Blackstone Code Nove Chapter 269:

The hall was utterly silent, drawing the attention of those farther away. But before anyone could approach, so had already reacted.

"An interesting perspective…" Waldric raised his glass. "Although the war is now behind us, its scars remain, reminding everyone that peace is hard-won! To peace!"

Many, including the President and Truman, raised their glasses in agreent with Waldric. After everyone lowered their glasses, Waldric excused himself and left the crowd with Lynch.

People knew Lynch had arrived with Waldric's daughter, so no one thought much of it.

However, both Truman and the President, along with his advisory team, had already noticed that Lynch had spoken a bit too much.

Even in the current state of the Federation—suffering unprecedented economic recession, enduring waves of bankruptcy, with countless people losing their jobs and wandering the streets—there was still more to consider.

Despite these hardships...

The Federation remained one of the most economically powerful nations on the planet. No matter how dire things appeared, the federal governnt and banks could still easily produce money if needed.

It was just that the wealth of the governnt and banks did not an the public was wealthy too, which was why people's lives were hard. The governnt and banks hadn't been entirely inactive—they provided low-interest, unsecured loans based on people's social standing and credit.

As for other countries?

Many were still in the early stages of post-war reconstruction. Their workers received no pay at all, only enough al to prevent their families from starving.

Compared to these nations, the Baylor Federation was still imnsely wealthy—wealthy enough to wage an "economic war."

Lynch hadn't fully explained his point, but those who dealt with these matters daily and studied international policy understood what Lynch was suggesting about economic warfare.

Thus, they felt that Lynch had said too much. After all, they were the moderate faction within the Progressive Party; such talk was more appropriate for the radicals.

This was why Waldric had stepped in. He wasn't sure if anyone else would help Lynch, nor did he know if Lynch himself realized how radical his words had been, so Waldric felt he had to act.

It wasn't that Waldric thought Lynch was a particularly good young man; he simply didn't want people to think he was a radical because of this.

After all, party faction issues sotis lead to other complications, and in the current dostic and international climate, the moderates' attitude and approach were more fitting.

People had just erged from the trauma of destruction; they didn't want to be shaken again. Radical actions would only lead those just beginning to find peace back to destruction. A more moderate approach was the way forward.

The two walked to the edge of the crowd. Holding his wine glass, Waldric shook his head. "You shouldn't have been so blunt…" Lynch smiled but neither confird nor denied the statent, giving Waldric an odd feeling.

A mont ago, Lynch had acted just like soone his age—showing sharpness when necessary, whether it was appropriate or not, as long as it made him stand out.

But at tis, Lynch didn't behave like a young person. At least, in certain situations, he didn't lose his cool like one. Now, he simply smiled, leaving Waldric unsure if Lynch understood him or not.

"Did you co up with what you said earlier yourself?" After a mont, Waldric couldn't resist asking. That "businessman's perspective," which so might find foolish, was actually quite sharp.

Up until now, the Federation's Ministry of Defense had been analyzing each significant battle, with both the radicals and the Ministry of Defense believing that the key to winning wars lay in "military power."

Indeed, much of the world shared this belief, defining a powerful nation by the number of armored divisions it had, how many cannons it possessed, and how many army and navy forces it could field.

They were constantly fixated on these questions, but Lynch had uncovered another layer—the value and role of economics in war.

Though Lynch's explanation might have been shallow, it was enough to open a new door for others, revealing previously unseen possibilities and allowing them to harness the power of thought.

It didn't seem like sothing a 21-year-old could co up with. Yes, Waldric had already found out Lynch's age in a short ti. He even knew which hospital Lynch had been born in and which nurse had assisted in his birth.

This only made Waldric more skeptical that Lynch had co up with these ideas on his own. He lacked the foundation for such thinking.

It wasn't that Waldric looked down on people from the lower classes, but those at the bottom spent their days worrying about how to fill their stomachs and make a little more money. They didn't have the ti or energy to engage with or think about higher-level issues.

People on the street might not even know the na of the Progressive Party leader. Expecting them to offer sharp insights into the current state of federal politics or policies was simply unrealistic.

Lynch looked at Waldric, neither angry nor pleased, just said. "Fine, I heard it from soone else…"

"You're lying." Waldric imdiately saw through Lynch's evasion. He repeated his judgnt, "You're lying."

Lynch remained calm. "You don't believe I ca up with it myself. But when I say it's soone else's, you still don't believe it? Mr. Waldric, you're not an omniscient god who determines what's true and what's a lie."

Waldric looked at Lynch, and the latter t his gaze, unafraid.

One was filled with confusion, while the other was utterly composed. After about ten seconds, Waldric's gaze softened. He slightly raised his arm, gently lifting his wine glass. "I'm sorry, I was too subjective."

Lynch clinked his glass with Waldric's and took a sip. "It's fine. Judging others by appearances has always been part of our world. Just like how we talk about inner beauty with the beautiful girls who'd throw themselves at us the mont we flash our cash, but we never spare a glance for the unattractive yet kind-hearted won.

"Superficiality is the hardest part of human nature to rid ourselves of. I forgive you."

Waldric couldn't help but laugh. Even though Lynch's words mocked his superficiality and suspicion, he found them amusing.

It had been years since anyone had spoken to him like that. Ever since people began calling him "Mr. Waldric