Chapter 237: When Strong, Gems Embellish Nobility; When Weak, Gold Attracts Wolves

Public sentiment around the Liston issue had grown increasingly strange. Initially, through internal propaganda, press releases, and appeasement, Liston managed to shift the blame onto City Hall.

Especially when Neo appeared before the workers in their uniforms, passionately weaving a tale of corporate persecution and a doomed transformation, he successfully won their sympathy.

Workers even organized several protest marches during the general strike—right in front of City Hall.

They shouted the mayor’s name and placed his image alongside historical tyrants and dictators. At the time, the mayor was in a very passive position.

But now, things had changed. The mayor and the state government had clearly decided to completely break with Liston.

Essentially, this was a bad look for both the mayor and the governor. It sent a terrible message to business interests.

In the future, should either of them run for any position related to capital-backed projects, powerful decision-makers in the business world would remember their actions and likely deny them opportunities.

Yet they had no choice. Neo had pushed them to the edge. There was no retreat.

Between being a weak government or a tough one, they chose the latter.

This made Neo realize that once political leaders discarded shame and rules, the damage they could inflict was beyond what any capitalist could resist.

The head of finance couldn’t withstand the FBI’s “friendly attention,” and under subtle pressure from senior agents, began making wild accusations. This completely disrupted Neo’s plans. He had assumed they would show some dignity—he had overestimated himself and underestimated others.

Meanwhile, Lynch obtained information on Liston Group’s assets in Sabin City and across the state.

Liston was a large light-industry conglomerate with operations in multiple sectors. Ask anyone about Liston Group, and most couldn’t describe it clearly.

But their homes were filled with its products—appliances, clothing, shoes, bicycles, furniture. Even items not made by Liston likely contained materials from them.

The company started in garment manufacturing, during a period of massive societal change across the Baylor Federation. At that time, there were few clothing stores on the streets.

To get new clothes, people either bought fabric and sewed it themselves—though most housewives couldn’t cut and make full garments—or they went to tailors. That’s why people in old photos looked so well-dressed: their clothes were tailored to fit them perfectly.

During that era, a young Orban, inspired by new domestic and international ideas, entered the garment industry.

He gathered large amounts of data, standardized clothing into fixed sizes, and launched mass production. The then-mayor of Sabin approved, granting him his first business loan.

Reading this history, Lynch couldn’t help but feel that some people were born to shape eras. Orban turned Liston into the state’s largest garment and footwear company.

It wasn’t until Neo arrived that the company diversified and expanded rapidly.

Though some sensitive documents were missing, Lynch suspected that Neo had already seen signs of crisis—hence his urgent expansion into new ventures. But it wasn’t very successful.

Mass-producing clothes required no real barrier to entry. A few average tailors could handle the entire process—cutting, patterning, ironing, assembly. After that, it was just scaled production.

No barrier meant easy imitation, and competition in the industry was fierce.

After reading through the documents, Lynch began pondering how to bring down the company swiftly.

He sat behind his desk, gazing out at the dim sun through the car window. Winter’s force had drained the summer sun of its burning heat. Looking at the withered leaves and bleak world outside, ideas began to take shape.

By the time his eyes returned from the distance, over ten minutes had passed, though to him it felt like only a few.

He tidied the messy papers on his desk, then asked, “Asel, how many years have you lived in Sabin?”

Asel, who had been waiting quietly nearby, was momentarily stunned but respectfully replied, “Mr. Lynch, I’ve been here for over a decade.”

“A decade…” Lynch repeated indifferently.

Perhaps feeling his answer was too vague, Asel recounted his background in more detail, making the over a decade sound more concrete.

Lynch nodded slightly. “While you’ve been living here, have you ever heard of any incidents involving Liston? Production accidents, worker injuries, pollution, toxic exposure—anything like that?”

Asel didn’t answer immediately. He frowned, thinking seriously. This job meant a lot to him. Only Lynch treated him with equal respect, and he wanted to repay that trust with his abilities.

After two or three minutes, he finally said uncertainly, “I heard some rumors years ago. They used a new material that caused some sort of accident, but the details are unclear.”

“Other than that, I don’t know much. I’m sorry, Mr. Lynch.” He lowered his head, ashamed of his incompetence.

Lynch raised his hand. “No need to apologize, Asel. No one is omniscient—not even me.”

“I have a task for you. Quietly investigate any production accidents involving Liston in recent years. Try to find some victims. Discreetly. Understood?”

Asel nodded with clarity. “I know what to do, Mr. Lynch.”

What Lynch wanted most were Liston’s production machines. As a recently shut-down major corporation, their equipment would have undergone at least one round of maintenance, ready for a new lease on life.

These were high-quality machines. Buying them now at rock-bottom prices offered immense profit potential—something Lynch couldn’t ignore.

He hadn’t expected to get involved. He had no personal conflict with Neo, whom he’d never even met. His Interstellar Trading Company and Liston Group weren’t even in the same league.

But fate had other plans. Neo was in deep trouble and possessed wealth worth fighting for—so the battle had begun.

Asel faced little resistance in his work. He was diligent and clever, unlike the typically passive Baylor locals.

Not to say all Baylor people were lazy, but in the workplace, they lacked initiative—only moving when pushed.

Asel, an immigrant, was different. He was industrious and resourceful. With just ten Sol, he obtained a key document from an old man who managed union archives.

Liston had long maintained a workers’ union. Even now, it still existed, and this archive contained records of every organizer through the years.

Asel quickly located some of the older members. By offering monetary incentives, he gained their trust and uncovered information few others knew.

For example, over a decade ago, Liston purchased what was then a cutting-edge material. But when heated, it released toxic gases. Over seventy workers were harmed—two died from organ failure.

Such accidents weren’t rare. In a massive factory working with chemicals, without sufficient training and knowledge, incidents were inevitable.

But these incidents were quickly suppressed by Liston’s legal department. On one hand, they threatened the workers, warning that if they disclosed anything and damaged the company’s image, they would be held legally liable. On the other hand, they offered small amounts of money as hush payments.

Under such circumstances, most workers had no choice but to comply.

At least by staying quiet, they could receive some compensation. If they spoke out, they would get nothing and be dragged into long, costly legal battles they couldn’t afford.

The workers’ union also played an unsavory role in all this. But it was seen as a necessary compromise—sacrificing the interests of a few individuals to protect the broader collective from widespread unemployment.