Blackstone Code

Chapter 141:

How to make something that may not be worth much become valuable?

Many ordinary people, including those who just became businessmen, would use practical methods to turn such things into commodities, and then make them valuable.

One of the most common methods was to increase the added value of something inherently worthless, using this added value to support its high price.

For example, fossils embedded with gold and precious gemstones. Fossils were widespread in this world, almost everywhere. The first group of people who discovered fossils indeed sold them for a good price. However, as people realized that with just a shovel and choosing the right place to dig, they could find fossils with a bit of luck, the price of fossils began to plummet rapidly.

From being revered as "historical memory" to becoming "pages of history," and eventually turning into "historical trash," this process didn't take long.

However, amidst this, there were some examples of going against the tide. Some people would choose relatively intact and aesthetically pleasing fossils, and then embed them with gemstones, gold, or other valuable ornaments along their contours.

They made these fossils, adorned with expensive materials, shine brightly, immediately associating them with wealth. Coupled with some outrageous fake stories, these fossils were sold at high prices thanks to their added value.

This was a method many people would choose—if one wanted to sell something worthless for a price, then let the added value work its magic. Many semi-official authoritative institutions would also use added value as an example to popularize some questionable success theories.

But for capitalists, making something worthless valuable was as simple as inflating the nonexistent conceptual value of that thing, with one condition—it must be rare.

A successful capitalist could pick out a "rare item" from a million identical mass-produced goods. For example, a particular color variation, a minor flaw, or something slightly different from others could turn a commodity into a rare item, and then inflate its value.

Such goods would quickly make headlines and discussions, and each appearance would be accompanied by a continuous increase in value.

If it was just a commodity, an auction could be a good way to increase value. Some commodities would always become miracles at auctions, creating demand. All people needed to do was just to wait for the last foolish bidder to step in.

The current situation was the same. The businessmen who had decided to invest in Lynch's Interstellar Trading Company had already begun inflating the company value even before officially becoming investors.

Lynch gave them an evaluation of fifty million, but how could they ensure they wouldn't lose money after investing?

It was actually quite simple—make the company's value in the eyes of the public exceed five hundred million or even one billion. Then, no matter how they invested, they wouldn't lose money; instead, they would be able to make a profit.

This necessitated a process, yet it was a situation that many idealistic entrepreneurs were least inclined to face. The management and manipulation of capital had the potential to shatter their dreams, as the allure of tinkering with numbers and concepts often overshadowed their pursuit of ideals.

In just one day, the potential of Lynch's Interstellar Trading Company and its market value assessment rose from Lynch's baseless evaluation of fifty million to seventy million. With the upcoming large-scale construction, this figure might continue to rise.

Some people definitely understood that this company was not worth that much. But as qualified businessmen or speculators, they didn't mind participating in this game, just like the current financial market, not every participant was oblivious to what was happening.

And then there were those who truly didn't have a clue about what was going on with this company. They might consider themselves clever, preferring to hang back until they were convinced it was the real deal with some potential before jumping in. However, by the time they made up their minds, it would often be the worst time to jump in.

The mayor was also somewhat tempted by this. He didn't expect Lynch's small company to be valued so highly. If he had known earlier, perhaps he could have gained more profit.

Of course, the Baylor Federation's laws did not strictly forbid politicians from engaging in any investment activities; it was just that the scrutiny system tended to be stricter for them than that for ordinary people. However, most politicians wouldn't personally get involved; they had proxies.

"I have a nephew who is very interested in your company..." The mayor chuckled. "Young people are all like this, full of enthusiasm, but do they know what challenges lie ahead?"

It seemed like a reflection, but it was more a statement of his attitude. How could someone like Lynch, who had weathered many years of challenges, not see through it?

He casually unfolded his napkin and laid it on his lap, then said, "Do you have his contact information? Perhaps we young people can find some common language." After neatly arranging his napkin, he glanced up, meeting the gaze of the mayor. "Of course, we also need the wisdom and experience of our elders. After all, we are still young..."

The two men locked eyes for a moment, about a couple of seconds, silently confirming that neither misunderstood the other. The mayor then placed a black business card on the table and pushed it over.

Then, the conversation abruptly shifted to other matters.

"Have you heard any rumors lately related to the Listoan Group?" The mayor used a very ordinary sentence as the lead for the next topic, and Lynch nodded in response.

Recently, everyone knew about this matter. Lynch even felt that perhaps the mayor and the governor were being too direct, lacking subtlety. They could have solved the current issue in a different way, but they chose not to.

Seeing Lynch nod, the mayor's expression changed slightly, becoming somewhat helpless. He sighed. "The situation isn't very optimistic. Neo has been in contact with people from the Conservative Party, you know..." He circled his index finger around his ear. "We have some connections."

What he meant was that there was communication between the Federal Progressive Party and the Federal Conservative Party, which was quite normal. After all, the Baylor Federation was governed by three parties, although the Federal Socialist Party was often as transparent as an invisible man, they did exist.

This kind of communication, or exchange, was very helpful for stabilizing the political situation of the entire federation. This wasn't the imperial era anymore; people had emerged from the darkness of feudal rule, and they wouldn't make the same mistakes as the past rulers.

When Neo was in contact with the Conservative Party, it was destined that information would leak out, including the conditions the Conservative Party offered Neo to switch sides, which were already known to both the mayor and the governor.

This was why the governor sent people to support the mayor; it wasn't without reason.

"To be honest, I don't care whether Neo and the Listoan Group stay in Sabin City. I've never cared about these things. What I care about is how many people in this city are facing unemployment, difficulties, hunger, and so on."

"Shameless Neo and his company treat these people as bargaining chips in negotiations with the government. I won't compromise for the sake of my citizens!"

If there had been a stirring and uplifting symphony playing at this moment, accompanied by some tragic notes, Mayor Langdon might have had a chance to make it to the hall of the Agustin Silver Screen Awards this year, or at least receive a nomination for Best Actor.

"What I'm most worried about right now is what will happen if they really leave, and how to address the issue of tens of thousands facing unemployment..." He spoke, his gaze fixed on Lynch.

When he heard at lunch today that Lynch's company was valued at seventy million, he realized that this could be a useful bargaining chip. The value of seventy million needed to be created by people; it couldn't just come out of nowhere, otherwise, it wouldn't be able to withstand scrutiny from various departments and the public.

Since it required people to create this value, then Lynch, who could provide five hundred job vacancies for the mayor when his worth was less than a million, would definitely be able to provide more job vacancies now that his worth exceeded seventy million.

He recognized that asking for thirty-five thousand jobs might be excessive, but surely he could manage to offer at least twenty thousand, couldn't he? And, for the sake of his cursed nephew, he might even consider reducing the demand to ten thousand jobs.

Lynch didn't respond immediately. It wasn't easy to respond to those concerns. He was very good at describing a grand blueprint for others, but when the mayor asked for something concrete, it became difficult.

A thousand people's salaries would cost two hundred thousand per month. If he hired five thousand people, it would cost one million per month just for salaries. Even if his company were valued at one hundred million, it wouldn't be able to withstand such expenditure.

Lynch's silence made the mayor realize he couldn't simply regard Lynch as just another young person. If Lynch expressed that he couldn't do it, or if he suggested he could only provide a portion, these could all be leverage points the mayor could exploit.

But silence made things complicated. He couldn't interpret it as refusal, as Lynch didn't explicitly state it, nor could he interpret it as agreement, as there was no nod of affirmation.

After a few seconds of silence, he changed his approach to express his attitude. "You're all businessmen. Perhaps you can understand better why they do this. Personally, what challenges have you faced during your entrepreneurial journey?"

Lynch raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing on his face, quickly turning into a bright one. "Mr. Mayor, I have faced many difficulties, but you know, I am a businessman with social responsibility. Some of the difficulties I can solve, but there are some I cannot. Perhaps you can give me some constructive advice?"Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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