Chapter 472

A door to the true upper class, with the future of a publicly listed company as the key, had finally opened a crack!

Note, it had only opened a crack. This crack was not yet enough for Lance to squeeze through. He could only stand outside the door, and through the aura seeping from the crack, through the light that pierced through, feel the taste of the upper class!

It sounds like a pervert, but this is the truth. He had the key, but he might not be able to push the door open. This still required a lot of hard work.

Unless he could transfer benefits to Congress like the Kodak family, not only would he be unable to push the door open, but this key would also be a one-time use.

When he turned around, the door would close again.

Besides this Senator Charles Lisdon, there were two other senators, and the rest were some capitalists.

Lance was not very familiar with their names, nor had he heard much about them.

The financial atmosphere in Golden Port was not as strong as in New Golden City. Here, even if you randomly asked a homeless person on the street for their opinion on the stock market, they could tell you a bunch of their own views, and even recommend a few stocks to you.

There were people from investment banks, bosses of large enterprises, and a very special guy, the chairman of the board of the Baileyde Group company.

“Berman is currently in full charge of the work of the Baileyde Group. You may not be very familiar with it. It is actually the same as the Liji Group, specializing in the agricultural product channel business.”

“It’s just that Baileyde started relatively late. I don’t know much about business, but I also know that the first-mover advantage is very important in business.”

Berman Davis smiled and nodded, gesturing to Lance.

The Liji Group was dismembered by the “Antitrust Law” after the first anti-monopoly investigation. Basically, all the early monopoly enterprises in the Federation were dismembered.

According to different regions, the Liji Group was dismembered into the “Liji Group,” the “Baileyde Group,” and the “Danong Group,” these three largest-scale ones. There were also some new entrants and smaller-scale ones, which could no longer see any advantage in the competition.

These three groups controlled 87% of the agricultural product channels in the Federation. They could decide the final price, flow, etc., of these agricultural products.

Among them, the Liji Group had the largest scale and the best development.

Baileyde currently only had a 17% market share. Although the scale was “not large,” compared to ordinary enterprises, it was already very huge.

The shareholdings of these three corporate groups were intertwined.

The original shareholders of the Liji Group had gradually been marginalized in Baileyde. They couldn’t even get into the board of directors.

In fact, the so-called anti-monopoly investigation was just an excuse to consider the ordinary people, a channel for those capable capitalists and political families to legally suck blood from the successful monopoly enterprises.

During the monopoly, these enterprises controlled the pricing power. They themselves controlled the industry resources and enjoyed all the profits alone.

But other capitalists and politicians also wanted a share of the profits. They did not agree, which was why the antitrust law appeared.

For some industries that were doing relatively well, it seemed that those monopoly enterprises had been dismembered, and dismembered into many. But the people hidden behind the scenes still controlled all the companies and still held the pricing power.

As long as you are willing to share your profits with everyone, then the antitrust law is not necessarily unbreakable.

The Liji Group was not very willing to share, or rather, among the early monopoly groups, not everyone was willing to give away a large part of the money that originally belonged to them.

There were still quite a few who chose to resist. In the end, these were the ones who really fell to the antitrust law.

Berman Davis represented a group of people who wanted to get a share of the money from the Liji Group, but were not very successful.

His appearance here, Lance roughly knew their choice.

The maids began to serve the dishes. The conversation temporarily stopped until after the dishes were served and the room door was closed again.

The fine food and wine on the table had no “Prohibition” demeanor at all. These people who had made the Prohibition were the ones who were taking the lead in violating it.

“Lance is a very interesting person!” Senator Cleveland, after saying a few simple opening remarks, used this topic as a guide to start today’s “socializing.”

“Actually, I had considered before, we would discuss a result, and then I would have Tom or someone else call him and tell him our decision.”

“But later I changed this idea, because he is a very interesting person.”

Senator Cleveland looked at Lance. Lance smiled and nodded, showing his agreement with and interest in his statement, with a hint of curiosity.

“At that time, I was dealing with the workers’ strike in Golden Port. It was also Lance who told me that the Federation of Labor and their group were planning to push for a larger-scale general strike, affecting the whole country.”

The gentlemen around the dinner table, who had not heard of this inside story before, all began to express their own views.

Most people’s evaluation of the Federation of Labor was negative. These people used the working class to compete with the capitalists and politicians, which gave them all a headache. They couldn’t wait to get rid of this institution, but they couldn’t.

In the end, they could only hold their noses and acknowledge all the decisions they had made.

Of course, the Federation of Labor was not all bad. Sometimes they would also stand with the capitalists, or with the politicians, to solve some problems of the working class.

But overall, this organization, full of ambition and desire for power, was not likable.

“Lance’s news allowed us to deal with these matters in time. And you know, the president issued a decree giving refugees the most basic living and labor security. This is also his credit.”

“We used those refugee workers to replace the striking workers. This way, the labor cost of the enterprises was reduced, and at the same time, those striking workers were no longer workers.”

“The other workers who might have had the idea of striking, seeing the fate of these people, they would consider more, and in the end, they did not stand where we did not want to see them stand.”

“During this period, he also helped me solve some disobedient striking workers. In short, Lance has ability, and he is very young, very smart. I like smart people.”

A major tone was set. Lance vaguely understood what Senator Cleveland meant. He might be doing more for the other party in the future.

He looked at Lance. “So today I called you over, to let us talk face to face about this matter.”

“We are not so interested in the future development of the Liji Group, but we have some ideas about some changes in finance, and Berman wants to get a part of the Liji Group’s shares.”

“We need to use the case in your hands. We need you to cooperate with us in some matters, and we also need that vice president who is willing to cooperate with you to stand on our side.”

“Can you understand what I mean?”

Lance nodded. “Money, influence, shares, all of it.”

Senator Cleveland immediately turned to the others with a broad smile. “Give me the money, quick.”

A man who looked like a butler pushed a small cart and passed by everyone. Each of them placed a dollar bill on the red velvet cushion of the cart.

Lance vaguely guessed something, but he did not show it. On the contrary, he tried his best to look as dazed and confused as an actor.

It was less than $10 in total, but it made Senator Cleveland very happy. He collected the money, put it in his pocket, and then said, “Sorry, Lance, we just made a bet on you.”

“I said you could quickly understand our meaning without me having to explain anything to you. They didn’t trust you.”

“They actually didn’t believe you could do it, so I made a bet with them, and now I’ve won.”

Being used as a tool for a bet was not a pleasant thing. Lance could feel that even though he was sitting here, the people at the table did not really treat him as one of their own.

They didn’t even look at him as an equal. These people were still full of arrogance in their bones, and a hidden contemptuous attitude towards him.

But now he was weaker than them. He wouldn’t say anything to confront them, just smiled and agreed, “It seems I did well?”

“Of course, you did very well.”

He paused, raised his wine glass. “To your cleverness.”

This didn’t sound like a compliment.

After everyone had a sip of wine, he continued to talk about their plans.

“Do you have a suitable lawyer on your side?”

“You can have your lawyer apply for a punitive fine, and then we need the people from the Liji Group to cooperate and appeal to the Federal Supreme Court.”

“I don’t understand this case very well, but someone does. They say that we can basically guarantee a victory, as long as those witnesses don’t talk nonsense.”

“You can definitely guarantee this point, right?”

Lance nodded. “No one will talk nonsense. They will only tell the facts, and what has happened.”

Senator Cleveland was very satisfied with Lance’s tact and understanding. “At this point, these…” he pursed his lips, “positive things are over, for you.”

“The rest is our business.”

“Then the ‘negative’ thing is that you have to persuade that vice president to stand on our side. Berman will also give you some help.”

“And then, you have to make those disobedient people disappear.”

Lance keenly noticed that when Senator Cleveland said this, everyone’s eyes were focused on him.

Vaguely, in a trance, he thought of Mr. Jobav.

Was he also at a crossroads of choice now?

Did he also have to consider taking responsibility for what would happen in the future?

He was in a daze for a short while. After the daze, he nodded with a smile. “That’s simple.”

The eyes of Senator Cleveland, Senator Lisdon, and the others all softened a little.

They were not at all afraid of Lance, and at this moment, Lance’s taking the initiative to hand over a handle to them meant that Lance had the qualification to enter the lowest level of their circle.

Trust is the most important link in social interaction between people.

For these people who have already touched the ceiling, they don’t need to win the trust of others. What they want is how others can win their trust.

For example, a handle.

Although this handle might not really be able to get rid of Lance, it would definitely hurt him badly.

Lance did not refuse. In fact, at this time, he had no choice but to refuse.

“Then there is no problem with this matter.”

He paused. “Come, try this. It’s a dish I like very much.”

Soon the people at the dinner table began to enjoy the delicacies and to talk about things that had nothing to do with Lance.

“…The situation in Dantra has been very bad recently. I hear they have already started to confiscate the assets of Federation merchants and to deport them.”

Senator Cleveland, while enjoying the delicacies, exchanged some unconfirmed news.

Senator Lisdon gave him an affirmation. “The ambassador has already been expelled.”

The gentlemen at the dinner table were all taken aback, as if they were shocked by this matter.

The ambassador of the Federation to the Dantra Republic had been expelled. This was a very serious and severe political event. How could they dare to do so?

Facing the gazes of many people, Senator Lisdon pursed his lips. “I hear there are many big merchants of Federation nationality in the Dantra Republic. They own large tracts of land, manors, and property in Dantra.”

“Now the domestic situation in Dantra is also not very good. Both internal and external conflicts are erupting, so they are using these properties belonging to the Federation people to quell the internal conflicts.”

If the war could make some progress, good, positive progress, then the internal conflicts would be greatly resolved.

But now, not only had the war not made good progress, but they had also lost an important city. The number of people inside who were accusing the Prime Minister of starting the war on his own was increasing.

If the Prime Minister of the Dantra Republic could not come up with a plan to solve the continuously escalating internal conflicts as soon as possible, then it was very likely that the war would not even need to end before he would be finished—

A coup.

There were already some signs now.

To appease these middle and lower classes, the simplest method was to give them money, land, and a visible path for advancement.

He couldn’t possibly make a move on the rich in Dantra, so he could only wrong the merchants of the Federation.

The so-called “the Federation providing supplies to Slade is aiding the enemy” was just an excuse. Even if they stopped their trade with Slade, the Dantra Republic would find another reason to do so.

Hearing this, the gentlemen at the table all showed angry expressions. “These lowlifes should all be thrown to their deaths.”

Senator Lisdon, on the contrary, had a smile on his face. “Indeed, but now the most pained one should be our Mr. President.”

“He thought that by taking these four years, he could continue to consolidate his interests, but he didn’t expect to encounter such a thing.”

“This matter is very difficult to handle well. It’s impossible to satisfy everyone. He will lose a big point.”

If he were a little tougher, then Mr. President would become the president who had been declared war on by two countries during his term. Even if the war didn’t really break out, it would be enough to show people how bad his ability in international politics was.

If he were a little weaker, then those Federation merchants who had lost a lot of interests would accuse him of being unable to protect the interests of the people of the Federation, and even after their assets had been extorted, they didn’t even have a response plan or method.

He would be ridiculed, severely ridiculed.

Another senator continued, “No wonder then.”

“We’ve been having meetings these few days, discussing the matter of the navy going south. So the problem is here.”

Senator Cleveland, while cutting his venison, said, “No, they had this plan before. It’s just that the speed might be a little faster now.”

Lance, on the side, his expression changed slightly when he heard this. If you were to say the most suitable place in the south of the Federation for a large number of warships to dock, then it would definitely be near Golden Port.

There, it had the most excellent and outstanding deep-water area in the Federation.

Senator Cleveland, as if remembering something, mentioned casually, “By the way, there is a high probability that they will be stationed in Golden Port.”

The others asked, “How do you know?”

“I’ve talked to the… senator from the military committee about this. He said they have this intention.”

This was a “high-end game.” While the politicians below were talking about some irrelevant things, the gentlemen here, even in their idle chat during dinner, were related to major international events.

And Lance had also heard a very important piece of information: troops were going to be stationed in Golden Port.

This is why it is said that the more prominent the background, the more one can come into contact with high-level people, and the easier it is to “start from scratch.”

A seventeen-year-old beggar and the president’s seventeen-year-old son, they are both starting from scratch, but the results will definitely be completely different.

The levels they can reach, the policies and opportunities they can come into contact with, are not on the same level at all.

Just like now, just by chatting idly, Lance had already learned so much. This was the difference, a difference that could not be made up for by postnatal efforts.

Next, their topic quickly shifted to the issue of the competition between the three parties. The weakening of the Social-Democratic Party meant that the opportunity for the Liberal Party to return to power was gradually approaching.

The Federalist Party had also had some unusual movements recently. They also seemed to want to make some noise.

Lance found it difficult to understand these topics, but he believed that William could certainly help him explain. What he had to do now was to remember what these people said, and to remain silent.

After dinner, Senator Cleveland and the others left. They had a “midnight show” to go to. Lance and Tom left together.

Compared to Senator Cleveland’s arrogance hidden behind his affability, Tom seemed much better. Perhaps it was because they were both “lackeys,” so he did not show too much arrogance.

“This time you’ve managed to get into the eyes of some big shots. You have to buy me a drink!” Tom’s tone was clearly tinged with a hint of envy and jealousy.

It had taken him more than ten years to complete this step, but Lance had only taken one summer.

Although in the eyes of those big shots, Lance might just be a name, this was already the limit of what a human could achieve.

One day in the future, when they needed it, and this name appeared in their minds, then as long as Lance had not done things badly, he would definitely gradually enter the field of vision of the big shots.

Lance naturally would not refuse. He had Tom pick a place, and they would get drunk together…

(End of chapter)

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