America: From a Fallen Child Star to the Head of the University of the West

The next morning, Sean got out of bed with dark circles under his eyes.

He edited videos until 3 a.m. last night, and now he feels like his eyes are filled with sand.

"Damn video editing, I need to hire a couple more 'laborers'..."

He rubbed his temples, just about to check the time, when his phone rang.

"Mr. Pan, good news!"

Matthew's voice came through the receiver, his tone as excited as if he had won the lottery.

"President Cao of the Philadelphia Chinatown Business Association is willing to see us!"

"Oh?" Sean's eyes lit up. "When?"

"Two days later, Saturday afternoon," Matthew said. "Chairman Cao said he would be free that day and could chat with us at his restaurant."

"Very well." Sean nodded wearily. "Before that, we need to prepare a small gift."

"A gift?" Matthew asked, puzzled. "What are your plans?"

"You'll find out then," Sean said, keeping everyone in suspense. "By the way, Matthew, do you have class today?"

"I have a class at 3 PM, but I can skip it. Why?"

"I want to do another street survey," Sean said, "but this time the topic is different. I've prepared a new questionnaire to ask people whether they support the 76ers building a new basketball arena."

"Huh?" Matthew was completely confused. "What does this have to do with our meeting with the Chamber of Commerce?"

"It'll be very useful," Sean replied mysteriously. "Come and help me out first, and I'll explain it to you later."

"Okay..." Matthew agreed, though he was still confused. "I should be there by eleven o'clock."

"Okay, see you then."

After hanging up the phone, Sean walked to the window, looked at the gray Philadelphia sky outside, and began to sort through the information about the 76ers' new arena in his mind.

……

The Philadelphia 76ers, an NBA team from Philadelphia, are one of the city's prides.

Their current home arena is the Wells Fargo Center, located in the sports complex in South Philadelphia. That area is home to three of Philadelphia's major professional teams: the NBA's 76ers, the NHL's Flyers, and the NFL's Eagles.

Logically speaking, this arrangement is quite good. Fans can watch different games in the same area, and the surrounding parking lots and supporting facilities are also very convenient.

The problem is that the 76ers don't want to share an arena with anyone else anymore.

Wells Fargo Center was built in 1996, almost thirty years ago. Although it has undergone several renovations, the facilities are inevitably showing their age. More importantly, the arena is owned by Comcast, and the 76ers are merely tenants.

You know how it feels to be a tenant.

Most of the money you earn goes to the landlord; the best spots at the venue, naming rights, etc., are basically none of your business. If you want to organize any kind of event, you have to consider the landlord's whims.

Therefore, the owners of the 76ers have long wanted to build their own new arena!

The location they chose was the fashion district in downtown Philadelphia.

The fashion district was once one of Philadelphia's most vibrant shopping centers, but it has declined in recent years, with high vacancy rates. The Philadelphia city government has been trying to revitalize the area but has struggled to find suitable projects.

The 76ers' new arena perfectly fills this gap.

What does a modern NBA arena that can host hundreds of events every year mean? It means a constant flow of people, spending, and tax revenue.

The basketball arena is projected to generate $19 billion in economic benefits over 30 years, create hundreds of jobs, and contribute $3.9 million in new tax revenue. It may also revitalize Philadelphia's East Side Market Street to attract more businesses.

This is like a windfall for the city of Philadelphia!

Therefore, from Mayor Howard to the city council, almost everyone expressed their support for the project.

The problem is, this pie landed right in Chinatown.

The new arena is located just blocks from Chinatown. Once completed, it will draw thousands of fans to the area on game days.

Traffic will be paralyzed, parking will become a nightmare, and noise will keep residents from sleeping.

What's even more frightening is that what will inevitably follow is rising rents and commercial real estate development.

The increase in land prices will continue to generate huge controversy.

Those elderly Chinese who have lived in Chinatown for decades, those merchants who make a living with small businesses, may be forced to leave the land where their ancestors have been rooted for generations.

However, the residents of Chinatown were not going to sit idly by. Protests erupted one after another, and petitions and signatures appeared in droves.

The problem is that despite the protests, the 76ers and the city government remain steadfast in their stance.

Because the gap in strength between the two sides in this game is too great.

On one side is an NBA team worth billions of dollars, with the full support of the city government. On the other side are thousands of ordinary Chinese residents, who have neither strong political backing nor sufficient media influence.

This battle is one-sided no matter how you look at it.

But Sean felt that things weren't that simple.

In political games, what truly determines victory or defeat is often not strength, but public opinion.

If he could prove that the majority of Philadelphians do not support the project, the situation would be very different.

After all, this is an election year, and what politicians fear most is standing on the opposite side of public opinion.

That's why he's conducting this street survey.

He needs data, genuine public opinion, and a bargaining chip to put on the negotiating table.

……

At 11 a.m., Matthew arrived at the campaign office on time.

"Mr. Pan, I'm here." He pushed open the door and came in, carrying two Starbucks cups. "I brought you an Americano. I heard your voice and figured you'd need this."

"Thanks." Sean took the coffee, took a big gulp, and said, "Let's go, we can talk as we walk."

So Matthew took out the Sony camera from his campaign office and followed Matthew out the door. Instead of taking a taxi, the two of them leisurely walked towards the subway station, intending to take the Market Frankfurt Line to the vicinity of the City Hall.

"So," Matthew asked as they walked, "why exactly did you do this survey? I mean, even if the survey shows everyone is against the new arena, so what? The 76ers and the city government won't listen to us."

“You’re right, they won’t listen to us,” Sean said. “But they will listen to the votes.”

"vote?"

"Matthew, think about it," Sean slowed his pace. "How many Chinese people are there in Philadelphia?"

"Around... fifty or sixty thousand?" Matthew estimated. "If you include the greater Philadelphia area, it could be over a hundred thousand."

“That’s right. A few hundred thousand people may not sound like a lot, but in a close election, that could be the deciding factor,” Sean said. “The problem is that the Chinese voter turnout is too low. Many people simply don’t care about politics and don’t vote.”

"I know that," Matthew said with a wry smile. "My parents were the same way. They thought voting was useless, that it didn't matter who was elected. So they voted by consulting oracles."

"But what if there's an issue that could ignite their passion?" Sean countered. "Like, someone wants to tear down the Chinatown they've lived in for decades?"

Matthew paused for a moment, then understood what Sean meant.

"Are you trying to use the new arena to mobilize Chinese voters?"

“It’s not just the Chinese.” Sean shook his head. “The survey I’m going to conduct isn’t just asking the Chinese, but asking all Philadelphians. What I want to prove is that the opposition to the new arena isn’t just a selfish sentiment among the Chinese, but a common thought among many ordinary Philadelphians.”

"In this way, this matter is no longer an ethnic conflict, but a confrontation between public opinion and capital."

Matthew's eyes lit up. "If it's just the Chinese community opposing the stadium, the city government can easily ignore it. But if the majority of citizens are against it, that's a different story."

"Exactly!" Sean praised. "When we hand over the investigation results to Chairman Cao of the Chamber of Commerce, that will be our welcoming gift. It carries more weight than any red envelope."

"I see, then it's not surprising, it's not surprising."

Sean said no more. This time, instead of preparing a large board, he simply pulled a stack of printed papers out of his pocket.

"The questionnaire I designed last night has ten questions, covering attitudes towards the new arena, understanding of Chinatown, and trust in the city government's decisions."

Matthew took the questionnaire and quickly glanced through it.

"The design is quite professional," he commented.

"Of course." Sean shamelessly accepted Matthew's approval.

The two then quickly boarded the subway. After Sean signed autographs for a few "fans" who suddenly appeared, they arrived at their destination some time later.