Blackstone Code

Chapter 150:

Widespread common knowledge and conventional wisdom were peculiar social phenomena. These phenomena had existed since the dawn of human society and continued to this day.

People would inexplicably share a consensus about the actions they should take at certain stages of their lives, often without anyone explicitly instructing them.

From the moment one purchased a second-hand entry-level luxury item, they would gradually be seen as a "wealthy person" in the eyes of others. This transformation would bring not only satisfying admiring glances but also newfound respect from people.

This was a fascinating social phenomenon. While people consistently emphasized the importance of respecting knowledge and educated individuals, in reality, they only respected power and money.

To maintain their dignity and status, the middle class needed Lynch and his inexpensive "high-end" clothes, which they would never reveal were knock-offs.

Lunetto wouldn't expose it, Lynch wouldn't say it, and the buyers certainly wouldn't go around bragging about their counterfeit goods. So there was no need to worry about anything.

After leaving Lunetto's factory, Lynch had another matter on his mind. He wanted to acquire Lunetto's factory, which was related to some of his upcoming plans. However, he was also keenly aware that now was not the right time.

The situation hadn't deteriorated to the point where the mayor or society at large had to make concessions. They were still deceiving themselves, believing they lived in a civilized society.

When they could no longer maintain their facade of dignity and kindness, they would tear off the mask of hypocrisy, revealing to people that this was not a civilized society but a dog-eat-dog world.

Only under such circumstances would certain entrenched laws had a chance to be changed. Lynch could wait; he had enough patience.

Later, he met with the mayor's nephew, a young man named Mark, who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six, maybe twenty-seven or twenty-eight, certainly not yet thirty, with some youthful innocence still on his face.

Mark was very enthusiastic and immediately started talking about his uncle, the controller of this city, and their conversations. He also talked about Lynch's business and his intention to invest in it.

"I've had my friends conduct an investigation. I must say, Mr. Lynch, you have chosen the right business at the right time. My uncle…" he shrugged, "Mayor Langdon, speaks very highly of you and always praises your excellence and outstanding performance in front of my family. It's quite enviable."

Mark was good at chatting, as people in his role often were, otherwise, they wouldn't be entrusted with such tasks.

"I think the Interstellar Trading Company is a very promising company. You have an excellent management team and a comprehensive development plan. If possible, I'd like to hitch a ride."

Everyone knew, including Mark himself, that he was merely a frontman. But he was very aware of his job and scope of authority, otherwise, the mayor wouldn't have entrusted him with such an important task.

Lynch nodded, this was something he and the mayor had agreed upon. "Someone has appraised us at seventy million, but the mayor has helped me a lot, and I am grateful. I am willing to use fifty million as the bottom line for financing."

He glanced at Mark, who was listening intently, with a half-smile. "So, how much do you want?"

Mark blushed a little and scratched his head awkwardly, looking somewhat like a school nerd facing a girl for the first time, a bit embarrassed and awkward.

But in this context, it wasn't a good thing. Lynch knew the other party was about to make an outrageous demand.

Everyone had little habits that revealed their true thoughts. Lynch forced himself to unify all his natural and unnatural habits, emotional expressions, and facial expressions into a smile. Smiling would disarm people, making it the most appropriate form of control.

Mark's control method might be to make himself look "embarrassed," using this to mask his intentions.

In the next second, just as Lynch expected, Mark said embarrassedly, "I didn't know the valuation would be so high. I only prepared eight hundred thousand, but I want three percent of the shares. My information channel seems to have a problem. What should I do now?"

According to federal and financial laws, an individual holding three percent of a company's stock could attend board meetings. With more than five percent, they could participate in the board meeting. The percentage he requested was subtle.

A three percent stake wouldn't offend anyone, as shareholders at this level couldn't influence or initiate any power-related actions, such as proposing votes, breaks, or discussions. They could only sit quietly at the back or against the wall, listening to the board meeting without commenting.

This wouldn't make people overly resentful. They were like ornaments that embellished the board meeting.

However, attending board meetings was valuable because it completed the first phase of stock acquisition. According to securities financial law, once someone held more than three percent of a company's stock, they must declare it to the relevant authorities and the public.

The second phase was five percent, making them a significant shareholder eligible to attend board meetings.

If someone didn't follow the rules and failed to issue two declarations, one at three percent and another at five percent, it could be considered a hostile takeover or even suspected of illegal behind-the-scenes dealings. The affected company could file a lawsuit to delay and address some of these issues.

The benefit of this approach was that if someone acquired three percent of the shares and the company sensed something was amiss, it could respond promptly. For instance, the company could raise the stock price, forcing the acquirer to abandon their acquisition due to insufficient funds to meet their desired share percentage.

Mark's three percent could bypass declarations and, without Lynch's knowledge, increase to five percent, gaining the right to attend board meetings.

When a mayor's agent gained the right to initiate votes in board meetings, it was a terrifying prospect!

So, Mark or the mayor behind him was very shrewd. Maybe this shrewdness came from themselves, but Lynch believed that Ferrall must know some more specific details.

Faced with Mark's request, Lynch didn't hesitate. Everything flashed through his mind like lightning, and he agreed in the blink of an eye.

"We are both members of the Progressive Party; we should help each other." He nodded slightly. "You can prepare the contract."

Such a straightforward response made Mark hesitate. He had discussed share acquisitions with many businessmen, but they always haggled with him, some even angrily calling the mayor, accusing Mark of manipulating things.

These people were foolish. An agent wouldn't have their own ideas; Mark's opinion represented the mayor's. This young man didn't dare, nor did he have the right, to change the mayor's will.

Rather than making everyone look bad and eventually signing the contract reluctantly, why not be straightforward? Perhaps they could gain some extra benefits.

Mark looked at Lynch with a somewhat strange expression. Especially the look in his eyes, it was as if he were looking at an idiot or a...

He held back his laugh and said. "You're a very interesting person, Mr. Lynch. I brought the contract." He then took a contract out of his briefcase, which made Lynch even more certain that this price was authorized by the mayor. Moreover, there was likely another contract in Mark's briefcase.

If Lynch called the mayor, the mayor and Mark would have a "serious talk" and adjust the price slightly, but not by much, so there must be a second contract in the briefcase.

Lynch picked up the contract and looked it over. There were no major issues; the main content covered the transfer price and share percentage, along with details on dilution and reduction of shares if new funds were introduced in the future.After reviewing the contract, Lynch signed his name, followed by Mark. They then each kept a copy, and with that, the transfer was complete.

Looking at the bank check for eight hundred thousand, Lynch couldn't help but smile. He always expressed his emotions, happy or not, with a smile.

Mark saw him smiling and felt a bit puzzled. The nature of this matter was essentially coercion, yet Lynch not only didn't resist but kept smiling the whole time. This made Mark feel very peculiar and strange.

He couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Lynch, you seem very happy. Would you mind sharing what's making you so happy?"

Lynch snapped back and put away the contract, "certainly."

"You know, country mice are very cunning. Even the best house cats can hardly catch them, but recently someone invented a new method."

"The new method involves boiling starch and broth on the stove, then pouring the thick, sticky mixture in places frequented by mice. Overnight, numerous mice would drown in it."

"The sugar and starch will attract the mice, making them ignore how sticky it is."

Lynch stood up, shook Mark's hand. "I'm glad my company has its first partner, but I hope you keep the transaction price confidential. You know, our market value is seventy million; your three percent is worth two million."

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