Chapter 54:
Since the moment Michael Junior was sentenced in court, some media outlets have begun rethinking certain issues. They pondered whether the conflict between Michael and Lin Qi stemmed from the enforcer and the suspect or from personal matters.
If it was due to the former, then they needed not worry about much else. But if it was because of the latter, then the direction of public opinion was incorrect.
It was like when the little red person and the little blue person fight. If the injury to the little blue person was just an isolated incident, it would remain just that, and nobody would really care.
The issue was that everyone claimed the little red person was the enforcer, and the little blue person was an innocent civilian. In the absence of evidence, the little red person injured the little blue person, suggesting that the problem lay in the excessive enforcement power wielded by the little red person, abusing authority and harming the people.
This was the present situation. But if one removed this layer of relationship, if the little red person hit the little blue person because of their personal grudge, without the enforcer and innocent suspect dynamics, without the question of the appropriateness of enforcement power, then it would just be an isolated incident.
Upon seeing the latest issue of the newspaper, Lin Qi realized that the upper echelons of the Federal Tax Bureau, or at least state-level administrative officials, had started to act. He hadn't yet managed to subtly have Director Johnson disclose some information, but speculations had already surfaced in the newspapers.
Some less reputable newspapers, essentially tabloids, were generally taken as a form of amusement by many because they often published sensational news. But one couldn't deny that this time it was too coincidental. A gossip tabloid stated that Michael Junior had been sentenced for burglary, and the burglary happened to be in the house of an innocent suspect in Michael's enforcement case. Could there be a connection here?
Many times, some people claim that the populace lacks intelligence, living perpetually in a collective consciousness. Clearly, this statement is a laughable understanding.
At least with the reports in the tabloids, some individuals had started to contemplate if there might be more conspiracies involved.
In reality, every person, every citizen of a country, fundamentally doesn't want to believe that their country has rotten beyond repair. They always believe that there's hope for their country, even if they spend their days in their rooms swearing at their president on television.
When people realize that there's still hope for the country but acknowledge that a specific individual is beyond redemption, they will unconsciously redirect their frustration. Instead of solely criticizing the country's systemic problems, the focus of public opinion will shift towards criticizing and targeting that particular individual.
Having finished reading through the entire newspaper, Lin Qi casually set it aside. At that moment, he was in Mr. Fox's officehis money laundering had made significant progress. It had transitioned from the underground to aboveground, into a bright, street-facing standalone two-story building, adorned with Gettnau's signage and telephone number.
"This is good news..." Lin Qi picked up another newspaper, glanced at Mr. Fox, "The Federal Tax Bureau also realizes that entangling with us is meaningless. Abandoning Michael might be a bit cruel to him, but it's redemption for the entire system. We are safe now."
Only now did Mr. Fox heave a sigh of relief. He had been on tenterhooks these days. Several of his peers had been sent to regional prisons awaiting final judgment on money laundering charges, and a few others had vanished overnight.
Currently, in Sabin City, there were only two or three firms left providing small-scale financial aid services. Because of this, the phone outside Mr. Fox's office hadn't stopped ringing for a moment.
The bustling business made Mr. Fox nervous, afraid, and greedy. However, Lin Qi had been reassuring him, urging him to continue his dealings without giving up. Now was the best time for his transition.
Emerging from the less exposed underground to embrace the sunlight, even this standalone office was rented under Lin Qi's instructions.
Mr. Fox glanced at the young men outside his office, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Lin Qi, my friend, I've encountered a small problem..."
Lin Qi was surprised. He set down the latest issue of the "Trade Report," which reported the end of a war in a country across the Baylor Federation Strait (), bringing a glimmer of hope after nineteen months of continuous decline in infrastructure material prices.
Undoubtedly, industrious federal merchants had found a place that temporarily allowed them to recover and not face bankruptcy.
He outlined a few lines in the news with the pen on the table, then looked at Mr. Fox. "How can I assist you?"
Mr. Fox still smiled, albeit awkwardly, and seemed a bit hesitant. "I'm out of money..." After saying this, he felt that his statement might be misunderstood by Lin Qi, so he offered a brief explanation.
Recently, other financial companies either fled or faced arrests. As a consequence, the financial aid market in Sabin City became extremely vacant. Lin Qi had repeatedly advised him that it was a good time to expand and strengthen his financial company, and indeed, he had taken those steps.
At least he thought Lin Qi wasn't a fraud; he was a smart person, smarter than himself. So, what Lin Qi said was probably right.
Every day, in Sabin City, there were financial shortfalls ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, and sometimes even reaching millions. This was no laughing matter. At times, the scale could even surpass several millions.
For some gamblers, the numbers changing by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands near the gambling tables were just minute fluctuations. Such amounts of money were insignificant to them.
Where there's demand, there's a market. What was supposed to be a buyer's market turned into a seller's market because suddenly, there were only a few sellers left, unable to meet the demands.
In less than five days, Mr. Fox had invested over two million of his savings. What was left in his pocket was a small sum, merely a fraction of what he had during his peak. After tonight, he wouldn't have any money left to offer.
Thinking about this made him anxious. That was money, an uncountable amount of money. He had no money left, but others might. If someone seized the market now, not to mention the future, he felt like he would even break into tears now.
He had seen signs of this yesterday. After pondering a day and a night, he decided to discuss it with Lin Qi. He knew Lin Qi was a smart person, often capable of thinking of solutions others couldn't.
Mr. Fox's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Lin Qi raised an eyebrow slightly, nodded, and said, "That's not a problem. No matter how much you need."
This statement made Mr. Fox's jaw drop, and he even double-checked to ensure he hadn't misheard.
Even counting all the money managed by Lin Qi together during this period, it was just over one million. And Lin Qi probably had less than a hundred thousand in hand at best, which didn't quite amount to "no matter how much he needed." Mr. Fox began to suspect if Lin Qi might have misheard what he had just said.
Careful not to damage Lin Qi's dignity, Mr. Fox gently reminded him, "I'm not talking about thousands or tens of thousands, I mean hundreds of thousands, even millions!"
Lin Qi continued to nod casually, "I know. No matter how much you need. It's not a problem."
His repeated assurance made Mr. Fox ecstatic; he stood up excitedly, clapping his hands and pacing around the office. "Fantastic! Fantastic! When can I see it?"
Lin Qi remained in his composed posture, slightly tilting his head. The sunlight outside made Mr. Fox's figure blurry, less vivid.Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/
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