Chapter 94

Old George finished his opening remarks and then left the banquet hall.

For someone like him to host such a grand party, sending out so many invitations and inviting so many guests, it was clearly not just a simple gathering.

If you really think so, then you are even more naive than Jin Xuntao.

Although Jin Xuntao does not understand the rules of American politicians and is a complete novice, he is also aware that someone like Old George must be different from what he imagines.

Sure enough, under the guidance of Secretary Mona, Jin Xuntao and his group left the banquet hall and arrived at the corridor outside a suite next to it.

In the corridor, Jin Xuntao saw many well-dressed, successful-looking people gathered there.

Although the door of the suite was open, none of these people in the corridor dared to walk in rashly.

When the 'successful people' gathered in the corridor saw Mona leading Jin Xuntao and his group back, they immediately surrounded her.

"Secretary Mona, when can Governor George see us? I have a proposal about immigration investigation for him to review."

"Hey, Mona, I need to see the governor. Please inform him that I am here representing the California Actors Guild."

Mona only smiled at these people and did not give any direct answers, even if she did, they were just perfunctory words.

Jin Xuntao felt like he was Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden.

After Mona led Jin Xuntao and his group into the suite, she stopped, smiled, and then closed the door of the suite.

It seemed that they were supposed to walk into the suite themselves to meet George.

Annie and Dave did not show any surprise, but Jin Xuntao found it quite novel.

"Let's go, I'm sure Mr. George is waiting for us in the living room," Dave said with a smile to Annie, then pushed Jin Xuntao and started walking into the suite. Annie, without a word, carried Coco and followed.

Both Dave and Annie were familiar with dealing with politicians like George, so they were not like Jin Xuntao at all.

This suite was very large, specially prepared by the Caswell Hotel for Old George to meet some special guests and chat.

For a politician like Old George, who has to meet many people and handle many affairs every day, a more private space is necessary.

Old George's bodyguards had already thoroughly checked the room, ensuring there were no hidden cameras or listening devices, so they could discuss private matters without worrying about leaks.

After all, Old George's status is there, and he has already announced his intention to run for president next year, so his party has put a lot of effort into this.

Sure enough, Old George was waiting for them in the living room of the suite.

After walking a short distance and turning a corner, they arrived at the entrance of the living room and saw Old George's figure.

This was an American-style living room, with a large fireplace where the wood was burning fiercely. Around the fireplace, there was a circle of blood-red leather sofas, and in the corner, there was a small bar counter filled with various drinks.

Seeing Old George, Dave clearly quickened his pace.

Jin Xuntao also saw Governor George. At the banquet hall, he was too far away to see clearly, but now, up close, Jin Xuntao could truly see this 'big official.'

Old George was wearing ordinary jeans, a pair of alligator leather cowboy boots, a light blue denim shirt, and a cowboy hat typical of Texas.

Hearing that he was from Texas, it was clear from his attire.

But when Jin Xuntao saw Old George's appearance, he immediately exclaimed inwardly, "Oh my God," and his heart rate accelerated.

Because Jin Xuntao found that Old George's appearance was somewhat similar to a former president of the United States in his previous life.

Yes, the father who went to war as president, and his son who did the same.

Oh, this parallel universe is truly surprising.

Jin Xuntao looked at Old George's familiar face, and images of llamas galloping through his mind appeared.

At this moment, Dave extended his right hand first.

"Hello, Mr. George, it's been a long time. You still look as good as ever."

Old George smiled and extended his hand, shaking Dave's firmly. "Yes, it's been half a year since we last met."

This was a very polite and normal opening remark.

Old George chatted with Dave for a while, then his gaze turned to Annie and glanced at Jin Xuntao, who was sitting in a wheelchair.

For Annie, Old George might have already communicated with her, so he only nodded subtly and did not warmly greet her.

"Come, Mr. George, let me introduce you," Dave pushed the wheelchair slightly forward, then looked down at Jin Xuntao and introduced him to Old George.

"This is the young man who, in the Monica High School shooting incident, faced the gunman with fearless courage, saved his classmates, and was shot three times, William Jin."

Dave's introduction made Jin Xuntao feel quite embarrassed.

Old George, on the other hand, opened his mouth wide in exaggerated surprise, staring at Jin Xuntao as if he were a monster.

"You are the young 'hero' everyone talks about!?" His reaction was too exaggerated, a negative review! "Seeing you in person, I realize you are even more handsome than the photos in the newspapers. It is truly an honor to have you here."

You not going into the entertainment industry to act in movies is really a waste of your talent. With such an exaggerated expression, you could easily do comedy!

Jin Xuntao silently criticized Old George's exaggerated facial expressions and exaggerated body language in his mind.

But Jin Xuntao did not realize that American politicians are actually a group with absolutely superb acting skills.

In fact, they perform and put on shows every day, and their skills are even deeper than so-called big stars.

Today, Old George was so exaggerated because Dave and Annie were very familiar with him, so he felt relaxed and adopted this exaggerated way.

This is a way to show intimacy to familiar people.

If it were someone else, Old George's 'acting' would not be so exaggerated, but would be very controlled and of top-notch quality.

Therefore, it was not fair for Jin Xuntao to criticize him in his mind.

"Thank you for your praise, but I just did what I should have done. I don't think I deserve the title of 'hero'," Jin Xuntao responded humbly.

Old George smiled and shook his head. "No, no, no! You absolutely deserve the title of hero. After all, in that situation, even adult men might not have made such a choice..."

In short, to Old George, Jin Xuntao was a 'young hero,' and according to Old George, this title was given by the media.

Since the media has already decided, can he oppose the media?

At this moment, Dave took out a $50,000 check from his pocket and handed it to Old George in front of Jin Xuntao.

"I hope this can be of some help to you. I also hope you will win the election next year and thank you for your support of our publishing house in recent years."

Old George took the check, looked at it, and was very satisfied with the amount of $50,000.

However, Jin Xuntao, sitting in the wheelchair, was completely stunned.

He never thought that Dave would just give the money directly, and Old George would accept it without hesitation.

Shouldn't such things be done in private?

At least, when there are no outsiders around.

Clearly, Jin Xuntao associated this with bribery and corruption.

But in fact, in the United States, such things are quite common.

What he thought was bribery and corruption was actually not the case.

After all, the campaign funds that Dave gave to Old George would eventually be reported, and Old George could not use the money as his own.

If Old George dared to do so, it would be a violation of the law and could lead to serious consequences.

But once reported, the money would be legal, and he would not get into trouble for accepting it.

Moreover, Dave would have to pay additional taxes on the $50,000 campaign donation, making it even more legitimate.

For such campaign donations, the tax rate after reporting is 30%, which is quite high.

In the parallel universe of the United States, taxes are everywhere.

Even in Jin Xuntao's previous life, there was a saying in the United States, "There are two things no one can escape: death and taxes." Clearly, this is also true in the parallel universe.

Generally, all politicians who accept campaign funds must go through this process to ensure everything is clear and transparent.

However, most of the time, Old George would not personally face the donors; the campaign funds would be collected by his subordinates.

Today's situation was special.

But considering that Dave and Annie were not outsiders, Old George had no qualms and simply accepted the money, as long as he remembered to report it later.

Putting the check in his shirt pocket, Old George smiled. "Thank you for your support. I will keep an eye on the California Publishing House. If you encounter any problems, I will provide assistance."

Jin Xuntao found everything happening before him very interesting.

Dave knew what the main purpose of today's meeting was, so after a brief chat, he stepped back.

After finishing his conversation with Dave, Old George turned his attention to Jin Xuntao.

Old George first complimented Jin Xuntao a bit, saying how brave and virtuous he was during the shooting incident, and how he was a role model for everyone.

Jin Xuntao, sitting in the wheelchair, occasionally responded with a few words. Overall, their conversation was very harmonious, and the atmosphere was very pleasant.

Finally, Old George told Jin Xuntao that after the meeting, he would announce an award similar to "California Good Youth" at the banquet, and Jin Xuntao might need to say a few words on stage, so he should be mentally prepared.

Jin Xuntao indicated that he had no problem with it.

Thinking the meeting was over, but unexpectedly, Old George changed the subject and asked Jin Xuntao a very strange question.

"Young man, if I submit a proposal to Congress to force the Japanese to devalue their currency, do you think Congress will pass it?"

Ah!

Why is he asking me this?

Isn't this something for the members of Congress to worry about?

Although he did not understand why Old George was asking, Jin Xuntao thought it was fine to answer, and he did not think it was that complicated.

To Jin Xuntao, Old George was just casually asking him this question, like chatting about everyday matters.

Besides, he was so 'young,' even if he had good suggestions, would Old George take them seriously?

Ha ha, this is a joke, right?

Since that's the case, he might as well answer.

So, with no pressure, Jin Xuntao thought for a moment and then said, "There will definitely be resistance, but it's not unsolvable. The Japanese economy is very strong and has already threatened the U.S. economy, as everyone knows.

If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable. From media reports, it is clear that the Japanese want to pressure the U.S. to withdraw U.S. troops from Japan, which is a clear signal."

Old George listened to Jin Xuntao with a smile, taking him very seriously.

Jin Xuntao became more and more excited as he spoke, his enthusiasm growing.

"Although the Japanese economy is strong, they have their own weaknesses, and these weaknesses are very fatal.

After World War II, Japan no longer has an army, and the U.S. has 1.2 million troops stationed in Japan. Are these just for show?

Certainly, the Japanese economy rose after the war, but without military power, what good is a strong economy?

In my view, Japan is like a delicious dish waiting to be carved up, it just depends on whether anyone dares to do it.

As long as we can unite enough people and make them understand the benefits, I don't think Congress will be a problem. There will be people to persuade the rigid and conservative members of Congress.

Moreover, as long as they are not fools, they will clearly see the huge benefits that can be gained from the Japanese. Ha ha..."

Jin Xuntao sneered at this point.

"The foreign exchange reserves accumulated by the Japanese over decades are not a small amount; they are a huge fortune that can drive people to madness..."

"Sorry, Mr. George, these are just my naive thoughts, please don't take them to heart," Jin Xuntao said, showing a 'shy' expression, fitting for a young person of his age.

Ha ha!

Well said!

Benefits!

As long as people see the huge benefits and advantages, the guys in the U.S. capital will not be able to resist.

No matter how you look at it, benefits are the key to moving people's hearts.

There's a saying:

With a 50% profit, people will take risks.

With a 100% profit, people will trample all laws.

With a 300% profit... Ha ha...

But the plan targeting Japan contains benefits far beyond 300%, it's a huge fortune that can drive people to madness.

Once these guys are tempted to join, Congress... Ha ha, what's Congress?

Old George was very satisfied with Jin Xuntao's response.

Earlier, when he heard Annie talk about Jin Xuntao, he was still somewhat skeptical.

But after seeing Jin Xuntao in person and hearing his views, Old George was convinced that this was a young person with a high political sensitivity.

Then, Old George subtly nodded to Annie.

Annie's bright blue eyes immediately sparkled upon seeing Old George's hint.

"I will be running for president next year, and I hope you will support me. After the shooting incident, you have a significant influence among the Chinese community, especially among young people of all ethnicities. I hope you will stand by me."

After saying this, Old George extended his right hand to Jin Xuntao.

Even a novice like Jin Xuntao could tell that Old George was seeking his political support.

But the question was, was he really that important?

Jin Xuntao's 'loser' mentality kicked in again.

But regardless of what he thought, he needed to make Old George satisfied.

So, Jin Xuntao quickly extended his hand and shook Old George's firmly.

"I will definitely support you. I agree with your campaign platform. I think the U.S. is very rigid and conservative, so it is necessary to take some radical political reforms to improve the situation."

Jin Xuntao spoke off the cuff, not really knowing what Old George's political platform was. He only knew a little bit from what Dave had mentioned earlier.

But Jin Xuntao could lie without blinking, and Old George, not knowing the truth, believed that Jin Xuntao had really studied his campaign platform and agreed with it.

So, Old George's eyes narrowed into a smile.

While Old George was smiling, Jin Xuntao took out a $1 million check he had prepared in advance and handed it to Old George.

"Mr. George, this is a small token of my support for your campaign next year. Please don't be shy."

Old George took the check, looked at it, and was amazed. A $1 million check!

To be honest, this was not a small amount.

In the U.S., people usually donate in the range of $10,000 to $50,000 for political campaigns.

Unless there is a fixed major backer supporting their political career, they would not have a large source of funds.

Annie, for example, was one of Old George's major backers.

But even so, Old George still needed to occasionally seek donations to raise money for himself and his party.

However, giving $1 million in one go, and not having a very close relationship, Jin Xuntao was the first.

Is this young man also a potential radical ideologue?

Oh, yes, it must be.

Jin Xuntao's unintentional mistake made Old George completely misunderstand.

It seemed that with proper cultivation, his party would gain a new talent.

Moreover, Jin Xuntao had considerable influence, especially among the Chinese community, which would be beneficial for his campaign to gain Chinese votes.

In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through Old George's mind.

"Thank you, I won't let you down. If I am elected, I will give my supporters the greatest return!"

Basically, Old George made a verbal promise to Jin Xuntao, but whether he could really deliver was only known to heaven.

Jin Xuntao did not take it to heart; he just listened.

Annie, however, was extremely excited.

Annie knew that once Old George made a promise, he would not break it, although he did not make promises lightly.

They chatted about other topics, and the meeting ended.

Before leaving, Annie deliberately lagged behind. Old George understood and walked over, lowering his voice. "A good kid, very worth cultivating. Let him finish high school, and after graduation, I will recommend him to West Point. Also, for my campaign next year, he can join the preparatory committee to add a shining point to his resume..."