It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

“If all else fails, we’ll use the process of elimination.” David, true to his title as principal, skillfully employed problem-solving strategies. “We pick out the suitable candidates, then eliminate them one by one, and the one left is the mayor.”

The tall, thin man thought this method was rather absurd, but he said helplessly, "It seems this is the only way. Let's announce our candidates again and line them up one by one..."

"Wait a moment."

Just then, the usually quiet, chubby man interrupted, saying, "I've been thinking about it, and it seems there really is someone suitable."

------

The following afternoon.

A few days ago, Smith seized the opportunity to showcase himself in front of three big shots, so he busied himself with running errands, spending money and putting in a lot of effort. Although he clearly gained goodwill and connections, he was also exhausted.

He finally finished his business today, and didn't go anywhere all day. He just stayed home drinking tea, spending time with his wife, and supervising Agnes's homework.

Relaxed and enjoyable.

But his leisurely mood didn't last long, as news from an uninvited guest soon shattered his peace.

"What?! I've been elected the new mayor???"

Smith pointed at himself incredulously, as if he couldn't understand what the other person was saying.

Before him stood a slightly overweight middle-aged man, Viscount Rupert, one of the few new nobles of the current era, who actively participated in commercial activities that were looked down upon by many nobles.

If this person hadn't personally come to deliver the good news, Smith would have almost thought someone was making fun of him.

"good."

The chubby man nodded and smiled without any airs, "In today's mayoral election, Chairman Smith, you have rightfully become the new mayor of Lincoln City with the highest number of votes, 11."

Smith exclaimed in shock, "But I didn't even run for office!"

Agnes, who had been eavesdropping nearby, was also shocked. She was absolutely certain that her father, Smith, hadn't left the house all day: "When did my dad become mayor? Could it be... that this isn't my dad? Or do I have two dads?"

Agnes seemed to have discovered some enormous secret and fell into a daze.

"The situation is urgent, so keep everything simple."

The chubby man gave an answer, squinting at the bewildered Smith in front of him. Smith's performance was exactly what he wanted.

He couldn't help but marvel at the coincidence, wondering if there really were people in the world who perfectly fit the criteria.

He should have some connection with all three parties, as well as with Mr. Banana and His Highness, but not too deep; he should have some ability, but not too much; he should not have strong local influence, but he should have some influence; he should be kind and good at listening to opinions, but not too easily swayed; he should share the same interests as us; it would be good if he was older, but not too old.

As a businessman, he was steadfast in his stance; as an outsider, he didn't have deep roots, but he had worked hard in Lincoln for several years; as a person with a family business in his early forties, he was calm but not too old; and most importantly, while having connections with the three of them, he was also able to get involved with Mr. Banana and His Highness.

It's unbelievable that so many conditions were met by one person; they simply couldn't believe it if they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes.

Absolutely amazing.

"Well, let's find someone else."

Although Smith was still in a daze, he was a self-aware person. He knew that although he had been busy and hard-working these past few days, it did not mean that he was qualified to become the new mayor.

Therefore, although he was somewhat envious, he sincerely said, "How can someone like me, a mere branch president, be a good mayor?"

It's okay, that's exactly what we value in you.

The chubby man muttered to himself, but naturally he couldn't reveal the whole reason aloud, as that would surely humiliate Smith.

"It's alright, the higher-ups have already decided that you will be the mayor."

So he patted Smith on the shoulder warmly and encouraged him with a serious expression: "You have to do everything to gain experience. Do a good job from now on. The future of Lincoln City is in your hands. Don't let us down!"

A sense of being appointed washed over him, and Smith suddenly felt immense pressure.

Chapter 212 The Peacock Spreads Its Tail

A person's achievements are inseparable from the course of history, in addition to personal efforts.

In any other season, Smith would probably have worked as a branch manager in this remote place until he died—if the Carter Chamber of Commerce hadn't gone bankrupt.

Now, suddenly he's become mayor—it's like a windfall hit him in the face. Smith is overwhelmed with immense joy.

After seeing off the overweight man, he looked around the living room, his excited emotions still hard to calm down. He wanted to quote a couple of lines from ancient Greek poetry to express his feelings, but unfortunately, his cultural knowledge was insufficient, and he couldn't find a suitable one at the moment.

Smith could only clap his hands and exclaim with delight, "Hey! I won!" Then he burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha..."

The laughter reached Agnes' ears, who was eavesdropping outside, and immediately gave her goosebumps.

She hadn't heard the whole story, and was just wondering how her father, who stayed home all day, could suddenly become mayor.

Hearing Smith's cheerful laughter, Agnes hurriedly left through the window and ran towards the living room, shouting as she ran, "Something's wrong! Something's wrong! Dad's gone mad!"

She made her way to the living room and found the thing her father was most afraid of, which was her mother—Anastasia.

Anastasia was the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Lincoln. When she was young, she was pursued by Smith, who had suffered an accident and went bankrupt. After pursuing him, they got married and had a daughter named Agnes.

Unfortunately, for some unknown reason after marriage, Anasta's waistline expanded rapidly, soon surpassing Smith's.

This is also why Smith secretly despised Li Cheng as a pretty boy in the past—he himself was actually one of them.

As the saying goes, rivals are enemies. When he saw Newton accompanying Li Cheng, with his delicate features and slender limbs, and thought of the beautiful girl he had worked so hard to pursue, who had now become a middle-aged shrew with a waistline thicker than his own, how could he not feel sad and shed tears?

Upon hearing the news that her husband had gone mad, Anastasia grabbed her floor-length dress and stormed into the living room.

"Hahahaha...I won!"

After pausing for a moment outside the door to confirm that Agnes was telling the truth, she kicked open the living room door and shouted angrily, "You bastard, what have you been bewitched?"

Upon hearing that familiar loud voice and seeing the shrew holding up her long skirt, the previously agitated Smith instantly calmed down.

His ability to recover from bankruptcy and become the branch president of the Carter Chamber of Commerce was largely due to his wife. However, this also resulted in him having a less than ideal position within the family.

But today is different.

Smith straightened his slightly disheveled collar, a calm yet slightly smug expression on his face, and said, "Madam, let me introduce you to the next mayor of Lincoln, Jemney Smith."

Jemney Smith will be the next mayor of Lincoln.

"just you?"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Anasta rolled her eyes and retorted sarcastically, "What's wrong with you? Don't you know what kind of person you are?"

Smith wasn't unaware of the truth, but he had been blinded by joy and his IQ had dropped somewhat. Now, after his wife poured cold water on his thinking, he instantly regained his senses and began to ponder why he had been chosen as mayor.

Perhaps someone is helping him behind the scenes.

But who is this person who not only helped him, but also had such a great influence that Principal David and Viscount Rupert changed their minds and nominated him to be mayor?

------

Before this.

The city hall is where the mayor's election takes place.

Because everything was done quickly and simply, even though not all the councilors were present, and even some of the mayoral candidates were absent, the only thing provided on site were a few black wooden boxes with the candidates' names on them. The names of the five candidates were even decided on the night before.

Of the five, three were just there to make up the numbers; the remaining two were the actual candidates for voting. One was the candidate the Garcia family was going to nominate, and the other was the candidate David and his group were going to nominate.

In the past, this mayoral election, which resembled nothing short of a farce, would never have been recognized as valid. But with the mayor, councilors, and government officials all harboring their own ulterior motives, it actually began.

"I'd like to say a few final words..."

After a brief, casual speech, the incumbent mayor allowed the councilors to proceed with the voting process. Everyone left the hall, and then the councilors were allowed in one by one to vote in turn, ensuring confidentiality and fairness.

After all the councilors had cast their votes, the vote counting process began. Everyone, including the mayor, councilors, and oversight officers, entered the hall, and then, under everyone's watchful eyes, staff opened the wooden crates one by one to tally the votes.

The final result was that Jemney Smith, a rather unfamiliar name, won with the highest number of votes, 11.

Clearly, one of the councilors bribed by Principal David and his two associates appeared to be a mole, taking bribes without doing any work. However, it seems there was also a mole on the other side, so Smith ultimately prevailed and became the new mayor without his knowledge.

Upon hearing this result, the incumbent mayor was so shocked that his jaw dropped.

what's the situation?

Where did this Smith come from? This isn't what we agreed on!

Although the situation was unclear, the incumbent mayor immediately shouted after hearing the result: "Wait a minute, I think there seems to be something wrong with this vote, and the result needs to be reconsidered."

“I’m sorry, Mr. Mayor, you have no right to request a revote.” The election organizer politely declined his request. “The results can only be reconsidered if the results are questioned by the supervisors and a majority of councilors voting simultaneously.”

The incumbent mayor, feeling helpless, turned his gaze to the assembled councilors and frantically hinted, "Gentlemen, don't you think there's something wrong with this vote? The process was too crude and simplistic, and many people couldn't make it in time. This result is unreasonable!"

Most of the councilors smiled and said, "Mr. Mayor, the voting process was fair and just, and it was all done right under our noses. I have no objection."

A small number of lawmakers, though somewhat puzzled and feeling that this was somewhat different from what had been agreed upon, believed they had fulfilled their duties and that the rest was none of their business, so they didn't bother to raise any questions.

Thus, the incumbent mayor was powerless to reverse the situation, and the voting results were officially confirmed, with Smith successfully elected as the next mayor of Lincoln.

David and his two companions learned of the news immediately. After a moment of celebration, they returned home to prepare their next steps, knowing that the Garcia family was unlikely to let the matter rest.

These nobles are shameless because of their privileged status. When they are in the right, they will talk to you about rules and laws, and they will talk to you about them in a very formal way. But when they are in the wrong, they like to resort to fists and talk to you about physics.

When the chubby man passed by Smith's house, on a whim, he went in and told the unsuspecting Smith the good news.

Otherwise, Smith might have had to wait until the dust settled and he was called to the city government to take over as mayor before he found out that he had actually won the mayoral election.

.....

While they were celebrating, the news quickly reached the Garcia family.

As expected by David and his companions, the Garcia family was furious when they learned that the mayor elected by the councilors was not the person they had chosen. They disregarded all rules and declared that they did not recognize the mayoral election.

"A bunch of ungrateful wretches raised by bitches!"

Count Garcia never expected that his seemingly perfect plan would run into trouble during the election. Had all his councilors betrayed him? Had so many of them been bribed?

After hurling a few curses, his emotions calmed down slightly.

Although this election is fraught with problems and may not be very reliable if it is conducted openly, the issue is that, combined with the rumors that "His Highness Edward wants to rectify himself before taking office," if the election is conducted fairly and justly from beginning to end, it is unlikely that his people will become mayor.

Making direct concessions is impossible; admitting defeat without doing anything is simply too embarrassing.

"Now that things have come to this, all we can do is stubbornly refuse to admit it."

Count Garcia's eyes flickered, preparing to act as if nothing had happened.

After all, doing nothing only risks sanctions. But if you voluntarily concede, you're guaranteed to be sanctioned. Everyone knows which option to choose.

Based on the above reasoning, the Garcia family firmly refused to recognize the legitimacy of this mayoral election and rejected the candidate's inauguration.

David and his two companions had anticipated this shameless denial and immediately notified Li Cheng, while also reporting it to Green, the steward in charge of the Hundred Households District, including Lincoln City, hoping for a fair ruling.

They were confident of success and eagerly awaited the final news at home.