I am a master in India

Chapter 429 Fanaticism
99 was a special year for Maharashtra because the state election, held every five years, was about to take place.

Unfortunately, Shiva's army's recent actions have been filled with violence, severely damaging its public image.

They target Bollywood and cricket stars, because these are among the few ways ordinary people can get entertainment.

Thackeray and the leaders of Shiva's army realized the situation too late and tried to sever ties, but it was too late.

Not only were there numerous articles criticizing the city government, but many citizens also called to protest.

To make matters worse, Thackeray's attempt to distance himself from the situation deeply disappointed Shiva's army.

While they were charging into battle on the front lines, getting beaten half to death, he was sitting in his villa in Matos, drinking and embracing women.

“I used to think of the big boss as something unimaginable. But I’m going to take his picture down from the wall and replace it with my own. The resources that the Congress Party didn’t exhaust during its forty years in power were exhausted by the Shiv Sena in just three years,” said a Shiv Sena leader.

A shift in mindset is quietly taking place, and it is clear that the state elections a few months from now will not be very optimistic.

However, Ron had no time to pay attention to these things; his plane had already taken off for Tamil.

Since the advent of private jets, travel has indeed become much more convenient. There's no need to worry about planning itineraries anymore; if you're in a hurry, you can even make a day trip.

Kavia was there to pick me up again, and this time she drove me herself.

"Where's Agalon?" Ron asked, getting into the passenger seat.

“My sister-in-law is taking care of him, and he is very naughty now.”

Agalon was a month older than little Ravi and was the first to learn to walk.

Now, another three or four months have passed, and the little guy can run all over the yard.

His boundless curiosity kept him constantly on his feet, requiring someone to keep an eye on him at all times.

"Where is your mother? Does she still live in the same place?"

"I moved to a new apartment, one that's less conspicuous, you know. And it's her birthday these past two days, so she's been very busy."

This was one of the reasons Ron came to Tamil; of course, business matters also needed to be handled along the way.

Since Jayalarita regained the position of Chief Minister last year, her "mama worship" has once again swept the streets of Chennai.

The scenery outside the car window along the way seemed familiar to Ron.

Her image and posters are everywhere, and all sorts of shops bearing her name are springing up like mushrooms after rain.

Strangely enough, Ron felt that Jaya Larita was more popular now than before.

Her previous imprisonment had no impact on her public approval ratings; in fact, people became even more enthusiastic.

As for the reason, it can only be said that it was all thanks to the contrast with its peers!

In India, sometimes you don't need to be better than your competitors; you can just maintain the status quo.

Because your opponent will always keep lowering their own standards, and then you can win effortlessly.

This is an era of competition to see who is worse, where it's all about who has fallen the deepest, not who has the most conscience.

After Jayalita returned to power, her foundation was solid, and she had countless supporters.

They do not allow their idol to be criticized; any slight criticism of Jayalalita by her opponents could result in a loud reprimand in court or a street beating.

Gradually, her supporters also gained a reputation for being vengeful, and an incident a few months ago amplified this prejudice many times over.

A female civil servant who had resigned and was planning to enter politics was targeted by someone who saw her as a potential political enemy of Jayalalita, so they threw sulfuric acid in her face.

This blatant criminal act not only failed to provoke public anger, but instead attracted many supporters who cheered loudly.

The current Tamil government is basically composed of men who fawn over her.

Some people, to show their loyalty, would kneel down upon seeing her. Others would loudly recite oaths in front of her photograph every day.

Jayalalita did not neglect her supporters; shortly after taking office last year, she couldn't wait to start giving gifts to voters.

Juicers, blenders, microwave ovens, refrigerators, VCD players and all sorts of other appliances were delivered, totaling 300,000 units.

There's no doubt they're all products from Suer Electric Appliances. This time, she's being even more blatant in her delivery, completely unconcerned about media coverage.

The color television kickback scandal two years ago seemed to have had no effect on her.

There's really nothing to worry about; Suer Electric Appliances is known for its cost-effectiveness.

Ron made a small fortune; the profit from this purchase was over a billion rupees.

The name "Ama" once again resounded throughout Tamil.

That's how people get their votes—simple and brutal.

It's Jayalita's birthday this year, and I'm preparing to give her a gift again.

People are already wondering what the old lady will give them; this time it might be a motorcycle or a cell phone.

The Tamil Daily openly wrote: She has never let her voters down.

Yes, that's right. Ron has already secured the order from Tamil Nadu.

This time, Jayalalita is giving away mobile phones and laptops, both high-end products from Suer Electric Appliances.

Laptops, in particular, are so expensive that almost no one buys them.

See, with Grandma around, the problem is solved.

She planned to distribute the notebooks she bought to her students, all because of the slogan "Information Age".

That's great; Suer Electric Appliances was just worried about not being able to open up sales channels.

We can further develop this approach in the future. After accumulating experience from previous generations of products, we can gradually expand into the civilian market.

"Mom, you look much better now." At the birthday party, Ron showered her with flattery as if it were free.

"It's all because of this little guy." Jayalita hugged Agalon in her arms.

She never married and had no children. After Agalon was born, she loved him more than his mother, Kaviya. "That's good, Tamil needs you to lead the way."

"Yes, yes," everyone echoed, showering them with flattery.

“The Sunshine Smart City you mentioned last time was excellent; Chennai needs high-quality planning projects like this.”

"I'll show it to you separately later."

"Okay." She nodded.

Ron knew the matter was settled; he would soon own a luxurious shopping district in Chennai.

What's the most profitable business in the 21st century? Real estate, of course.

Suer Real Estate doesn't care about small projects; if they're going to do something, it has to be a big one.

After careful consideration, of India's top six metropolitan areas, only Kolkata and Hyderabad have not yet been included in the itinerary.

This matter isn't urgent; he needs to slow down first, as he's been working on too many big projects lately.

Each of these business districts requires an investment of at least $500 million, and that only covers land and construction costs.

There are many other places where money will be spent on later renovations, maintenance, and attracting investment.

Four business districts, five ports, one steel plant, and an ever-expanding network of signal base stations.
Even with bank loans covering most of the project funding, Ron's $25 billion slush fund was completely emptied.

Fortunately, he has many profitable businesses, generating 135 billion rupees in profit each month, or 3 million US dollars.

He has ample cash flow to squander. Otherwise, the bank interest alone would be enough to keep him from making ends meet.

Ron's goal was to establish his own business district in all six major cities by 05.

The ports are similar, and will be put into use gradually within three years.

These properties will become his new cash cows in the future, and he won't have to worry too much even if Suer Electric goes downhill.

In places like India, high-tech companies are not popular; traditional industries are more stable.

Ron glanced at the babbling little Agalon, the darling of the banquet, surrounded by everyone's attention.

Tsk, you're so lucky, you were born at the very top of Indian society.

He reached out and pinched the little guy's fair and tender cheeks, earning him a roll of his eyes from Kavia.

Just as I was about to say something, a commotion arose outside.

Everyone looked up and soon a uniquely styled guest caught everyone's attention.

Hearing whispers, Ron knew the newcomer was named Hussein and was a fitness instructor.

He is a fervent follower of Jayalalita and celebrates his mother's birthday in his own unique way.

He nailed himself to a cross, wearing a white T-shirt with the word "Mother" written in large red letters on the front.

It is said that several apprentices spread his arms out and nailed him to a wooden frame made of plywood, and he endured this for more than ten minutes.

The red lettering on the T-shirt was written in blood, his own blood.

There were many guests watching, and Sun TV and several other TV stations broadcast the event live.

This is too unbelievable; Ron was gasping for breath.

That wasn't the end of it; soon another fervent supporter appeared.

He was a painter who gave Jayalalita a bust of hers, which he had painstakingly painted over several years using 11 liters of his own blood.

The banquet hall erupted in cheers, with everyone clapping wildly, wishing they were the ones bound to the cross, or that the blood on the painting was theirs.

Those who know will understand that this is a birthday party. Those who don't might think it's some kind of religious sacrificial ceremony.

This is India's electoral system, which has hijacked religion and nationalism.

The obsequious political parties, the fervent gestures of respect, and the occasional acts of self-harm—this phenomenon of personality cult inevitably raises suspicions that it was pre-arranged.

Ron can say with certainty that no, people genuinely love and respect their grandmother.

It is true that she had a record of corruption, but that did not prevent many well-off professionals from regarding her as a capable official.

Many people even privately admired her autocratic rule, and many local villagers unexpectedly received gifts in her name.

In their eyes, she was a kind-hearted philanthropist, and indeed bore some resemblance to the Tamil "mother" figure portrayed in propaganda.

But this is a good thing; with this powerful figure around, Ron can do almost anything in Tamil.

He didn't ask for much; all he wanted was business.

For example, the port of Ennor is about to be expanded, and the surrounding land will soon be allocated to it.

There's no way around it; once a port opens, it's like a money-printing machine.

The first six berths were never idle for a single day. Every coming and going meant money.

There are so many ships coming to Chennai that the port is always congested.

Ron made a quick decision to build fourteen more berths, making a total of twenty.

The total investment is US$500 million, and the construction period is three years.

Once completed, the port is expected to generate an annual profit of US$5.2 million, with guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood.

The shipping company has doubled its fleet, and with the increase in coal production in Danbad, the old fleet is simply not enough.

Clearly, the snowball effect of capital is accelerating.

1999 was a special year. Rumors about the Y2K bug started circulating at some point.

(End of this chapter)