Shadow Empire

Chapter 1181 Choices and Horse Racing

The executive committee member's words hit Governor Wade right where it hurt.

A key point is how to deeply and firmly bind the Wade family's bloodline to the state of Indenor.

Any politician would prefer that the transfer of power be based on lineage, surname, or something similar, rather than elections.

They have now offered Governor Wade a rather tempting deal: if he agrees, Indenor will immediately switch sides, remaining neutral and gaining support and resources from both parties.

After all, no one wants the other side to gain a seat in Congress while they lose one.

This is not a simple difference of "one", but a difference of two.

Congress only has 45 seats, and losing two seats often represents a decisive advantage. Therefore, no party wants to lose Indenau's seats, and Governor Wade can use this advantage to gain more benefits.

He almost immediately agreed with the executive committee member's idea, but due to some political or other considerations, he did not agree immediately.

"I need to think about this. It's a major earthquake for me and for the entire Indenau political scene, and I also have to consider the state legislature."

The executive committee members did not object; in fact, they quite agreed, saying, "This is indeed a big matter, and it requires your serious consideration."

"You don't need to worry too much about the state legislature. Although we don't have many people, we still have some."

"The fact that I'm here to talk to you about this means that we will also resolve the issues in the state legislature. At least the state Senate is fine; the state House of Representatives needs to step up its efforts."

"Wade, opportunities like this are rare. A little earlier or a little later is not as good as just the right time!"

"You should know what I mean."

Governor Wade certainly understood what he meant. He meant that if such a thing had happened earlier, Governor Wade certainly wouldn't have agreed, nor would he have dared to agree so easily. At that time, the Liberal Party's power was not prominent, and he couldn't possibly put his bets on the Liberal Party.

No delay is acceptable. Ultimately, the rules of the game in Congress boil down to the crucial "majority," which is the crucial thirty-one votes.

If a vote exceeds thirty-one, it means the motion can pass. Once they have thirty-one votes, it will be difficult for them to sell themselves for a good price.

So now is a good time and a good opportunity. The Socialist Party still has sixteen or seventeen seats. If they can reduce the number of seats by a few to less than fourteen, then the whole plan will be a success.

In other words, it doesn't need every Socialist state to do this; a few people stepping forward is enough to solve the problem.

The sooner a decision is made, the greater the benefits will be, and Governor Wade is well aware of this.

After thinking for a long time, he slowly nodded and said, "I agree."

The executive committee member smiled and shook hands with Governor Wade, saying, "You've done this, which shows you're a truly intelligent person. The era of the Socialist Party is over."

"Our people will contact you later; just follow the normal nomination process."

Governor Wade will then nominate Senate candidates from the Socialist and Liberal parties, which will be approved by the state legislature, followed by direct elections within the state. The elected candidates will become the final two senators.

It was practically 100% feasible. After explaining some details to the executive committee member and Governor Wade, he got up to take his leave, as he had other work to do.

After seeing the executive committee members off, Governor Wade returned to his study, sat down, and lit a cigarette.

His two sons and his brother also came into the room, and they asked why the executive committee member had come here earlier.

After all, it was a Liberal Party member who suddenly visited a Socialist governor, which did seem a bit strange.

"What is he doing here?" asked Governor Wade's younger brother. The two brothers had always had a good relationship; they were blood brothers, so Governor Wade's younger brother didn't speak so cautiously.

Governor Wade pursed his lips. "He, or rather the Liberal Party, wants me to give up a Senate seat for them."

Before his brother could speak, one of his sons couldn't help but say, "Are they asking us to betray the Socialist Party?"

The other three pairs of eyes in the room immediately turned to him, making him feel somewhat embarrassed. "Am I wrong?"

Governor Wade nodded, then shook his head. "This matter cannot be simply categorized as right or wrong. Strictly speaking, we are responsible for the people living in this state, not those parties or anyone else."

"As long as what we do is worthy of the people living here, then we can do it."

"This has little to do with whether I am a Socialist or whether I will cooperate with the Liberal Party."

"Would our family achieve better development by cooperating with the Socialist Party?" Governor Wade shook his head. "Who we cooperate with depends on who can bring us more benefits!"

"In short, let's arrange things this way for now. There's still more than a month before the election, and there might be some other changes."

For the next few days, the entire federal government fell into an eerie silence. Aside from reports about tax-evading celebrities being investigated to the point of near-death experiences, mainstream media outlets were mostly reporting on the president's move out of the presidential palace and speculating on whether the cabinet members would be competent for their new jobs.

The cabinet members are not elected, but appointed by the president, which means that many cabinet members are not the senior federal government officials that people are more familiar with.

Some of them weren't even government officials before!
For example, the new Secretary of the Federal Department of Education is actually a university professor with no political experience. The reason for choosing this person is said to be that some of the university professor's views are very much in line with Mr. Porter's ideas, and he can be regarded as a "civilian advisor" in his campaign team.

As for whether there were any deeper behind-the-scenes deals, nobody knows.

Every time there is a change of government or election, the public is always unusually curious about the cabinet members. Nobody knows what the president will put in those important positions.

While public opinion gradually calmed down, the atmosphere at Golden State's largest racetrack began to grow increasingly frenzied.

Countless ladies and gentlemen gathered here, holding horse racing newspapers and their newly placed bets, waving their arms and shouting loudly at the horses that were entering the arena.

The enthusiastic atmosphere made Lance, who was sitting in the VIP stands, feel the powerful energy that had permeated the air!
Old man Herbert was sitting next to him. Their horses were in the third race this time, and now it was the first.

Their turn will come after the first two matches are over.

There are many familiar horses on the track, but there are also some that are relatively unknown. For example, "King" is a "dark horse" in this race because no one has ever heard of it.

Some people who follow horse racing in Lycalle may know it, but most people don't follow horse racing in other states, so it's not well-known and is a dark horse.

After all the matches today are over, the top two from each match will advance to the semifinals the day after tomorrow, followed by the finals a week later.

As a federal Class I competition, if the "King" can achieve good results, he can directly register for all Class I competitions next year, instead of having to win the state competition first.

“These horses look beautiful, but they certainly can’t outrun the ‘King’.”

Old man Herbert's eyes were fixed on the racehorses and the riders. He had spent his whole life dealing with horses and had his own methods for judging them.

Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of a preconceived notion, that he might feel that no horse is as good as his.

Lance didn't know much about this, but he nodded in agreement, "These horses look like they're just for show."

After hearing this, old man Herbert couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You're absolutely right, it's all just for show. I'm now really hoping that 'The King' can bring us a resounding victory and show them how the King from Licarle State rules this arena!"

As the horses entered the racing pen and the jockeys prepared, the atmosphere became even more tense and exciting. The shouts of the bullies seemed to tear the sky apart, and the hot breath they exhaled seemed to veil the stands.

With a resounding "beep" that echoed throughout the arena, the barriers between the stalls were instantly opened, and all the riders gripped their saddles tightly, officially beginning the race.

At that moment, almost all the spectators couldn't help but stand up. Even Lance felt a little nervous when he saw them start running.

Old man Herbert also stood up. He hadn't bought any tickets for the races, but that didn't stop him from being caught up in the atmosphere of the entire arena.

Looking at his clenched fist, Lance found it somewhat amusing. Perhaps this is how people are when they reach a certain age, doing whatever they please and not being disturbed by external things.

The race was 2,400 meters long. Watching the horses run and sprint, and feeling the deafening shouts, Lance's attention gradually focused on the fastest horses.

The moment each horse starts running, it's like a flying sprite; the movement of the muscles on its body is a beautiful sight to behold!

Horse racing is actually a sport that requires skill; it's not that a horse with good attributes will necessarily win the championship.

The rider is also very important; the distribution of stamina and racing strategies can play a significant role.

As the final lap began, all the horses accelerated, especially the leading ones, whose positions changed almost every second. Many gamblers were so excited that white smoke began to rise from their heads.

The commentary coming from the loudspeakers at the venue sounded like it was on accelerator, frantically introducing the most intense part of the match to everyone almost non-stop!

There were also many people outside the racetrack who hadn't been able to buy tickets or couldn't afford them. They held their horse racing tickets and listened to the announcements over the loudspeakers, waving their fists and cheering for their chosen horses.

As the first horse crossed the finish line, the entire stands erupted in cheers.

Some people kissed their lottery tickets, they must have won a lot, while others tore their tickets to pieces and threw them into the air, undoubtedly another sum of money wasted.

As all the racehorses gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop, the staff for each batch of racehorses immediately rushed over to wipe the sweat off them.

The weather is too cold now. If we don't clean it up in time, we might catch a cold and get sick.

People always say that "humans are the greatest animals in nature," but they don't understand why 99% of the greatest animals are not as good as the racehorses off the track.

Old man Herbert also sat down, and said to Lance with lingering enthusiasm, "It was a wonderful match, and I'm even more looking forward to our match now."

“These racehorses are very beautiful and very expensive. I’ve been asking around these past few days, and these racehorses basically start at 50,000 yuan.”

The champions from each state are definitely worth the price, and their own batch of "kings" are about the same price.

The racehorses disappeared from the track, and the staff began to level the track again. They had special machines that worked like plowing, circling the track once before new racehorses entered.

The racehorses had already warmed up outside, and as they entered through the tunnel, the commentators began introducing their names and past achievements.

Everything was the same as before, except that the first place was leading the second place by a large margin in this race, and the last lap was not as intense as the first race because the outcome was very clear.

After about ten minutes, the third match began, and old man Herbert, Lance, and the other people and cowboys who accompanied them all stood up.

They saw their racehorse, the beautiful black and brown racehorse, emerge from the tunnel.

"...The next racehorse is... Let me see, I'm a little unfamiliar with it (sound of turning over documents). It's from Licale, and it's the champion of this summer's Licale state race. It's done a fantastic job and has already set a new state record!"

"This is a very good result in the national racing record. This racehorse named 'King' comes from Lawrence Farm."

“I’m not sure if this farm has participated in such large events before, but I’m excited to see some fresh blood here, and hopefully it will bring us some surprises today!”

"I don't know much about it, so I can't give you any more comments or personal opinions. I can only wish it good results in this game and hope that I can see it again in the semi-finals and finals."

"I haven't heard of its rider either, but that doesn't matter. There's no such thing as fatalism here. As long as you can achieve good results, people will remember you!"

"I just checked the odds, it's around 5.3. I'm thinking of adding another ten dollars, maybe I'll win?"

Amid the commentator's laughter, some people in the audience were indeed tempted; although the risk was high, the odds were high enough.

Once all the horses were in their stalls and the jockeys were ready, the racecourse fell silent for a brief moment.

As the whistle blew loudly throughout the stadium, everyone stood up and waved their arms to cheer on the horse for which they had bought tickets. Old man Herbert also waved his arms excitedly and shouted, "Damn it, beat that son of a bitch!"

"Yes, that's it, feed it farts!"

"Don't let that son of a bitch catch you, fuck!"

He shouted with abandon, and the other cowboys were in similar situations. In the countryside, there was little civilization or morality; they were facing aggressive bandits and carnivores.

Communicating with these things doesn't require civility!
Lance was also pulled up. "You shout along with us."

Lance could only wave his arms and shout incoherently for a while, mimicking their gestures.

As the king began his sprint, the commentator once again displayed his incredibly fast-talking skills, providing clear and detailed commentary on the constantly changing first place.

As the king crossed the finish line in second place, Herbert couldn't help but tear up his horse racing ticket and smash it on the ground. "That son of a bitch! If it weren't our first time racing here, we would definitely be in first place!"

Horses from the south come to the north to compete, especially in such cold weather. They will definitely have some difficulty adapting, and the jockeys may also experience some discomfort.

Winter is not a good time for horse racing, as it places higher demands on both the horses and the riders.

It may seem like it's only a short while, but in reality, to reduce the burden on the racehorses, all the riders are dressed very lightly. In such cold wind, let alone how long they can run, their bodies would freeze after just two or three laps!

The problem with the race rhythm and final sprint was due to a lack of adaptation. If they had more time to adapt and train, Herbert believes they could have run a better time!

Lance sat back down. "At least we made it to the semifinals, didn't we?"

Old man Herbert nodded. "Yes, at least we have the opportunity to participate in the finals, which is already very good."

He paused for a moment, then said, “We need a place for the king to get used to as quickly as possible. It’s too cold here. Just watching them run around, I can imagine how terrible it must be!”

He looked at Lance, who considered for a moment and said, “I’ll handle this. I’ll help you find a standard racetrack as soon as possible.”

There are several racetracks in New Gold City. Not all horse races are held in winter; some are in spring, some in summer, some in autumn, and some in winter.

Winning the Triple Crown is relatively easy, but winning the Quadruple or Quintuple Crown requires these racehorses to have super adaptability in all weather conditions and maintain peak performance throughout the year, which is very difficult to achieve.

So, a four-time or five-time champion can easily make tens of thousands of dollars, even more than selling alcohol!

A racehorse can tremble dozens of times a year, which can generate millions in revenue. If enough racehorses tremble continuously, that's tens of millions in revenue per year.

No wonder some people treat horse racing as a career; it really can make money, and a lot of money at that!
(End of this chapter)