Chapter 54: You're inviting me to an impart, right?

"Haven't we been constantly communicating through phone calls and faxes?"

Lin Ran felt it was completely inexplicable.

No major events had happened recently, after all. While Lin Ran had indeed caused a massive stir in the academic world, it remained strictly confined to that sphere. For the majority of the general public, they simply did not care that a Chinese mathematician had solved Fermat's Last Conjecture; if it had been a Black mathematician, perhaps public interest would have been slightly stronger.

Since a person of Chinese descent could win a Nobel Prize in Physics, was it really that strange for one to win a Fields Medal?

The major event preceding this occurred on May 1st, just before Lin Ran left America, when an American U-2 spy plane flew over Soviet airspace and was shot down by the Russians. That incident had been heavily hyped up in television broadcasts and newspapers at the time, further fueling global tensions surrounding the Cold War.

There was also another possibility: John Morgan had realized the true value of the three maritime shipping-related patents in his hands and wanted to discuss patent transfer. However, that hardly required such fiery urgency. After all, maritime shipping was a long-term business; going from acquiring patents to translating achievements into economic benefits required a lengthy process.

Aside from these, no matter how hard Lin Ran tried to think, he could not fathom what could possibly make the other man so anxious.

It wasn't until he climbed into the other's Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II that John Morgan rambled on and finally made his general purpose clear:

"The current polling situation is looking extremely unfavorable for the Morgan family. Nixon and Kennedy's approval ratings are already neck-and-neck, and that damned Nixon is actually planning to accept Kennedy's public debate invitation. They're going to hold a televised debate on the 29th of this month. Dammit all, there's a real chance Nixon might lose this election. If that happens, it will be immensely detrimental to us."

The Silver Cloud II was a luxury sedan newly released by Rolls-Royce last year, already equipped with independent front suspension and leaf-spring rear suspension systems.

Sitting in the back seat, Lin Ran had initially been admiring the comfort and quietness of the Rolls-Royce—those filthy rich folks certainly knew how to enjoy life—when John Morgan's words jolted him wide awake.

"Nixon? Don't you Jews support Kennedy?"

"Who told you I'm Jewish? We are Episcopalians. Besides, the Morgan family has always leaned toward the Elephant Party," John Morgan explained.

"Jewish scholars led by Professor Horkheimer, along with the vast majority of Jews in the Federation, support the Donkey Party and Kennedy because they need Kennedy to champion Jewish interests. Just last month, for instance, Kennedy emphasized his friendship with Israel during a speech to the Zionist Organization of America, which further solidified Jewish voter support. But the Elephant Party aligns much better with Morgan's interests," John Morgan added.

Lin Ran rubbed his chin. As someone equipped with a god's-eye view of history, he knew that Kennedy would win this election. The butterfly effect he had brought about was still confined strictly to the realm of mathematics, and its alterations to the shipping industry had not yet rippled outward; it shouldn't affect the outcome of this presidential race.

Assuming Lin Ran was of Chinese descent and worried he hadn't made himself clear enough, John Morgan continued:

"In a place like America, if you want to grow a major business, it's impossible not to have ties with Washington and the White House—especially when you're in the aerospace industry. Right now, it relies entirely on White House appropriations, and the NASA Administrator is directly appointed by the President himself. Congressional review is just a nominal formality. If Kennedy wins and we haven't supported him, there's a very high likelihood that even if our technology is superior, NASA's contracts won't be awarded to us.

"The original plan was that if Nixon won, given the Morgan family's traditional support for the Elephant Party, he would at least create a fair competitive environment for us. Once Kennedy replaces him, that tradition is broken.

"However, if we want to turn around and support Kennedy, we must act quickly—ideally right before the presidential television debate. That's why I was so eager to discuss this with you as soon as possible."

Lin Ran found the situation even more absurd. "I'm a Chinese immigrant from Europe, and you're discussing whether to support Kennedy or Nixon with me? Shouldn't you be asking your own family members?"

John Morgan replied helplessly, "General Aerospace has already been spun off. It's my business now, not the family's. Kennedy winning won't affect the family business, but a Kennedy victory directly impacts General Aerospace. The family's stance is that I shouldn't make any moves and just wait for the results. Plus, in all previous American presidential elections, the Elephant Party's win rate has overwhelmingly surpassed the Donkey Party's. Besides, the current president, Eisenhower, is from the Elephant Party, and Kennedy carries a massive amount of baggage—both his Catholicism and his Irish heritage are counted as negatives. Even if their poll numbers look close now, when the actual votes are cast, people will still choose Nixon. Therefore, they don't believe Kennedy will win.

"However, looking at the polls and the fact that Nixon agreed to a televised debate, I've started to sense that something is wrong. I wanted to discuss this with you and hear your perspective on the matter."

Lin Ran countered, "Is it still too late for us to turn around and back Kennedy now?"

John Morgan looked straight at him, a trace of hesitation in his eyes. "Will Kennedy really win? Right now, their poll numbers are simply close, and the upcoming televised debate looks unfavorable for Nixon. But that doesn't mean Nixon is guaranteed to lose. Although the family hasn't made a collective decision, quite a few members of the Morgan family have already expressed their support for Nixon. As for the Rockefeller family, they are making it blatantly clear that they are backing Nixon."

Matters like this were genuinely difficult to discuss over the phone or via fax. John Morgan was deeply hesitant; this concerned whether General Aerospace could secure NASA contracts and whether he could leverage the company to vie for the position of head of the Rockefeller—correction, Morgan family.

"Rockefeller? Even the Rockefeller family supports Nixon?" Lin Ran was dumbfounded. In his impression, the mega-capitalists of the 21st century uniformly supported the Donkey Party.

"Of course. Did you know that Nelson Rockefeller, the Governor of New York, is a member of the Elephant Party? While the Morgan family only has a few members making individual statements, the Rockefeller family is openly backing the Elephant Party as a unified entity," John Morgan said.

After a brief moment of thought, as if struck by an idea, he continued, "Randolph, how about this? There's a fundraising banquet for Nixon tonight; I'll take you along to experience it firsthand. Coincidentally, there's some other fun entertainment planned for after the banquet—just the thing to broaden your horizons. From the looks of it, you've been living like a puritan. Once you've seen how the other half lives, we can properly strategize after that."

A wicked smile surfaced on John Morgan's face. Looking at his expression, Lin Ran thought to himself: Is this guy about to introduce me to an upper-class American rager?

Outwardly, however, Lin Ran kept his expression entirely neutral. "Very well. I'll head back to Columbia University first, and I'll wait for you to pick me up tonight. One more question: will I get to meet Nixon in person?"