Blackstone Code Nove Chapter 276:

"I know you." The first sentence from the man who briefly acted as Lynch's competitor made Lynch feel sothing indescribable.

It wasn't like when others said, "I know you," implying "I know what you've done, so I know you." When the man in front of Lynch said "I know you," he truly ant it in a literal sense: "I know who you are."

It might sound a bit convoluted, but these two types of knowing are completely different. Though it's hard to convey the distinction through words alone, they certainly evoke different feelings.

Lynch glanced at the man sitting across from him. The small roadside café was almost empty, with only their table occupied. Behind the bar, a lethargic waiter absentmindedly watched a soap opera on TV, occasionally cracking a dull smile that quickly faded, leaving a trace of unhidden sorrow.

Pedestrians hurried by outside, and no one noticed the two n sitting inside the café, let alone their uniqueness.

"I don't know you yet, sir," Lynch said playfully with a smile. "You know , but I don't know you. That doesn't seem fair."

There was a hint of childlike mischief in his tone, along with a touch of innocence that only children have. Only children believe the world is fair, and only they strive for fairness in everything—until they grow up and truly understand the world.

Lynch wasn't pretending to be young; he genuinely was. The man across from him pulled a finely crafted card case from his coat, took out a tallic card with gold edges, and handed it to Lynch. "Now it's fair."

Lynch was a bit surprised as he took the card. tal business cards were rare, especially ones with gilded edges. They were difficult to maintain and couldn't be bent.

The card only had a na on it: Herbert Zizifonko, with an address on the back, but Lynch had never heard of him.

After examining it for a few more monts, Lynch placed the card into his own cardholder. Though he had limited artistic appreciation, he could tell that the card's design style didn't match that of the Baylor Federation.

The style of the Baylor Federation was either minimalist or luxurious, but there was always an underlying sense of lacking in sophistication, likely due to its origins.

The Federation was founded by exiled criminals, disgraced nobles, crazed pirates, and mad gold seekers—none of them cultured individuals. Naturally, the country they established lacked any real cultural depth.

The early culture of the Baylor Federation was pieced together from various elents, which made it seem a bit lowbrow. Later, several federal presidents forcibly integrated native culture into the Federation's civilization, giving rise to what was now known as the Federal Civilization. They refused to acknowledge that their country had only a few hundred years of history, claiming in textbooks that the Federation had over a thousand years of history. The last few hundred years were rely the history of modern civilization.

This card, however, felt different. It had roots.

Moreover, the surna Zizifonko didn't seem like a Federal surna—at least, Lynch had never heard of such a strange na.

Herbert casually began discussing matters related to Lynch. "You ntioned economic warfare at the President's celebration banquet, and later attended so radical salons. Honestly, I find it hard to believe such ideas co from soone so young. Mr. Lynch, you're an interesting person. I'm honored to know you."

At this point, both Herbert and Lynch paused naturally, neither rushing to continue. After a brief mont, Herbert resud, "Many of your views align closely with mainstream international perspectives."

"Perhaps I'm still unfamiliar to you," Herbert continued. "Allow

to formally introduce myself: Herbert Zizifonko, a mber of a small country's royal family. You may call

‘Prince.'"

"But I prefer you to use another title—‘International Banker.'"

With a shift in tone, Herbert began explaining his work. International bankers were different from national bankers. For a bank to be considered international, its business must cover at least two countries. The addition of "banker" ant that Herbert was a significant figure within an international bank—perhaps a director or even a major shareholder.

The Baylor Federation's increasing engagent with the world was also allowing the world to engage with it. International banks were among the first to enter the Federation, scouting locations to establish a branch on a national level.

Not everyone trusted the Federation or its banks, especially given so of their previous actions, which were rather... problematic.

They detained those trying to withdraw funds from the Federal economy, either imprisoning them or driving them out, while confiscating their money.

This led to a lack of trust in the Federal banking system among international businessn, who sought a more reliable institution for certain matters.

It wasn't a simple task. Many factors had to be considered, including politics.

The friction between international and national financial institutions would never fade, so Herbert's bank sent him to take charge of the situation personally.

Today's eting was rely a coincidence. Herbert had co to York State to observe the financial environnt when he heard about a small internal auction.

Such events also occurred internationally, where economic disputes would sotis involve third-party financial institutions as interdiaries. It was common. So, Herbert decided to check it out.

When he saw items being sold at laughably low prices, he decided to step in. He believed there was no real harm in doing so; he was simply seeking a reasonable profit. He was sure that even if Lynch bought the items at the current prices, whether for personal use or resale, he would still make a profit.

Of course, Herbert's actions may have seed a bit over the top, but as a banker—a person even more profit-driven than businessn—it made sense. At least businessn wouldn't trade money itself, whereas bankers would, so his actions were justified.

Lynch shrugged. "But, Mr. International Banker, I just lost over a million bucks because of you."

Herbert smiled nonchalantly. "You could see it differently—you spent a million to buy my friendship. Listen, many people would pay far more than a million to et , but I wouldn't give them the chance. You've actually made a profit."

There was so truth to his words. Generally, board mbers of large international banks would remain anonymous. Aside from those who needed to appear in public, most stayed hidden.

So people wouldn't even know the nas or identities of these individuals, let alone how to contact them.

So, in a way, Lynch's million-buck investnt in a connection didn't seem like a bad deal.

Lynch's smile was clean, his gaze sharp. "I hope my million wasn't wasted."

Herbert laughed. "I can guarantee that."

Their conversation then shifted to simpler topics, such as international affairs. Perhaps it was Lynch's ideas, which aligned with or even surpassed mainstream international thought, that had attracted Herbert.

Recently, the core of the Alliance of Victorious Nations, Gevra, had been causing a stir, demanding that the weaker party in unequal trade agreents using their national currency, Gera, for settlents. This had caused headaches for many countries and capitalists.

If they wanted to maintain close trade relations with Gevra, they would need to hold a substantial amount of Geras, which would tie up their capital.

This led to an increased demand for Gera in international banks, and its value continued to rise in the foreign exchange markets, strengthening Gevra's position in international trade. As more countries used their currency, Gevra could buy more goods with less money.

This erging economic model, though it may have existed in the past but had not been deeply explored by people, was now being seriously studied.

So joked that while the world war had left the world in chaos, it also brought countries closer together.

Where once nations operated independently, now there was a strange trend of global integration.

Military, economic, and cultural forces would shape a new form of warfare in the next decade—more subtle, yet more powerful than traditional wars.Please vote for this novel at snovelupdates/series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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