REVIVE: AMERICA 1995

"Fuck! Are you an idiot?" "This is your brother's funeral! You've ruined everything!" "Paladin loved you so much, and you've ruined your brother's funeral! Lord, how could I have given birth to such a stupid child!"
Time passed, an hour later. Paladin Blackburn's funeral, somewhat anticlimactically, ended.
Milo's actions at the gathering, directed at Craig Bayard, had infuriated Joseph. When the commotion died down, everyone else had left, leaving only family members behind. Joseph, filled with rage, unleashed a torrent of abuse on his younger son.
Especially when he saw the indifferent expression on Milo's face, Joseph's anger flared even more intensely. If it weren't for the presence of others, the family's advisors who hadn't left yet, and the fact that the Blackburn family traditionally discouraged physical punishment, Joseph would have wanted to physically assault his wayward son.
At that moment, Joseph, his face flushed with rage, was so enraged that he was out of breath. He turned to the advisors, but none dared to speak. Joseph could only look at his elderly father, for Milo had always listened to his brother and feared his grandfather more than his father.
Joseph hadn't expected that after Milo had caused such a scene, his father would remain so calm. The old man's expression hadn't changed as much as it had when they were discussing who would succeed Paladin.
"Father..." the congressman, unable to hold back, looked at his father, "Aren't you going to say something to him? That bastard!"
John nodded in response, his gaze fixed on his tall and handsome grandson. In Milo, the old man saw the outline of Paladin. The two brothers looked very much alike. Compared to Paladin, Milo was even more heroic-looking and taller.
"Can you tell me why you did that?" John asked his grandson with a smile. "Why would you want to humiliate Bayard's boy like that?"
Milo knew he could ignore his father, but he knew that his grandfather was the true head of the family. After a moment's thought, Milo replied, "He was harassing Hayley."
"Really?"
"Yes, it was because he was harassing Hayley."
"Alright," the old man nodded, "I understand. Milo, you should go now. Go comfort your mother. And your uncle is about to leave, go see him off."
"Okay."
Milo slipped away. Joseph wanted to stop him, he wanted to continue berating his son. But when he saw his father's gaze, Joseph held back.
After his son left, Joseph couldn't help but complain, "Father, even if what he said is true. He shouldn't have done that..."
"Why shouldn't he?" John retorted. "Just because Paladin is dead, we should let his widow be harassed? Is the Blackburn family so easy to bully?"
"No, Father, that's not what I meant..." Joseph quickly replied.
John shook his head, thinking that his son was not much better than his grandson, the foolish uncle. And the money he had saved was not as substantial as Herbert's. Now that Paladin was gone, he didn't know what would happen to the Blackburn family.
Thinking about his grandson's behavior just now, John could only comfort himself in his heart. Perhaps Milo had done what he did for the reason he thought.
"Brian, you speak..."
John addressed Brian Rosco, the family's chief of staff and top strategist.
Brian nodded and spoke softly, "Things might not be as bad as they seem..."
"Let's think about the possible consequences of this incident," Brian suggested. "We all know Milo's reputation isn't the best. But Craig Bayard is different."
"He's a rising star in the state, one of Paladin's biggest former rivals."
"If this gets out, the one who will suffer the most is Craig himself."
"I believe voters won't want to cast their ballots for someone who harasses the widow of a deceased opponent."
"I think the Bayards would want to keep this incident under wraps even more than we do."
Joseph was taken aback. He hadn't thought of it that way. Upon further reflection, he realized that Brian's analysis seemed sound.
It was just like Mark Twain's The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg. It didn't matter how one behaved in private, but in crucial moments, especially during elections, personal morality could be a major issue. For a rising political star like Craig, such a scandal could be devastating. The public wouldn't care about the truth; they would simply want someone morally upright in office.
"...And Milo's actions will also benefit our relationship with the Harrisons," Brian Rosco continued his analysis. "Harrison had originally invested in Paladin, but now that Paladin is dead, our only connection to the Harrisons is Hayley."
"By doing this, Milo is showing the outside world that Hayley is still a member of the Blackburn family, and the Harrison family will have to take that into consideration."
"Finally, let's talk about our losses. In fact, we haven't lost anything."
"Milo's reputation... everyone knows what he's like."
"His actions won't affect the public's perception of the Blackburns, but it will only reinforce their opinion of him."
"In fact, if we publicize this matter, it might even be beneficial for Milo."
"How could that be beneficial?" Joseph couldn't help but ask. "To strengthen everyone's impression of Milo as a spoiled brat who loves to cause trouble and doesn't follow the rules?"
Brian Rosco shook his head with a smile.
Old John said in a deep voice, "Joseph, let Brian continue."
Joseph shut his mouth, and John nodded, signaling for Brian to continue.
"If we really want to push Milo forward to take over Paladin's unfinished business, we can use this incident as a publicity stunt."
"We can use Craig as a contrast."
"On one hand, we have a young man who is impulsive but protects his brother's widow from being harassed."
"On the other hand, we have a man who harasses the widow of his former opponent, a despicable character..."
"Any normal person would know who to vote for, right?"
Joseph opened his mouth to say something but stopped.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Brian Rosco seemed to be right.
It was becoming increasingly clear that his youngest son, by throwing a drink on someone at a party and almost beating them up, had not only gotten away with it but might even have benefited from it.
"However, there is one flaw," Brian Rosco added. "The most important thing is Hayley. Her attitude is crucial."
"Brian is right," John agreed.
Joseph thought for a moment and quickly understood what Brian meant.
Because of this incident, Milo had essentially positioned himself as someone who was protecting Hayley from Craig's harassment. On this basis, there was nothing wrong with what he had done to Craig.
But if Hayley were to say that Craig hadn't harassed her, then it would be Milo and the Blackburn family who were in the wrong. Conversely, it could directly ruin Craig.
"Hayley..." Joseph pondered his daughter-in-law. "She had such a deep affection for Paladin. She should be on Milo's side, after all, he's her husband's youngest brother..."