Darkstone Code

Chapter 1350: Chapter 1349: The New Project

In the evening, Lynch was taking a shower, and when he looked down, he saw a pair of bright red little leather shoes.

Then came a girl in a school uniform, with her hair in traditional lady’s twin ponytails, standing in the shower curtain like she had made a mistake.

Lynch’s shower was not like an ordinary home bathroom, maybe the showerhead was the size of a fist, spraying a sizable curtain of water.

One needed to adjust the angle of the showerhead or simply spin around to wash certain areas.

Lynch’s shower room, or rather many wealthy people’s shower rooms, use a wide-range spray method.

Lynch’s shower was about five to six square meters, and when he turned on the switch, the entire ceiling sprayed water downwards, making it feel like it was raining in the shower room!

No dead angles at all.

So when Penny came in, she was already drenched.

Lynch wiped his face and didn’t turn off the switch; the water curtain kept flushing over them. "Is this having a fit?"

Penny seemed to be already into the acting, "I’m sorry, I messed up this exam,..."

She said another word afterward, very quietly, almost inaudible.

The voice carried a slight tremor, as if fearing something, yet as if excited for something.

This crazy girl!

Silence through the night...

The next day, the release of "Daddy and Me" brought an overwhelmingly significant social discussion, with many renowned film critics joining in the evaluation of the movie.

Among many clear-stance reviews, one critic named Bozent highlighted a very special viewpoint in his review.

He believed this movie was essentially a challenge to existing rules. Through the girl’s initial silence and endurance towards her father’s authoritarianism, then resistance in the middle, and finally rebellion, it actually expressed a critique of existing social systems!

The upper-middle layers of society dominated by males are almost entirely composed of male members. Aren’t they just like the father in the film?

While those without power and the ability to resist, mostly women and ordinary people, are like the girl in the film.

They can’t fight against the dominating upper tiers of society, the influence and manipulation from the father, and can only survive begrudgingly against their will.

But this process won’t last long; people have always been resisting, like when the girl in the film begins to think about ending everything, her thoughts are no longer about silently enduring but attempting to solve it.

In the end, she defeats her father, sends him into prison, which precisely means that people will ultimately overcome "patriarchy."

It exposes the essence of society, also its darkest, most brutal aspect.

If people don’t resist, they can only become sacrifices under the rules, just like the initial girl.

Only with a soul unwilling to surrender, can people find a way to save themselves and bring themselves out of Hell!

This Bozent critic’s review quickly gained support from some people, including endorsements from feminist organizations.

Such a review elevates the movie to a higher plane.

It no longer merely reflects the ethical issues between a father and daughter in an ordinary family but rather the confrontation of the social lower classes against the upper classes, the obedient against the order-givers!

It has transcended!

Diverse reviews also drove more people into the cinema to watch the movie, but most people still only took it as a thrilling adult-content movie.

A reporter interviewed the director, asking if there was a deeper interpretation. The director stated he hadn’t thought that much during filming...

All in all, this period of news in the Federation was completely dominated by this movie and its real-world reversal, everyone discussing them and turning them into a social hot topic.

To some extent, it even suppressed discussions about dissatisfaction with tax rate hikes.

People are changeable, and indeed helpless; when they find they can’t change things, they quickly shift their attention as self-comfort.

Changes in public opinion and social activities were arranged clearly and neatly by some intentional people.

Everyone somewhat understands that if war truly breaks out, the result connects with everyone’s fate.

If the war is won, naturally nothing need be said.

During this period, those active social activists and media repeatedly told everyone what would happen if the war was won—

Firstly, abundant job opportunities. Once the Federation wins the war, it is likely to include other places in its ecological circle, much like it did with Nagariel.

To establish certain aspects of these places, the Federation will allocate more manpower, and the market will also expand.

Every Federation citizen will have job opportunities, and as war reparations gradually come in, the Federation’s tax rate will be adjusted back to a suitable level, and social welfare will see significant improvement.

As long as the war can be won, nearly everything is good, with no bad.

But if the war fails, what will the Federation face?

The Federation’s major businesses will be seized by foreigners, important ports will become foreign territories, international trade will shrink overall, and foreign commodity dumping will completely destroy the Federation’s light industry!

Countless people will lose their jobs and become homeless, and the Federation Government has no way to address this.

Even if people want to take out money to change something at this time, it’s meaningless for the entire country!

Because everything has a conclusion, a verdict, and change is already too late!

Most people, or rather the vast majority, are actually rational, able to discern right from wrong, and even though some are still protesting, the issue of adjusting tax rates is gradually calming down.

Life has to go on, and the days have to keep moving forward. When protests and demonstrations fail to bring better results, people give up struggling.

This is what’s good about Federations - when faced with unfavorable situations, they make a fuss, but when there’s no outcome, they give up.

Plus, the Workers’ Union didn’t incite people to stand against the Federation Government this time, so the situation may not calm down quickly, but it will stabilize.

Someone jokingly said that people’s failure this time was due to the lack of free fried chicken and beer—the lack of benefits made them give up...

In fact, not everyone behaves so passively when facing these problems.

For example, Lynch’s little maid has been very proactive lately.

In the past, she was passive, only showing another side when Penny or Lynch demanded something from her.

From this perspective, she’s actually been doing well, at least... she holds on to certain things, like not being proactive.

Maybe this was a firm stance in her heart, like... work is work, but she is herself. Although the nature of the work is somewhat different, as long as she’s not proactive, it’s not considered infidelity.

Okay, whether she thinks this way or not, she’s never been proactive before.

But recently she’s become proactive, actively participating in various games and working very hard.

And all this is actually related to the increase in tax rates, and directly related.

Her salary, including the part Penny gave her, all had to be taxed, and with the increased tax rate, her income noticeably decreased.

Originally, she could have an income of about two thousand a month, which in Bupen counts as middle class income.

But now, with the increased tax rate, her income sharply reduced to just about a thousand.

Her husband’s income also decreased sharply, yet they face high various expenses.

Living in a middle-class high-end community, various fees are unavoidable, along with repaying debts to Lynch and car repairs and maintenance...

Everything that once provided enjoyment to their lives at this time has become a burden.

They have no big solution for these burdens. If their house were rented, they could return it and rent those houses that wouldn’t affect their life.

If their car were rented, they could return the car.

But these things are not, and were half-gifted by Lynch. If they dispose of them...

Plus the girl’s "federal dream," she can only work harder than before.

Life is not easy for anyone!

Sometimes Austin joins in too, and Lynch is quite content except for occasional backaches.

...

When the sweltering sunlight hits, there’s a slight stinging sensation, each ray is like a knife, leaving the skin exposed to sunlight riddled.

Lynch raised his hand to block the sunlight and got out of the car, feeling the glare even through sunglasses.

"They really know how to pick a time!"

He complained.

Today is a meeting hosted by the Federation Government, the Ministry of Defense, and some military institutions, and Lynch, as the Federation’s largest contractor for overseas military operations, was invited to attend.

Once inside the Ministry of Defense building, he instantly felt cool and refreshed.

Even the President admits that air conditioning is the greatest invention of this century!

After examining Lynch’s various identities and documents, he was allowed to enter the meeting room.

In the meeting room, unsurprisingly, he saw Mr. Truman.

"They suddenly called me to come to the Ministry of Defense, scaring me so much I almost flew out of the Federation."

Lynch made a joke, and Mr. Truman was momentarily stunned before laughing out loud.

He sat next to Lynch, "Your dark humor is really not funny."

Lynch took out a cigarette and handed one to Mr. Truman, "What’s today’s topic?"

Mr. Truman lit up, took a puff, and as he slowly exhaled the smoke, he uttered a single word—

"North!"