Chapter 127: Study Hard and Improve Every Day

“Does your father know how to drive?”

After hearing the girl’s words, Lynch asked.

If Katherine’s father could drive, it would be best—small cars, large trucks, or lorries are essentially similar; once you know one, you can quickly learn to operate others.

The Baylor Federation isn’t a small country. With vast lands and factories far from urban areas, factory owners usually demand more land when leasing plots.

Most factories cover large areas, and moving materials by hand is nearly impossible, so dump trucks or forklifts assist transportation.

Many workers have the chance to operate such vehicles and learn how to drive them. Factory owners encourage this since hiring dedicated drivers costs extra money. If workers can drive themselves, it saves on wages.

Unfortunately, Katherine’s father can’t drive any vehicle. He’s a simple workshop worker, the kind who doesn’t want to deal with things beyond his job.

“Is there any physical labor?” Katherine sipped her wine again. “You can assign him physical work—he’s best at that.”

When she spoke of this type of job, there was no pretense. For these two young people, manual labor had long been the normal work in their minds. Even now, in Katherine’s world, ordinary people were meant to do physical work.

Lynch scratched his brow, feeling a slight itch, and thought for a moment. “Then let him work in the warehouse, handling all sorts of things every day.”

“Good, that’s it!”

Suddenly, silence fell between them. Neither spoke first. The atmosphere grew strange but heavy.

After a few more sips, Katherine finished her drink and carefully placed the glass on the coffee table without a loud clink. She looked at Lynch, and he met her gaze.

Their eyes met briefly. Katherine shrugged and looked away, her fingers nervously intertwining, then loosening as her shoulders moved.

“So, what about me? How should I be arranged?” She glanced around the large house. When she and Lynch were together before, they imagined that if they ever made money, they’d buy a big house.

No more cramped spaces for the whole family. Each child would have a large private room with a bed, desk, bookshelf, and wardrobe.

They’d have a fully independent large kitchen and a separate dining room with a big TV so they could watch while eating.

There would be many rooms, each with its own bathroom, so no one would have to wait impatiently for someone to get off the toilet.

Having a swimming pool in front would be even better, for swimming together in hot weather. It would put those rarely used swimsuits to good use.

Now the dream had come true—but without the girl. Her mood darkened.

Yet she was strong and quickly adjusted. “I’ll say it now—you can make me a maid, but I won’t wear those outfits…” She smiled slyly. “You know what I mean.”

Lynch froze for a moment, then burst into laughter—his first carefree laugh since arriving in this world, stirred by a simple emotion.

Before they parted, they had even bought adult magazines, including one titled Master and Maid. Back then, Lynch had wanted to buy that outfit for Katherine but was stopped by the price.

The memory surfaced with a mix of nostalgia and a hint of fear. Their laughter blended but soon faded.

Lynch twirled his glass with two or three fingers, playing with it. After a dozen seconds, he said, “Remember our original plan?”

Katherine nodded. Some things are hard to forget, and this time wasn’t long for two young people.

After leaving school, they had agreed that if one found a stable job and saved some money, the other could continue studying.

Both had good grades but lacked certain hard conditions.

Lynch’s words gave Katherine a faint hope.

When their eyes met for the third time, she didn’t look away. She stared intently.

Lynch smiled softly. “Go back to school and chase our dreams.”

His suggestion struck her heart. Without hesitation, she agreed.

Perhaps because of the alcohol or the result that was at least somewhat satisfying, she relaxed, feeling a bit tired.

She wanted to leave, but Lynch didn’t agree. Jokingly, he said, “You can pick any room, and my bed can fit two.”

Katherine didn’t refuse to stay but declined to share his bed. “You forgot—we broke up. If you want something, come pursue me. Maybe I’d chase you again then…”

Lynch waved his hand. “Dream on!”

Later, Lynch helped Katherine settle into another master bedroom, teaching her how to use everything, including the bathroom’s small items.

Then he left willingly. He could have stayed, but wanted to give her respect.

He also called Mr. Fox to send some women’s clothes over.

After living together so long, he knew Katherine’s sizes.

Later, both lay in bed but didn’t sleep immediately, lost in scattered thoughts without clear purpose.

Only late at night did they finally fall asleep.

The next morning, the former couple met in the dining room, where the maid had prepared breakfast: vegetables, rolls, bacon, smoked ham, butter, and milk.

Lynch’s milk was warm; Katherine’s was slightly chilled.

“I thought I’d have to do it myself,” Katherine said, watching the busy maid with curiosity. “How much do you pay her monthly?”

“Four hundred twenty,” Lynch answered casually while reading the paper and eating.

The price wasn’t low but not high either. A good maid sometimes handled butler duties too, working more efficiently than two incompetent helpers.

Katherine shook her head. “Suddenly, I regret it. Maybe being a maid isn’t such a bad choice?”

Lynch looked up at her, then put down the newspaper. “From a purely financial perspective, the earlier you start working, the sooner you benefit. But sometimes, things are different.”

“When your starting point is higher, you can quickly make up for the time and money lost while studying, and your progress will continue upward.”

“Focus on preparing well for your studies. You don’t owe me anything. And if you think you do, you can work for me after you graduate.”

Lynch picked up the newspaper again, his eyes returning to the page. “Then I’ll make you feel the full weight of capitalist exploitation!”

Katherine said nothing further and began to enjoy the hearty breakfast, while Lynch kept reading.

The domestic situation was showing signs of trouble, or approaching a turning point.

The state paper reported that some funds which had previously flowed into the federation to avoid war were now withdrawing, impacting local economic development. It also mentioned the egregious illegal acts of foreign businessmen in the Baylor Federation. From the state paper to local papers, the story was spreading.

They directly linked exploitation and oppression to foreign businessmen. Previously, mainstream and fringe papers avoided naming names or discussing exploitation openly.

This was a delicate and complex issue that could easily spark social unrest if mishandled.

But now they seemed unafraid, openly condemning certain foreign businessmen for exploiting and oppressing Baylor Federation workers and for crimes committed domestically, while completely ignoring even worse practices by local businessmen.

The trend was clear—some negotiations hadn’t reached a satisfactory conclusion for both sides.

The Trade Journal contained nothing shocking, just a brief mention in the international section about the latest embargo list from the Baylor Federation’s Free Trade Department.

Some well-known industrial goods from the federation were added to the embargo list, banned from export overseas.

These lunatics!

Lynch was a gentleman—graceful and cultured—but he couldn’t help mentally cursing the Baylor Federation’s president, the cabinet members, and their families.

In his view, the Baylor Federation could easily overcome its current difficulties, but the conservatives thought differently. They refused to actively engage in international affairs, worsening the domestic crisis.

What a bunch of idiots!