Shadow Empire

Chapter 1075 Election and Warning
Lance arrived at Senator Cleveland's estate early in the morning to wait for him, even though Senator Cleveland said he would be available after three o'clock, just in case he returned earlier.

And if something else happens to come up to him, then everyone should know which option to choose: wait for Lance or finish the work that seems to be done quickly.

Senators are ordinary people too, and they are likely to handle this unexpected situation, which would make Lance wait a little longer.

So it's better to arrive earlier, about twenty minutes in advance, which is neither too early nor too late.

The senator wasn't here, but Lance was a familiar face around. They went to find Tom, who came to pick up Lance.

Although Lance was an acquaintance of the senator, it would still be difficult for him to enter the manor directly without the senator's confirmation if no one greeted him.

“You’re a little early,” Tom said, standing on the steps leading from the manor car door to the parking lot, looking at Lance with an unstoppable smile on his face.

Lance got out of the car, shrugged to make his clothes fit better, and asked with a hint of curiosity, "You look very happy."

"You have a new life (child) again?"

Tom paused for a moment, then waved his hand. "No, what makes me happy is that the war is over and everything is back to normal."

As they spoke, Lance had already ascended the steps. He and Lance were so familiar with each other that there was no need for a handshake to express friendliness. He simply turned and walked towards the room, saying as he went—

“The end of the war means many things will start anew, and I think the senator asked you to come here today, it might be related to the election,” he said, pushing open the door and letting Lance go in first.

Lance said "thank you," and after entering the room, he stood by the door waiting for Tom to come in with him. The two then walked towards Tom's office.

Tom now has his own office. As the second-ranking staff member in the Cleveland Senate and a prominent figure in federal politics with extensive connections, he has earned his rightful place.

After entering his office, the two did not sit on the sofa, but instead sat on either side of Tom's desk.

“What’s wrong with the election?” Lance asked.

Tom pressed a button on the phone to have the servants bring some coffee.

Senator Cleveland's estate has many work-related needs, and his staff sometimes work there as well as entertain guests, so the kitchen is practically staffed 24/7.

Whenever there is a need, they are responsible for preparing food and drinks, such as coffee; that is part of their job.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lance and said, "You know, something happened during the midterm elections."

Lance nodded but did not offer any opinion. At the time, there was considerable controversy in society regarding the president's less-than-honorable methods of winning the victory, and some people criticized him.

What was even more unexpected was that towards the end of his term, the Federation entered into a war, which led to a significant extension of his term.

Of course, the outcome was good because the war was won, which meant that when people judged his merits and demerits, his merits would clearly outweigh his demerits.

There is much less discussion in society about his dishonorable methods now; most people still believe that he performed very well in the war.

However, this does not mean that the political arena will forget that moment.

Regardless of the changes brought about by the war, these changes actually have little to do with the president. Even if a pig were in this position, Congress and the federal government would still achieve what they have today.

Some contradictions that were previously hidden due to the concentration of power are beginning to resurface, and a new storm is about to break out in the federal political arena.

The intensity of this storm is like a spring; after being compressed for so many years, its power will be astonishing when it finally bursts forth.

The servants knocked on the door, and the two stopped talking. After they brought in the coffee and left, Tom continued, "We've now done some polls, and people generally believe that the Socialist Party's long-term control of power has led to a decline in the development of the Federation."

"After all, the entire Federation was experiencing a new Great Depression before the war broke out, so people wanted to try switching to a different party. Maybe they would come up with some new changes and new plans?"

Lance picked up his coffee, stirred it for a while, and then took a small sip. It was a typical Federal coffee, with a lot of milk added to soften its sourness. Luckily, not too much sugar was added, otherwise he wouldn't have been used to it.

The main reason is that he doesn't like sweet milk.

“I have always heard that the Liberals have a great chance of winning this election, and there has been some discontent with the Socialist Party’s governing platform in some states.”

Tom affirmed this, "However, no one can say for sure what the final election results will be. Maybe people will think the Socialist Party performed well in this war and continue to vote for them."

"However, it's still too early to say what will ultimately happen."

Lance was a little confused. "It looks like the second half of the year will be another...storm. Maybe I'll have work to do too?"

Tom looked at him with a slightly strange expression. He seemed to want to say something, but ultimately couldn't hold back.

The first thing a person who has reached this point must learn is to shut up when they should, and never say things that shouldn't be said to others, even if it's about his wife.

Lance didn't force him to say what he wanted to say but hadn't, though he already had some thoughts in mind.

They chatted for a few more minutes when the phone on the desk rang. It was the senator. "I heard Lance was in your office?"

“Have him come over here, I want to talk to him.”

Tom hung up the phone and looked at Lance. "The senator is back. Let's go up now."

Lance stood up, holding onto the handrail. "Of course, let me see the senator and see if there's anything he needs me to do."

The two quickly arrived at the senator's office. Senator Cleveland did not ask Tom to stay. After bringing coffee to Lance and the senator, he left, leaving only Lance and the senator in the room.

Senator Cleveland walked to a window seat with his coffee. The weather was starting to get warmer, and it was already 23 or 24 degrees Celsius in New Gold City. Many people on the street had already started wearing early summer clothes.

Not too thick, or short sleeves and long skirts, the air is filled with the rich scent of summer sunshine and the wild growth of plants, and the dazzlingly white bodies on the beach.

"I'm already handling the president's affairs; there's no need to worry about that."

“You have done the best you can for us, so you should be paid. Otherwise people will not trust us anymore.”

Lance nodded. "I'm not in a hurry to get these things. If they belong to me, no one can take them away. If they don't belong to me, even if I pick them up, they will fall from my hands."

Senator Cleveland pondered for a moment after listening, then said, "Very insightful thinking. You always manage to surprise me."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I asked you to come here today because I hope you can do a few things for me, things that are inconvenient for me to do, but that you can do very easily."

Lance nodded but didn't say anything. Senator Cleveland walked back to his desk and sat down again. "You should have heard that there's an election at the end of this year."

This is stipulated in the federal constitution: if a war breaks out at the end of a president's term, and the president's term has clearly exceeded the maximum limit of his term by the end of the war, then an election must be held that year.

There are still six months left until the end of the year, which is not too rushed, and Congress has already begun preparing for the general election.

The nomination process for candidates within the party has also begun.

The federal political arena is divided into camps, such as the Socialist Party, the Liberal Party, and the Federalist Party, but there are also factions based on positions. Some members of the Socialist Party and the Liberal Party may share the same views and interests on certain issues, and then they are on the same side.

Even within the same party, there are many factions. For example, Senator Cleveland now belongs to one faction, while other Socialists naturally belong to another.

This is a very complex relationship, and what people see is not necessarily the result. It's like how the Socialist Party and the Liberal Party are clearly opposed and in conflict, yet they can unite against the Federalist Party on some issues.

The Federalist Party is no exception. Since its complete decline, it has become worse day by day, but sometimes it will cooperate with people from other parties to seek certain benefits.

Self-interest is the eternal truth in politics.

The party candidate election has now begun, with different factions submitting their candidates who will compete formally within the party.

The winner will be entrusted with a major responsibility by the party and participate in this year's presidential election as the presidential candidate.

The party's resources will be concentrated on this one person. Of course, in order to increase the insurance coverage, they will also arrange some other candidates to run alongside them, but there is only one real main force.

“We didn’t originally plan to participate in this presidential election, but…” Senator Cleveland’s gaze fell on Lance, “Your performance over the past few years has been impeccable, and our strength and influence have grown rapidly.”

“You know, if a group of otters only has three or five members, then they just want a place of their own in a small river.”

"But if this otter population has dozens or hundreds of individuals, then this small river cannot accommodate them. They will need to go to larger places, to a wider world, to build more magnificent dams."

"The same is true for us now. We are too powerful, and it would be unfriendly to those below us if we didn't participate in this presidential election!"

Senator Cleveland spread his hands, "Everyone wants the interest groups they rely on to grow bigger and bigger, because only in this way can the individuals within those interest groups gain more benefits."

"So we will run for office this time, even though I don't think it's a good thing, and we have no intention of winning this time."

"It will be very difficult for the Socialist Party to continue in power."

Lance could only agree with his point of view, because it was indeed the case. If it weren't for this war, the president might have had to flee that position in a sorry state amidst the curses of the lower classes.

Then, when a new president comes to power—a president who doesn't belong to the Socialist Party—he begins to settle accounts for the stupid and wrong things he did during his term.

However, he escaped unscathed because of the war and the benefits of the victory, but people still wouldn't like the Socialist Party to continue in power.

How about trying something else?

Lance understands Senator Cleveland's thinking.

"The federal society will experience a period of rapid development, as class contradictions and economic pressures will be released. Therefore, the Liberal Party is very likely to be re-elected after its victory."

"While we don't want to go all out in this election, we also don't want the Liberal president to be re-elected."

“I have some materials here, information about the list of several candidates nominated by the Liberal Party this time. Go and check them to see if they have any dirt on them.”

As he spoke, he pushed a file folder over, and Lance opened it and glanced at it briefly in front of Senator Cleveland.

There are seven candidates in total, which means that there are seven factions within the Liberal Party that are aiming for the top spot this time, and each faction will put forward its own candidate.

The reason there are so many is actually related to the high probability that the Liberal Party will win this year.

People used to seem indifferent because they knew the Liberal Party was not in a leading position in the general election.

But now, the Liberal Party clearly has an advantage in the general election that it didn't have before, so all factions hope that the person who wins the election will be someone from their own faction.

Although people say that Congress is the highest governing body of the federal government, the president still has many privileges. If someone from his faction becomes president, his faction will have a much better time in the coming years.

After reviewing the materials, Lance organized them and put them back in the file folder. "I'll arrange for someone to investigate."

Senator Cleveland looked at him with some curiosity. "You haven't asked me yet whether I need to expose these dirty secrets."

Lance couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not that stupid, Senator."

Senator Cleveland had a strange feeling when he was with Lance. He knew something was off about it, but he couldn’t help but ask Lance questions to see how far Lance could go.

He gestured for Lance to continue, then showed a listening expression.

Without much hesitation, Lance said, "What we need is to find the one with the most scandals and then help him get on the stage."

Senator Cleveland was taken aback. He stared at Lance with wide eyes, as if he were seeing him for the umpteenth time!
"You've surprised me, Lance!"

"You have an exceptionally keen political sense!"

"Yes, you're right. We need to put the one with the most scandals in the presidency, and find a way to prevent those with less scandals from taking the position."

“It’s not convenient for me to do this. There are too many eyes on me and the people under my command, but not many people are watching you. And I believe you have the means to do these things.”

"Find out who can be the best target and make that target win."

As for why they did this, it's obvious that it was to use this incriminating material to remove the president from office four years later.

Not every president in the federal government can serve eight years. Some presidents, for various reasons, such as a broken zipper, can only serve four years.

So, for people at the bottom of society, removing a president from office may be a metaphor or a joke, but for those at the top of the political arena, it is just a means to an end.

After finishing the business, Senator Cleveland frowned, which puzzled Lance, but he remained silent.

After about twenty seconds, he said, "The FBI director previously submitted a report to Congress and the Presidential Office regarding an investigation into federal gangs."

"In these reports, he very frankly described the birth and development of gangs, the necessity of gangs in the early days of society, and the current uncontrolled expansion of gangs."

"Therefore, he believed that after the war, the prestige of the federal government reached its peak, and we no longer needed the existence of gangs to manage the people well."

"So he submitted a draft of the Degangsterization Act, which mentioned the need to manage, restrain, suppress and ultimately eliminate gangs."

"The proposal has been passed by Congress, and they will soon begin these tasks."

Senator Cleveland, fearing Lance might not be aware of the other details, explained, "The FBI director is very...capable. He recommended passing another bill that would allow the FBI to investigate criminal cases nationwide, as well as cases, actions, people, and events that could potentially threaten federal security."

"This has inadvertently increased the centralization of power in the presidential office and Congress. You know, it has been difficult for us to directly interfere in some local affairs over the years."

“Even if a Dangerous Goods Administration is established, many people will still protest against us.”

"However, under his coordination, the local response to this matter was not very strong. Although a few states were still relatively uncooperative, it was only a matter of time before they cooperated."

"Congress was very satisfied with the reform proposals put forward by the FBI, and his draft bill to eliminate gangsters was also passed."

“Yesterday, when I was discussing with the president who was preventing you from receiving the Gold Heart Medal, he also brought up this topic.”

"I think you should be a little more careful and deal with any potential problems that might cause future issues."

"Society will continue to develop, and gangs, as products of their time, will eventually be eliminated."

(End of this chapter)