American Gossip King

Chapter 137 I also want to pursue her

While the outside world was still immersed in grief, those who had made their fortunes were rejoicing.

That evening, a lavish banquet was held at James Peley's home.

On the balcony of the enormous villa, James Peley and Ian sat in wicker chairs, drinking wine and gazing at the moonlight.

James Perry chuckled, "By the way, Giuliani wants to see you."

"Giuliani? That New York City mayor?" Ian asked.

James Perry nodded: "Yes, he did a good job in this disaster relief effort, and many people admire him."

Is that all you're asking for?

"That's because you haven't seen the real deal!" Ian thought disdainfully.

Americans' disaster relief efforts have always been lackluster. Three days have passed, and the digging and rescue progress is still pitifully slow—very few people have been rescued alive. But when people are shameless, they'll say anything. They can just pull a few dusty, dirty people off the street and claim they were dug out from under the rubble.

After all, the people have no voice.

They don't even have thoughts!

At that moment, James Perry said, "America needs a hero right now, and you and Shauna are the perfect fit. After these few days of rest, it's time to get back in the public eye. CBS has prepared a series of programs for you."

Ian smiled and said, "I'm fine with that. But you still have to pay what you owe."

“Of course,” James Perry chuckled, then leaned closer. “But you know none of that matters?”

Ian nodded slightly: "Next year is the midterm election, and we can start preparing after the New Year."

James Pely was slightly taken aback.

Then he laughed: "Wow, Ian, you're amazing! You didn't even need my reminder! So, who are you going to support?"

"Of course it's the Democrats. CBS has always supported the Democrats, hasn't it?" Ian retorted.

James Perry pumped his fist excitedly: "I knew it! I knew Ian, you wouldn't let us down! We'll have a glorious victory in this midterm election!"

Who won the midterm elections in the past?

I don't remember, and I don't care.

Many things are bound to change, and at least for now, Ian has enough influence.

It's important to understand that midterm elections are different from presidential elections; the former are elections for members of parliament, which affect the number of seats available to them.

A president who gains 51% of the vote and a president who gains 80% of the vote are both presidents; there's no difference.

However, in the midterm elections, 51% and 80% directly represent seats in the legislature, so even if you are already going to win, it won't affect your ability to continue striving for higher support!

And that's exactly what Ian wanted!

When you can decide the rise and fall of a group of politicians, you can gain their support, and that support can quickly be converted into money!

Of course, the midterm elections in the United States are essentially local elections. For example, each state elects two senators. Due to the different political leanings of each state, many things cannot be resolved by a single word from an influential person.

In a sense, Ian's appeal had a greater effect on the presidential election than the midterm election—unfortunately, the presidential election wouldn't be until 03.

At that moment, Ian said, "I hope to focus my efforts on specific areas."

James Perry asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Ian replied, "California, New York, Nevada, and Michigan."

California and New York are easy to understand.

After all, the former is Ian's stronghold, and he must keep his base under control—Consul Brand has barely played a significant role before falling behind, and Ian's political reach is now extending from city councilors to senators and representatives.

The next governor of California is none other than Mr. Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he is already preparing for it.

Even though this guy is a Republican, Ian doesn't care.

Capitalists always support the winners and their interests; they have no real partisan affiliation.

New York is easy to understand; it's considered the center of the world and the most prosperous city. Even if the Gemini Tower were gone, it wouldn't affect its status.

Nevada and Michigan are different.

Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are known swing states, meaning their political leanings often shift between left and right.

The key to victory in every presidential election often lies in swing states—Trump is a rare exception, having undermined his opponent's traditional strongholds.

Whoever can influence swing states has the power to decide the fate of the nation.

Ian said that I am still small in stature. Although I have the title of a world hero, my real net worth is only a few hundred million. So let's try to get into these two places first.

There are reasons why these two were chosen.

Nevada has Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, which is also a great place to get confidential news;

Michigan has Detroit, the famous Motor City—although Detroit later went bankrupt, the city's bankruptcy did not affect its electoral standing.

The poor and the rich are equal, at least in terms of votes.

It's important to understand that the reason American elections need the support of wealthy individuals is not just because they provide political donations, but also because they can genuinely influence the vote.

Imagine you are the boss of a company with tens of thousands of employees. You support A to take the position. What would you do?

Donate millions of dollars?

No! That's nothing.

You will tell all your workers: Go vote for A immediately, or I'll fire you!

The latest novel is first published here!

This is what elections are like; they involve not only bribery but also coercion!

According to Ian and Gaskell's plan, their future goal is to control the American political situation with the media at its core.

The first step is to control the media, the second step is to improve investments to obtain money (this is Ian's own plan, after all, only he has the advantage of being reborn), and the third step is to get involved in the real economy and control the political arena.

Although the profits of the real economy are low, it creates a lot of jobs, which means it can influence a lot of votes!

So he said, "Do we have suitable friends?"

James Perry chuckled, "The media has no shortage of friends, it just depends on what kind you want."

Ian replied, "In California, I'll definitely focus on developing the film and television industry; I need influential friends in that field. As for the media, that's not urgent for now. We need to hurt them first, and then we can acquire them. Regarding other areas, I'll consider investing in some physical assets, such as prisons, hospitals, factories, construction companies, and casinos are also an option."

After a moment's thought, James Perry said, "Those heartless guys in Hollywood are tough to deal with; they've even ripped off Wall Street."

Ian laughed, "No matter how difficult they are to deal with, they still have to fear me!"

"Where's the physical entity?" James Perry asked.

Ian replied, "Oh, of course it's for making money."

While influence can be monetized, monetization itself is an art, unless you use it for blackmail.

The most typical example is the monetization of politics.

For example, a certain richest man in India became famous because he befriended the legendary Piper of Monte Cristo, which led to his meteoric rise in wealth. He acquired land at the lowest possible price and developed pillar industries such as docks.

Influence can penetrate into countless places; anything in the world can be linked to the news, but you need a solid business foundation to realize its value.

Therefore, when Ian, who has enough influence, wants to get involved in the real economy, many business owners will welcome him.

He can acquire shares with minimal investment and then simply wait for dividends—in a sense, what he invests is not money, but his ability to protect, promote, and publicize these companies!

In this respect, Ian's path is destined to prevent him from becoming the sole owner of a super corporation like other protagonists—that would be a huge waste of his influence.

He aims to become a super investor, owning small stakes in each individual company, but potentially in thousands of large corporations across the United States. When he owns 10% of these companies, it means he owns 5% of the United States.

Upon hearing this, James Peley laughed: "Sounds good, but where are you going to get so much money?"

Ian replied, "Linuo Bank will support me."

James Peley was speechless.

Linuo Bank...

Was Gaskell really that helpful?

After a long pause, he asked, "Can I pursue Lena?"

Ian: "..."

(End of this chapter)