Chapter 546: Building Connections

Three days later, the night sky was filled with stars, clearly indicating that tomorrow would be a fine day.

At the London Royal Hotel, a luxury establishment run by a British noble family, an important fundraiser was taking place tonight. It was a political fundraising event organized by the Conservative Party.

Typically, the funds raised from political fundraisers are used for the campaigns of Conservative Party members and various daily political activities.

At this point, the elections for the British House of Commons and other key positions in the cities had reached their climax. This fundraising event was specifically for collecting funds for the campaigns.

There was no choice; aside from the numerous top positions in various regions, there were 650 seats in the British House of Commons alone. The Conservative Party was engaged in fierce competition with other parties, and there were many places where money was needed. The assets of the Conservative Party and its regional candidates alone were insufficient, so they had to raise money from society.

At this moment, Xia Yu entered with the invitation and did not bring Li Qian with him.

After all, he was unsure of what Duke Carter Howard was thinking, allowing Elena to attend the event with Xia Yu. Xia Yu also learned from Elena that this was her first time attending such a formal political event.

Upon entering, Xia Yu realized he was the only Asian in the entire venue. Looking around, all he saw were gentlemen and ladies in formal attire, none of whom he recognized. Neither Duke Carter Howard nor the expected Margaret Thatcher was present at this time.

Elena did not recognize any of these people either, but it didn't matter. After all, she was Duke Carter Howard's daughter, so some people recognized her. When they saw her with Xia Yu, there was a hint of surprise in their eyes.

Naturally, Xia Yu's presence was noticed by many, who secretly wondered about his identity.

Fortunately, just as Xia Yu and Elena were feeling awkward, Duke Carter Howard finally arrived.

He was accompanied by two people: one was a handsome man in his forties, in the prime of his life, and the other was an elderly man in his fifties or sixties. Xia Yu observed that the elderly man was dressed very elegantly, seemingly on par with Duke Carter Howard, suggesting he was also a noble.

Duke Carter Howard and the two people approached Xia Yu and Elena. First, he nodded with a smile to Xia Yu and then addressed Elena, "Elena, when did you arrive?"

"Dad, we've been here for over ten minutes and couldn't find you."

Elena replied gently.

"I'm truly sorry. I was occupied with something."

After apologizing, Duke Carter Howard introduced Xia Yu and Elena to the two people.

"This is my daughter Elena. This person next to her is Xia Yu, my daughter's boss, a friend of the Howard family from Hong Kong."

Upon hearing Duke Carter Howard's introduction, the two people beside him took a closer look at Xia Yu, surprised that this young Chinese from Hong Kong had gained the Howard family's recognition.

"This is Duke Cavendish!"

Duke Carter Howard first introduced the elderly man, which surprised Xia Yu, who did not expect him to be a duke.

Since the last time Xia Yu inquired about the Howard family's information from Wu Hongyi, he had specifically researched the British nobility. The only family with the surname Cavendish holding a ducal title was in Devonshire. The Cavendish family's title was the Duke of Devonshire.

The Cavendish family had considerable influence in politics and scientific education.

"This is Gerard Pat, a rising star in the Conservative Party, currently running for London Mayor!"

Duke Carter Howard then introduced the younger, handsome, blonde man, which also surprised Xia Yu. He finally remembered where he had seen this person before, as there had been reports about him in the newspapers.

With only two months left until the election, the competition for the London Mayor position had become intense. The Conservative Party, Labour Party, and Liberal Democrats had all invested significant resources. However, the Liberal Democrats' candidate, Jack Pedro, had little chance, with recent polls showing his approval rating at 21%.

Since the Labour Party was still in power, holding more advantages, despite public dissatisfaction with them, their candidate Nick Keaton was leading with a 40% approval rating.

As for the Conservative Party's candidate, Gerard Pat, the polls showed him with a 39% approval rating, slightly trailing behind Nick Keaton.

Of course, these approval ratings and rankings were only temporary, as many voters had yet to cast their ballots. The current percentages only reflected those who had already voted.

If Jack Pedro of the Liberal Democrats made a miraculous comeback, it was not impossible, although the probability was very low. Nonetheless, history had seen its share of dramatic turnarounds.

"Duke Cavendish, hello. I'm Xia Yu from Hong Kong. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Mr. Gerard, hello. I wish you success in your campaign!"

...

Perhaps due to Duke Carter Howard's influence, Duke Cavendish and Gerard Pat were very friendly towards Xia Yu.

Especially Duke Cavendish, who looked at Xia Yu with a peculiar expression. Just as Xia Yu was about to ask, he heard him speak gently, "Mr. Xia, I've heard from Carter about you. You're a genius. I hope the Financial Times will resonate worldwide under your leadership."

Hearing this, Xia Yu was surprised. A thought crossed his mind as Duke Carter Howard laughed and said, "Mr. Xia, Pearson Group is a part of the Cavendish family's holdings."

So that's the connection!

Xia Yu had not expected this relationship. It seemed that Duke Carter Howard had indeed contacted Duke Cavendish, which facilitated his smooth acquisition of the Financial Times Group from Pearson Group.

"Thank you, Your Grace, for your support. I will not disappoint you in the future!"

Xia Yu said gratefully.

Duke Cavendish smiled kindly.

Afterward, Xia Yu seized the opportunity to expand his network, leveraging Duke Carter Howard's influence.

Those eligible to attend the event were either important members of the Conservative Party, rising political stars, or influential figures such as British nobles or wealthy businessmen. Knowing these people was highly beneficial for Xia Yu, and soon he had amassed a large stack of business cards.

All of this was observed by Duke Carter Howard and others, who had no objections and instead thought Xia Yu was adept at seizing opportunities.

Soon, Xia Yu saw Margaret Thatcher, the leader of the Conservative Party, appear, signaling the official start of the event.