Chapter 96 Winning Hearts and Minds

"You don't know?" Mu Xin asked.

"I don't know." OBrien's voice was a bit hoarse. "Kevin just said he changed bosses and got a raise, but he didn't say who it was."

Mu Xin picked up the report from the table, turned to the fifth page, and pushed it in front of OBrien.

"Your cousin's bank account received two transfers totaling fifty thousand dollars. The sender was a shell company, and the beneficiary was Robert Williams."

"Your cousin didn't mention this to you?"

OBrien's expression shifted from confusion to shock. He picked up the report, scanned it quickly, and his fingers trembled slightly.

"Mr. Mu, I don't know about this money." His voice was tense. "Kevin never mentioned it to me."

"I know you don't." Mu Xin's tone was calm. "That's why I'm telling you now."

"Old Williams did two things. First, he used your old acquaintance, Dennis Morris, to leverage your connections and contact the Environmental Protection Agency."

"Second, he used your cousin to send you a sum of money you didn't know about."

"You didn't participate in either of these, but you can no longer distance yourself from them."

OBrien gripped the report tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Mr. Mu, I…" His voice trembled. "I really don't know. I never thought about betraying you, or betraying Richard."

"I believe you." Mu Xin stood up and walked to the window. "But the word 'believe' is useless in court, and it's useless in the court of public opinion."

"If Old Williams ever wants to ruin you, he can say, 'OBrien helped me contact people at the Environmental Protection Agency, and his cousin even accepted fifty thousand dollars from me.'"

"You can't produce evidence to prove you didn't take it, because the money did indeed go into your cousin's account."

"You wouldn't be able to defend yourself."

OBrien remained silent for a long time.

He lowered his head, looking at his clenched hands. His fingers had stopped trembling, but he looked like a piece of bamboo bent under pressure, ready to snap at any moment.

"Mr. Mu, what should I do now?" His voice was weak.

Mu Xin turned around and looked at him.

"Mr. OBrien, I will help you, but I need you to remember one thing: from today on, you owe me."

"From today on, I will cover your youngest son's medical expenses. All medication fees, examination fees, and hospital charges will be paid through my account."

"As for the fifty thousand dollars your cousin received, you don't need to return it, but you must let your cousin know that this money came from Old Williams and must not be touched."

"As for Dennis Morris…" Mu Xin paused. "Keep in touch with him as usual. If he contacts you again, tell me immediately."

"Mr. Mu, do you want me to be a double agent?" OBrien asked, surprised.

"Not a spy." Mu Xin shook his head. "It's about protecting yourself."

"You don't know what Old Williams will do next, but you know which side you should be on."

"Mr. Mu." OBrien spoke slowly, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "I agree."

"Not because of the money, but because… you could have made me a scapegoat, but you didn't."

"You could have exposed this and made it impossible for me to survive in political circles, but you didn't."

"You gave me a chance to explain."

Mu Xin looked at him without speaking.

"Mr. Mu, I won't let you down."

Mu Xin walked back to the table, picked up his coffee cup, and took a sip.

"Mr. OBrien, I don't need you to pledge your loyalty. I just need you to do your job well."

"If Richard wins, your career will reach a new level. If Richard loses, you will be nothing."

"Therefore, your interests and mine are aligned."

"It's that simple."

OBrien looked at Mu Xin and nodded slowly. "I understand."

Mu Xin extended his hand. "Mr. OBrien, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

OBrien shook his hand. "A pleasure."

...

After OBrien left, Jessica pushed the door open and entered, carrying a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

"What did he say?" She placed the coffee in front of Mu Xin.

"He admitted it." Mu Xin picked up the coffee and took a sip. "But he didn't know he was working for Old Williams."

"You believe him?"

"I believe him." Mu Xin leaned back in his chair. "Not because he's a good person, but because he has no reason to lie."

"If he were doing it on purpose, he wouldn't have brought it up to Richard."

"What about the fifty thousand dollars his cousin got?" Jessica asked.

"He doesn't know. Judging by his reaction just now, he really doesn't know." Mu Xin set down his coffee cup.

"A person crushed by the weight of life, if they really received fifty thousand dollars, wouldn't have zero spending records."

"His credit card statements and bank records haven't changed, which means that money definitely didn't reach him."

Jessica nodded and sat on the sofa. "So, what will you do next?"

"Let him continue doing what he's supposed to do. Richard needs people like him right now." Mu Xin stood up and walked to the window.

"Old Williams thinks he's causing us trouble, but in reality, he's handing us an asset."

"What do you mean?" Jessica asked, confused.

"OBrien now owes me a favor." Mu Xin turned around and looked at Jessica. "A favor—one he can't repay."

"I didn't pursue him, didn't fire him, and didn't destroy his career."

"I covered his son's medical expenses and handled that money his cousin received."

"From today on, he will work his heart out for Richard's campaign, not because he fears me, but because he doesn't want to let me down."

Jessica looked at him for a few seconds. "Mr. Mu, you are buying people's hearts."

"Don't put it so harshly." Mu Xin shook his head. "Buying someone is trading money for loyalty; when the money is gone, the loyalty is gone."

"What I'm doing is investing—investing in a person's guilt, investing in a person's gratitude."

"These things are far more valuable than money, and they last longer, too."

Jessica couldn't help but laugh. "You always say it's not buying them, but everything you do is exactly like buying them."

"It's very different." Mu Xin picked up his coffee and drained it in one gulp. "Buying is a transaction; I am building."

"What's the difference?" Jessica wanted to hear Mu Xin's twisted logic.

"A transaction is paying money and receiving goods; once the goods leave the door, the deal is done."

"Construction is a project. You lay the foundation today, build the walls tomorrow, and top it off the day after."

"Every brick is stacked on the one before it; it can't be dismantled."

Jessica looked at him, the smile on her lips slowly fading. "Mr. Mu, you are a terrifying person."

"Terrifying?" Mu Xin smiled. "I just think a little further ahead than others."

OBrien's matter was resolved, and Richard's campaign could continue to move forward.

Old Williams thought he was disrupting the game, but in reality, he was helping Mu Xin bind everyone even tighter.

This was the feeling Mu Xin liked best.

All the pieces were on the chessboard, each in its proper place. He didn't need to push them himself; they would move forward on their own.