Chapter 713 334: Leo, You Need to Get Married

Leo Wallace had come to Washington once again.

The black, full-size SUV drove off the bridge, crossing the Potomac River.

The wide river separated the hills of Virginia from the plains of the District of Columbia.

The river was deep, its surface reflecting the lights from both banks and the massive, reinforced concrete bridge piers.

This was the nerve center of the United States of America.

Washington's urban layout exhibited an absolute geometric symmetry and the logic of power.

Broad, radial avenues extended in all directions from Capitol Hill, carving up the uniform city blocks.

Clusters of tall, white buildings dominated the core of his vision.

It was a city built purely for the purpose of governance.

It produced no industrial goods, nor did it yield any crops.

It only produced rules, bills, tax rates, and orders for war.

Tens of thousands of politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, and senior aides shuttled between these granite buildings every day.

A few pages of paper in their briefcases could decide the fate of a nation on the other side of the planet. They could alter the flow of global capital markets, put millions of workers out of a job, or send a massive fleet sailing into the ocean.

Leo sat in the back of the SUV, his gaze passing through the bulletproof glass to the streetscape outside.

On the seat beside him lay several documents.

They were the detailed engineering plans for restarting the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant, along with memorandums of understanding reached with major energy giants and tech companies.

His purpose for coming to Washington this time was crystal clear.

He was going to meet directly with Daniel Sanders.

He needed to immediately begin political negotiations to build the nuclear power plant. He needed the entire Progressive faction on Capitol Hill to champion his cause, and he needed a loan guarantee from the Federal Department of Energy.

Time was extremely tight. He had to force a path through the nuclear power approval process as quickly as possible.

"Leo, put those documents away for now."

Roosevelt's voice echoed in Leo's mind.

Leo turned his head, watching the white buildings flash past the car window.

"We need to finalize the details about the nuclear plant with Sanders immediately. The people in Silicon Valley are pushing for progress, and the energy companies are waiting for my answer. I don't have time to waste."

"Slow down, Leo," Roosevelt stopped him. "The nuclear power plant can wait for a bit. I have something more important to tell you—something that concerns your very right to survive in this city in the future."

Leo put the documents in his briefcase and fastened the clasp.

"Go on, Mr. President," Leo replied curtly.

"Leo, you need to get married."

Roosevelt dropped the remark.

The car's interior fell silent.

The tires rolled over the smooth asphalt, making a monotonous hum.

The driver, focused on the road, couldn't hear the conversation happening in the back seat—one that transcended time and space.

Leo didn't answer.

He adjusted his posture slightly, placing his clasped hands on his knees, his facial expression unchanging.

Roosevelt didn't need a response from Leo. He began to explain the logic behind his demand on his own.

"The next time you enter Washington as a Federal official, you will need a wife. If you want to be President, you must have a wife."

Roosevelt's voice echoed in Leo's mind.

"This isn't about love, nor is it about your personal wishes. This is a non-negotiable political requirement."

"The United States was built on Puritan traditions. Family values are the cornerstone of social stability in this country."

"Voters need to put the nuclear button in the hands of someone emotionally stable. A man who goes home to his wife and kids after work is obviously more reassuring than a bachelor who frequents different bars every night."

Leo listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

A convoy of black vehicles from the Special Service Bureau, their red and blue lights flashing, roared past them in the express lane.

Roosevelt continued, "From a power perspective, being single or having an unstable romantic life is a politician's most fatal weakness."

"Washington is a giant meat grinder. Your political enemies are searching for your flaws with a magnifying glass every day. A single politician's private life is full of uncontrollable variables."

"Those complicated personal relationships, short-term partners, and even casual flings will all become targets for your opponents to attack."

"A politician loyal to their marriage has a relatively lower probability of being embroiled in a sex scandal or blackmailed."

"For top positions of power, especially the presidency, any stain on your private life can become your political rival's trump card. They will use a single photo or a piece of audio to destroy decades of your hard work. You can't give them that kind of ammunition."

The SUV entered the central districts of Washington.

The buildings on either side of the street grew denser, and the signs of high-end restaurants and lobbying firms flickered in the night.

"In terms of historical precedent, it's even more imperative for a President to be married," Roosevelt continued. "Open a history book of the United States. Look at the people who have occupied the White House. They all have a First Lady by their side. It's a power template that has been proven for centuries."

"The voters are used to this template, the media is used to this template, and the entire political system is used to this template. You must fit yourself into it to minimize your political resistance."

"But what about James Buchanan? Wasn't he a president who remained unmarried his entire life?" Leo retorted.

"And that's why he was fiercely attacked by his political enemies."

Roosevelt said, "His opponents attacked him for not having a wife and children, concluding that he was incapable of understanding the needs of an American family."