Chapter 549: The Promise

"Hello, sir. Thank you for your support!"

As soon as Xia Yu arrived at the donation table, a conservative party's designated hostess gave him a sweet smile, expressing her gratitude. Xia Yu responded with a smile and approached Jim, the young man in charge of collecting and registering donations.

Seeing Xia Yu produce the check, Jim bowed politely and thanked him, then took the check from Xia Yu's hands.

Every donor was prepared with a check to facilitate the Conservative Party's collection. In political donations, no one would use a fake check, as the risks outweigh the benefits.

When Jim received Xia Yu's check, he looked at the amount on it and his expression changed drastically. A "1" followed by a string of zeros made his heart skip a beat.

Fearing he might have misread it, he scrutinized the check again. It was indeed one million pounds. He looked at the smiling Xia Yu, unsure whether to accept it or not.

It was already surprising that Xia Yu was of Asian descent, but now he was donating a million pounds. Previous donors had generally contributed between ten to twenty thousand pounds, with a few going over fifty thousand pounds. The largest donation so far was two hundred thousand pounds, but Xia Yu had given five times that amount.

Truthfully, such a large donation would greatly benefit the Conservative Party. However, considering that Xia Yu was still unfamiliar, particularly because he was Asian, Jim had to be cautious.

Noticing Jim's hesitation, Xia Yu smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, the check is genuine. You can always cash it at Hua Shang Bank. My name is Xia Yu."

Afterward, Xia Yu wrote his Chinese and English names on the check and gave Jim a nod before walking away.

Jim, observing Xia Yu rejoining the crowd, quickly informed a colleague to take over and then hurried to find his superior.

Jim's superior, finding the situation delicate, had no choice but to report to the highest-ranking person present, Margaret Thatcher.

Coincidentally, Margaret Thatcher was chatting with Duke Howard and others. Seeing her subordinate signal her, she excused herself from the group and approached him.

"Leader, there's a situation with the donation. We need your decision urgently."

The subordinate said, and then Jim, who was most familiar with the situation, stepped forward to explain.

"Leader, I've just received a check for one million pounds."

Jim said respectfully, presenting the check.

Margaret's expression changed slightly as she took the check and examined it closely. It was indeed one million pounds, a substantial political donation.

Based on her experience, the check seemed genuine, but the signature made her frown.

At this moment, Jim quickly added, "Leader, this check was donated by an Asian gentleman named Xia Yu, the one over there!"

Jim pointed to Xia Yu, who was chatting with political newcomer Gerard Pat. Margaret looked in the direction Jim pointed and saw a very young Asian man talking amiably with Gerard Pat.

He knows Gerard?

Wait a minute, wasn't this person with Duke Howard just now?

"Did he say anything else?"

Margaret Thatcher didn't immediately consult Duke Howard but asked Jim carefully.

Jim shook his head. "He just said the check is genuine and that it can be cashed at Hua Shang Bank, and then he left after writing his name."

Margaret Thatcher's gaze became thoughtful. After a moment of consideration, she nodded to Jim and the others. "Alright, I understand. I'll keep the check for now. You can return to your duties."

"Yes, Leader!"

Jim and his superior left immediately.

Returning to Duke Howard's group, Margaret smiled and asked, "Sir Carter, I'd like to consult you. Do you know an Asian gentleman named Xia Yu? The one over there?"

Duke Carter Howard was somewhat surprised by Margaret's question but nodded in response. "I know him. I sent him an invitation. He's a friend of mine. Why?"

Margaret Thatcher sighed with relief and smiled. "I see you know him. He just donated one million pounds. The amount is so large that my assistant was hesitant to accept it, so I was informed."

"One million pounds?"

Duke Howard was also surprised by the amount. He hadn't expected Xia Yu to donate so much!

But the effect was indeed impressive. Margaret Thatcher took it seriously.

This was a great opportunity!

Duke Howard immediately said, "Margaret, I've talked with Mr. Xia. He supports the Conservative Party's campaign policies. I believe we should accept his donation of one million pounds."

"Also, although Mr. Xia is from Hong Kong, he has business in London. The Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph are under his company's ownership."

This information piqued Margaret's interest. She remembered that these two newspapers used to have no political affiliation. But now, the owner had come to a Conservative Party event and made a large donation. This was an extremely favorable sign. As the leader of the Conservative Party, she had to seize this opportunity.

"Sir Carter, I believe I should personally thank him for his donation. Could you please introduce me to him?"

Margaret asked with a smile.

"It would be my honor. Please!"

Duke Howard led Margaret towards Xia Yu, drawing the attention of many around them.

Noticing the change in the crowd, Xia Yu looked towards the source and saw Duke Howard and others approaching.

And the future Iron Lady was smiling at him and extended her hand as she got closer.

Xia Yu approached and shook hands with her.

"Mr. Xia, hello. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Margaret Thatcher did not treat Xia Yu any differently because of his youth and continued to use the respectful form of address. This was her usual style.

"Ms. Margaret, it's my honor to meet you. I didn't expect you to come over. This is quite a surprise!"

Xia Yu said with a smile, releasing her hand.

Margaret smiled warmly. "Mr. Xia, your presence at our event is support for us. As the leader of the Conservative Party, I feel it's my duty to thank you for coming."

"And I just learned that you donated one million pounds. This surprises me greatly. You are currently the largest donor of the event. Thank you for your substantial support!"

"Ms. Margaret, there's no need to thank me. I really support the Conservative Party's policies and genuinely hope that the party achieves victory. This is beneficial not only to us but to the British people as well!"

Xia Yu stated sincerely.

Margaret's smile widened. "Thank you for your recognition. This is the greatest encouragement for us!"

...

"Mr. Xia, may I ask if you own The Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph?"

After the pleasantries, Margaret pondered for a moment before asking.

To her, asking for help required a humble attitude. She needed Xia Yu's support, so she had to show a proactive stance to succeed. Beating around the bush would be counterproductive.

"Yes, both newspapers were recently acquired."

Xia Yu replied with a smile.

Margaret's smile became more earnest as she made a formal request. "Mr. Xia, I have a request. Could you help us by letting more people know about the Conservative Party's policies?"

Xia Yu pondered, looked at Duke Howard, and then at Margaret. Feeling that it was enough, he smiled and said, "Of course!"

Margaret's face beamed with joy as she said sincerely, "Thank you for your support. We will remember your generosity. You are a distinguished friend of the Conservative Party, and we feel honored!"

Satisfied with Margaret's clear stance, Xia Yu was also pleased. "It's my honor to be a friend of the Conservative Party!"

...

After a bit more conversation, Margaret had to leave to attend to other important guests, as she was the central figure of the event. Spending seven or eight minutes with Xia Yu was already quite a long time.

As for Duke Carter Howard, he gave Xia Yu an appreciative look, said a few words, and then moved on.

With his objectives met, Xia Yu felt reassured.

Although Margaret's promise was somewhat vague, it was effective. After all, she wouldn't make a promise hastily without understanding the situation. Many things couldn't be openly discussed and had to be understood implicitly. If it were made public, it would become a matter of trading power for money.

While it's widely believed that politicians can be unscrupulous and change their positions at will, it depends on who it is.

For ordinary citizens, policies may change frequently. But for major supporters like Xia Yu, the Conservative Party wouldn't dare to make promises lightly. Once a promise was made, they would strive to fulfill it fully. Failing to do so would damage the party's reputation and hinder future trust and support from capitalists.

Therefore, although Margaret did not make a clear statement, Xia Yu was already satisfied.

The relationship had been established. When the time came, Duke Carter Howard would likely handle the Rolls-Royce matter without issue.

Moreover, the one million pounds and media support had impacts beyond just Rolls-Royce. As the relationship deepened, there would be many more areas to leverage.

As many people took an interest in Xia Yu after his conversation with Margaret, he seized the opportunity to expand his network. He left the event feeling very satisfied.

The next evening, he went to Gerard Pat's home for dinner. After a lengthy discussion, Xia Yu promised Gerard Pat full support for his campaign for London Mayor and committed to providing at least five hundred thousand pounds through formal channels while mobilizing the Asian community to vote for him.

As for the specific requirements, neither Xia Yu nor Gerard Pat discussed them, but both understood that details would be worked out after the campaign's success.

In any case, despite only just meeting, the transaction had already created a strong bond between Gerard Pat and Xia Yu.