"You can have your people try to get a loan from the bank, observe their procedures, then copy their loan documents and add some extra clauses."
He glanced at Mr. Fox beside him, "For example, after a certain period, even if you forfeit the collateral, you still need to repay the full amount of the debt and interest. This way, you can ostensibly lower the interest rate."
This approach is a variation of the bank's usual play. If one can't repay the debt in time after taking out a bank loan, they will then auction off the collateral.
The proceeds from the auction will always go to repay the borrower's unpayable debt. It seems like a reasonable process, but it actually isn't.
From the beginning, the bank estimates the collateral's value very low and sets high interest rates. Most people who need loans don't have the ability to repay in the short term.
It's simple logic: if these people could raise the money in one or two months, they wouldn't need a bank loan.
Since they can't raise this money, they naturally can't repay the bank loan, allowing the bank to take in the collateral openly and legitimately.
If borrowers can repay the loan in a short time, the bank doesn't lose out, as they gain interest in the short term.
Perhaps this money seems like a trivial amount in a single transaction, only a few percent of a hundred dollars, but when all the bank's businesses are piled together, it's no longer a hundred dollars; it could be ten million, a hundred million, or even more.
Lynch's suggestion was simply to add a clause to continue pursuing the principal and interest, even after the termination by the bank.
Even within the bank, this is definitely not the end—they have many ways to consume the borrower until nothing is left!
Banks may not have all the negative media coverage that financial companies like Mr. Fox have, but fundamentally, banks are not benevolent. All boundary lines in legal policies related to illegal funds reference the highest standards of banks... they are not just the athletes but also the referees!
What Mr. Fox said earlier about some people unwilling to see their business legalized refers to those legislators connected to banks and large consortiums.
Banks and consortiums feed them and their families, and possibly their private bases, maintaining their respectable lives, so naturally, they must learn to assert the rights for those who feed them.
Lynch's system is not complicated; if you cannot beat the others, then join them.
Now, it's just about adding some word games in the contract to avoid risks, making some matters ambiguous for convenient actions.
After seriously considering for a moment, Mr. Fox hesitated, "I will give it a try. In any case, thank you very much for your suggestion!"
Lynch waved his hand and smiled, "Now that your matter is settled, I have a favor I need you to do for me..."
After having a meal at Mr. Fox's farm, he left with some local specialties—some horn ornaments. If you overlook the gold and some inconspicuous gems on them, they are not worth much.
Meanwhile, the Michael they talked about managed to see his son, Little Michael, after a morning of applications at the Sabin City district prison.
Sometimes, people think criminal cases go through several court sessions before reaching a verdict, which is actually wrong. If a criminal voluntarily admits to the crime, the process significantly shortens.
Although the court had not yet announced Little Michael's sentencing outcome, he had already begun serving his sentence early, which could be considered a form of privilege for him.
In the room used for receiving inmates' families, the father and son sat on opposite sides of a table. After nodding, the prison guard allowed Michael to leave his post.
That's the rule—some people follow it, and some break it. The rule-breakers are often the privileged class, even the rule-makers, while those subjected to the rules are always the powerless.
It's absurd but not funny.
Even more absurd is that those who can break the rules keep accusing those who can't of breaking rules, increasing rules that benefit themselves to consolidate their status and power continuously.
"Make sure to appeal in court in a few days, never plead guilty!" Michael glanced at the closed room door and continued, "I've hired a lawyer, and he'll do his best to clear your name, you can rest assured!"
Little Michael was very calm. No surprise, no anger, just calm—he felt his soul had transcended.
He looked at Michael with a different expression from the past: lacking admiration, irritation, rebellion, and grudging compliance.
In that moment, he seemed to have grown up a lot. He shook his head, causing Michael to be slightly surprised, followed by a surge of anger.
He stood abruptly, leaning forward to grab Little Michael's collar, wanting him to understand it was no time for jokes. His excessive actions alerted the guard outside.
The prison guard coughed to remind him not to overdo it, causing Michael to freeze for a moment. He suppressed his anger and sat back down.
He glared at Little Michael with ill-intent, "Why?"
Little Michael replied in a tone Michael abhorred, "One of us had to come in. You always said I couldn't bring glory to you—look, I'm protecting you now!"
He spoke with a hint of impatience, "I don't want to hear your explanations, whether you did it or not. Now that it's happened, I admit my mistakes, so I'm making amends, and..."
Little Michael seemed reluctant to continue, "Actually, pleading guilty is good for you, for me, for mom, and for all of us. Don't dwell on these problems and consider how to reduce my sentence. I heard from people here that I might get sentenced to nine to twelve months."
Finishing this, Little Michael stood up. He patted the table. The guard came in, glancing at the father and son before taking Little Michael out.
Michael understood Little Michael's thoughts, but he had to say he was foolish—this was a frame-up and false accusations!
If they could address the person responsible for the false accusations, it would all be over. Neither father nor son would bear any notoriety, but for now, he couldn't explain this to Little Michael.
He just wanted to stall and wait for the truth, but that bastard didn't think so and even thought this act protected Michael himself.
An unreasonable child, and incredibly foolish!
After 7 p.m., Lynch returned to the tavern's second floor after dinner, as he hadn't had time to look at houses these past few days and still resided here for now.
Situated by the roadside, people came and went. A bustling tavern downstairs; anything happening would be hard not to alert those around, providing some degree of security from another perspective.
Just as he stood at the door, reaching for his keys, he paused. There were visible pry marks on the lock. He gently pushed on the room door, and it creaked open.
In the dark room, a cigarette ember flickered, faintly illuminating a face whenever it brightened.
The room was messy, as if it had been searched again. Lynch flipped the switch by the door, and dim light filled the room. Michael leaned against the partition wall, watching him.
Lynch chuckled. He walked into the room, observing the mess and disorder left behind, and sighed helplessly.
"You must not handle household chores at home, so you don't know how tiring it is to clean this up. It consumes energy and makes one irritated." He stooped to pick up some books and set them on the wardrobe—noticing that as soon as he bent again, Michael rushed him, pushing him forcefully against the wall.
"You framed my son, Lynch..."
Michael's viciousness didn't faze Lynch, who gazed at him calmly from up close, just like in the alley that day, "Apologize and get out, and this ends here. Otherwise, you handle the consequences, just like I warned you that day!"
Lynch didn't back down, directly confronting him.
Bullying can become addictive; the feeling of controlling others makes one try again and again—like with the Report Head, though Lynch didn't know the enmity between him and Michael, it seemed similar.
If there must be someone destroyed, Lynch believed it wouldn't be him!