Blackstone Code

"A few days ago, people still weren't this desperate," Lynch sighed as he looked at the increasingly zombie-like people on the street from the car.

The stock market crash had taken away people's last shred of hope. Before this, no matter how difficult brick-and-mortar business operations were, people believed that everything would soon get better due to the booming financial market that created miracles every day.

As long as the financial market hadn't collapsed, people still had hope, even when facing difficulties.

But now, the crash had stolen that hope. The unprecedented double plunge in the market had completely shattered some people's persistence, forcing them to face the harsh reality that nothing could go back to the way it was.

The inside and the outside of the car seemed like two different worlds, two completely unequal and mutually unfair worlds.

Lynch shifted his gaze from the street to Vera. "How much available cash do I currently have in my personal account?"

Vera responded quickly, immediately connecting the dots. "Four million four hundred seventy thousand. Do you want to know the exact amount?"

"No need. How much can I actually use?"

"About three million five hundred thousand. Besides the taxes that need to be deducted, part of the money has to be used for salaries and operations," Vera said, looking at Lynch with an emotion she couldn't quite define. It might have been admiration, amazement, or even a bit of awe.

A few months ago, when she was notified by the firm about an accounting job, she thought it was a simple task—something she could handle in a few hours a week.

The young man she faced was handsome and gentlemanly, but he definitely didn't have money. Yet, in just a few months, he had accumulated wealth that many people, or even families, couldn't achieve in a lifetime.

Sometimes it all felt like a dream. She couldn't understand how it was done, how he could make people believe in him and invest their money.

Lynch nodded without much reaction. "Are you free lately?"

This was a sensitive question. When a male boss asks a female subordinate if she's free, it often implies a business trip that awaits her.

In social culture, traveling together can represent a dangerous intention, even if it's under the guise of work; it's still very "lethal."

Vera suddenly felt uneasy and unsure, not immediately answering Lynch's question. "I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

Lynch seemed oblivious to the anxiety behind her response and maintained the same tone, attitude, and pace as before. "I need to go to Bupayne tomorrow to acquire some assets, involving significant financial transactions. If you don't go, I'll have to find someone else. But I don't trust others; I only trust you."

Some words may not be earth-shattering, but they would always touch the softest parts of one's heart.

Vera hesitated. Lynch's reasoning wasn't unfounded.

In the Baylor Federation, the closest person to someone wasn't their "soulmate" but their private accountant, private lawyer, and private psychologist.

A private accountant knew a person's most accurate financial situation, sometimes down to every penny. People might hide their income and savings from their partner but never from their accountant.

The same went for private lawyers. These individuals were privy to the deepest legal issues hidden in a person's heart. They often knew with perfect clarity whether their clients had committed a crime and the extent of that crime—something even the judge might not know.

As for private psychologists, they were more like soulmates than soulmates themselves. Any deep-seated desires, hatred, or anger, whether negative or positive emotions, people would confess them to their psychologists.

In front of their psychologist, they were as if laid bare, something they could never achieve with their soulmate.

Vera played such a role. Lynch didn't even know how much money he had, but she knew very clearly. She even tracked every penny of Lynch's money.

When she heard that Lynch would find another accountant if she couldn't go, she felt a ridiculous yet real sense of territorial infringement.

Lynch's clean gaze and earnest look were hard to refuse. Vera subconsciously touched her cheek and then her neck before looking to the side. "How long will it take?"

"Not more than a week. I'll speed things up."

They then went to the bank to handle some of Lynch's account issues, transferring part of the money to a newly established account. After that, Lynch drove Vera home, arranging to pick her up the next morning for their trip to Bupayne.

That evening, Gap returned home exhausted from the company, having been dealing with piles of accounts.

As CEO Neo had predicted, the state Federal Bureau of Investigation reportedly received a tip-off alleging Liston's hidden income. An investigation team comprising the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Tax Bureau, and the Federal Security Commission began their inquiry.

Actually, Gap was a bit confused because auditing is normal, but it shouldn't have alarmed federal agencies like the Federal Security Commission, whose mission was to eliminate domestic threats that could affect national security.

Would Listoan's transfer threaten national security?

Obviously not, but he was just a small cog in the machine and couldn't resist the injury from those agencies. He was already on the ship and could only follow its course.

While eating reheated dinner in the dining room, Vera suddenly appeared. Since that incident, the couple rarely spent time together like they used to.

Some things, even if salvaged, were hard to restore to their original state.

"What's wrong?" Gap put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth, and looked at his wife.

Vera nodded her head hesitantly but still spoke up in the end, "I need to go on a business trip tomorrow. It'll take about a week."

"A business trip?" Gap's voice rose slightly. "Will it be safe for you to travel alone?"

He was a smart man. Instead of questioning who she was traveling with, he expressed concern for her safety, subtly probing.

"I'm going with Lynch to Bupayne for work," Vera explained, finding nothing unusual about it. "It's just a regular business trip. You travel often; you understand."

Gap pursed his lips, his scalp itching. He looked at Vera, who met his gaze without flinching.

After a few seconds of silence, Gap asked a question that stunned Vera. "Will you sleep with him?"

The question hit Vera like a speeding train, leaving her dazed. Her tone changed. "Why would you think that?"

Realizing the nature of the question, she exclaimed, "I'm your wife!"

Gap, unusually calm, spoke as if discussing something unrelated to him. "Look, ever since you got this job, you talk about Lynch the most."

"I know him—a handsome young man. Anyone would like him. And I've heard he sometimes drives you home late at night..." He paused. "The whole residential compound knows about it—you are getting along so well with a young man."

Lynch had driven Vera home several times, making it hard to avoid being noticed.

People love gossip and often embellish stories. This was a juicy topic—A beautiful young woman and a handsome young man, if sparks were to fly between them, it wouldn't be entirely unacceptable.

Some women even envied Vera, wishing for a young man to bring them warmth at night.

Vera looked at Gap incredulously, finding him increasingly unfamiliar. She shook her head. "Sometimes I work late into the night. Do you expect me to refuse him and then trek half the city on foot back home?"

"And my loyalty to this family surpasses yours. I've never slept with him, and I won't on this trip either!"

"I'm not like you, letting any woman climb into your bed!"

"I'm going to Bupayne tomorrow. Good night!"

Vera, angry, returned to her bedroom, feeling humiliated. Her husband actually used that tone to suspect that she would sleep with Lynch, which was simply absurd!

Gap, sitting in the dining room, watched Vera's back without anger or satisfaction, just quietly.

The next morning, Lynch's original plan was to pick up Vera, but she called him beforehand to let him know she would go to the office first, instructing Lynch to meet her there instead.

Around ten o'clock, they boarded the train together.

The journey from Sabin to Bupayne took about twelve hours—a long trip.Please vote for this novel at https://www.novelupdates.com/series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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