Chapter 382: Group of Death
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Mr. Lopez, there's a big group of protesters outside. What should we do?" a staff member asked cautiously.
"There's no need to pay attention to them. Let them stay outside! Once they're tired, they'll disperse on their own," Lopez grunted coldly.
In the US, protests were nothing new. Anything could become a cause for protest. It could even be said that no matter the decision, someone would surely turn up to protest.
If the candidate of the Republican party were elected president, the Democrats would protest; if the candidate of the Democratic party were elected president, the Republicans would protest. If the government wanted to increase taxes, the rich would protest; if the government wanted to decrease taxes, the poor who lived at the bottom of society would protest. If the government wanted to implement medical insurance for the entire population, the people who could afford business insurance would protest. If they granted refugees entry to the country, people who believed that it would bring about safety issues would protest; if they denied entry for refugees, it would bring about the protests from human rights organizations.
And those were only important policy issues. More protests were only related to personal preferences. For example, someone might feel that juvenile detention centers should not exist, so they would protest. Others might be dissatisfied that McDonald's had just removed a hamburger that they liked from the menu, so they would protest. A supermarket owner might feel that the operating hours of his rival were too long, hence taking away his business, so he would protest as well. A shopper failed to buy something he wanted during "Black Friday," so he would protest…
It could be said that Americans have fully put into practice the saying, "It's every man for himself," through protests. If something were not beneficial to them, or it would incur a loss for them, or if it were something that they disagreed with... it didn't matter if it was right or wrong, staging a protest was the way to go.
However, the reality was that a "complete win" situation has never existed in the real world. For four people playing Mahjong on a table, it isn't possible for everyone to win, and achieving a "Yi Pao San Xiang" situation is already extremely difficult. Every change in the world benefits some while others suffer. It was inevitable that the ones who suffered went to protest.
However, protesting was simply letting one's voice be heard. Whether the protest brought about change was an entirely different matter. There were often protests against the president that involved tens of thousands of people. However, the president would still remain firmly in his seat. The crowd of people who demanded the resignation of the president would be powerful and massive as they moved from Congress all the way to the White House. However, on the second day after the protest, the protesters would all return to their homes, and the president would still be the president, still seated in his Oval Office in the White House drinking coke and watching television. Apart from giving journalists content to report on, the effects were minimal.
At the end of the day, legal proceedings were what decided things. For example, legal impeachment proceedings were required for the president to step down, not protests on the streets. In a presidential impeachment case, the case had to first pass through the House of Representatives before going to the Senate. Once it passed Senate, a trial would be overseen by the chief justice, where two-thirds of the senators needed to agree for the president to be impeached. If law and systems were not considered and the government only listened to the side with more protesters or the side that was louder, not following proper procedures in doing things, it would just have been populism. The door of populism must not be opened. Once opened, it would be unstoppable. The elites in the US were not dumb; they would never support populism.
There was a saying that once a person's body was full of lice, he would stop feeling itchy. The number of protests in the US had become so high that people had grown used to seeing them. That was why Lopez did not seem to be bothered by the protesters outside. Even the arrival of Councilman Damon would not affect Lopez's authority over the competition committee.
From a different perspective, if Lopez were to compromise, to alter his decision just because someone protested, then he would lose all credibility, and it would be tough to continue in his work. So, Lopez would not easily change his decision.
The protesters outside annoyed Lopez. He laid back on his chair and reached for a cup of coffee. A mouthful of richly flavored coffee passed through his throat. The caffeine helped calm him down a lot.
At that moment, Lopez's phone rang.
It's the CEO of the Track and Field Association, Mr. Williams! Lopez quickly answered the call.
The American Track and Field Association was not an official government organization; instead, it was a non-governmental or non-profit organization, so the head of the association was the CEO, similar to the CEO of the NBA.
"Lopez, you rejected the registration of a para-athlete called Phillip, who is nicknamed 'blade warrior,' is that correct?" Williams asked through the phone.
"Yes sir." Lopez's chest tightened as he discovered that Williams was indeed contacting him because of that incident.
"Does he meet the minimum requirements for entry?" Williams asked.
"He doesn't have legs, and he's a disabled person. He should take part in para-athletic games and not come here to our competition." Lopez had already prepared his excuse. He continued, "As a disabled person, there is no way for Phillip to compete against normal athletes. That's why I believe that he's only trying to use this competition as an opportunity to boost his fame! He's not here to really compete."
"I know that he's disabled, and I'm not interested in his purpose for participating. I'm asking you if he fulfills the requirements for entry, which is to say, is there an actual rule that prohibits him from entering the competition?" Williams had become serious.
"Well… Perhaps not…" Lopez's voice had lost its previous strength.
Williams took a deep breath and continued in a strict tone, "Lopez, we are too passive!"
"Sir, I don't think you should worry too much. Although there are a few protesters, these are all fairly common. We don't have to pay attention to them. They will disperse after one or two days. Even if some journalist were to make a news report, saying that we were discriminating against disabled people, we just have to directly deny their accusations. We are also the organizers; we have the authority to make the final decision," Lopez stated.
"You think I'm worried about the protesters or the journalists? I'm worried about our sponsors!" Williams said directly. "Some sponsors have already called to ask. They don't want to be affected negatively."
Lopez's brow suddenly furrowed together. After all his detailed calculations, he had forgotten about the sponsors.
The American Track and Field Association was not a government organization, so their primary source of income was sponsors. Under normal circumstances, the American Track and Field Association would have around 15 to 20 sponsors at a time, and sometimes they would even make deals with different brands in the same industry. For example, they would first sign with Kentucky Fried Chicken before signing with McDonald's. These sponsors would help the American Track and Field Association bring in over 30 million dollars' worth of annual income. If it were the year of the Olympics, the sponsorship income would be higher.
As a sponsor, it was natural to require that the sponsored subject or entity did not become entangled with any negative news. And a thing such as discriminating against disabled people was one of the untouchable taboos in American society; the consequence would be moral condemnation. Although realistically speaking, many discriminated against disabled people, when it was time for one to publicly declare their position, one had to be just. One might even have to claim that he had volunteered in helping people with disabilities because it was politically correct!
On the other side of the line, Williams continued speaking, "Lopez, listen carefully. I don't want trouble, so you don't go and create trouble for me! That 'blade warrior' only wants a place in the qualifier. You just give him that damned place, and let him compete. Regardless of whether he wants to really compete or he simply wants to hype himself up, it's got nothing to do with us. I don't want this thing to continue! I don't want to get another call from our sponsors!"
"Yes, sir. I'll get to it immediately. That para-athlete will definitely get a place in the qualifiers." Lopez immediately agreed as soon as he received instructions from his boss.
...
"Mr. Lopez, everything you ordered has been completed. I've just received Barron Phillip's registration form. He'll be able to take part in the 400m qualifiers tomorrow," the staffer reported.
"Noted." Lopez nodded as he stood beside the window. He could see Phillip leaving the establishment through the gaps of the shutter.
I was completely played. This is so aggravating! Lopez clenched his fist tightly.
That damned cripple! You don't even have legs, what's the point of joining this competition? Even on the off chance that you make it into the official race, when faced against so many world-class athletes, there's no way you can get a place, not to mention going to the world championship! You're definitely just trying to use this opportunity to boost your reputation.
In the next second, Lopez suddenly had an idea.
You want to increase your reputation, huh? I won't let you get what you want. You'll have to get through the qualifiers first if you want to participate in the official race! I'll place the seven strongest contestants in your group. Let's see how you advance through the qualifiers!
As Lopez reached this conclusion, he waved towards the staff. "After the registration deadline, bring the list of names of athletes taking part in the men's 400m sprint to my office. I'll group them myself."
...
"The grouping for the qualifiers sure is unfavorable for you!" Dai Li said as he sat in front of the computer. He keyed in name after name on the website.
"Jim Oliver, 28 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.92 seconds."
"Joe Christian, 21 years old, his personal best in the past year is 45.05 seconds."
"Marcus Garcia, 25 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.98 seconds. Another one that did it in 45 seconds."
"Sam Scott, 25 years old, his personal best in the past year is 45.11 seconds."
"Rudy Jackson, 23 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.86 seconds. That's the third one who finished in 45 seconds."
"Lester Rogge, 26 years old…"
Dai Li had found the results of all seven of the other athletes in Phillip's group, and every single one of them had a result that was better than the result Phillip submitted, 45.51 seconds. The gap wasn't all that small, either.
"Their results are too good. Even if it were the Olympics, their personal best would be enough to get them through to the semifinals. How is it possible that all the athletes with the best results ended up in the same group in the qualifiers?" Dai Li said with a powerless expression. "Phillip, it looks like someone's targeting us! This is the group of death."