Chapter 54: Be a Person Who Keeps Public and Private Matters Separate

From the moment young Michael was sentenced in court, some media outlets began reconsidering the nature of the conflict between Michael and Lynch. Was it truly a matter of law enforcement versus suspect, or was it personal?

If it was the former, there was little to worry about. But if it was the latter, then public opinion had been steered in the wrong direction.

It’s like the red guy and the blue guy getting into a fight. The blue guy gets hurt—if it’s just an isolated incident, no one cares.

But now, everyone is saying the red guy is law enforcement and the blue guy is an innocent civilian. Without evidence, the red guy injured the blue guy, and it’s seen as a case of law enforcement abusing power and harming the people.

That’s the current situation. But if you remove the professional roles and see it as a personal grudge—just one guy hitting another—then it’s merely an isolated event.

When Lynch saw the latest newspaper, he realized the upper echelons of the Federal Tax Bureau—at least at the state administrative level—were starting to make moves. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to have Director Johnson accidentally leak some information, yet speculative articles had already appeared.

These were not formal newspapers, just gossip tabloids people usually treat as entertainment because of their sensational headlines.

But this time, the timing was uncanny. One tabloid claimed young Michael had been convicted of burglary—specifically, he had broken into the home of the innocent suspect from his law enforcement case. Was that a coincidence?

People often say the public lacks independent thinking and blindly follows group consciousness, but that’s clearly a laughable notion.

At least in this case, thanks to the tabloid coverage, some people were starting to wonder if there was more going on behind the scenes.

In truth, no citizen of any country truly wants to believe their nation is completely rotten and beyond saving. Deep down, they hope there’s still something redeemable. Even if they spend their days cursing the president on TV while taking off their pants, they still believe in the possibility of salvation.

So when they start to think that the nation might still be salvageable, and that the real problem lies with a specific individual, their subconscious finds a channel for catharsis. The tide of public opinion shifts from criticizing the system to targeting that individual.

After finishing the entire paper, Lynch casually set it down. He was currently in Mr. Fox’s office—his money had been sufficiently laundered, allowing him to move his business aboveground. The office was now a bright, street-facing, standalone two-story building, complete with a sign and phone line registered under Gatner.

“This is good news…” Lynch picked up another newspaper, glanced at Mr. Fox. “The Federal Tax Bureau finally realizes it’s pointless to entangle with us. Abandoning Michael may seem cruel to him, but for the system, it’s redemption. We’re safe now.”

Only then did Mr. Fox breathe a sigh of relief. He had been on edge for days—several peers had already been jailed for money laundering, awaiting sentencing. Others had vanished overnight without a trace.

Now, only two or three small financial aid businesses remained in Sabin City, and the phone outside the office hadn’t stopped ringing since.

The rush of business left Mr. Fox both nervous and excited. Lynch had been constantly reassuring him, encouraging him to keep the business going and not quit—this was the best moment for a transition.

To emerge from the shadows and face the sunlight. Even this new office had been leased at Lynch’s insistence.

Mr. Fox glanced at the young men outside the room, then asked, somewhat embarrassed, “Lynch, my friend… I’ve run into a little trouble…”

Lynch raised an eyebrow in surprise and set aside the latest issue of The Trader’s Journal. A war had just ended across the Baylor Federal Strait, and after nineteen months of falling prices, basic infrastructure materials were finally beginning to recover.

No doubt, hardworking Federal merchants had found a place to recoup their losses before going bankrupt.

He marked the article with the pen on the desk, then looked at Mr. Fox. “Anything I can help with?”

Mr. Fox’s smile was awkward, a little sheepish. “I’m out of money…” He quickly clarified to avoid any misunderstanding.

In the past few days, with other financial companies fleeing or getting arrested, the funding market in Sabin had emptied out. Lynch had repeatedly told him this was the perfect time to expand, and Mr. Fox had acted on that advice.

At the very least, he believed Lynch wasn’t a fraud. He was smart—smarter than him. That meant Lynch was right.

Every day, Sabin faced financial shortfalls ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions. This wasn’t an exaggeration. Sometimes, the gap even exceeded several million.