Chapter 59 Are You All This Confident?

Nixon completely overwhelming Kennedy in terms of intellect?
That might happen only after Kennedy has his mind thoroughly blown wide open.
Lin Ran thought to himself, are you guys really this confident?
Standing from the perspective of later generations, he naturally knew that it was precisely this televised debate that would utterly crush Nixon, causing the once-balanced scales to tip toward Kennedy.
With his aides being this confident, it was little wonder that Nixon made such a decision.
Lin Ran observed the white men seated around him; everyone was listening intently to Finch's speech. When the mention was made of Nixon's intellect overwhelming Kennedy, many of them began to chuckle—not with derision, but with nodding agreement.
As a person of yellow skin, one naturally felt a sense of alienation in such a setting. Lin Ran thought to himself, just wait until the results come out; you'll be the ones crying.
However, regardless of what Lin Ran was thinking, Finch and the Republican supporters present undoubtedly believed it. Finch continued:
"Now, regarding the campaign. As everyone knows, running a presidential campaign is no small matter. It requires massive resources to spread our message to the American people. We need to fund advertisements, organize rallies, and tour the nation to visit voters.
Your donations tonight will directly support these efforts, helping us spread the message of Nixon's experience, stability, and prosperity.
I assure you that every single dollar donated will be used efficiently and effectively.
Our campaign team is composed of a group of professionals dedicated to getting Dick Nixon elected.
We have a detailed plan, and with your help, we can ensure its successful execution.
I must emphasize that this election will be extremely close. The latest polls show Nixon and Kennedy neck and neck. In such a tight race, every single vote and every single dollar is crucial. Your contributions tonight could be the deciding factor, tipping the balance in our favor.
Finally, let me leave you with this thought: the future of our nation hangs in the balance. The decisions of the next four years will shape generations to come. With Richard Nixon as president, I believe we can face any challenge and emerge stronger than ever before. Thank you for your time, your attention, and, most importantly, your support. Together, we can make Richard Nixon the next President of the United States."
After the speech concluded, everyone stepped forward holding their checks, dropping them into the transparent donation box at the center of the room. Both Lin Ran and John Morgan had prepared the entry-level amount, which was five thousand dollars.
Lin Ran had observed carefully: most people's donation amounts ranged between ten thousand and fifty thousand dollars, with a very small handful donating one hundred thousand.
"It seems one hundred thousand is the ceiling," Lin Ran thought to himself. "That guy Fred also chipped in five thousand—truly the style of the T family, where they wouldn't part with an extra penny if they could help it."
After the last white man dropped his check into the donation box, staff members stepped forward to remove the box. Robert Finch clapped his hands, and the tables began to be cleared away while sofas were moved to the sides of the hall.
Soft jazz accompaniment began to play.
The white men all around wore expressions brimming with anticipation.
Lin Ran lowered his voice and asked, "What kind of segment is this mysterious?"
John Morgan was also a bit nervous: "I have no idea. I've only heard about it, but I've never witnessed it firsthand.
During the presidential election four years ago, I was still preparing for the Olympics; how could I possibly come to a place like this to unwind!"
"Clap—clap—" Following Robert's applause, the banquet hall lights suddenly went out entirely, leaving only a few dim wall sconces casting shadowy light.
A strange tension permeated the air, and murmurs gradually replaced the earlier joyous laughter.
The curtains in the center of the hall slowly parted, and thirty gorgeously costumed dancers stepped onto the stage.
They wore sequined tops and fringe skirts, their movements light and full of rhythm. The background music shifted from jazz to a more energetic rock beat.
The figures of the dancers swayed in the dim light, the fringe swaying with their steps and reflecting flickering points of light, as if transforming the previous banquet hall into a temporary stage.
"There are rooms on the second floor; I hope you gentlemen have a wonderful time."
Despite the dim lighting, Lin Ran could still perceive that these dancers were uniformly blonde, blue-eyed, and full-chested, resembling the cloyingly sweet desserts popular in America.
The women's clothing grew scantier and scantier, until only thin scraps of fabric remained.
Some guests were invited to join the dance; the men removed their jackets, and the women kicked off their high heels, the atmosphere turning relaxed and enthusiastic. Laughter and applause rose in waves.
Seeing John Morgan preparing to charge forward, Lin Ran quickly pulled him back: "Won't there be any trouble?"
John Morgan looked puzzled: "What kind of trouble?"
Lin Ran asked, "Like getting someone pregnant and being hit with child support claims?"
John Morgan replied speechlessly, "Brother, thirty people here each shelled out at least five thousand dollars. Do you have any idea what five thousand dollars means? These dancers are just barely eighteen years old, alright?
If something went wrong, would the Republican Party ever dare to host a fundraising dinner like this? In all the years of the Republican Party, I've never heard of such a thing happening."
Lin Ran thought about it for a moment, and realized it was true. This was 1960; where would all these MeToo movements come from, or deliberate schemes to get a celebrity pregnant and fleece the man heavily? Such things were equally unimaginable in this era.
On one hand, women's status had not yet risen to that level. On the other hand, it wasn't until 1975 that America established the Child Support Enforcement program, strengthening the enforcement of unmarried fathers' support obligations, which, combined with the popularization of DNA testing, improved the accuracy of paternity determinations and made it much easier for women to prove paternity in court against public figures and demand child support.
Therefore, Lin Ran's worries were entirely superfluous in this era.
"Wait, didn't you say you'd never been here before? How do you know all this?"
"A friend told me."
The entire performance undoubtedly added a great deal of wildness and a sense of freedom to the banquet.
Lin Ran didn't even need to go looking for a dancer himself; the dancers automatically came seeking out the guests.
Because the arrangement was precisely one dancer paired with one guest.
Compared to being chosen, Lin Ran would have preferred to choose for himself, as choosing at least allowed one to pick someone more aligned with one's aesthetic tastes.
Consequently, when waking up the next day in a room on the second floor of the Metropolitan Club, Lin Ran reflected that sex and violence truly were the best ways to release stress.
His nerves, which had remained taut ever since acquiring the Door, finally relaxed, and his entire being unwound completely.
"So, Randolph, are we going to shift our support to Kennedy?"
After breakfast, inside the Rolls-Royce, John Morgan asked.
Whether it was his imagination or not, Lin Ran felt that the other man's attitude toward him had grown noticeably warmer. Previously, while they were friends, it felt more like a partnership model; now, it was leaning toward genuine close friendship.
Lin Ran shook his head:
"I can't make that call; I really don't understand your American politics.
Still, are Kennedy's campaign fundraising parties just as wild as this?"