Chương 126: A Dignified Exit?

At 1 p. m., the city hall's main conference room reopened to the media and the public.

The hall, which had been somewhat quiet due to the court recess, was now even more crowded than it had been in the morning.

Everyone was waiting for Governor Roosevelt's final ruling on Jimmy Walker.

Everyone thought that the recall process was about to begin irrevocably, and New York would welcome its first sitting mayor in history to be criminally prosecuted.

However, when the side door opened again, only Jimmy Walker stepped onto the podium.

He stood directly in front of the podium, which was surrounded by countless microphones.

The hall fell silent instantly; everyone held their breath, waiting for him to speak.

Walker cleared his throat and read a brief statement into the microphone in an extremely heavy, weary voice.

"Citizens of New York, I stand here today with a heavy heart. Over the past few months, my health has shown signs of extreme deterioration."

"My personal health no longer allows me to continue to bear the heavy and sacred responsibility of being the Mayor of New York City. For the sake of the unity of our great city, and to prevent unwarranted political disputes from affecting the normal functioning of the city."

Walker dropped the bombshell: "I have decided to resign as Mayor of New York City, effective immediately. I will be heading to Europe to recuperate, leaving the stage to healthier, more energetic people."

In his brief statement, he made no mention of any of the murder and corruption charges brought up at the morning hearing.

People could hardly believe their ears.

A shocking murder-for-hire scandal was transformed into a heartwarming drama of someone resigning due to illness.

Then, a violent uproar erupted from the crowd, almost lifting the roof off.

Reporters pushed forward frantically, loudly bombarding the reporters with one pointed question after another.

Most of the politically astute people present had already grasped the true meaning behind the statement.

This is a dirty political deal that saves face for all parties involved.

Walker voluntarily relinquished power in exchange for the privilege of being spared trial.

Arthur Kennedy stood quietly at the back of the hall.

He watched as Walker, escorted by several burly guards, hurriedly left the venue with his head down and slipped into the inner passage of the city hall.

Sean stood next to Arthur, trembling with anger, his fists clenched tightly together.

Sean cursed under his breath in anger, "Is this what high-level politics is? A bastard who uses taxpayers' money to hire someone to commit murder just walks around with his passport on vacation in Europe?"

Despite this despairing outcome, Arthur remained unusually calm.

He never believed from the beginning that such a superstructure could have any real self-purification ability.

Politicians always pursue a grand national narrative and a stable balance of power among various factions.

As for the injustices and life-or-death situations suffered by an individual in this process, they are merely a decimal point on the cost list for them.

Arthur turned around, pushed open the heavy wooden door of the conference hall, and walked out into the gloomy, cold wind.

"The law let him go, the politicians let him go. But some blood debts shouldn't just be left unpaid."

At 3 p. m., in a temporary office of the New York Herald in Manhattan.

Arthur sat at the old typewriter. The black ink ribbon danced rapidly with each keystroke.

The typewriter emitted a rapid, jarring "click-clack" sound, which seemed particularly jarring in the quiet office, like a silent shooting exercise.

Sean pushed the door open and walked in from the outside. He went to Arthur's desk and handed him a slip of paper with flight information written on it.

"Arthur, the news is confirmed. Walker bought a first-class ticket under an alias for tonight's 10 PM departure to Cherbourg, France. It's the White Star Line's Olympic."

Sean continued to add details: "He's currently hiding in the presidential suite at the Ritz Hotel, frantically packing his bags, preparing to take away all the assets he can liquidate."

Arthur glanced at the note indicating the departure time of 10 p. m. that night.

He nodded slightly, without stopping his typing.

A few minutes later, Arthur abruptly ripped the page off the typewriter and handed it to Sean, who was standing opposite him.

"Sean, take this newsletter to the printing press for expedited typesetting. Have all the newsboys gather on 14th Street, especially near the Tammany Society headquarters, and shout this news to the top of their lungs."

Sean took the paper with a puzzled look. When he saw the contents of the few lines on it, he was instantly stunned.

According to reliable inside sources, former mayor Jimmy Walker will board a ship to Europe at 10 p. m. tonight. It is understood that Walker is carrying a large number of highly confidential personal documents.

Sources indicate that these documents contain a core blacklist of New York City municipal projects over the past decade, as well as a list of bonuses for many key senior personnel at the Tammany Institute.

Before his departure, Walker told close friends that these confidential documents were his "retirement insurance" to ensure he would be undisturbed overseas.

Sean's eyes widened in surprise.

"Arthur, did Walker really bring these deadly things? Where did you get that information?"

Arthur leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped in front of him, and calmly replied, "I don't know. He may have destroyed the evidence long ago to protect himself, or he may have really been carrying it with him. But it doesn't matter."

"The important thing is that those old foxes in the Tammany Association will be convinced that he brought it."

Sean instantly understood Arthur's intention.

Although the Tammany Society outwardly severed ties with Walker by dismissing his henchmen, they were actually terrified inside.

What they fear most is that Walker, having lost everything, will speak recklessly overseas or sell the incriminating material he possesses to his political enemies in Washington at a high price.

If Walker had simply slipped away quietly, the Tammany Society might have reluctantly accepted it to appease Roosevelt's anger.

But now, if all of New York knew that Walker had taken a deadly "ledger" to Europe, the nature of the matter would be completely different.

How could the bigwigs of the Tammany Association possibly sleep soundly? How could they possibly let a ticking time bomb escape their sight?

Sean said with awe, "Arthur, you're handing a knife to those ruthless gangsters in Tammony."

C Arthur stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the homeless people huddled in corners of the street below, driven by hunger.

"They're the ones bleeding this city dry. Walker used taxpayer money to hire hitmen to kill me; he's already broken the rules."

Arthur turned around and gave the final order: "Now, let him taste the bitter fruit of crossing the line. Go send the message, Sean."

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