In a secluded villa, when Mr. Truman expressed his apologies to those seemingly unremarkable old n and received their forgiveness, he knew he had taken another step toward his ideal.
Looking at those gentle elders, it was hard to imagine that these very people controlled the future of tens or even hundreds of thousands of families and shaped trends in certain sectors of society.
In a daze, he wondered—while he was advancing toward his goals, what was Lynch doing?
Lynch, of course, was enjoying life.
Making money wasn’t just about numbers or status—pleasure was also essential.
By April, the Federal Republic had started to warm up. On the top floor of the most luxurious hotel in Lardimore, Lynch lay back in a lounge chair with sunglasses on, reading a book.
Lardimore, in the southern subtropical region, had already reached temperatures of 27–28°C (around 80°F). It was warm, maybe even a bit hot, but still pleasant.
Not far from him, about five ters away, was a large swimming pool. A girl swam gracefully like a rmaid, her figure intermittently appearing and disappearing in the water.
Lynch had co at the invitation of Fox Films and the father-son duo to attend the premiere of the second installnt of a film series. Since he had nothing pressing, he agreed.
Originally, the film was scheduled for a sumr release, but the Foxes and the board made so adjustnts. It would now debut in late April and run through the sumr, for two to three months.
Given the montum of the first movie and the enthusiastic feedback from test screenings, Fox Films believed the sequel would also achieve a strong box office result.
Releasing it over a month ahead of the sumr rush would avoid the flood of similar adventure-thed films and reduce direct competition.
With the adventure genre still popular, studios were pumping out similar titles—good or bad—as long as they could trick investors into funding them.
Coupled with a lingering social downturn, films that celebrated boldness and exploration continued to resonate with audiences.
But an oversupply of such films could lead to fatigue. An early release avoided that risk.
While Lynch was reading, the sound of leather shoes on stone reached his ears. He glanced back—Fox Jr. was walking toward him.
Due to health reasons, Fox had temporarily stepped down from the chairman role. He wasn’t that old, really. Lynch suspected it was more about clearing the way for his son.
As long as the old man stayed in place, Fox Jr. wouldn’t be seen as the company’s true leader. And since this wasn’t their old world of shady dealings—where image and intimidation mattered more—Fox’s lack of qualifications for legitimate business was obvious, even to himself.
He was great at muscle work, intimidation, and collections. But managing a company of this size? Not his skillset. Fox Jr., on the other hand, had so ability—he had majored in managent and this was his domain.
These days, Fox mostly stayed behind the scenes while Fox Jr. ran day-to-day operations.
“Mr. Lynch…” Though he was older than Lynch, Fox Jr. felt small in front of him.
“Sit,” Lynch said, pointing to a lounge chair. Fox Jr. glanced at Penny in the pool, then quickly looked away.
Choosing Penny as the female lead had been risky. Though she worked hard and had agency backing, she’d never proven herself in a major production. Still, he had picked her.
Box office success was temporary. Winning Lynch’s favor could last a lifeti. He understood the trade-off clearly—his father had reminded him not to damage their relationship with Lynch over trivial matters.
To maintain politeness, he kept his gaze away from the pool.
“Just call Lynch. No need for formalities between friends.”
Fox Jr. smiled. “Before you arrived, we had a board eting and made so decisions. I could’ve just given you the minutes, but I thought it would be better to tell you myself.”
Lynch nodded—permission to continue. He was satisfied.
He hadn’t fought so hard just for more money or to sunbathe where most people couldn’t reach, or rely to enjoy life.
What he wanted was simple: wherever he went, everyone who knew him would stop what they were doing—whether they wanted to or not—smile, and respectfully say, “Mr. Lynch.”
“We plan to temporarily suspend similar productions. There are too many of these movies out now, and the audience is growing tired. Continuing may lead to losses.”
Lynch nodded again. “What’s your idea?”
“Jas proposed we shoot sothing truly stirring—sothing with broader market appeal.”
Jas had secured a top position as one of Fox’s leading screenwriters and was now recognized for his directing talent. With his ties to top brass, he had considerable sway in the director’s departnt.
He simply didn’t want to shoot a third film in the sa vein. He wanted a challenge. The board agreed and was willing to give it a try, though initial investnt would be limited.
As Fox Films found success, capital ca knocking.
That’s how it worked in the Federation. Once a company proved profitable, it had to play by the rules and surrender so gains.
Whether it went public or took on investors didn’t matter—but operating independently was not an option.
Capitalist predation was everywhere. No one escaped. Not even Fox Films. And given the Foxes’ past with the shady Gatner Finance, they had no power to refuse.
Father and son now held less than 40% of shares—the rest had been taken by investors, with more to co.
As long as the company kept making money, capital wouldn’t let two nobodies hold too much equity. Bit by bit, they would be consud.
“Inspirational films,” Lynch said, folding a page in his book and setting it aside. “That’s a great genre. The federal governnt is about to relaunch the economy and boost public morale. This aligns perfectly with the social trend.”
“Releasing opportunities will shift people’s attention from fantasy to reality. They’ll begin to care about stories of achieving dreams through hard work and look to others’ success to validate their own efforts. That’s the trend—the main trend of the future.”
He paused. “Have them write so scripts in this vein. These films are cheap to shoot—no explosions, no stunt driving, no elaborate sets—but they can still pull strong box office numbers.”
“Also, back in Gephra I discussed so cultural exchange deals. Film exchange was included.”
“Starting this year, we’ll exchange twenty films annually, with five to ten more added each year. It’s a four-year plan—around 120 films in total.”
“You can produce films that reflect the Federal spirit and the Federal dream. The box office doesn’t matter—what matters is the ssage.”
Cultural export is a long-term project. These cultural products aren’t just ant for Gephra, but also for Nagaryll and the rest of the world.
Lynch’s proposal had received unanimous approval from the Cabinet. Cultural recognition leads to acceptance of values and worldview, which would result in more allies for the Federation and fewer enemies.
To boost this effort, any eligible cultural content could receive substantial subsidies—books, songs, films, and more.
Such recognition might not an much for the films themselves, but for the companies that produce them, it carries a different kind of significance.
Fox Jr. imdiately understood. He took out a notebook and pen and wrote down Lynch’s words.
Just as Lynch was wrapping up, he seed to recall sothing and casually added, “I’ve secured a joint film production opportunity with Gephra. You know how rare that is. Have the writers co up with so solid scripts. I’m not about to shoot sothing written by a Gephran…”
With everything said, Fox Jr. stood up and took his leave.
As soon as he left, the girl who had been swimming surfaced from the pool with a splash. The sunlight hit her skin, so pale it seed almost translucent, revealing every delicate feature.
Droplets sparkled in the air and bounced off her fair, rosy skin.
Lynch smiled with satisfaction.
This was youth.
A callback to Fox Jr.’s managent degree—undeniable competence!
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