Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 137 I Believe in the Professor's Choice (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
professor?

Fred immediately pictured the face of a young Chinese man.

"Oh~" Fred drawled out, his expression becoming even more enthusiastic.

Fred had initially intended to agree, but he didn't immediately do so for two reasons: firstly, he was worried about potential fraud, and secondly, he was driven by a businessman's instinct to wait for a better price.

Don't say that America doesn't have a "bureaucratic" culture. Those Chinese Americans who say this are because they haven't been involved in America's political and business revolving door or collusion between officials and businessmen.

Anyone working in the biopharmaceutical or chemical industry deals with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A single decision from them can save you tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, which explains why these companies offer executive positions to retired officials in Washington who can essentially collect a fortune without lifting a finger.

For Fred, being able to connect with someone like Nixon, even if he was just a former vice president, from a small real estate businessman in New York was already considered an upward social connection.

Nixon is now even considering pushing him to be the Elephant Party's presidential nominee. Regardless of whether it will actually happen, the mere prospect of embarking on this path is incredibly tempting for Fred.

"Randolph is the best Chinese person I've ever met! If the professor recommended you, then I completely trust you." Fred's expression was exaggerated, his tone excited, and his eyebrows danced with delight.

Robert raised an eyebrow, inwardly scrutinizing the candidate.

It's not that just because Lin Ran said it was Fred, the Nixon team immediately decided to push Fred forward.

Their resources are limited, but not so limited that they can only invest in one person.

There is still more than a year to go before the 1964 US presidential election. During this year, three to five candidates will be selected and observed throughout 1963 to ultimately choose the candidate who best fits the bill.

The candidate has to be weak, as Lin Ran said, the more he loses, the better, to prove that Nixon's loss was not due to his ability. But he can't be too weak either, so weak that he can't even get past the Republican nominee.

It should be neither too strong nor too weak.

Robert discovered that Fred had a strong ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

He had met the other person before, before that fundraising dinner, and the other person's obsequious attitude then was completely different from his current pleading face.

The other person's reaction to the professor's words overlapped somewhat with Robert's memory of him.

“Yes, sir, you must cherish this opportunity that the professor has fought for for you.” Robert stared into the other man’s eyes, his serious tone exerting pressure.

"Among the real estate developers, big and small, there are many like you, and if you look at the whole of America, there are even more."

Fred, you are not irreplaceable. The only difference between you and the others is that the professor recommended you.

So you should cherish this opportunity.

"Of course, if you don't want to get involved in the presidential election, then pretend I didn't come today," Robert continued.

You still want to hold out for a higher price? Do you really think you're indispensable? As a political animal in Washington, Robert is not only an expert in the art of negotiation, but also knows how businessmen like Fred think.

Robert thought Fred was just a small real estate developer, but in reality, Fred was quite wealthy.

In present-day New York, Fred's net worth is over $500 million, and there are roughly 30 real estate developers with similar net worth.

Robert had dealt with families like Astor, Rockefeller, and Rudin for many years, which is why he thought of them as small real estate developers.

Fred quickly replied, "The professor and I are very good friends, and I'm thinking of having him as my son's tutor."

Fred and his family were Protestants because his wife was Scottish; they were all members of the Presbyterian Church, a branch of Protestantism that originated in Scotland.

Because Fred's wife was from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, where the Presbyterian tradition was particularly strong.

They are both active members of the First Presbyterian Church in Queens, New York. Old T also attended Sunday school there when he was a child, and his first marriage was also held at the Presbyterian Church.

So, according to Presbyterian tradition, Old T was baptized as a child.

Therefore, Fred is referring to a mentor, not a godfather. In fact, the mentor here can be seen as a role similar to a "godfather".

"Of course I'm interested, but Robert, you only told me that Mr. Nixon wanted me to be the Elephant Party's candidate, but you didn't tell me how to do it."

"Or will the professor put aside his White House job to personally assist me in my presidential candidacy?" Fred asked.

Fred certainly wanted to run for office, but Nixon allowed him to run. Nixon, a loser, allowed him to run, and it was the professor's idea.

Fred, with his political acumen, simply couldn't fathom the true situation.

Under pressure from Robert, he had no choice but to ask Robert: What do you want me to do?

Robert was speechless after hearing this. The professor would help you? The professor was already a favorite of the president, a top advocate for Rockefeller, Morgan and Hearst, and even Nixon couldn't offer him any incentive to help you run for office.
He simply couldn't imagine how crazy such a world would be.

"Fred, you need to take a three-step approach now. The first is what you're good at: discuss the economy, real estate development, and urban redevelopment on television and radio programs. You need to not only showcase your business achievements but also demonstrate your understanding of the national economic situation."

This country's economy is terrible, and the lives of the poor are too hard. Because you built affordable apartments, you have a lot of experience with the living conditions of the poor, and you can empathize with them. You should speak out for them in the media. You have many ways to help them, but because you are just a real estate businessman, there are limits to what you can do. Haven't you already reduced the apartment rent for Chinese people by 30%? That's what you've already done.

The White House should have done more for them, but it did nothing.

If you get into the White House, you can do so much more for them.

This was actually something Robert made up on the spot, just advice for Fred, which Fred's son took sixty years later and put on social media where it became a sensation.

After listening, Fred seemed thoughtful: "It's not enough."

Robert said, "Of course not, I was just giving an example."

In short, you need to appear on various programs. If you can appear, do it yourself; if you can't, we'll arrange it for you and help you cultivate an image of a successful, patriotic, and capable businessman.

The second point is that you need to run for office and win a position as a New York City Councilor or State Senator to make up for your political record.

The latter is too difficult and there's no time for it now, so set your sights on the New York City council election.

This depends on you. If you can't even get past this hurdle, Mr. Nixon won't help a good-for-nothing!

State senators are elected every two years, and the New York State Senate election was on November 6, 1962, which Fred was completely unaware of.

The election cycle for city councilors is not synchronized with the state elections. New York City council elections are usually held in odd-numbered years, which is November 1963, giving Fred ample time to prepare.

"So all the help you've given me is a little bit of media resources?" Fred questioned.

Robert said, "Mr. Nixon will be able to campaign for you during the busy campaign days in October and November."

Upon hearing this, Fred shook his head repeatedly: "There's no need to trouble Mr. Nixon. It would be best if the professor could come, but if he can't, I would prefer Mr. Nelson Rockefeller instead."

Nixon is now like box office poison; Fred only wants to use his resources for free and doesn't want him to personally endorse him.

The Nelson Rockefeller he mentioned was an important member of the Rockefeller family, the governor of New York State, and a member of the Elephant Party.

Robert suppressed his anger. "Mr. Fred, Mr. Nixon still has influence in Brooklyn and Queens. If you really want to run for office, you'll soon be running for city council, and you'll see how influential Mr. Nixon is."

"One more thing: if the professor is really as close to you as you say, I believe he would be willing to wear a NASA badge and record a video to support you in October."

The meeting was far from pleasant, especially compared to Robert's memory.

A seventh-rank official is even less respected than a dog when the prime minister is in charge.

“Fred is a complete opportunist, short-sighted businessman with no moral compass whatsoever,” Robert said indignantly, sitting on the sofa in his villa at 518 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California. Sitting across from him was Nixon. “What we need is the right tool.”

Does it matter how important he is as long as he can play this role well and pave the way for our return to the White House?
When we get back to the White House, getting under his thumb is no small matter.

After listening to Robert, Nixon paid no attention to Fred's attitude and continued, "I have accepted the position of partner at March, Stern, Baldwin and Todd law firm. We will return to New York immediately and begin preparations for six years from here."

March, Stern, Baldwin and Todd is an old law firm founded in 1869. Gao Xiqing, the former CEO of Huaguo Investment, once worked at this law firm.

"As early as the middle of next year, as long as he has an advantage in the polls, we will start taking action to help him."

Newcomers like Fred need to focus their resources on key states like New Hampshire, California, and Ohio, winning delegate support through caucuses to establish an early advantage.

Therefore, we simply cannot wait until next year's New York City council elections to begin.

Veteran politician America knows the maps of all 51 states by heart. She knows which people in each state she can use, which people might be useful, and she can even tell you whether each district is red or blue.

"Sir, do you really trust the professor's choice?" Robert asked hesitantly.

Nixon asked, "What do you think of the professor's strategy?"

Robert said, "There was no better strategy. I went back and thought about it over and over again, and I couldn't think of a better way."

Nixon nodded and said, "Then I trust his choice."

In politics, character is the least important factor.

Robert, you served as Poulsen's administrative assistant; you should know very well that achieving your goals is paramount, while the legitimacy of the means is secondary.

Robert Finch met Nixon, then a new Congressman, while working as an administrative assistant to California Congressman Norris Poulsen in Washington, D.C.

By this time, Paulson had served as mayor of Los Angeles for eight consecutive years. During his tenure, he had a very poor relationship with labor unions and minority communities due to his forceful push for urban demolition and expansion. He was a true hardliner who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Just thinking about it makes it clear that demolition work will inevitably offend a group of people. The benefits are long-term, but the disadvantages are immediate. Poulsen's most famous case was the forced demolition of Chavez Canyon, a low-income community with a predominantly Mexican-American population. The residents were mostly working-class families with close community ties.

Poulsen ordered the police to forcibly evict these Mexican residents who refused to move, a move that was dubbed the "Battle of Chavez Canyon" by the media, with the word "battle" used to describe it.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll keep an eye on him,” Robert said. “My only concern is what if Fred doesn’t want to run.”

Nixon laughed and said, "A businessman can't resist the allure of the White House."

I bet he's on the phone with a professor right now, consulting with him.

Nixon was half right.

Because Lin Ran works at NASA, Fred couldn't contact him immediately.

It wasn't until evening, when Lin Ran returned to her residence, that she had time to call Fred back.

"Professor, did you recommend me to Nixon to run for President America?" After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Fred asked impatiently.

He was standing by the phone in his villa's living room, his face full of anticipation, hoping to get a positive response from Lin Ran.

After thinking it over and over all day, a fire had been ignited in his heart.

But Fred himself couldn't tell whether he wanted to extinguish the flame or let it burn.

Lin Ran replied on the other end of the phone, "That's right, I recommended you to Nixon."

After Fred's inner question was answered, an even bigger question arose: "Professor, why? I'm just a real estate businessman, why would you recommend me for the election?"

Lin Ran said, "You should be very clear about Nixon's current situation, right?"

Fred said, "I know. I had my secretary gather more recent news about Nixon during the day. He's not doing well. He lost the presidential election and then the California gubernatorial election a few days ago."

Lin Ran said, "Yes, Nixon lost too many times and lost confidence in himself."

He wanted to find someone to assist him in the election, partly to test his remaining influence within the Republican Party and among the public, and partly because it was unlikely anyone would beat Kennedy in the presidential election two years later; he needed this election to prove that his defeat in the last presidential election was not due to his incompetence.

After hearing this, Fred instinctively asked, "If we're going to lose, then why did you recommend me, Professor?"

Lin Ran said, "This is also a good thing for you."

Don't worry, Nixon will definitely do everything he can to help you win the party primary. Once you become the Republican presidential nominee, you can then strive for political status, whether it's a senator, a congressman, or the mayor of New York City, etc.

Even if we take a step back and say the worst, this will still give you nationwide exposure.

Nobody knew Fred, the New York real estate businessman, but during the months of the presidential election, everyone knew Fred T., the Elephant Party candidate.

This will be entirely beneficial for you. I recommended you because we are business partners. If you're not interested, I can help you reject Nixon's offer.

After hearing this, Fred had already started fantasizing about what it would be like to become the Republican nominee and dominate the television screen. He had watched the presidential debates between Kennedy and Nixon, and while watching, he complained to his son that the two men's debating skills were terrible, not even as good as high school students'.

He was thrilled at the thought of having the chance to sit in a live television studio and compete against Kennedy two years later in 1964.
“Professor, I’m interested. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.” Fred was afraid Lin Ran would hang up the phone.

Lin Ran said, "That's good. Just focus on doing your own thing."

This is a rare opportunity to get from New York to Washington. Although Nixon is not as powerful as before, he still has a very strong influence within the Republican Party, and he can help you a lot.

Fred quickly agreed, "I understand, and I will certainly respect Mr. Nixon's opinion and follow his advice."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Ran looked at the phone in the apartment arranged for him at the Redstone Base and pondered whether he had manipulated America's election.
He also thought of a problem: since Kennedy was to be assassinated next year, would Nixon consider Lyndon Johnson as his successor, and therefore he wanted to replace Fred with him?

And what if Fred won the 1964 presidential election? Or what if Fred performed so well that he impressed America's Elephant Party voters, leading to a fierce internal party battle between Fred and Nixon in 1968? That would be quite interesting.

As T's father, Fred is quite adept at media marketing and personal image building.

Even a veteran conservative politician like Nixon might not have been able to outmaneuver his opponent in the era of live television broadcasting.

Lin Ran realized that he had gone a bit too far with this joke.

However, it has nothing to do with him; he merely offered a suggestion, which, at least for now, is beneficial to both sides.

In a world where no one gets hurt now, perhaps injury will happen in the future.

In New York, at Randolph Building, Chen Jingrun met with Chen Xingshen, America's greatest Chinese-American mathematician besides Lin Ran.

“Dehui, this is the first time we’ve had a private chat.” Chen Shengshen said with a smile, sitting in the somewhat cramped living room. “We only had a brief chat at the International Congress of Mathematicians last month.”

Chen Xingshen was very good at socializing; to be precise, America's group of top Chinese scientists were all very good at socializing.

Chen Jingrun is an exception, but he is not yet a top mathematician; at best, he is a newcomer to the New York mathematics community.

"Yes." After saying that, Chen Jingrun didn't know what to say next. He could talk fluently about math problems, but it was really difficult to talk about differential geometry and number theory.

“Dehui, I’d like to ask you something. Does Randolph have a problem with me?” Chen Xingshen asked.

　Please vote for me! I'm losing money in the stock market. There will be another chapter later!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)