Chapter 17: At the Forefront of Trends

After an afternoon during which Lynch performed his century-old magic trick—exchanging 97 cents for one Sol—a group of three young men successfully joined the construction of the Great Empire.

They were about to start promising jobs, not because they were persuasive, but because they had deep pockets.

In other words, they had enough money to invest, using their funds to help Lynch make more money—and thank him for leading them to wealth.

From one perspective, Lynch’s current business had no real risk resistance—that is, it was vulnerable to imitation.

In businesses with low technical barriers and no monopoly, the risk of being copied is always present, setting a ceiling on low-cost trades because anyone can do them.

Converting whole bills into change, then exchanging change for more whole bills from those who need it—this seemed like a simple operation anyone with enough change could do.

But the real core of this business lay in trust.

Some people complain about social unfairness: selling the same service, why do some have customers lining up while others next door sit empty?

The answer is simple: trust.

Without trust, two isolated islands have no connection. With trust, a bridge exists, keeping the connection strong as long as it stands.

Lynch couldn’t stop others from entering this business, but he had his advantages.

He returned to the office—a simple space in a rented warehouse, split in two and with a makeshift office built by two carpenters—with Richard and the other two young men, each with their own schemes yet confident.

Their office was outside the city center, but good transportation and the nature of their work meant no one complained about the distance.

Lynch tasked them to gather enough change, then come to exchange it with him before going out to collect more.

The warehouse office was like a hive; Lynch was the queen bee, and these employees were the hardworking workers.

After assigning their tasks, Lynch left to meet with Mr. Fox to discuss business.

About half an hour later, in the basement, Lynch met Mr. Fox, who had also planned to visit him.

“You came just in time…” Fox said, tossing Lynch a cigarette and sitting beside him on the couch.

Thanks to Lynch’s help, Fox had solved many big problems, watching money flow from shady corners into the bank gave him unprecedented joy.

For the first time, he was satisfied with the numbers on his passbook and had even applied for a $5,000 cash check to openly use for expenses.

This feeling exhilarated him and deepened his understanding of the importance of banking money. In return, he helped Lynch with a small favor and had something to tell him.

He lit a cigarette for Lynch—an unusual gesture from the proud man—drawing surprised looks from his bodyguards.

“Michael won’t bother you anymore,” he said firmly, watching for Lynch’s reaction, but Lynch remained calm and composed.

Fox smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t be surprised. That kind of foresight is strange in itself… Anyway, Michael left Sabin City today and won’t be back for at least ten days.”

“And when he returns, he won’t trouble you much—I warned him.” Fox nodded proudly.

Lynch then understood why Michael had suddenly gone home the day before. Intrigued by Fox’s experience, he asked, “How did you do that?”

Fox liked showing off to smart people like Lynch. “I hired lawyers. If they don’t want trouble, they know what to do.”

Lynch suddenly realized the biggest difference between this world and the other one: the role of lawyers.

Here, lawyers were extremely powerful, sometimes more useful than judges—some judges didn’t care about transactions, but all lawyers cared about money.

He made a mental note that he might need a lawyer friend.

“Thank you for everything, Mr. Fox.” This was sincere gratitude. Hiring lawyers showed Fox’s proactive attitude, and Lynch appreciated it.

Fox waved off the thanks. Lynch continued, “The tax bureau has been watching me, so I’ve adjusted our business model…”

He explained his newly established company and new transaction methods—basically making everything transparent so the tax bureau could do nothing.

Fox only needed reliable people to exchange some money for change, then deliver it to laundries as payment for washing clothes, completing the process.

Even if tax officials followed them, it didn’t matter. How many times clothes are washed, how, and how much it costs is private; no one can interfere.

This method increased speed and reduced drawbacks.

After discussing business, Lynch suddenly asked, “Mr. Fox, do you know about light therapy?”

Fox was caught off guard but nodded, “Of course. Are you feeling unwell?”

In recent years, light therapy—infrared and ultraviolet—had mysteriously become popular, especially among the middle and upper classes.

Many celebrities and socialites were enthusiastic participants. Media often showed young men and women wearing sunglasses and funny swim caps, half-naked bathing in light.

Light therapy’s miraculous effects were hyped to the extreme; some even claimed it could cure cancer.

Fox thought Lynch might need treatment, but Lynch was healthy. What he needed was an ultraviolet lamp.