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Chapter 88: Everyone is a Film Star with a Mask
"Is it settled?" The mayor withdrew his gaze from the window, glanced at Ferrall, and asked, "How did the negotiations go?"
Back in his office, Ferrall, upon seeing the Mayor, felt a complex mix of emotions as if a truck had crashed into a chemical store, with various reactions occurring successively.
The only thing that made him somewhat comfortable was the check in his chest pocket, which only belonged to him. In fact, agreeing to Lynch might not be a bad thing.
The municipal government did not provide salaries for people like Ferrall. Their salaries were funded by the mayor's private office. In other words, it was the mayor himself who paid salaries to people like Ferrall, but these salaries couldn't be too high. This was why his salary was only a little over five hundred bucks.
It was difficult for the mayor to allocate a generous salary for him. In reality, it was not just about difficulty; it was almost unfeasible to provide an exorbitant amount. Ferrall's remuneration, as part of the mayor's private office, along with the office expenses, was sustained by political donations contributed by capitalists.
The use of political donations had certain standards and requirements. It wasn't like the politicians could do whatever they wanted with the mine the capitalists gave them. There was a relatively sophisticated process, and it was also subject to supervision.
If the salary for someone like Ferrall, employed by the Mayor, was too high, the group responsible for overseeing the use of these funds had the power to lower Ferrall's salary or request the mayor to dismiss him.
It was a very rigorous, complex, and somewhat amusing process. In simpler terms, after the capitalists gave money to politicians, they had to prevent the politicians from just taking the money without doing anything. At the same time, they had to prevent politicians' greed from escalating. To achieve this, they devised various methods to restrict the use of political donations until certain conditions were met; only then could the funds be withdrawn unconditionally.
But before that, everything had to follow the rules, and many eyes were watching them. This also became a significant weakness, or a drawback, for individuals like Ferrall working as aides.
Once they were dismissed for some reason, it would be challenging for them to find a similar job again. Even if they went to regular businesses, those businesses would find it hard to offer them a satisfactory job. So, even if they faced some grievances outside, they had to endure as much as possible.
If, in the future, the mayor could achieve his ambitions and ideals in politics, individuals like Ferrall might have the opportunity to move from behind the scenes to the forefront.
In the history of the federation, there were many examples of aides becoming politicians. They helped their former employers achieve their life's ideals, gained enough experience themselves, and, more importantly, obtained the friendship of capitalists.
With capitalist support and their experience and background, it was easy for them to succeed. That was also why Lynch behaved somewhat assertively, and Ferrall didn't resist.
If things got too ugly, Lynch could leave without much fuss, and people would only say that his political stance didn't align with the mayor's, so he left.
But Ferrall could easily run into problems. When people talked about Lynch, they would also talk about the mayor. If a mayor forced a capitalist to leave, it wouldn't be a laughing matter; it would only make more capitalists vigilant.
In the end, the only unlucky one would be Ferrall. Acting was not a skill exclusive to him and Lynch; the mayor was adept at it as well. With a carefully crafted pained expression, the mayor would instruct him to endure the situation for a short while. However, they all knew that 'short while' might turn out to be a lifetime sentence for his political career.
If he didn't offend Lynch and maintained a certain level of closeness with him, it might actually help his future plans.
Once he decided to run for a certain position, Lynch, who had a good relationship with him, could immediately become his supporter. Nowadays, the key to winning wasn't how capable a person was but whether they could act and how much campaign funding they had.
The mayor was holding coffee, sipping it slowly, and watching Ferrall. His workload was indeed considerable, but he also had quite a few aides. With Ferrall included, he had a total of four aides, as well as two young men responsible for dirty work.
Many times, his job was just to gather everyone, discuss the work, and then complete his "homework" based on the collective wisdom. So, in reality, the mayor's job wasn't as complicated as people imagined.
The truly difficult tasks were not directly related to his paperwork but rather to challenges in society.
This time, his aides discovered the second-hand goods trading auction and immediately realised its value. Buying things people needed for less money or reducing the desire to shop could save a family more money. With financial reserves, even if life may present some difficulties, it should not lead to a complete inability to survive.
These were just the most basic observations. What the aides were really concerned about was the word "action."
Most leaders, when faced with certain issues, always used words like "in progress," "discussing strategies," or even "we are powerless" to explain why there hadn't been any action yet.
Although most of the public didn't expect their leaders to immediately provide solutions, as long as they didn't make things worse, they were satisfied. However, sometimes people would feel dissatisfied and angry with the leaders' inaction and indifference. So, a successful politician, a leader, must show the public that when facing difficulties, they were not doing nothing but had taken some action.
Second-hand goods trade was the best answer Mr. Mayor could provide during an economic downturn. He could use this to convey a message to the people of Sabin City that he had contributed his efforts to the city and its residents; he wasn't a "zombie."
As for the results, if it was a good outcome, people would praise him generously, from the grassroots to the political arena, giving him high ratings.
If it was a bad result, at least he tried. Then, it depended on whether the execution was on point, whether it aligned with his initial plan, and whether there were any problems that led to the failure of the plan. None of these issues were his responsibility.
On the contrary, he could use this opportunity to accumulate some experience, as a political experience and knowledge reserve, which might come in handy when needed.
It was a very perfect plan; he might not even need to pay any price to make it happen. So, why not?
Facing the mayor's gaze, Ferrall nodded. He had already sorted out his emotions and became calm, as if everything was going according to his plan.
"I've settled things with Lynch, and we talked about some deeper matters. With my help, Lynch realized the role you and your party play in Sabin City. He is very eager to have dinner with you..."
When Ferrall reached this point, the mayor just chuckled dismissively. This city had over eight hundred thousand people, and at most, only one in a million would have such an opportunity. He didn't believe Lynch was that one in a million.
Ferrall was well aware of Mr. Mayor's style, and his attitude towards work and life. The fact that the mayor didn't speak immediately was within his expectations.
"Lynch has promised to make Sabin City the core and establish a second-hand goods circulation channel covering the entire state. At the beginning of next year, it will provide at least five hundred job positions for society. In addition..."
Ferrall took out the transfer check from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This is his initiative to thank you and the Progressive Party for your help to Sabin City. Both him and his employees donated this voluntarily, hoping to assist you and Sabin City."
The mayor raised an eyebrow, showing some interest. After taking a glance at the check, he flicked the check with his index finger and then handed it back. "Give it to the accountant for recording..."
Political donations would be handed over to a specialized accountant, and this money would enter a dedicated corporate account. In name, this money was under the mayor's control.
He paused for a moment and asked, "What did you say just now?" Without waiting for Ferrall to answer, he self-answered, "Lynch wants to invite me to dinner?" A smile appeared on his face. "Tell him I agree. For a responsible young entrepreneur, as a local governor, I should impart my not-so-outdated experience to him, helping him avoid some detours."
He raised his eyebrows. "Check my schedule and arrange it for me."
It was clear that Mr. Mayor was in a very good mood.
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