A great many people had come today. Quite a few local capitalists were there as well, along with government officials from various levels. The new governor certainly had considerable clout.
Even if these mayors were not interested in Ms. Tracy, the female governor, they still had to show at a time like this that they were willing to submit to her leadership. Otherwise, some things would become very troublesome.
There were also some local film and television stars, some local celebrities, and a small number of social activists.
Close to lunchtime, the Progressive Party whip arrived.
"Congratulations, Ms. Tracy... Ah, no, I should say Governor Tracy!" Mr. Douglas was still the same as ever. He had just used a rhetorical flourish that sounded like a kind-hearted joke.
But if you looked at his face and listened to his words, it was hard to believe he was joking. Instead, you would feel that he had genuinely misspoken.
The governing party whip held a sufficiently high position and wielded considerable power. If anyone could represent the entire ruling party at a time like this, then aside from the party leader, it was probably the whip.
He was the most direct embodiment of the party. Refraining from openly displaying emotion was part of his "duty." Showing happiness or sorrow too readily would make people see him as insufficiently composed.
And the whip was precisely a position that required composure.
After Ms. Tracy had stared blankly for a second and still could not determine whether it was a joke, she treated it as one and firmly clasped Mr. Douglas's hand. "Thank you for coming in person. I've already submitted the written materials to the committee."
She had delivered a speech in Bu Peien titled "Song of the Times." Some people called the speech a