HCB Chapter 276 Political Games
Chapter 276 Political Games
An Shiyu spoke calmly, but every word carried immense weight.
Ling Yun looked at her. Morning light streamed in through the window, casting soft shadows on her face. Her eyelashes were long, her nose straight, and her lips tightly pressed together. He had seen this face for two years, thinking he knew it very well. But at this moment, for the first time, he felt that she was also an independent person with principles.
"Okay," he said. "If I don't come back that day, this is the end of it."
An Shiyu nodded. She took a small box out of her bag and pushed it in front of Ling Yun.
"What?"
"Open it and take a look."
The box was made of dark blue velvet. Lingyun opened it, and inside was a pair of cufflinks—made of platinum, with a simple geometric design, and "L&Y 1998.5.20" engraved on the inside.
"I was originally planning to give it to you on the day we got our marriage certificate," An Shiyu said, "but... you should wear it. Consider it a reminder."
Ling Yun picked up the cufflink. The metal was cold, but it gradually warmed up in his palm.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome." She stood up. "I have to go to the library this morning. You... be careful on your way."
"I send you?"
"No need." She had already picked up her bag. "I can walk by myself."
She walked to the door, paused for a moment, did not turn around, and then pushed the door open and left.
Ling Yun sat there, looking at the bowl of unfinished soy milk.
He put his cufflinks into his pocket, the metal making a soft click as it touched his keys.
At nine o'clock in the morning, Ling Yun returned to his apartment and began packing his luggage. He spread his suitcase out on the floor and put clothes, documents, and a laptop inside.
The phone rang again; this time it was Richardson.
"Ling," Richardson's voice was more serious than usual, "Ophina told you, right?"
"I said so."
“The situation is more complicated than we thought,” Richardson said. “I obtained a copy of the warrant through internal channels. The issuer was the deputy secretary of the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs, named Robert Miller. This guy… has close ties with Microsoft’s government relations team. More importantly, he’s running for state legislator next year and needs to raise funds.”
"Did Microsoft pay them?"
“Political donations, legal and compliant,” Richardson said. “But you know what that means—this isn’t a regular administrative investigation; it’s part of a political deal. Miller needed to project an image of ‘protecting consumer rights,’ and Microsoft needed to cause trouble for its competitors. It was a perfect match.”
Ling Yun folded a shirt and put it in the box. "What can Goldman Sachs do?"
"We can act as a go-between," Richardson said. "Miller is a small-time politician, not someone Microsoft would be completely interested in. What he wants is political capital and campaign funds, and if we can offer more attractive terms..."
"for example?"
"For example, promising to donate to his campaign. Or inviting him to be StarCraft's 'Privacy Consultant,' giving him a respectable title and consulting fees." Richardson paused. "But these are all temporary solutions. As long as Microsoft continues to exert pressure, he could cause trouble again at any time."
"What is your suggestion?"
"The long-term solution is to build our own network of political connections," Richardson said. "That's what Silicon Valley companies do—Apple, Google, Oracle—spending millions of dollars a year lobbying in Sacramento and Washington. StarCraft is big enough now to start thinking about these things."
"How much money do you need?"
"In the first year, it's conservatively estimated at two million dollars. This includes hiring government relations firms, political donations, and inviting politicians to visit the company," Richardson said. "But it's a necessary investment. Otherwise, the same thing would happen again."
Lingyun closed the suitcase. The zipper slid along the track, making a screeching sound.
"I'm going to Silicon Valley this afternoon," he said. "To arrange a meeting with Miller tomorrow. No, to arrange a meeting with the person behind him—the Democratic congressman who pushed for the investigation."
"Are you sure? Direct contact with politicians could be risky."
"The risk is already there," Ling Yun said. "Instead of passively defending, we should take the initiative. I want to see what these people really want."
“Okay,” Richardson said. “I’ll arrange it. But remember, in California, politics is a business. Everyone has their price.”
"I see."
After hanging up the phone, Ling Yun stood in the center of the room. His suitcase stood at his feet; the apartment was empty. Sunlight streamed in through the window, and dust motes danced in the beams of light.
He recalled An Shiyu's departing figure. She didn't look back; she left resolutely.
The cufflinks were heavy in my pocket.
At 1 p.m. sharp, Zhao Hu arrived to pick him up.
Neither of them spoke on the way to the airport. Zhao Hu glanced at Ling Yun several times in the rearview mirror, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
"Say whatever you want to say." Ling Yun said with his eyes closed.
"President Ling," Zhao Hu carefully chose his words, "you're working too hard. If this continues, your health will collapse."
"I know."
"Some things... can be put on hold."
"I can't let go." Ling Yun opened his eyes, looking at the street scene rushing past the window. "The game of chess has reached the middle stage; I can't stop."
They arrived at the airport. Zhao Hu helped him carry his luggage down.
"When are you coming back?" Zhao Hu asked.
"It depends." Ling Yun took the suitcase. "It might be soon, or it might... take a long time."
Security check, waiting, boarding. The process is so familiar it's tedious.
As the plane took off, Jinan grew smaller and smaller outside the window, eventually becoming a blurry patch of color. Below, the clouds spread out like a white ocean.
Ling Yun put on an eye mask, trying to sleep. But his brain wouldn't stop working: the investigation in California, An Shiyu's conditions, the agreement on May 20th, the future of the Star System, the progress of the chip project... all the threads were tangled together, getting tighter and tighter.
The flight attendant brought him his meal. He took a bite, but it tasted like nothing at all.
The flight took twelve hours. He watched two movies but couldn't remember the plots at all. He drank two glasses of whiskey, which slightly relaxed his nerves but didn't bring him any real rest.
The plane landed at 10:00 AM San Francisco time on February 15th.
When I stepped out of the terminal, Ofina was already waiting. She was wearing a black suit and had a serious expression.
"The car's outside." She took the luggage cart. "Richardson has made an appointment. We'll meet at 3 p.m. near the state capitol building in Sacramento."
"Who?"
"The chief of staff for State Representative Mark Thompson," Ofina said. "Thompson is the Democratic representative who pushed for the investigation. His chief of staff, James Lee, is the one who actually orchestrated it."
"background?"
"Forty-five years old, a lawyer by training, he's been in Sacramento for twenty years and has a deep network of connections. He's Thompson's political mastermind and the one who actually takes the money." Ofina lowered her voice. "Goldman Sachs people say he's greedy, but reliable. As long as the money's there, he can get the investigation 'handled properly.'"
The car drove onto Highway 101. The sun was shining brightly, but Lingyun couldn't feel any warmth.
"The official deadline for responding to the inquiry is 5 p.m. tomorrow," Ofina said. "If we can't reach an agreement today, we must submit the materials tomorrow. Once submitted, the matter will be public."
"It won't be made public." Ling Yun looked out the window. "They'll find a way to stall."
"Are you so sure?"
"Because if they really wanted to investigate, they wouldn't have sent a letter; they would have conducted a surprise inspection," Ling Yun said. "Sending a letter gives us time to react. It's a signal to negotiate."
Ofina was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Politics is so dirty."
"No," Ling Yun said, "politics is just another form of transaction. It's all about price, and everyone gets what they want."