Chapter 756 - 354: Thunder Celestial Master

Leo found William.

"William, contact that Feng Shui Master. Right now." Leo didn’t waste any words.

William was taken aback for a moment. "Oh, okay. Give me ten minutes. I need to change."

Half an hour later, Leo and William were sitting in a coffee shop near Philadelphia’s University City.

The wind chime on the door jingled, and a man walked in.

The man who entered was tall and Caucasian, with blonde hair and blue eyes, yet he was dressed in an exquisitely tailored, dark silk Tang suit, its frog buttons fastened meticulously.

He held a folding fan in his hand, and his gait had a deliberately slow and steady cadence.

This was the Feng Shui Master who had taken the initiative to contact William: Raymond Stock, or as his business card read in Chinese, Thunder Celestial Master.

"Mr. Saint Claude." Stock walked to the table and gave a slight bow, then turned to Leo. "Mayor Wallace, it’s an honor."

Leo didn’t stand up, merely staring at him coldly.

"Mr. Stock, why did you go to such great lengths to get close to the Governor?"

Stock was not fazed by Leo’s cold reception.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, even gracefully opening his folding fan.

"To make money, Mr. Mayor."

Stock’s candor took Leo by surprise.

He didn’t ramble on about cosmic cycles or put on a mystical act.

"I’ve been to Hong Kong, where I studied feng shui and geomancy under several masters for a few years. I discovered that this ancient Eastern mysticism has a huge market among high-net-worth individuals in the West."

"They have everything, yet they still feel insecure. They need an explanatory framework, different from Western religions, to soothe their fears."

Stock closed his fan.

"I’m not just making things up, Mr. Wallace. I do know a bit about things like Flying Stars and San Yuan, which are part of a complex theory of environmental energy."

He looked at William.

"Mr. Saint Claude just bought a new villa. I simply wanted to help him improve his luck and, in the process, earn a handsome consultation fee. That’s all."

Leo quickly sized the man up in his mind.

He couldn’t tell if the man was telling the truth, but at the very least, his explanation sounded plausible and his motive was simple enough.

The pursuit of wealth.

Besides, he didn’t look like a spy, nor did he seem to be a broker with deep political connections.

He seemed more like a business opportunist who had found a unique niche market.

’Let him go,’ Leo said to Roosevelt in his mind. ’He’s just a charlatan trying to swindle some money out of a rich kid. He’s not worth our time.’

"Wait."

Roosevelt’s voice suddenly echoed in the depths of Leo’s consciousness.

"Don’t let him go, Leo. Why don’t we recruit him?"

Leo was stunned.

’Recruit him? A white guy who does feng shui? Mr. President, are you kidding me? I control the entire administrative apparatus of Pennsylvania. What do I need a charlatan for?’

Roosevelt let out a faint chuckle.

"Leo, your understanding of the power ecosystem in the American upper echelons is still too shallow."

"In your eyes, politics may be all about self-interest, full of calculations and power plays. You probably think politicians are supposed to be completely ruthless."

"But as long as they are human, they have human weaknesses. They have a fear of the unknown and the uncontrollable."

"And religion, or rather mysticism, is the filler for that black hole of fear."

"Religion has existed for so many years, and it’s deeply rooted in the character of this nation."

"Think about a large portion of evangelical voters in the United States today, and the politicians who represent them."

"They see the nation’s leader as a vessel chosen by God. This is a powerful Messiah complex."

"They vote not just based on interests, but on faith. They believe this country bears some kind of sacred mission."

Roosevelt paused for a moment before continuing.

"In the rotunda of the Congress Building, if you look up, you will see a massive fresco called *The Apotheosis of Washington*. In it, George Washington is seated among the clouds, surrounded by figures from classical mythology."

"In this nation’s subconscious, a political leader can be deified, can possess a kind of divinity that transcends secular power."

"Then look at the true elite class."

"In places like Yale and Harvard, the cradles that supply talent to Washington, there are also organizations steeped in mysticism."

"Have you heard of the Skull and Bones Society?"

Leo replied, "I have. The Bush Family, John Kerry... they were all members. The outside world portrays them as something terrifying."

"The outside world has just sensationalized them." Roosevelt’s voice grew serious. "But the ritualism of the Skull and Bones Society, and the arcane logic behind its elite selection process, have profoundly shaped the perspectives on power held by those political titans."

"Then there’s the Bohemian Club."

"Every year, they gather in the forests of California. These old men who control the economic and political lifelines of the United States will don robes and perform a cremation ceremony with heavy overtones of ancient Greek rituals."

"During World War II, at the Arcadia Conference, Churchill and I also borrowed some ancient Freemasonry symbols to establish a psychological suggestion of our role as guardians of the free world."

"These kinds of mystical activities, similar to religious gatherings, are not only common in the American upper class, but are in fact an extremely important component."

Leo’s brow furrowed.

"But I’ve already built a community of shared interests and a pathway for managing power. I control capital with contracts and the electoral districts with the Unions. This is tangible power. Why would I need something so... ethereal?"