I am a master in India

Chapter 338 The Miracle of Democracy

Ron met with the Minister of Electricity in New Delhi first; with Mo Da Xian acting as the middleman, he didn't need to find any intermediaries at all.

He can speak directly with that key person, thus saving himself a lot of trouble.

After offering the Rolex package, the problem was easily solved.

The government has been encouraging capital to enter the power sector, and the Sur power plant plan submitted by Ron is exactly the kind of infrastructure project that Uttar Pradesh desperately needs.

The Ministry of Electricity was happy to see the project happen and stamped the permit on the spot without any delay.

Since the government encourages it, does that mean the licenses will be issued without any incentives?
I'm sorry, but in India, giving gifts doesn't guarantee success, but not giving gifts guarantees failure.

Ron wasn't worried about that, so he figured he might as well treat it as maintaining his network.

After securing the much-needed electricity permit and having it sent back to Uttar Pradesh, Ron took Muna to visit other ministers.

"Sir, we've finished our business. Why do we need to see those irrelevant ministers?" Muna asked, puzzled.

"These are people we should see. Don't be stingy with your greetings; you never know when you might need them."

"Do I have to see everyone?"

"Yes, if you see one, you have to see the other. Otherwise, people will wonder, why didn't he come to see me? Does he look down on me, or did he deliberately forget about me? Well then, I'll cause him some trouble!"

"It's so complicated."

"If you want to develop in India, you need to meet not only the people you should meet, but also all the people you shouldn't meet."

"Someone I shouldn't have met?"

"Those middlemen, you can treat them like corrupt politicians."

In India, people of questionable character tend to enter politics, while honest and kind people have a much slimmer chance of success in the political arena.

Muna could easily understand this.

This is more evident in Uttar Pradesh than anywhere else; as a state government official, who doesn't have a couple of cases on their hands?
When Muna visited the residences of the ministers, he saw an architectural style completely different from that of the shopping mall.

He thought that after being exposed to the world of shopping malls, he would no longer be surprised by things like skyscrapers.

But the official residences of those ministers always appear before you in ways you can't imagine.

Muna saw a yard with a swimming pool, the water of which was cleaner than any river he had ever seen in his life. He even wanted to lie down and take a sip; it must be so sweet!

There's also a house with a playground built in the garden, just to please the minister's naughty grandson.

A television bigger than a table, a cellar storing countless whiskies, a glass-walled garden.
Muna suddenly felt that the shopping mall was shabby; these ministers probably wouldn't go to such a place.

What surprised him even more was that in New Delhi, there were 204 similar-style official residences, which were all allocated by the government to senior officials.

Despite being a minister, he didn't even receive an apartment from the state government in Lucknow.

Muna observed very carefully and noticed that each minister had a fat, big-eared assistant.

Those layers upon layers of rotten fat were even more greasy than the pigs in Kana Village.

He also noticed that the assistants or ministers became incredibly enthusiastic when they learned that the visitor was Ron Sue.

Do you know why they're interested in me?

"Sir, why?"

"Because I was the one who could give them money, huge sums of dirty money."

"Don't the police in New Delhi deal with corruption? Aren't those ministers afraid?"

"Do you think they care? When their peers talk about it, they'll say, 'This guy is a complete fraud. If others see us dealing with him, they'll be incredibly embarrassed.'"

They wouldn't say it like that; they'd just say, 'This guy is perfect; he can give us a lot of money; he has connections.'"

"But they seemed overly enthusiastic, like dogs seeing their owner."

Ron laughed, which puzzled Muna.

"Do you know why they're like this? Because my money far exceeds their imagination, even frightens them. They've heard of me, they must have heard of me, my name is all over New Delhi. Most importantly, I have a lot of votes, a lot of votes."

Muna seemed to understand things only superficially; he had a rudimentary grasp of wealth but a keen understanding of votes.

Perhaps what those ministers consider "connections" is having the ability to fund party staff, provide food for volunteers, and offer vehicles for everyone's travel.

In addition, political parties need people with connections to foot the bill for campaign rallies and public gatherings, advertising, and entertainment events.

Muna had seen this scene in Lucknow, where thousands of polling stations were set up in each city constituency, and the cost of these stations alone was a staggering figure.

Today they met with the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, whose name suggests that the department is in charge of agricultural policies, including but not limited to providing various subsidies and loans.

Uttar Pradesh is a major agricultural state, and Muna, the Minister of Development for underdeveloped regions, is a perfect candidate to come and take advantage of the situation.

Ron is leading him this round; from now on, he'll have to rely on himself.

I heard that this minister is from Bihar, so I hope he won't make any unreasonable demands.

Their car was parked outside the gate of a fortress-like building, where heavily armed soldiers stood guard.

Ron got out of the car, but after taking only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

Next to them, another car door opened, and out stepped an unexpected acquaintance.

“Satya?”

"Mr. Sue, what a coincidence!"

That man was Yadav's younger brother, the current leader of the Socialist Party.

No, he is now synonymous with Yadav, the new Yadav.

Despite Ron's previous unpleasant encounter with the deadbeat Yadav, his relationship with Satya is actually quite good.

During the Uttar Pradesh elections, he even provided the opposing side with four million rupees in campaign funds.

"Are you also here to visit Minister Laru?" Ron asked. "Yes, he is one of the leaders of the All India Yadav Union."

“Oh,” Ron suddenly remembered, “this minister also has the surname Yadav, what a surprise.”

“Mr. Suer, may I ask what brings you here?” Satya asked warmly and proactively.

“You know about Pufancha district; it’s very backward. Without New Delhi’s help, it will never shake off its reputation as a filthy place.”

"That's right. I happen to have some connections with Minister Lalou, so perhaps I can help Minister Harvey get some subsidies."

Satya looked at Muna with a smile, showing none of the tense atmosphere that usually accompanies the two parties in the Uttar Pradesh election.

“That would be perfect, wouldn’t it, Muna?” Ron looked to his side.

"Yes, things will be much simpler with Mr. Yadav's help."

Muna has a keen political sense; he doesn't naively believe that the two parties have become adversaries after the last election.

In politics, enemies and friends can sometimes be decided in an instant.

Ron never considered the Socialist Party an enemy; within Uttar Pradesh, he either cooperated with this party or that party.

He's a businessman who only speculates and doesn't take sides.

Especially after learning that Satya and Yadav of Bihar were in contact, he became even more willing to maintain their relationship.

Why? Because Bihar is located in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, where coal is abundant, and its mineral resources are many times richer than those of Sumbhadlah.

Bihar is the best choice for him if he wants to continue expanding his building materials and power businesses.

See, that's how they establish a basis for cooperation.
Satya, needless to say, knew that his influence within the party was still shallow and that he needed strong external support.

Maintaining a good relationship with Suer is entirely beneficial.

He was also certain that Minister Dalit would mess things up.

Both parties were interested in each other and entered Minister Laru's residence together, almost laughing and joking.

Ron didn't bring any money this time. He just handed over his business card and said that he might invest in mining in Bihar, and that would be the end of it.

Minister Laru was from Bihar, and he understood Ron's unspoken message: there's plenty of time.

Of course, Satya's mediation was also very important; he brought the two sides closer and established a foundation of trust from the very beginning.

Muna was carried throughout, a completely smooth game. He not only made an impression on Laru, but also received a promise from him.

In the future, he can come here with the slip of paper to apply for subsidies. The amount isn't much, but it's enough for him to do some work.

Only with money can one build their own team and do something for the voters in the Pufancha district.

This could consolidate the Progressive Party's rule in the area, and then gradually expand its influence.

Politics, oh, what a wonderful thing.

After this incident, Muna also got in touch with Satya.

They had a good conversation; both were newcomers to politics and came from humble backgrounds.

If the Progressive Party can cooperate with the Socialist Party, it can certainly cooperate with the Socialist Party in the future.

As the saying goes, there are no permanent enemies.

To Muna's surprise, the servants around Satya kept staring at him.

He had never met the other person before and didn't know where this gaze came from.

But Muna didn't care; he had already broken free from the filth in his heart.

What Muna didn't know was that his servant was named Barum.

Yes, it was Bloom, the loyal servant of the Yadav family, who took the blame for Satya.

He didn't die, nor was he arrested, as if nothing had happened!

Isn't that surprising?

The founder and leader of the Socialist Party, and former Chief Minister, met a tragic end, which led to the deaths of more than sixty villagers, yet the matter was ultimately left unresolved.

God knows how the police in Uttar Pradesh investigated; they didn't even take a statement from Barum.

For three whole days after signing that statement, Barum stayed in his dimly lit servants' quarters.

He bent his knees and sat inside the mosquito net, too scared to leave the room.

No one came to tell him to drive, and no one went to see him.

Until one day, Satya impatiently knocked on his door, telling him to hurry up and pack his car so he could head to New Delhi.

Barum had no idea what he was feeling when he left the room.

Perhaps it was a narrow escape, or perhaps it was tears of anguish.

He later learned that the case had been closed and was just a regular helicopter accident.

No one investigated, and no one protested their innocence; the only one who was filled with fear was Barum.

That's a fucking joke!

He witnessed an even bigger joke today: that Harvi, his former servant, had become a minister in Uttar Pradesh!
Barum knew him, and he knew everyone in the village of Kana.

Their family were boatmen on a tributary of the Ganges. The Nishada were a fishing caste, and they had lived by the water for generations.

As a child, Barum followed his father and rowed for Harvey countless times.
He later begged his family to enroll him in driving lessons, which allowed him to leave that filthy place and eventually become a driver for Yadav's family.

Barum could hardly believe his eyes. How could that boy, whose home was like a pigsty, have become a minister?
That's a fucking joke!

No, it's a miracle of democracy!

(End of this chapter)