America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 365 The New Democratic Candidate
Chen Jianqiu, who watched all the farce on the sidelines, did not leave in a hurry.

He was looking for something in the crowd.

"Chen, do you think these children of Raymond Russ are real or fake?" Danny asked from the side.

Chen Jianqiu did not turn his head, his eyes continued to scan the crowd:

"The latter ones are fake, but the first black kid might be real."

"But even if it is true, there are other people's handwriting in it."

"Otherwise, how could a ten-year-old child know the appearance of his biological father who had long since abandoned him; how could he and his mother have such a coincidence to appear at the scene of Lars's speech to recognize their relatives on this day?"

Chen Jianqiu's eyes quickly stopped on a person's face.

That fat senator next to Scott.

At this time, he was looking at the back of Harlem and the Democrats leaving, with a gloating look on his face.

"Let's go too, I guess we will be busy soon."

Chen Jianqiu greeted Mayor Danny and left the scene.

In Santa Fe, the stronghold of the Democratic governor's election, the backbones are discussing countermeasures.

There was an air of pessimism in the room.

Some people were moaning, some were thinking, and some angrily accused Raymond Russ of dropping the chain at a critical moment.

"Let me just say that it's not a good idea to turn the front line to personal attacks!" a lawyer muttered dissatisfiedly.

He is holding a cigarette in his left hand, and the pen in his right hand is tapping the table rhythmically.

"Scott is very experienced in this kind of obscene things." The lawyer said.

"Can you stop talking about these things after the fact?" A newspaper editor sitting opposite him expressed his dissatisfaction, "Also, can you stop knocking on the table?"

The lawyer immediately began to sneer like a fighting cock.

The bickering in the room started again, and more people joined in the cursing.

"Give me a break!"

Senator Harlem, who was sitting at the top of the table, finally stopped covering his face.

He started pulling his hair.

"The situation is so bad now that you guys still have the heart to quarrel here?"

The people on both sides of the table stopped talking and looked at Harlem.

Or else?What else can you do now but fight?
After what happened in Lincolnshire, this campaign is over.

Raymond Russ is ruined, and the efforts of the Democratic Party this election cycle will be in vain again.

Just one step away, they already had a certain advantage in the state legislature in the midterm elections.

"Where's the Attorney General? How's it going?" Harlem asked a person beside him, turning his head to the side.

"Since I came back from Lincolnshire, I have been closing the door to thank guests, staying in my house and seeing no one."

Harlem covered his face again.

As a politician, Raymond Rath's performance was too unqualified.

If it was him, he would have the cheek to pretend nothing happened and continue to expound his point of view.

As long as you are not embarrassed, others are embarrassed.

"Harlem, a few businessmen said they wanted to quit our campaign," the editor said suddenly. "They found all kinds of reasons."

"Don't these people understand what political loyalty is? Do they think they will be wanted if they turn to Scott now?"

Harlem rubbed his face.

He knew that the political donations promised by these people must have been lost.

"Why don't we look for Mr. Chen again, among the powerful bosses in New Mexico, he's the only one who hasn't expressed his opinion." The lawyer started to turn his pen again.

"Okay! Go and invite Mr. Chen!"

Harlem agreed without thinking.

There was no hesitation, even though the two of them fell apart not long ago.

He only knew that if there were no funds, the election would be over directly, and he would have to continue to endure Scott's bravado.

What is the face?Is it important?
"Or, let's go to him directly!" The lawyer was more thoughtful than him.

The next day, the two men showed up at the Santa Fe Railroad building in Albuquerque.

"Mr. Chen is not in the office. He has gone to Mr. Gardner's house." An employee of the company said to the two.

So Harlem and the lawyer rushed to Gardner's house without stopping.

The door to Gardner's house was closed.

The two knocked for a long time but failed to open it.

Not even a servant to open the door.

They had to go around the back of the yard to find out why.

A burst of laughter came from the fence of the yard.

Gardner's servants were playing croquet with Chen Jianqiu and the timber merchant on the lawn of the yard.

"Mr. Chen! Mr. Chen!"

Chen Jianqiu was about to hammer a ball into the goal.

He raised his head and saw a hand shaking back and forth above the fence that was as tall as a person.

He was familiar with that voice.

"It's Senator Harlem," he whispered to Gardner. "Open the door and let him in."

The servant opened the back door and ushered the two in.

"Mr. Chen, I heard that the state government is planning to take the bottom line of the railway company. In this regard, the governor is very unreasonable." Standing beside Chen Jianqiu, Harlem said.

"Aren't you there when the bill is voted on?"

Chen Jianqiu lowered his head, waving the gavel in his hand, aiming at the small door.

Harlem was a little embarrassed.

Indeed, this bill was passed in the state legislature, but at that time, I and the members of the Democratic Party did not try my best to stop it.

They don't have to veto every bill Scott introduces.

"If you are like this, you can't beat Scott," Chen Jianqiu swung the mallet lightly, the mallet hit the ball, and the ball rolled steadily into the wicket.

"What do you mean?" Harlem asked helplessly.

"Listen to me, I promise you to govern in New Mexico." Chen Jianqiu put down the gavel in his hand and looked at Harlem.

Harlem hesitated, but he didn't seem to have a choice.

"Then please tell me."

"First, as I said before, change the governor candidate." Chen Jianqiu said bluntly.

"However, our publicity is all around Raymond Russ. The final candidate will be determined in two days. If we change now, will there be any problems?"

It is a big taboo for military strategists to change generals before the battle, and Harlem is a little uncertain.

"He already smells like shit on the street." Chen Jianqiu looked at Harlem incredulously, "Do you understand shit? If you don't sweep him away, why don't you hug him to sleep?"

It's a ruthless but realistic metaphor, and Haring understands it.

He even admired Chen Jianqiu's vision.

From the very beginning, Chen Jianqiu told him that Lars was not good and would lose the chain.

But the problem came again.

"Then, who should I replace?"

After much deliberation, Harlem couldn't find anyone who could stand up to him, not even himself.

"Him."

Chen Jianqiu pointed to Gardner who was as kind and smiling as a rich man beside him.

His words shocked everyone in the yard.

"he?"

Harlem and the lawyer were transfixed.

"I?"

Gardner pointed to himself, in disbelief.

"That's right, Lars withdrew from the election due to illness, and Mr. Gardner became the final candidate." Chen Jianqiu's expression indicated that he was not joking.

"Wait, he's a businessman, he doesn't have any experience in politics!" Harlem shook his head desperately.

"Yes, yes." Gardner himself agreed with this view.

"I'm not good at words yet," he added.

"Who told you that businessmen can't be in politics? Who told you that you can't be a governor if you are not good at speech?" Chen Jianqiu walked to the chair in the yard, and the others followed behind him.

He was the youngest in the yard, but now he looked like the leader.

"It's true that Mr. Gardner is an amateur, but this is precisely the most important thing, because he has a good reputation." Chen Jianqiu motioned for several others to sit down as well.

He began again with his wonderful parable.

"If you were offered two plates of shit and one plate of soda crackers, which would you choose?"

"I'm going to throw up." The lawyer retched.

Chen Jianqiu ignored the lawyer at all, because he couldn't find any other suitable description other than using shit to describe the current candidates of the two parties.

Harlem thought about it.

Chen Jianqiu seems to be right. Anyway, Lars is completely useless now, why not try Gardner.

It's a broken jar.

"What about the second point?" Harling continued.

"Second point, from now on, everything after the election, including the platform, has to follow my orders."

"I won't show up the whole time, you need to strictly implement my policy!"

"I will do my best to put you in the position of the ruling party in New Mexico, including financial, human, and material resources. Either I don't do it, or I have to do it to the end."

Chen Jianqiu stared at Harlem and the lawyer with deep eyes.

Harlem instinctively wanted to refuse.

What are you kidding?A Chinese, leading the Democratic Party's governor election?

Is he trying to control the Democratic Party?
We can't win, but we can win by listening to you?

"You'd better listen to him," Gardner said. "His ability is beyond your imagination. At least the Santa Fe Railroad has followed him and has not suffered."

Haring was a little shaken. From what he knew of Gardner, this man never lied.

Chen Jianqiu hooked his fingers at him, motioning the councilor to move his head closer.

Harling did.

Chen Jianqiu whispered something in his ear.

Harlem's face changed drastically.

"What you said is true?" He looked at Chen Jianqiu.

"Of course what I said is true. No one knows this number better than me." A mysterious smile appeared on Chen Jianqiu's face, "Although the absolute number is still small, it is decisive."

"So, you couldn't win in the past, but now, you can."

"Then, let's do this!"

Harlem held Chen Jianqiu's hand.

(End of this chapter)