“You shouldn’t let him fool you again, Katherine. Wake up!” the girl said, sitting on the apartment sofa. “He disappears for months, even a year, without seeing you. He doesn’t care about you!”

“He’s just…,” she trailed off. She wanted to say he was only playing with her.

There were too many scandals about Lynch in the newspapers—linked to the Federation’s rising starlets, to a princess from the Gephra royal family, to heiresses of major consortiums…

He was just another playboy. Like all the rich, he believed money could control the world—including any woman he found interesting.

It wasn’t entirely wrong, but not entirely right either. Everyone had their own view.

Katherine sat quietly reading. Once her friend had finished ranting, she apologized softly, “Remember I said I wanted to intern at your father’s company?” Her friend nodded—that had been the plan.

“I’m sorry. I won’t be going.”

She slipped a bookmark into her book, closed it, and set it on the coffee table. “Lynch came this time to arrange my internship.”

Her friend frowned. “You’re going to his company? What did he do to you to make you agree to this?”

“He just wants to use you like a toy!”

That was her friend’s perspective—a womanizer who only showed up when it suited him, probably forgetting half the time that Katherine even existed. So naturally, she had no good opinion of Lynch.

These feelings were hard to understand unless you were directly involved. And her friend’s intentions weren’t malicious, so Katherine didn’t take offense.

Besides, when Lynch wasn’t involved, her friend was a great person.

Katherine shook her head and brushed her hair aside. “Not his company. The Presidential Office.” She added, “Please don’t tell anyone yet—it’s still confidential.”

Her friend’s mind went blank with a loud buzz.

The next day, her professor’s mind did too.

Even though Katherine had taken a backdoor route in, her attitude toward learning was rare. At a public university with a relatively free atmosphere, it was extremely rare to see someone who studied seriously every day and frequented the library.

Two or three professors had even considered writing recommendation letters themselves if Katherine hadn’t secured an internship—just to support someone like her.

No one expected she’d land the most prestigious spot of all.

It felt like… like they were all supposed to be brothers, and suddenly one of them became their father.

Since Lynch was already in York State, he didn’t return to Eminence immediately. He first visited Sabin City and spoke with Ferrell, who had one year left in office.

In a year, he would step down. Sabin was doing well—the small workshop-style businesses Lynch had introduced had reduced local unemployment, easing pressure on Ferrell.

His term looked good on paper. Whether he ran for mayor again or pursued a position as a legislator, he had the credentials now.

That’s why, even with just half a term as mayor, Ferrell remained deeply grateful to Lynch and Landon. That experience was invaluable.

Next, Lynch headed to the state capital to talk to Mr. Edwin. He didn’t meet with the governor, who was reportedly away on a visit.

The recently concluded state election had bought the governor some more time. Lynch came to Edwin with a clear request: once Katherine’s internship ended, he wanted her to work at the state government.

“That’s absolutely no problem. You didn’t even need to come in person—just a phone call would’ve done,” Edwin said casually.

With the governor’s repeated re-elections, their family’s control over York State had only grown.

Federal law required presidential term limits, but governors could serve indefinitely, as long as the elections followed the proper legal process. Ten- or even twenty-year governorships weren’t unheard of.

That didn’t mean an unshakable governor could truly exist. The Federation thrived on opposition and conspiracy theories. Sooner or later, someone would exaggerate the harms of such long rule, and public pressure could mount.

At that point, stepping down in exchange for other political gains was the simplest solution. Behind such decisions, governors still needed the support of capitalists. That’s why Edwin didn’t reject Lynch’s request.

A Presidential Office internship, followed by two years in a state government office, then transitioning to local politics as a female legislator or a mayoral candidate…

Since Edwin agreed to Lynch’s request, he would naturally expect something in return. That’s how deals worked—at minimum, they were mutual.

“Lynch, you know—since the fall of the Liston Group and EverBright, we don’t have any major pillar industries left in the state,” Edwin said.

Lynch picked up on his meaning and gestured for him to continue.

“The governor and I have been considering this—if we could support the birth of a new core enterprise, we could solve many problems.”

“Employment comes first. Creating five, even ten or twenty thousand direct jobs could ease public anxiety. And the ripple effect of indirect jobs would help resolve the challenges we’re facing.”

“Taxes would go up, the economy would look healthier. You know—we’re still aiming higher.”

Edwin’s meaning was clear: if the governor sought re-election again, he needed tangible accomplishments.

Establishing a new pillar industry was the simplest and most effective path. No matter what the enterprise was, many upstream and downstream businesses would form around it, offering even more jobs.

If the governor could solve these issues faster than others, York State’s economic recovery would become a strong platform for another term.

Lynch thought seriously for a moment and asked, “Do you have something specific in mind?”

“Manufacturing…”

Both EverBright and Liston had been rooted in manufacturing. Though their market caps weren’t staggering, they had provided substantial employment.

Liston alone had nearly 10,000 jobs in Sabin City and around 20,000 across other locations.

It didn’t sound massive, but the related supply chain supported over 50,000 additional jobs.

It might seem unbelievable, but it was true—Liston directly impacted around 100,000 households and indirectly affected over 300,000. Over a million people in the state had lives connected to that one corporation.

Even if re-election wasn’t the goal, a rapid economic recovery like that would give the governor leverage for a better deal—perhaps a seat in Congress as a senator, or even a run for president.

It was an ambitious vision. And if supported by capital, not impossible.

Their family and political team had already begun laying the groundwork. The only thing missing was a large corporation like that.

“There are too many employees, and the taxes—it’s not something I can sustain alone,” Lynch finally shook his head. “Assuming the company employs twenty thousand people, just payroll would be around five million per month.”

“Add in various expenses and overhead, I’d need to prepare between seven to ten million every month just to keep it running.”

“And then there are the taxes. With such low profit margins, it’s not easy to make it work.”

Not easy didn’t mean impossible—Edwin caught that keyword. “We can offer you some policy incentives, like higher tax exemptions, subsidies…”

Federal subsidies were meant to be used anyway. That money couldn’t go into the governor’s own pocket, but it could be distributed to qualifying companies. Things like medical subsidies, education support, or high-tech development grants could add up to a few million annually, easing Lynch’s operational burden.

“I’ll need to think about it. I don’t have any projects planned in the short term. I’ll give you an answer after the new year.”

Edwin nodded. “No rush. Let me know when you’ve decided.”

After the new year, the first generation of aviation engines should be ready. If all went well, he’d push for the army to establish an air force division.

That would also be good for the military. A new branch meant new procurement budgets and expansion. Senior officers would gain more power, more officers would get promoted, and their pockets would get a little fuller.

Once production moved from engines to complete aircraft, Lynch would need a manufacturing base.

He wouldn’t trust just anywhere—he didn’t know as many people outside York, and controlling things would be harder.

Heavy industry also brought pollution. That’s where York had an advantage: familiar people everywhere, problems could be suppressed quickly, and the governor needed his help.

A few years later, once the governor moved on and the industry was fully established, whoever came into power would have no choice but to support him.

After finishing the conversation with Mr. Edwin, Lynch stood up and took his leave.

Leaving the state government building, he thought for a moment and made a stop at the Women’s Rights Association, where he made a donation.

Ms. Tracy wasn’t there, and Lynch didn’t stay long. He left a message, just to make sure she knew who the donor was.

Those people could be annoying at times—but when used properly, they were extremely useful.