Instead of the anxious-looking Barack Obama, Michelle Obama answered my question.
“Before we accept your proposal, may I ask you sothing first?”
I nodded as I filled my wine glass. A fragrant aroma brushed my nose.
“Of course.”
As I said that, I slid the filled glasses toward Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
Michelle didn’t even glance at the wine glass before opening her mouth.
“I’m curious why you chose my husband. No matter how I think about it, this move doesn’t match the path you’ve shown so far. You’ve always fought battles you could win. I’ve heard that Dream High has never lost even once against Wall Street’s old guard.”
Michelle paused briefly and glanced sideways at Barack Obama.
Barack Obama said nothing, simply looking at Michelle.
“He’s my husband, but I think he’s still soone who falls short of dreaming about becoming president. That’s why I kept thinking about it. Why you chose my husband. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find an answer.”
I figured that would be what she was most curious about. The reason I chose Barack Obama, and not soone else.
I replied with a faint smile.
“Before I answer, there’s one thing I should correct. I haven’t only fought battles I was guaranteed to win.”
“But...”
There’s a common misunderstanding. I haven’t only fought winning battles.
It’s true that I know the future, but even so, I made bold investnts while feeling like I was walking on thin ice.
And sotis, the future I knew ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) twisted in unexpected ways.
Each ti that happened, I had no choice but to tense up, my palms sweating, just like anyone else.
The one difference was that when variables arose, I could respond accordingly.
“There were many tis when I was at a disadvantage. But I won by any ans necessary. I didn’t fight winning battles—I just didn’t lose, no matter who the opponent was. Whether it was Wall Street’s old guard or anyone else. That’s how I’ve lived my life until now.”
People looked at Dream High and my trajectory and assud we won smoothly simply because we were lucky.
On the surface, everything looked calm, so they couldn’t imagine how desperately we struggled beneath the surface.
But those victories were the result of combining my information with Han Kyungyeong’s abilities.
If it weren’t for Han Kyungyeong—and my people—it would have taken far longer to amass this level of wealth.
“I understand what you’re saying. But that still doesn’t explain why you chose my husband. What exactly did you see in him?”
Apparently unconvinced, Michelle Obama pressed again.
“You’d know better than I do, since you’re always by his side. For a politician, it’s not easy to practice politics while holding fast to one’s convictions. Reality doesn’t allow it. But Senator Barack Obama is different. Rather than simply following the Democratic Party line, he practices his own politics. That’s what I value.”
“That’s a weakness for a politician.”
“It can be a weakness, but it can also be a strength. Consistency. Isn’t that sothing you rarely find in politicians? If he can stay free from Wall Street and the lobbying of various interest groups, I believe Senator Barack Obama can reach the very top of the United States. That’s why I’m offering to beco a patron who allows him to protect those convictions. Is that a sufficient answer?”
After finishing, I lifted my wine glass, slowly turning it as I waited for her response.
Michelle Obama frowned as if deep in thought, glanced at Barack Obama’s face, and then spoke again.
“It’s not a satisfying answer. What you just said sounds less like a rational judgnt and more like sothing based purely on your intuition.”
I couldn’t deny that. But I couldn’t exactly say that I chose her husband because I knew the future.
Instead of responding, I simply smiled and took a sip of wine.
“Politicians with strong convictions aren’t welcod anywhere. He’s my husband, but even I feel frustrated at tis.”
As she said, Barack Obama moved the United States according to his convictions rather than following others’ advice.
Sotis that could feel frustrating, but I didn’t think his firm adherence to his beliefs was a bad thing.
“Yes. As you say, politicians with convictions aren’t welcod. That’s precisely why I like him even more.”
It’s a disaster when a strange person has convictions.
But the convictions of a rational, reasonable person can make many people happy.
“You can trust . As you said, I don’t bet on losing fights. This one is no exception. The odds may be low, but they’re not zero. I backed the current president of Russia when he hadn’t even entered the center of power yet. At the ti, neither the United States nor Europe—no one—paid him any attention. But look at him now. He has completely taken control of Russia. There’s a reason he’s called the new czar of Russia.”
The basics of investing were to buy at the bottom and sell at the top.
I brought up Russia, the example that had yielded the greatest returns.
Michelle Obama seed aware of it as well and gave a small nod.
“......Then let ask one more thing.”
“Go ahead. Ask anything you’re curious about.”
I set my glass down and t Michelle Obama’s gaze.
“I’ve heard you don’t want anything in return. Then what exactly are you sponsoring this for? There’s no businessman in Arica who supports soone without wanting anything.”
“It’s not that I want nothing. As I told the Senator, all I ask is to be treated the sa as everyone else.”
“That’s only natural. This is Arica. The land of freedom, the nation of immigrants. There’s no discrimination in doing business.”
“Do you truly believe that? Can you honestly say that you’ve never once been discriminated against because of your skin color in your life?”
At my question, Michelle Obama pressed her lips together.
She knew better than anyone that Arica preached freedom and equality, yet reality was different.
“And I’m not even a U.S. citizen. Of course, Dream High’s CEO is a U.S. citizen. Still, I’m always uneasy. As long as most of my assets are in the United States, I want their safety to be guaranteed. I’m not asking for special treatnt. There’s probably no firm on Wall Street that pays taxes as cleanly as we do, so it shouldn’t be difficult to guarantee what I’m asking for.”
Dream High never uses loopholes when it cos to its visible investnts.
Naturally, far more money flows into shell companies behind the scenes......
But there is no evidence left in this world that links that money hidden in tax havens to Dream High.
Unless soone could open my head or Han Kyungyeong’s and look inside, no one could ever find that evidence.
“I want the sa treatnt as other investnt firms. Money has no race, no nationality, and no na tag. That’s all I want. Well, if it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t stop you from giving a bit of convenience where appropriate.”
From the perspective of a politician receiving support, soone who wanted nothing in return could actually feel more burdenso.
There’s a saying that you’re expected to return even more than you receive.
“Do you an that sincerely?”
“Yes. Why would I lie in a place like this?”
Michelle Obama nodded, then proceeded to ask several more questions.
I answered in detail wherever I could.
After the barrage of questions ended, I turned to Barack Obama, who had been sitting quietly, fiddling with his wine glass.
“Senator, do you have any questions?”
“Can I really beco president? The things Michelle is asking are all important after I beco president. What matters more to is whether I can actually beco president or not.”
Michelle Obama thought about the future. Barack Obama worried about the present.
It was remarkable that two people with such different dispositions had beco husband and wife.
“We’ll take care of blocking every potential weakness. Whether by using the dia, or by paying to shut mouths...... We’ll block them by any ans necessary. So you should continue practicing your politics as you do now. If you do, the presidency won’t just be a dream.”
“You’ll block every weakness? You said that last ti too...... Is that really possible in Arica?”
Maybe I needed to intimidate him a little so he’d understand what kind of person I was. I pulled up one corner of my mouth and said,
“If you tell us everything, we’ll expose it first. For example, using drugs back in college......”
At the ntion of drugs, Michelle Obama raised her voice.
“Charlie!”
Knowing exactly what she was worried about, I tilted my head, pretending not to understand.
“Isn’t that already common knowledge? It won’t be a major issue now.”
It had already been brought up once during a Senate election.
It had fizzled out back then, but a Senate race and a presidential race were on entirely different levels.
And before that, the Democratic primaries would be even fiercer.
At that stage, they would latch onto every trivial detail.
They’d probably emphasize that he was a Black man who had used drugs. Or bring up his religion......
Each of Barack Obama’s weaknesses was individually fatal for a politician.
“So if you work with , you must tell everything. Then we’ll block it all. Once a weakness is known, it’s no longer a weakness. It all depends on how it’s frad. Even a past involving drugs can be polished up.”
Even a potentially devastating drug scandal could be refrad as a social issue—how discrimination drove a talented young Black man into drugs.
A weakness is only a problem when it explodes unexpectedly. If it’s already known, it can be turned into a weapon instead.
“I believe I’ve explained everything I can. Now please give your answer.”
After pondering, Michelle Obama asked one final question.
“You can keep all of this, right? For us too, taking your hand is a risky gamble.”
I raised one eyebrow.
From the start, Michelle Obama had been asking only questions ant to pressure .
“A risky gamble? What risk is Senator Barack Obama actually taking right now? Do you want this proposal docunted? That would only beco a bigger weakness for the Senator.”
“No. I just...... want to hear a clear answer.”
As expected, Michelle Obama was far more cautious than I’d anticipated.
She must have already made up her mind before coming here, yet she still wanted certainty.
“Ma’am. I don’t break promises. And I don’t forgive those who betray . Those are the principles I’ve upheld throughout my business career. The words that co out of my mouth are more reliable than any contract. So trust . Once we join hands, we’re partners. Stop pressuring like this. I’ve already explained everything you wanted to know.”
Just as Michelle Obama narrowed her eyes and parted her lips, Barack Obama raised his hand to stop her.
Michelle bit her lip and looked at him.
Barack Obama shook his head. Michelle Obama sighed and nodded.
“Charlie, we will accept your proposal.”
It was the answer from the person directly involved. It ant that even if Michelle objected, she could no longer stop him.
Only then did I stand up and walk toward Barack Obama, extending my hand.
“Excellent. From now on, we are partners.”
Barack Obama stood as well and took my hand.
His thick palm was damp with sweat. I could clearly feel how nervous he was.
“I will make you president. So from now on, you must trust . You cannot keep any secrets from , and you must not accept lobbying from any other businesspeople besides us. All of that could beco a problem after you beco president.”
“If I’m selected as a presidential candidate, the Democratic presidential campaign will be ford, and the party will continue to hold fundraising events. There’s no justification to block that.”
Fundraising events were practically a tradition.
Blocking them would provoke fierce backlash. There was no need to invite that kind of criticism.
“I have no intention of blocking that. Nor is there any need to. What I an is personally promising sothing to soone and accepting donations in return. Can you promise that?”
“Of course. I hate owing anyone favors as well.”
Barack Obama replied firmly, his expression serious.
Satisfied with his answer, I nodded.
“Good. Then to commorate our partnership, I’ll give you a gift.”
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