Chapter 115 Democratic Candidates

Mu Xin frowned, swiped to answer the call, and said, "Hello."

"Mr. Mu, this is Vivek Ramaswamy." The voice on the other end of the line was low and steady.

Mu Xin's sleepiness vanished instantly. Vivek Ramaswamy—he certainly knew that name.

A billionaire, a biotech entrepreneur, he had written books and appeared on the covers of countless financial magazines.

A few months ago, he had announced his run for Governor of Ohio as the Republican Party candidate.

More importantly, he had the President's public endorsement, making him the brightest star in this race.

Acton of the Democratic Party and Ramaswamy of the Republican Party—these two would be the most direct opponents in next year's gubernatorial election.

And Mu Xin had just met with Acton, chatting for a long time in a corner of Starbucks.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, as if giving Mu Xin time to digest the information.

"Mr. Mu, I apologize for the intrusion, but I wanted to ask if you have time to meet today."

Mu Xin wanted to say he was busy today and suggest postponing it for a couple of days.

He wanted to first figure out why this person wanted to see him, what the underlying motive was, and what they would talk about if they met.

Vivek Ramaswamy was no ordinary politician; he was a public figure with influence across the entire nation, backed by the President, with substantial capital and vast media resources.

A person like this wouldn't call personally just for small talk.

"Mr. Ramaswamy, where are you?" Mu Xin's voice had returned to a calm state.

"I have already arrived in Oxford Town." Ramaswamy's voice came from the other end. Mu Xin sat up abruptly and glanced at the clock on the nightstand: 11:23 AM.

"Mr. Mu, I know this timing is a bit presumptuous; I just came from Cincinnati."

"There is a rally in Dayton tomorrow, and since I was passing through Oxford Town on the way, I wanted to chat with you in person."

Mu Xin didn't believe in coincidences, but he had no room to refuse. The man was already in town; refusing to see him would be ungracious.

"Mr. Ramaswamy, where shall we meet?"

"You decide."

"Morris Building, on the Miami University campus. I will text the address to your phone."

"Good, see you in an hour."

The call ended. Mu Xin placed his phone on the nightstand, lay back against the headboard, and stared at the ceiling.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to Jessica:

"Vivek Ramaswamy will be at Morris Building in an hour. Get ready."

Jessica replied instantly with three question marks.

Mu Xin didn't explain. He got up and walked into the bathroom. As the hot water hit his face, his brain finally began to function properly.

He remembered what Governor DeWine had said: someone was investigating him, not people from the State Government, but people from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Governor DeWine had also mentioned that people in Washington were discussing the infiltration of local politics by foreign capital.

What if that "someone" was Ramaswamy?

A Republican Party candidate, during his campaign, sending people to investigate a Chinese international student who had invested nearly 300 million USD in Ohio.

This sounded all too plausible.

Ramaswamy needed a target, a target that could help him win votes.

The topic of Chinese capital infiltration was immeasurably lethal in the Republican Party primary.

Mu Xin turned off the faucet and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was still puffy from sleep, with faint dark circles under his eyes.

Forty-five minutes later, a hot cappuccino sat in front of him.

Jessica pushed the door open and entered, holding a notebook, her expression not looking good.

"Mr. Mu, are you sure you want to see him?"

"He's already in town. If I don't see him, it's disrespectful." Mu Xin shrugged helplessly.

"Then what do you intend to say to him?"

"I don't know." Mu Xin picked up his coffee and took a sip. "Listen to what he has to say first, then decide how to respond."

Victoria also poked her head in from the doorway, her light gray eyes filled with a hint of vigilance.

"Mr. Mu, I looked into Ramaswamy's background. He didn't actually make money in the biotech field, and he is a very complex person."

"How so?" Mu Xin asked curiously.

"He is of Indian descent, but his stance on immigration is very conservative—even more so than Trump."

"His views on vaccines are also very controversial; during the pandemic, he said many things that gave public health experts headaches."

"His campaign strategy focuses on attacking the establishment; whether it's the Democratic Party or the Republican Party, he curses anyone who is in power."

Mu Xin nodded. This was all public information, and he knew some of it, but Victoria's reminder was right: this man did not play by the rules.

"There is one more thing." Victoria lowered her voice. "He is very close to the President—so close that some speculate he might be a potential candidate for the 2028 election."

"So his running for Governor now is not the end goal, but a stepping stone."

Mu Xin put down his coffee cup. He was very familiar with the word "stepping stone"; he himself was using Oxford Town as a stepping stone for the 100,000 population in his system.

But Ramaswamy's stepping stone was much larger than his.

"Understood," he said. "Don't any of you come in; I will see him alone."

Jessica opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back. She exchanged a glance with Victoria, nodded, and turned to walk out of the office.

At 11:58, Mu Xin stood at the entrance of the Morris Building, watching a black Mercedes S600 slowly pull into the parking lot.

After the car came to a stop, a bodyguard in a dark suit got out first, scanned the surroundings, and then opened the rear door.

Vivek Ramaswamy stepped out of the car.

He looked a bit shorter than he did on TV, but his presence was commanding.

He was wearing a dark blue suit and a white shirt, no tie, with the collar open, revealing a bit of his bronze-colored neck.

His hair was neatly combed, his beard cleanly shaved, and his face wore a kind of half-smile expression.

He stood by the car, looked up at the Morris Building, then let his gaze fall on Mu Xin, and walked over.

"Mr. Mu, I've heard much about you." He extended his hand; his grip was firm and powerful, but he let go quickly.

"Mr. Ramaswamy, welcome." Mu Xin made a gesture of invitation. "Please, come in."

The two walked into the Morris Building and went up to the third floor, where coffee and bottled water had already been prepared.

Ramaswamy sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, scanned the room, and then fixed his gaze on Mu Xin.

He didn't rush to speak. The silence lasted for a few seconds, but Mu Xin could feel that it wasn't hesitation, but rather assessment.

"Mr. Mu, I'm not a man who likes to beat around the bush." Ramaswamy finally spoke, his voice as low and steady as it had been on the phone. "I came here today to tell you something in person."

Mu Xin looked at him without speaking.

"Over the past few weeks, someone has been investigating you." Ramaswamy spoke at a measured pace.

"It's not people from the State Government, but people from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. And the person who ordered them to investigate you is me."