Chapter 437: The Heart of a Petty Person in the Belly of a Gentleman
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Time had progressed to the following day.
It was the new President's first official day at the helm of the White House, an occasion that Americans regard as a 'new beginning of the new year.' Therefore, both the media and the public focused their attention on the White House.
Meanwhile, in an upscale neighborhood about three kilometers from the White House, Sullivan was a sight to behold, with bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair, the very picture of decay, clearly having had a sleepless night.
As the saying goes, "a new king brings his own courtiers." Today was Katherine's first day in office, and it was essential to purge the remnants of the former President's faction to pave the way for her new administration.
As the National Security Advisor, not only was he a 'senior official from the former regime,' but even more importantly, he had offended David. So it was obvious that he would be the first to face the purge!
Thinking of how he had climbed the ranks through twenty years of hard work to achieve his high position, only to be knocked back down to square one, Sullivan felt both despair and regret at this moment.
His regret was naturally due to the ill-advised move of instigating Payden to act against David, which led to his current downfall.
But now that things had happened, it was too late for regrets...
"Dudu dudu..."
The ringing of his mobile phone interrupted Sullivan's thoughts. Seeing that the call was from the White House, his sense of despair deepened.
But ultimately, he still mustered the strength to press the accept call button.
"Mr. Sullivan."
"Speak, I'm listening."
"The President wants to see you. He asks that you come to the White House."
Sullivan was taken aback upon hearing this.
Under normal circumstances, if the President wanted to revoke his position, a phone call would suffice followed by a public announcement of an executive order. There was no need for a summons.
He could only think of two reasons for this summons.
The first was that the new President, Katherine, had no intention of purging him, and this meeting was about the handover of work.
But if he hadn't offended David before, with his abilities, there might have been a chance for Katherine to retain him. So that seemed unlikely.
The only other possibility was...
Since he had offended David, Katherine summoning him could mean she wanted to humiliate him in dismissal, to curry favor with David, or perhaps this was entirely David's idea!
With these thoughts, Sullivan's eyes reddened even more, and his fists clenched tightly.
"Are you listening, Mr. Sullivan?"
"Alright, I understand. I'll come over now!"
Although Sullivan felt humiliated inside, he was well aware that now David practically ruled supreme in America.
If he didn't allow the other party to have their way, his fate might be even more miserable, so he had to go no matter how much he didn't want to.
...
White House, the President's Office.
Currently, Katherine was in high spirits, signing a series of executive orders.
Just then, Windsor walked in and said, "Madam President, Sullivan has arrived."
"Let him in."
A few minutes later, Sullivan was brought in.
"Mr. Sullivan, it seems you didn't get much sleep last night."
Seeing Sullivan's disheveled state, Katherine couldn't help but tease.
"Enough, Madam President. Here is the follow-up plan for Europe; it contains all the future arrangements made by me and my team. If you find it useful, please keep it."
Sullivan placed a document on the oval desk.
This plan indeed represented a lot of effort from him and his team, and his willingness to hand it over without reservation was also a hint to Katherine to consider it when deciding his fate.
Katherine caught the implication and smiled slightly, responding, "Mr. Sullivan, I think you might as well keep this plan for yourself."
Sullivan's expression changed, as her tone suggested she wasn't willing to favor him at all.
Sullivan had made a name for himself not through talk, but through real skills and hard work.
The plan in question was extremely important to America's strategic planning in Europe, and yet Katherine declined it without a second thought.
Could currying favor with David truly be more critical than the country's strategic plans?
"Alright, Mr. Sullivan, I didn't call you here to dismiss you. I want you to continue serving as the President's Assistant for Security Affairs and as the National Security Advisor. Are you willing?"
Today was Katherine's first day at administrative work, and she had a lot to deal with, without the time to tease him further.
"What?!"
Sullivan's eyes were wide open, and he even doubted his ears.
The new President not only did not intend to dismiss him but wanted him to continue serving in his current position?
Was this a joke?
Or was she mocking him?
"I said, I want you to continue serving. Are you willing?"
Now, Sullivan was sure he hadn't heard wrong and that the President might genuinely not be mocking him. After a brief consideration, he blurted out, "Is this David's idea?"
"Of course, Chief Inspector David sees you as a capable individual, so he personally recommended that I keep you on."
"This..."
Sullivan felt a mix of emotions inside.
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