Chapter 86: Who’s Really Trapping Whom Is Uncertain

Personal aide is a respectful title given to a close staff member of an influential figure, reflecting their special status.

They have intimate access and influence over the leader’s decisions but remain relatively inconspicuous.

It’s a unique job with many drawbacks as well as advantages.

Now was not the time to discuss those pros and cons. Ferrell faced a choice. Lynch’s request was straightforward: he didn’t ask Ferrell for anything beyond being a consultant, nor to advocate on his behalf. Just occasional advice or opinions.

This was legitimate income; no one could call it illegal. The original intention was to pressure Lynch into conceding, but in the end, Ferrell was the one who had to compromise.

The room fell silent, filled only by Ferrell’s gradually heavier breathing. Lynch watched Ferrell, who stared at the check on the table.

Ferrell needed to find a reason to convince himself not to take the check. If he failed…

He had already lost the moment he started trying to talk himself out of it.

Everyone knows people will find any excuse to justify themselves.

After about four or five minutes, Ferrell picked up the check, folded it, and slipped it into his jacket pocket. Lynch stood and extended his hand with gratitude.

“With you on board, I believe my company will continue to create miracles.”

Lynch acted as if he had struggled greatly to persuade Ferrell, as if Ferrell’s help was an honor. Yet both knew this was society’s most crucial and elusive art — performance.

After this display of gratitude, they sat again. The atmosphere in the room subtly shifted.

“Consultant, I’m facing a problem,” Lynch leaned back. “Someone told me that any gathering over fifty people in Sabin City requires prior application to the Social Services Bureau. We’re already too late. Is there another way to avoid delaying tomorrow’s auction?”

At that moment, Ferrell felt a surge of overwhelming force from Lynch — elegant on the surface, fierce beneath.

Ferrell had met many: mayors, top officials, city elites, and tycoons. Some carried gravitas, but none matched Lynch.

Though young, Lynch gave the impression of a powerful leader in his forties or fifties, commanding influence across the federation and internationally.

Every word, tone, glance, and subtle gesture compelled others to straighten up and hold their breath.

Ferrell shifted uneasily. But with the check in his pocket, things had already changed.

Ferrell hadn’t come to cause trouble for Lynch; quite the opposite, he brought opportunity.

Perhaps Lynch didn’t realize how much stir his flyers had caused in this small city. Though just a belt giveaway, many people were interested, discussing it even in distant places.

This was unprecedented — a free belt giveaway at a private office outside City Hall. Every ruler maintained a private office separate from federal government for other business, including commercial matters.

In the Baylor Federation, to get things done, you need both presidential cabinet support and backing from capitalists.

Without the cabinet, some things are possible; without capitalists, nearly impossible.

The office had noticed Lynch’s auction had drawn a crowd—at least two or three thousand expected, possibly more.

If the mayor wanted to gather so many, it would require significant resources and agreements with capitalists, likely taking months.

But Lynch did it in a week, sparking ideas in the mayor’s office.

Like other cities, Sabin faced many troubles: recession, rising unemployment, higher crime rates, growing unrest.

The mayor planned an open-air public speech to boost morale and announce new policies to calm the public.

Lynch’s auction wouldn’t be the speech venue—that would be too low-profile—but a warm-up event.

The mayor’s staff considered presenting Lynch’s large secondhand goods auction as one of the mayor’s initiatives to aid citizens.

This was a proven strategy: even in economic downturns, consumer desire doesn’t vanish.

Providing affordable secondhand goods satisfies latent demand, soothes public mood, and addresses some social issues.

More importantly, Lynch’s company also collected various secondhand goods from society.

Whether revitalizing the secondhand economy could meet the lower classes’ needs remained to be seen, but it was at least a hope—a dim star shining in the darkening sky.

If Lynch succeeded, this would become a key achievement of the mayor’s administration.

If he failed or the event flopped, it would just confirm an eternal truth: policies are good in theory but often fail in execution.

Would Lynch agree?

That was a minor issue. They had already investigated him. He recently made some money—enough to be noticed but still easy to crush.

Lynch’s failure to apply for assembly permission was a temporary excuse. Even if he postponed the auction, he couldn’t get approval or a venue.

There were countless ways to trap an ordinary person.

Ferrell hadn’t expected to be the first to get caught before anything even started. Still, he felt some satisfaction. If Lynch knew Ferrell’s real intent wasn’t bad, would he feel sorry for the five thousand in Ferrell’s pocket?

Eager, Ferrell cooperated and answered Lynch’s question.

By coordinating with City Hall’s promotion, the city would send people for an unveiling event, framing the auction as a welfare policy.

In that case, Lynch wouldn’t need to apply to the Social Services Bureau beforehand—City Hall’s authority outranked theirs; post-notification would suffice.

Ferrell explained the benefits and watched Lynch closely but was destined to be disappointed.

Lynch showed no sign of worrying about the extra five thousand expense. Instead, he asked another question:

“Is there a subsidy?”

Ferrell was stunned, leaning forward as if to hear better.

“What did you say?”

“A subsidy?” Lynch repeated clearly, “If the auction is treated as a City Hall initiative or important policy, shouldn’t there be a subsidy?”

“How much? How do we apply? To whom?”

Suddenly, Ferrell realized this consulting fee wouldn’t be so easy. Lynch had immediately handed him a problem.