Okesi looked at the documents in his hand quietly, frowning from time to time.
The suited African-American sitting across from him was McDonald, someone from North America’s “The Voice of Black”. From their name, it was not difficult to guess the nature of the organization.
I heard that they are supported by some company on Wall Street.
Okesi also heard that the Capitol may be behind them.
But who cares?
At least Okesi did not care.
However, their request this time was really difficult.
“…haven’t finished reading yet?” When Okesi did not respond after a long pause, McDonald quietly said, “There is only one paragraph that changed, that is, at the end of your campaign platform: Promise during the term of office to amend the Constitution of 2016, abolish the Defense Outsourcing Act, and withdraw the defense contracting rights from military contractors like Celestial Trade.”
“This is not the same as what we agreed on from the start. Didn’t we say we want to promote the Immigration Protection Act?” Okesi patted the document in his hand and frowned. “Now there are only two months left before the election, and you want me to suddenly add a constitutional amendment to the campaign platform, and then explain to my supporters why I suddenly changed my plan?”
“I know this is outside the contract,” McDonald said emotionlessly as he waved to the assistant behind him. “So we prepared a reward outside the contract.”
The assistant walked up and placed the briefcase in his hand on the table.
“Here is five million Xin New Dollars and it is the deposit we are going to prepay you.”
The black suitcase opened and the fragrance of new ink on paper blew into Okesi’s face. He looked at the bundles of cash inside as his eyes widened and he gulped subconsciously.
“You will completely mess up my election…”
On one side was five million Xin New Dollars, and on the other was the throne of the president.
Okesi was struggling internally.
McDonald grinned and shook his head. He took out a cigar from his suit pocket and asked the assistant to light it up for him before he put it into his mouth.
He blew out a smoke ring and then said to the hesitant Okesi.
“Do you think with one line less, you’ll have any more hope of defeating Zhang Yaping, who is supported by Celestial Trade? Stop dreaming. Even with our support, your chances are slim at best.”
Okesi’s did not react well to the statement as his expression turned sour. For anybody, being looked down upon was not the best feeling, especially now that he gained some support among the leftists. The recent “James Incident” also increased his support rate, so much that he superfluously thought that he could have a fighting chance on election day.
However, when McDonald said that he had no chance of winning, it made him quite dissatisfied.
But he could hide the dissatisfaction in his heart. After all, the man across from him shouldered almost eighty percent of his campaign expenses.
“Since you have no confidence in me, why are you betting on me?” Looking at the expressionless McDonald, Okesi quietly asked while he concealed his dissatisfaction.
“I’m not investing in you, but the paper in your hands,” McDonald pointed to the paper in his hand with his cigar.
“This paper is worth nothing before I become president.”
McDonald snorted.
“Worth nothing? I have been a lobbyist for more than a decade. I know better than you when something is really worthless.”
“Someone needs to propose it, then someone needs to add to it, and finally someone will perfect it. If citizens don’t know they can have such rights, that they can still fight for these rights by voting, then there is no way to start the work.”
“We have enough patience. If we continue step by step, we can take 20 years, 30 years, or even longer to transform this country into a normal country and then develop normal diplomatic relations with it instead of what it is like now; diplomatic negotiations are not like diplomatic negotiations, instead, it’s all business.”
“And you don’t need to bother about any of this. You just need to stand in front of the Xin people. Tell them through the election what they can get…”
McDonald then paused, leaned forward slightly, and with his arms pushed against his kneecaps, he stared right at Okesi. “Now, tell me. Do you deserve our continued investment?”
Okesi gulped.
After his internal struggle, his fists clenched and slowly loosened before he finally nodded.
“I understand.”
McDonald smiled and stood up.
“It seems that you made the right choice. Then, I will not bother you anymore.”
He then gestured to the assistant behind him and walked to the door.
At the door, McDonald stopped and looked back at Okesi, who was sitting on the couch and in deep thought, and said in a joyous tone.
“I’ll avoid contact with you in the next two months. I hope that when I return to the Capital, I can see your good news. So Mr. Okesi, I wish you all the best in the election.”
He smiled and fixed the collar of his suit before pushing open the door.
However, at the moment he pushed open the door, the expression on his face froze together with his footstep.
Two men in black suits stood in front of him and their eyes were fixated on him. Behind the two men were about a dozen police officers and seven reporters with cameras. The entire mansion was surrounded by police cars and media vans.
“I’m sorry, Mr. MacDonald, I’m afraid you can’t go back to the Capital.” The man in the suit took out an arrest warrant, which was stamped with the seal of the Xin Supreme Court. “We received intel that you are under allegations of 21 charges, including bribery, manipulation of elections, and espionage.”
Cold sweat dripped down from McDonald’s sideburns.
Looking at the man standing in front of his eyes, there was a long silence before he finally squeezed a word out of his mouth.
“This is slander…”
“Is it slander? We will know soon.” The man shrugged and gestured to the police behind him.
…
Okesi was still in his living room, staring at the briefcase full of bills on the table.
The bundle of cash made him a little dizzy.
He had never seen so much money in his life, and the money was only a deposit of 10% of the total compensation…
His trembling fingers touched the box of cash.
However, just as he gulped down and tried to count the pile of cash, a roar came from the entrance.
“You can’t do this! I warn you that your actions violate international conventions! Stop, damnit! Do you know who I am? I am—”
Dense and heavy footsteps interrupted his reverie of a yacht, private beach, and blondes. When he saw the arrest warrant with the seal of the Xin Supreme Court, the police emblem of the Xin National Police, and the cameras of the media, he felt like all his life force escaped from him body.
At this moment, his heart almost stopped beating.
Without any resistance, Okesi, who looked as pale as a ghost, obediently extended his hands and let the police put handcuffs on him.
Resistance no longer served a purpose.
He knew at that moment that his political career was over…
