Blackstone Code-Chapter 262:

In the blink of an eye, two days had quickly passed. On the evening of Lynch's third day in Bupayne, they were preparing to head to an estate in the outskirts to attend a celebration hosted personally by the President.

After lunch, Lynch and Severella were informed of the schedule. They were set to arrive at the estate around 5:15 PM. Honestly, this was quite early, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

After all, Lynch wasn't a particularly influential entrepreneur, nor was he a politician holding any significant power. In the eyes of many, including the President, he was just a lucky man.

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He happened to propose a coincidental idea at the right time, which was coincidentally noticed by the President, and coincidentally echoed by him. These coincidences were the reason for Lynch's presence here.

As for arriving early?

He should be grateful.

Around 4:30 PM, there was a knock at the door. Two attendants, who were unmistakably FBI agents—a man and a woman—entered. They first insisted on inspecting Lynch and Severella's personal belongings and then checked both of them in separate rooms to ensure they weren't carrying anything dangerous.

Afterward, they were escorted downstairs and into a designated vehicle.

As Severella sat down, Lynch heard her let out a slight sigh of relief. He glanced at her, and she smiled back. "A bit nervous," she said.

She wasn't entirely honest. She was already in her twenties, but sometimes she still had childish thoughts. She wanted to prove her excellence to her father and family, which was why she came here.

She thought she could easily handle situations like this—after all, she'd faced similar ones before, such as attending events hosted by governors or members of Congress.

But now, she was starting to feel nervous. This time, she wasn't accompanied by her father, who always seemed to have everything under control. Instead, she was with a young man who needed her help.

This time, no one would step in to save her if she made a mistake. If she embarrassed herself, people would only laugh at her.

It was at this moment that she realized she wasn't as strong as she thought she was.

The vehicle cruised smoothly down the road and soon left the city. Around 5 PM, the car noticeably slowed down and then stopped by the roadside.

The driver briefly explained that there were strict entry times. The President, his staff, and the relevant personnel wanted to give the invited guests a sense of warmth, and exchanging a few words was the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to do so.

This meant that guests couldn't all rush in at once. Each pair of guests would have to wait until the previous pair had finished their brief conversation before the next could enter.

At about 5:13 PM, the car started again and pulled up outside the estate. The usher opened the door, and Lynch stepped out first, offering his hand to help Severella out of the car.

The weather was still quite cold at this time, but for the sake of wearing attire that looked good and suited the occasion, neither of them wore particularly thick clothing. Severella was even in a backless evening gown (with a coat, though it wasn't thick enough).

"It's a bit cold," the girl subtly whispered in Lynch's ear, implying that they should walk faster. While maintaining a sweet smile for the surrounding media and reporters, she continued walking.

Lynch quickened his pace slightly. In these kinds of events, unless someone wanted more exposure, most people didn't like being in the spotlight for too long, but they still had to go through the process.

In fact, this celebration could also be seen as the President signaling a message to society and his supporters.

He had powerful backing, whether in politics, business, or other sectors. The elite from these groups supported him, which reassured many people. This was a demonstration of strength, so letting people know who attended was crucial.

The reporters marveled at Lynch and Severella's appearance and poise. If they hadn't seen the guest list, they might have assumed this pair were celebrities!

After swiftly walking the red carpet, they passed by a large fountain outside the estate and, guided by the staff, entered the house.

The estate was much larger than Lynch had expected, or rather, it was more of a manor.

The historical architectural style gave the place a sense of weight and gravity. After walking through a not-too-long corridor, they entered a spacious hall.

Inside, Lynch handed over both his and Severella's coats to the attendants, who noted their names to ensure they could retrieve their belongings quickly after the event.

Not far from them, the President was talking to someone. They waited at a respectful distance, and after about a minute, the conversation ended, and the staff led Lynch and Severella over.

"You must be Lynch!" The President, now sixty-one years old, had strikingly gray hair. It was said that some had suggested he dye it to cover the gray, as darker hair would make him appear more energetic and youthful—qualities important for a President.

But he refused. His reason was that he wanted to present his most authentic self to the public. Dyeing his hair to conceal his true state would be no different from lying to the people. Both were forms of deception.

This stance quickly earned the President a strong image among the public. People even began calling him the "Truthful President."

Interestingly, this had all unfolded recently. Before the previous President was impeached, no one knew or cared much about the Vice President. Seventy percent of citizens had no impression of him at all.

Yet, in such a short time, his public persona had become vivid and multi-dimensional. This was the power and value of effective public relations. The public accepted him at an astonishing speed!

Of course, the President had also worked very hard. The fact that he recognized Lynch without prompting made Lynch feel a bit flattered. After all, this was the President—the highest authority in the country, at least in appearance, even though many people could still check his power.

Lynch stepped forward eagerly. "Yes, Mr. President. Honestly, it's quite surprising that you remember my name."

The President shook his hand, not letting go immediately. His grip gave Lynch a sense of warmth, partly because they had just come in from the cold outside.

Beyond that, Lynch could feel the strength in the President's hand. It wasn't the strength of an elderly man but that of someone still in their prime.

The President smiled and nodded. "Of course I remember. When I read your report, it left a lasting impression. You have no idea how much your ideas have helped our work. Maybe we can find some time to discuss these issues further."

Although feeling even more flattered, Lynch didn't take the comment too seriously. It was just a polite gesture—this kind of time would never actually materialise.

"I'm honored that my thoughts could be of help, and I'll always be at your service, Mr. President." Lynch replied, his words formal and polite. It all felt a bit like a performance—amusing but also a bit tedious.

They released their handshake, and the President then shook Severella's hand. "I know who you are too—Mr. Waldric's daughter. He's always boasting about how beautiful his daughter is, and I hate to admit it, but he's not wrong."

Severella was pleasantly surprised. It was a fact that women's status in this era was relatively low, and most of the time, the President wouldn't engage in much conversation with a guest's female companion beyond a brief greeting. Saying this much was quite rare.

This had a lot to do with Waldric, Severella's father. The consortium he belonged to was a major supporter of the Progressive Party. If it were someone else, things might have gone differently.

The girl politely responded to the President's compliment, thanking him for his kind words and congratulating him on his presidency, expressing her hopes for his upcoming re-elections.

According to the federal constitution, if a President was unable to continue his duties for any reason, the Vice President automatically would become President.

This wouldn't affect their future terms. They could still run for election as President and, if elected, serve another term, meaning four more years, plus the possibility of another four.

If the President were to be re-elected and serve consecutive terms, ten years in power would allow his influence to expand rapidly. Especially as his control over the federal system and society deepens, even the consortiums and the Progressive Party backing him would find it hard to resist his growing authority, let alone the conspiracy theories suggesting they could manipulate him.

Severella's spot-on comment made the President smile even more. "I hope you both have a wonderful evening."

After bidding farewell to the President, Lynch and Severella were led into the hall behind him.Please vote for this novel at /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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