Editor. My assistant will contact you again soon. You may be interested in some… new opportunities.”
After hanging up, Mr. Herbes rubbed his face hard. He finally understood where the problem might lie.
But now he faced a dilemma: if he pulled the money out early and dumped the position to cut his losses, the penalty would be brutal.
If he bet on Lynch not acting, and Valier’s exchange rate really did crash, the losses would be far worse.
He wrestled with his thoughts, forcing himself to calm down, then began organizing his response.
In the financial world, information is everything. The more you know, the better your odds.
Mr. Herbes mobilized all his resources to gather intel, trying to minimize the damage.
Sitting alone in the dark, the faint glow of his pipe flickering, smoke curling up in a dense haze, a single name escaped his lips—filled with hatred:
“Lynch!”