Chapter 687
Shameless
Kerrard, who was affiliated with the House of Representatives, drove into the Presidential Residence. John Boehner, greeted by his chief of staff, quickly entered a reception room where he met Tom Emmer, who was waiting there.
The two dismissed their subordinates and held an informal meeting.
After exchanging pleasantries, John Boehner got straight to the point: "Tom, before things get out of hand, you should back out."
Tom Emer stared intently at the Speaker and said, "Are you kidding me?"
John Boehner didn't answer, but instead continued, "In recent years, the Los Angeles Group has taken advantage of your trust to gain too many benefits and win widespread support within the party. In the AI Manhattan Project, although Hawke Osmond took the lion's share of the revenue, he wasn't stingy like those vampires. Instead, he used a considerable portion of the funding to win over many allies. Even McCain, a conservative whose ideology is completely different from that of the Los Angeles Group, has become their supporter."
Tom Emmer, not having lost his composure and fully aware of the situation, asked, "You've also chosen to support the Los Angeles Group?"
“That’s right, they are the ones who currently represent partisan interests.” John Boehner’s words were very direct: “I and two other former leaders will later come forward to publicly express our support for Brian.”
He glanced at Tom Emer and added, "You've started a war with the Walker and Cheney families, and you've lost the support of the party elders. With all these problems now, you can't win the election."
Tom Emer did not speak.
John Boehner continued, "You probably know better than I do that you don't even have a one percent chance of winning the party primary. If you lose, do you think the Walker and Cheney families will let you off the hook? What will you have to fight them with?"
Tom Emer said coldly, "I am still the President of the United States!"
“Admittedly, you can take more measures, but that will inevitably provoke a stronger backlash,” John Boehner said slowly. “People are naturally inclined to seek advantage and avoid harm. How many of your followers will truly work for you, knowing that you will not be elected for another term? Are you, the president, going to take matters into your own hands and get involved? That won’t do any good.”
After a brief pause, he continued, "I went to Los Angeles and met with Hawke Osment and Bryan Ferguson, spoke with Mrs. Reagan, Sir Alex Ferguson, and McCain, and also spoke on the phone with Cheney and George Walker, and talked to your wife Claire."
Tom Emmer said, "They're all on my side."
John Boehner nodded slowly, continuing to speak: "The communication went relatively smoothly. Hawke and Brian have no personal grudges against you; they just need to withdraw from the election. Claire's demands aren't high either; she wants to finalize the divorce and receive half of your assets. The only troublesome ones are the Cheney and Walker families. You need to withdraw all investigations and freezes, initiate federal compensation, and transfer your interests in the Iraqi oil fields to them..."
"That's incredibly generous!" Tom Emer couldn't help but scoff. "Should I thank them for letting me off the hook?"
John Boehner, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm in the words, said, "Don't ignore the objective fact that whether you accept it or not, you won't have a second term."
This cruel reality caused Tom Emer to feel intense pain in his heart.
It seems that his career as president changed completely the moment he took action against the Walker and Cheney families.
Even their carefully prepared trump card, the operation to hunt down Bin Laden, ended in failure.
John Boehner added, "You should reflect on what you've done now. You rashly launched an internal party war, which caused your re-election campaign to deteriorate. If you lose the general election, the interests of everyone in the party will be harmed. How could they possibly take the risk?"
Tom Emmer wanted to demand an explanation for George Walker's betrayal, but he held back. At this point, there was no point in saying anything more.
Because political parties pursue interests, not justice.
John Boehner sighed softly and softened his tone: "It's come to this, Tom. Have some dignity."
He turned to look at the other person and said, "That's all I have to say. Think it over carefully."
Tom Emer was well aware that he was at a significant disadvantage and that there was no way he could turn the tide in this election. He said in a low voice, "Give me some time."
John Boehner nodded slightly, stood up to say goodbye, and said, "If you want to pass, I will have the hospital cooperate in issuing a medical record for you."
Tom Emmer did not respond immediately, but simply escorted John Boehner out of the White House.
As Cadillac turned onto Pennsylvania Avenue, John Boehner pulled out his phone and started making calls to Los Angeles.
He first contacted Hawke and Brian, then called George Walker and Cheney, and finally didn't forget Claire.
The Elephants are now firmly in control of the Donals, and John Boehner doesn't want this favorable situation to turn around suddenly.
At the White House, Tom Emmer summoned his close associates for a meeting in a small conference room.
He asked, "How is the investigation into the recent illegal activities of the Walker and Cheney families progressing?"
The people present looked at each other, but no one responded for the time being.
The chief of staff had no choice but to speak up, "It's not very optimistic."
Tom Emer remained noncommittal: "Go into details."
The chief of staff had already been informed by certain people and knew the purpose of the speaker's visit today. After a moment's thought, he said, "The investigation has been ongoing. Multiple case teams seem to be busy, but in reality, there has been no progress recently. They are just investigating for the sake of investigating, rather than trying to make a real breakthrough. It's more of a routine matter."
Tom Emer asked, "Because of this series of recent events?"
The chief of staff said nothing more and acquiesced.
The others also chose to remain silent.
Tom Emer understood and said, "What would you say if I let you push the investigation forward?"
The crowd remained silent, and no one offered a response.
If it were just the emerging Los Angeles Group, they might still do something, at least play their part alongside the president. But the established factions within the party, including the Walker and Bush families, are almost all on the opposite side of Tom Emmer. If any misunderstandings arise, their future and financial prospects will definitely be ruined.
Tom Emer pressed him with his gaze: "Aren't you going to talk?"
The chief legal counsel, who was directly involved, could only say, "My personal suggestion is to put these cases on hold for now."
Tom Emer looked furious: "What if I insist on pushing forward?"
The advisor seemed to have been prepared. He opened his briefcase, took out a document, and respectfully handed it over: "Doing this violates the spirit of American freedom and democracy. I disagree with this, and please allow me to resign from my current position in the White House."
Everyone, including the chief of staff, looked at the advisor with shining eyes.
That was a brilliant move! It prevented them from getting stuck in the mire and allowed them to escape this dangerous vortex completely.
Tom Emer took the letter, glanced at it, then threw it back, his gaze sweeping over the others.
No one stood up.
How many of these people are still trustworthy? Tom Emer didn't know, but after Regina's betrayal, he thought of the AI Manhattan Project and had a feeling that the entire family of these bastards had probably joined in.
Only now does he realize that the AI Manhattan Project did not obtain federal subsidies, but rather recruited a large group of federal parasites.
These shameless, greedy scoundrels will destroy America sooner or later. Tom Emer shook his head inwardly and said, "The cases concerning the Walker and Cheney families are temporarily withdrawn; we'll discuss the details later."
He then looked at his legal advisor: "Find a suitable lawyer to help me with my divorce from Claire."
The legal advisor agreed.
Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
Tom Emer didn't say anything more and left the conference room alone.
…………
New York, Tung Building headquarters.
Including Ini, many of the board members and senior executives watched as the employees packed up their belongings and left the company.
The Tung Group is facing a crisis, and layoffs are an inevitable option.
Upon returning to New York from Los Angeles, Inee immediately initiated the pre-prepared layoff plan.
Without prior notice or any grace period, the HR department issued a notice, and the employees packed their things and left.
The Dong Group even only made up for the wages for that month.
Many states in the United States do not offer N plus several severance packages; capitalists all over the world are the same.
Microsoft's shrewd move of bringing overseas employees to Seattle and then firing them in an attempt to save costs is truly astounding.
As for their generosity after leaving the United States, the reason is even simpler: as outsiders who do not abide by local laws, they may not even be able to take their money with them.
After the necessary employees are laid off, the remaining staff of the Tung Group will have to move back to the old, dilapidated office building from its earliest days.
Because Mr. Dong mortgaged this building to the bank, and the loan obtained was given to the company that operates World One Tower.
If facing ordinary forces, or even a single powerful force, a shell company can simply take the blame.
However, Mr. Dong used World One Tower as a tool to win people over, involving too many wealthy businessmen and political figures.
You can't owe money to big banks.
After Yone and a group of senior executives left the Tung Building, relevant personnel from the court and the bank quickly entered the building. After conducting an inspection and assessment, they locked all the entrances and exits of the building, temporarily sealing off this important asset.
Similar incidents have occurred in several other large cities.
Subsequently, Yini, accompanied by her lawyer, met with representatives of some homebuyers and promised to refund the deposits as soon as possible and resolve issues such as breach of contract compensation.
In order to raise funds, the Tung Group had to sell off its fixed assets.
Inee watched helplessly as her family's social standing plummeted.
During the family crisis, someone suddenly attacked, stabbing them in the back with a fatal blow.
Ms. Melani, Ini’s stepmother, claims to have suffered long-term mental oppression and domestic violence from Dong Zong and has filed for divorce in court.
Even for the wealthy, the death knell of marriage can still be very painful.
Especially at a critical moment when Mr. Dong was facing various accusations, Melanie not only demanded financial compensation from Mr. Dong in addition to the division of property, but also applied to the court for preservation of marital property.
Upon receiving the news, Inee practically exploded with joy and rushed to see Melanie.
The two had a heated argument and almost came to blows, pulling each other's long hair.
The court accepted Melanie's lawsuit and temporarily froze Mr. Dong's private property.
Her father was confined to Los Angeles and could not leave; her stepmother divorced her at a crucial moment to divide the property; and the Squid Family, which had originally agreed to a marriage alliance with President Dong, also canceled the engagement with Yini on the grounds that the Dong Group had a bad reputation.
Faced with the rejection of her engagement by her extended family, Ini did not stage a dramatic comeback. Instead, the immense pressure weighed on her, almost driving her to the brink of collapse.
According to certain laws, when one bad thing happens, another bad thing will inevitably follow.
India also jumped in, citing the World One Tower as posing a huge threat and causing substantial damage to India's national security, and confiscated all of the Tung Group's investments in India. They also sent a legal team to New York to sue Mr. Tung for compensation to India.
On the other hand, the Loda Group went further and pinned all the blame for the alleged threats to India's national security on the Dong Group.
Beset by internal and external troubles and teetering on the brink of collapse, several of the Tung Group's financial executives have come forward with whistleblowing reports, prompting an investigation by the IRS.
Ini could only speed things up and complete the series of breach of contract compensations as soon as possible.
…………
In Beverly Hills, Joanna Firth and Allison Firth each dragged a large suitcase onto an old Mercedes-Benz.
A bank employee approached and reminded them: "Ladies, the court documents have been handed over to you. Please leave the bank's assets as soon as possible, otherwise we will apply for a legal eviction."
Allison craned her neck, wanting to utter a curse.
Joanna, who had more social experience, quickly stopped her daughter, reminding her that Bank of America was not a place a washed-up celebrity could afford to offend.
She said helplessly, "Let's go now."
Alison was still indignant.
Joanna quickly pushed her into the passenger seat, walked around to the other side and got into the driver's seat. She drove out of the villa that no longer belonged to her and said, "Darling, banks are the vampires at the top of society. We can't mess with them, or we won't even have a place to stand."
Allison was almost in tears: "We have no money, no house, no credit cards, we can't even afford a hotel, where are we going?"
“The agent has agreed to help us.” Joanna drove to the agreed location: “Dani Garcia is willing to provide us with temporary accommodation and help us find another job so that we don’t become homeless women.”
Having lost their homes and their communities, even those who were once famous throughout the United States will only fall into despair if they have no one to help them.
Alison was filled with regret: "We should have been more frugal. If we had saved money, we wouldn't be in this situation now."
Joanna assumed her daughter was complaining about her, her mother who controlled the finances, and said, "Do you think I don't want to save money? But we want to stay in this community and maintain our current lifestyle. Those expenses are mandatory; we have to spend them whether we want to or not." (End of Chapter)