Blackstone Code-Chapter 656: Not Even God Can Change It, Because I Said So!

Chapter 656: Not Even God Can Change It, Because I Said So!

“Thanks,” Truman said, taking the glass from Lynch. He didn’t drink immediately. Instead, he crossed his legs, leaned back on the sofa with one hand on the armrest, and swirled the wine gently.

He was thinking. If it were possible, he would’ve made those people realize just how foolish they had been.

But over time, he realized he’d been too naïve. He thought he and the President stood on the same side—until he was suspended. Only then did he understand that it was just what he believed.

In truth, he stood alone. He held no supreme power, possessed no nation-shaking wealth. All he could do was struggle to survive under the rules set by others.

So, he adapted. He started to go with the flow. Over the past few months, he’d attended countless banquets, parties, and social events.

Everyone thought he had changed—become normal, finally embracing the capitalists and their power. At some private gatherings, people even openly said things like, When a dog barks at you, you must make it understand who the master is. The best way is to beat it.

No doubt the dog was referring to Mr. Truman. And the phrase had spread widely. No one avoided mentioning it—not even Truman himself, who’d heard it more than once.

Yet he never showed dissatisfaction. Sometimes he even joked about it. He was quickly becoming what the public considered a real federal official.

The change in his behavior came at the perfect time. His relationship with the President improved—more friendly, more intimate.

Even his colleagues, including cabinet members who rarely spoke to him before, now stopped to chat when they crossed paths—something that was once unimaginable.

Everything was changing. Even the capitalists.

Despite their previous aggression, now he seemed to be their honored guest. Every day brought new invitations to meaningless parties and receptions.

And those beautiful actresses? A crook of his finger, and they’d end up in his bed.

Fighting the world alone was exhausting. Sometimes Truman had moments where he felt maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

At least now, when trying to do something for the nation and its people, he didn’t have to worry about getting stabbed in the back.

He seemed to be truly immersed in this softened lifestyle.

But Lynch knew—that wasn’t the real him.

Truman had deep roots in the military, from top admirals to newly enlisted soldiers. His family had served for generations, going back to his grandfather’s era. There was always a comrade general somewhere.

Whether for the military’s benefit or his own ambitions, Truman would never easily abandon his principles—nor did he need to.

After all, he represented the military within the government. That’s why the President gave him a vacation instead of dismissing him or transferring him elsewhere.

That’s also why the major financial groups, even after losing numerous contracts to him, merely accused him of fabricated charges instead of launching full-scale retaliation.

The charges and the suspension would eventually end. It was only a warning—because of the military power backing him.

Lynch’s question stirred something in him. As a soldier—he always considered himself a soldier—he wouldn’t pass up the chance for revenge if it ever came.

He sipped his drink, thoughts warring inside him. Eventually, he shook his head.

“Forget it. I’ve already resolved things with them. We’re actually getting along pretty well lately.”

He raised two fingers holding the glass and pointed at Lynch. “If you need, I can set up a meeting with some of them. Maybe you’ll clear up the misunderstandings, and things will go smoother.”

Truman knew what Lynch had been dealing with lately—someone had submitted a whistleblower report accusing Lynch of large-scale tax evasion during his time in Sabin, triggering a federal investigation. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Despite having diplomatic status, Lynch wasn’t a government official, so the investigation was unrelenting. Truman heard Lynch’s longtime associate had already been arrested, and the Tax Bureau was trying to extract evidence from Fox to bring Lynch down.

Lynch was knee-deep in trouble. But it wasn’t unsolvable. If he were willing to bow his head, all of it would disappear quickly.

Then, aside from Fox who had already been taken in, no one else would be affected.

All it took—was submission.

Lynch burst out laughing.

He laughed so hard tears rolled down his face.

Wiping his eyes, he looked at Truman and said, “That’s a good joke—but it’s not for me.”

As the laughter faded, he took out a handkerchief and wiped his tears, then stared seriously at Truman.

“If kneeling is the only way to live, I’d rather die standing.”

“They want me to bow?”

“Fine. When they’ve completely destroyed me—then they can cut off my head and throw it at my feet!”

“As long as I’m alive, no one can make me bow!”

Truman stared wide-eyed at Lynch. Goosebumps broke out all over him. He felt a powerful urge to shout, to roar.

He instinctively took a big gulp of wine to suppress the sudden surge of emotion. He looked at Lynch like he was meeting him for the first time.

For several long seconds, they said nothing.

Then Truman sighed heavily.

“You won’t bow… but the whole world wants you to. What can you do?”

It was as if he were talking about Lynch—or maybe about himself.

After all, both were entangled in the same kind of trouble. If Lynch were found guilty of tax evasion, the capitalists would immediately carve up his assets.

That was common practice in the Federation. Many businesses had been swallowed that way.

When a company’s primary shareholder couldn’t attend a meeting, the other shareholders could call for a vote. If the main shareholder didn’t appoint a proxy, it counted as abstaining.

If the first proxy didn’t cooperate, they’d replace them with someone who would.

Once the shareholder was absent, the company could be fully dismantled. This avoided potential legal risks down the line.

Eventually, through a series of splits and restructurings, they’d take everything—leaving behind nothing but a debt-ridden shell.

In Eminence, there were professional “jackals” who specialized in helping others dismantle companies—or did it themselves.

They would tear a company apart, stripping away its assets while draining the wealth of shareholders—if the company was publicly listed.

In the end, one business after another would become a heavily indebted shell, dragging shareholders (if there were any) down with it into bankruptcy, while the capitalists and jackals walked away free, enjoying money that was never theirs to begin with.

This is precisely why federal financial law mandates that once a company reaches a certain size, it must accept external investment and go public—because the system was designed from the very start to be unreasonable.

If Lynch were thrown in prison, everything outside would spiral out of control in an instant. They could even pass a board resolution to take out loans from the bank equivalent to the total value of Lynch’s assets—then leave the debt and the hollowed-out company to him.

Through legal channels, the banks would seize all of Lynch’s assets as part of the repayment—only part of it.

What should’ve been more than enough to cover the debt would be valued by the bank at less than 30% of the loan. The rest? Additional debt stacked on Lynch.

But this debt wasn’t meant to destroy him completely—only to ensure he never had a chance to rise again. If he gave up on business, stopped thinking about revenge, and accepted his fate, the banks and creditors wouldn’t push him. They might even pretend it never happened.

In this game, debt is nothing more than insurance—for the vested interests. As long as they don’t feel threatened, everyone’s safe.

But the moment they do, they’ll use that debt to crush their target.

The world of capital is never gentle. The wars between capitalists are even more brutal and merciless.

Now, a senior figure from a dominant regional financial group had openly declared war on Lynch. Who would dare speak up for him?

Even financial groups of equal power might hesitate. And even if someone were willing to help, they would wait until Lynch hit rock bottom before extending a hand.

If they helped now, they’d be friends. If they helped later, Lynch would owe them—and be beneath them.

In a world where enemies are everywhere, lowering your head isn’t such a big deal.

But no one expected Lynch to be this unyielding.

“I just thought of the one time I would bow my head…” Lynch took another sip of wine. “After I’ve slapped them across the face—then I’ll bow and say, I’m sorry.”