Chapter 311: Chapter 153: The Voters’ Moral Fastidiousness

Harrisburg. The Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

Aston Monroe stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down on the city’s administrative center.

The coffee cup in his hand was still hot, but the warmth in his heart was slowly fading.

He had thought this would be a perfect surgical strike.

Freeze their funds, launch an audit, and crush those country bumpkins under the guise of compliance.

Within the framework of law and procedure, he was unassailable.

Faced with the surging tide of online public opinion, his stance remained firm.

"Tell the press office to keep emphasizing our position," Monroe ordered, turning to face Paul Turner. "This is about protecting taxpayers’ money and preventing the misuse of local funds. We must uphold the spirit of the law and not be held hostage by populism."

Turner stood on the other side of the desk, his expression grim.

He was holding a tablet, its screen displaying a series of red warning data.

"Boss, I’m afraid that line isn’t working anymore."

Turner handed him the tablet.

"Look at this. It’s polling feedback from the western Philadelphia Suburbs—Montgomery County and Chester County. That’s our stronghold, full of educated, middle-class professionals: lawyers, doctors, university professors."

Monroe took the tablet, his brow instantly furrowing.

The data showed his approval rating in these wealthy suburbs was declining. Meanwhile, message boards and the campaign’s inbox were flooded with unsettling questions.

"Why are you letting the workers starve?"

"The audit can proceed, but why cut off their livelihood?"

"I feel ashamed watching workers in the community go without food."

Then came even worse news.

Turner took a deep breath and delivered the news Monroe had been dreading most.

"Also, the fundraising dinner scheduled for Friday at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia... Just this morning, twelve major donors pulled out."

"Pulled out?" Monroe’s voice shot up an octave. "What was their reason?"

"They said..." Turner stammered, "they said the recent news has made them uncomfortable. They don’t want to be seen at your banquet right now. It would make them look cold-blooded in their social circles."

Monroe slammed the tablet down on the desk.

He didn’t understand.

’Why would these elites—the very people who are usually obsessed with rules, who despise radical unions, and who look down on crude blue-collar workers—suddenly turn around and sympathize with those mud-caked peasants? Aren’t they supposed to be on the side of "law" and "order"?’

...

「Pittsburgh. City Hall.」

Leo looked at the latest intelligence report from Philadelphia that Ethan had brought him, feeling just as perplexed.

The "We Just Want to Work" video had kicked up a tidal wave on the internet, one that had somehow smashed through the delicate seawalls of the Philadelphia Suburbs.

’This doesn’t make sense,’

Leo thought.

’Mr. President, look at this data. Those white, middle-class people in the Philadelphia Suburbs—they’re the ones who usually hate strikes the most, who can’t stand it when people block the roads. The more chaos Frank and his guys cause in the streets, the more these people should support Monroe for cracking down on them.’

’So why are they turning around and blaming Monroe now?’

’Could they really have been moved by that sob story? When did this bunch, who usually only care about stock prices, become so compassionate?’

A cold laugh echoed in the depths of Leo’s consciousness.

’Leo, you overestimate their compassion and underestimate their hypocrisy.’

’You have to understand these people,’

Roosevelt said slowly.

’This is a group known as Champagne Liberals.’

’They support the Democratic Party, environmental protection, and minority rights. They put "Love and Peace" signs on their lawns, they shop at organic supermarkets, and they drink oat milk lattes.’

’They do all this for one core psychological reason.’

’Moral purism.’

Roosevelt dissected the psychology of this class.

’They need to feel like they are good people.’

’They need to affirm that they stand on the moral high ground, that they are protectors of the weak, and that they are champions of civilization and progress.’

’This allows them to enjoy their privileged lives while attaining inner peace, to tell themselves with a clear conscience: I am wealthy, but I am good.’

’But what Monroe is doing now shatters that illusion.’

’Look at the desperate workers in those videos. The images are too tragic, too direct.’

’When these images appear on their phones, on the morning news, they feel uncomfortable.’

’At that moment, supporting Monroe becomes the same as supporting a child’s broken leg, the same as supporting starving workers.’

’It makes them feel like they’ve become the villains in a movie.’

’It troubles their conscience.’

’More importantly, it makes them feel awkward when they’re chatting with friends at a coffee shop.’

’Imagine it: when their friends are discussing that poor child, if they say, "Monroe is right, it’s a necessary investigation," they’ll be seen as cold-blooded animals by everyone around them.’

’To protect their self-image as decent people, they have to abandon Monroe.’

Listening to this analysis, Leo felt a strange sensation wash over him.

’So, it wasn’t about justice, but about "decency."’

’There’s a second point,’

Roosevelt continued.

’Although they pay lip service to supporting workers and their protests, in reality, as beneficiaries of the status quo, what they fear most is chaos.’

’Right now, Pennsylvania is full of protests, blocked roads, and nothing but negative news.’

’This shatters their illusion of a peaceful, stable life.’

’They don’t care about the legal rights and wrongs of the situation, nor do they care who struck the first blow.’

’They only see one result: as Vice Governor, as an administrator, Aston Monroe can’t get the situation under control.’

’He can’t even handle a few workers. He’s let the situation escalate into statewide chaos.’

’In the logic of the middle class, that’s called incompetence.’

’They’ll think: if he can’t even handle something this small, won’t he just throw the whole country into chaos if he becomes a Senator?’

’They despise chaos, so they despise Monroe for creating it—or rather, for failing to contain it.’

Roosevelt concluded.

’So, Leo.’

’They’re abandoning Monroe not because they love the workers, and certainly not because they agree with your radical ideology.’

’It’s simply because Monroe has spoiled the taste of their morning coffee.’

Leo sat in his chair, gazing at the sky outside his window.

He suddenly felt that the world was absurd.

Frank and the workers were out there fighting for their lives in the cold wind, all for their survival, for their next meal.

And yet the deciding factor in this war—the middle class in the suburbs—was motivated by the need to maintain a hollow sense of moral superiority and to avoid feeling awkward.

But this was the reality of politics.

’Exploit every emotion you can.’

’Anger is the engine, fear is the lever, and this hypocritical moral purism is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.’

"I understand."

Leo stood up.

"Ethan."

He called over his chief of staff, who was organizing some documents.

"Adjust our publicity strategy."

"Change the messaging for our media buys targeting Philadelphia and its suburbs."

"Stop emphasizing class struggle. Push out more photos of that injured child, more close-ups of mothers in tears."

"Also, draft an open letter."

"The tone should be gentle, rational, and full of compassion."

"We need to ask Vice Governor Monroe: should administrative rigidity give way to humanitarian concern? Between rules and human lives, what choice should we make?"

Leo’s eyes grew sharp.

"We’re going to tie Monroe to the moral stake."

"We’re going to make every self-proclaimed progressive and good-hearted member of the middle class feel compelled to step forward and spit on Monroe, just to prove their own morality."

Ethan froze for a moment, then understood Leo’s intent.

"That’s a vicious move," Ethan couldn’t help but remark. "We’re using their own hypocrisy to defeat their proxy."

"It’s not vicious."

Leo adjusted his collar, his tone calm.

"It’s called following the will of the people."