Darkstone Code

Chapter 0484: Everyone Has One Chance


In the study, two men stared at each other. Mr. Simon's attention was focused on the outside, causing him to overlook a crucial point: this time, his butler met his gaze without evasion.

This was previously unimaginable. The butler never dared to look him in the eye except when ordered with a command like "look at my eyes," resulting in only a brief mutual glance.

Eye contact between two people of different social classes was seen as a provocation from the lower class to the upper class. Such notions did not exist, or at least weren't so overt, in places like the Federation or Gafura.

But in Nagariel, it manifested terrifyingly.

Someone once described the class divide in developed countries as a "wall," and if class in the Federation is a "wall," then in Nagariel, it's the entire East Ocean.

Everyone abides by and conforms their behaviors to their class characteristics, as crossing the line bears a cost that ordinary people cannot afford.

This time, it was silently crossed.

This time, without Mr. Simon's command, the butler looked into his eyes. It was abnormal, yet it was masked by an even more abnormal change in the environment.

"Yes, Sir, many locals have come outside, seemingly intending to steal something. I've already instructed the gardener to guard the gate."

Hearing this, Mr. Simon relaxed slightly. He used an arrogant tone to ease his current tension, similar to how someone might tell unfunny jokes when faced with a tough situation to relieve their emotions, even though it doesn't really help.

"Do they just want to steal something?"

"Despicable natives..."

"If anyone approaches here, drive them away. If they don't leave, give them some spare change. I don't want them dirtying my lawn!"

The butler wore an inexplicable, very faint smile and bowed his head. He no longer looked at the "Master" he had served for half his life. "I know what to do. Do you have any other orders?"

"Any other orders?" This question drew Mr. Simon's attention back from the outside. "I said, I'm thirsty. Do I need to repeat myself?"

His temper flared inexplicably but quickly contained itself. "Alright, that's it. Go do something, don't just stand here!"

As he motioned for the butler to quickly do something with small gestures, he couldn't help but pick up the receiver and put it to his ear. Silent as the awkward aftermath of a tryst, it ended without a sound.

"Damn!" He slammed the receiver heavily onto the base.

At this moment, the young master of the house was chatting with someone who didn't belong in this residence. The person wasn't tall but had a unique presence, like a beam of light, easily invoking goodwill.

"Your time is running out. I'm not forcing you to do anything; I'm just telling you a principle."

"If you've noticed what's happening outside, you'd understand the storm has already formed. When I came here, another wealthy neighborhood had been completely looted, and many foreigners..."

He shook his head, choosing not to continue, though everyone understood what he meant, causing both the young man and the butler's hearts to tighten.

"Those foreigners, if they're dead, they're dead. But do you know? Their wealth, property, houses, or factories will be seized by the mayor or the Provincial Governor, depending on how much money they have."

"I can't guarantee those people won't come this way, and you should have noticed, more and more people are gathering outside. Once someone takes the lead..." The young man's expression was serious. "The situation will immediately become very bad."

The young man was pondering something, while the butler asked a question first, "But even if our young master does these things, it seems unable to stop the storm outside?"

The butler was well-informed, with a good psychological tolerance. In handling emergencies, his responses were swift and precise.

If changing a "master" could avoid this risk, then doing or not doing that thing seemed to hold little value for them.

Moreover, even if they didn't follow the young man's request, even if someone broke in and killed Mr. Simon, the butler didn't believe the young master would lose his right of inheritance.

After all, everyone knew, he was Mr. Simon's son!

The young man, like a beam of light, smiled, "No, you don't understand. It's not just foreigners; anyone related to foreigners will be implicated. Everything is already out of control."

"The most important thing is, if you do as we say, we will protect you. If you don't, we won't do anything either."

The young master spoke up then, "Is this a threat?"

The young man shook his head, "No, it's sincerity, the sincerity of cooperation. I'm sorry I can't have a more refined expression. To put it simply, if Mr. Simon doesn't die, you won't have the right of inheritance. These things will still be foreign properties."

"And we won't protect foreign assets because they originally belonged to us; they were taken by some despicable means."

"As for what the butler mentioned..." The young man shook his head. "In chaos, no one knows what will happen. Even some who are pushing these things might deliberately do something. Who knows?"

The young man's expression gradually became somewhat somber. He continued the young man's words, "In the chaos, killing an heir, letting a large amount of money become unowned inheritance, gives local officials more reason to turn them into their own."

He asked a question, "What happened to the police?"

In fact, when there was some disturbance outside, the young man had already gone out to see. The police who were supposed to be on duty around the community had disappeared, not just here, but seemingly the entire city's police had vanished.

This was not an isolated incident. Through conversation with the young man, he discovered that from the moment some rich person, who nobody knew, killed a maid, to the present, things had spiraled out of control. The whole affair bore clear signs of human manipulation, perhaps things were really as this... young man said.

So, this was his last question: Whose side are the police on?

The young man shook his head, "At least not on our side, so we need to protect ourselves. If you fulfill our agreement, then you're our partner, and we'll also provide you with protection."

The young man stood up, holding the tray with the tea. "Thank you for giving me a chance, and I want to give that person a chance, too. Destiny should be fair!"

This seemed like he was convincing himself or proving something as he carried the tray towards the study. Initially, his steps were tentative, hesitant, but the more he walked, the steadier and firmer his pace became, and he had made a decision.

The sound of knocking pounded quickly, making the somewhat nervous Mr. Simon tense up, "Who's there?"

He raised the hunting rifle in his hand, with his thumb cocking the hammer, ready to pull the trigger immediately if something felt off.

His morals and values wouldn't let him trample the law like the native locals, but for intruders in his room, he was determined to pull the trigger.

"It's me. I'm bringing water, Father."

The familiar voice outside brought a sense of warmth to Mr. Simon for the first time. "Come in..."

He put down the gun.

The young man was allowed into the room. For him, this was also a peculiar experience. He stole a glance at Mr. Simon, the latter lacking the terrifying dominance he once had, now resembling an old lion about to lose its teeth, failing to inspire fear.

The young man placed the tray on the coffee table, taking out the contents and pouring a glass of water for Mr. Simon.

Mr. Simon picked up the cup and took a sip, feeling slightly better. He casually asked, "How's the situation outside?"

"Very dangerous. It's said some wealthy districts have been looted, and those wealthy families have all been attacked, possibly killed."

His tone seemed neither heavy nor relaxed, entirely different from his previously meek demeanor. The change was subtle, and Mr. Simon did not notice it.

"Is it that serious..." Mr. Simon looked lost, knowing things were serious but unaware it had reached this extent.

The next second, he grabbed the phone abruptly, but the persistent silence only made his mood more restless. He stood up, pacing back and forth, muttering something under his breath.

The young man glanced at the hunting rifle on the sofa and quickly refocused his attention on Mr. Simon. He spoke softly, "Father, before the chaos affects us, let's leave."

"Leave?" Mr. Simon stopped abruptly, looking at the young man with a perplexed expression. "To where?"

The young man responded with some anticipation, "Anywhere. The Federation's interference is getting stronger here. Have you heard? That man named Lynch is now staying at the Provincial Governor's home, even the Provincial Governor has to accommodate him. You, and others, cannot compete with him."

"You always told me about the place you came from, how beautiful and peaceful it was. Perhaps we can live there..." In his eyes was a longing that others couldn't understand, a fantasy that only occurred in his dreams, and a secret beyond.

In his dreams, he replaced the child that existed only in photographs, becoming Mr. Simon's favorite son. He wanted to supplant that brother!

For some reason, Mr. Simon's emotions suddenly shifted as he looked at the young man, "We're not going anywhere. We're staying right here, not leaving this country." He paused. "I've quenched my thirst. You can leave now."

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