Darkstone Code
Chapter 239 - 0237 When strong, gems adorn nobility; when weak, gold attracts hungry wolves.

Chapter 239: 0237 When strong, gems adorn nobility; when weak, gold attracts hungry wolves.

The attitude towards Ristone’s issues has become increasingly peculiar. Initially, through Ristone’s internal propaganda, official releases, and appeasement, they successfully shifted the blame onto City Hall.

Especially when Neo appeared before the workers wearing their work clothes, passionately fabricating a story about the corporation being persecuted and unable to complete its transformation, inevitably leading to bankruptcy, which successfully garnered much sympathy.

The workers even organized a few protest marches during the general strike over this matter, right outside City Hall.

They shouted the mayor’s name, placing him alongside images of some historical tyrants and dictators, making the mayor very passive at that moment.

But now, things are not the same as before, or rather, the mayor and the state government have decided to completely break with Ristone’s issues.

Essentially, this is a very bad look for both the mayor and the governor, as it gives businessmen a very negative impression.

So much so that in the future, if they become candidates for projects related to capital power, those capitalists with the power to make choices will consider their current actions, potentially causing them to lose opportunities.

Yet they have no choice but to act this way because Neo forced them to the edge of the cliff, leaving them no way out.

Faced with a weak government or a strong one, they chose the latter.

This made Neo realize that when these rulers begin to act shamelessly, disregarding rules to do something, their destructive power is something even a capitalist cannot resist.

The head of the Finance Department couldn’t withstand the FBI investigators’ cordial care, even starting to babble on under the hints of some senior investigators, once again disrupting Neo’s plans. He thought those people would have some dignity; he overestimated himself and underestimated others.

Meanwhile, Lynch also obtained some information about the distribution of Ristone Group’s assets in Sabin City and the state.

Ristone is a large local light industry group that covers multiple industries, and if you ask people what impression they have of Ristone Group, they might not be able to say much.

But the various appliances in their homes, clothes, shoes, bicycles, sofas, furniture..., even if it’s not a Ristone Group product, a portion of its materials likely comes from Ristone Group.

This company originally started with garment making. At that time, the entire Bail Federal was still undergoing significant changes, with few clothing stores on the streets.

If people wanted new clothes, they either bought materials to make them themselves, but few housewives could independently complete the entire process from cutting to sewing a garment, only managing small repairs.

Or they had to go to a tailor for services. Actually, when people look at old photos, they often say people seemed very vibrant back then.

It’s not that people of that era were inherently spirited, but their clothing was custom-made, best reflecting their image, making them appear vibrant.

During that era, the young Chairman Alben accepted some new domestic and foreign ideas and started an entrepreneurial venture in the clothing industry.

He collected a lot of data, divided clothes into several standard sizes, and then mass-produced them, gaining the approval of the then-mayor of Sabin City and receiving his first loan.

Reviewing this content, Lynch couldn’t help but sigh that sometimes some people are born to create an era. Old Alben directly transformed Ristone Group into the largest manufacturer of garments and hats in Sabin City and the entire state.

Until Neo appeared, the company’s operations began to diversify and become more multifaceted.

Although some more hidden information could not be seen, Lynch believed that perhaps Neo had already seen the crisis, which is why he was eager to open more businesses and find new opportunities, but he wasn’t very successful.

Making clothes, especially on production lines, has no threshold at all. Just a few ordinary tailors can complete the whole process — cutting, sampling, ironing, shaping, and the rest is mass production.

Lack of thresholds also means others can easily imitate, along with industry competition...

After reading this part of the material, Lynch began to ponder how to quickly bring down this conglomerate company.

He sat behind his desk, looking out at the not-so-bright sun through the car window, contemplating. The power of winter rendered the scorching summer sun powerless. He gazed at the withered yellow leaves and the bleak world outside, gradually forming some ideas.

When he withdrew his gaze from afar, more than ten minutes had actually passed, but to him, it might have felt like only a few minutes or even a quick moment, lacking an accurate sense of time.

He rearranged the disordered documents on the table to make them look somewhat organized and said, "Asir, how many years have you been in Sabin City?"

Asir, who had been waiting on the side all along, hesitated for a moment but replied respectfully, "Mr. Lynch, I’ve been here for over ten years."

"Over ten years...," Lynch slightly tilted his head and repeated, non-committal.

Perhaps thinking his statement was too vague, Asir reiterated his experience, making the rather hollow "over ten years" more substantial.

Lynch nodded slightly, "During your time living here, have you heard of any accidents happening at Ristone Group?" He glanced at his wrist, "For example, production accidents with worker injuries, environmental impacts from their discharge, or cases of severe illness or death from inhaling or ingesting their raw materials?"

Asir did not immediately respond, furrowing his brows in serious thought. He valued this job highly, as no one other than Lynch had ever given him the same respect as Bailians. He wanted to repay Mr. Lynch with his talents.

After about two or three minutes, he hesitantly said, "I heard some rumors about earlier years. They once used a brand-new material, and it seemed like something happened later, but I’m not very clear on the specifics."

"Besides that, I don’t know much more, and I’m sorry, Mr. Lynch," he said with some shame over his "incompetence," bowing his head in remorse.

Lynch raised a hand casually, "You don’t need to apologize, Asir. No one can know everything, not even me."

"I have a task for you. Help me find out about the accidents during Asir’s production over the years. It’s best to find some victims, but do it quietly, understand?"

Asir immediately got the point, "I know what to do, Mr. Lynch."

Lynch most desired Ristone’s production equipment. As a large corporation that has just ceased production, the equipment will undoubtedly undergo at least one round of maintenance and inspection after ceasing operation, waiting for new life.

These are high-quality machines, and now there’s a chance to buy them at a dirt-cheap price. The potential profit is too tempting for Lynch to resist.

He initially thought he wouldn’t get involved, as he had no conflicts with Ristone Group or the Neo president he had never met. His Interstellar Trade Company and Ristone Group were not even on the same scale.

But things happened to be as they are, with Neo deep in trouble and possessing tempting wealth, a battle thus erupted!

From the beginning, Asir’s work did not encounter much resistance. It must be said he was a very diligent and thoughtful person, which starkly contrasted with the lazy Bailians.

Of course, this is not a jab at Bailians being lazy; rather, it refers to their work traits—a gentle push here, a gentle shove there, not quite proactive.

As a hardworking and industrious immigrant, Asir spent ten dollars to obtain an important document from an elderly man in charge of managing files at the Workers’ Union.

Ristone Group has long had a Workers’ Union, and it still exists today. This document also recorded information about their past organizers.

Asir quickly found some of the older ones and got their approval by promising money, obtaining information that was nearly unknown to society.

For instance, over a decade ago, Ristone bought a batch of what was considered state-of-the-art materials at the time, but these materials released toxic gases when heated, affecting over seventy people in the workshop to varying degrees. The two most severe cases died from organ failure.

Such production accidents were not uncommon. A large factory dealing with various chemical products, with workers lacking enough chemical knowledge and standard process operation training, was prone to accidents.

However, Ristone’s legal department quickly suppressed these incidents. They intimidated the workers, warning that if they revealed these matters, resulting in damage to the company’s image, they would be held legally responsible, while also offering a small sum as consolation.

Under these circumstances, most workers felt compelled to comply.

At least by listening to the company, they could get some money. If they spoke out carelessly, they’d not only get nothing but also get embroiled in long, dreadful lawsuits they couldn’t afford.

The Workers’ Union played an unsavory role in this but had no choice, as they couldn’t jeopardize everyone’s employment to satisfy the needs of one or two individuals, so they had to "compromise" individual needs for the "greater good"!