Charity and Food Stamps

Mark's investment in the Interstellar Trade Company on behalf of the mayor may be hard for some ordinary people to understand, but it is actually quite normal, because there are things that ordinary people may not even have heard of or heard of that are happening.

Some jokingly say that the last second of every general election in the Bayer Federation is the moment when a new conglomerate is born. The Bayer Federation has a history of more than 300 years since its founding and has had a total of 52 presidents.

Why fifty-two? Because some presidents accidentally fell and died while going downstairs, or were blown into the sea by a gust of wind and disappeared without a trace while fishing at the beach, or...

In short, some people are just not so lucky, but that's normal, that's life, isn't it? Apart from these somewhat unlucky presidents, almost every other president has the shadow of a conglomerate behind him. For example, the well-known "Jerry & Dice" in the Federal is a typical conglomerate that was born out of the presidency.

This consortium has supported three politicians to their moment of glory on the Federal stage, and it is precisely because they have supported three presidents that "Jerry & Dice" has never encountered any trouble for over a hundred years.

No one knows when they will elect a new president for the Federal, who will also be the fourth president belonging to their group.

Oh, by the way, these three presidents are the son of the founder of "Jerry & Dice", his son's grandson, and his son's grandson's son. They are all one family!

Political forces and capitalist forces are sometimes like fire and water, but sometimes they are inseparable. This is the Bayer Federation, a country of freedom and sweetness!

In this light, the mayor's investment in the Interstellar Trade Company becomes less alarming, especially since it was his nephew Mark who accomplished it. Lin Qi believes that if any problems arise, Mark will immediately step forward and apologize to the public.

Because he did these terrible things behind his uncle's back, and his uncle, the mayor, would never easily forgive anyone who broke the law and the rules, even if that person was his nephew.

If these terrible things hadn't happened, and if the Interstellar Trade Company had been able to continue making a profit in a relatively appropriate way, perhaps in the future Lin Qi and his company would have become part of a conglomerate. Of course, the mayor wouldn't be the president; the core would be his superiors or even his superiors.

By this time, Lin Qi had long since passed the age of cynicism. He didn't feel offended at all; on the contrary, he thought it was a good thing. After Mark invested, there were some things that were difficult to do, which Mark could now handle.

No one is more suitable for the role than him. Many people think that Mark represents the mayor, and that even if there is trouble, one should solve it oneself and not bother Mark, because bothering Mark is the same as bothering the mayor. But Lin Qi does not think so.

Everyone knows that when Mark represents the mayor, Mark's appearance signifies the mayor's attitude. He doesn't even need to say anything; just standing by his side is enough! Leaving aside this trivial matter, Lin Qi met with the mayor the next day. It was a Charity Gala, and strictly speaking, it was. Almost all the local social elites of Sabine City were present.

The number of people is not large, only a few hundred. The Upper Class circle of a city with a population of 800,000 can only accommodate a few hundred people. Among them, about half to a third are only allowed to enter the hall because their male or female companions have the opportunity. They themselves do not have the ability to do so, which makes the actual number of people in the upper circle even smaller.

Lin Qi sat in a slightly back seat. His age, career, and wealth were not enough for him to sit in the most prominent seat in the middle of the first row. However, sitting in the back had its advantages. At least he could see all the little actions of the well-dressed ladies and gentlemen in front of him.

The theme of tonight's Charity Gala is to help some unemployed people get through their current difficulties through donations. The unemployment rate in Sabine City has reached a terrible 16 percent, and there have been cases of people starving to death.

This was not a good sign. The City Hall, or rather the mayor, used his personal influence to suppress the news, but he also realized that the situation had really reached a point where it was time to start mobilizing political forces.

In fact, people starve to death every year. It's normal for homeless people on the streets to die from heat in the summer, from freezing to death in the winter, and from starvation from time to time.

A few years ago, there were reports of a homeless man attacking stray dogs, only to be overpowered and devoured by the pack. This incident briefly sparked heated discussions in society, but people stopped paying attention to this group afterward.

Many people share the same view when interviewed by reporters: homeless people have hands and feet; they can work to support themselves, and even scavenging can make a good living for them. But they choose to beg, so they don't deserve sympathy.

This time, however, it wasn't a homeless person who starved to death, but an unemployed elderly person living alone.

While he may be considered old, he's not actually that old; he's only in his fifties and hasn't reached retirement age yet.

He used to have a job, but he lost his job four months ago. He wanted to work but couldn't find one. After running out of savings, he starved to death in his bed.

If it weren't for his neighbors being affected by the stench, it might have taken much longer to discover the matter. Therefore, the mayor realized that things could not be delayed any longer and that some solutions had to be found.

The mayor stood on the podium and briefly delivered the news in a very somber tone. The celebrities sitting below were also shocked, and some of the ladies even shed tears of sorrow.

Some people were indeed shocked, but some were not truly saddened.

For these people, it's hard to imagine that an ordinary person could actually starve to death. The situation is indeed not as good as it was a few years ago, but it shouldn't be that bad, right?

But that's the reality; many people are facing hunger and hardship, and they need help.

In the Bayer Federation, similar situations have occurred over the past three hundred years, and they have developed a set of effective methods to solve these problems, at least for now: issuing Food Stamps and Supply Stamps.

At first, people would give these people money directly, but they soon discovered that some people were fraudulently claiming the money, while others used it to gamble or squander it, and then applied again. So the monetary relief turned into Food Stamps and Supply Stamps.

The donations from celebrities are used to purchase large quantities of food and other necessities, which are then distributed to families in need.

It cannot make them rich, but at least it can prevent them from starving to death. This is the limit that the Bayer Federation can currently achieve: to prevent more people from starving to death.

The generous donations from each tycoon are not necessarily due to their actual generosity, but rather because it is a Charity Gala where all donations are "returned" to each kind donor through tax deductions.

At least the full amount can be deducted, and there may even be an additional deduction, so it's not a loss for them. They might even make a little money. This is why the top billionaires are happy to do charity. They have to pay too much tax, so paying less is a victory.

However, since there is a limit to the amount of tax deductible for charitable donations, the wealthy cannot actually decide how to allocate their donations. Before attending a charity gala, their personal accountants will tell them how much money is most appropriate to donate.

Everyone seemed to genuinely care for those in need, and people generously donated money. Lin Qi also donated 100,000 yuan, which drew many glances at this incredibly young man.

Perhaps it was Lin Qi's performance that made him seem like a "shill," because soon some people launched a second round of donations. They increased the donations from several thousand or tens of thousands to at least thirty to fifty thousand, and as many as one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand. They were a little puzzled as to whether this was the mayor's intention.

But they cannot take any risks, even if there is the slightest possibility.

By the end of the Charity Gala, the mayor had raised nearly 15 million dollars, which undoubtedly solved a significant portion of the current problems. In his final address, the mayor said that the more than 200,000 people in Sabine City who were suffering from hunger would have their stomachs filled thanks to everyone's kindness and compassion.

After the meeting, the mayor prepared to leave. He had other things to do, and the city's problems had been giving him a lot of headaches. Even though Mark had made a very profitable deal, it didn't bring much of a smile to his face.

Money can only satisfy material needs; what he yearns for is power.

However, he still spared half a minute for Lin Qi, scheduling Lin Qi for last. "I heard from Mark that he really likes you?"

The two people held hands and talked, and no one else could get close; this was a matter of etiquette in social situations.

Lin Qi nodded. "I like Mark a lot too. He's a great guy..." He seemed to have left his sentence unfinished, which puzzled the mayor, who urged him to say what he had to say as soon as possible, because he had a small closed-door meeting to attend soon.

Then Lin Qi said what he hadn't said before, "Is it too late for me to start a food factory now?"

The mayor paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. He thought Lin Qi would tell him about Mark or something from last night's deal, but instead he was thinking about the 15 million "charity" in his hands.

The mayor reaffirmed the idea of a young man with exceptional insight and unique perspective, but then shook his head. "Mark certainly didn't tell you that he already owns a food factory..." he said meaningfully. "I have high hopes for you two; you'll become good friends!"

Lin Qi pursed his lips. "That's a really sad thing. As for Mark and me..." He smiled. "I also believe we can become good friends."

The mayor patted his hand, said nothing more, and left. This disappointed some people who hadn't had a chance to speak with the mayor that evening and wanted to get closer. However, they soon began to scrutinize Lin Qi. What was his relationship with the mayor? Why would the mayor give him his last moment? Some people started trying to approach Lin Qi, but Lin Qi turned around and blended into the after-party following the Charity Gala.