Chapter 401: Willie Brown

Arlington, Virginia, in the office of Seraph Security Company, Mary Krause put down the phone while sitting in her chair. She smiled slightly and muttered to herself, "Just a small-time politician from California, why would Arthur want me to get involved?"

After all, these kinds of power-for-favors deals were all too common, and Kamala Harris was not in a high enough position; even though she was a person of color, this advantage was not significant yet. However, Mary Krause didn't think much more about it.

Her boss's target was certainly the California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. She then grabbed her bag and left the office, heading straight for the airport.

...

Sacramento, located in north-central California at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River, is a beautiful and picturesque place. As the capital of California, Sacramento's fame was not as great as large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Willie Brown, over sixty years old, left the Capitol building and headed to South Park. A new Hollywood tycoon, Arthur Smith, had arranged to meet him at the Catholic Church in South Park.

At that moment, inside the Catholic Church in South Park, Sacramento, Arthur was sitting on a chair staring at the statue of Jesus, waiting for Willie Brown to arrive.

He had already been in Sacramento for two days. Kamala Harris had been dealt with, and with Arthur's support, she couldn't refuse.

"Boss, Mr. Brown is here," Carl Anderson came in to remind him.

Arthur nodded and stood up from the chair. "Will Jesus bless me?" he asked.

Carl Anderson shrugged, "Jesus blesses everyone!"

Arthur laughed, "So no one's really blessed by him? How can people believe in Jesus anymore?"

At the church entrance, Willie Brown got out of the car and, seeing Arthur, smiled and said, "Such a pious young man, let's go pray together!"

Once inside the church, Arthur's bodyguards and Brown's aides stayed outside. Willie Brown looked at the statue of Jesus and made the sign of the cross on his chest, "Arthur, is it about the Irvine project?"

Arthur replied in a calm tone, "Yes, Irvine Company has been ready for a while, but the plan to redevelop the old military base isn't getting support?"

Willie Brown sighed, "That's a decision by the Orange County Council!"

Arthur smiled, picked up a report from the side, and tossed it to Willie Brown. "I don't have time to waste. The governor, federal senators, and quite a few state assembly members are all supporting."

"Mr. Brown, you don't think Donald Bren alone can stop us?" Arthur pointed to the report. "Here's a little gift. After you take a look, answer me. You've blocked too many people's way. This is a moving train. You can get on or get off, but don't become an obstacle on the tracks!"

Arthur finished speaking, sat down, and lit a cigarette. Willie Brown opened the document and widened his eyes. It contained not only photos of his affair with Kamala Harris but also minutes of his conversations with Donald Bren, one of Irvine Company's shareholders.

Donald Bren had tried to use this to gain more shares of the Irvine Company, and he had brought Kamala Harris to those talks. Of course, Kamala Harris was now on Arthur's side, having provided all the dirt she knew about Willie Brown as her allegiance.

Willie Brown sat down, looking somewhat depressed. "I only have a year until I retire, why make it hard for me?"

Arthur exhaled smoke, "I didn't pay attention to this at first, but I didn't expect Donald Bren to approach you. He thinks he can compete with me? Even Philip Anschutz couldn't break into the Los Angeles area and had to take the Rams to St. Louis. Unfortunately, not just him, many can't see the big picture!"

Willie Brown knew that if this stuff got out, he would surely be impeached, and a peaceful retirement would be impossible.

"I'll ensure that the Irvine project passes through the council quickly. I'll also cooperate with your investigation of Donald Bren," Willie Brown knew it was all about interests, so he named his price.

"Kamala Harris was once deputy district attorney in Alameda County. Later, you should arrange for her to be transferred to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. Come on, she did sleep with you for quite some time!" Arthur smiled.

"And the current Mayor of Los Angeles, James Hahn, after his term ends, get him into the state assembly as a member," Arthur added.

Willie Brown raised his head, "Arthur, I'm retiring the year after next!"

"Alright, don't waste time. Retirement isn't the end. Your connections remain..."

"James Hahn is no problem, but Kamala Harris needs two more years," Willie Brown had no intention of fighting Arthur, this media mogul. The man not only held Galaxy but also was the youngest Forbes billionaire and had numerous political resources in Washington and California!

Arthur laughed, "Fine, just be cautious in the future. If you mess up, it's no big deal, but if it affects everyone's business, that's a huge problem. I've seen the governor, you just need to cooperate."

Then, Arthur strutted out of the South Park church, got into his car, and left. "Notify Mrs. Smith and Mr. Jim Colt to handle matters," he said.

Carl Anderson nodded.

Willie Brown walked out of the church, sighing to himself. Arthur Smith, Joan Irvine Smith had completely become the rulers of Irvine. Donald Bren's coalition plan was bankrupted, proving that under interest, any party differences were just a joke.

Arthur had always been one of the symbols of the Democratic Party in California, yet he maintained a deep friendship with the Republican Governor Pete Wilson!

...

Back at the hotel, Arthur was still a bit excited. The massive public infrastructure projects in Irvine promised a future profit that was no small number.

"Arthur, I found a house not far from downtown, on Riverside Drive. The place is spacious, the surroundings are beautiful, and it's very quiet," Jennifer Connelly said, sitting on his lap.

"That's fine, as long as it's not far from the government base," Arthur replied, reaching into her 34D.

"Most of the time, I'll still be in Los Angeles and New York."

"Alright, I'll go take a bath first. I've been running around all day," Jennifer Connelly got up from Arthur's lap.

"Oh, let's go together then!"

*****

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