America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 350 The Donkey's Meeting

As evening falls, Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, is bathed in an amber glow.

As the last rays of sunlight pierced the windows of Rodeo Drive, a black Rolls-Royce slowly drove into the private driveway on North Carmel Road.

This is the residence of philanthropist Eli Broad and his wife Edith. Tonight, this building, which Forbes has named as one of the most luxurious private residences in California, is becoming a secret arsenal for the Democratic midterm elections.

On a makeshift stage erected in the center of the lawn, California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres stood to thank every Democratic member present for their donations, along with Van Buren, California Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis, and Representative Barbara Boxer.

...

Each time a name was called, applause erupted from the audience. The applause wasn't just polite agreement; it was a genuine expression of hope for the future.

Once the applause had subsided, Torres suddenly raised his voice, as if announcing an Oscar: "Ladies and gentlemen! Our fundraising goal this year has broken all previous records. This is inseparable from the efforts of every Democrat here, and we are especially grateful for the generous donations from our supporters."

"Please allow me to introduce our greatest contributor, Mr. Van Buren! He single-handedly secured a donation of forty million US dollars for us."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Torres, raising his crystal glass, raised his arm and shouted, "I propose a toast to Mr. Van Buren!"

"Cheers!"

Amidst the clinking of glasses, some people clinked their glasses with extra force, as if each additional clink would allow more of the wine from the Four Million Miles to splash into their own bowls.

Setting down his wine glass, Torres's eyes suddenly scanned the crowd like radar, and when they landed on Van Buren, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly.

He saw Van Buren shake his head slightly, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say a few more plausible words about a promising future before hastily ending his speech.

After stepping down from the stage, he rushed to Van Buren's side in three quick steps, his voice extremely low, as if afraid of being heard by the grass beneath his feet: "What's going on? Wasn't Ernst supposed to be coming?"

Torres had already rehearsed in his mind that he would mention Ernst's name a few more times on stage, praising him for his vision and responsibility, and then shake his hand after the event. He thought he might be able to connect this donkey-like California official with the interests of the American tycoon.

Van Buren is responsible for raising money for the entire Democratic Party, while Torres is the real party leader in California. The closer he is to Ernst, the more opportunities there will be for them to make money together in the future.

You help me keep my job, and I'll get policy support for your company. This is the most common principle of equivalent exchange in the American world of fame and fortune.

Van Buren, holding his wine glass, said with a hint of helplessness, "I just called him and he said there was a traffic accident on the road and he's stuck in traffic."

"Shit!" Torres couldn't help but curse, his voice filled with resentment. "The first thing Gray will do when he's elected governor is fire that damn transportation chief."

As the two were whispering and complaining, the sound of a car engine suddenly came from the entrance. Torres and Van Buren exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with the knowing look that the real deal had arrived.

Who else but Ernst would drive a car like this into the manor at this hour?

The two started walking almost simultaneously, their shoes tapping on the grass in unison, like two hunting dogs eager to snatch a bone.

At the same time, the villa's owner, Eli Broad, quickly ended his chat with a certain congressman, put the unfinished champagne on the waiter's tray, and strode towards the door.

Van Buren was the liaison between the Democratic Party and Ernst, and Torres was the top leader of the California Democratic Party. Whether out of personal relationship or courtesy, the two should have gone out to greet him.

Eli Broad obviously didn't want to miss this opportunity to get to know this American tycoon first. Didn't he see that everyone around him was eager to make a move but held back by gentlemanly etiquette?

As the owner of the villa, it was only natural for him to come out and greet him.

With hundreds of people present, how many could Ernst remember? This was the moment he had to leave to make the deepest impression.

At the entrance, Ernst had just stepped out of the Rolls-Royce when Torres, Van Buren, and Ellie were already standing at the bottom of the steps, their smiles brighter than the California sunshine.

"Ernst!" Van Buren was the first to step forward and give Ernst a warm hug. The strength and the expression made it seem like they were childhood friends who had grown up together, and no one would think they had just met for the first time not long ago.

Ernst patted Van Buren on the back, his tone carrying just the right amount of apology, "Sorry, I was delayed on the way."

Act, then. In the world of fame and fortune, you can lack connections and money, but you absolutely cannot lack acting skills.

"This isn't your problem. Los Angeles traffic is getting worse and worse. Sooner or later, the city government will have to take action."

Torres, standing next to him, quickly chimed in, "Exactly! I always have to leave two hours early, or I'll definitely be late."

Ernst watched the two of them singing in unison and couldn't help but laugh to himself. What did this have to do with Los Angeles traffic?

The car accident was a fabricated excuse; in reality, he got so engrossed in his interview with a female reporter from the West Coast News that he lost track of time.

I never imagined that my employees would know my character so well. For such an important interview, they sent a recent graduate intern who ended up interviewing me in bed.

Seeing Ernst's questioning look, Van Buren quickly introduced, "Ernst, this is Art Torres, the chairman of the California Democratic Party. He's the one who spearheaded this fundraising effort in California."

After saying that, he pointed to Eli and said, "This is Mr. Eli Broad, the owner of the estate tonight, and one of our staunchest supporters of the Democratic Party."

After introducing the host, he turned to introduce Robert Egger and Wenger, who had come with Ernst, as if he were a socialite.

The group shook hands, and Torres immediately launched into a flattering act: "Ernst, thank you so much for your generosity this time. With your financial support, our chances of winning this midterm election have increased by at least 30%."

"As you know, this is President Laugh Tale's second term, and the atmosphere inside isn't very good."

There's a long-standing curse in American politics: whether a donkey or an elephant enters the White House, once a president reaches his second term, his party's seats in both houses of Congress are sure to decrease during the midterm elections.

This curse has lasted for over a hundred years, just like the annual snowfall in Maine every winter; no one has ever been able to break it.

But Ernst knew that this curse would be broken by the Democrats this year.

Not only did they not lose any seats, they gained two more, especially California, which was a resounding success.

However, this is not because the Democratic Party is more popular with voters; it's purely because the Republican Party is so disappointing.

The current Governor of California, Pick Wilson, is a complete incompetent fool who managed to ruin California, a state that had been under Republican rule for 16 years.

That's right, it's California, now known as the Blue State, where the governor has been a Republican for the past 16 years.

This anomaly is entirely due to the rich political legacy left by former Governor George DeKmejin.

At that time, California was in a state of chaos, with a high street crime rate. George introduced a tough crime policy, arresting and sentencing criminals, which immediately won the support of voters.

He was also adept at economics, and the economic policies he implemented during his term directly created more than 280 million new jobs in California.

At the time, California's total population was less than 30 million. On average, one in ten people found a job thanks to his policies. Who else would voters support if not him?

Moreover, George made education a top priority. During his eight-year term as governor, the budget for education from kindergarten to 12th grade increased by more than 115%, and the funding for California State University, University of California, and community colleges also increased several times over.

California's current status as an educational hub and Silicon Valley's rise as a global technology center are all thanks to the foundations laid by George.

Without those top universities cultivating talent, Silicon Valley tech companies would have no one to use even if they wanted to grow.

Unfortunately, after Pick Wilson took over, he squandered his potential.

First, he introduced policies unfriendly to immigrants, offending California's large Latino electorate. Then, his poor economic decisions led to a surge in unemployment in California, causing many middle-class voters who had previously supported the Republican Party to switch to the Democratic Party.

Ernst sometimes felt that Pique was practically an unofficial hero of the Democratic Party. Without his brilliant moves, it wouldn't have been so easy for the Democrats to turn things around in California, at least not this year.

"As a native Californian, of course I hope California will get better and better," Ernst replied with a smile, neither affirming nor denying Torres's compliment, striking the perfect balance.

"Well said, that has always been my motto." Another voice rang out beside him; it was Eli Broad, the owner of the manor.

Compared to Torres, Ernst was a household name for Eli Broad.

He is the founder of KB Home, one of the largest builders in the United States, and also owns Sunshine Life Insurance Company.

The couple has always been dedicated to philanthropy, and their charitable foundation had assets of three billion US dollars by 1984, making them true celebrities in California.

Ernst knew that the old man had his eye on him, or rather, on one of his companies.

Apart from Google and Leap Games, none of their other companies have established headquarters yet. Even Google and Leap Games may expand in the future, which would be huge deals.

Leon Chandler grew into one of California’s largest builders with just one Google order, which shows how lucrative this business is.

And this order hasn't even been finished yet. Google is currently undertaking new planning for its headquarters. The explosive popularity of Google Messenger and the upcoming launch of Google Video all indicate the growth of Google's workforce.

The current office space is clearly not enough.

In order not to damage the newly landscaped park, Hamilton is negotiating with the Mountain View City Council to acquire more land and turn the adjacent vacant land into Google's second work campus.

Once the plan is implemented, Leon Chandler will receive another mega-order worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ernst didn't mind giving the old man face. Firstly, AiTech was indeed planning to build its headquarters, so it didn't matter who the order was given to. Secondly, the old man had something Ernst wanted.

"Cook mentioned a while ago that he wanted to set up the headquarters of iTech as soon as possible. I think you can talk about it then."

Eli Broad's face instantly looked like he'd eaten honey poop, incredibly sweet.

"No problem, I'm ready to call you anytime. Don't worry, the price I offer will definitely be the lowest in California."

As they chatted, they walked into the manor, and the servants along the way quickly bowed and greeted them.

As Torres walked to the center of the lawn, he suddenly stopped and pointed to a man in a dark blue suit in front of him, saying, "Ernst, let me introduce you. This is Gray Davis, our Democratic nominee for governor of California, and also the current Lieutenant Governor of California."

"Thank you very much. I heard that the Entertainment Exemption Act was passed thanks to your strong advocacy," Ernst said, shaking hands with the other party in gratitude.

In essence, this bill gives the green light to California's gaming industry, allowing California gaming companies to enjoy the same level of tax breaks as Hollywood film studios.

Gray, on the other hand, looked righteous and awe-inspiring: "The gaming industry is a hot commodity right now. If California can seize this opportunity and attract more gaming companies to settle here, it will not only increase employment but also drive the development of related industries. I think any official who cares about California would actively promote the passage of this bill."

"Mr. Davis is too modest." Ernst held his hand tightly.

"I believe that under your leadership, the gaming industry will definitely become an indispensable part of California's economy. The passage of this bill is not only to help gaming companies grow, but also to ensure that California maintains its leading position in emerging industries—this is our common goal."

Gray laughed even harder upon hearing this; Ernst's words were not just polite talk, but a promise.

Under his leadership, if he is elected governor, the other side will increase its investment in the gaming industry, which will add another impressive achievement to his record.

After their brief conversation, Torres introduced Ernst to several key figures involved in the midterm elections.

Cruz Bustamant, who is running for the position of lieutenant governor, speaks with a strong Latino accent and immediately started talking to Ernst about immigrant rights, clearly trying to win Ernst's support among Latino voters.

State Treasurer candidate Phil Angelides, along with Bill Lockyer, who is running for State Attorney General, and Diane Martinez, who is running for State Insurance Commissioner.

Why is it said that California achieved an unprecedented victory this time?

In these important positions, the donkey pulled the elephant off its horse in every single one of them.

Ernst has come at the best possible time in this year's midterm elections.

These candidates are well aware of who their financial backers are and who can determine their political future.

If they are elected this time, they will definitely be more proactive in aligning themselves with Ernst in the future. At that time, Ernst's influence in California will be much more than just that of a businessman.