I am a necromancer, and I absolutely love America.

Chapter 238 The Dust Settles

Hax was angry for a few minutes, but quickly calmed down.

This is an essential quality for successful businesspeople: not letting anger control them.

The bidding is tomorrow, and no bank can complete a loan of more than 5 million in such a short time, not even Hax.

Time is running out, and I am bound to lose this bid.

However, Harker quickly called other banks, including Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Morgan Stanley, leaving no one out.

Each phone call he made only deepened his disappointment.

After hanging up the third phone call, Hax lost all hope.

He knew he had no other choice but to accept the fact of failure.

Shortly after, the CFO sent a message saying that the funds had arrived, but only $35 billion.

Damn Sterling! Hax clenched his fists angrily.

The loan had already been approved, but he not only failed to win the bid, he also had to bear the interest loss.

Now that things have come to this, he must find a way to make up for the losses.

As for the attack and retaliation against Mellon Bank, we'll talk about that later.

Is there anything else that can be used to exploit this situation?

He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and called Catherine.

Catherine was surprised to see Harker's call, but after thinking for a moment, she answered it anyway, wanting to see what the old man was going to say next.

Harker said calmly, "Catherine, congratulations, you've won."

"Hmm?" Catherine frowned slightly, surprised that the old man was so straightforward. She said reservedly, "Thank you for the compliment."

She became more wary of Hax; an enemy who could control his emotions was clearly more threatening.

Harker suppressed his anger and resentment: "I admit I underestimated you. You are a formidable opponent. Now that the competition is over, we can talk about what's next."

"What else happened?" Catherine asked.

"If I withdraw from the bidding, you can acquire Bello's assets at a lower price. In that case, could you sell me a few flagship stores? I don't need too many, three will suffice." Hax fantasized about restarting the deal that had previously fallen through.

Catherine laughed. "I have to admire you, Mr. Harker. You're a true businessman. At this point, you're no longer in a position to negotiate with me. You've lost, you've lost everything!"

Harker clenched his fists and sighed deeply: "OK, I admit I failed. However, I put a lot of effort into this deal, and I don't want to go back empty-handed."

If you're willing to transfer three flagship stores to me, I can accept any reasonable price. As long as it's not excessive, I won't try to lower the price or delay payment. This way, you'll receive my goodwill.

"Goodwill?" Catherine scoffed. "Aren't we already enemies?"

Harker patiently explained, "No, our adversarial relationship is over. In business, cooperation and confrontation are normal and can change at any time. I think you're a smart businessman and should be able to make the most rational choice."

Catherine had to admit that Harkers was indeed a ruthless businessman.

From the moment he realized his failure, he stopped trying to salvage the situation and had no regrets.

He immediately began to think about how to recover resources, make up for losses, and strive to gain some benefits under the existing conditions.

Clearly, the loan from Mellon Bank has already been disbursed, and it makes perfect sense for Hax to use the loan to buy part of the flagship store, spend the loan, and avoid paying interest in vain.

Harkers has changed very quickly, transforming from a bidder into a stop-loss investor.

Catherine hesitated for a moment, then decided that since she couldn't kill Harks for the time being, she could cooperate with Harks to ease the tension.

To be honest, there wasn't really any core conflict between her and Harker; it was just a dispute over assets.

Of course, if given the chance to kill Hax, Catherine wouldn't hesitate.

She believed that Hacks thought the same thing.

Catherine offered her leverage: "The flagship store I'm selling to you is a core node in the entire store network; losing even one would be a huge loss, and you should understand that. However, after I acquire these stores, I'll be undertaking extensive renovations. If you're interested, you can take on part of the renovation work."

"Renovation?" Hax paused for a moment.

Catherine nodded: "Yes, you know, those wealthy women who get cosmetic procedures have very high requirements for the environment. Some of the Bello stores are quite old and haven't been renovated on a large scale for more than three to five years. I need to redesign the store image. I also want to take this opportunity to make an overall adjustment to the style of all the stores. From now on, it won't be Bello, but a new Bello—there has to be some change."

"I remember you own a decent renovation company, right? If you're willing to take this business, I can give it to you. Of course, there's a price to pay: you have to issue a public announcement now, declaring your withdrawal from the bidding. In return, I can award you the entire renovation of my store."

Hacks was silent for a moment.

He does own a decoration company, which is a supporting business he built up when he was in the real estate business in his early years. It is not large in scale, but it specializes in mid-to-high-end products and has relatively high profits.

With hundreds of stores undergoing uniform renovations, this is no small business; the cost is definitely over 100 million yuan.

He assessed the potential profits from the deal, concluding that it would essentially cover the interest on the useless 35 billion loan, and even allow him to make a small profit.

Hacks could only sigh: "OK, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

The two parties hung up the phone.

Bellow Group headquarters.

The three core directors were in a small conference room discussing the benefits of various plans.

The main objective now is to use Catherine to raise the price of Hax.

They hope to raise the bid for L0T A to over 50 to recoup some of their losses, but Catherine might not cooperate, which is their biggest headache.

Margaret suggested, "If no one takes over LOT B and LOT C, we can consider a second round of bidding. Perhaps Catherine will change her mind then."

Victor sighed; he wasn't optimistic about it.

"At least L0TA was auctioned off; we'll see about the rest later."

"While the result is not satisfactory, it is still acceptable. The first step of the strategic transformation is half completed. The remaining assets can be auctioned off again. As long as the price is right, they can always be sold, although it will take longer."

"Furthermore, we can take this opportunity to do some more promotion. Since the new company is willing to spend a lot of money to acquire these assets, it means they are quite optimistic about the future of the medical aesthetics industry. Perhaps we can even raise the price?"

Raymond poured cold water on the idea, saying, "New Life Company is optimistic about the future of medical aesthetics, but the Bello Group is not part of that future."

Everyone's lips twitched slightly.

Due to the conflict between Bauer and New Life, New Life has publicly stated that it will not sell ACER's products to Bellow.

Just then, Bauer, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up and said with a wry smile, "I've received some bad news."

The three directors' expressions changed slightly; at this moment, they were terrified of hearing any bad news.

Anton asked, "What news?"

Bauer was secretly overjoyed, but he pretended to sigh: "Hacks has announced his withdrawal from the bidding; he just released a public statement."

"WTF!" The three directors' expressions changed drastically, and they quickly turned on their phones.

"Hacks Group announced it will no longer participate in the bidding for Bellow Group's assets due to its own asset allocation issues, blabla."

blah.

'

The statement is just a bunch of nonsense.

In short, it means that Harker has stopped playing.

"FXXK!"

Margaret's face was extremely ugly; their entire plan had failed.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became extremely heavy, and no one could utter a single word for a full 10 minutes.

Without the Hax premium, LOTA's valuation would be ruined.

Bauer said in a deep voice, "As you can see now, there is only one buyer left, Catherine."

The room was completely silent.

Bauer continued, "We need to decide before tomorrow's bidding whether to sell the entire asset or let it fail to sell. If we can't accept Catherine's offer, it means we'll continue to bear the losses and risks associated with this asset, and any strategic transformation will be out of the question."

rise."

"Furthermore, I want to remind you that this is the first time the auction has failed. If we were to hold an auction again, the bidding price would never exceed $120 billion."

The three directors' faces darkened.

After a long pause, Victor finally said with a pained expression, "120 billion is far too little."

"Yes!" The other two directors were heartbroken.

Anton said softly, "I think that under the current circumstances, if Catherine accepts 125 billion, we can agree to the sale."

"125 billion?"

The three directors looked grim, but there was no other way now. There was only one buyer left, and if they didn't want the auction to fail, this was the only option.

However, they were very unwilling to agree.

Anton said, "Alright, since everyone has different opinions, let's vote by raising our hands. According to the concerted action agreement, let's vote now and decide on a plan. So, those who agree to the sale of the assets to Catherine for 125 billion, please raise your hands."

According to the agreement on concerted action, they must vote on the resolution proposed by Anton by raising their hands; they must either agree or fail, and cannot remain neutral or postpone it.

All abstentions are taken as consent, which reduces the time they spend delaying.

The three independent directors looked at each other and remained silent for a while before raising their hands.

A few minutes later, the agreement was approved.

Anton provided a number, which unified everyone's thinking.

Without a unified action agreement or a concerted action agreement, with each of the three people holding their own views and having their own ideas, who knows when a result will be reached?

Looking at the resolution of 125 billion, Bauer was overjoyed: he had made another 500 million for free, 130 million more in kickbacks than the previous 500 billion!

However, he still said with a somber expression, "OK, then I'll negotiate with Catherine on a price of 125 billion. As long as she agrees, we'll sign the contract immediately."

Anton nodded: "OK."

The three directors raised no further objections; the matter was beyond repair.

The signing table for the sale of the Bellow Group was set up in the very center of the group's headquarters conference room.

Catherine and Anton sat on either side.

As she finished signing the last page of the contract, a flash went off in front of her.

Catherine gracefully held up the contract to show the reporters, then shook hands with Anton and posed for a photo.

The people from the newly established company at the scene began to applaud enthusiastically, and some even excitedly whistled a short whistle.

The new company's first major acquisition was made with unusual speed, signifying that the company had officially embarked on its expansion journey.

This also means that Catherine believes ACER technology is imminent.

If ACER goes public, everyone at the newly established company will rise to prominence.

The people from the Bellow Group didn't look so good, especially the three directors standing on the other side against the wall, their faces grim.

Like water, yet my heart is torn apart.

It's all their money that's being lost.

After the photo session, Catherine shook hands with Anton and the others in turn.

She first released her grip on Anton's hand and whispered, "Well done."

Anton nodded slightly, his heart filled with fervor.

His money will arrive in his account soon!

Bauer was already standing there waiting.

Catherine extended her hand, and Bauer immediately grasped it with both hands, whispering obsequiously, "Finally, the deal is done."

The transaction was over, and I immediately went to the new company. The person in front of me was my immediate supervisor and junior boss.

Catherine smiled without saying a word, and said softly, "I'm very satisfied with your performance."

After speaking, she raised her head again and shook hands with the three core directors in turn.

The news of the acquisition of the newly established company was quickly disseminated through financial news apps.

Ruitu's stock price surged by 4% before the market closed.

The share prices of Pfizer, Novartis, and AstraZeneca, the three newly established partner companies, all rose in tandem, with a slight increase of 1-2 percentage points.

The market analyst wrote in the report: "The entry of a new company into the medical aesthetics chain field means that the commercialization of ACER technology has entered a substantial stage."

If it were merely a stage of technological reserves and cutting-edge technology, a newly established company wouldn't spend billions to acquire offline assets. According to industry practice, the cycle from asset integration to official product launch is approximately 12-24 months. Therefore, we can infer that the actual launch of ACER technology may be closer than the market expects, and within the next 1-2 years, we will witness the arrival of a new era in medical aesthetics.

The accompanying photo is of Bertrand Russell, from his first public appearance in front of the media after recovering from his burns—a truly iconic moment.

The Wall Street Journal immediately updated its website with the headline: "Billion-Dollar Acquisition: New Company Officially Enters the Medical Aesthetics Chain Enterprise Market."

The New York Post's headline was more concise: "Catherine takes down Bello, an undisputed victory."

Ever since David Hart made a fortune with the Lutheran Church, The New York Times has been fawning over Debbie, and Catherine has also enjoyed a lot of media resources, all for free.

A Fox Business anchor said on the show, "The biggest story behind this deal isn't the price, but the identity of the buyer. Kathleen Dickson, president of Emerging Systems, announced one thing with $125 billion: ACER technology is not just a laboratory concept; it's becoming a commercially viable product."

'

That evening, all industry analysis articles were launched online.

Some say this is a reshuffling of the medical aesthetics industry, while others say ACER technology is the real driving force behind this deal.

Regardless, everyone knows that ACER technology is about to be implemented, and a major technological reshuffle in the medical aesthetics industry is imminent.

Everyone in the industry, as well as upstream and downstream businesses, will be affected.

Nobody knows what the future holds.

Alex carefully lay low for five or six days, and his popularity finally began to decline.

There are still people updating comments in the comment section, but the frequency has obviously slowed down.

The growth curve of new fans started to decline three days ago, and today the number of fans is getting smaller and smaller. His deadly popularity has finally passed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Alex's girlfriend spends too much money, and his savings are almost gone.

Now that the hype has died down, I can find some work to do and earn some money, right?

Alex pondered.

Just then, the professor sent a message: "Alex, want some work?"

Alex thought for a moment: "Let's do it!"

If I don't do the dirty work soon, the professor will probably get angry.

The professor called immediately: "In an orchard in upstate New York, a farmer died in his warehouse. The workers reported it. It's too poor there; the police are too lazy to go to the scene. The farmer had no family; he was all alone. No one would care if he died. The pay wasn't high, but the work was easy. The workers reported it as an accidental death due to a fall while drunk."

"This guy has had diabetes for 15 years, and he hasn't taken any medication and hasn't had any particularly serious side effects. I'm very curious, what's so special about his body? You can go and see him if you're interested."

Alex immediately replied, "I'll go right away."

He calculated the round-trip fuel costs and working hours, and realized he could still earn over $100.

It's done!

Before setting off, Alex checked his toolbox, which had been gathering dust for several days, to make sure he was fully equipped. He then immediately got into the hearse and drove onto the 195 northbound lane, continuing until he reached a fork in the road at the edge of the Kazgil Mountains.

Large orchards appeared on both sides of the road.

In winter, the fruit trees are sparse, but as the weather warms up, some branches are sprouting green buds.

To facilitate harvesting, the fruit trees have very low canopies and large gaps between them.

Following the navigation, Alex drove for about a kilometer on a dirt road and saw an old reddish-brown wooden house with a tin warehouse next to it. The door lock had been pried open and was hanging crookedly beside it.

A red-haired Irish farm worker, leisurely smoking on a tractor, waved happily when he saw Alex arrive.

"Hi! My name is Lucien, and I'm the one who reported it. The boss's body is inside," Lucien said with a grin.

Alex nodded, put on his protective suit, and asked, "Is no one home? What's his name?"

"Harold Jennings, the farmer of this small farm. His wife and son died in a car accident last year, and he has no family left. As for whether he has any emergency contact, who knows? Old Harold drank too much yesterday, and this morning, he probably played with a gun and killed himself, haha."

Lu Xien laughed heartily, clearly very happy.

The boss he hated was dead, and he could sell his corpse for a profit. It was so satisfying; just thinking about it made him feel great.

ALEX walked into the warehouse.

The farmer was lying on his side on the ground, with an old hunting rifle under him. His face was turned to one side, and the back of his head was completely blown open, making it look like he had accidentally discharged the gun while cleaning it and blown his head off.

Alex placed his toolbox beside him, performed a quick check, and deduced the timeframe of death based on the condition of the maggots.

Then observe the distribution and coagulation state of the bloodstains.

This is not necessary, but it can improve his forensic experience.

He found that the deceased had a high alcohol content in his stomach, consistent with Lucien's statement that the deceased had been drinking heavily the day before.

Alex quickly noticed something amiss: the bullet had entered through the jaw, and strangely, the gunpowder had left a ring of powder marks on the skin of the jaw.

No one would press the muzzle of a gun against their chin while cleaning it. That's too strange. It's unlikely to be an accidental discharge; it's more like suicide than an accident.

However... Alex was too lazy to bother.

In any case, the old man is dead.

Alex saw no signs of resistance or struggle at the scene.

Even if he saw it, he would pretend he didn't.

He's not a forensic doctor.

He's just an international student trying to make money.

Alex did a quick check and it did seem like he had killed himself after drinking too much.

"OK, that's settled then."

Alex put away all the tools, then put the body into a body bag and zipped it up.

He didn't change the description of Lucien's cause of death, as it had nothing to do with him. He was just making a few hundred dollars and wouldn't want to cause trouble by calling the police.

"Done! Bye!" Alex left $350 and drove away.

In a study at Warn Manor.

Alger looked at Langdon and said calmly, "I said I'd do it cleanly, and look what happened? The person you hired left behind a corpse."

Langdon chuckled awkwardly, "It's already been staged as suicide; I need to make it look clean."

Alger said coldly, "I said, clean it up! Don't fake a suicide and leave a body behind! As long as there's a body, there will be traces."

"OK, I understand." Langdon apologized sincerely on the surface, but he didn't really take it to heart.

With so many people dying in New York every day, who would bother to pay for the accidental death of a drunkard who accidentally discharged a gun?

Alger did not pursue the matter further.

The youngest son still has a lot to learn.

Alger said, "I will send someone back to handle the scene."

"OK." Langdon was getting impatient.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door was pushed open.

A sunny and cheerful man walked in, wearing a black jacket.

He grinned and said, "Hey, Langdon."

Langdon felt a chill run down his spine when he saw this guy.

He always felt that this person's smile was more venomous than a snake.

"Hey."

"What do you want?" The man in the black jacket stood in front of Alger.

Alger said, "Go and clean up the scene."

OK.

The man in the black jacket turned and left.

Langdon thought the matter was over and began to continue learning from Alger about the family's assets.

An hour later, the man in the black jacket called, his voice low and somber: "The body is gone. It's been taken away. Someone got there before us."

Langdon felt his scalp tingle:

"What the fuck?"

Langdon never expected that his carelessness would actually cause such trouble.

Alger calmly asked, "What happened?"

He had been plotting for three years to seize the Jennings' land. First, he staged an accident to kill the rancher's family, and then he killed the rancher himself. He was about to take over the orchard and connect it with a large tract of Vaughn's land.

But now something went wrong, the body has disappeared!

The man in the black jacket stabbed the grinning worker, Lucien, to death with a dagger. Then, dragging the body away, he casually remarked, "He was a body collector. Worker Lucien called a body collector and sold old Jennings' body for $350."

Langdon's lips twitched. "$350? How much trouble did they cause me for $350? Who's the corpse collector?"

The man in the black jacket chuckled and said, "A student named Alex, an exchange student from Tokyo University, specializes in dirty work like collecting corpses."

International student at the University of Tokyo?

Alger quickly offered a solution: "Have ICE investigate, make up some excuse, arrest Alex, and then... do it cleanly."

"Received." The man in the black jacket put his phone in his pocket and forcefully threw the body into the back seat of the car.

boom!

He slammed the pickup truck door shut and drove off happily.

The body cannot be disposed of on the spot, as it could easily be discovered by the police.

It's very simple to drag it for 10 kilometers and then hide it.

This place is full of forests, some of which are burial grounds.

"Father..." Langdon looked at Alger with some fear.

Alger didn't scold him, but simply said, "See? Anything you think is minor can go wrong. Next time, make sure to dispose of the body immediately, whether it's dumping or burying it, it's better than leaving it there waiting for the police. Also, and most importantly, don't panic if you mess things up. Solve the problem immediately, don't regret it, don't be afraid. Never! Got it?"

Langdon's face turned pale, but he didn't back down and nodded vigorously.

Alger was actually quite satisfied. This accident was perfectly timed, giving his youngest son a profound lesson, and the problem wasn't serious—just a greedy corpse collector. He calmly said, "OK, let's continue. Tell me about our family's military industrial enterprises and what their significance is to us?"

Alger didn't give Langdon time to figure it out.

He had to forcefully instill all the information into Langdon.

Even so, it would take Langdon at least two years to master these concepts.

In the mayor's office.

Bang bang bang!

Brian slapped the newly revised unlimited legal rights plan and said angrily, "Manderson, we agreed that I would revise it and you would sign it, so why aren't you signing it now?"

This version was revised and finalized according to G0A's requirements. With the help of the timid Payne, the new version of the bill was passed by the city council with great difficulty.

Payne was already overwhelmed dealing with Killian's attacks and really didn't want any unexpected incidents to occur in the investigation of the Super Bowl tragedy.

But Manderson refused without even looking at it: "I won't sign."

Brian's face darkened. "This is the mildest version. No problem. The city council has already approved it. You just need to sign your name—just that damn MF's name!"

"No!" Manderson repeated, calmly pushing the document to the corner of the table. "You actually want me to sign a bill that allows the NYPD to make arrests without judicial review? No matter what modifications are added, the core content remains the same. I won't sign it; signing it would end my career. The left will say I'm betraying civil liberties, the right will say I'm giving the NYPD too much power, and the centrists will say I'm useless. I'll please no one. I won't ruin my political future for your plan."

Brian's face was extremely grim.

After Theodore's death, Mandelson completely let loose.

Brian said coldly, "I know, Manderson, I know. You think you've got the mayor's seat all set now, don't you?"

Manderson smiled slightly: "No, I'm just responsible for the personal safety and freedom of citizens."

That sounds high-sounding, but Brian scoffed, "Do you know the Super Bowl investigation report is almost finished? I can revise it anytime. Mendelson, don't tell me efficient approval processes have nothing to do with you."

Manderson leaned forward slightly, staring directly at Brian: "Are you threatening me, Mr. Representative?"

"I'm telling you the facts," Brian said firmly. "If you sign this bill, the Super Bowl investigation report will be more restrained."

"I won't sign." Manderson leaned back in his chair, showing no fear whatsoever, and even laughed.

Theodore was dead, and he didn't think he was in any danger anymore. No one could threaten him, and he had long been fed up with the domineering Brian.

"Your damn Super Bowl investigation is Payne's problem. I didn't pass that bill, and I haven't signed it yet. Let Isabella investigate all you want, and let's see what you can come up with."

"If you really want your bill, Mr. Representative, first settle the Super Bowl massacre case properly, revise the investigation report to my satisfaction, and then we can talk about signing off on this unlimited powers bill."

Manderson contemptuously picked up the bill from the table and threw it directly into the shredder.

Buzzing...

Brian watched the bill turn into scraps of paper, stared coldly for a few seconds, then stood up abruptly, buttoned up his suit jacket, and said, "OK, very good."

Brian turned and left, his face extremely gloomy.

"No need to see me out." Manderson could barely suppress a smile.

With Theodore dead, he felt completely liberated.

Even someone as strong as Brian couldn't pose a real threat to him.

Brian walked down the corridor outside the mayor's office, his face grim.

As he turned the next corner, he suddenly ran into an acquaintance: Erin Hopkins, the city's chief of staff and a good friend of his.

She held a blue-covered document in her hand, her hair was neatly tied up, and she wore simple earrings.

"Hey, Erin." Brian immediately switched to a friendly smile.

Erin Hopkins worked at New York City Hall for nearly 20 years, rising from a junior auditor to the chief comptroller.

She was a typical technocrat, skilled in accounting, and conscientious in her duties, and had made almost no mistakes in her career that could be publicly criticized.

Moreover, her connection with Brian goes back a long way, dating back to when Brian was the director of the NYPD.

At that time, Eileen, who had just started working, was an ordinary clerk in the police station's finance department.

At the time, the police department was rife with factions, and Eileen was severely marginalized.

Brian took a liking to Erin, who was still very young at the time, believing that she was a pure financial professional. He was willing to protect her and offered her some opportunities.

After that, Brian continued to support her within the police department, and the two established a good superior-subordinate relationship.

Later, Eileen left the police station, entered the city hall, and rose through the ranks to become the chief compiler.

Brian also helped her at several key junctures during this process.

When Eileen saw Brian, her expression immediately softened. She hugged Brian and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Then, she looked at Brian with concern: "Brian, you don't look well. Did the negotiations with Manderson not go smoothly?"

Brian shrugged: "The work of a congressman has never gone smoothly."

Eileen laughed and said admiringly, "I don't know what you big shots do; I just do the bookkeeping."

The two chatted for a few minutes.

Eileen came to the city hall on business and needed Manderson's signature.

The two walked side by side for a while, until they reached the front door. Eileen said softly, "I heard about Tessa. How are you doing?"

Eileen is Tessa's best friend of many years. Both women love growing flowers, and their families also have frequent interactions.

Brian didn't stop walking much, but the rhythm of his voice changed slightly: "She went to Dongda University to clear her head."

"I know. I called her once, and she didn't say much, just that she wanted some peace and quiet. Is there any way to salvage the relationship?"

Brian sighed. "I don't know. If you could help me talk to her, maybe I could still give it a try."

Eileen and Tessa are longtime best friends and have a very good relationship despite their age difference.

Eileen nodded: "I'll take a vacation in a while and fly to Tokyo University. I'll talk to her. I might not be able to persuade her to come back, but at least I'll let her know that you're still waiting for her."

Brian looked at her deeply and hugged her again: "Thank you so much, Eileen, really."

Eileen waved her hand: "We're old friends. I've always remembered all the things you've done for me."

Brian nodded. "OK, that's settled then."

Eileen added, "It seems things aren't going well for you and Manderson. I really wish I could help, but unfortunately..."

Eileen gave a wry smile.

She was just saying something polite, but a glint flashed in Brian's eyes.

Brian squinted as he got back into the car. Doug started the engine and glanced at Brian in the rearview mirror: "How did the talk with Manderson go?"

Brian sneered, "He threw the bill into the shredder."

Doug shrugged. "Brian, that's how Menderson is. He gets scared when things are in danger, but becomes arrogant and conceited as soon as things improve."

Brian didn't say anything more.

As he watched the City Hall building recede into the distance, he asked softly, "Doug, if Maderson steps down, according to the New York City Charter, who will succeed him as acting mayor before the November mayoral election?"

Doug drove smoothly: "According to the charter, when the mayor of New York City is unable to perform his duties, the first in line to succeed him is the public defender; if the public defender is unable to perform his duties, the next in line is the comptroller; if the comptroller is also unable to perform his duties, the city council will vote to elect an acting mayor from among the city council members."

Brian narrowed his eyes: "The Comptroller is second in line."

Doug nodded. "Yes. If the public defender runs into trouble, Erin Hopkins will be the acting mayor. Erin and you have a good relationship, but unfortunately, there are two people ahead of her."

He saw Eileen and Brian chatting at the door from his car and guessed what Brian was thinking.

Brian didn't say much, but he already had a preliminary plan in mind.

Back in his office, Brian dialed Richard's number: "Master, I need your help."

Richard loosened Debbie's thighs.

Debbie slid limply off the wall and lay sprawled on the ground, howling, "It was just a leg stretch, did you have to press so hard? Richard! You're too rough!"

Richard ignored her and walked to the window, saying, "Speak."

Brian immediately said, "Manderson still refuses to sign the unlimited rights agreement, even though I've given him the most lenient version."

So I came up with a plan. According to the New York City Charter, when the mayor is unable to perform his duties, the public defender becomes the acting mayor; if the public defender also has problems, the next one is the Comptroller. Comptroller Erin Hopkins and I have a very good relationship, and she's a weak and naive financial officer. If she becomes the acting mayor, she will inevitably seek help, and I will be her greatest help!

Richard nodded: "OK, I understand. You can devise any plan you want, as long as you're confident you can get the power and the legislation you desire. I just want to see if you succeed."

Brian said quickly, "Public defender, I have a way to handle him. Manderson, he definitely took Hax's money, I need some time to gather evidence. The key is Eileen, I want my master to help me confirm if she's a suitable candidate?"

Richard nodded: "OK, you can let me know when you've made the arrangements."

With Richard's approval, Brian dialed Eileen's number: "Eileen, I'd like to invite you to dinner, just the two of us, to talk about Tessa."

Eileen didn't think much of it: "Okay, I'll definitely be there at the time and place!"