Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 315 Your ideas are outdated!
As Fred's son, Big T never expected Rusk to give them any explanation.

His actions were not for the soldiers' benefit at all; he was acting entirely for his own.

Having good relationships with journalists in the past can come in handy in situations like this.

The photos, combined with his testimony, were enough to cause a huge uproar in America.

If he were just an ordinary soldier, that would certainly not work, but he is Fred's son and has the entire Elephant Party backing him.

The Elephant Party will help him generate buzz in the news.

Even if General William Westmoreland had been involved, let alone just a major general, the matter wouldn't have been resolved.

Next year is the presidential election, and the interests involved in the White House position cannot be settled by a mere general.

His fame will soar as a result.

Unafraid of authority, outspoken, speaking up for soldiers, exposing the dark side, and a frontline combat hero, Big T even began to fantasize about becoming America's youngest senator after retiring and returning to Washington.

Just then, his father went on to run for senator, and he took over as a New York State assemblyman.

Then, after serving as a member of the House of Representatives for a few years, he can run for senator and become the youngest senator.

Big T has already started dreaming; it's time for her most beautiful fantasy.

The age limit for senators is 30. Joe was 29 when he was elected, and he waited until after his 30th birthday before taking office as a senator.

Big T was only 21 years old at the time, so running for senator was unrealistic for him.

At the Sergeant's Club, Westmoreland, after gathering his thoughts, said, "Don't worry, everyone. We will definitely investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation. The latest slot machines will arrive within a week. We will openly unpack them for you to inspect first. Only after we confirm that there are no problems will they be put into use."

We will also inspect all the slot machines operating within the military throughout the Baiyue region to ensure there are no problems.

There was nothing wrong with Westmoreland's statement.

But Big T felt that wasn't enough: "General Westmoreland, the money we spent on these cheating slot machines in the past was all taken away by cheaters, and that money should be returned to us!"
Don't you agree?

Big T looked around and asked the sergeants.

They really wouldn't dare to say that without Big T leading the way.

But Big T has already spoken out, and everyone on the front lines is really living on the edge, they might be taken away by a sniper shot that pops out of the jungle any day, so there aren't many concerns.

Everyone shouted along with Big T: "Yes!"

"Give me my money back!" Big T shouted next.

All the sergeants shouted in unison: "Give us our money back!"

Rusk said, "Don't worry, everyone, the money will definitely be refunded!"

After Rusk's tour group left, Big T was surrounded by the officers and tossed into the air. At this moment, he was truly one of their own; those who could fight for everyone's interests were all one of their own.

The money spent on slot machines was all refunded, which meant that all the money spent on them was wasted, and now there was extra savings out of nowhere.

Who wouldn't like it?
A week later, in late October 1967, the New York Post published a bombshell story on its front page: "The inside story of the Vietnam War: Slot machines swindle soldiers out of their hard-earned money."

The article, based on the first-person account of the sergeant T and accompanied by photos taken by frontline reporters, details how the slot machines in the sergeant club were modified to reduce the odds of winning and defraud soldiers of their salaries.

The article names Sergeant Wooldridge and a mysterious supplier, suggesting that senior military officials may have been aware of the matter.

The content includes how the machine provided by Sergeant Wooldridge's friend was tampered with, swindling soldiers out of their hard-earned money; how he exposed the truth through probability analysis, forcing General Westmoreland and Rusk to promise to refund the money.

Before the report was published, Jenny, the editor-in-chief of The New York Times, called Lin Ran because he was mentioned in the report. Big T claimed that he learned his probability theory knowledge from his professor, and the reporters also focused on describing this.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran thought to himself, "As expected of a great T, he can pull off such amazing feats in any time and space."

Lin Ran naturally wanted to see some fun. He was very curious about how far a tank with these buffs could go in this time and space.

As soon as the newspaper was published, newsstands on the streets of New York were sold out.

Other media outlets quickly followed suit.

The Washington Post published a commentary titled "Another Looting of the Vietnam War".

Time magazine, in an article titled "Ill-gotten Gains in the Military," delved into corruption within the military's logistics system.

During a news broadcast, the presenter said in a somber tone: "On the front lines of the Vietnam War, soldiers not only had to face enemy bullets, but also had to fight against traps set by their own people."

America caused an uproar among the public.

At this time, anti-war sentiment was spreading, and protests were in full swing on university campuses.

Anti-war groups seized the opportunity to organize marches in New York and Washington, D.C., holding up signs that read: "Stop the corruption of war! Give soldiers justice!"

The general public was outraged, and veterans' associations wrote to the White House demanding a thorough investigation into military corruption. In an instant, besides the incident itself, the name "Big T" became a household symbol, representing courage and justice.

At the same time, the elephant party sensed an opportunity.

Lyndon Johnson's Democratic government was in a slump due to the Vietnam War, and the Democratic Party leader acted quickly to amplify the impact of the scandal.

In a speech, Senator Barry Goldwater publicly praised Big T: "This young man has shown the true spirit of America, daring to challenge authority and protect our soldiers! He is truly a worthy son of our Elephant Party senator!"

The focus is on the Elephant Party members.

To be honest, now Barry is actually a little envious of Fred for having such a good son who can easily take over his mantle without any problems.

The Elephant Party leader personally called Fred, implying that the Elephant Party would also support Big T's political career in the future, saying that after Big T retired from the front lines, he could become an assistant to a veteran senator.

This is also standard procedure for many legislators with connections.

Fred sat in his Brooklyn mansion, flipping through the newspaper, nodding with satisfaction. Sending Big T to the front lines was definitely the right thing to do. With the father and son, becoming a political dynasty was no problem at all.

He called the public relations team within the Elephant Party: "Make this even more sensational; Big T is our future star."

In Major General Turner's office in Washington, the atmosphere was unusually serious.

Because the matter has now spread to Turner.

After the scandal broke, pressure from Washington came like a tidal wave, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff demanding that he submit a report explaining why the base's slot machines were suspected of fraud.

Turner slammed his fist on the table, his face turning bright red: "That big T! A greenhorn corporal, daring to ruin my plans!"

Sergeant Wooldridge was hiding in the officers' quarters in Saigon, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

He cursed at the mirror: "Big T, you little bastard, you ruined my path to wealth!"

Wooldridge is no pushover.

He quickly contacted his subordinates to try to destroy evidence of slot machines at other bases, while also sending people to spread rumors that Big T was making up stories to become famous.

But these tactics had little effect; the media persisted, and public anger could not be quelled.

He even considered secretly threatening Big T, but had to give up after learning that the other party had the support of the Elephant Party.

“Just wait and see,” Wooldridge gritted his teeth. “This kid will get what’s coming to him sooner or later.” Turner, on the other hand, adopted a more cautious approach.

He submitted a report to General Westmoreland acknowledging that "some slot machines had technical problems," but insisted that he was unaware of them and shifted the blame to the supplier.

He outwardly cooperated with the investigation, but privately he cursed Big T: "Don't give me the chance, I'll make sure you regret it!"

Meanwhile, Big T became a true star on the front lines of the Vietnam War.

The officers cheered for him, and everyone was overjoyed that the returned gambling money had been returned.

"T, you've done something amazing! We've been wasting so much time on this, but now we've gotten all our money back!"

"Shouldn't you run for president?"

Faced with such praise, Big T grinned and said half-jokingly, "President? That's too far off. I'd rather be a congressman first."

But in his heart, he was calculating: this scandal has made him famous, and he will definitely be able to take off when he returns to China.

With his father's resources, the support of the Elephant Party, and the media's adoration, he seemed to see the Capitol Building in Washington beckoning to him.

The repercussions of the scandal continue to unfold.

Under pressure, the military conducted a thorough investigation of the entertainment facilities at the Vietnam base, replacing dozens of slot machines and prosecuting several suppliers.

Major General Turner was not directly punished, but his chances of promotion are slim.

Wooldridge's kickback network was severely damaged, and the congressional investigation exposed him completely, making him a scapegoat for the scandal.

Big T's reputation, however, skyrocketed, with Elephant Party media calling him "the defender of soldiers." While anti-war groups didn't entirely trust his motives, they acknowledged that his revelations spurred military reforms.

Of course, it wasn't all good. He was allowed to return to America to recuperate due to his injury and was no longer allowed to work on the front lines.

At this point, Lyndon Johnson didn't dare to actually kill him.

America is not yet at that point 60 years from now; she wouldn't go so far as to kill her rival's son.

Back in New York, Big T met Fred at his villa.

Fred said, "Son, I have great news for you. I've arranged a job for you as Morton's personal assistant. You can go straight to work in Washington. He's a very important person!"

Morton is a real big shot, an Elephant Senator from Kentucky who serves on several important committees, including the most important Senate Appropriations Committee.

Morton served three consecutive terms as a member of the House of Representatives, then as Assistant Secretary of State during Eisenhower's term, and subsequently as a senator.

He himself is a senator, and his brother Rogers Ballard Morton is a congressman from Maryland.

A typical political family.

"He is about to retire and has deep connections and influence within the Elephant Party. Morton admires you, and after I spoke with him, he promised to mentor you."

If you can follow in Morton's footsteps, you won't have to worry about running for Congress in 70!

He could either run for a seat in his state of Kentucky, or come back to New York to take my place.

Fred's plan was that if he didn't get elected to the Senate, his son would run for office in Kentucky; if he did get elected, his son would get the New York State Assembly seat.

A perfect design.

In the past, the hope was to produce two consecutive terms of parliamentarians, like the Hearst family.

Now, Fred's ambitions don't stop there.

He hopes that his family will have two members of parliament, or even the president.

Father and son presidents, like the Adams family.

He just didn't expect that Big T would refuse so decisively, "I'm sorry, Father, don't you realize that the environment has changed?"

With the advent of live television, past political legacies have become less effective for those aspiring to be president.

Becoming a media mogul is the most effective method.

I have already made arrangements with Columbia Television to start as a political talk show host, and then run directly for Congress in 70.

Then comes the senator, and finally the president!

Our T family is also going to acquire television stations, newspapers, radio stations, and so on. We're not only going to be real estate tycoons, but also media tycoons!

Big T stood up, strode to the mirror in the living room, and said confidently to himself, "T.T., future Congressman, future Senator, and future President!"

Fred was furious. "You little brat, you want to run for office in '70? If I don't get elected, the father-son show in Congress will turn into a father-son election."

A good reputation turned into a comedy?
"Then let me ask you, what if I were to run for New York State Assemblyman in 1970?"

Without hesitation, Big T said, "Didn't I tell you that we're going to build the T family's media empire?"

If you lose back then, you can build a media empire; if I lose, I'll do it.

Whoever loses goes.

Father, you must understand that in America now, the power of two senators is absolutely not as great as that of one senator plus a media empire.

Why does the professor wield so much power in America's eyes, even for Johnson to give way to him?

The professor's own abilities and Johnson's incompetence are one aspect; the fact that he has the Hearst family and the New York Times behind him is another.

Fred finally understood Nixon's mindset: creating a rival for yourself—could you stand it?

Fred roared, "If you don't do as I say, then get out of here!"

Big T said nonchalantly, "Fine, I'll leave. Columbia Television offered me a pretty good salary."

My first episode was an interview with the Godfather when he returned to New York.

This show is sure to be a huge hit.

In short, you can prepare for a possible defeat in advance.

Of course, if you get elected president next year, that's a different story.

Oh, right, I should also remind you that you might need to appear on my talk show next year when you run for president.

I suggest you be a little more friendly to me, so you won't feel awkward when you come to ask me for a favor next year.

After saying that, Big T packed his luggage and left.

Fred's face turned bright red, and he was furious, wishing he had never had a son like Big T.

　Just so you know, 232 I got locked up as soon as I corrected a typo, so 233 the mistakes you guys are talking about aren't that I don't want to correct them, it's that I get locked up as soon as I do.

　　233 has 400 words deleted, so it might look a little strange to you. It's not a problem with my writing.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)