Chương 140: The Elder Roosevelt's Eldest Daughter

Chapter 140 The Elder Roosevelt's Eldest Daughter (Thank you all for your monthly votes) 11: 00 AM.

Arthur parked the pickup truck in front of a Chase National Bank branch.

He pushed open the glass door, strode towards the teller's counter, took out a two-thousand-dollar check from his inside pocket, along with his identification, and pushed it through the iron gate.

"To be exchanged entirely for cash, one hundred ten-dollar bills are required."

The cashier took the check, smiled apologetically, and turned to pick up the internal phone used for large interstate authorizations.

Arthur wasn't in a hurry; he was testing the water temperature, testing whether Taft had truly severed the black hand reaching for his wallet.

One minute — Two minutes — The cashier put down the phone, turned around, and her face was full of respect.

"I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Kennedy. The authorization has been approved. Here is your two thousand dollars in cash; please count it in person."

Arthur wasn't surprised when the thick stack of banknotes was pushed back in front of him.

The lockdown has been lifted.

This financial strangulation, which attempted to trap him in the freezing cold, was shattered by the Supreme Court's legal authority.

He regained his financial freedom.

Furthermore, starting today, unless he commits murder and robbery in the street, the federal government will absolutely not dare to use illegal means against him on interstate highways.

But that's clearly not enough. To navigate the treacherous highways of the Midwest without hindrance, he still needs some sufficiently robust "local permits."

The fact that the federal government isn't taking action against him doesn't mean that local corrupt officials won't either.

Just as Arthur walked to his car, a gleaming black Packard luxury sedan slowly pulled up behind him.

A messenger stepped down from the carriage, went straight to Arthur, bowed slightly, and handed him a gold-embossed envelope.

"Mr. Kennedy, there is a very small private salon tonight at my mansion on Massachusetts Avenue. My master greatly admires your talent as presented in the newspaper and wishes to meet you."

Arthur took the envelope and pulled out the excellent-quality card inside.

As Arthur expected, the signature was: Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

Political labels associated with this woman instantly flashed through Arthur's mind.

She is the eldest daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, one of the greatest presidents in American history, and the wife of the current Speaker of the House.

She witnessed 15 presidents in her lifetime and was revered as the "Invisible Queen of the White House" and "Washington's Second Monument".

She was unruly and extremely venomous.

As one of the most influential political socialites and political strategists within the Republican Party, her salon was the absolute core of high-level political intelligence and deals in the United States.

Countless senators, cabinet ministers, and even foreign envoys consider it an honor to be invited to her dinner parties.

"Please tell Mrs. Longworth that I will be there on time."

Arthur put the bundle into his bosom.

This was also the second crucial political connection that Isabella asked Elizabeth to use the Harrison family's connections to pave for him.

Night falls on Massachusetts Avenue.

Arthur's off-road pickup truck formed a stark visual contrast with the gleaming Rolls-Royces, Lincolns, and Cadillacs parked on the roadside.

He parked the car and walked towards a heavily guarded, luxurious townhouse in the Victorian style.

Although the doorman was shocked by the dilapidated car, he immediately opened the door for Arthur with utmost respect after confirming Arthur's invitation.

Arthur took off his coat and handed it to a servant, then strode into the spacious and bright drawing room.

The salon was sparsely populated, and could even be described as extremely private. But every face present was capable of orchestrating a massive political storm.

"Ah, look who's here. Our executioner who sent the Tammany Society to hell with his typewriter, the great writer who skinned the Wall Street swindlers alive, Mr. Arthur Kennedy, has arrived."

A woman sitting in the center of an exquisite sofa, wearing a silk dress and holding an extremely long tortoiseshell lighter, stood up.

Although she was 46 years old, she was well-maintained, and her eyes revealed a strong sense of aggression.

This is Alice Roosevelt.

In this era, even the First Lady wouldn't dare smoke in public, but she casually took a deep drag with a cigarette between her fingers, exuding an unparalleled queenly aura with every gesture.

On the sofa behind her sat the embroidered cushion that was extremely famous throughout American political circles, with her classic acerbic quote embroidered in gold thread: "If you have nothing to say to anyone, come and sit next to me."

"It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Longworth. Your cushion is as unique and dazzling as you are."

, 7 Arthur stepped forward, bowed slightly, and gave a gentlemanly salute that was neither humble nor arrogant.

Alice burst into laughter, her laughter hearty and penetrating.

"That little girl Isabella raved about you on the long-distance call. I didn't really believe it at first."

Alice pointed to the newspapers scattered on the marble coffee table, the top one being the New York Herald, which published "Sixteen Tons."

"Until I saw this article you wrote. To be honest, Arthur, the way you criticize those greedy bankers and mine owners is exactly what my father used to say."

Theodore Roosevelt was known as a "trust destroyer" and was extremely disgusted by monopolistic oligarchs, even to the point of leaving the Republican Party and founding the Progressive Party.

He himself represented the Progressive Party in the 1912 presidential election, winning 27% of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes, second only to Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson, which is the best result for a third party in the history of the United States to participate in a presidential election.

Alice abruptly changed the subject: "However, this touches a nerve with the current gentleman in the White House. Don't you know that our president, who's always thinking about natural prosperity, is an extremely dull man with absolutely no sense of humor?"

"He absolutely despises people like you who publicly exaggerate the suffering of the lower classes in the newspapers and embarrass him."

Arthur keenly noticed Alice's extreme contempt for the then-president.

In the real historical and political landscape, Alice Roosevelt, as one of the spiritual leaders of the Republican Party, utterly despised Herbert Hoover's incompetence and indifference, and the two were sworn enemies.

"The president likes to look at Wall Street's rosy economic reports, while I'm only responsible for writing about the frozen corpses on the highways of the Great Depression."

Arthur calmly sat down on a single sofa, responding with utmost decisiveness.

"Well said! Absolutely brilliant!"

Just then, a middle-aged man with an extremely short and stocky build, only about 1. 5 meters tall, but with a physique as solid as a fire hydrant, suddenly stood up from a high-backed leather chair next to the fireplace.