Shadow Empire

Chapter 1184 Oath of Office
On January 1st, at 9:30 a.m., Lance drove Barbara toward the Capitol Building.

About two kilometers from the Capitol Building, the car began to slow down and eventually came to a stop on the side of the road.

At this moment, Madol rolled down the car window, and several federal employees wearing name tags bent down and looked into the car. The person standing at the front looked at Lance sitting in the back seat and said, "Excuse me, we need to check the invitation."

Lance handed over the envelope from his pocket; it was an invitation to the presidential inauguration ceremony.

It is said that some people are willing to pay hundreds of thousands to buy a copy, just to be able to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony up close.

Lance was able to get the invitation thanks to Senator Cleveland's help. He originally didn't intend to attend, as such an occasion was frankly a bit too high-profile, but Senator Cleveland persuaded him.

He can't stay hidden behind the scenes forever; he has to gradually step into the spotlight.

He used to be a nobody, able to do that, able to cover himself up completely, but now he's no longer a nobody.

The decline of the Socialist Party's power requires some people to step forward and act as the "backbone" of the Socialist Party.

Senator Cleveland alone is not enough; more people need to step forward, and these people must include "big donors" to make all Socialists aware of this.

Even if they lose the presidency and the majority in the Senate, they will still be powerful and will not decline as a result.

As one of the Socialist Party's biggest donors, Lance was invited to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony after a brief discussion within the party, which can be seen as a gesture of support.

The Socialist Party has indeed been having a tough time lately. The big capitalists haven't changed much; at most, they've gone from giving 20 million to 10 million.

But those smaller capitalist forces were completely eradicated.

They don't have the vast funds of those large conglomerates and tycoons, so that giving money to one side can also take care of the other.

After they gave the money to the Liberal Party, the Socialist Party was bound to have difficulty taking care of itself, so the political cash income of the entire party decreased significantly.

Lance stepping forward helps to further enhance cohesion.

After the federal government staff on the roadside checked the invitation in Lance's hand and confirmed that it was a genuine and official invitation, they inspected the trunk of the car and then let him go.

"Your car is number 87 in line. Someone will guide you to line up ahead of you."

"Also, please pay attention to your speed and do not exceed 10 km/h."

Lance nodded slightly, took back the invitation, and said "thank you." Then, guided by these people, Madol drove the vehicle to the designated location.

This was a grand celebration, and every step was meticulously planned. There were strict requirements regarding who arrived first and who arrived last.

The convoy moved slowly, but steadily, and it wasn't until after 10 o'clock that Lance's car arrived outside the Capitol Building.

As soon as his car came to a stop, countless flashes of light went off outside!
All the reporters were snapping photos like crazy, and the flashes paused briefly when Lance stepped out of the car with Barbara in his hand.

They hadn't expected Lance to attend the ceremony, but soon the flashes started going off at an even more frantic pace!
This is the first time in federal history that a... perhaps somewhat unconventional member of the public has attended the president's inauguration ceremony.

Barbara remained composed throughout the journey, linking arms with Lance as they walked down the long red carpet and into the auditorium.

They arranged a hall in the Capitol to serve as the venue for the swearing-in ceremony. Lance presented his invitation again, and then someone led him to his seat.

The staff left only after they were seated.

“Hello…” The person sitting next to Lance extended his hand to him. “You are… Mr. White, right?”

Lance smiled and nodded. "Yes, who are you?"

"Aha, I knew it was you! I've seen your articles in the newspapers many times!"

"Introduce yourself..."

The somewhat enthusiastic man in his forties chatted amicably with Lance for a while. He was a representative of a not-so-large consortium in the Midwest that also funded the Liberal and Socialist parties, and they were among the invited guests at the ceremony.

They soon started talking about some very random questions that didn't seem to have much to do with the ceremony.

Everyone sitting here today is not an ordinary person; they all wield significant influence in society or represent a powerful interest group.

People are still coming in, and more and more powerful people and celebrities are starting to enter; these are the real big shots.

Many people left their seats, came to the front to shake hands with them, or even hug them, and then exchanged a few words.

As the clock struck 11:25, the scene finally became a bit more orderly, and Lance saw many important figures on both sides of the stage.

Speaker of both houses of Congress, Majority Leader, Secretary of State.

They had originally planned to invite the president before him, but unfortunately, he was bedridden and unable to attend the event.

I heard that his son and grandson have come, but Lance doesn't recognize them.

"Thank you, thank you everyone for coming here today. We are gathered here for the same reason."

"I am honored to be the host today. First, we would like to invite the former president to say a few words. Under his leadership, the Union won a valuable war. We defeated the enemy and created a miracle..."

Amid applause, the outgoing president entered through a side door, walked to the platform, and waved to the crowd.

"It gave me a real headache when they told me I had to stand here and say something."

"Actually, I am well aware that I may not be a good president. I am not that good, even though I have tried my best."

"Fortunately, with the help of everyone and many more people from all walks of life, I successfully completed my work."

"War, tax reform, and other things."

“I should have done more, better, but clearly it’s time to hand it over to the next person in charge.”

“I know David. David is a very smart and decisive person. He is smarter and more decisive than me, and he is obviously more popular.”

“I still need… you know, but he won so easily, so I believe he can do better than me.”

"I really don't know how to summarize what has happened over the past ten years, but I know that the future Federation, under David's leadership, will be better than it is today." He smiled as he spoke, glanced at the host, and then voluntarily left the stage and sat down in a seat next to it.

The host praised the former president, saying that his outstanding performance in the war and tax reform laid an important and valuable foundation for the rise of the Union, without ignoring his contributions in these matters.

It is clear that their business relationship is still in place, between the former president and Mr. Porter; otherwise, the host wouldn't have even given the former president a chance to speak.

This tacit political understanding is a characteristic of the federation; enemies are not always enemies, and friends are not always friends.

After the former president finished speaking, the speakers of both houses also said something, summarizing the past and envisioning the future. Finally, Mr. Porter took the stage.

People stood up and began to applaud spontaneously, and Mr. Potter also walked in through the side door.

He waved his arms, his face beaming with a genuine smile. This was probably the happiest day of his life, because he was about to become the president of the Federation!

"Thank you, thank you everyone. I was actually right outside the door just now, and I heard what you all said. I thank you all for everything you have done for the Federation."

"Whether it's the Liberal Party, the Socialist Party, or the Federalist Party, we may have different views and different goals, but on the issue of how to make the Union stronger, we are highly unified..."

Lance sat in the audience watching Mr. Potter speak gently on stage, trying his best not to show his aggression or aggressiveness. The more he did so, the more wary people became.

After he spoke for a while, it was almost midnight when the federal Supreme Court justices arrived. The people who had just sat down stood up again because the most important moment had arrived.

Take an oath.

The Supreme Court panel consists of eight lifetime justices and one chief lifetime justice; these nine individuals represent the justice system and impartiality of the federal government!
The Chief Justice stood before Mr. Potter. "Raise your right hand and repeat what I have said."

Mr. Potter proudly raised his right hand.

"I, David Potter, solemnly swear at this moment..."

Mr. Potter pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and said, "I, David Potter, solemnly swear at this moment..."

This is a process enshrined in the Constitution, a process that cannot be omitted or altered. After the solemn yet brief oath-taking ceremony concluded, the Chief Justice closed the documents in his hands and handed them to those around him.

He shook hands with Mr. Porter and said, "Congratulations, you are now the President of the Union."

Thunderous applause erupted. Mr. Paul, appearing very humble and friendly, shook hands with the Chief Justice, repeatedly saying, "Thank you..."

After the oath-taking ceremony, there was a short speech, which lasted about ten minutes, followed by a dinner party.

Dining together gives everyone a chance to interact.

"How do you feel?" During the dinner, the Socialist Party, the Liberal Party, and the Federal Party all clearly had their own groups, and of course, there was also the Labour Party, which the president forgot to mention, which also had its own small group.

However, this group is so small that it has been overlooked by everyone.

Senator Cleveland asked Lance, who, while tasting the not-so-good food in the Capitol, said, "The chairs are too hard."

My butt hurts a little from sitting so long!

Senator Cleveland paused for a moment, then laughed out loud. "I mean, what do you think of this swearing-in ceremony?"

Lance curled his lip. "What else could it be? Was it like this when he took the oath of office?"

"To spout empty words and grand pronouncements, creating the impression that everyone is friendly?"

He glanced at the former president in the distance, who was talking to some people Lance didn't recognize. Senator Cleveland looked at the former president in the same way. "Back then, the entire Congress was under our control. The process was simpler because everyone was one of our own."

The two were talking about President Porter when President Porter happened to walk over with a wine glass in his hand.

He wasn't there to see Lance, of course, but to see Senator Cleveland. "Thank you for attending my inauguration today."

The two clinked glasses, and Senator Cleveland responded with a smile, "Even if I had something to do, I would have declined. This is a very important and meaningful day, and history will remember it. I am honored to be here at this ceremony."

President Porter's smile seemed to never change as he took a sip of his drink. "I hope that we can have good cooperation in some areas of work going forward, between the Socialist Party and the Liberal Party."

"You have a high reputation in Congress, you shouldn't make things difficult for me, right?"

He chuckled twice as he spoke, giving the impression that he was joking, but in reality, he wasn't. He wasn't joking; he was there to show off, in the manner of a victor.

Senator Cleveland nodded slightly. "Of course not. We will support anything that helps the country."

At this point, President Porter turned to Lance, who was standing to the side, and said, "I think I know you. You are that... you are..." He frowned, as if trying to recall Lance's name.

Lance certainly wouldn't let him continue to maintain this hypocritical facade, so he took the initiative to explain, "Lance, Lance White."

President Porter's face showed a look of sudden realization. "Yes, Lance White, I know you. I've heard some rumors about you."

"I heard you're a gang leader?"

Lance raised an eyebrow. "That's what you think?"

President Porter didn't say anything more to him, turning his attention back to Senator Cleveland. He reached out and patted Senator Cleveland's arm. "I'm off to entertain others. Have fun. We have a party tonight. You can come if you're interested."

Socialists attending the Liberal Party victory party sounds like a story told by his mother.

Senator Cleveland smiled and nodded. "If I have time, I will definitely go!"

The two parted ways quickly, and President Porter and Senator Cleveland had nothing to say to each other, as they were already adversaries.

As he watched President Porter's departing figure, Senator Cleveland picked up his glass and took another sip. His lips moved, though no sound came out.

However, you can glean what he just said from the changes in his lips—

Son of a bitch!

(End of this chapter)