Blackstone Code-Chapter 637: Want to Go Abroad?

Lynch once heard an interesting news story: a wealthy man in his sixties lamented that he had spent his youth struggling and fighting. By the time he had the freedom to enjoy life, he looked back and realized he was already old.

To reclaim his youth, he publicly sought a young partner—around twenty years old—to accompany him for the rest of his life.

Many might not understand this mindset. Lynch wasn’t particularly fond of young girls either, but at this moment, he could feel that energy rushing toward him—youth. The aura of youth!

Other people’s youth could infect you too—that was the power of youth.

Penny shook her hair dry and sat on a lounge chair next to Lynch, toweling off her wet hair. Curiously, she asked, “I just heard something about a joint production?”

Her eyes sparkled. At eighteen, her ears couldn’t possibly be bad enough to miss something spoken so nearby. She had heard it—joint film production between the Federation and Gephra.

She might not fully grasp the film’s value or significance, but she understood one thing: Lynch didn’t involve himself in anything without value.

While many had jumped to their deaths recently over the Valier crisis, drowning in debt, Lynch—known as Mr. Billionaire—had come through unscathed. In fact, Blackstone Capital’s operations during this time were once again cited in multiple articles, proving Lynch’s ruthless acumen.

If he backed a project, it had to be good.

Lynch gave a brief explanation, and the girl keenly caught a key word—or rather, a key name: Jania.

“That’s the one you had rumors with, right?” she asked, curious. Though she felt a bit uneasy inside, curiosity won out.

Jania was practically a legend in the global film industry—a royal making movies, and a woman at that. That alone was extraordinary, not to mention that she belonged to one of the world’s most powerful royal families—the Gephran royalty.

With all the media packaging, she had become a legendary figure. Even in the Federation, there were many stories about her.

Lynch nodded casually. “She’s the lead in one of the films…” Seeing the anticipation in Penny’s eyes, he shook his head. “You’re not suitable. These joint productions are politically charged. One misstep won’t just ruin your role—it could end your entire career.”

There was still a sense of competition between the Federation and Gephra. It wasn’t overt, but it was real.

In these joint films, if a Federation actor gave a poor performance and got completely overshadowed, it could destroy their hard-earned reputation—and even be seen as a national embarrassment.

National and cultural pride wouldn’t allow their actors to be eclipsed by foreigners. So while these projects looked like golden opportunities, they also came with tremendous risks.

Federation actors would likely be selected by the actors’ union and major studios, with final approval from people like Lynch.

Jania could participate without flinching because her status was extraordinary, and her acting skills were recognized—if not top-tier, close enough.

But Penny didn’t qualify. If she underperformed, the audience would abandon her completely.

The girl seemed to realize this and sighed with some regret.

She undid her swimsuit top, handed Lynch some sunscreen, and lay face-down on the chair. “Help me put some on—I don’t want to get tanned…”

As it turned out, the real challenge today wasn’t the heat. Applying sunscreen was unexpectedly strenuous. Lynch was soon dripping with sweat, but he was a responsible man.

Even though it wore him out, he carefully and thoroughly applied the lotion.

After cooling off a bit, he dove into the pool. As the cool water washed over him, the lingering heat finally began to fade.

That evening, the two dressed up and attended the premiere. Lynch’s appearance sent photographers into a frenzy. Having such a headline-grabbing Mr. Billionaire on the red carpet drew massive attention from the key consumer demographic.

Handsome man, beautiful woman—the two became the biggest stars of the premiere. Mostly Lynch, of course—his fame preceded him.

After the event, Lynch didn’t leave Lardimore. He stayed to monitor the situation in Nagaryll.

Thanks to collective efforts, the rebels who attempted to overthrow the monarchy and murdered the former king and queen had been driven out of the capital. Over a thousand had been killed in the process.

The crown prince, escorted back to Nagaryll, vowed to track down rebel affiliates nationwide based on provided descriptions, and encouraged citizens to report them.

Although the prince had returned and regained control of the palace, it didn’t mean things would go back to how they were. With so much effort spent dismantling the previous government, there was no way the Federation or the Joint Development Company would allow Valier to rise again.

With the cooperation of the prince and regional rulers, the Federal Sol had now become the sole legal currency in Nagaryll, fully replacing the Valier.

This meant the Federation government and the Six Major Banks could now intervene freely in the region’s economy and finance—seizing control of the nation’s lifeblood.

Next came the multi-party talks to finalize the new political system of New Nagaryll.

Given how many regions had declared independence from the former kingdom, these talks would take time. But that didn’t stop societal changes—like foreign labor migration.

As everyone’s eyes remained on the country, Akumari—the man who had driven a truck through the palace gates—had fled in panic back to Magulana Province, now trembling under the shelter of one of Lynch’s companies.

No one had expected things to turn out this way. Not long ago, his superiors had praised their success. Akumari and others had been celebrating. Even though they didn’t fully understand what had changed, they believed revolution would bring progress.

He had truly believed Nagaryll was about to change forever. But then the leaders disappeared—gone. Even their figurehead was missing. The Federation forces came in.

Federation-trained soldiers and mercenaries slaughtered them with ease. Their amateur rebellion didn’t last a day in the palace. People died or fled.

Akumari’s driving skills saved him during the initial sweep, and he instinctively returned to the company.

Then the prince’s coronation and the regional summits left him in a daze. They had worked so hard, and still couldn’t change the country. Why?

Royal-led crackdowns continued. Provincial governors enthusiastically cooperated in arresting rebel forces.

More and more escapees were captured or turned themselves in. Fear and despair filled the rebel ranks. Each day brought new disappearances, new surrenders, new betrayals.

Akumari lived in terror—always feeling like he could be arrested or shot at any moment.

He wanted to flee, but had nowhere left to go. The world offered no escape.

On a hot afternoon, after finishing a delivery run and resting in the shade, two military trucks appeared in the distance.

Everyone under the tree stood up—people were instinctively afraid of soldiers now.

Led by a foreigner, the armed troops headed toward them. Akumari’s heart sank.

Then he saw it—his supervisor, the convoy dispatcher from the Federation, pointed directly at him.

It was over.

Everything was over.

His mind went blank. Scenes from his life flashed through his head like broken film reels.

He wanted to run but had nowhere to go, and his legs wouldn’t move. He just stood there, stunned.

Two armed soldiers approached and looked him over. One of them asked, “Are you Akumari?”

Akumari thought of his family. A pitiful smile forced its way onto his face. He let out a heavy sigh, then lifted his head. “Yes, I am.”

With nowhere left to run, he would face the harsh reality.

“You know how to operate construction vehicles?” the soldier asked again. “The kind used frequently on construction sites.”

Akumari nodded. He had enrolled in an advanced technical training program where he learned to operate various types of heavy machinery—like excavators. He was skilled and picked things up quickly.

A faint smile appeared on the soldier’s face. “Do you have any family?”

Akumari’s heart tightened. Were they going to wipe out his entire bloodline?

He bit his lip and shook his head. “No, just me.”

The soldier looked even more satisfied, his tone softening. “Would you like to go abroad?”