Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 289: Coach Mai, come be my general manager
After Zheng Yi socialized for more than an hour at the reception, President Du, the protagonist of the reception, finally made his final appearance and became the true protagonist of the reception.

Although even within the Democratic Party, people were not optimistic about his re-election next year, he was still the current president, so everyone still gave him face, warmly welcomed his speech, and expressed their gratitude for taking the time out of his busy schedule to hold a meeting with everyone.

Zheng Yi had originally planned to talk to Marshal Mai before President Du arrived, but he didn't expect that Marshal Mai was deliberately showing off. He timed his arrival and arrived about a minute after President Du, which clearly showed that he didn't give President Du face.

As a result, Zheng Yi didn't get to chat with him. After Mr. Du finished his speech, he was already holding a glass of wine, leading his wife, and came to Zheng Yi in person to communicate with him about his feelings.

"Boss Du, you're even more charming now than before."

President Du: "I was picked up as the President. Everyone in Washington thinks I'm not doing a good job. I might become the worst President in history, but I can't compare to you, Mr. Zheng.
I remember the last time we met, it was before the war, and your Southern Alliance was just a small-scale operation. Who would have thought that it would become the behemoth it is today so quickly? "

Zheng Yi: "Mr. Du, please stop making fun of me. How can the SAARC compare to the United States? Even if it has achieved some success, it was only with the support of the United States. The SAARC is also the SAARC of the United States. I am also an American now."

Mr. Du laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Yes, yes, you are an American now, too. Hahahaha. It's a pity that you joined the Republican Party. I thought, based on our personal relationship, you would join the Democratic Party to help me."

"To be honest, many of your political positions are bipartisan, even completely in line with our Democratic Party. Party political positions are never static. What you pursue is nothing more than globalization, and what I pursue is also globalization."

"I know we have policy disagreements, but do you think there are no disagreements between you and the Republicans?
Actually, that's not necessarily the case. Relatively speaking, the policies of both parties are indeed difficult to change domestically, but foreign policy itself is not a matter of principle and can be changed, right?

"Recently, with the gradual implementation of the Marshall Plan, the domestic economy has seen significant improvement. Foreign investment and aid have proven to be viable. I believe that by the time the official election begins next year, the economy will have significantly improved."

"Finally, Mr. Zheng, I have to kindly remind you."

Zheng Yi: "You say"

"It's true that many large corporations and even chaebols are among the Republican Party's supporters. Their positions on many issues overlap with yours. However, precisely because of this, the old chaebols of the golden age have already occupied a significant niche within the Republican Party. If you join the Republican Party, won't you forever be forced to follow behind those old chaebols?"

"I've heard a saying among you Chinese people: 'It's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.' Within the Republican Party, the Rockefellers, the Morgans, the DuPonts, and their affiliated consortiums already occupy enough favorable positions, don't they? Perhaps you two would indeed cooperate happily outside the United States, but what about within the United States?"

"On the other hand, if you join our Democratic Party, honestly, the party is in dire need of successful business leaders like you. Would you consider it? The United States, as the world's largest manufacturing plant and consumer market, has unlimited potential."

Zheng Yi smiled upon hearing this, but did not comment. Although he knew that President Du was blatantly poaching people and shamelessly sowing discord, he also knew that what President Du said was not unreasonable.

This is actually an important reason why most emerging capital groups in American history, especially financial capital, are willing to associate with the Democratic Party. Even the later industrial capital groups and the industrial Koch Group could not get along with the Democrats, and they would rather establish a new party outside the two parties than associate with the Republicans.

There are indeed relatively few opportunities to get ahead within the Republican Party, whether it is the financial tycoons who support them or the politicians within their own ranks. As a party of bigwigs, being more orderly naturally means that the upward channels are narrower and seniority is more emphasized.

Of course, there may also be a backlash, and eventually fall into the hands of an old man who knows everything but has no foundation.

Zheng Yi: "Thank you, Mr. Du, for sharing this with me today. Honestly, although the outside world has always been pessimistic about your re-election, I have always believed that your chances of success are actually greater than Mr. Dewey's, perhaps even much greater."

"Maybe, maybe one day I will cooperate with the Democratic Party, but right now, the most important task of our SAARC worldwide is to dismantle the old colonial system of Britain and France. On this point, you, the Democratic Party, and I do have certain fundamental differences."

As he was speaking, Zheng Yi heard a burst of laughter from behind him. He pretended to be surprised and said, "Hey, Brother Zheng, when did you come to America? You didn't even tell me when you came. We were comrades who fought side by side on the battlefield."

Of course, there is no one else who can speak like this, except Zheng Yi’s good brother, Marshal Mai.

In fact, what he said was a bit contrived: Didn’t we both come from Japan at the same time?

Zheng Yi nodded with a smile: "Master Mai, we meet again."

On the side, President Du was interrupted by Coach Mai, and he was also quite unhappy. These two people had all their public and private grudges mixed together, so naturally, even looking at him was too much.

He knew that he was here to cause trouble and didn't want to continue chatting with Mr. Zheng, but he was the current president after all and would be running for re-election next year. Naturally, it was not convenient for him to argue with such a rogue and he had to maintain his composure.

With a light hum, President Du extended his hand to shake hands with Zheng Yi and said, "Mr. Zheng, I'll be gone for a walk."

Zheng Yi: "You are busy, you are busy."

Seeing President Du leave, Marshal Mai didn't shy away from him at all. He put his arm around his shoulders and said, "Brother, what did he say? I don't think he was trying to persuade you to join the Democratic Party."

Zheng Yi smiled and nodded: "Don't mention it, it's true."

Turning around, Zheng Yi clinked his champagne glass with Coach Mai's and said with a smile, "You've only been back a few days. Coach Mai, you seem to have gained a little weight since you were in Japan, and your complexion has improved."

Coach Mac: "Of course. Is there any better place in the world than America? After all, I'm almost 70 years old, so I'm naturally more comfortable in America."

It can be seen that Coach Mai is obviously homesick now, and he actually doesn't like staying in Japan.

"Fortunately, everything is almost over. Next year, after the election, President Du will be kicked out and Mr. Dewey will be elected. Then I can return to the position openly and honestly."

Zheng Yi, momentarily affected by Coach Mai's mood, couldn't help but chuckle. But he asked sincerely, "What if President Du is re-elected? You already have a personal grudge against each other, and after World War II, you've offended him time and again. Will he still let you come back then?"

Marshal Mai: "Re-election? That's practically impossible. The Democratic Party has already split into three, and President Trump's performance in recent years has been utterly rubbish. How can they win? If the Republicans can still lose despite such a huge advantage, then there's no point in fighting the Democrats anymore. What's the point of fighting?"

Zheng Yi: "What if... they really lose? In my opinion, there are serious problems with the Republican campaign strategy."

Coach Mai was stunned and looked at Zheng Yi: "Do you really think we will lose next year?"

Zheng Yi: "At least, it's far from a sure win. The chances of losing are huge. If Dewey would listen to me, the chances of winning would be greater, but it seems... he doesn't intend to listen to me."

Coach Mai: “…………”

If someone else said this, Coach Mai would just take it as a joke, but Zheng Yi said that, Coach Mai couldn't think too much about it.

After all, ordinary Americans have little contact with Zheng Yi. They know that Zheng Yi is good, but they may not be clear about how good Zheng Yi is. But Coach Mac knows it very well. He has been dealing with Zheng Yi for seven or eight years.

The most amazing thing about Zheng Yi is not even his technical and business acumen, or his wild but often practical ideas, but his extraordinary vision that always allows him to perceive the general trend.

Now that you've said that, it's definitely not aimless.

"If Mr. Dewey really loses... Mr. Zheng, do you think he can keep his seat in the House of Representatives?"

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "That's exactly what I'm planning to do now. If Dewey loses, and it's definitely irreversible, then the only thing I can do is try to change the House of Representatives."

Coach Mai: "Twist..."

Seeing this, Zheng Yi added, "McGarry, there are actually some things I've wanted to tell you for a long time. But before, I wasn't a Republican and was an outsider in American politics, so it wasn't convenient for me to say it. Now that I've become an American citizen and a Republican, I can finally tell you." "Go ahead," he replied.

Zheng Yi: "If, and I mean if, Mr. Dewey is successful in the election, then needless to say, you will be transferred back to the United States, either as Secretary of Defense or National Security Advisor. You might even have the opportunity to run for President in the next election, or the one after that."

"That's all there is to say. As a friend, brother, I wish you a bright future. As for your campaign, whether it's financial or physical support, I'll give you my all, whether you succeed or not."

"But if President Du is really re-elected... have you considered your situation? If he really flips the House of Representatives and controls both houses, can you still come back? How will he deal with you? How will you cope?"

Marshal Mai: "Why, do you have any suggestions?"

Zheng Yi: "Indeed, I do. Big Brother, I'm doing this for your own good. If President Du is re-elected, you should resign. Resigning at this time will still preserve the honor of a war hero, as a retired, veteran Republican."

"I will invest heavily in setting up a lobbying, consulting, and media company in the United States. Big Brother, you can be my general manager and still maintain your political influence. Big Brother, you're almost seventy years old. It's time to stop and enjoy your old age."

Seeing that Coach Mai was still hesitant, Zheng Yi added, "Let's speculate what would happen if President Du was successfully re-elected and won both houses of parliament in one fell swoop."

"First, you must stay in Japan for at least the next four years. Don't even think about coming back. If President Du targets you and tries to suppress you, do you think the rest of the Republican Party in the US will protect you?"

"To put it bluntly, the reason you're so arrogant towards President Trump is because he succeeded to the position of Vice President without going through an election, the Democratic Party is split, and the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans. Polls show that he has almost no chance of re-election next year."

"Simply put, you're a jackass. All the Republican politicians will support your disrespect for them. President Du doesn't have much to do with you, so he can only endure it. The newcomers in our party won't disrespect you just because you're in Japan."

"Everyone thinks your stay in Japan is only temporary. When Mr. Dewey is elected next year, you will definitely be transferred back and given important responsibilities. You will still be one of the bigwigs in the Republican Party."

"But what if President Du is re-elected? Everything will be different. It will be at least another four years, and you won't be able to come back. What if the next Democratic Party is still in office? Eight years? Twelve years? In four years, you'll be 72. What will you be able to do if you come back in eight or twelve years?"

"This is also the second dilemma you face. You are indeed a little too old. The average age of a US president was 55, and you will be 72 in four years."

"If you are far away in Japan and unable to participate in U.S. domestic politics for the next four years, then after that, whatever you do will seem a little too late."

"For the past four years, President Du will absolutely not give you any opportunity to participate in American domestic politics. Even as for Japan, if I were him, I would definitely send a large number of advisors and economic civilian officials to Japan to take over the economic functions of the Allied Command."

"To put it simply, even in Japan, all the credit goes to the advisors I sent out, and it's all the work of our Democratic Party. On the contrary, the military's lack of discipline, corruption, and waste of public funds are all due to your indulgence of your subordinates, inaction, and irresponsibility."

"Oh, and about your private life, what happened between you and that Japanese actress? If I were Mr. Du, I would definitely hype it up. Oh, and you have prostatitis, right?"

Mai Shuai was surprised: "How do you know?"

Zheng Yi: "How I know is not important. What's important is that President Du will also know. If I were him, I would spread this matter throughout the United States as a joke. This disease would become evidence of your immoral private life in Japan and your indulgence in luxury all day long."

"I've been torturing you like this for four years. After four years, what else can you, a 72-year-old comrade, do?"

"Third, the Republicans are the majority party now, and they look down on President Du. They dare to confront President Du for you. But if the situation I just described really happened, what do you think these congressmen and leaders in the party would do?"

General MacArthur thought for a moment and said, "They'll probably cut ties with me. After all, I'm the only opposition party in American history to have military power."

Zheng Yi: "That's right, because that is military power, and the one who betrayed you, who has a personal grudge against President Du, and who relied on military power to become too domineering after the victory, will be the Republican Party. The best apology to President Du himself.

Think about it, if the Republican Party cuts ties with you now, then in the future, when President Trump steps down, or if the Republican Party returns to power, how will you cope within the Republican Party?

"Human nature is always the same. If someone betrays you, they will feel guilty and will do their best to make amends."

"But if a group of people betrayed you and sold you out... do you think they would accept you back?"

"If that were to happen, you wouldn't even have the support of the Republican Party. What would a 72-year-old man like you be able to do then?"

"Finally, fourthly, everything I just envisioned assumes that no large-scale war will occur in the next five years. You won't need to personally fight on the battlefield. Honestly, the possibility of a large-scale war breaking out in the Asia-Pacific region within the next five years is very high, extremely high. General MacArthur, we are friends. You can trust my judgment."

"Then I ask you to think carefully about this. If you were to personally lead a battle, how would you fight if President Du were re-elected? Win or lose, I can hardly see any chance of a good outcome for you. The honor you once held as a World War II hero...it's hard to say."

Objectively speaking, people in later generations, especially people in China, generally look down on MacArthur's military talent. This is actually a bit biased. Many people even believe that because MacArthur is among the top ten generals in World War II, this ranking has no authority.

That’s both right and wrong. MacArthur was not a particularly outstanding general from a purely military perspective, but he was actually not that bad.

When General MacArthur began that historical war, he was actually in an extremely embarrassing political situation.

When a general is fighting on the front line, and the monarch behind him is staring at you, waiting for you to make a mistake, hoping that you will make a mistake so that he can have an excuse to deal with you, and all your allies in the court have abandoned you, but you cannot beg for mercy from the monarch and show your loyalty. Instead, you have to make the best of the situation and appear very strong, so as not to bring shame to your party.

That's really not a good performance.

Even if he wins, as long as the victory is not beautiful or overwhelming, there will always be people who will try every possible way to find fault with him and try every possible means to prove that the battle could have been fought better.

If the Democrats placed a large number of civilian advisers in the middle ranks of the military, who would quarrel with you every now and then, and if the enemy was really good at fighting, and their combat effectiveness was not even inferior to that of the US military...

If he is not a tragedy, who is?
Ultimately, all of MacArthur's problems stem from the political fact that he is the only opposition member in American history to have military power and has a very serious personal grudge against the President.

Coach MacArthur is not a fool. Zheng Yi has made it clear. These are not so-called deductions, but all historical facts. Objectively speaking, Coach MacArthur may not be worthy of being called a famous general, but he really should not end up with such a clown-like image.

"If... President Du really gets re-elected... what can I do if I resign? Do you still need me?"

Zheng Yi: "I have no roots or connections in American politics; they are too shallow. However, I am wealthy enough that I would like to get involved in some business, but I know many people still regard me as an outsider."

"If you resign immediately after President Trump's re-election results are announced, you'll still be a war hero, a powerful figure with deep roots within the Republican Party, and you'll have countless former subordinates in the military. In many cases, you'll have more face than I do."

"We are brothers. If you can take charge of my business in the United States, I can return to Southeast Asia with peace of mind."

Zheng Yi held up a finger and said, "One billion, one billion US dollars. The assets I have in the United States that I'll entrust to you to manage will not be less than one billion US dollars. I will also acquire more than 200 radio stations and media outlets, and build a TV station. I'll give you an annual salary of ten million US dollars plus bonuses."

"If you could become my general manager, I promise you that your influence on American politics would far exceed yours if you hid in Japan, locked yourself in a movie theater watching Westerns every day."

After hearing this, Coach Mai was silent for a long time.

"Let's talk about it after the election. If President Du is really re-elected... I will seriously consider your advice, good brother."

(End of this chapter)