Rights and Duties-Neither Can Be Missing

The silence in the corner didn't affect the rest of the floor. People would still pass by in the corridor from time to time, and they might glance over, but when they saw two gentlemen with cigarettes in their hands standing by the window, they would give up on paying attention.

Whenever a meeting is scheduled, some gentlemen will have already lit their cigarettes before the meeting begins. Although there is no explicit administrative order requiring people to refrain from speaking indoors, people generally try to avoid this situation.

On the one hand, no one is used to smelling bad; the smell of cigarettes and alcohol is always nauseating. On the other hand, doing so can also reflect one's upbringing.

At this moment, Lin Qi, who was by the window, shook his head. "I don't have any loans that I need right now. You know, someone has invested in me."

Mark had already cashed the bank draft he gave him and deposited it into his account. Eight hundred thousand was no small sum; it was enough to alarm some of the people in the bank who liked to hear and tell stories. Qiao Geliman naturally knew about this as well, and was even more aware of the little anecdotes behind it.

The investors had initially claimed they could value Lin Qi's Interstellar Trade Company at 70 million, their aim being to hype up their shares in advance—a common practice in business.

Valuation is always an "estimate". Subsequent negotiations and other procedures will cause this "valuation" to shrink rapidly, allowing for entry at a relatively reasonable price. However, this is information within a small circle, involving the interests of everyone involved, and they will not disclose it.

To the outside world, they would also claim that the company's market value would inevitably reach 70 million in the next three to five years, and that the shares they may have bought for a few million would instantly multiply several times.

Sometimes business operations are that simple; you can earn hundreds of millions just by talking.

Of course, even if the price is lowered, it can still be sold for at least a few million. Lin Qi had about 1.7 to 1.8 million raised from Qiao Geliman, plus the 800,000 Mark gave him, as well as the several million that was about to be received and the land worth two million. He actually made a huge change in a short period of time.

Is this a miracle?

No, this can only be described as amazing, but not a miracle. The real miracle is the financial stock market in the past two years.

The two quickly finished their cigarettes, Qiao Geliman subtly reminded him at the end not to acquire any businesses related to manufacturing in the near future, which was a gift from him and Lin Qi after their collaboration for some time.

Once the Financial Market collapse, all industries linked to wealth will be devastated, including the real economy.

Acquiring physical assets now is like paying for someone else's business in advance. It's better to wait until those people go bankrupt and then buy those expensive things at a lower price.

The two returned to the venue and reintegrated into their respective social circles. Lin Qi's return brought some people back to his side. It's a very realistic world where whoever has money is the brightest star.

Now everyone knows that Lin Qi has money, and it's all in cash, so naturally some speculators and opportunists are swarming around him, as are some legitimate businessmen.

"Mr. Lin Qi, I heard that your club is recruiting female athletes?" The speaker was a middle-aged gentleman in his forties. He was a bit fat, but not greasy. On the contrary, he was very clean and refreshing.

His clothes were spotless and gave off a faint fruity and woody scent, not the scent of perfume.

In true Upper Class, no matter how mainstream society packages perfume, perfume is something that women use to cover up their genetic makeup—at least that's how people think it these days.

However, they also need some fragrance to mask the excessive body odor caused by being "meat eaters," so they need aromatherapy.

Generally speaking, these people, excluding the nouveau riche, would have a special aromatherapy room. Whenever their itinerary was finalized, the butler would arrange for maids to scent the clothes they would wear to the banquet.

Some precious spices are lit and then sealed until they extinguish before the lid is opened. This way, there is no obvious smoky or burning smell, only a faint fragrance.

This aroma doesn't actually last very long, but it's more than enough for a cocktail party or dinner party—by the latter half of the social event, under the influence of alcohol, cigarettes, and the numbing effects of alcohol and cigarettes, people's sense of taste has been almost completely lost, and they can't smell any fragrances or odors anymore.

At least for now, many Upper Class, especially the descendants of established families, still use this method. As for the future... they may appreciate the convenience of perfume, but at least for now, they don't think so.

The gentleman seemed very interested in Lin Qi's recruitment of female athletes. "Do we have any sports that women can participate in?" he asked, and no one around him spoke, clearly indicating that he was someone of some status.

"You are..." Lin Qi didn't recognize the man, but that didn't stop someone from introducing them to each other, and also getting to know him.

A young man in his mid-thirties stepped forward at the opportune moment. "This Mr. Reynolds is a Baron of Kazlier ..." The man's proud expression almost made Lin Qi think that he was one as well.

Of course, Lin Qi still "appropriately" expressed his "surprise," even though he had no idea what kind of place Kazlier was, let alone whether the barons of that country were valuable.

"Mr. Baron..." He shook hands with the Baron and then brought up a topic that interested him, "As a young man, I am actually a supporter of the Women's Rights Movement, but my position may not be quite the same as that of most feminists."

"I believe that women should not only have a status no less than that of men, but also should shoulder more responsibilities. Only in this way will people and society as a whole recognize the status and rights of women, instead of simply giving in to them."

"Rights without obligations cannot bring true respect for women!"

If it weren't for what was inside his stomach, Lin Qi would have been surrounded by some kind of radiance at that moment. Many of the female companions of the attendees looked at him, and Baron Reynolds nodded frequently, agreeing with Lin Qi's words.

He pointed out the most important part of Lin Qi's statement. "Rights and obligations, you are absolutely right. I am also a supporter of the Feminism Movement. Do you mean you want to recruit some female athletes into the professional arena?"

This topic immediately attracted more attention, and some people walked in with wine glasses in hand, curious about it.

Lin Qi shook his head. "Although I don't want to admit it, I have to admit that women's bodies and physical abilities are significantly weaker than men's in high-intensity sports. I have no prejudice..."

Those around nodded in agreement. This was normal and true. It was like the domestic violence that often occurred in society, where it was usually the husband who beat the wife, and it was almost unheard of for the wife to beat the husband.

"So I plan to develop some professional sports for women, just like for men, and I have already received support from some local people."

Baron Reynolds couldn't help but ask, "You mean women's Rugby?"

Lin Qi nodded. "Including women's Rugby."

This brought a look of delight to Baron Reynolds. Lin Qi was a little confused about what the man was so excited about, and he even asked eagerly, "Can I participate?"

"Yes, but first you need a professional club and a group of relatively professional athletes!" Since he planned to launch this, and with a women's rights organization backing him up, Lin Qi wouldn't do it too superficially; it had to be formalized.

In fact, the state's women's rights organizations and the women's rights headquarters of the Bayer Federation have recently been discussing this matter. They believe it is a huge step forward for the women 'Feminism Movement in history. Before Lin Qi proposed the professionalization of women's sports, they hadn't even noticed that all professional sports in the Bayer Federation were dominated by men, which was a blatant insult and discrimination against women! Thanks to Lin Qi, they discovered this flaw, and the fact that he was willing to launch a Women's Professional Sports program shows that Mr. Lin Qi is definitely a staunch defender of women's rights. They plan to award Lin Qi an association medal to recognize his exemplary role in the Women's Rights Movement.

Baron Reynolds nodded matter-of-factly. "This is inevitable for me. I will prepare these. So, I should..."

Before the two could finish speaking, someone whispered to those around them, "The mayor has arrived." Baron Reynolds tilted his head slightly, and a secretary hidden behind him took out a business card and handed it to Lin Qi, Lin Qi exchanged one with him.

After agreeing to choose another time to discuss these matters, the two focused their attention on the mayor and returned to their seats.

The mayor looked very haggard, and he couldn't help but look haggard. The unemployment rate had risen by another point, and the Listoan Group had begun to stop production, which meant that about two to three percent of people would lose their jobs. The unemployment rate in Sabine City could very well reach a terrifying 20 percent in the fourth quarter.

The order of the entire city may collapse at that time. Last night, the governor informed all the mayors of the city in a conference call that if a riot occurs, the police and Federal militia must be dispatched immediately to suppress it. The state armed forces are also ready to send mobile military forces to support the cities at any time.

All of this stemmed from a demonstration that took place yesterday afternoon in a city in another state, which quickly escalated into a riot.

The protesters, who had lost their jobs and were starving, suddenly began looting, vandalizing, and setting fires, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control. The Presidential Cabinet and the Department of Defense jointly issued a notice requiring all regions to maintain local security and stability, and to mobilize the military if necessary.

So the mayor looked even more haggard at this point, and he began to feel that being elected mayor was not a good thing!