Rushing to Contribute to the Federation

"Me?" Ferral continued driving with great focus. He glanced at another car following behind, and saw that the person in the driver's seat had come out with Lin Qi. He guessed that the person was probably Lin Qi's bodyguard or something similar.

For a moment, he was a little dazed, as if his first meeting with Lin Qi was not long ago, when Lin Qi placed a check for five thousand dollars on the table and asked him for some solutions.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Qi had already progressed to the point where he needed to carry bodyguards with him at all times? He came back to his senses and said, "It's alright. Actually, everyone knows that I'm just a..." He pursed his lips and gave a helpless smile, then shook his head, "... just a transition. I have no right to complain about anything. On the contrary, I should thank you, the governor, and the mayor for their recommendation."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the current mayor of Sabine City, Landon, will announce his resignation after the State Election and recommend Ferral to succeed him as the new mayor of Sabine City.

With Landon's recommendation, the governor's support, and Lin Qi's affirmation, Ferral's election as mayor faced virtually no obstacles, though his term as mayor would not last long.

Landon had some disagreements with the governor, who wanted to give the mayoral job of Sabine City to his brother, but Mayor Landon did not agree. He used his personal connections to gain support within the party.

This led to a minor conflict between the two, but thanks to Lin Qi, they began to resolve the conflict to a limited extent. Mayor Landon was also willing to give up his mayoral position in exchange for a new job as a member of the House of Representatives.

In exchange, his aide and secretary Ferral, would temporarily serve as the acting mayor of Sabine City, but only for two years.

Two years later Ferral will resign from his current job, citing his inability to serve as mayor of a city. He will then nominate a State Senator to succeed him. The State Senate will hold two hearings and make a final judgment. The State Senator will then take over Ferral's job as the new mayor of Sabine City and begin a new mayoral campaign.

This arrangement has nothing to do with his status. His relationship with the governor is just average, and it's certainly not because he's another nephew of the Adelaide. Just because he's related to the governor doesn't mean anyone made an unfair decision! Does being related to the governor mean one can't contribute to the Federal people?

Absurd!

In short, this satisfies everyone's needs and completes the process of finally welcoming a new mayor. Ferral will also be promoted to a cadre position within the party because of his two years of experience governing a region. If he can find some people, like capitalists such as Lin Qi, to support him in the next general election, then he may actually govern a region, become a real mayor, and step onto the political stage.

In short, the whole process may not seem very complicated, but it involves too many vested interests. For example, if State Senator who is supposed to be the governor's brother becomes the mayor, then there will be an extra State Senator position available.

Everyone knows that the governor is seeking more re-election, and a State Senator position can definitely sway a faction to his side.

Don't underestimate State Senator. Under the Federal system of relative autonomy for each state, State Legislature are not much different from Congress. They can also initiate, submit, review, and vote on various local bills. However, their influence is not as great as that of Congress; they can only affect themselves and their surrounding areas.

From a purely practical point of view, it's not too bad.

Behind this, there are actually more unseen exchanges of interests. All people see is the sudden resignation of the new mayor and the arrival of a new one.

"This is actually not bad, at least I don't need to participate in the election!" Ferral said with a smile. He wasn't really afraid of running for office. In fact, just looking at the clean streets around him made it clear where his confidence came from.

The unprecedented economic recession has made being a mayor a high-risk profession for frontline politicians. It's no longer about whether a politician has the necessary political qualities; the problem now is that no matter who comes, it won't work! Everyone who comes will fail. This is why the Conservative Party has retreated completely. The previous president left a mess that they can't clean up themselves, so they simply choose not to compete and instead retreat to advance.

When people realize that the Progressive Party is actually not very useful, they can then stand up and actively compete. By then, the economy will have started to improve, and people will be thinking, "Why not try a different ruling party?" At that time, they can stand in the sunlight and receive cheers from the people again. But now is not the time.

But nobody's that stupid now. Taking over a mess and proving to people that they're just as bad as their predecessor would only make them a laughingstock. Besides, there's the Mayor Landon, the governor's endorsement, and the support of businessmen like Lin Qi. How foolish it would be for anyone to stand up and compete with Ferral!

Of course, those who are just there for the ride don't count. The Federal is a highly free country, and fairness and justice are what people strive for.

"The prospect of taking that position makes me somewhat apprehensive. You know, in the past, someone else made the decisions, not me. Now, I'm the one making the decisions, and I have to face the good or bad outcomes myself. This has put a lot of pressure on me lately."

He slowly turned the steering wheel, not neglecting road safety while talking to Lin Qi, and paying attention to the vehicles behind him. "Sometimes I have a moment when I want to back down, but I can't do that."

Ferral is indeed under great pressure. Although the situation in the city has improved somewhat, the unemployment rate remains high. Every day, the relief stations that distribute food aid are crowded with ordinary citizens holding Food Stamps and waiting to receive food to survive.

Mayor Landon previously dared to defy the governor's private "advice," insisting on running for mayor and successfully winning the election. His departure now cannot be said to be a compromise, but rather a "retreat in the face of difficulties."

Given the dire situation, if things went well, everyone would be happy, but more likely, things wouldn't go well enough, and being forced off the stage would be even more humiliating. So he withdrew in time and preserved his victory.

In terms of actual power held by an individual, the mayor is clearly superior to a member of the House of Representatives. However, in terms of an individual's influence on society as a whole, the latter has a greater influence and more economic and political value in terms of the timing of their transformation.

The mayor had a way to compromise, but Ferral had no possibility or room to retreat, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go on.

As the two chatted, the car slowly pulled up outside the City Hall. Mayor Landon was indeed leaving, but until he actually left, he was still the mayor of this city, Lin Qi should visit him first.

"Congratulations..."

As soon as he entered, the mayor greeted him and warmly shook Lin Qi's hand. "I knew that choosing you was the right decision. In just over a year, the club won a championship. Yesterday, they held a small celebration, which was very lively. You can watch the rebroadcast news; it will introduce you to the event."

As he spoke, he and Lin Qi walked over to the sofa and sat down. "Sports are very effective in boosting the morale of citizens. At least people's appearance won't be as bad as before. You've done a good job. I was talking about these things with Ferral yesterday, considering how to encourage more people to promote and invest in sports."

Ferral, who was serving the two, nodded and placed two glasses of wine in front of them. Mayor Landon pointed to the sofa next to them, "You sit down too."

Ferral wouldn't normally have a place in this kind of setting, but considering he'll soon be taking over as Mayor Landon, the mayor needs to give him the respect he deserves.

No one knows how everyone's future will unfold. Even setting aside their past collaborations, it's necessary to respect Ferral, considering he was young once.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Lin Qi turned the conversation to Mayor Landon's future plans, "I heard you've already decided where you're going?"

This was originally a very awkward topic. Before this, the governor couldn't guarantee that he could get the position in the House of Representatives. It was very likely that he would just be able to get a seat in the State Senate. But unexpectedly, a member of the House of Representatives from his party suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized.

He was an Old Gentleman who had dedicated his life to the people of the Federal. At seventy-five years old, he was still working diligently and conscientiously.

The doctor examined him and concluded that he could no longer contribute to the Federal. He was saddened, but this also gave him a new opportunity. The governor immediately mobilized his resources to get this veteran congressman, who had dedicated his life to the Federal, to nominate Mayor Landon to Congress as his successor and take over his work.

Of course, this is a simplified explanation; in reality, it is quite complex. After Mayor Landon resigns, he will work as an assistant to this dedicated Old Gentleman for about one or two months to familiarize himself with the House of Representatives ' procedures.

Then this Old Gentleman, who is eager to dedicate his light and heat to the Federal, will say that he is really no longer able to do so. His State Legislature will then elect Old Gentleman successor after at least two rounds of voting, most likely Landon, who has been quietly helping him with his work during his illness.

If Landon can pass two public debates held by the Congressional Election Commission and is not opposed by more than half of the members, then he will represent another state in the House of Representatives as a proud member to serve the people.

This involves a political exchange between the governor and another state, so it's definitely not as simple as it sounds.

Mayor Landon seems to have figured it out now. He's not young anymore, and becoming governor is unlikely. Rather than continuing to waste his time clinging to this place for a tiny bit of power, it's better to go to Congress and serve the people of the Federal! At least that way, he can have a pleasant old age without having to worry about money!