I studied Barack Obama, who looked younger than I rembered.
So this man would beco the next president. And not just any president—the first Black president in Arican history.
Despite nurous weaknesses, he defeats the Democratic Party’s old guard, Hillary Clinton, in the primaries and goes on to win the general election.
Until just a few decades ago—no, even now—Arica was a country where discrimination against Black people was rampant.
Barack Obama overcos that discrimination and becos the president of the world’s sole superpower.
So what, exactly, is the reason for his victory?
“Are you really the actual owner of Dream High?”
Barack Obama asked bluntly, without even the courtesy of small talk. His casual attitude made smile naturally.
“It’s true that I founded the company with my own money. But calling myself the owner feels a bit embarrassing. The one who made Dream High what it is today is Jas.”
At my answer, his eyes widened. He rubbed his chin, murmuring under his breath, then spoke carefully.
“So the rumors were true. That the owner of Dream High is a young Asian.”
“Were there really that many rumors?”
“Of course. When the owner of a company as big as Dream High stays hidden, Washington has no choice but to be curious.”
“But I was never hiding. I just don’t like standing in front of people. Those who need to know already know. Especially the Democratic mainstream. They all know that I’m closely tied to Dream High.”
Barack Obama frowned slightly. He seed to grasp the implication in my words.
The current Democratic mainstream consisted of traditional party figures led by Hillary.
I’d phrased it politely, but it was essentially the sa as telling him that he wasn’t part of the mainstream.
After all, the Democratic establishnt had deep ties with Wall Street’s old n.
I checked Barack Obama’s expression and smiled.
He still wasn’t very good at hiding his reactions.
“If you want to go into politics, campaign funding is important, isn’t it? Dream High would like to beco your sponsor. That’s why we asked to et you.”
“......A sponsor, you say?”
“Yes. A sponsor.”
“As far as I know, Dream High supports the Republicans. You’re President Bush’s largest backer. Is that wrong?”
Whether in politics or business, nothing can be cleanly divided into black and white.
I answered him with that aning in mind.
“So of it is true. So of it isn’t.”
“What’s true, and what isn’t?”
“It’s true that I’m President George W. Bush’s largest supporter.”
“Then what, exactly, isn’t?”
“I don’t support the Republican Party. I support President Bush as an individual. I support people I believe can beco president. Whether they’re Republican or Democrat doesn’t matter.”
Barack Obama flinched as if struck by lightning.
As expected, he was quick on the uptake.
“Then that ans......”
“That’s right. I think you can beco president. Um...... Even if this election is difficult, I’m certain that in the next one, you’ll be chosen by the Democratic Party.”
Barack Obama stared at in disbelief, his lips moving soundlessly as if he’d lost the ability to speak.
Seeing the fresh reaction of a future Arican president—soone I’d only ever seen through the dia—was amusing, and I let out a small laugh.
“Figuring out what kind of person I am isn’t difficult. I correctly predicted the South Korean presidency twice, and I backed President Bush in advance as well. I even supported Russia’s tsar before he took power. If soone asks what my greatest strength is, I’d say it’s my ability to judge people. When I invest in companies, I look at people, not corporations. That’s why we’ve never failed.”
Well, it wasn’t that I predicted it—I made it happen. But as long as the results matched, it wasn’t exactly a lie.
Then Barack Obama suddenly raised his voice.
“Are you saying I’ll beco president? Are you insane?!”
I looked at him as if he were the one who’d lost his mind and asked,
“Why do you think it can’t happen?”
“Anyone can see that Hillary is supposed to be the star of the next election. Who doesn’t know that?”
“Well...... Since when does politics have anything that’s ‘obvious’? Politics is a living, breathing organism. Can you really decide the candidate for an election that’s still five years away? No one knows the future. That’s why I firmly believe you can beco president.”
“......You’re serious.”
After I emphasized it again and again, Barack Obama finally accepted that I ant what I said. His hands trembled.
“Why ? Of all people? I have too many weaknesses. And the biggest of them is my race. Even now, Arica still discriminates against people of color, openly or otherwise. Senator—no, governor might be possible. But president? That’s impossible.”
“Why do you think that’s a weakness? How many votes do you think people of color have in this country right now? No matter how dominant white voters are, they can’t ignore those votes. As for discrimination...... I understand that very well myself. I’m Asian.”
There were tis when people didn’t understand why I funded Arican politicians.
The reason was simple.
Wall Street’s hyenas would never tolerate a Korean—soone who wasn’t even Arican—controlling Wall Street.
In the United States, lobbying was legal, and Wall Street’s old n could easily move politicians to pressure us if they didn’t like sothing.
That was why I beca President Bush’s top sponsor.
Because I helped him run the governnt, the past four years passed without major issues.
Of course, there was pressure from ti to ti, but there was no denying that the sheer size of my donations reduced it significantly.
And this ti as well, with Bush’s victory all but guaranteed, I donated more to him than anyone else.
And for the four years after Bush lost his power, I was eting this man right now.
“You’re probably wondering why I chose you instead of Hillary.”
Barack Obama nodded instead of answering.
It was only natural for him to be curious. Given the current atmosphere, Hillary was the obvious favorite for the next election.
“The Wall Street old n are already swarming around her. Even if Dream High wanted to work with them, we couldn’t. There’s only one piece of at, and it would have to be divided.”
Around the ti Barack Obama took office, a major economic crisis would strike.
I planned to clean up Wall Street’s old n then.
Every last scrap of flesh clinging to their bones.
Barack Obama didn’t like Wall Street either.
Of course, it wasn’t as if Dream High was any different.......
Still, if I invested early, before anyone paid attention to him, Obama wouldn’t be able to pressure us too harshly later.
An Arican politician can’t ignore a sponsor once they’ve taken sothing from them.
If they stabbed their sponsor in the back, no one would ever fund them again.
There was a reason people joked that key White House positions were divided according to donation amounts.
“So that’s why you chose ?”
“That’s right. Because there’s no one around you right now. I intend to make you the president after next.”
It might have sounded insane.
Even to , it felt arrogant.
A re businessman claiming he’d make the president of the most powerful nation on earth.
But I knew the future. And I knew Barack Obama’s value.
Despite the disadvantage of being a person of color, he won reelection and led Arica for eight years.
“You’re arrogant.”
“Do you not believe ?”
“Of course not. We’re eting for the first ti today. And you’re telling I’ll beco president, so you want to invest in . Who would believe that?”
At Barack Obama’s reaction, the corner of my mouth lifted slightly.
Seeing that, he must have thought I was mocking him, because he snapped.
“What is it? Are you laughing at ?”
“No. It’s just exactly the reaction I expected. I was thinking you’re still not tainted enough yet.”
“What did you say? Don’t joke around, Charlie!”
Obama raised his voice again, but I clasped my hands together on the table and leaned toward him.
Then I erased the smile from my face and spoke in a hardened voice.
“As you said, today is the first ti we’ve t. And no one else has ever said sothing like this to you. Dream High isn’t so neighborhood mom-and-pop shop—it’s a legendary investnt firm on Wall Street. Do you really think a company like that would joke around with a naless senator? Congressman, do you know how many people want to et ? I carve out precious ti to et you, and you think I’d be joking?”
“That’s......”
Obama’s lips twitched, clearly aware of Dream High’s legendary investnts.
Without waiting for his answer, I continued.
“Think carefully. When no one else recognizes your value, I do—and I’m investing in you early. Do I need any other reason to support you? I gain nothing from making this offer. Unless, as I said, you actually beco president. Am I wrong?”
“.......”
As I said, this was an investnt in Barack Obama’s future.
If he didn’t beco president, it would be worse than throwing money on the ground.
“I’m rely making an offer. If you don’t like it, you’re free to stand up and leave. I’m an investor. The kind who would sell his soul for profit. I won’t claim that I’m investing in you out of pure goodwill, with no benefit. But unlike those Wall Street old n, I won’t demand a seat in the White House if you beco president.”
That part was true. There was no need to plant soone inside the White House.
The deeper the involvent, the harder it was to escape.
But perhaps that was exactly why he found it suspicious—Barack Obama narrowed his eyes at .
“Is that really true? You won’t demand anything?”
“Yes. Just treat us the sa as everyone else. Promise not to disadvantage us. Of course, if sothing truly goes against Arica’s national interest, that’s another matter.”
“......Is this charity? No one on Wall Street sponsors soone like that. Asking for nothing, just equal treatnt?”
Barack Obama muttered incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe the situation.
“Of course not. Charity? Don’t say sothing so horrible. Dream High’s first principle is this: we never spend money on anything that doesn’t make money. I—no, we—will use any ans necessary to make you president.”
Originally, Obama beca the Democratic nominee # Nоvеlight # purely on his own strength.
Without anyone’s help, he defeated the Republicans in the general election.
Now imagine adding —soone who knows the future—into the equation.......
Wouldn’t he achieve even higher approval ratings than President Bush?
If this man rejected my offer, I’d have no choice but to back soone else.
And if soone else beca president, a future I didn’t know at all would unfold.
So much had already changed because of that it wasn’t sothing to fear outright.
Still, a change in the U.S. presidency was sothing that frightened even . It affected everything in the world.
‘It’s not sothing you can compare to rely changing North Korea’s leader.’
Outwardly, I maintained a stiff expression, but inside, my mind raced.
No matter what I thought, I arrived at the sa conclusion.
I wanted this man to accept my offer.
“So what will you do? Will you accept my proposal and move forward with toward the 2008 presidential election? Or will you stand up and walk away, Senator Barack Obama?”
Barack Obama didn’t answer imdiately. He looked straight into my eyes.
I didn’t look away.
We locked gazes, staring each other down for a long ti.
How much ti passed?
Finally, Barack Obama opened his mouth.
And his answer was...... .
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