Scheming

"Before I came, what I considered was whether you would support us. But now, I am completely relieved." Francis replied with a smile.

But at this moment, his heart was full of gloom.

As soon as Palpatine opened his mouth, he blocked almost all of his right to speak, allowing the negotiation to be directly and completely controlled by him.

As for that promise, Francis didn't take it seriously, it was just a sentence anyway.

"Very good, is there anything else?" Palpatine asked again.

"No more." Francis smiled but didn't say what he wanted to say, because he already understood what Palpatine meant. He took out a box of tea and sent it over, "This is a peculiar drink from our Dawn—tea. I hope you like it."

"From a logical point of view, I shouldn't accept such a gift. But I am full of longing for the beautiful Planet Dawn, which is self-improving, so I have no choice but to be disrespectful." Palpatine accepted this small gift.

Coming out of the Galactic Senate, Francis boarded his suspension car, and his staff member Douglas Stamper was waiting in the car.

"Palpatine will not support us in the Galactic Senate." Francis tugged on his tie and then unbuttoned the collar of his shirt.

"He explicitly said no?" Douglas asked.

"No, he didn't say anything. But he didn't give me a chance to speak at all. In that case, if I speak, the situation will become very embarrassing." Francis supported his chin and meditated.

"Although he can't be said to be in full swing now, he is also a popular person in the Galactic Senate. Maybe he doesn't like our current request to stand in line?" Douglas frowned.

"For a politician, it is absolutely impossible to look down on such an idea. In my prediction, he should not refuse...unless..." Francis stopped in the middle of his sentence, and after a while he Then he said: "Let Claire get ready, we may have to take the next step."

However, on the second day, when Francis Underwood turned on the TV, he saw a piece of news!

[Here is a report from the Republic News Channel. Just yesterday, Mr. Sheev Palpatine, a congressman from Planet Naboo, suddenly proposed a motion, hoping to allow Planet Dawn to enter the Galactic Republic's Senate and have a formal seat on the council. Our correspondents ahead have contacted Mister Palpatine. ]

"Mr. Palpatine, may I ask what kind of considerations you have in order to allow Planet Dawn, a small colony with a population of less than 100,000, to enter the Galactic Senate?"

Palpatine on the TV was dressed in Republic clothes, with a calm demeanor and a warm smile on his face. He replied: "Planet Dawn is a colony full of vitality. They are refugees from wars, but they have not been knocked down by fate. They chose to rebel against fate! They chose to rebuild their homeland with their own hands. Not only that..."

Palpatine waved his hand, and Claire Underwood's speech appeared next to him, "Ms. Claire from Planet Dawn is also actively involved in politics, and she is running around calling for those backward planets in the outer ring. They didn't just hide The family looks at their own shadows, but sets their sights on the longer term. That's what I admire about them."

"Is that why you proposed the motion?"

"That's right. I hope this proposal can show my attitude, that is, the attention of the planets in the outer ring star area. This is also a good opportunity for the outer ring planets to make their own voices." Palpatine shook his hand Clenched fists waving in the air, with great enthusiasm.

"Fuck!!" Francis Underwood yelled, trying to turn off the TV but holding back. But as the interview progressed, his face became more and more gloomy.

Claire Underwood came over with two glasses of wine, put one of them in front of him and asked, "What's the matter? Palpatine has a strong political influence now, wouldn't it be good to let him help us enter the Senate?"

"It's not just bad! He should be very clear about what I meant when I went to him yesterday, but today he proposed this proposal, which is definitely not to show favor to us, but to tell me this matter has no way!" Francis took a sip of wine and said through gritted teeth.

"I do not quite understand."

Francis put down his wine glass and asked, "What do you think the chances of this bill passing?"

Claire frowned, "Although we are still not familiar with all the members of the Galactic Senate, judging from the current situation, the chance of passing is no more than 20%."

"Not 20%, but zero. Palpatine will secretly use his connections to prevent the passage of this bill." Francis said.

"What does it mean to him?"

"For a real idiot, he will only be grateful for his behavior, and thus become his tool in a very low profile. For smart people like us, this means a warning and a test, and didn't you realize that his action successfully shifted some of the topics you made before to himself, and made his political image more glorious?" Francis said.

Claire's face turned pale, "You mean, he killed three birds with one stone?"

"The Supreme Commander told me before that this is arguably the most powerful enemy in my life, and now I believe it." Francis drank the wine in his glass in one gulp, "We have almost no chance in a direct confrontation, only to be wiped out by him."

Claire gritted her teeth, "Then, how about we recite..."

"No..." Francis interrupted Claire, "Remember, never say this word out. It never existed. Yes, it's just standing in line, position, understand?"

He stood up and went to the bar to pour himself another glass of wine, and took a sip, "But after today's contact, I'm pretty sure."

"What?"

"It is absolutely impossible for me to stand on Palpatine's side." Francis turned his face to look at Claire and said seriously, "And now we have two advantages. First, we and Palpatine There is no need to win or lose between them, what I want is to use each other. Second, the future that the managers said, I think it is likely to be true."

"Then what should we do?"

"Play another card."

"You mean..."

A smile appeared on the corner of Francis' mouth, "That's right, the Trade Federation. It's time for them to do it too... It's just that it may make you work harder."

"I'm fine, Frank." Claire smiled confidently.