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Preton took the girl away from the filthy, rotten basement. They stayed temporarily for a day in a small hotel under the girl's identity. The routine was that the girl would book a room, and then Preton would go in.

The registrar, who never looks up, only remembers the faces and names of those registering; she has no time to care about those coming and going.

Instead of wasting time paying attention to the people coming and going, you might as well watch some TV. At least watching TV will bring you joy, while watching those people won't.

At the hotel, Preton threw the girl into the bathroom and washed her clean as if he were washing a pony or cleaning an animal in a farmhouse.

After washing off the heavy makeup, a young and pretty girl with freckles on her face and brown hair appeared in the mirror.

Without those exaggerated makeup looks, she appears very pure and innocent. For a girl who has just turned eighteen, as long as she is clean and tidy, she will appear pure and innocent.

This is the beauty of youth; it allows people to naturally show their best side without needing deliberate embellishment or artifice. Beauty is revealed naturally.

The girl in the mirror felt uneasy facing her former self. She didn't know where to put her hands, which moved aimlessly around her body. Her eyes also wandered, revealing a sense of guilt and a cowardly reluctance to look directly at her.

She dared not face herself, dared not face her past self. In fact, she knew that her life was a mess, but so what? Everyone's life is a mess, and it's already good that she wasn't the worst one.

"Remember what I told you?" Preton tossed a newly bought nightgown to the girl and gave her a word of advice.

The girl nodded as she put on her pajamas. "You're a kind person who took me in. Your wife passed away a few years ago. I think you're a reliable person, so..."

This is the identity Preton fabricated for himself: a widower living on the other side of the city who met a girl who had been homeless for some time and decided to take her in.

Then a lonely heart and a person in need of care came together. It's a heartwarming story that doesn't get you hooked.

The girl went home with him this time, encouraged by him, because she wanted to tell her family, at least her mother, to make sure no one would be sad or upset for her.

They will leave after staying for a while.

A great story.

Everything unfolded exactly as Preton had envisioned. The girl's stepfather, who was lusting after her body, chose money over his unattainable stepdaughter and began to protect her like a real father. He even warned Preton not to mess around and not to abandon the girl.

It was a... strange feeling. The girl had never realized that money could have such a terrifying power; it could change not only a person's attitude, but also their soul.

Preton hid himself away peacefully, and the neighbors treated him very well, even thinking that the girl was lucky to have found a rich man.

He gradually integrated into the local community by occasionally giving out small gifts to everyone in Preton.

Some people are relaxed, while others are tense.

After finishing his speech at Kuli Lan City State University, Lin Qi didn't linger and returned to Sabine City. His time was limited, and he would soon have to go back to Bu Peien, where a lot of things awaited him.

Early in the morning, he made a phone call to Ferral, and soon after, Ferral appeared in front of Lin Qi.

His expression was a little strange, like... a bit embarrassed. "Perfect timing, I also need to talk to you about something..."

Lin Qi nodded. "Let's talk as we walk."

While sitting in the car, Ferral finally brought up what he wanted to discuss with Lin Qi, "You know, I've been a consultant at your company..." Lin Qi continued to nod, as he had proactively invited Ferral to become a consultant for his company.

Ferral did indeed play a significant role for him at the time, and even now, with the scale he has grown to its current size, it cannot be said that Ferral has no connection whatsoever with him.

It was through Ferrall Lynch's meeting with Adelaide and conveying his ideas to the governor that he had the opportunity to attend the celebration hosted by the president and meet Mr. Truman. This was not a bad investment.

However, Ferral had a different perspective on his position. "You know, now that your career has reached this point, the advice I can offer you is no longer sufficient to meet your needs for the company's development."

Lin Qi is now on a very high level. If he wants, and if the President does have the time, he can easily be received by the President at the Presidential Palace and have a chat with him for a while.

In addition, there is Mr. Truman. Mr. Truman's outstanding performance in this series of crises has earned him a lot of points. Some people say that he may be promoted to a more important role in a major ministry, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the former Vice Minister have no achievements or ability to handle these diplomatic crises. It would be perfect to appoint Mr. Truman as a Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lin Qi has already been able to get in touch with people at this level, so it seems a bit inadequate for Ferral, a mayor's advisor.

It's not that he's not worthy of being friends or partners with Lin Qi, but rather that he's not playing a significant role at this point, yet he still holds the title of consultant and receives a huge monthly salary from Lin Qi.

He felt he had let down the job and the money, since he couldn't do anything more.

Lin Qi patted his arm, "Since you brought it up, I respect your decision..."

People can be so sentimental sometimes. Before meeting Lin Qi and talking to him about these things, Ferral was still thinking about how to persuade Lin Qi, afraid that Lin Qi would not agree.

Actually, he did this not entirely out of selfless intentions; he had some ulterior motives.

Following these major breakthroughs in diplomacy and military affairs, the Federal stock price began to rise, and the Federal Industrial Index showed significant growth for several days in a row. Although the rate of increase was slow and the index climbed only slightly, it was indeed growth against the trend.

The stock market, the financial world, and the empire's top tycoons all gathered here. The appreciation of stocks benefited a large number of capitalists, who began to spontaneously stand on the president's side and advocate the benefits of the new government and new policies.

Capital has always been so blatant and shameless; whoever can bring them profit is their father.

In addition, the president agreed to some proposals and plans from the Department of Defense and the military, and increased Military Expenditure, which made the military, which was not originally on his side, willing to maintain a neutral stance in the election a year and a half later.

The president has a high chance of winning the election, and if he does, it means that a president who could potentially serve for ten years is about to be elected.

Ten years is enough time for the president to build his own core political force, and now is the perfect time for political opportunism.

A year and a half from Sabine City Mayor Landon will most likely leave to govern another place or move up to the State Government. At the very least, it won't be difficult for him to obtain a State Senate or a member of the House of Representatives.

Ferral desperately needs strong supporters to bolster his campaign.

Lin Qi's attitude is crucial. If he pretends to know nothing and continues to serve as a consultant for Lin Qi Company while receiving a high salary, who knows if he will leave a label of greed in Lin Qi's mind?

When the election comes, all he has to do is smile and praise his opponent, even if he doesn't talk about Ferral, he'll get a lot of votes for his opponent.

The big capitalists in each region have a strong control over the votes in their region, and they have many ways to demand that workers take the same political stance as them.

So Ferral had to say these things, but after he did Lin Qi immediately agreed to his request, which made him feel extremely disappointed.

So, in Lin Qi's heart, I'm so unimportant?!

So, a jerk is just being pretentious. But Ferral quickly cheered up, which was actually a good thing. Without too much interference from interests, their relationship became cleaner.

He was being too naive. Lin Qi quickly offered a new lure. "I just had someone register a Labor Company. Do you have any relatives or friends? You can have someone invest in it. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ferral was taken aback. Investing in local companies had always been a privilege reserved for those in power. A mayor's advisor like him could at most enjoy some perks on a regular basis.

Additional sources of income, such as consulting, or simply small, thoughtful gifts, like a set of golf clubs.

Few, if any, would suggest giving them the opportunity to invest, because they are not qualified.

Ferral had just been feeling a little sad, was suddenly overjoyed. This wasn't the kind of joy that comes from feigning excitement; it was genuine joy. He suddenly realized that Lin Qi was a really good person—kind, friendly, and almost every positive word could be used to describe him.

Seeing that Ferral was still in the afterglow of surprise, Lin Qi patted his arm. "I heard that the mayor will be leaving in two years. In any case, I personally support your candidacy."

"You understand this city better than anyone else, and you know what the people living here need. This is your advantage, something others can't do, so I will support you!"

"Mr. Lin Qi ..." Ferral was a little excited. Happiness came too quickly, so quickly that he wasn't prepared for it to hit him in the face. He even used the title "Mr" to address Lin Qi. "Thank you very much!"

"You'll see, choosing me will definitely not be a choice you'll regret!"