Darkstone Code-Chapter 983 - 981: Civilization and Courtesy

"Alright, come in!"

The time had come, but Lynch still had some questions unanswered. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

The two of them walked into the meeting room together. Guided by the staff, Lynch sat on the right side toward the back, not quite in the front.

Among those attending the meeting, only a few seemed not to be official figures. The rest were either officers or intelligence and security personnel, each with an exceptionally serious expression on their face.

This incident disrupted a whole series of their subsequent plans and even undermined their previous arrangements, which was extremely annoying!

The content of the meeting was duller than Lynch had imagined, with each department reporting the results of their losses.

They had deployed quite a few people into the Mariluo, but now the General was dead, Isabella was missing, Sanchez was injured, and those they sent had also suffered varying degrees of injury.

Some even suspected that the major warlords of Mariluo had sensed something was wrong, which led them to unite in their attack on the General. The purpose was to completely reject Federation people and influence outside the country’s borders.

After all, once Isabella and Sanchez had established themselves, they would no longer represent the interests of the locals but those of the Federation.

The big warlords had confidence in waging a war behind closed doors at home but lacked faith in winning against opponents backed by the Federation. It seemed they were eliminating danger.

This speculation gained traction, with some believing that perhaps Sanchez was too eager at the beginning, exposing a flaw.

Some even began to argue, debating Sanchez’s "ideals."

Some believed Sanchez should not promote "integration" in a region of Mariluo filled with racial hatred, as it would make him a target for extreme racial hate groups.

Others believed the slogan he proposed was very much in line with future development and, in a short time, indeed recruited some subordinates, indicating that there was nothing wrong with the slogan itself.

The argument surrounding this never ceased. In reality, Lynch could see they were ostensibly discussing and arguing, but they were actually shirking responsibility.

As long as it had nothing to do with themselves, it was fine. Such a significant loss demanded someone to take responsibility.

Taxpayers’ money wasn’t easy to spend, and millions had not yielded any results; instead, a hole was blown open, which would attract some criticism from Congress.

"We can’t ensure Mariluo’s future development situation will follow our plan, and we don’t need a complete, unified Mariluo. We must do something,"

When the Deputy Minister of Defense said this, the entire conference room fell silent, and everyone’s eyes focused on him.

"Sanchez is injured but not dead; among so much bad news, this is good news. "

The Deputy Minister of Defense appeared to be in his sixties; he didn’t seem like a stern, rigid person—quite amiable, at least in appearance.

"We have to use his identity and his appeal to continue promoting his borderless ideology. We also need to continue searching for Isabella; she is the key."

Isabella was different from Sanchez. Sanchez was a "rebellious" choice, wanting to reconcile the conflicts between Mariluo and the Marilorians, bringing him much attention in Mariluo.

Everyone’s attention would focus on him, allowing Isabella to quickly develop; she wouldn’t have to endure too much pressure or attention, and her lineage was purer.

The General’s daughter, Marlori’s Sapphire, wasn’t as rebellious as Sanchez, had many advantages, and most importantly, she had already defected.

Losing this character would delay some plans for a long time.

The Deputy Minister of Defense looked over at Lynch’s group, "As we often say, we don’t interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, but politics is politics, business is business."

"You are currently the largest military contractors in the Federation. The reason we called you is to hope you’ll do something we can’t."

Mr. Truman glanced at Lynch, who knew it was time for him to say something to confirm his position in this event.

Many people have experienced such a problem, where suddenly a massive responsibility descends, and many miss the opportunity due to indecision or fear of responsibility.

Lynch cleared his throat; he didn’t need Mr. Truman’s reminder; he would have stepped up anyway.

Regardless of the outcome, at least the positive image of cooperating with the Ministry of Defense would remain in people’s minds.

Next time, should the Ministry of Defense have anything, Lynch would be the first to be considered. Sometimes the success or failure of a task is not important to those at the top; what’s important is not within this task!

"Minister, Darkstone Security is currently the largest security company in the world and the largest military contractor. We have strict company rules and regulations governing our business conduct."

"We don’t ask ’why should I do this’, but resolutely obey task orders, ensuring everyone upholds ’I must do this’."

"The most professional vocational skills, the most advanced weaponry technology, the most cutting-edge tactical command..."

Lynch’s words were filled with an undeniable confidence, as though... as long as money was spent, they could solve any problem, even overthrow a country!

The people around Lynch realized what they missed when Lynch attempted to speak, the minister nodded, indicating he could no longer speak.

Others realized, casting complex expressions at Lynch, as they hesitated a moment ago.

Why did they hesitate?

If they spoke without completing the final task, who would bear the responsibility?

They weren’t sure of success, a mere pause meant they missed the best opportunity.

"I know a bit about your achievements, Mr. Lynch, but considering the problem we face isn’t insignificant, I need you to take it cautiously."

"I need a detailed plan; can you understand what I mean?", he also glanced at others, "I need a detailed proposal enabling my colleagues and me to know what you’re doing and how."

"I will discuss it with colleagues in the Strategic Command to finalize a suitable plan."

"Additionally, I must remind everyone that I hope no one will disclose anything happening here today, as it involves national security!"

The Deputy Minister of Defense was well aware that once these security companies commenced operations in Mariluo, domestic media would surely speculate wildly about the truth.

But that didn’t matter because no one knew who hired them. It could be claimed the people of Mariluo hired these profit-driven capitalists—this wasn’t state conduct nor violated the Federation’s international strategy.

We’ve never interfered in other countries’ internal affairs, and we hope other countries don’t interfere in ours—free trade and business transactions. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

See, perfectly brushed over.

The security companies people were then invited out; the remainder of the meeting wasn’t suitable for their ears.

Standing outside the Ministry of Defense building, the sun hung high as if trying to set the world ablaze; this summer was particularly hot!

Lynch and other representatives didn’t exchange much conversation, just nodding farewell as they got into their cars.

This time Lynch didn’t go home or return to Darkstone Capital, but instead to Darkstone Security.

Darkstone Security’s headquarters retained Darkstone Capital’s original style, with minimal decor. Actually, it wasn’t because Lynch didn’t want to renovate.

One reason was he was still searching for a new location, preparing to establish a more centralized group industrial area.

Another reason was that excessive decoration served no purpose.

Like Darkstone Capital, Darkstone Security Tower had few office staff, mostly managerial personnel, not many people frequented here, making renovation unnecessary.

Entering the building, cool air blasted out from the central ventilation, causing Lynch’s skin to develop goosebumps.

"Remind me later to dock their pay. It’s too wasteful to set it this cold," he casually instructed, walking inside.

The receptionist stood up, initially trying to stop the person, only to recall it was Lynch’s company.

He rarely visited, so the receptionist instinctively considered him irrelevant.

Seeing the slightly awkward smile on the receptionist’s face, Mr. Lynch was magnanimous, not pursuing her minor oversight.

A few minutes later, everyone remaining at the company received a notice to attend a meeting in the conference room.

Senior Soldier was among the attendees.

He carried some documents, holding an oversized coffee cup, chatting while entering the meeting room.

People found their seats and sat down.

Once everyone arrived, Lynch looked at these employees, a mysterious smile on his face.

"Do you know the thought running through my mind at this moment seeing all of you?"

The atmosphere was quite relaxed, with everyone shaking their heads or looking at Lynch, curious about what he’d say.

"You’ve all gotten fatter, much fatter. Is the company’s food too good?"

The employees’ faces showed a trace of awkwardness, knowing the company’s meals were indeed excellent, though perhaps they ate too much.

Without battles or training and an unlimited menu, the satisfaction of a full meal had become one of the few workplace pleasures for them.

As a result, they all gained quite a bit of weight, including Senior Soldier.

He was once strong, and now he resembled a damn ball!

This was not an insult!