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Chapter 98: The Pursuit of Dining Hierarchies
In a country like the Baylor Federation, people often joked with a half-playful, half-helpless tone that taxes and death were inevitable for everyone.
In reality, besides taxes and death, there was one more thing people couldn't avoid, regardless of life, old age, sickness, or death, and that was political stance.
The Baylor Federation had three major parties, as mandated by the Baylor Federation constitution. At any given time, there must be three parties vying for the power to govern within the federation.
The Federal Progressive Party, the Federal Conservative Party(联邦保守党), and the Federal Socialist Party(联邦社会党)—these three political factions, in an apparently loose and free political environment, sometimes displayed highly aggressive behavior.
Even during imprisonment, the court would have people fill out a questionnaire, including the political stance of the convicts. The prison and cell assignment would then be based on this questionnaire.
Mr. Mayor's satisfaction with Lynch's responses, reactions, and thoughts was evident. Political stance was his final question. If Lynch held a different political stance from his own, Mr. Mayor would downplay Lynch's role and might even have discussions with local capitalists to replace Lynch and send him elsewhere.
Allowing a capitalist from another party to grow and prosper in the Progressive Party's territory was virtually impossible unless Mr. Mayor decided to forsake his political future or switch sides to help Lynch rise without any conditions.
Politicians and capitalists were always mutually complementary. Capitalists would provide politicians with enough political contributions, job opportunities, and content related to city development.
Similarly, politicians would reciprocate by providing capitalists with what they desired—biased policies and development plans tailored around the capitalists.
This required mutual trust and close collaboration in certain partnerships. People couldn't trust "outsiders"; they only trusted "their own."
Who were "their own"?
Clearly, people with the same political stance, united for a common goal, were considered their own.
Fortunately, Lynch's answers satisfied Mr. Mayor greatly. He didn't mind incorporating Lynch into the Progressive Party, as the intrusion of capital into political parties wasn't scandalous in the Baylor Federation. Behind any renowned politician, there were capitalists or even financial consortia supporting them.
Without the support of these individuals, even the most remarkable politicians couldn't achieve anything in this magical land!
Certainly, Baylor's political environment seemed loose, at least on the surface. There were no political persecutions specifically targeting civilians. People could claim to be Progressive Party supporters in the morning and shift to being Conservative Party enthusiasts in the afternoon without much consequence. At most, some ordinary people might curse them as shameless.
This kind of environment was indeed very loose, requiring no substantial application, no lengthy review and approval process. Just a sentence, a nod, and the entire process was essentially completed.
But after leaving the lower echelons of society, in the middle-upper strata of society, the political environment would become relatively strict. For people like capitalists, politicians, changing political stances wasn't an easy task. One misstep could lead to trouble.
There were more complex situations involved, but they were irrelevant for now.
Before attending the lunch meeting, Lynch had researched some information about the Progressive Party. His words just now weren't entirely flattery to please Mr. Mayor.
In his eyes, the Progressive Party was indeed much better than the current ruling Conservative Party. The Conservative Party's political agenda was focused on isolationism, a trend that had prevailed in recent years.
From one perspective, by not getting involved in international disputes and wars, the Baylor Federation had made significant progress in technology and industry by isolating itself. However, this had also planted the seeds of danger.
People might not realize it now, but with technological advancements, the concept of the blue planet would shift from being a "planet" to a "village."
It took about a month and a half to reach the farthest Zalisku United Kingdom(扎里斯库联合王国) from the Baylor Federation, including both overland and sea routes. People were not interested in such a distant country, and they didn't believe it could affect the Baylor Federation.
But when faster modes of transportation like airplanes or other rapid means appeared, it would greatly shorten people's perception of distance. Depart in the morning, and by the afternoon or the next day, one could arrive at the Zalisku United Kingdom.
Today's rejection of the external world would inevitably lead to the federation's isolation in the future. When other countries began developing rapidly through exchanges, the federation would gradually fall behind and ultimately be eliminated.
While the Conservative Party continued singing the praises of isolationism, the Baylor Federation was already facing some problems. If these problems couldn't be resolved quickly, they would undoubtedly affect the federation for a long time.
Compared to the Conservative Party, the Progressive Party's political agenda and ideology were obviously more in line with the global development trend and Lynch's vision for the future.
Integration into the international community was the most correct choice!
He spoke about his dissatisfaction with the Conservative Party, which resonated well with Mr. Mayor.
Sometimes, one didn't need to praise someone. Criticizing their opponents could gain their appreciation, and this kind of appreciation was more satisfying than light compliments.
"Your insights are very progressive..." The Mayor's smile persisted throughout the entire conversation. Just when he was about to continue, the room's door opened. Ferrall quickly observed the expressions of the two before informing them that lunch was ready.
The jovial atmosphere between the two men relieved Ferrall. Lynch seemed like a young man with a soft appearance and may even look shy, but in reality, he was assertive and strong-willed. Ferrall had been worried that this guy would clash with the mayor, but now it seemed they were getting along well.
"Shall we fill our stomachs first?" Mr. Mayor, with a negotiating tone in his voice and a smile on his face, surprised Ferrall even more. Those in power wouldn't blatantly show preferences, but they would subtly reveal them through details.
This kind of consultative tone didn't often occur in Mr. Mayor's professional life, making Ferrall increasingly feel that Lynch was an incredible young man.
Lynch stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Of course, Mr. Mayor."
The two entered the dining room. There were only two seats by the table, and only two sets of utensils were on the table. Ferrall's dining place wasn't here, even though he was Mr. Mayor's aide.
Originally, according to the plan, Ferrall should have excused himself to have lunch. There were dedicated servers here, but he took over the server's role, wanting to hear how Lynch had managed to impress Mr. Mayor.
After sitting down, Mr. Mayor glanced at Ferrall, who was opening the wine, then withdrew his gaze. He felt that Ferrall was very smart and reliable, knowing that certain words weren't suitable for others to hear.
Today's lunch featured a delightful blend of T-bone steak and fish fillet, creating a surf and turf sensation. This dish offered a unique experience with three different culinary styles in one, providing a rich array of flavor variations – a true delight for those who appreciated diverse and exquisite tastes.
While poor people were still figuring out how to fill their stomachs, the rich had already started pursuing more changes in taste, more distinct layers of texture, and the lingering aftertaste in the mouth.
Eating for the poor was genuine eating, just to fill the stomach.
Eating for the rich was enjoyment. Stuffing food into the stomach was just an unavoidable process.
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