Chapter 260: President Wu
Xia Fei told Andre plenty about the characteristics of Koreans, and the old man nodded. “After hearing you say these, I do recall some historical records about Koreans once claiming that Confucius and Einstein were Koreans, and that is simply just too shameless.”
(TL Note: Author writes a distasteful joke about Koreans here that does nothing for the plot)
Andre then said, “Back when we were planning to acquire the number-one electronics company in Korea, Siemens, we ended up getting strong objections from the Korean Peninsula, so the deal fell through. Now that the greatest financial support of Murati has come from these Korean businessmen as well as the major Italian families, as long as we are able to cut him off from his financial funding in one fell swoop, I’m sure we can make Murati give in. Plus, we can also hire a detective agency and investigate the skeletons in Murati’s closet. After all, every politician will have plenty of shady dealings they’re ashamed to be brought to light. As long as we are diligent, I’m sure we can have him right in our palms.
“In that case, the president of the Federation will become a p.a.w.n in our hand, making it that much easier for us in the future.” Andre did not miss his chance to set forth his proposal for Xia Fei to consider.
Xia Fei lit a cigarette and mulled over the idea before softly saying, “It’s a good plan, but I think you’re letting the enemy off far too easily.”
Though he had said this in an even tone, Andre could sense a thick killing intent hidden in his few words. He frowned. “Xia Fei, you’re not thinking of killing him off, are you? Killing the President of the Earth Federation is a heinous crime. If this news got out, it would be most disadvantageous to Quantum Holdings, and more importantly, all the crows in the world are black; killing Murati will just mean another greedy man can step in and take his place as president, and we’ll still have to come up with a solution to deal with them.”
Andre’s worry was completely justified. There was no way anyone who could climb up the ranks and become a president would be decent, and Murati dying might even result in an even more unbearable candidate to step in his shoes, making the cons outweigh the potential pros.
Xia Fei then burst into a strange chuckle. “Murati must die. Since he’s an enemy, there’s no way we can let him continue living. This will also work as a warning to those eyeing for our backs, let them know that death is all that awaits anyone trying to pit themselves against us. As for the president who will step in Murati’s shoes after, we’ll have to make proper preparations on our end. This time, we’ll put forth a candidate whom we can trust, so that Quantum Holdings will never let others lead us by the nose again.”
Andre was shocked. It was obvious that Xia Fei intended to manipulate the elections and subsequently extend his control over the Earth Federation.
This was no doubt the most effective retaliation. Since the President did not wish to work together with Quantum Holdings, they would just have to install one who could.
It was not that Andre had not considered political manipulation, but it would require plenty of courage to even attempt such. The Earth Federation had a population of over seven billion, and over five billion and a half of them were eligible to vote. Only by ensuring three billion votes could they secure a victory in this.
There was no telling how many various obstacles they needed to be overcome here. People of different nationalities and provinces would need to be won over, and the amount of work involved would be astronomical, far more difficult than controlling a single president. The former needed to convince billions of people, while the latter was only subduing a single person.
With the strength Quantum Holdings possessed, it was not that they lacked the ability to manipulate an election of such a grand scale, but Andre could never find it in him to do so, lacking that bold resolution that Xia Fei was now demonstrating.
“Fine. Since this is what you’ve decided on, we can give it a shot. I do believe Quantum Holdings has the ability to push our candidate to the forefront of the Federation.” Andre nodded.
Xia Fei asked, “Do you not have any interest in becoming the Federation president, Andre?”
He was not kidding. Andre was a distinguished Rothschild, fairly well-known in political and business circles. There was no doubt that he was the most suitable candidate to become the Federation president.
It was now Andre’s turn to chuckle. “What kind of joke are you trying to make? I’m already at the age when I should be retired. I doubt the citizens in the Federation will want such a frail, old man as their president. Best if we look for someone else.”
Xia Fei was quiet for a good moment, so Andre spoke. “I do know quite a few promising politicians, though given your personality, I doubt you’ll have an easy time trusting those people.”
Xia Fei was not of the habit to trust others too easily. That was why if the candidates were limited only to the people whom he trusted, it must be someone who had not just a clean background, they must also be upright in nature. Everything might just come undone if their rivals were to uncover some evidence of impropriety with their candidate.
Andre thought for a good long while and felt that Xia Fei was ultimately still the most suitable candidate, but of course, Xia Fei had zero intentions of becoming a president. Now that his sights were already set well beyond the expanse of Earth, were it not for the fact that the issues on Earth would involve his vital interests, he might not even care about who would be president here on this planet.
All of a sudden, Xia Fei slapped his thigh. “I got it.”
“Who is it?” Andre curiously asked. “Do I know this person?”
Xia Fei nodded in response. “You of course know this person. In fact, you know him very well. He’s none other than Wu Long.”
Andre was slightly shocked. Wu Long had been by Xia Fei’s side for a long time, and he was also a native Chinese. Naturally, no one would suspect his character, and there was no doubt about his loyalty to Xia Fei. However, Wu Long was hardly a bright spark, and his straightforward nature made him unsuitable for politics. He did things with great bombast, though the last two years had made him less so. Nevertheless, he was still quite far from the ideal candidate in Andre’s mind.
“Can Wu Long do it? Seems like he’s a little lacking in terms of eloquence,” Andre very awkwardly pointed out. Wu Long was a good friend of his, after all. It was not easy for him to be too blunt.
Xia Fei laughed. “It’s fine. Wu Long’s no longer who he used to be two years ago. Along with the major changes he’s undergone, he should have no problem dealing with what’s to come. I’ve also chosen him after some consideration. After all, what’s the majority of citizens in the Federation?”
Andre thought but for a moment before he answered, “Asians?”
“That’s not incorrect, but let me put it this way,” Xia Fei said. “Be it Asians, Africans, or South Americans, a vast portion of them edge on the poverty line. These people account for a large chunk of votes, so if we are looking to win the election, we will first have to gain the support of such people.”
Andre excitedly said, “I get it. Wu Long’s Chinese, so he will easily garner the support from the 1.3 billion Chinese, and there are plenty of people who are just like him, growing up in poor households, depending only on their hard work to succeed, step by step. To such people, Wu Long will be like their idol.”
“Wu Long’s story is like a dream—a dream that anyone in poverty will want realized. We can use this point to make a big splash, promoting Wu Long’s ‘rags to riches’ story in such a way that he will be seen as a man of the ma.s.ses,” Xia Fei added.
Andre was now roused. “Wu Long will indeed have a huge advantage from this perspective, but the European and North American factions are the ones in control of the Federation right now. I’m afraid garnering the support of those people won’t be so easy.”
Xia Fei laughed. “It’s impossible for us to garner everyone’s unanimous support, so all we need to do is get enough votes and we will already have half the victory in the bag. Besides, Wu Long holding a high position in Quantum Holdings means he can be considered as part of high society, and his English isn’t bad, either. I do believe a sizable number of these European and North American citizens will vote for him. If we add Quantum Holdings sparing no effort to devote itself toward this operation, I believe Wu Long has quite a high chance of emerging victorious.”
Andre continued, “Aside from all that you’ve mentioned, we will also need to form a huge campaign team to help Wu Long write campaign speeches, arrange his daily schedule, and so on. I have a friend who has been in this industry for decades. Several American presidents ultimately won their elections because they employed him as their campaign manager. We can take his advice with regard to such campaign matters.”
Xia Fei asked, “Can this person be trusted?”
Andre chuckled. “Think about it. He helped seat presidential candidates; He has seen plenty of things that must never see the light of day. If he isn’t able to keep his mouth shut, do you think he’ll still be alive till today?”
Xia Fe nodded. “That makes sense. Think you can get him to work on this? The price is negotiable.”
“It’s been a long time since he retired, but I can give it a shot,” Andre said.
“Remember: We must hire top consultants at all cost,” Xia Fei said in a deep voice.
The two men discussed the matter for quite some time. Xia Fei’s plan was to gain as many votes as possible before later supporting this by attacking or luring the other opponents with potential gains, only to deal a two-p.r.o.ng strike, starting this targeted war of words with a bang.
However, there was something they had to solve first, and that was to take down the present president Murati.
The simplest solution was by killing Murati, but it was also the most undesirable method because the moment he a.s.sa.s.sinated the President, the entire Federation would immediately enter into a state of emergency, with the acting president stepping in, while the next election would only occur after the emergency had been declared over.
There was no telling how long that period would last, and Xia Fei intended to push Wu Long up to the role as soon as possible. Dragging it any longer would only be disadvantageous for Quantum Holdings, and the social unrest caused by a.s.sa.s.sinating the President would also be highly inappropriate.
As such, the only solution was to do whatever they could to get hold of Murati’s weakness, force him to step down by his volition, and get another election underway. Once Murati resigned from his post as the president, Xia Fei would be able to kill him off without creating too much of a commotion.
Collecting evidence on a president was like a double-edged sword. If it was used inappropriately, he could very well end up getting himself bitten. After all, a private investigator was still human, so who could ensure that their lips would remain sealed?
After some thought, Xia Fei decided to leave this matter to several of the top private investigation agencies separately, even going as far as to bury his spies so that they would be able to silence everyone for good if things turned awry.
Ultimately, Xia Fei also had another ident.i.ty as an envoy of the a.s.sa.s.sin Sect. He was completely able to set up a contract directly and invite a squad of Deathguards to help him with his clandestine plan, just so he could ensure that no one would catch wind of the ploy.
It was already noon by the time they were done with their discussion. Xia Fei said goodbye to Qin Mang, Moon Song, and Chen Dong, departing for New York with Andre on his Vampire. They were going to meet the future Federation president, Wu Long.
……
Hawaii and New York had a seven-hour timezone difference, so by the time Xia Fei and Andre reached the office of Quantum Holdings, it was already eight at night.
The headquarters of Quantum Holdings was located in the famous Empire State Building located on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. Of course, this was only but a part of the company’s office s.p.a.ce. The surrounding skysc.r.a.pers were also owned by Quantum Holdings, though each was used for different functions.
On the Ninety-ninth floor, Wu Long’s office.
It was already late into the night, yet Wu Long was still hard at work. Xia Fei knocked softly on the door thrice, then he heard Wu Long’s gruff voice from inside. “Come in.”
Xia Fei and Andre smiled as they entered the office. They saw Wu Long hunched over the office desk, scribbling away, the cigarette in his hand looking as if it was about to burn until its end, yet Wu Long did not seem to notice this.
“Take a seat first; wait for me to finish approving these doc.u.ments,” Wu Long said with an unquestioning tone. It was clear that he had no clue who had just entered, thinking they were his secretary or some common visitor.
Andre wanted to call Wu Long, yet Xia Fei stopped him from doing so with a smile. The two quietly sat down on a nearby sofa and watched him work.
It had to be mentioned that today’s Wu Long was heaven and earth from that brusque and brash person he once was. He was wearing a tailored suit of the finest craftsmans.h.i.+p, which fit him perfectly, making him appear very mature and capable. He wore a luxurious yet not extravagant platinum IWC watch around his left wrist, with his hair neatly combed back, looking very much like a successful businessman.
Wu Long did his work with great diligence, his head never once looking up from the doc.u.ments for a dozen or so minutes. The pen in his hand was constantly in motion. He was not particularly well-versed with computers, so he handled his work in the most primitive manner, though he did end up spending more time doing so than others. G.o.d knew how many sleepless nights he had spent in this office for the past two years.
Xia Fei was glad. Wu Long’s meticulous att.i.tude told everything he needed to know. He had made an extremely wise decision accepting this man into his company despite Wu Long’s lack of brilliance.
A whole thirty minutes pa.s.sed before Wu Long lifted his head, saying, “You’re probably anxious after waiting this whole time—huh?”
The moment Wu Long saw who the people were seated on the sofa, his tanned skin blushed red. “Xia Fei, Andre.
“What’s wrong with you two, not even saying a word when you came in like that? I’ve even mistaken you guys for my secretary.” Wu Long jumped to his feet, excitedly making his way over to Xia Fei’s side.
Xia Fei chuckled. “We’re in no hurry. Carry on with your work; we’ll wait till you’re done.”
Wu Long patted Xia Fei on his shoulder. “It’s nothing actually. I’m merely copying today’s work once over. My mother didn’t give birth to a clever son, so I’m only rea.s.sured of my work after going through it once over.”
Xia Fei nodded without a sound. As the saying went, ‘Diligence will make up for weakness.’ Wu Long was the epitome of this statement, and Xia Fei deeply admired men like him who were both diligent and valued friends.h.i.+p.
The three chatted for some time. Wu Long angrily called in his secretary for a tongue-las.h.i.+ng, blaming her for not reporting Xia Fei’s arrival. However, Xia Fei hurriedly explained that it was him who had told her not to make a mention of it; only then was Wu Long pacified.
Xia Fei and Andre waited for another half an hour for him to be done with all his work before the three men left the office, heading over to the famed Mayflower restaurant to dine on crabs.
After locating a secluded room within its premises, the servers sent them plates of the scrumptious king crabs, and the three men began feasting as they chatted.
“Is your mother still nagging at you to start a family?” Xia Fei asked, smiling cheekily.
Wu Long sighed. “Why would she not? My ears are soon to turn into mush hearing her talk about matchmaking me day and night. Just me telling her that I can’t go visit her due to the amount of work I have is already an ordeal and a half. Tell me honestly: Am I really that old?”
Wu Long was almost forty yet still unwed. This had already become a worry in Wu Long’s mother’s heart. Not only did she nag at Wu Long, she even often turned to Andre or Xia Fei, pleading for their help in convincing her son to find himself a wife.
Xia Fei laughed. “Brother Wu, indeed you are getting on in your years. The way I see it, it’s not a bad idea for you to find a wife. Given your present status, you won’t have any trouble finding a willing lady, no?”
Back when Quantum Holdings was first established, Xia Fei had once said that he would give both Andre and Wu Long ten percent of its shares. When the company scaled up larger and larger, Andre and Wu Long both refused to accept this, so in the end he had no choice but to set this twenty percent as executive funds, which included all the people whom Xia Fei had headhunted to join the company. As such, Wu Long, Andre, Sarah, Charlie, Porter, and everyone else would receive a special bonus every year in addition to their salary, though the shares remained under Xia Fei’s name.
Wu Long furrowed his brows. “Actually, it is not that I don’t wish to have a family of my own, but the whole business of getting married and having kids is so troublesome. Where would I ever find the time? I’m already burned out handling everything in the office every day. Were it not for you dragging me to join Quantum Holdings, I would never be where I am today. This is why I need to put the company first no matter what I do. As for my personal matters, I’ll just deal with all that at a later date.”
Xia Fei was moved. He would not have believed anyone making such claims of hard work if the words had come from anyone else, but everyone had witnessed just how hard Wu Long worked for the sake of the company. He relied on his sheer stubbornness as he grappled with several important departments of the company. After all, Wu Long did not have the mathematics special ability, nor did he have much of an education. He had only gotten to this point all due to his eagerness to learn as well as his hard work.
Xia Fei glanced at Andre and said, “Look at Brother Wu Long holding the position he is at now; what kind of woman do you reckon will suit him best?”
Andre rubbed his chin as he contemplated on the question. “There aren’t many because Wu Long’s ident.i.ty is far too unique. The daughter of the Grand Duke of Monaco is still single, though she is a bit old and the word is that she’s not exactly good-looking, so she isn’t suitable. The Greek s.h.i.+pping king’s daughter isn’t bad, having obtained a master’s degree in economics. She can be considered as having both brains and the looks, though Wu Long himself is in business, so there’s no need to find a wife in that same world. Best if we find someone in politics or a descendant of n.o.ble bearings—”
Wu Long was breaking out in a cold sweat when he heard this conversation, hurriedly interrupting Andre, “Wait a minute! What’s going on here? Why is there a princess, then some daughter of a s.h.i.+pping king? What has that got to do with me?”
Xia Fei laughed. “Brother Wu, with your ident.i.ty, we really can’t be negligent with who you marry.”
“My ident.i.ty?” Wu Long crooked his head, perplexed.
Xia Fei lightly dropped the bomb. “Oh, if everything goes according to plans, you’ll soon be the Earth Federation’s president.”
Wu Long’s mouthful of champagne sprayed out almost instantly, his two eyes opening wide in his bewilderment. He turned to regard Xia Fei incredulously.
Andre chimed in, “President Wu, why are you so nervous before you’re even appointed? It’d be extremely disrespectful to the guests if this were a state banquet.”