Chapter 11: A Big Shot’s Joke Might Not Just Be a Joke
Chapter 11: A Big Shot’s Joke Might Not Just Be a Joke
“Mr. President, over ten groups have decided to march in Jingang City to protest the influx of immigrants, saying they bring criminals and crime to the Federation.”
“Senator Xilan made a public statement this morning, expressing support for your opponent. He believes that stricter immigration control, especially for illegal immigrants, would significantly improve the people's well-being.”
“Also… Mr. So-and-so and Mr. So-and-so both wish for a return call from you.”
The President raised his hand to stop his aide from speaking further. The matters of these two gentlemen clearly took precedence over everything else. Both were key financial backers for his campaign, and before winning the election, the President had promised them a steady flow of cheap labor for the workforce.
In fact, they weren’t the only supporters given such assurances; many campaign backers had received similar promises. The Federation's economy was advancing rapidly. As technology improved, the costs of raw materials and semi-finished goods had decreased, but labor costs continued to rise year by year. Four years ago, they only needed to pay twenty-eight dollars to hire a willing worker. Now, at least thirty-five dollars was needed just to hire someone lazy enough to cut corners. To get a diligent worker? Not under forty dollars.
By next year, wages would likely start at forty dollars for most roles, with some positions requiring even more. For large factories with thousands, even tens of thousands of employees, saving just three dollars per worker could amount to tens of thousands saved each month, hundreds of thousands in a year.
The President’s push for the legalization of illegal immigrants was rooted in this need—he had to honor his promises to deliver a cheap workforce for society. There was no way he could ask citizens to give up high wages and work physically demanding jobs for less than the societal wage standard. Thus, the only choice was to turn to these undocumented workers.
After contemplating for a while, he adjusted his thoughts and dialed a number. Following brief pleasantries, he promised the corporate president on the other end that he would swiftly address these issues. He also hinted that if he succeeded, he expected full support in his re-election bid in return.