Darkstone Code

Lifetime Chief Justice...

The influence of a lifetime Chief Justice on the judiciary is undeniable, and it is the ultimate goal pursued by all judges.

He represents the final interpretive authority of the law, which is extremely important.

As long as one can sit in this position, wealth and power will naturally converge and concentrate here.

Chris’s husband swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He licked his somewhat chapped lips, and his eyes were filled with greedy desire.

He was like a beast that hadn’t eaten for a long time, or like a man starved of a woman’s touch, his gaze revealing all his desires!

Mr. Jeruno is a successful capitalist, a successful power-broker. He knows how to negotiate business with others, or discuss other matters.

In his view, all these are the same, just a matter of him having what you want, and you having to pay for it.

As for the haggling process, it is merely a search for a psychological baseline that both parties can accept.

Anyone who holds absolute initiative and abundant material distribution power at this negotiating table will hold absolute advantage because the conditions they offer are difficult for others to refuse.

For the rich, a thousand dollars might only be the cost of an abundant dinner at a high-end restaurant, but for the poor, a thousand dollars could represent health, happiness, or a necessary, inalienable lifestyle.

"Poor" people never have the initiative at the negotiation table, even if they are the ones holding the core of the negotiation!

Just like right now!

When Mr. Jeruno laid out his terms, Chris’s husband fell silent, unable to refuse.

After about a minute, although no one was seriously counting time, maybe it was only fifty-something seconds, or forty-something seconds, but at this moment, it was a minute.

After a minute, Chris’s husband hung his head low, seemingly talking to himself, "I love my wife..."

Mr. Jeruno gave high affirmation to this statement, "Yes, we can all see that you love your wife."

Chris’s husband may not necessarily be lying because their marriage has lasted many years, from college sweethearts to now; they are still married, they still share their own intimate life.

They wouldn’t harbor too much suspicion because his wife had been with other men. It’s complicated, yet incredible, but perhaps this is the simplest appearance of their family.

He loves his wife; no other woman can give as much for him as she has.

Wandering among different men without conditions and finding opportunities for his advancement.

Mr. Jeruno’s affirmation lifted his spirits slightly as he thought and deliberated for a long time, eventually making a decision.

"What do you need me to do?"

He asked.

For so long, he hadn’t obtained a new job. Even after moving to Bupen, the President only arranged a very ordinary job for him in the Ministry of Justice.

Not at the lowest rung, but at a mid-lower level, which was quite decent.

But for him, it wasn’t enough; he craved more power, like when he was a State Supreme Court Justice before; he liked that kind of power.

The ability to decide others’ destinies and receive ample wealth; he didn’t like running in circles at the office all day, trying to coax and deceive for what he wanted to do.

It was the President who "betrayed" him first; the President slept with his wife but didn’t fulfill those promises, allowing him a decent job.

This was forced upon him!

Mr. Jeruno nodded with satisfaction; this would become the horn of the Duncan Clan’s counterattack. Compared to the Paradise Island case and the yet fully exposed issues it spawned, the President’s scandal could instantly overshadow all public opinion.

As long as we dethrone the President, even if the President’s Cabinet does not resign, it will undergo tremendous turmoil.

With war imminent, controlling the narrative and properly handling the case swiftly will ensure that the Duncan Clan remains the Duncan Clan.

Perhaps they will pay a significant price, shrinking the family’s scale to unprecedented levels, but they can survive, and continuing expansion would only be a matter of time.

"I need photos, definite evidence, pictures of the President and your wife together, you get my meaning!"

Ordinary people could understand what Mr. Jeruno was saying, and Chris’s husband nodded, but he also raised some issues.

"Every time they meet, it’s at the President’s estate, heavily guarded. She may not be able to bring a camera in, let alone take photos at such crucial moments..."

"What I mean is, how clueless must a person be to not notice someone taking pictures at times like those?"

He wasn’t sure if Mr. Jeruno could understand his meaning, so he tried to explain as thoroughly as possible, fortunately, his explanation was somewhat comprehensive.

Mr. Jeruno’s people handed over a miniature camera.

It looked like a perfume bottle, and in Mr. Jeruno’s hands, it could even spray perfume.

"This is a very special camera. When you squeeze this airbag for one minute, it will start shooting, taking twelve photos a minute, lasting a total of three minutes..."

Perfume bottles of this period weren’t like what they became later; they didn’t spray perfume by pressing and increasing internal pressure.

It was done through an airbag, generally located right behind the nozzle, mostly made of rubber, with a thin layer of gauze or some metal wire on the outside. When someone needs to use it, they just need to squeeze the airbag.

When the pressure inside the bottle exceeds a threshold, the perfume will spray out.

This perfume bottle looked a bit large, but not overly so.

Mr. Jeruno’s people demonstrated multiple times how to correctly use this perfume bottle camera and the correct positioning while providing ample film rolls.

"It makes no noise while working, so you don’t need to worry about it being exposed."

"We need frontal, profile images of the President and your wife, preferably full-body, naked, with some actions..."

After handling it a few times, Chris’s husband basically grasped how to use it.

As he thought he was about to leave, Mr. Jeruno suddenly said, "By the way, that... woman plans to sue you for fraud and seduction, accusing you of multiple incidents and a considerable amount."

"You’re in law, you should know what you’ll face if she goes through with it?"

Chris’s husband paused suddenly and fell into a long silence.

He certainly knew what he would face.

Fraud involving millions, coercing the woman into sexual relations overtly or covertly. If an excellent prosecutor and lawyer stood by her side, it might even be considered rape.

The Federal Judiciary holds a rigid stance, mainly beginning with interpretation.

Rape is defined as occurring against a woman’s will, whether through violence, fraud, or coercion—all can fit the rape description.

Once the case is established, he could potentially never come out!

The Federal Ministry of Justice has never shown tolerance towards internal system crimes, especially by those lifetime Chief Justices. They always believe that crimes by those knowledgeable in law have more malignant impacts, causing greater damage.

So usually, they demand to handle such cases severely.

He didn’t speak, already very afraid, although at first, he never thought it would come to this. Perhaps a small dissatisfaction lingered within; there were many inducements all together.

Mr. Jeruno approached him, patted his shoulder, "But you don’t need to worry; as long as you do this task well, I guarantee that family will never bother you again!"

Chris’s husband pressed his lips together, nodding, "I’ll do my best..."

In the evening, not long after returning home, Chris also came back home.

She now holds many titles and jobs, like being a feminist activist or managing the largest Federation’s bowling club.

Some mysterious figure started this club, which is large in scale and has very deluxe facilities. Plus, the President occasionally plays bowling there, quickly making it the most dazzling club in the bowling field.

She is employed to manage this club.

She holds several other titles too, which makes her life and work very busy, forming a stark contrast with her husband.

Right after returning home, and changing into home attire, she went to the dining room to wait for the maid to finish cooking dinner.

She is quite satisfied with her current life, busy yet fulfilling.

While eating fruit and watching TV, this might be one of her few relaxing moments every day.

Sometimes a busy life gives her a feeling of tearing from the past.

In the past, she always revolved around her husband, making sacrifices whenever her husband needed something and couldn’t manage.

It’s a kind of... she doesn’t know why she could go to such lengths.

Maybe it’s because her husband is her first love, her first man?

Who knows, anyway, that’s just how the situation was.

Now, this feeling is fading. Aside from having her husband in this relationship, she feels valued in her current life.

At this point, her husband approached her.

"We need to talk," he said.

Chris glanced at her husband, "About what?"

Her husband didn’t speak, but glanced at the maid preparing dinner, letting Chris know that the subject they were about to discuss wasn’t fit for others to hear.

They then walked into the bedroom...