Chapter 786: Growth |
Ms. Tracy didn’t come to Eminence just to see Lynch—she had other business to attend to.
For example, she was planning to rename and relocate the York State Women’s Rights Protection Association to Eminence. Since Eminence was the seat of the federal government, having the organization’s headquarters here was essential for legitimacy.
Aside from fundraising, she was also scouting for a suitable location and connecting with local political and financial elites.
Having completed part of her plan, Ms. Tracy was in high spirits. She casually brought up Lynch’s story in Gephra.
To the average Federation citizen, a native-born Federal citizen being granted nobility in Gephra was a bizarre tale. Lynch had once again become the protagonist in an incredible story—just like many times before.
As their conversation drifted into more mundane topics, it signaled that Ms. Tracy was preparing to leave.
But just before she could say goodbye, Lynch spoke first. “I have a friend, Katherine. She’s about my age.”
“I know her!” Ms. Tracy nodded. “I’ve read reports about her. She’s very lucky.”
Unlike most who attributed her luck to circumstances, Ms. Tracy believed Katherine’s real fortune was knowing Lynch—and having dated him. Without his involvement, she would’ve never gotten an internship at the presidential palace. That wasn’t a place ordinary people could just enter, no matter what the media claimed.
He was donating money, so of course he had expectations. If he kept writing checks without asking for anything in return, he’d be a fool.
Ms. Tracy understood perfectly. Since she had chosen to step onto the political stage, she needed strong allies.
Her goal was to become the first female governor in the Federation’s history. Even if she failed to win the presidency, her candidacy as a woman would generate enough buzz and attention.
It could even spark discussions around discrimination against women in politics, allowing her defeat to be framed as a gender issue.
With all the media heat, combined with her father and uncle’s influence, plus the backing of women’s rights organizations, both financially and logistically, her bid for governor had a solid chance.
Just thinking about the title—the first truly significant female politician in Federation history—filled her with energy.
To reach that ambitious goal, she’d need a lot of help. People like Lynch, who had both money and influence and were willing to use it.
So she didn’t hesitate to accept. “Of course, why not?”
There wasn’t a hint of reluctance on her face. “This is a good thing. I’d love to talk to Katherine. Maybe I can share some experience with her. What time tomorrow?”
Lynch thought for a moment. “In the evening—she’ll need to finish work first. We’ll find a place for dinner after.”
Ms. Tracy knew it was time to leave. She stood up, and Lynch followed. They shook hands once more.
“Thank you, Lynch. People will remember the help you gave them.”
Lynch smiled warmly, just like the first time they met. “All people are born equal. We shouldn’t let historical baggage, cultural norms, or social biases turn some into the disadvantaged.”
“This is something I should do.”
“You’re very sincere. I like that about you,” Ms. Tracy said again with admiration.
Whether or not Lynch truly meant what he said didn’t matter—his words were convincing. Without genuine insight, it would be hard to speak with such depth.
After escorting Ms. Tracy to her car, Lynch returned to the house. Women could sometimes be particular about seemingly trivial things—like, “Why didn’t he walk me to the car? Does he have a problem with me?”
Men, on the other hand, didn’t think this way. They preferred straightforward interactions without too much fuss.
The next evening, after booking a restaurant, Lynch drove to the presidential palace.
He had a pass and was a frequent visitor. Apart from a routine check for dangerous items, the guards didn’t give him a hard time.
After over two months, the group of presidential interns had fully adapted to their roles.
Working here was more intense and demanding than outsiders imagined.
Every day, they had to greet visiting figures from all sectors or assist high-level officials with tasks within their capacity, such as helping organize or host government meetings.
These meetings happened almost daily.
Civic groups, influential public figures, or officials from other regions regularly came to the presidential palace with various requests.
When something was placed on the schedule, the meeting had to happen that day.
High-level officials never showed up early. Interns would first gather the visitors in a meeting room and prepare all necessary materials. Then, at the scheduled time, they’d inform the actual officials.
Those officials rarely stayed more than ten minutes. They’d listen to some representative opinions, give brief feedback, and leave.
Afterward, interns would collect everyone’s input, including feedback on the feedback, extract the valuable parts, and submit them for further approval.
At first, this kind of work overwhelmed everyone—Katherine included. She had never experienced anything so high-level.
She once thought participating in university research projects was prestigious. But after arriving here, she realized not all internships were created equal.
Compared to company internships, this place was much tougher.
No one would comfort you for failing or making mistakes. Everyone was too busy—even to scold you.
But after surviving the toughest stretch and adapting, the work became more manageable.
She learned, for example, how to write reports that politicians could actually understand. What she initially thought they cared about turned out to be irrelevant. Their focus was never what the public assumed.
She also learned how to engage with people from all walks of life. Each group required a different approach—being too submissive could make you look weak.
And much more…
There were too many examples. In just over two months, it felt like she had lived a year.
She had grown in every way—especially in mental resilience and her understanding of society.
As evening fell, the exhausted interns finally had a moment to breathe. The end of the workday was near, and the tense atmosphere inside the presidential palace began to ease.
Katherine stood with a cup of coffee near the edge of the main hall—an area known as the “standby zone.” Several phones lined the walls there. When someone was needed, one would ring.
Besides Katherine, a few other interns were also taking a break. Everyone looked exhausted.
“Get me a cup of coffee…” A familiar voice reached Katherine’s ears. She instinctively set down her own coffee and responded without thinking.
There were always people needing something—getting coffee was the most common. After all, ministers and the like couldn’t be expected to brew their own.
Of course, everyone knew how terrible the coffee at the presidential palace tasted. Most of the time, interns would just answer the phone, grab takeout coffee from delivery staff at the entrance, and deliver it to the designated location.
So someone actually asking for freshly brewed coffee clearly didn’t understand how bad it was.
But then Katherine froze mid-step. With surprise and delight, she turned toward the voice—it was Lynch!
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
His sudden appearance had completely caught her off guard.
The other interns now noticed it was Lynch as well. Even though he was about the same age as them, his status was far above theirs.
Lynch had already become a national icon, while they hadn’t even inherited much of their family businesses.
After greeting the others with a smile, Lynch pulled Katherine aside. “Go change. We’re having dinner later. I also invited Ms. Tracy—the president of the Women’s Rights Protection Association.”
Katherine hesitated. “It’s not time to clock out yet.”
Lynch glanced at the clock on the wall. There were still about twenty minutes left—leaving early wouldn’t look good. “Then keep me company for a bit…”
Katherine smiled helplessly and started chatting with him about her recent work.
At that moment, the President, surrounded by bodyguards, emerged from a room deeper inside the building. He immediately spotted Lynch standing in the hall talking to Katherine and, surprised, called out—
“Lynch!”
