Politics could never be separated from the transfer of benefits.
Although politicians had always tried to show the public that they were pursuing genuine cleanliness and integrity, it was clearly impossible.
Politicians needed these things, while capitalists needed the politicians' help.
Some people held power, while others held wealth. They all possessed something the others needed, and so these behind-the-scenes transactions between money and power came into existence.
Politicians needed money to expand their networks. The reason Councilor Landon had been able to quickly establish himself in Congress was ultimately because Lin Qi was supporting him from behind the scenes.
Without the money Lin Qi provided, how could he have turned most of the congressmen into his friends? One had to understand that in any world, any era, and any country's political center, it had never been a place with a low cost of living.
It gathered the richest and most powerful people in the country. When these people gathered together, the cost of living immediately rose.
If Councilor Landon wanted to befriend some senators, he could hardly invite senators whose clothes and jewelry alone could buy an entire restaurant to sit on short stools at a roadside barbecue shop, beside greasy, damaged tables, and eat unlimited scraps of beef costing a few dollars! That was obviously impossible. He had to spend thousands of dollars at upscale venues, such as private clubs, inviting these people to enjoy a suitably luxurious meal.
That money... relying on his salary, he simply could not afford it. So he needed money to support his "political activities," and the capitalists would come looking for him.
Capitalists could provide him with money. Like Lin Qi, they could give Landon ample funding, allowing him to quickly gain an impression of being "generous" in the eyes of the