572: Chapter 572: Consortium and Legislators (Happy New Year’s Eve/Large Chapter for Monthly Votes) 572: Chapter 572: Consortium and Legislators (Happy New Year’s Eve/Large Chapter for Monthly Votes) The night was deep, and the bustling comrcial district was still brilliantly illuminated.
Against the man-made lights, the bright moon seed dim and colorless.
As the taxi passed the deep-set entrance to the bar, He Ao could vaguely hear the rhythmic music inside.
The nightscape of Vitland was a fusion of noise and silence.
Lively shopping areas, sleepless entertainnt venues, dynamic music—people were imrsed in this seemingly eternal bustle.
On the other side lay the ceaselessly lit office buildings, the thunderously operating machines of factories that never halted, the coming and going of tired crowds, and the deathly still residential areas of Plante District.
So of the big screens outside the malls were playing Ned’s election comrcials, while others showed the evening news.
The crowds flowed past, like ants beneath the grandeur of human-made structures.
“There are only three days left until the midterm election,” a host, clad in an oversized suit and slightly portly, with a thick accent, sat before the broadcast table,
“To be exact, aside from today and the official election date of March 1st, candidates have only tomorrow and the day after to prepare for the midterm election.”
He raised his hand, and a graphic appeared in the upper left corner of the screen, “In this midterm election, all mbers of the House of Representatives will be elected anew, and a third of the senators.
One of our Vitland City’s senatorial seats is among those up for re-election.
“We’ve analyzed the congressn in our last segnt, so today let’s talk about the senators.
“Senators differ greatly from congressn.
According to the Federation Constitution, congressn serve a term of only two years, while senators have a term of six years.
The longer tenure ans they can exert more influence on the Federal Assembly and advance more legislation.
“The senatorial seat is also one of the most likely stepping stones to the position of Federation President.”
A new photo appeared on the chart, showing a man in a suit who looked mild-mannered and confident—Ned,
“According to the current surveys, incumbent Senator Ned is the most popular candidate in this election, with a support rate of about 30%, making him the candidate with the highest support rate thus far.
“Ned belongs to the traditional Federation senators and has promoted many laws beneficial to the Federation during his term.
He has served as a senator for twelve years.
“His uncle was also a senator for Vitland, and his maternal grandfather had once been the Vice President of the Federation.
His whole family has a high level of influence throughout the Federation and can effectively use this influence to push through legislation favorable to Vitland.
“In this election, he claims that if re-elected, he will promote assistance for holess children, propose legislation to protect workers’ rights, and push for tax cuts,”
The host closed Ned’s photo, “At the mont, Ned is very likely to be re-elected as senator.
Besides Ned, the other candidates’ support rates in the survey are not high.
The second-ranked Dasanc has less than 13% support, and no one else has even surpassed 10%.
“And this Dasanc is a newcor candidate.
This year is his first ti participating in the senatorial election, only thirty-seven years old.
He claims that he worked as a laborer in the Industrial District of Plante for so ti and later got into college, becoming a lawyer.
“He has proposed many campaign promises that benefit workers, and thus he has garnered more support in the Plante District and the southern Ernst District, which have a higher number of workers,
“However, since he has no previous governance experience—having neither served as a city councilman nor coming from a good family background—even his supporters express doubt about his governing ability…”
He Ao stared at the screen displaying the late-night news on the facade of the office building.
There was no sound from the screen, and it was also far above the ground.
The only way for viewers to understand what the anchor was saying was by reading the subtitles on the screen.
As he watched the screen, the taxi driver in front glanced at it too, but quickly diverted his attention and continued driving without a care.
Through the rearview mirror, He Ao saw the driver’s calm expression and spoke softly, “It seems that a lot of people are concerned about the midterm elections lately.”
“Elections, they’re always like this,” the driver said.
Hands on the steering wheel, he looked ahead at the road stretching into the dark night, “After all, it’s only at this ti that we seem to be important.”
“Do you have any senators you want to vote for?”
He Ao leaned back in his seat and asked softly.
“No, I haven’t voted for many years,”
With a shrug, the driver slapped the steering wheel and let out a sigh, “When I was young, I always thought I could elect an outstanding leader.
But as ti went by, I realized it didn’t matter whom I chose; my life didn’t change at all.
Eventually, I couldn’t be bothered to vote anymore since the end result always seems to be the sa.
“All these candidates stand up straight, looking very capable and reliable, as if they’re chosen by God to beco a congressman or mayor, but God doesn’t pick anyone.
They are chosen, just by corporations.”
The driver maneuvered the steering wheel, turning the taxi onto a road to the right, “To elect a senator, it’s not about how capable or talented you are, but whether your fa is high enough, whether you have money, whether you can afford the cost of campaigning.”
Glancing at Ned’s poster through the window, the driver puckered his lips, “Look, this one is the richest among those running for senator this ti,”
He reclined in the driver’s seat, the vehicle speeding under the neon lights,
“But where does all this money co from?
Federal law says that campaigns can be financed through small donations from supporters, but all these ads, these videos, and the money to buy out comntators and TV stations, how much of it is actually from small donations from ordinary supporters?
“I don’t know if you’re willing to donate to these politicians to fund their lavish lifestyles.
“I certainly am not willing.
After paying rent, settling credit card installnts, and paying off student loans, I’m barely left with anything.
I wouldn’t have the money to donate even if I wanted to.”
At this point, the driver chuckled, glancing at the surrounding opulent comrcial buildings, “These candidates need advertising, publicity, and people to organize their speeches, all of which cost money.
This money won’t just appear out of nowhere.
If they can’t get it from us poor voters, they have to turn to corporations.
“After taking their money, you have to do their bidding.
So, those so-called campaign promises, just listen and let it be.
They say they’re campaigning for us, but in reality, they’re campaigning for themselves.
Although we hold the ballots, we don’t really decide whether they get elected or not.
“Corporations decide who to invest money in, who gets more exposure, who gets seen by more people.
The well-known candidates, of course, are more likely to get elected.
“Those who don’t want to work with corporations or don’t comply with their will, the corporations won’t give them money and might even send people to sabotage their speeches.
Even if these candidates really wanted to do sothing, without visibility they get no votes and eventually fade into obscurity among the masses.
“So, for these candidates, what truly determines who cos into power is not us with the ballots, but the corporations with the funds.
“These contenders are only accountable to those who truly decide their fate.
So no matter how grandiose their words or how beautiful their election promises seem during the campaign, it’s just a temporary ans to deceive us, the ones without money.
“Once they are actually elected, they will only serve those corporations that spent a great deal of money on them.”
The street lights ahead gradually dimd, and the bright yellow taxi disappeared into the night.
“The Federation is like that; even that late-night news broadcast you just saw would never normally appear on the screens of a bustling shopping district like we just passed.”
“The way that host was talking, although they seed very neutral on the surface, they were actually praising Canid and belittling the other candidates.
It was clear to see it was soone who’d been paid off.”
“You seem to know a lot.”
He Ao asked softly.
“I went to university before,” the taxi driver pulled out a cigarette, then hesitated, asking softly, “Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Please, go ahead.”
He Ao nodded his head.
“Back when I was at school, I was the vice president of the student council; I even thought about becoming a politician myself,”
The driver rolled down the window and lit his cigarette.
As the hazy smoke rose, he said slowly, “But the more I got involved, the more I realized that without money, without support, without recognition, hardly anyone would vote for .
“I couldn’t even scrape together enough money for my first speech.
At first, I tried to contact those who supported my candidacy to see if I could collect so money, but then I couldn’t get through to them anymore.”
“It took several years to figure out the rules inside out, to approach those conglorates and factories for financial support.
With no qualifications or background, they barely gave the ti of day.
“Eventually, I found a factory willing to ‘invest’ in unknown rookies like us ‘candidates.’ This factory invested heavily in worthless rookies like us.
I knew they didn’t appreciate ; they were just casting a wide net, trying their luck.”
“The factory had very straightforward requirents: take their money and do their bidding.”
The driver took a drag on his cigarette.
“Both my parents were regular factory workers; I knew how terrible the factory conditions were and how hard their work was.
My initial reason for running for office was to change the factories and improve the living conditions for people like my parents.
“But the corporation behind the factory demanded that if I got elected, I had to help them push for legislation to reduce wages, to further relax environntal restrictions on factories, and to obstruct bills that would raise the minimum wage in the assembly.
“Although I had anticipated it, I was still stunned for a long ti when I heard such demands.”
The driver held the cigarette in his mouth as the cold air and the darkness of the night swept in through the window, “On one hand, there was the chance for funding that I struggled so long to get; on the other hand, there were my ideals and integrity.”
After taking a deep drag, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and stretched it out the window, “Eventually, I thought, to hell with it.
Let soone else do that sort of thing.
“I left the factory and all my dreams behind.”
The sweeping wind whisked the cigarette ember into the night sky.
“In that mont, I knew I couldn’t change the world, so I got a job driving a taxi.
Even though the taxi company is as much of a bastard as the factories, at least when I drive through the wind, I’m free.”
As the cigarette in his fingers burned to the end, the driver put it aside, looking sowhat wistful.
Glancing at He Ao’s quietly listening expression in the rearview mirror, he said,
“Sorry for loading all this on you.”
“No problem,” He Ao revealed a smile, “I actually quite like hearing these things.
My mother is a writer, and when I was young, she often took traveling.
In every place we visited, she would take taxis, talk with the drivers, and listen to their different stories.
Um…”
He Ao paused for a mont, “But your story is pretty legendary among all the ones I’ve heard.”
“Really?”
The taxi driver laughed, “Being a candidate isn’t really as mystical as it seems.
Once you cross that threshold, a lot of things are similar to other industries.
Your mother sounds like a really interesting person; the stories she writes must be very engaging.”
“Yeah,”
He Ao looked out the window, activating his Super mory in the intangible darkness, feeling those thoughts that swirled like a tide flooding into his perception, “She’s sowhat of a best-selling author.
Most of the ti, her thoughts are rather wild, but of course, when I ss up, she’s just as fierce as any other mother.”
In the depths of this city, there seed to be so undercurrent stirring, and this was not the first ti He Ao had sensed it.
Before, when looking for the previous location of Jess’s lab, he had felt it once.
But this ti, within these swirling currents, He Ao felt a familiar energy he had only encountered briefly before.
“Mothers are the sa everywhere; my own is no exception,”
The driver glanced at He Ao’s face through the rearview mirror, noting the affection and reminiscence on his cheeks.
Realizing he might have broached a delicate topic, he did not pursue it further but instead pressed the gas pedal, asking instead,
“Your destination seems to be an abandoned industrial building, and it’s an urgent manual request.
Going there so late, do you have sothing to take care of?”
“I have a friend nearby.”
He Ao turned away from the window, replying softly.
He looked at his wristband, checking the content displayed on it.
The wristband’s screen was currently on the ssaging interface, showing the chat history between him and Heish.
The first few ssages were normal, with Heish telling him she had arrived in Plante and was about to et that ‘old friend.’
He Ao typically asked if she needed help, but as usual, she had declined.
[We’ve been friends for many years; it’s normal to et up and trade information once in a while.
It’s absolutely safe, no need to worry.
At one in the morning, we’ll et in the Zhalote District.
I’ll give you the data chip then.]
That was Heish’s exact ssage.
By then, He Ao had finished tidying up the house and promptly left for the Plante District.
Then ca another ssage ten minutes later.
[15 Vincent Street in Plante District]
It was a location ssage.
After that, Heish hadn’t replied to any more of He Ao’s ssages, and his calls to her went unanswered.
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