Darkstone Code
Chapter 257 - 0255 Prepare, new direction, big plan

Chapter 257: 0255 Prepare, new direction, big plan

After temporarily handling the small matter with Vera, Lynch invited Asir over again, this time meeting at a more upscale café.

This place used to have many people, but now there are not many customers. Everyone is considering cutting expenses and is no longer eager to spend on expensive and unnecessary things like before.

This has also led to very few people in the café, making it extremely quiet.

Asir arrived quickly, Lynch had him sit across from him, "Don’t be nervous, there’s no specific task. This time I called you here just to talk about your hometown."

"My... hometown?"

Asir’s expression showed a brief pause, his eyes losing their luster and focus as if he was reminiscing about something.

The length of this memory was very short, he quickly returned to reality, apologizing for losing focus during the chat while also being somewhat puzzled by Lynch’s question.

"Mr. Lynch, my hometown is not a wealthy place. It doesn’t have an advanced technological system like the Federation, no industrial base; it’s just a poor place, which is why we came out."

Speaking about his hometown makes Asir quite emotional, indeed it’s a poor place, not just backward but also very impoverished and ignorant.

People still firmly believe that after death they will be embraced by the deity, a deity that, according to their faith, created this world. Every breath of this deity is the rebirth and destruction of the world, in short, a very remarkable god.

Any country where divine authority is above secular rule will be very backward in technological development, because they spend a lot of time, effort, and money pleasing deities that fundamentally do not exist and provide no feedback.

Overlooking technological and social progress has resulted in Asir’s hometown having nothing worth showing in his eyes.

If religious colors and the naturally beautiful environment caused by lack of technology and industrial base can be counted as one of the few advantages, then these are the few remaining advantages.

But since Lynch brought it up, Asir did speak a bit about his hometown’s things, he actually did have written correspondence with his family, although each contact spans a long period.

"Talk about the distribution of your local regime, its general framework, social class, economy, anything random is fine."

Lynch’s further exploration left Asir even more puzzled, "Mr. Lynch, no offense, may I know why you’re interested in these? Or what are you interested in so I can find those things for you more specifically."

Lynch smiled, "You know, a new president is about to come into office. Next, we will usher in a brand-new era. Previously, we closed our doors, and no one knew whose side we stood on."

"Now we’re opening the doors, letting people see our stance, which will also bring us many opportunities that previously didn’t exist!"

"I often mention social responsibility to you, this responsibility is not only about the Federation’s domestic responsibility but also the international section that we must undertake."

Asir can clearly spell out every word said and knows their meanings, yet he’s bewildered that his comprehension seems to be failing him because these words stringed together, he couldn’t understand a single sentence.

However, not understanding isn’t shameful, having admiration for Lynch, Asir began talking about the aspects of his hometown, society, economy, culture, and the biggest conflict there — the struggle between governance and divine authority!

The two sat here for forty to fifty minutes, during which the server kept refilling their drinks. After speaking, Asir was already dry-mouth, but he always maintained his demeanor in front of Lynch.

Lynch listened thoughtfully to what he said, contemplating for several minutes before posing another question, "Asir, if there was a chance, would you like to go home?"

The now-relaxed Asir suddenly became tense, his facial expression turning uneasy, "Go home? No, Mr. Lynch, have I done something wrong?"

In his impression, going home has actually become the biggest punishment in his life, knowing that settling down in the Bail Federal, his family has received significant privileges.

That backward country is considered relatively backward in international societal forces; they inherently fear powerful countries, yet precisely because of that, they increasingly admire divine authority.

This sounds quite... difficult to understand, shouldn’t it be uniting to delve into technological development?

Actually, it’s not the case, when a place is too backward, people facing advanced technology perceive it as mythological. Meanwhile, supporters of divine authority use it to consolidate their influence and power; they instill a false ideology in the populace — faith can triumph over material."

Of course, the bottom-level populace is already helplessly ignorant under their deception, yet the ruling class remains relatively sober.

When Asir obtained residence permits and a social security number from the Bail Federal, becoming an actual "foreigner," his parents, siblings, and others spoke more assertively, the social relief improved somewhat."

If he had to go back now, the privileges and respect his parents, siblings earned socially over these years wouldn’t just be flushed back with interest that simple!

To see Asir’s anxious expression, Lynch leisurely lifted his coffee, taking a sip, "Asir, my friend, you’re too tense, haven’t you considered another possibility?"

He gently set down the cup without even making a noise between the cup and saucer, "Not just you going back, but me too, to do business."

"Do business?" Asir’s eyes opened wider, "Sorry, Mr. Lynch, I completely don’t understand. That backward, impoverished place has anything that can catch your eyes?"

Lynch nodded slightly, "You’re mistaken, your hometown is actually filled with all sorts of astonishing wealth but you, along with others, fail to see it."

"Gold, gems, spices, precious ores, some plants, even some animals and their fur, these things once exported from there, they are all money!"

This is also the most fundamental form of exploitation by advanced societies over backward ones. Some things are clearly known to turn into money, but due to undeveloped tech, ultimately could only lead to raw material export, earning exceedingly meager profits.

Might as well earn nothing if export becomes infeasible.

This is a great time, the whole world is busy rebuilding and developing themselves; overlooking some changes in a poor place offers Lynch great convenience.

Asir thought it over, indeed it made sense. His memory of his hometown is blurry now, yet some impressions remain vivid.

Such as the village priests decorated with gold and silver, such as the dense primitive forests leading to getting lost once inside, such as those diverse ores hidden underground yet unable to be mined.

Those indeed are money, but...

"Transportation? Mr. Lynch, if those items were transported out, their costs might be higher than purchasing products locally?" Asir once more posed some of his opinions; when transport levels aren’t developed, transportation costs are also a headache in cost control."

Lynch casually said, "Then solve it locally. A ton of ore and a ton of gold’s value totally differs, if it’s a ton of gold, I’m confident even spending on transport back would yield enough profit."

Of course, isn’t turning ores into finished gold ingots profitable?

Without waiting for Asir to continue questioning, Lynch continued "This is also one aspect I propose under international social responsibility. As a developed advanced nation, we should assist some backward countries in tech development, I trust if I bring equipment and funds to your hometown for investment, they’d offer some conveniences, what do you think?"

This made Asir unable to refute, although his hometown is poor, backward, and ignorant, the ruling class isn’t entirely stupid.

They would greedily allow Lynch to act conveniently there, letting Lynch lower his guard, and stealthily, slowly change something until they snatch away Lynch’s assets over there."

Asir felt he should tell Lynch this possibility, but Lynch just smiled and didn’t answer him, furthermore told Asir that this is practically confirmed, being this year’s primary development direction and plan.

As soon as he can settle the President and that damned new department, he’ll immediately head to Asir’s hometown with people.

As for why Asir’s hometown? It’s simple, it’s sufficiently poor, backward, ignorant, but naturally rich in minerals and resources while he possesses a reliable local guide — Asir himself.

With these factors helping, the rest are only simple tasks."

Should natives want to try, he wouldn’t mind having them and their deities understand the word "bullet," its meaning, inducing fear in people.

Exploitation has never been synonymous with justice and compassion; every massive civilizational exploitation is bloody, some can’t adapt, therefore eliminated, and those who adapt become part of the vested interest groups surrounding Lynch!