The Magician’s Memorial - Chapter 277



Only Noblemtl

277. Threats disguised as help (2)

A restaurant specializing in traditional Hawaiian food.

Throughout the restaurant, various sculptures symbolizing Hawaii filled the walls.

At the center, Senator Obama was waiting for me without a single member of his staff.

“Thank you so much for the invitation. It’s an honor for you to take the time out of your busy schedule with the presidential election just around the corner.”

“I am finally able to see the face of the person who supported me the most. I almost went through the presidential election without being able to see the face of the person who supported me the most.”

It certainly seems like anyone can become president.

Representative Obama, whom I met in person, not only made a good impression, but also had a very good voice, and had an energy that was not felt by ordinary people.

“As a business owner, supporting politicians is not easy, and we had to do it in secret. Please understand.”

“Of course I understand. But I have a question. I know you supported the Republican Party before, but is there a reason you support me this time?”

The Republican Party’s biggest donor becomes the Democratic Party’s biggest donor?

Of course, it was something that would raise questions, and I had prepared the answer to this question in advance.

“I don’t know much about politics. I don’t know how the values ​​pursued by the Republican Party and the values ​​pursued by the Democratic Party are different. But what I do know is that no matter which party, they will strive for the development of America, and that’s why I’m just trying to support the best candidate. .”

“You are saying that I am the best among the presidential candidates. It is quite embarrassing to hear this to my face. Ah! I ordered the meal in advance.”

When Senator Obama gestured, the food was set up.

Fresh raw fish and salad.

It was food that made you feel like you were at a raw fish restaurant.

“Poke is a food often eaten in Hawaii. It’s healthy and tastes great. Can’t you eat raw fish? Then, let me order something else.”

“Sashimi is eaten as much in Korea as it is in Hawaii. And it’s also my favorite food.”

“Then that’s a good thing. Shall we appease your hunger first and then continue the story?”

The presidential primary was a physical battle.

To maintain physical strength, Senator Obama ate poke by stuffing it into his mouth.

To keep up with the pace of eating, I hurriedly chewed and swallowed my food, and within 10 minutes, there were only empty dishes left on the table.

“It’s been a while since I had very delicious food. It was quite different from the raw fish I eat in Korea. Thank you for letting me experience such good food.”

“I’m glad you liked it. But there’s something else I want to ask you. You said I’m the most outstanding presidential candidate in the United States, right? As I was eating, I thought about it. Isn’t there a rule that the most outstanding candidate gets elected president?”

It was Rep. Obama expressing anxiety.

He may have been hiding his emotions due to his long political experience, but he was now very nervous and anxious.

There is no situation more difficult than having your approval rating overturn while you were ahead, which may have been the case if your approval rating was pushed back from the beginning, and Representative Obama’s situation was like that.

“I believe that the best candidate gets elected president.”

“Simple faith alone does not provide reassurance.”

“The approval rating has flipped now, but it is possible to reverse it again soon. And there will be no cases of the approval rating flipping in the future.”

“How can you be sure?”

It was Representative Obama who was hoping for certainty.

It was not for nothing that politicians went to meet fortune tellers.

It was because I wanted to hear at least some sweet words from a fortune teller to relieve my anxiety, and this time, it was time for me to play the role of a fortune teller.

“The subprime mortgage crisis is not over yet. The moment there is one more big explosion, the votes of those who support the Republican Party are bound to leave in droves.”

“Can you think of a bigger explosion?”

“There remains a bomb called Lehman Brothers. Negotiations are currently underway with Korea’s Korea Development Bank, but the moment negotiations break down, Lehman Brothers is bound to go bankrupt. And I recently had a meeting with the Korean president, and I learned that Korea Development Bank “I have received confirmation that Brothers will not be acquired.”

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers was a huge explosion.

Until now, the real estate bubble was called the subprime mortgage crisis.

The moment Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, it was an event so explosive that it was called the ‘Lehman Brothers incident.’

“Even if Korea’s Korea Development Bank does not acquire Lehman Brothers… wouldn’t it be possible for a company from another country to acquire it?”

“It is impossible. We can barely save it if we pour in the entire annual budget of most countries, and even if we save it, there is not much benefit, so no one will announce their intention to take over it.”

“But isn’t there something if?”

Even after saying this, I was feeling anxious.

In that case, there is no choice but to say something that can relieve the anxiety at once.

“If that happens, I will activate all the insurance I have with Lehman Brothers. If that happens, no matter which company takes over, Lehman Brothers will inevitably go bankrupt.”

“You are saying that Lehman Brothers will inevitably go bankrupt.”

“The moment you do that, you can win this election by a large margin. From now on, you won’t have to worry about approval ratings.”

“Whew, I feel a little more at ease now.”

“I guarantee you that you have a 100% chance of winning this election.”

It was Congressman Obama with a comfortable smile.

But that only lasted a moment.

He brought up a new problem.

“I’m already worried. I don’t know what to do after I’m elected.”

“You don’t need to worry. It’s enough for me as long as I don’t suffer reverse discrimination. I have never once asked for benefits from the political world until now.”

“······Sponsoring to prevent reverse discrimination? It is difficult to accept easily.”

All politicians had the same reaction.

Donating a huge amount of donations without expecting any benefit?

For that reason, people tended to think that there was no need to make political donations.

“Other companies need political help to grow, but I am confident that I can grow without political interference.”

“You have a lot of confidence. Well, given the achievements you’ve made so far, I can’t say you’re arrogant.”

“I’m sorry if I was overconfident. Of course, it’s also because I want to maintain a good relationship with the U.S. government.”

“If my current feelings remain even after I am elected, I think we can remain good friends for the rest of our lives.”

“If you feel like I’ve changed, you can always kick me out.”

“I’m not the type of person who easily throws people away. I try to resolve things through conversation, and if that doesn’t work, I do that.”

I could feel the goodwill in Senator Obama’s eyes when he looked at me.

There is no better person than a supporter who does not expect any benefit from a politician.

So I was able to continue speaking in a more relaxed tone.

“I am putting a lot of effort into achieving mutual growth between the U.S. and Korea. However, there are many projects that cannot proceed due to regulations in both the U.S. and Korea.”

“Is this a request to relax regulations?”

“It’s not a request, just a complaint. It was really difficult to launch smartphones due to various regulations. The iPhone almost wasn’t released to the world because of regulations.”

I used my iPhone as a shield to lead the story.

One of America’s most loved brands was Apple, and Senator Obama agreed to some extent.

“Regulations are hurting new businesses.”

“I ask you to make sure that doesn’t happen. Of course, I’m not putting pressure on you or making a formal request. I’m just asking the officials and politicians in the White House to think twice.”

“You can ask for that much. If I go to the White House, I will consider easing regulations on new businesses. But first, we will have to discuss how to solve the current economic crisis.”

Should I say I’m unlucky? Or should I say lucky?

An economic crisis broke out under the previous administration, and it was now up to the Obama administration to take care of it.

Looking at this alone, one would say he was unlucky, but it was not all bad luck as he was able to easily take power thanks to the economic crisis.

“If there is anything I can help you with, please contact me anytime.”

“I’ll probably contact you often. Then, shall I just get up now? I’d like to talk longer, but I can’t help it because every minute is precious during the election period.”

“I am honored that you took the time to do this. Next time, I hope to see you not as a congressman but as the President of the United States.”

Rep. Obama offers a friendly smile and a handshake.

He left the restaurant after a brief handshake, and since I was also busy, I left right away.

* * *

two days later.

It was the day I had to return to Korea, so I headed to the airport.

When I arrived at the airport, David, who had lost half his face over the past few days, was waiting for me.

“Strangely enough, I seem to see my boss more often at the airport than at the office.”

“There’s nothing we can do because we’re both busy.”

“I completed what the boss asked me to do. I received contracts from 12 financial companies to move their Asian base to Korea.”

“You got it from 12 places in two days? You must have worked really hard.”

Honestly, I thought there would be less than 10 places.

I didn’t have high expectations because even just 5 locations would be enough to send data to the Blue House.

“I received help from Quantum Fund. Beyond agreeing to move the Asian base to Korea, CEO George of Quantum Fund went around with me to other investment companies and threatened them.”

“Did you even threaten him? There’s no need to help him that much, but he’s such an eccentric person.”

“I told them they could stop now, but they are still going around financial companies and making threats. I think we will probably be able to get contracts from at least 20 financial companies within the next month.”

In fact, it was the Quantum Fund that had a solid share thanks to me.

Although I didn’t directly help them, they watched and followed how I moved.

“Please tell George I’ll see you later.”

“Ah! And there is one company I’m considering. It’s a company that doesn’t have a base in Asia, but I’m thinking about using this opportunity to open a branch in Korea.”

“If it’s a company without an Asian base, it means it’s not big. Is there a reason you’re reporting that to me?”

“The name of the company is Berkshire Hathaway.”

“Are you sure you mean Berkshire, where Warren Buffett is?”

“That’s right. This is the company of Warren Buffett, the wise man of Omaha.”

I was momentarily speechless.

David asked me something unexpected and big.

“Please push back my flight time. I’ll have to meet him in person.”

“I’ll make an appointment as soon as possible.”

I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Even if it meant rescheduling all my other plans, he was definitely worth meeting.