Chapter 352: Autograph and the Hornets’ Nest

Happy times are always short-lived. During dinner, Katherine’s mood noticeably dipped.

“Are you leaving right after dinner? Won’t you stay a few more days?” she asked Lynch.

He shook his head while cutting his food. “No, I have a night train to Bentley.”

Bentley was about to host a seven-day fashion week starting in three days. It would gather trendsetters from across the Federation and neighboring countries, all competing to outshine one another.

As a major event in the fashion world, organizers naturally invited social elites to attend. For these elites, frequent public appearances helped maintain their image—it was a win-win.

Lynch had received several invitations. His autobiographical book, The Lynch Adventures, was a bestseller, coupled with a hotly anticipated movie adaptation and his status as the second-largest shareholder of Fox Studios, all making him a notable figure in this circle.

He declined most invites except Severella’s. She had helped him multiple times, and this was her first invitation for him to accompany her—he couldn’t refuse.

Girls like Severella, with her background and social status, wouldn’t miss such a fashion extravaganza. She needed a male companion to complement herself, just as Lynch sometimes needed a female companion.

In the current Federation society, few peers could match Lynch’s excellence. Some might impress with their family background, but surpassing him required more than that.

When Katherine heard Bentley’s name, her eyes briefly lit up but the spark quickly faded. “Too bad I have classes!”

To some extent, studying is like mastering a skill—if you slack off even briefly, what you learned fades away.

After two years of dull routines and repetitive work, Katherine had forgotten much of what she once mastered. She had to work harder than most just to keep up, and that was all she had.

She wanted to go, but knew that missing seven days meant skipping at least a dozen major classes and a lot of study time.

Losing that much time meant even more effort to catch up—it wasn’t worth it. Bentley was always there; fashion week happened every year. She could wait.

“Hope you have a great time!” Katherine said cleverly, avoiding any awkward questions about whether Lynch had a date.

Lynch nodded slightly, accepting the good wishes. “If I find something suitable, I’ll have someone bring some back for you.”

After dinner, Lynch took her back to the apartment he bought near the school—a high-end unit.

Apartments aren’t always cheap or rundown. While many city apartments have issues, some are quite different.

Lynch also owned a standalone house in Curliland, which he originally planned for Katherine. But since she was young and alone, living there might attract trouble. So he chose a well-managed, elite-tenant apartment instead.

Curliland State University was about three blocks from the city’s business center, but rapid development had made the university part of the urban area, and the commercial center was shifting.

The base rent was seventy-five Sol a month, plus various fees, totaling around ninety-five to one hundred twenty-five Sol. Anyone affording this was ahead in society.

Through his friend Hart, Lynch contacted the apartment manager and paid 175,000 to buy a unit.

Katherine only had to pay utilities; Lynch’s support covered her living expenses.

Entering the building, two security guards recognized Lynch immediately. They had seen him in newspapers and on TV, and he’d visited before with their boss—he was a big shot.

Lynch greeted them warmly and chatted casually while waiting for the elevator, discussing the slowly stabilizing society with hints of recovery. He acted nothing like a big shot, putting everyone at ease.

After more than half an hour, Lynch exited the elevator. The guards, who had been laughing at the TV, stood up nervously again. Lynch smiled and gestured for them to relax.

As he stepped out, one guard called, “Mr. Lynch…”

Lynch paused, turned, and looked at them through the wire mesh. “Yes?”

His tone was calm, patient—not at all intimidating. Sometimes big shots impress simply by being normal.

Small people, when showing their true selves, also carry something special.

Money is a strange thing.

“Mr. Lynch, there’s something on your neck…” one guard said, scratching his chin. Lynch looked and noticed faint reddish marks on his white silk handkerchief.

He must have missed it while fixing his clothes. He wiped the spot, thanked the guard, and raised his neck slightly. “Anything else?”

“No, Mr. Lynch…”

The guard’s words trailed off. Lynch didn’t leave. Though these guards seemed lowly, in emergencies, small people could affect big shots’ fates.

Lynch patiently waited.

After several seconds, the older guard scratched his head awkwardly. “My daughter’s a fan. She loves your Adventures book. I was wondering…”

“Of course, why not?” Lynch said, moving to a window. The guard eagerly handed him a notebook and pen.

Lynch smiled. “What’s our little princess’s name?”

“Helen, Mr. Lynch. Helen!” The guard could hardly believe such a big shot would stop to listen and fulfill his wish.

Lynch quickly wrote: To our beautiful Princess Helen, may happiness always be with you — Lynch. He handed back the notebook. “Anything else?”

“No, no, thank you so much, Mr. Lynch! This is amazing!” The guard was overjoyed, imagining his daughter’s excitement.

Lynch nodded and said goodbye. The guards watched his car disappear before sitting down again.

“That’s why some people succeed, and some don’t…” one guard murmured carefully, cutting out and keeping Lynch’s signed blessing.

He had only wanted an autograph but was deeply touched by the added message.

What the guard didn’t know was that Lynch freely gave such favors without hesitation, and without the blessing, signatures were easily misused.

There had been past cases of elaborate fraud triggered by forged signatures.

To avoid such problems—and to bless the unseen lovely girl—Lynch had written the heartfelt message.

Meanwhile, on the seventh floor, Katherine leaned on the windowsill watching Lynch’s car fade into the traffic. She turned and stretched as she headed toward the bathroom.

Though there was some discouragement, it fueled her determination even more. She would catch up to him—she had to—just like before.

That night, Lynch boarded the southbound train to Bentley, where another girl awaited him.

On the train, Lynch gazed out at the moonlit sky, his mind blank and completely empty—thinking of nothing at all.

At the same moment, in Eminence, someone else longed to clear their mind like Lynch but obviously couldn’t.

“…Alright, I can guarantee this has nothing to do with you… I’ll watch my methods… Goodbye!”

After hanging up, Mr. Truman sighed. Earlier that morning, after Lynch delivered what he wanted, Truman immediately ordered the Safety Committee to investigate the three foundations linked to Lynch.

In less than twelve hours, over twenty core lobbyists and several well-known brokers had called him.

He had stirred up a hornet’s nest—and he knew this was only the beginning. The real heavy hitters had yet to move.

Less than a minute after hanging up, the phone rang again. As he reached for it, his eyes caught a name on a document on his desk: Healthy People Foundation.

That name seemed to mock him…

Damn.