Chapter 710 332: Fawning

Leo picked up the remote and turned on the TV screen on the wall.

A news channel was playing on the screen.

In the center of the frame was Allegany County Executive Brandon Bowman. He stood at a podium before the county council, his spirits high as he faced a barrage of camera flashes.

"Fellow citizens, we have endured a long and cold winter!" Bowman cried into the microphone. "Those greedy pharmaceutical giants tried to cut off our lifeline, tried to force us to submit by cutting off our medicine! Just when we were on the brink of despair, it was Mayor Wallace who stood up."

Bowman raised his right hand and pumped it forcefully.

"He didn't back down! He withstood the pressure from Washington and tore through the blockade set up by the insurance companies! He put insulin that costs tens of US dollars into the hands of our elderly."

"He got the factory smokestacks billowing white smoke again! He is the guardian of this city!"

The crowd below erupted in thunderous applause.

Leo sat in his chair, quietly watching the county executive's fervent performance on the screen.

Leo's expression didn't change at all.

He didn't smile, nor did he show any disgust.

But deep in his chest, a warm undercurrent was stirring.

It was a primal human reaction.

After experiencing countless dark political schemes, betrayals, shootouts, and brushes with death, hearing such unreserved public praise—hearing someone loudly proclaim his achievements for all to see—was deeply soothing to his spirit.

He felt happy, feeling that his sacrifices had been acknowledged.

In that moment, he felt the satisfaction that comes with being in power.

Roosevelt's voice rang out in Leo's mind.

"You seem to be enjoying this feeling, Leo."

Roosevelt's tone was steady and deep.

"You think he means every word. You think you saved them, and that it's only right for them to be eternally grateful to you."

"Your vanity is being thoroughly satisfied."

Leo responded in his mind.

'I did do those things. I brought the price of medicine down. Their expressing gratitude is part of the political feedback loop.'

"This is sycophancy. It's flattery."

"Brandon Bowman couldn't care less about the price of medicine, nor does he care if the elderly live or die. What he cares about is the executive power you hold and that enormous pool of funds."

"He knows you're now the most powerful person in Pennsylvania. He needs you to tilt resources his way to endorse his reelection as county executive."

'Then what should I do? Order them to change the names back? Publicly criticize this kind of formalism in the media to show how noble and humble I am?'

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Leo's reply.

Leo knew it was flattery.

On a rational level, he understood Bowman's motives, but the words of praise truly did bring him pleasure.

He had just walked back from the brink of death. He had paid a heavy price for this city. He just wanted to hear this kind of unabashed praise.

He didn't understand why Roosevelt had to so harshly deprive him of this small pleasure.

Roosevelt's consciousness in his mind turned exceptionally cold.

"Leo, if you start to enjoy this kind of flattery, you're not far from ruin."

"When you get used to being surrounded by voices singing your praises, your perceptual system will be compromised. You'll gradually start to believe you're omnipotent and lose your ability to judge real information."

"Once subordinates discover that kissing ass can get them resources, bad money will drive out good. The truly capable people will be pushed aside, and you'll quickly be surrounded by a bunch of useless sycophants who can only say nice things."

"At that point, the entire system you've built will begin to rot from the inside."

Leo was silent for a moment.

'Then I'll issue an order explicitly forbidding this behavior. Tell all my subordinates not to do it, and strictly prohibit any form of sucking up to superiors. Will that work?'

"Foolish."

Roosevelt's voice grew more forceful.

"Never expect your subordinates not to flatter you."

"As long as there's a power disparity between you and them, as long as you hold the power to allocate resources, flattery will always exist."

"As a leader, your task isn't to purify this environment. You're not supposed to be the morality police, demanding that everyone tell you the truth. That's impossible."

"Your task is to use this obedience to achieve your goals."

Roosevelt began to impart his techniques for managing people.

"You need to have a results-oriented filter."

"You need to filter out all the flowery praise Brandon Bowman spouted on TV today. Just let those words go in one ear and out the other."

"When Bowman stands before you tomorrow with a budget request form, asking you to allocate funds to Allegany County, you absolutely cannot just sign off on it and give him the money simply because he renamed the airport after you."

"You need to look at his hard performance metrics."

"You need to see how much the employment rate in his county has risen, whether the factories in his jurisdiction have completed the Revival Alliance's orders on time, and whether he has driven out the pharmaceutical middlemen who tried to evade regulation."

"If the numbers don't meet the targets, don't give him a single cent. It doesn't matter how many streets he renames after you."

'I understand,' Leo said in his mind.

"You also have to learn to remain unpredictable," Roosevelt continued, sharing his experience.

"Leo, never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. This is the core principle of rule."

"You can't let your subordinates figure out your preferences. If you show that you like hearing sweet talk and having monuments built in your honor, then people like Brandon Bowman will just stop working."