Chapter 825: The Congressman

Mayor Landon… no, he should now be addressed as Congressman Landon.

Through a series of political trades, Mr. Landon finally achieved his goal of becoming a member of Congress.

It’s a difficult shift to measure—whether or not it was the right move is hard to say.

In terms of actual control over power, a mayor clearly wields far more than a congressional representative.

That may sound unrealistic, but it’s the most accurate reflection of the federal political landscape.

A mayor controls most of a city’s power.

He can direct the police chief to act according to his wishes. He can mobilize the militia when necessary. He sets the course for urban development and the future of hundreds of thousands of residents.

The lives and emotions of those people are in his hands.

If he wants people to be unhappy, everyone frowns.

If he wants them to be cheerful, everyone laughs along.

What does a congressman have?

Not much. Other than voting in Congress, their job mostly involves serving on committees—where even then, no one congressman has the final say.

Decisions are made by votes among multiple members.

Sure, they can create laws and policies that affect the entire nation or even international politics—but that’s only true as a collective.

On an individual level, their actual power is limited.

Not only might people not respect them, but occasionally, angry citizens will confront them and curse them out over seemingly ridiculous proposals they voted on.

Being a congressman doesn’t seem so appealing. So why does everyone want to be one?

For one, positions like mayor or governor are scarce and tightly held by the two major parties. Not just anyone can become a mayor—it takes connections, ability, and money.

More importantly, being a congressman is more profitable.

If a mayor sees large sums moving in and out of his accounts, it could trigger investigations by internal affairs or the anti-corruption bureau. But congressmen? Different story.

As long as they show up for sessions in the Capitol’s tiered meeting rooms, huge sums of money will be deposited into their accounts through various legal means—without affecting them in any way.

They don’t even have to feel guilty—just cast an insignificant vote when needed.

Whether it’s a vote for, against, or abstaining—if it aligns with the capitalists’ interests, those capitalists won’t hesitate to open their wallets.

Now officially a congressman, Landon was actively expanding his network. He had served as an assistant to the previous congressman for many years.

The older congressman had to retire due to health reasons and nominated his assistant—Landon—to succeed him.

With additional support from the governor and his party in exchange for favors, Landon secured his seat through a fair and democratic vote. Everyone recognized his competence and chose him as the new congressman.

It was all thanks to his outstanding personal abilities—no backroom deals. Everything was in accordance with federal regulations.

From his first day in office, Landon felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He vowed to serve the people and follow the example of his predecessor…

Just after leaving the Capitol, Landon was still thinking about a recent discussion.

The Duncan family had begun lobbying, hoping to pass a bill called the Overseas Security Act.

Landon hadn’t read the proposal yet, but he could already sense the Duncan family’s sincerity.

To put it in formal terms—truly worthy of the Duncan name!

Just from the initial lobbying, one of his investment funds had already posted a profit. It wasn’t much—$20,000—but it showed they weren’t short on cash and weren’t afraid to spend it.

It was the first time Landon had seen money handed out before anything was even done—before he’d even taken a stance.

People often say Congress is the capitalists’ backyard. When Landon was still a mayor, he didn’t fully understand. Now he did.

Not just a backyard—more like the backyard of a floating city.

Still deep in thought, he got into his new car—a vehicle that appeared low-key but was luxuriously equipped.

He didn’t spend a dime on it. Recently, he had cleared the name of a company after some people accused it of serious environmental violations.

Landon took immediate interest and conducted a thorough investigation.

It turned out to be a malicious report. There was no pollution. Footage aired on TV showed the factory manager drinking water straight from the outflow pipe.

Some people simply hate the rich. They view the world as unjust and abuse the oversight rights granted by society.

Luckily, Congressman Landon uncovered the truth and showed it to the public, protecting the company from harm.

As a gesture of thanks, the company donated a low-cost sedan for Landon’s use—out of appreciation for his service to the public.

There was no money-for-favor exchange here. The car legally remained the property of the company—they had simply granted usage rights. Perfectly legal.

The car merged into traffic. Landon drove while thinking.

By the time he got back to his mansion, it was past 4 PM.

That’s the best part about being a congressman—flexible schedule, free choice of workplace.

Just as he stepped out of his car, he saw another vehicle parked nearby, with someone very familiar sitting inside—Lynch.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming!” Landon said, clearly pleased.

In his eyes, Lynch was a major capitalist—and a partner.

Their personal relationship was also solid, so Lynch’s surprise visit was entirely welcome.

Lynch greeted him, and after a handshake, the two entered Congressman Landon’s home.

It was a standalone house in the Upper District of Eminence, complete with front and back gardens, a swimming pool, and half a basketball court. The total area was around 600 to 700 square meters.

The house wasn’t cheap, but for congressmen, that hardly mattered. Real estate developers always found ways to hand over homes to important people for nearly nothing.

Things like lotteries, never-before-shown model homes, or single-person auctions—they had plenty of tricks.

So, politicians living in houses worth hundreds of thousands or even millions was nothing new to the public. The real news would be if a congressman lived in a roadside budget apartment and wore common brands—people would just assume he was putting on a show.

“Make yourself at home. Want something to drink?” As they entered, a maid came over to help them with their coats.

She was around forty, plain-looking, aging, and very ordinary.

Congressmen enjoy many privileges—benefits both known and hidden—but they also must strictly follow certain standards that ordinary people don’t have to worry about.

For example: Keep your family life in order and make it appear harmonious.

So even while living in luxury homes, they won’t hire young, attractive maids who might stir up trouble. Instead, they hire middle-aged women from poor families—earning themselves some public praise in the process.

Lynch glanced around briefly before sitting on the sofa. “Anything’s fine. From the bar.”

The room was warm. Landon brought over a bottle and two glasses, sat down, and said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you, but you’re always busy—and so am I. If you’re not out of town, then I am. Looks like I got lucky today.”

He handed Lynch a glass. They clinked glasses and took a small sip.

“I came today because I wanted to ask you something. Do you know about the Overseas Security Act?”

Landon was a little surprised. “You know about that too?” He walked over to a cabinet, took out his briefcase, and pulled out a document to hand to Lynch. “Maybe this is what you’re looking for.”

Lynch thanked him and began reading.

During the phone conference, Mr. Geruno had clearly avoided going into detail about the proposal. As they put it: those qualified to know didn’t need to be told, and those unqualified didn’t need to know.

It was a kind of filter. After all, besides major players, the Joint Development Company also had its fair share of opportunists and small fry—people who weren’t worth the attention of the real power brokers.

Lynch opened the document and began reading carefully.

It wasn’t long. The core idea was that Geruno and some congressmen believed the Federation had not been proactive in deploying troops overseas to protect the safety of businessmen.

Both personal safety and property security.

Of course, they weren’t blaming the federal government—after all, the Federation maintained a relatively positive international image.

The businessmen wanted to establish their own armed forces to protect their interests abroad.

These private military forces would remain illegal within the Federation’s borders, but when operating overseas, they should be recognized by the federal government. When necessary, the government and military should also provide support.