Chapter 137: I Want to Pursue Her Too

[Chapter 137: I Want to Pursue Her Too]

While the outside world remained shrouded in grief, those who prospered were reveling in joy. That evening, at James Perry's home, a lavish feast was underway.

On the balcony of the expansive villa, James and Ian sat in wicker chairs, sipping drinks and gazing at the moonlit sky.

James chuckled, "By the way, Giuliani wants to meet you."

"Giuliani? The Mayor of New York City?" Ian queried.

James nodded, "Yeah, he performed well during the disaster relief effort; many people have taken notice of him."

Was that really considered good?

It had already been three days, and the progress on the rescue efforts remained pitifully slow -- hardly a handful of lives had been saved. After all, if you were shameless enough, you could spin the situation however you liked. With a few disheveled faces plucked from the streets, one could easily claim they were pulled from the rubble.

The public had no voice.

They didn't even have thoughts!

At this moment, James said, "America needs a hero right now, and you and Shawna are the perfect fit. After a few days of recovery, it's time to make your public appearance. CBS has lined up a whole series of shows for you."

Ian grinned, "I'm all in. But the compensation needs to be right."

"Of course," James laughed, leaning in, "But you know that's not the key, right?"

Ian nodded lightly, "Next year is the midterm election; preparations can start after the New Year."

James was momentarily stunned.

Then he burst out laughing, "Wow, Ian, you're just amazing! You don't even need my reminders! So, who are you planning to support?"

"Of course, the Democrats. CBS has always supported them, right?" Ian countered.

James punched the air in excitement, "I knew it! I just knew you wouldn't let us down! In this upcoming midterm election, we're destined for a glorious victory!"

Who won the last midterm election?

He couldn't remember and didn't care.

Many things were fated to change; at the very least, Ian already wielded enough influence.

It was important to understand that midterms differed from presidential elections; the former involved congressional elections impacting seat allocations.

Whether a president took office with 51% or 80% approval ratings, they were still president -- it didn't matter much.

But in a midterm election, a candidate's 51% versus 80% meant the difference in actual congressional seats, making even an eventual win worth striving for higher support!

That was exactly what Ian wanted!

When you could dictate the rise and fall of a group of politicians, their support became obtainable, and that support quickly translated into money!

Of course, the essence of America's midterm elections was that they were local elections; for example, each state elected two senators. Since political inclinations varied greatly among the states, not every issue could be resolved merely by having a charismatic leader.

In many ways, Ian's influence would have a larger impact on the presidential election -- sadly, the presidential election wouldn't occur until 2003.

At this moment, Ian declared, "I hope to focus my efforts in specific regions."

James looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Ian answered, "California, New York, Nevada, and Michigan."

California and New York were easy to understand.

After all, California was Ian's base, and he had to keep a firm grip -- City Councilor Brand hadn't made much of an impact before he began to fade away, as Ian's political ambitions shifted from city council to state and federal levels.

The upcoming governor of California was none other than the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he had been preparing for this opportunity.

Though this guy belonged to the Republican Party, Ian didn't care.

Capitalists always sided with winners and interests, without any genuine allegiance to parties.

New York was understandable as well; it was often seen as the center of the world and the most bustling metropolis -- losing the Twin Towers wouldn't diminish its status.

Nevada and Michigan were on a different level.

Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were known as swing states, consistently fluctuating in political orientation.

In previous presidential elections, the key to victory often lay in these swing states -- Trump was a rare exception, having undermined his opponents' traditional bases.

Whoever could sway the swing states held tremendous power to influence outcomes.

Ian acknowledged his position was still minimal; though he held the title of hero, his actual wealth was only in the low billions -- he intended to secure these two regions first.

There was a reason for choosing these two states.

Nevada was home to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, where one could gain valuable insider news.

Michigan was known for Detroit, the famed Motor City -- though it eventually went bankrupt, urban bankruptcy didn't affect ballots.

The impoverished and wealthy stood equal in terms of votes.

One must understand that American elections required the support of the elite not just because they provided political donations but also due to the genuine influence they had on votes.

Imagine if you were a large business owner with thousands of employees -- if you supported candidate A, how would you handle it?

Would you donate a few million dollars?

No! That was chump change.

You would instruct all your workers: "Everyone immediately go vote for A; anyone who votes for someone else will be fired!"

That was what elections looked like -- they involved more than just bribery, but coercion too!

According to Ian and Gaskill's plan, they aimed to center their future around the media, shaping the political landscape of America.

The first step was to control the media, the second was to invest for profit (this aspect was unique to Ian, as only he leveraged that rebirth advantage), and the third was to delve into the tangible, thereby controlling politics.

Though physical enterprises yielded lower profits, the job opportunities and influence on votes were abundant!

So he asked, "Do we have suitable friends?"

James laughed, "The media never lacks friends; it just depends on what type you want!"

Ian replied, "In California, I certainly want to focus on film and television, to have influential friends in that arena. As for the media, that's not urgent yet; we need to strike hard first before acquiring them. I will also consider investing in other tangible areas such as prisons, hospitals, factories, construction companies, etc.; casinos could also be an option."

James contemplated for a moment, then said, "Those heartless folks in Hollywood are tough to deal with; even Wall Street has been burned by them."

Ian smiled, "No matter how difficult they are, they still have to fear me!"

James inquired, "What about the tangible assets?"

Ian answered, "Oh, that's mainly for making money."

Though influence could be monetized, realizing that entailed a certain skill unless one used it for extortion.

The quintessential example was political monetization.

For instance, a certain billionaire from a Middle Eastern country came to prominence due to his connections with some influential figures, allowing him to acquire land at cheap prices and develop important industries.

There were countless avenues for influence to permeate; everything in the world could link to news, but one needed the foundation of tangible assets to wield true value.

Therefore, when someone as influential as Ian wanted to engage with tangible businesses, many business owners would welcome him.

He could obtain shares for a minimal amount and then sit back and await dividends -- essentially, he wasn't simply investing cash but leveraging his capacity to promote and protect these enterprises!

In this regard, Ian's path would never allow him to become a sole overlord of a mega-corporation -- that would be a colossal waste of potential for monetizing influence.

He was destined to be a super investor, holding small stakes in many enterprises, potentially thousands of large firms across America. When he owned 10% of these companies, it meant he possessed 5% of America.

At this moment, upon hearing this, James laughed, "Sounds good, but where's all that money going to come from?"

Ian replied, "Lino Bank will support me."

James was left speechless.

Lino Bank...

Was Gaskill going to help that much?

After a moment, he asked, "Can I pursue Lena?"

Ian: "..."

*****

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