Little by little, time passed.

Soon, it was the second day from late night to daylight.

"Fernando, what's the result?"

In the main mansion of the Canbelt Manor, Robles asked knowingly as he looked at the young man with dark circles under his eyes but in good spirits.

"According to the surveys of front-line analysts and public opinion monitors, the people who choose the direction of the systems and policies we support can already account for 68% of the American people...... And in order to avoid catching us off guard by the voting rules of the 'forum' using the electoral system of the past, I have used the media channels controlled by my family to make the majority of the public opinion in most of the states that support us......

“…… We can be sure that as long as Navalli pledges to implement the 'new America' system in accordance with the results of the referendum, as he said yesterday, our interests will always be guaranteed. ”

Fernando confidently said to Robles, although he had not closed his eyes for more than 20 hours in a row, and had visited many places in the United States on a private jet in one day, meeting with various big KOLs, opinion leaders, media company presidents, and old administrators, but his face did not have a trace of tiredness, only a slight unnatural flush.

As a result of Navalli's surprise attack and near-subversive warfare, America's old institutions – including the government, the parliament, and the courts – are in a very awkward position.

Without the guarantee of force, and at the same time, there is no need for bureaucrats, parliamentarians, and legal workers to exist under the new "information administrative system" integrated by Nava's mechanical army and AI, like homeless dogs, living in the "hive standard apartment building" that Nava quickly built with new building materials, but their past identities can still exert some residual heat.

In fact, a qualified politician is often also an influential influencer, and Fernando has astutely captured this – the presence of human bureaucrats seems to have been excluded in Navalli's new administrative system.

But humanity's observance of highly influential individuals among its fellow citizens has not been dissolved, and the world has sought kings and philosophers, seeing government as a combination of both.

Even with the loss of authority, they don't have a reverence for robots and AI in their hearts now – so the bureaucrats of the old days still have a strong appeal.

"Power is essentially synonymous with 'domination'."

Fernando said passionately to Robles.

"In the past, governments had the power to force people to do certain things, which was seen as a power given to them by the social contract – but some leaders, or elders of civil associations, were able to call on their followers to take action and create a wave of influence, which was often not seen as power, but as influence...... But in fact, it is also a kind of power. Power is domination, and influence is soft domination.

"This domination does not even require the formation of a social contract, or the negotiation of equal parties—it can be established by unilateral faith, respect, and dependence. In the past, because human beings themselves had the supreme power, and they lived in the political entity of the 'state' built by human beings from top to bottom, and acted in accordance with the law, the domination of influence was scattered and weak.

"But...... If the 'New America' is indeed a mechanical state ruled by AI, as Navalli claims, then I believe that the domination of influence and power will become more and more important, because humans still trust their fellow human beings more than steel. In that case, the circle of influence, which is made up of people at the center of the social network, will become the new power group...... And that's what our family does best.

"—so I am more and more convinced that even in 'New America,' we in Canbert will be able to continue to be glorious for a long time."

Robles looked at Fernando with great interest, and the ten fingers of his hands were crossed and folded on his chest.

"Nice idea—but you seem to have a premise for these things?"

"Oh, yes, Uncle Robles."

Fernando restrained his emotions for a moment, but his eyes still glowed.

"—I know, and tonight's vote."

“…… It is inconceivable that Mr. Navali would want to leave such an important matter to hundreds of millions of people to discuss together...... Does he really believe that 'the people decide the way forward'...... Hehe, it's a pity that he doesn't know, the people are ignorant, and only the elite can see the way of the world - these fools, the day before yesterday were an idea, yesterday they would go to the opposite side, and today they will turn the gun again. As long as it arouses their emotions, the direction of the vote is not known. ”

Robles smiled and nodded.

"Looks like you're well prepared for all of this."

"It's all because of your guidance...... Uncle, you dealt with it in 2017—"

Robles raised his palm, stopped Fernando's touting, and made him stop.

"Those are the experiences of the old times, and now it is the world of you young people. Go, Fernando, there are still a few hours until the assembly in the 'forum', and in the last time, make everything the best...... Let everyone know that the future of the Campert family is that of someone who can encompass the whole picture. ”

“…… Be! ”

Fernando left the main mansion happily, but Robles didn't care about his back at all, but lowered his head, and his face became gloomy little by little.

He picked up an old laptop and looked at the report that had been faxed over it—an analysis of public opinion across the United States, with far more data than Fernando had just provided, and far more optimistic, more beautiful, and more in line with the expectations of the Canbert family, which Robles had just mentioned.

…… Because he knew that not only he knew the contents of this report, but also Navaly, the ruler of the United States, who was the high, probably also knew, and knew much more about the data than he did.

But...... Why didn't he react at all?

Don't you care? Or, is it not necessary?

What kind of calculations are swirling in Navaly's mind?

Robles didn't know it, so his mood was in an abyss that was getting emptier and emptyer all the time.

Perhaps for someone like Fernando, who grew up in the new century, the almost overwhelming power of language and media would have led him to mistakenly believe that public opinion was the center of the world, but it was Robles, who had been at the top for decades, that understood that no loud microphone could be powerless once it left the ship's guns.

The more we weave the web of public opinion, the more we can understand its fragility and vulnerability.

This world, in the final analysis, is still the world of the powerful.

Robles sat down in the empty hall and waved his hand lightly, causing all the hidden guards and servants in the hall to retreat, leaving him alone.

Then, staring at his personal terminal, he said sincerely to the "portable universal AI" belonging to the "standard citizen" Robles Campert:

"Hello, please help me contact the ruler of 'New America,' Mr. Navalli Evans."

There was no echo from the "portable universal AI", only silence.

Not surprisingly.

"I'm not talking to Mr. Navalli on an equal footing, I'm just trying to beg Mr. Navalli to give me a chance to be convinced."

There was still silence.

"I sincerely hope that I can become a qualified 'standard citizen' in Mr. Navalry's 'New America,' and for this reason I am willing to accept any arrangement that Mr. Navalli has for us, just to be given a chance to talk."

Still no response.

"Request...... Mr. Navali ......"

Robles showed a look of cowardice that he had not shown in previous decades, and pleaded with the personal terminal in a gesture of weakness that would have been stunned and trembling at the sight of any other tribe, but no matter how much he bowed his head in obedience and pleaded, the object on the other side remained silent, like a god in seclusion, looking at him indifferently.

Long.

After a few hours, the setting sun shone through the corridor in front of the hall, and Robles finally stopped this meaningless action.

He sat down on the wide velvet chair, staring indifferently at the blood-red remnant sun on the ground, and put away his weak posture, his face expressionless, like a dry well.

"Well, the other side does not accept surrender."

He clapped his hands gently.

"It's here, we can only fight to the end."

……

Little by little, time passed.

Just when hundreds of millions of Americans are looking forward to it, and billions of people around the world are enjoying the big show, whether everyone wants it or not, the scheduled time has finally arrived.

In the midst of the "forum", the moment has finally arrived when the referendum will determine the future path of the "new America".

(End of chapter)