Chapter 91 Acton's Scheme

Mu Xin did not keep Acton waiting too long; three days later, Jessica arranged the time and location for the meeting, right in Oxford Town.

At 9:55 AM, a dark gray toyota sienna pulled into the construction site's temporary parking lot, the door opened, and a woman stepped out.

Mu Xin's first impression was that this woman did not look like a politician.

She was wearing a dark blue suit jacket, a white shirt, dark gray trousers, and a pair of black low-heeled leather shoes.

There was no exaggerated smile typical of politicians, no carefully crafted approachability; her expression was calm, and her gaze was sharp.

Her hair was dark brown and cut very short, revealing her ears and a patch of fair neck.

Her features were not exactly delicate, but they were well-defined, carrying the calm and restraint unique to medical professionals.

She looked older on television than she actually was; up close, she appeared younger.

She looked to be about forty-seven or forty-eight, her skin well-maintained, though the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and the nasolabial folds at the corners of her mouth betrayed her true age.

The information Jessica had gathered flashed through Mu Xin's mind: Amy Acton, a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Medicine with a Master's in Public Health, had worked at the State Department of Health for nearly twenty years, rising from a doctor to the head of the State Department of Health.

During the infectious disease pandemic, she appeared in the public eye as an epidemic prevention expert, standing daily at the press conference podium in Columbus, reporting epidemic data to the entire state in a calm and professional tone.

She did not engage in sensationalism or theatrics; she simply stated the facts, and it was precisely this restraint that won her the favor of many voters.

The Democratic Party put her forward to run for Governor, not because she had strong political maneuvering skills, but because she possessed something all other politicians lacked: credibility.

"Mr. Mu." Acton extended her hand, her voice neither high nor low, her speaking pace neither fast nor slow, "Thank you for inviting me to Oxford Town."

"Ms. Acton, welcome." Mu Xin shook her hand with moderate force and let go quickly, "Shall we look at the construction site first?"

"Sure."

Mu Xin took her for a tour around the construction site, with Jean-Luc following behind, ready to answer any professional questions.

However, Acton was different from those who had come before; she did not ask about technical details, construction progress, or cost control.

She asked, "Where do these workers come from? Are they local or from out of town? What are their wages? Do they have insurance?"

Jean-Luc glanced at Mu Xin, and Mu Xin nodded slightly.

"Most are local," Jean-Luc said in a professional tone, "Recruited from Oxford Town and several surrounding towns."

"Wages are set somewhat above market rates, and insurance and benefits are implemented according to the upper limits of state law."

Acton nodded, not asking any further questions.

When they walked to the high ground by the lake, she stopped and looked at the surface of Acton Lake.

"Mr. Mu, do you know why I agreed to come?" She spoke, but her gaze did not leave the lake surface.

Mu Xin shook his head.

"Because you have invested so much money in Ohio, yet you have never sought me out." She turned to look at Mu Xin.

"You sought out Governor DeWine, the councils of two counties, PJM, and everyone else you needed to find, but you never sought me out."

"You are with the Democratic Party, and Governor DeWine is with the Republican Party." Mu Xin's tone was calm.

"I sought him out because he is the incumbent Governor; I am seeking you out because you are looking for me."

"Mr. Mu, you are very direct." Acton smiled.

"I am not used to beating around the bush." Mu Xin stood beside her, hands in his pockets.

"Ms. Acton, you are a smart person, and I am a smart person. There is no need for nonsense between smart people."

"Fine." Acton turned to face Mu Xin, "Then let's speak plainly."

She paused, as if organizing her thoughts or making a final judgment.

"That fine was not something I ordered Brennan to issue, but when Brennan issued it, I did not stop him."

Mu Xin's eyes flickered slightly; he had not expected Acton to be so direct.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I needed to know what kind of person you are." Acton's tone did not waver in the slightest, "A $12,000 fine is not even a drop in the bucket for your project."

"If you were to fly into a rage, pressure people, or use connections to get the Environmental Protection Agency personnel removed, then I would know that you are someone I cannot work with."

"If you handled it calmly, improved your plan, and followed the rules, then I would know that you are someone I can deal with."

"Within three days, you did not make a single phone call to pressure anyone, you did not have Governor DeWine intervene, and you did not use any of your connections in Columbus."

"You simply had your team refine the environmental plan and then had your assistant contact my office."

"So you passed my test." Mu Xin thought for a moment and said, "You were testing me."

"Yes." Acton nodded, "Mr. Mu, I am running for Governor; what I need is a partner, not a troublemaker."

"A partner who flies off the handle over small things will only be more uncontrollable when it comes to big things."

"So now we can talk business." Acton's expression became serious, "Mr. Mu, what do you want?"

"I want the Environmental Protection Agency to stop bothering me." Mu Xin's answer was succinct.

"Not targeting my project, nor targeting me personally; I just don't want to see any more unnecessary fines on the construction site."

"Is that all?"

"That's all."

Acton looked at him and chuckled softly, "Mr. Mu, you are not greedy."

"It's knowing my boundaries." Mu Xin shook his head, "My project is in Ohio, and I need the people of this state to cooperate with me. I don't want to be enemies with anyone, including you."

"Then what do you want to give me?" Acton's voice dropped slightly, "You said just now that you don't beat around the bush, so I will be direct as well."

"Mr. Mu, your hotel project, the $120 million investment, and the hundreds of jobs are solid political achievements."

"If I can include your project in my campaign platform, it will be a great help to my election prospects."

"I know." Mu Xin nodded.

"But a hotel alone is not enough." Acton's tone became serious.

"The jobs at the hotel are mostly low-skilled service positions; these jobs are good for talking points, but they are not the story that can best move voters."

"What is the story that can best move voters?" Mu Xin asked.

"Healthcare," Acton said, "Public health, medical services, disease prevention—these are my old trade as the head of the State Department of Health."

"If I can combine my professional background with Ohio's economic development in a new investment project, then the story will be complete."

Mu Xin looked at her; he finally understood. What Acton wanted was not his hotel, nor his hundreds of jobs.

Those things were the foundation, but not the core. What she truly wanted was a political asset that would allow her to monetize her professional background.

She had been a public health official for nearly twenty years; she understood epidemic prevention, medical care, and disease prevention.

But these things were difficult to convert directly into votes in an election, because voters don't care about your past; they care about your future.

What can you do for me? If you become Governor, what change will there be in my life?

Mu Xin realized one thing: what Acton needed was a platform, a platform that could connect her professional background with the daily lives of ordinary people in Ohio.

Not some high-and-mighty policy platform, but something visible, tangible, something that would make people point and say, "This is what Acton brought me."

"Ms. Acton," Mu Xin deliberated before speaking, "What if I told you that I plan to invest in building a comprehensive Medical Center in Oxford Town?"