America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Allen Zhang: Tell Cooper, I'm free to meet them now.

Rena: ok. I will pass the message. The appointed meeting place is at the Flavor Restaurant downtown.

Allen Zhang checked the location and immediately sent another message to Blitz.

Allen Zhang: Help me check the background of the Zone 5 City Council member.

It wasn't long before Blitz replied: Johnson Jackson, 39 years old, graduated from Los Angeles University, self-studied law affairs, member of the Democratic Party. At 26, his law firm failed; by 32, he conceived the idea of running for the Zone 5 City Council and sold his family assets to strive towards that for four years, during which he engaged in multiple charitable activities, married the youngest daughter of a water supply company director, and solved the water and power supply issues in the slums. This got him the support rate of Zone 5 people and he successfully took the position.

Blitz: He's invested in a Flavor Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, two apartments bought with loans, a Chevrolet private car, and a Cadillac. He's a tennis member at the Feather Club, has many contacts with water supply company directors, investments in the Green Word Shelter, and about $270,000 in his private bank account.

Allen Zhang: That's all his assets? He hasn't dipped his hands into corruption in over three years? Where do those tens of millions of dollars flowing into the Green Word Shelter come from?

Blitz: A City Council member's annual salary is $180,000, which is already quite a bit. His own annual profits from the gray industry chain are only about $200,000, and turnover doesn't represent actual revenue; it only looks good on the surface. Recently, though, he's been going through a divorce, a real headache, and his relationship with his wife isn't too good. Council members have to worry about media opinions and appease the backers who support them, deal with development approval documents for their fathers-in-law, and repay mortgages and car loans. If his approval rating drops and he's ousted, he'll definitely go bankrupt.

Allen Zhang: ok. I wonder if I invited him to take a position as chairman or consultant at the Hanberger Foundation with a monthly salary of $40,000, would he be willing to accept?

Blitz: He'd be over the moon! After all, his father-in-law has been in hot water lately due to groundwater pollution issues and might even face criminal charges. He's also not content being suppressed by his wife and is desperately looking for backers to support him.

Allen Zhang: Hahaha, that's really pitiful. No wonder he's so eager to meet with me.

Blitz: You don't need to get too close to them; they're all just tools who do things for money. He's also a senior member of the Los Angeles Feather Club. There are several other city council members there too. On the surface, it's just a badminton club, but it's mostly a convenient place for transferring benefits and mingling with other wealthy backers.

Allen Zhang: ok.

He put away his phone, waited for the red light to turn green, and then stepped on the gas, driving towards the Flavor Restaurant downtown.

In just over ten minutes, he arrived at the destination, parked the car by the road, and sent a message to Cooper. He soon saw the other party walking out of the restaurant.

Upon seeing the General Sect Leader, Cooper hurriedly approached and greeted him warmly.

"Hey! Hanberger, oh no, Mr. Jin, it's really presumptuous of me to invite you and bother you," Cooper said, appearing very polite.

Allen Zhang smiled: "No such thing. After all, I'm still an employee at the Green Word Shelter. How could I not come when the boss calls?"

"Don't say that; I wouldn't dare call myself your immediate superior again, we've always been in a partnership," Cooper quickly stated his position, "I invited you over this time because a good friend of mine wanted to meet you."

"I understand; a friend of a friend is a friend," Allen Zhang said with a slight smile.

He glanced at the restaurant's sign and the flow of people and praised, "This restaurant has a really prime location."

"The signature dish of the restaurant tastes even better. You'll know once you've tried it," Cooper laughed and invited the General Sect Leader into the restaurant.

They went straight to the second floor and into a private room.

Upon opening the door, there sat a middle-aged white man in a suite on the sofa. At the sight of them entering, he immediately got up to greet them warmly, "Hello, Mr. Jin."

"The council member, sir?" Allen Zhang feigned surprise.

"There's no council member here. It's off-hours now. You can call me Johnson," the council member humbly said, "I think we can become friends privately."

"I think so too," Allen Zhang smiled and nodded, then glanced again at the good wine and dishes on the table, which looked incredibly familiar.

Damn. Maotai?

No, you've picked up this trick on the West Coast too? Pretty progressive, eh.

Not to mention the two tall, blonde, blue-eyed female waitresses in cheongsams, standing by, ready to serve.

Nice, Mr. Councilman. You really play the part of a seasoned player in the officialdom well.

I am indeed consoled.