Darkstone Code
Chapter 56: The most terrifying force in society is people themselves.

Chapter 56: The most terrifying force in society is people themselves.

How luxurious can an office be?

This question is quite absurd; different people have different interpretations of luxury, leading to many variations, yet this is indeed a luxurious room.

The gilded ceiling, the natural crystal chandelier, the bear head and lion head on the walls, and the two human-sized pieces of ivory in the display cabinet all speak to the extraordinary opulence of the room’s decor.

However, just like in most offices, the items in this office are company property, with only a few personal items belonging to the company employee who uses this room.

His name is Jogriman, the Credit Department Manager of Golden Exchange Bank’s Sabin City branch.

This kind of administrative manager is entirely different from those client managers outside; he’s just one step away from being promoted to the bank’s branch manager, but that step is tough to take.

Unlike most official institutions, where the second-ranked local official gets a promotion one step higher, in Golden Exchange Bank, for Jogriman to be promoted, he might have to transfer from the branch to the regional division or headquarters, starting over from a mid-low level.

The role of branch manager is not just a titular difference; of course, Jogriman never thought he could become a branch manager; such things are highly unlikely to happen.

He lacks significant capital; he has no backing on the head office board, and those people do not value a general manager of a second-tier city branch’s credit department, making his path to promotion long. Fortunately, he is easy to satisfy and content with the status quo.

At just 42 years old, with a successful career, a young and beautiful wife, and three lively and adorable children, if all goes well, he might work in Sabin City until 48, then transfer positions to make way for others.

The bank’s generous benefits make him never worry about issues after stepping down from an important post, with high welfare and treatment enough for him to enjoy a wonderful life.

Of course, everyone will have minor troubles from time to time, unrelated to their prosperity; even someone as illustrious as the President of Bail Federal cannot be worry-free in everything.

Jogriman’s current worry is the constant decline in the loan business volume in Sabin City, a matter that no longer directly concerns higher-level managers like him.

If the results are good, he may get mentioned in meetings by higher-ups in the regional division.

If poor, it’s the front-line loan manager who will get unlucky, even though everyone holds a managerial title.

Yet it’s a bit unpleasant; Golden Exchange Bank conducts a paid company travel every year where everyone, working under the same group company but in different regions, inevitably talks about their work situations together.

Those who perform well are bound to receive praise, and they have more opportunities for promotion, possibly becoming his superior in the future.

Those who do poorly won’t be openly mocked, but in comparisons, they become the backdrop against others, which is uncomfortable.

He wants to solve these problems but has no means. As one of the six major banks of Bail Federal, Golden Exchange Bank’s mastering of the financial market and the international economic trends has become their daily homework.

Since the explosive economic growth in Bail Federal ended a few years back, the past few years have seen a slight economic stagnation.

The financial market remains active, with no obvious downward trend, making people say it’s a "short-lived" lull after the boom; after the "rebound period," the Federation’s economy will grow significantly again.

People believe these words, but the problem is whether this rebound period is too long, almost three years now, and the weak market and declining economy have begun to prick people’s nerves, especially as the boom growth bonus period ends, people start to see through the glory, an undercurrent is surging beneath Bail Federal’s seemingly flourishing surface.

This year in Sabin City alone, over two thousand businesses registered in seven months, while over six hundred small and micro-enterprises went bankrupt and cleared; it’s not that banks can’t find people to lend to, but that they are reluctant to lend.

If the money is lent but not recovered, it will be a big problem. On the surface, each year, branches receive non-performing loan quotas, but if you truly fill those quotas, a call can change the entire branch’s personnel structure.

As the final approver, Jogriman is always very cautious; he’d rather not lend a penny than get kicked out. He wants to stay on this position for several more years until his three children reach adulthood and get them all placed in the bank.

When people reach his age and have no more pursuits, they begin to consider their children’s matters; most people are like this.

While at his desk, flipping through somewhat lewd magazines to pass the time, one of the four phones on his desk rang, his personal line, known only by people close to him. After adjusting his mood slightly, he answered, "This is Jogriman..."

"It’s me, Johnson, are you free for lunch?" On the other end was the local Tax Bureau Director’s call.

The bank deals with the Tax Bureau far more frequently than with the Inspectorate, though they often deal with the Inspectorate, they do not favor them.

Conversely, dealing with the Tax Bureau goes more smoothly, mutually beneficial; especially the bank’s middle and upper management, their income is dozens of times more than others, making legal tax avoidance a headache, but if someone from the Tax Bureau helps organize the papers, everything becomes simpler.

In return, they offer active cooperation with the Tax Bureau, occasionally pushing insider information like a promising fund or changes in a listed company’s board.

Jogriman often interacts with mid-level personnel like Michael; he knows Johnson and has interacted a few times, but the frequency and amount of interactions are low.

At Johnson’s level, Bail Federal’s Inspectorate sporadically checks him to see if he’s involved in job-related crimes.

The Federation does not pay much attention to grassroots and front-line staff, as even if they commit crimes using their authority, the damage to the Federation and society is minimal, but it’s different for key local officials; if they’re involved in crimes, the losses are immeasurable.

The Inspectorate keeps an eye occasionally, so even if Jogriman had the chance to sit down and befriend Johnson, he would avoid getting too close.

This time, since the other side reached out, he couldn’t evade, only agreeing to meet.

Johnson invited him for lunch, an odd request with no apparent friendship between them, indicating an issue at hand.

After hanging up, he pondered for a long time but couldn’t fathom the reason for Johnson’s sudden invitation, so he reluctantly prepared in advance, full of doubt.

Meanwhile, on the other side, twenty minutes before the agreed time, Lynch and Johnson had already arrived at the meeting venue.

Jogriman couldn’t figure out even if he cracked his brain, did some mental gymnastics, that Johnson was merely a conduit, and the real person wanting to meet him was Lynch, an unremarkable figure.