Shadow Empire

Chapter 1014 Standing Taller and Seeing Further, and the Benefits

Mr. Potter looked at the man who had once been like a golden god in his life, capable of blotting out the sky, and now exuded such a decadent air. He had so much to say, but now he kept his mouth shut.

The sun will rise and set.

Just like people, there are peaks and fall.

Senator Porter is clearly on the decline now, and once he leaves the Senate, he will be a "partisan free man".

To put it simply, it means having a party affiliation but holding no official position, whether within the party or in a government department; they are just an extraordinary ordinary person.

It's unlikely he'll continue to shine in politics. While many senators become brokers after retirement, those who truly go far in this field are often those who once dominated an era.

For example, former presidents and Senators like those from Cleveland possess a wealth of government secrets, have extensive social connections, and have many personal relationships that they can leverage.

They don't become "weak" because they retire; some politicians actually become stronger because they retire!
Because they are no longer politicians, they can use more despicable and dirty methods without worrying about the impact on their political careers if exposed.

This is like a marital issue.

A president's infidelity can lead him to apologize to the nation and resign, but for an ordinary person, let alone having an affair, even if he stripped his wife and mistress naked together, people would only call him a "womanizer."

No one would think that an ordinary person should apologize to the whole society just because he did something immoral. So when these people become brokers and become a kind of unofficial political force, they become more free and have more influence.

But Senator Porter was clearly not that kind of person. Even at the height of his career, he was just a member of another political group, not the head of that group.

Therefore, after he retires from the Senate, his retirement life will be relatively uneventful, and he will no longer be able to access various interests as he does now.

The concept of self-interest is quite peculiar.

Those who don't have it want it, and those who do want more. It's no longer just a simple benefit, but a reflection of one's own value.

This damned capitalist society not only assigns a lot of labels to everyone, but also puts a price tag on everyone.

Seeing that Mr. Potter remained silent, Senator Potter became even more blunt, "I did it all for you, you bastard!"

"In fact, their 'warning' to me can be seen in a way as a result of my very successful handling of this matter; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so... agitated."

"I used the word 'excited' because I couldn't find any other words that could express how I felt at that moment."

“They must have been somewhat embarrassed and annoyed to have asked someone to do that, and I had some real influence on them.”

As he said this, Senator Porter seemed to have a smug look on his face. This was indeed his true thought; that's what he really thought.

If he's just a flea to people like Senator Cleveland, they won't even pay him any attention.

Mr. Potter asked, "So what are you planning to do next?"

"Continue to advance your anti-war stance?"

Senator Porter looked somewhat embarrassed; Mr. Porter Jr. had asked him the very question he least wanted to answer.

After all, as a father, he hopes to leave his children with a positive image, but now he has to shatter that image with his own hands.

“I will consider stopping this from going any further. Their attack on me this time is just a warning to me.”

"But next time, that might not be the case."

Mr. Porter breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that his old-fashioned senator father would continue to stick to his ideas, which meant that his father was not yet mentally unstable.

“I’m glad you think that way…” he said, then frowned and fell into deep thought.

“What are you thinking about?” Senator Porter asked.

His son replied, "I'm wondering if they'll stop me from going to Congress because of what happened to you."

"After all..." These words were not easy to say. He couldn't very well say that his father had done something stupid, so he would be ostracized by Congress. That would be too hurtful.

Senator Porter didn't take it to heart. "You can oppose me, and that's what I'm saying too. You can portray yourself as an active, pro-war person."

"And I've already thought of a way out for you."

Mr. Potter looked at his father with a curious expression.

Aside from thinking that anti-war sentiment was a bit silly, he still admired his father, noting that not everyone could serve in the Senate until retirement.

This also proves another point: Senator Porter's push for anti-war initiatives is not something he truly wants to do, but rather a result of vested interests or other political motives.

Senator Porter stood up and opened his safe, in front of his son, revealing that these items would be inherited by his son in the future.

He took a document out of his pocket, handed it to his son, and gestured for him to open it and take a look.

Mr. Potter was quickly captivated by the contents of the document after opening it, and he read it very attentively.

The document wasn't very long, only seven or eight pages long, and it also included some photos.

He spent about twenty minutes carefully reading through the documents and looking at all the photos. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at his father with a gaze filled with light and adoration.

One moment he might have thought his father was getting old and senile, but the next he felt he had a long way to go to become Senator Porter!

He remains the omnipotent "Mr. Porter, the Senator" in his youth!
Why don't you submit this document to Congress?

"He will get you back into the public eye quickly and make you the center of attention!"

The contents of this document are... shocking?
Mr. Porter didn't know how to describe it; he was having trouble describing his situation. With his emotions constantly fluctuating, he felt his vocabulary becoming increasingly impoverished.

This document is about the Northern Kingdoms. It uses data to show that after the Federation participated in the World War, the Northern Kingdoms' military spending increased from less than 1.3% of their total GDP to 7%.

It details the changes in some of their domestic military industrial enterprises, as well as the overall integration and mobilization of resources.

This document suggests that the three northern kingdoms have formed a secret military alliance aimed at countering the increasingly powerful federation.

They deployed troops on the border and cut off all communication between the two sides, which is a very dangerous move.

Once certain conditions are met, a new round of military conflict could very well break out on federal territory!

This document may not contain much information, but it is definitely significant. If it is brought to Congress, it could very well become the next target of those who advocate for war.

If they intend to annex the Alan region, then why not continue north and take over the countries to the north?

Such a larger federation would then appear on the world map, giving the federation and these ambitious individuals new leverage to dominate the world.

Mr. Porter Jr. believes there is a high probability that he can achieve this, and his father, Senator Porter, may also join Senator Cleveland's political group and become a member.

But Senator Porter shook his head. "I'm too old. Even if they let me keep going, I don't know how long I can do it."

"Furthermore, even if I joined their group, I would still be an outsider because of what I did before."

“They won’t really put me at the center of this political group, so whether I submit or not, it doesn’t really make a difference.”

"On the contrary, I think this is something you should do."

“You are young, and you are my child. By blood, you possess the blood of the elite. You are born with that ticket, that key!” “When your views align with the interests of the current mainstream group in Congress, they will amplify everything about you.”

"Your unequivocally siding with them and attacking some of my ideas indirectly proves to the whole society that they are right and I am wrong."

"Only in this way will you have a greater chance of successfully entering Congress."

He looked at Mr. Potter with a very kind gaze, saying, "I only have one son, and no one else can inherit everything from me."

“If you can go further by standing on my ‘corpse,’ then my job now is to play the role of my own corpse well.”

Mr. Potter was speechless for a long time, and finally he could only take a deep breath and say, "I will do it."

Senator Porter felt that everything he had endured today was worth it.

He smiled slightly. "Study this material carefully. After a while, after the New Year, find an opportunity to break some parts apart and then release them."

"For example... the increase in military spending in the three northern countries poses a hidden threat to the Federation. Use this topic to draw people's attention to you, and then gradually reveal what's inside."

"Perhaps you won't have to wait until the war ends before you have the opportunity to enter Congress."

Senators have a longer rotation period, but representatives have a much shorter one.

It's not that members of the House of Representatives are unimportant, but rather that they are "not that important."

According to official statistics, all federal presidents elected from Congress have come from the Senate.

The only one with ties to the House of Representatives was promoted to Senator before receiving the party's nomination and winning the general election.

However, this does not mean that the House of Representatives is completely unimportant. They also have their own work, and the House of Representatives chairs some important committees.

Therefore, not all members of the House of Representatives are replaced every two years, as this would have a significant impact on the work of Congress.

If committee members are replaced every two years, they may be replaced just as they become familiar with their work, which will not help the work of the entire Congress.

So as long as you do well, you can serve as a member of the House of Representatives for a long time, and then find an opportunity to be promoted from a member of the House to a senator, and then dominate Congress, or find a way to reach that nominally highest peak!

The father and son discussed these issues for a long time, as they concerned the future of the family and the future development of Mr. Potter, and therefore had to be treated with caution.

The two discussed their ideas for the future in the study, while news of Senator Porter's attack was spreading rapidly outside.

Many people want to know what exactly happened. Although this incident crossed a line—they attacked a top politician—it cannot be said that it triggered the rules of punishment because Senator Porter was not harmed in any way.

Red paint, a dead dog with its mouth sewn shut—it's more of a warning than an attack, especially since Senator Porter had recently launched an attack on the hawks in Congress.

So people almost instinctively focused their attention on Senator Cleveland.

"I'm just a little angry... Don't worry, we're all family, nothing will go wrong."

"And..." Senator Cleveland's expression held an air of arrogance, "Even if something goes wrong, what could possibly go wrong?"

This left the guy on the other end of the phone speechless for a moment, much like the question, "Who here is accusing this official?"

Senator Cleveland currently controls about a third of the Senate seats, which puts her in an unassailable position.

He might not be able to approve a proposal, but he can veto it, which is somewhat like a veto power.

Having veto power, he doesn't care at all even if someone tries to cause him trouble because of this matter.

The Socialist Committee chairman's voice carried a hint of discontent: "You should be more careful, Jeffrey (Senator Cleveland's name). We are politicians, not gangsters. We need to be mindful of our influence."

Upon hearing this, Senator Cleveland could only try to be less assertive, saying, "I was just expressing my feelings, Mr. Chairman."

“You know, we’re very busy right now, and everyone knows we’re doing something that’s good for the Union, for the people of the Union, and for everyone here.”

"But some people, for a little bit of personal gain, have to jump out and accuse us of doing something wrong."

"They disregard the facts and insist that we have harmed this country and its people, which has had a serious negative impact on me and my work. How can I not be angry?"

"And look, I didn't have anyone beat him up, I just scared him a little. If you want an explanation, I can have the person in charge of this turn himself in."

"An explanation" is always effective, and the chairman of the Socialist Committee softened his tone slightly upon hearing Senator Cleveland's words.

After all, the Socialist Party has caused some backlash from the public due to the current president, and they are not sure if this war can eliminate this backlash. If it cannot be eliminated, the Liberal Party will most likely produce a new president.

This also means that there is a high probability that the Senate seats will change, with the Liberal Party potentially catching up with the Socialist Party, or even overtaking it.

Once the Socialist Party loses the important position of majority leader in Congress, its influence in Congress will decline. At this time, Senator Cleveland, who has great influence in the Senate, becomes a springboard for the Socialist Party to continue to control the Senate.

His importance is beyond question; even the chairman of the Socialist Party committee must show him a certain degree of respect.

Hearing Senator Cleveland say that, he couldn't really ask the other party for an "explanation," otherwise the conversation would be dead.

So he laughed twice and said, "Look at you, you're fifty years old and still so straightforward. I was just saying."

"After all, no one wants a resurgence of terrorism."

"Since you say there won't be any follow-up to this, then I choose to believe you."

“Porter must have noticed something too. You’d better talk to him and calm him down.”

Sometimes things are almost transparent, but people just lack evidence. That's why the federal government is a country that values ​​evidence and procedural justice, because only in this way can the authorities operate within the system.

Senator Cleveland agreed, and the two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.

After hanging up the phone, Senator Cleveland shook his head. The older these people get, the more timid they become.

This incident gave him a taste of success.

Senator Porter's anti-war stance is nothing new. Since the outbreak of the war, he has become a mouthpiece for certain foreign powers in Congress, constantly opposing these mainstream groups.

They keep saying that war brings destruction and that peace is the eternal pursuit of human society, and they want everyone to give up their prejudices and abandon war. It's so annoying.

For the past two or three years, not a single day has been good, but after what happened today, he could hear Senator Porter's compromise in the phone call just now, which gave him a sense of relief.

People are afraid of the past periods of terror, when many federal government officials were assassinated.

Members of Congress, the president, government officials, and cabinet members have all been targeted by assassination attempts and received various death threats.

That's why they later hated those who controlled the country through a reign of terror, and that's why they opposed them so much.

Senator Cleveland was like that before; he didn't like such brutal methods. He preferred to use political means to make his political opponents bow down rather than violence, fear, or anything else.

But after trying it for the first time today, he felt that this method did have its merits; at least it was very effective and quick.

Senator Porter, who hadn't shut up for two or three years, fell silent in just one hour...

(End of this chapter)