Chapter 90 is ultimately a political issue.

The next afternoon, Richard called. "Mr. Mu, I have found out."

"It wasn't someone inside the Environmental Protection Agency who told me; it was someone on my campaign team who met someone from the State Government while doing lobbying work in Columbus."

"The information might not be one hundred percent accurate, but the source is credible."

"Tell me." Mu Xin exhaled in relief; having news was better than nothing.

"Anna Morris's recent enforcement tasks were all directly ordered by the division director's office."

"The division director said it was an order from above. He isn't sure which level 'above' refers to, but it shouldn't be Governor DeWine."

"Why not Governor DeWine?"

"Because Governor DeWine's people wouldn't use this method." Richard's tone was certain.

"If Governor DeWine wanted to target you, he wouldn't need to send the Environmental Protection Agency to inspect dust."

"Besides, Governor DeWine is leaving office in a few months; he wouldn't stir up trouble at this time."

"Then who could it be?" Mu Xin asked.

"Mr. Mu, I have a guess, but I'm not sure. It might be one of the candidates for the next term. I haven't figured out exactly who yet."

"But I heard that the director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Southwest Division is getting very close to a certain campaign camp—not the Republican Party, but the Democratic Party," Richard said in a low voice.

Mu Xin frowned slightly. "Governor DeWine is with the Republican Party. His subordinate is getting close to the Democratic Party?"

"Personnel shifts before leaving office are normal," Richard sighed.

"Governor DeWine is leaving in a few months, so his subordinates are starting to look for their next employer."

"The division director wants to keep his position in the new government, or even advance further, so he's starting to offer his allegiance now."

Mu Xin understood. It wasn't that someone was targeting him; it was that someone was using him.

His hotel project, with an investment of 120 million dollars and the creation of hundreds of jobs, was one of the largest ongoing construction projects in southwestern Ohio.

A project like this could easily be touted as a political achievement.

Whoever could issue an environmental fine at his construction site, even a small fine of 12,000 dollars, could claim in the media that they were enforcing the law strictly and protecting the environment.

This wasn't targeting him; it was a show of force.

When Jessica pushed the door open, Mu Xin had just hung up the phone. Her expression was the same as yesterday, carrying that subtle look of someone bearing bad news.

"Mr. Mu, I found it." She placed a stack of printed documents on the table. "The Democratic Party candidate for the next Governor of Ohio is Amy Acton."

"She is the former director of the State Department of Health. She appeared in the public eye as an epidemic prevention expert a few years ago during the infectious disease outbreak and is considered a prominent figure the Democratic Party can showcase in Ohio."

"On the Republican Party side, it's Vivek Ramaswamy, a billionaire with the President's endorsement."

"What does that have to do with the Environmental Protection Agency?"

"Acton collaborated with the Environmental Protection Agency during her time in the State Government. There is someone in her campaign team who is an old acquaintance of the Environmental Protection Agency's Southwest Division director."

Jessica turned to the second page. "The division director is named Larry Brennan, 52 years old, appointed by Governor DeWine three years ago."

"But in the last few months, he has been in frequent contact with Acton's campaign team."

Mu Xin digested this news and speculated on the other party's motives.

"You mean Acton's team had Brennan send people to inspect my construction site, and then Brennan sent Morris?"

"Most likely, yes." Jessica nodded. "But Acton isn't trying to take you down; she needs a lever."

"Your hotel project, with an investment of 120 million dollars and hundreds of jobs, is big news in southwestern Ohio."

"If she can make an issue out of this project—such as environmental enforcement, labor rights, or any topic that allows her to gain media exposure—it would be a shot in the arm for her campaign."

"So she sent someone to issue a 12,000-dollar fine and then publicized it in the media?"

"There are no media reports yet." Jessica flipped through the documents. "But it might just not have been released yet, or she might be waiting for a better opportunity."

"Or, she is just testing your reaction first."

Mu Xin leaned back in his chair, feeling a bit annoyed. He needed a permanent solution.

"Jessica, help me schedule a meeting with Acton. Tell her I want to talk to her in person."

Jessica's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you want to approach her? She might be waiting for you to come to her."

"I know." Mu Xin stood up and walked to the window. "That's exactly why I need to find her."

"She has a fine in her hand right now, a small handle on me, but what she doesn't know is what I have in my hand. I want her to know."

"You want to negotiate terms with her?" Jessica asked.

"It's business." Mu Xin turned to look at Jessica. "She wants political achievements, and I want the Environmental Protection Agency to stop bothering me. It's a fair trade."

"How do you know she will agree?" Jessica was somewhat worried.

Mu Xin smiled. "Because she didn't send the fine to the media. If she wanted to destroy me, she would have released the news yesterday."

"She hasn't released it, which means she is waiting—waiting for me to come to her."

"Waiting for you to negotiate?" Jessica seemed to understand a little.

"Yes, she doesn't want to make an enemy of me; she just needs a reason to deal with me." Mu Xin smiled. "Then I'll give her a reason."

Jessica took a notebook out of her bag. "Acton's campaign office is in Columbus. I'll try to see if I can schedule it."

"No rush." Mu Xin waved his hand. "Let her wait for two days. I can't let her think I'm anxious. Let's see what her next move is first."

Victoria poked her head in from the doorway. "Mr. Mu, Jean-Luc is here. He says he wants to talk to you about the environmental rectification plan for the construction site."

"Let him in."

When Jean-Luc walked in, his expression was also not very good. He was holding a folder in his hand.

"Mr. Mu, I've heard about the Environmental Protection Agency situation," he sat on the sofa and placed the folder on the table. "A 12,000-dollar fine isn't huge, but the matter itself is bigger than the fine."

"When the Environmental Protection Agency people came, Robert showed them our environmental plan, water quality test reports, and dust control records."

"Everything was compliant, but they still issued a fine regarding dust and soil erosion."

Jean-Luc opened the folder. "I had Anna go through our environmental plan, and she found a few points they could potentially exploit."

"Which ones?" Mu Xin asked.

"First, the construction site boundary is less than 200 meters from the lakeside, so sediment runoff control during construction requires stricter measures."

"The plan says to test water quality once a week, but the Environmental Protection Agency might demand daily testing."

"Second, for dust control, our watering frequency is three times a day."

"But during the dry season in Ohio, it might need to be increased to five times a day or even more."

"Third—"

"Jean-Luc." Mu Xin interrupted him. "These aren't the main points." Mu Xin's tone was calm. "The point isn't the environmental plan; it's the people behind the Environmental Protection Agency."

"No matter how good the plan is, they will always find fault. This isn't a technical issue; it's a political issue."

Jean-Luc was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "So how do you plan to handle it?"

"I'm already handling it. You go back and refine the plan."

"I need you to ensure there are no loopholes in environmental compliance—not to deal with the Environmental Protection Agency, but to have more cards in my hand when I talk to Acton."

Jean-Luc didn't ask further, picked up the folder, and stood up. "Mr. Mu, regardless of who is behind this, the construction site cannot stop."

"I know. Keep an eye on Robert. The construction schedule cannot be delayed by a single day. I'll handle the rest."

Although Mu Xin was anxious, as the boss, he had to appear as calm as possible, otherwise morale would falter.

Jean-Luc nodded and pushed the door open to leave.

Mu Xin stood at the window, looking at the streets of Oxford Town. He had never met the woman, but he knew the cards in her hand.

She knew about his project, knew he was a Chinese international student, and knew how much money he had invested in this land.

She didn't need to destroy his project; she only needed to make the voters feel that she was protecting the environment, and that his project was the one threatening it. That was enough.

But Mu Xin wasn't without cards. He had money, a project, and hundreds of jobs about to be created.

He had Governor DeWine's connections, the nod from PJM, and the support of two county councils.

He didn't need to break ties with Acton; he just needed to let her know that being friends with him was more cost-effective than being his opponent.

"Jessica." He turned around. "Help me check the sources of Acton's campaign funds. Who is donating to her, how much, and who are the big donors?"

Jessica's eyes lit up. "You want to find her weak point?"

"It's an entry point." Mu Xin smiled. "Everyone has their price."

"Acton's price is votes. Her donors want policies, and she wants campaign funds."

"If I can let her know that my project can bring her what she wants for her campaign, she won't let the Environmental Protection Agency people bother me anymore."

"What kind of things?" Jessica asked.

"Still jobs—hundreds of jobs, plus the school-enterprise cooperation with Miami University."

"Most of these jobs will go to students and residents of Ohio. These are solid votes." Mu Xin rubbed his temples.

"She wants votes, I give her votes. She uses the Environmental Protection Agency's fine to threaten me, and I use jobs to win her over."

"She can calculate which deal is more cost-effective herself."

"Also, help me prepare a complete profile on Acton—her resume, her policy platforms, her stance on environmental issues, and her strengths and weaknesses in the campaign. I want to understand her thoroughly before we meet."

Jessica nodded and turned to leave.

Mu Xin sat back in his chair. His phone lit up; it was a message from John. "Lily's school has a parent-teacher meeting next week. Can I take time off?"

Mu Xin looked at the message and replied, "Go ahead. Pick her up from school early and take her out for a nice meal."

John replied with one word: "Okay."

Mu Xin placed his phone face down on the table, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

He was thinking about Acton, thinking about that 12,000-dollar fine, and thinking about what this opponent who had suddenly appeared really wanted.

It wasn't money, it wasn't the environment; it was power. A Governor-to-be needed power, and power came from votes, votes came from voters, and voters cared about jobs, the environment, and the money in their pockets.

Acton wasn't trying to destroy him; she wanted to find a story in him that could help her win votes.

Then he would give her a story.

It didn't need to be a story of confrontation where the Environmental Protection Agency strictly investigates foreign capital; it could be a story of cooperation where a gubernatorial candidate strives to protect jobs in Ohio.

She would choose for herself which one sounded better and which one was more beneficial to her.