CHAPTER 424: 0422 UNCLE LYNCH [THIS CHAPTER IS SPONSORED FOR ADDITIONAL CONTENT BY: FU HEWAN - 1/2]

"This person must not be unfamiliar to you; the media calls him a youth leader—Lynch."

Among the crowd, the most dazzling figure might be here, representing the official stance and controlling the trends of international politics, Mr. Truman.

After a naval battle established a new international position for the Federation, the domestic political status of Mr. Truman, who led it all, has surged forward. It is said that within the Progressive Party, some have proposed elevating Mr. Truman to the highest seat.

But regardless of how it ends, he now holds dominant power in many areas; anyone wanting to conduct business overseas cannot do without Mr. Truman’s support.

Pato, the largest executive president of the Eastern Consortium, a major shareholder on the board, oversees countless industries, spanning almost all sectors, is truly a colossal company.

Their influence in the East is unmatched, with millions of workers relying on this consortium for survival; whether it be economic, social, or political influence, it’s terrifying.

Finally, there’s Lynch, known as the youth leader and radical advocate, not only famous but also very wealthy, a child of rapidly rising times.

Actually, such figures appear in every era of the Federation, completing swiftly in ways others may not understand what others might take decades or generations to accumulate, soaring to the top.

If Lynch does not make any major mistakes, his relationship with Mr. Truman alone is enough to support him for a lifetime, and perhaps future generations will name a family or consortium after him.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Pato!" Lynch took the initiative to shake hands with Pato; their acquaintance was very formal, and Mr. Pato did not look down on Lynch but regarded him firmly.

"Likewise, Mr. Lynch!"

Under the sunlight, Lynch’s smile on his face was genuinely bright, that perfectly timed smile makes anyone develop goodwill towards him quickly.

Part of his smile comes from his potential, and part from "Mr. Lynch."

Respecting others does not necessarily mean showing courtesy; it doesn’t require bending or kneeling, just that the other can regard him earnestly, give him enough attention, and call him "Mr.", this is the greatest respect.

They didn’t talk about the girl next to Pato; such characters gathered don’t give Anna, this little girl, the opportunity to interrupt.

Initially, she was quite angry because Lynch embarrassed her; one moment she was warning the school board not to admit recommended students anymore, the next, Lynch made her understand what "reality" means for a girl of her standing.

Reality, very familiar, very strange.

Whenever she and people like her did something that others couldn’t resist, they might say it, or silently in their heart say, this is reality.

Until she became the reality in others’ mouths and eyes!

Now, she’s not so angry, just feeling somewhat... can’t quite say, perhaps unresigned after being shown up by peers, knowing before she was excellent, far exceeding her older siblings and younger ones.

"I have a good relationship with Governor Drag, and some ties with the local High Priest. I discussed with Mr. Truman earlier; I will focus my attention there," Lynch humbly stated his position.

He said this, no more than to tell Pato or others, that’s his territory, his home court. If anyone attempts to encroach his interests, they must be prepared to battle him on his home turf.

"Is that so?" Mr. Pato nodded, "Our focus is somewhat different; apart from the railway, I have always believed that the undeveloped no man’s land of Nagariel harbors massive wealth, oil, precious metals. I have already formed some geological survey teams intending to delve deep to find opportunities."

For years, the news surrounding the rich mineral resources within the interior of Nagariel has been constant; previously due to various reasons, technology, politics, etc., even if some countries wanted to forcibly exploit them it’s not feasible.

But now it’s different, not discussing the diplomatic relations between the Federation and Nagariel, merely that the Federation’s fleet defeated the Gafura fleet, can show up anytime at the coastal areas of the Nagariel United Kingdom, is enough to guarantee the merchants’ safety.

The real deterrent is not bombardment or such, but blockading the coastline; once such countries without an industrial foundation lose overseas "blood transfusion," it only takes a short time for them to regress from semi-modern society to primitive times.

With multiple assurances, the exploration of mineral resources is once again on the agenda, which is also Pato expressing his stance.

He won’t compete with Lynch for development rights of any area; he only wants to build a railway deep inland to facilitate transporting materials. At the same time, he’s interested in those potentially rich mineral resources.

Without core conflict, the following matters become enjoyable; Lynch talks about some of his sights on the prairie, genuine views; these messages may seem worthless to many.

After all, the prairie is there; buy a ship ticket and find a guide and you can go. But for Mr. Pato, it’s valuable; he can tell these real messages to the survey team, allowing them to prepare some emergency supplies and plans based on these seemingly unimportant messages.

It can be said that these messages have at least saved Mr. Pato and his survey team one month’s time, trivial funds, and possibly unexpected deaths of team members.

"What nature grants humans should belong to all humanity, whether ours or Nagariel’s, should belong to all mankind; I strongly support your idea, Mr. Pato!"

Lynch’s attitude makes people feel relaxed and happy; at a crucial time, he directly found Mr. Pato some suitable excuses, "Can we let these things be buried underground due to narrow geographical and cultural relations? Digging them out and giving them value is something each of us should do!"

"I appreciate your perspective on this matter, Mr. Lynch!", Pato found Lynch to be quite articulate and turned his gaze to Mr. Truman, "What if people from other places want to come here and exploit resources?"

Mr. Truman joked, "We welcome them anytime, as long as they can get in!"

The three men exchanged smiles and raised their glasses.

"To freedom!"

The brief conversation was enjoyable, and the three occasionally clinked glasses, drawing the attention of those around them who speculated about what exactly they were discussing.

Perhaps it was related to power since Mr. Truman was present.

Perhaps it was related to wealth since Mr. Pato was present.

Perhaps it was related to the pulse of the times since Lynch was present.

But they would never guess that these three men were shamelessly discussing how to plunder others’ resources and wealth under the guise of helping, and they frequently toasted to that.

After chatting for a while, Mr. Truman seemed to spot someone else arriving. He glanced at Mr. Pato and then looked at Lynch, "Mr. Pato and I will be stepping away for a bit; you can keep Miss Anna company. A true gentleman shouldn’t leave a lady alone!"

Such a gentlemanly attitude and correct values were not as strongly opposed by Pato as Mr. Wardrick might have been.

He had many children, and the Akiner Clan still maintained that aristocratic way of life, with all of them living together!

If such a thing happened in another family, it might not be peaceful from morning till night, but for the Akiner Clan, they were used to it.

This also resulted in too many children in the Akiner estate, whether they were Mr. Pato’s own or those of his siblings, so he didn’t particularly value his daughter.

There wasn’t that feeling of being utterly devastated if she were to be taken away at any time; for him, his feelings for his children were relatively normal, and given the aristocratic family background, he hoped his children would actively pursue excellent talents and incorporate them into the family.

The two different lifestyles and attitudes resulted in two completely opposite fathers, and soon Mr. Truman and Mr. Pato left. They had spotted Mr. Wardrick, whose consortium also enjoyed the fruits of this victory, and needed to have an in-depth discussion.

Their departure left only Lynch and Anna. Regardless of Lynch’s current feelings, Anna felt a bit awkward.

She had only shown Lynch a cold face that morning and hadn’t expected to encounter him again so soon.

Awkwardness tends to fade over time, but no one expected them to meet so quickly again, and what surprised Anna even more was Lynch’s important role.

Even her conservative father addressed Lynch with formal titles like "Mr. Lynch," which speaks volumes.

Lynch was a significant figure, at least in certain aspects, he was a significant figure.

This made her morning behavior seem very childish and ridiculous.

While her mind was racing, she maintained her composure well, "I didn’t expect us to meet so soon again, Lynch."

"My mood was a bit off this morning..."

She felt that this kind of attitude could be seen as an attempt to resolve their differences; she had already greeted Lynch and smiled, so could the previous unpleasantness be brushed off?

Of course, Lynch was by no means a petty person who holds grudges. A gentleman like him would always have a broad mind; how could he bear a grudge over a trivial offense from an insignificant young woman?

That would be so ungentlemanly, wouldn’t it?

He also responded politely, "Of course, Miss Anna, I didn’t consider the events of the morning offensive in any way..."

He was smiling, and his tone was gentle.

"I just had a great conversation with your father; I believe we are equals. Yet you called me by my name outright. Is it..." His expression was slightly nuanced, "I heard earlier that the Akiner Clan has noble blood and background, adhering to some strict aristocratic rules?"

"How do you address those male adults who interact with your father as equals?"

"Do you call them by their first names directly, or do you add ’Uncle’ to their titles?"