Blackstone Code-Chapter 268:

The Federation's anti-war sentiment originated from some war documentaries filmed in the early stages of this world war. Several reporters from the Federation, risking their lives, went to the frontlines of the conflict, gathering a large amount of footage and sending it back to the Federation.

These war correspondents quickly became household names throughout the Federation. However, neither they nor the public realized that these authentic battlefield records would instill a fear of war among the Federation's people.

Due to the difficulties of filming on the battlefield, the footage was silent. From the first frame to the last second, there wasn't a single sound.

Before the televisions and in cinemas, at first, people laughed and eagerly anticipated the footage from the frontlines. After all, it had been a long time since a war had broken out, and there hadn't even been any conflicts between the Baylor Federation and other countries.

People had long forgotten the brutality of war, remembering only the romanticized aspects. A few years before the war, a movie that won an award, Cannonfire Lovers, depicted romantic love amidst the romanticized backdrop of war, leaving generations of Federation citizens—who had never experienced war—with an unrealistic impression.

It wasn't until these raw images began to impact people's hearts that they realized war was neither romantic nor something to look forward to.

Bullets, invisible like the grim reaper's scythe, cut down lives randomly on the battlefield. Soldiers on screen would suddenly jerk backward, or their heads would snap up, and they would fall quickly, twitching a few times before becoming lifeless bodies.

There was no sound of bullets whizzing by, no screams of soldiers dying. The silent screams of soldiers barely alive, their horrified expressions captured on camera, turned the excitement of the Federation's people into silence.

Every time the footage was shown, the same thing happened. The people grew quiet. The cruel realities of war shattered their unrealistic fantasies. There was no love, no clever battles of wits or courage—only the executioners and the executed.

One after another, people died—some their own, some the enemy. One particularly memorable scene showed a shell exploding near a war correspondent. The camera fell to the ground after a moment of rapid shaking, and soon black liquid began to cover part of the lens.

Then the camera seemed to be picked up by someone, but in the shaking, it fell back to the ground again. Immediately afterward, the war correspondent collapsed in front of the lens, with several fragments piercing directly through his body.

He knelt with his hips raised, his upper body limp on the ground. This image, though almost comical, evoked no laughter, because a vibrant life was slipping away.

He was coughing up large amounts of blood, his chest heaving, and then blood began to flow from his nostrils, followed by more bloody foam.

At that moment, he hadn't completely died. He tried to prop himself up but had no strength left. His arms gave out multiple times as he tried to lift his body. His chest rose and fell more violently until, finally, his body shuddered a few times, and all went still.

Even in death, his eyes stared into the camera, as if he had foreseen his fate. He left the Federation not with fearlessness or courage in the face of death, nor with some final warning, but with an endless sense of fear.

Everyone feared death. When the people watched a fellow citizen die so brutally on the battlefield, right before their eyes, enduring the final thirty seconds of agony and helpless struggle, anti-war sentiment surged instantly.

Before this, the Federation had not seriously considered an isolationist policy. In fact, the president and his cabinet back then had been discussing which side to take, planning to actively join the conflict.

But this sudden wave of anti-war sentiment gave the conservative party the perfect stage. They followed the will of the people, proposed isolationism, and gained the support of the masses.

Everyone feared death—not just for themselves, but for their friends and family as well, fearing that they might die on the battlefield like the reporter in the footage.

So, when Lynch mentioned the word "war" in such a setting, the entire hall fell silent.

It wasn't just the lower classes that harbored anti-war sentiments. Like an infectious disease, this feeling had spread to the middle and upper classes as well.

Of course, being anti-war didn't mean they didn't want to engage with the international community. That was a different matter.

All eyes were on Lynch. He remained remarkably composed, showing no fear under the gaze of countless prominent figures.

He smiled gracefully, and from a slightly further distance, Severella looked at Lynch with a dazed expression. For some reason, at that moment, she saw a shadow of her father in Lynch.

She wasn't sure if this description was accurate, but that's how she felt. Lynch was younger, but his demeanor, poise, composure, and confidence, even his smile, gave off a special feeling.

It made people trust what he said and did, feel safe, and believe he was someone they could rely on.

"Economic warfare?" The man who had asked the question repeated. "That's a novel and intriguing concept. It seems we have an excellent topic for discussion this evening. Mr. Lynch, would you care to elaborate?"

Lynch nodded respectfully to the gentleman, signaling his willingness.

At the same time, he noticed a small detail: people were making way for the man, indicating he was someone of significance, at the very least highly respected.

"Of course, sir."

"You can call me Truman..."

At this moment, Mr. Waldric walked over quietly to Lynch's side and whispered a reminder, "Mr. Truman is currently the special advisor to the President's Cabinet, responsible for international policy discussions and formulation."

Lynch nodded to express his gratitude. Being an advisor for international policy was no ordinary role.

In fact, before the event, Lynch had heard rumors that the President intended to establish a new office in the cabinet called the " the Office of International Affairs and Policy Research."

This office would focus on researching global trends and formulating policies to respond to these trends, not only in politics but also in military matters. Though it might not draw much attention, it would undoubtedly be a critical department.

Truman would be the head of this yet-to-be-established office, as well as the President's most trusted advisor on international affairs and policies.

As for why Lynch found Truman's voice familiar, it was because he had seen a political talk show where Truman had appeared.

In the process of defeating the "Demon King" (the former president) and pushing the new president to power, many people had contributed, including Truman.

This brief interruption lasted no more than thirty seconds, and Lynch resumed presenting his viewpoint.

"I'm a businessman, so my perspective on things sometimes differs from others.

"Looking at all the countries involved in this world war, I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but I've seen something worth noting: the role and importance of money in war.

"Wealth plays a far greater role in war than we often imagine. Many believe that war only requires soldiers, but it also requires money—a lot of money.

"I've spoken with some arms dealers, and they've told me that even in a small skirmish, a significant victory can deplete hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, and there could be tens of thousands of casualties.

"The end of this war, which has engulfed much of the world, wasn't because someone admitted they were on the wrong side. It was simply because some ran out of money and couldn't keep fighting, so they were forced to surrender.

"I believe that war is not just a contest of military strength; it's also a contest of a nation's overall strength and wealth."

Lynch's tone grew more emphatic. "Especially money. The role of money in war is paramount.

"We might not have enough soldiers, but if we have money, we can hire those willing to fight for us in exchange for wealth!

"But if we have no money, even if every one of our young men is fearless, they still won't be able to overcome a well-fortified enemy position with heavy firepower!

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"So, shouldn't we change our thinking slightly? Perhaps war is not about people—it's about money!

"If our goal is simply to force some power to surrender as if they were defeated, could we achieve that not through gunfire but through economic warfare?"

This concept was readily accepted. Even those who were somewhat dull understood that a small skirmish, even if victorious, could cost hundreds of thousands of bucks. So, how much would a large-scale battle cost?

Many wore thoughtful expressions. They might have noticed this issue before, but they hadn't studied it deeply or thought it through carefully.

Now, Lynch had brought these things to the forefront, and suddenly, things that were previously unclear became clear.

Especially Lynch's concluding remarks—they directly hit the core of his earlier points: war is about money. If we bypass the factor of soldiers, could we fight a war purely with money?

If it's about war, the Federation might not be the best—no one knew how well the Federation's military would perform in a large-scale conflict since they hadn't been in one.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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