After the shareholders' meeting, it was already past lunchtime. When Lynch was about to go out to get something to fill his stomach, Neil and Tom appeared in front of him.
Neil finally decided to give Tom a hand. After all, the relationship between the two of them had lasted for thirty to forty years. They couldn't be completely ruined because of this. Otherwise, their time and feelings would be too cheap.
As soon as they walked out of the office door, Lynch stepped back and sat behind the desk. He looked at the two men and tilted his head slightly. "So, what's the matter?"
Tom was a little overwhelmed. It seemed that some terrible changes were happening in his heart at this time.
He knew Lynch. He and Neil had been good friends for decades. They were very familiar with each other's families. From Lynch's birth until he graduated from high school, Tom would see him once or twice, or even twice or thrice a month when he went to look for Neil.
At first, he didn't think that the boss of the interstellar trading company was Neil's son. After all, there was more than one person named Lynch in this world. Just like his name, Tom, he could find some people with the same name, as well as some cats and dogs.
Besides, as a member of the bottom of society, he didn't have the channels and resources to familiarize himself with the composition of the upper structure of society. It was just like how most people didn't know the top ten tax paying companies in their own city and who their bosses were.
People didn't care about these things. Compared to these illusory things, they cared more about how the TV show would play out tonight, and more importantly, it was related to work.
Until this moment, he didn't think that Neil's son could do such a big thing. But obviously, the reality made his brain unable to think, and he couldn't accept such a thing.
Neil was very calm, or it could be said that he was too shocked that he was numb. Of course, his attitude towards Lynch had changed slightly. At least when he was at home, he wouldn't talk to Lynch so "calmly".
At that time, he was the head of the family. His tone was always commanding, and no one could refuse.
"Tom encountered some trouble. They stole the factory's raw materials to produce a batch of goods. Most of them fell into your hands. What we mean is, can you return the goods to him and let him try to get out of this situation?"
In order to convince Lin Qi, Neil said in a targeted manner, "It's only for him. The others are not in our consideration."
Neil quickly explained the purpose of his and Tom's visit, but Lynch shook his head after hearing it. "That's not easy. No, that's impossible!"
Looking at Tom who gradually came to his senses and Neil who was confused, Lynch explained, "Even if you take those goods back now, it's impossible to change the current situation. But after listening to you, I already understood.."
"No matter how much you sell these things for, it has nothing to do with your boss. Don't worry about whether these things can be sold in his hands. It has nothing to do with you."
"In other words, if you want to solve these problems, you have to gather that sum of money to solve this problem. Otherwise …"
. "Lynch had already thought of the ending. If they couldn't raise the money, the court would enforce it, and the bank would auction off their assets, including their cars and their houses if they had them.
This also made Lynch suddenly feel that he could make a deal with the bank. These were very high-quality resources, and more importantly, their price would be very low.
For this kind of entrusted auction, the bank wouldn't care how much these things were sold for. They just wanted to finish the work as soon as possible and get a part of the service fee. As long as the bank was satisfied, these things could be packaged and sold at the price of scrap.
Then in the next week's auction, the profit would be several times higher.
Thinking of this, Lynch was even less likely to help these people. Besides, he wasn't familiar with this Uncle Tom.
There was indeed such a person in his memory, but that was it. They didn't have much interaction, except for the dignity of a man who was flicked by him several times when he was young.
No matter what, he didn't intend to help Uncle Tom. He stood up, "I'm sorry, Uncle Tom, I can't help you with this …" He paused, "Do you want to have lunch together? I know a restaurant that serves good small steaks."
Neil still couldn't bear to see him like this, "Is there no other way?"
Lynch shook his head, "If it's just a small matter of three to five thousand, or thirty to fifty thousand, I can help you. But I can't help Uncle Tom with this kind of thing."
"He offered his share, but the total amount is not enough. They still have to be judged and dealt with by the law, so no one can help with this matter."
He hesitated for a moment, which was immediately noticed by Neil and Tom. They didn't dare to disturb Lynch's thoughts, so they just looked at him expectantly.
After about half a minute, Lynch's face became more serious, "Actually, it's not completely impossible, but we can talk about it during lunch. I've been in a meeting this morning …"
The two dared not refuse Lynch. Under Lynch's lead, they were brought to a newly opened restaurant not far away.
During the wave of the general strike, the restaurant was actually the most seriously damaged area, but the damage they suffered was not the same as that of other shops. The restaurant was damaged because most of their ingredients were taken away, but that was it.
These losses were actually not that big of a loss for the restaurant operator. They just had to buy a new batch of ingredients to reopen.
The three sat down and looked around. They were the only table in the empty restaurant. Under the expectant eyes of the two, Lynch told them the only way.
"If you can win the forgiveness of your boss and the sympathy of the judge, then the problem will become much simpler."
Lynch shook out the napkin and said casually, "You have to confess the cause of the incident, the process, and the result. Who is the initiator, who is the organizer, who specifically committed the crimes, how you disposed of the stolen goods, who presided over the distribution of the stolen money, and your confession, Uncle Tom."
"Our law doesn't have much tolerance for criminals, but we are also willing to help those who repent. If you can do this, you may only be punished with community service in the end."
Lynch emphasized the core of the matter, "As long as it's not a criminal punishment, it won't leave a stain on your personal record, and it won't become an obstacle for you to find a job in the future."
Tom's expression was pained, and he was struggling. He licked his dry lips, and his voice was a little dry, "Are you … asking me to betray them?"
"Betray?"
Lynch raised his eyebrows. "Why do you think it's a betrayal? In fact, you're helping them recognize their mistakes and setting an example to guide them to confess the crimes they committed.
But I have to tell you that the judge will only sympathize with the first person who did this! "
After saying these words, he paused for a moment. "From what you said, it's not difficult for me to find out that everything originated from the guy named Sigg. How is he now?"
Tom's face became even worse. "He's been bailed out …"
Lynch showed an "I knew it" expression. "In my opinion, I even think that this might be a show put on by Sigg and your boss for the sake of the fine.
More than three million is enough for him to pay off some of his debts and survive this financial crisis! "
Lynch's words were like a sharp arrow piercing Tom's heart because it was indeed possible. Or rather, Lynch was too good at "convincing" others.
Not long after, the dishes they ordered began to be served, and the topic came to an end.
Tom was still considering the advice Lynch gave him, while Lynch and Neil talked about Neil's work.
Some people enjoyed the meal, while others didn't even have the thought of touching the knife and fork in front of the food they usually yearned for. They just sat there in a daze.
After the meal, Lynch returned to the company to continue to deal with some of the backlog during this time, while Neil and Tom went to the police station to turn themselves in.
This was the decision Tom made at the end of lunch. Between himself and others, he made a choice. This choice was not shameful, because 99% of people would make such a decision.
However, this matter would not pass so easily. In the afternoon, because of Tom's surrender, there was a breakthrough in the case. The specific list and some more critical information were in the hands of the police station.
Neil was very emotional when he saw his former friend become a "prisoner."
That day, if he didn't stick to his bottom line, perhaps the one locked in the iron cage would be him!
After comforting Tom for a while, Neil left the police station. At the same time, he also knew and could feel that his relationship with Tom of decades had come to an end today.
The two people walked on two completely different paths, which made Neil, who was not very cultured, feel very emotional.
In fact, the aftermath of this matter was more troublesome than Neil imagined. Not long after, the court's bailiff found Lynch.
The bailiff told Lynch that the things he bought were all stolen goods and had to be temporarily detained. In response, Lynch said that he needed to consult with a lawyer before he could give the court an answer.
This was a very official and the most common answer. Most rich people could afford a lawyer, and the lawyer would use their professional knowledge to help these rich people avoid all kinds of problems.
This was the value of wealth and the way to prove it.
Not long after the bailiff left, a lawyer came to Lynch's office.
"Mr. Lynch, I have to tell you before we start talking. Even if we don't reach any agreement, you have to pay the cost of the conversation during the process of our communication, as well as the cost of transportation and communication when I come here. Is there a problem?"