Chapter 286: Daydreaming

“Welcome, I’m glad you came…” Ms. Tracy seemed to have heard from the doorman, and she was already standing outside the house warmly greeting when the car stopped.

Normally, the husband should welcome guests at a home banquet since the Federation remains a male-dominated society. But no man was outside, only Ms. Tracy, which made Lynch think about her current role.

During the peak of the women’s movement, women proved they could live independently, with slogans like Women Can Live Alone and Women Should Leave Men And Choose Independence. Many women did so.

Men were no longer essential. Women had their own jobs and stable incomes, able to live well.

They could even go to bars at night, sleep with different people daily, and not face social condemnation because they were new women proving they didn’t need men.

That was exactly when Ms. Tracy was young.

Lynch smiled and nodded, shaking hands with Ms. Tracy. They walked inside, expecting to see her children or servants but instead found two elderly men who resembled each other.

One, dressed casually, sat on the sofa biting an apple, arguing fiercely with the other, who wore a pastor’s outfit. They only stopped when Ms. Tracy cleared her throat.

“Sorry to let you witness that…” Ms. Tracy said awkwardly. Anyone seeing an argument upon entering might feel unwelcome.

Before she finished, the casually dressed old man interrupted, “I don’t think this is a joke, and neither is what we’re arguing about!”

He stood and extended his hand to Lynch. “I’m the father of this girl. You can call me Jackson.” He nodded toward the other man. “This is my brother, Jefferson—though you can see our names are quite different.”

In this age of individuality, parents rarely give children similar-sounding names. Independence and uniqueness are core values of the Free Federation spirit. The more closely related brothers are, the more their names differ in pronunciation.

Jefferson appeared more gentlemanly. He also shook Lynch’s hand and reintroduced himself as if Jackson hadn’t already done so.

He mentioned his job as a pastor. People in the Baylor Federation revered God and held pastors in high esteem.

Devotion to faith gave pastors some political influence, such as “parish vote canvassing.”

This term is unique to the Baylor Federation. Each city has churches forming psychological parishes. The pastor is the core of the parish.

Votes from parishioners are a crucial part of elections.

Whoever can claim God is on their side gains a large voting base.

It’s not simple to convince a devout pastor whom to support. They’ve devoted themselves to God and won’t be swayed by external pressure.

But persuading God is easy: a check or some promises, and God’s will would instruct pastors to act.

After shaking hands, Lynch sat down, waiting for dinner to begin.

During the downtime, they chatted about recent Federation policies — a favorite topic for many men who enjoyed criticizing new policies to feel smarter than the president and officials.

Their talk shifted to the unexpected military downsizing this year. Many veterans returning home had nowhere to go, wandering the streets like homeless people, hiding unstable elements within the stable order.

Veterans skilled in weapons and tactics joining gangs or crime would be the biggest and saddest joke in history.

Many gangs had begun recruiting veterans as muscle. Some resisted due to values and morals; others joined.

Jackson shared things Lynch didn’t know: “Many think reducing military size means peace, but people don’t realize the president just signed a new decree doubling this year’s military budget compared to last year. Military equipment upgrades are scheduled!”

After six years of budget cuts with no large-scale upgrades, this was the first increase.

No wonder the Federation’s industrial index had risen. Some Eminence experts said this was the benefit of internationalization, but really it was a few heavyweight stocks driving it up.

The public showed no resistance to the decree because it was the Progressive Party. Like conservatives promise to crack down on the military if elected, the Progressives’ rise meant good times for the army.

But the connection to downsizing felt confusing.

Soon, the cook prepared dinner, and the family, including Lynch, sat at the table. Lynch brought a gift—a bottle of opened wine placed on the table.

Their conversation shifted from serious political news to lighter topics like recent movies and celebrity news.

After dinner, Lynch and Ms. Tracy went to her study, sitting across the desk. She poured him a cup of floral tea.

“I need your help, Lynch…”

“The people at the Inter-Federation Association aren’t good or easy to deal with. Alone, we’re weak, so we must unite. I support your ideas. Will you support me?”

Lynch slowly lifted his cup, smelled the tea, and took a sip.

“Of course, ma’am. But first, I must say this is on the condition it doesn’t harm my personal interests. I hope you understand.”

Ms. Tracy nodded, relieved but sensing something hard to describe.

Lynch’s blunt concern for his own interests often made it hard to associate him with his age. Only elders like Jackson shamelessly prioritized self-interest.

Young people often feel strange emotions, wanting to fit others’ expectations even at their own loss.

It’s foolish but exploitable — like young girls and boys.

Lynch was an exception.

The atmosphere warmed. Ms. Tracy shared ideas about having the Women’s Rights Protection Association play a more important role in women’s professional sports.

This was like labor unions demanding a vital role in employer-employee relations. The goal was to raise their status and indispensability.

Mainly, it was about broadcasting rights and control over the field.

“Ms. Tracy, have you considered how much funding you’ll allocate for this?” Lynch asked suddenly after chatting for a while.

Ms. Tracy had been dreaming of the future but hadn’t mentioned concrete details like funding.

Setting industry standards and opening new fields isn’t done by words alone — it requires money, which was the association’s biggest shortcoming.

Even ten women’s associations together couldn’t match the Inter-Federation Association’s wealth. Their ongoing rivalry persists only because the Inter-Federation Association avoids triggering the women’s rights bomb, not because they can’t outmatch Ms. Tracy’s group.

Ms. Tracy seemed not to have considered this.

Lynch continued, “What you said depends on having enough budget. To set standards, have others follow your ideas, dominate new areas, and gain power, you must have money.”

“For example, once this new organization starts, there are upfront costs for promotion, organizing competitions, prizes at all levels, and wages for personnel across regions…”

“That’s a huge sum, possibly tens of millions. Ms. Tracy, if I agree and let you have an important role, how much can you contribute?”

“Or how much funding can the Federation Women’s Rights Protection Association allocate to operate this?”