Chapter 8 – The Quiet Architecture of Power
Chapter 8 – The Quiet Architecture of Power
A Memoir. By Brittini Flatley/AI (for fast fact-checking purposes)
Editor's Note: This memoir contains personal reflections, investigative research, and opinions based on public documents and firsthand experience. It is offered as constitutionally protected speech in the interest of public understanding and accountability.
Editor's Note: This memoir contains personal reflections, investigative research, and opinions based on public documents and firsthand experience. It is offered as constitutionally protected speech in the interest of public understanding and accountability.
Author's Note: This series is a protected work of memoir and opinion, based on personal lived experience, investigatory research, and interpretation of public events. All allegations remain allegations unless proven in a court of law. This publication is offered under constitutionally protected freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and journalistic activity as recognized by U.S. and international law.
Legal Notice and Protection of Sources
This publication is protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and similar free speech provisions in democratic nations worldwide. All statements herein constitute either:
1. Documented Facts: Supported by public records, court filings, or verified news reports
2. Personal Opinion: Identified as my interpretation of events
3. Unsubstantiated Allegations: Explicitly labeled as such, with the understanding that all individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
This work is protected under press-freedom statutes, constitutional guarantees, and international human-rights law. No court, tribunal, or administrative body has lawful authority to restrict, censor, or suppress constitutionally or internationally protected speech contained herein, except through lawful, content-neutral, and narrowly tailored restrictions demonstrably necessary to serve a compelling public interest.
Truth is an absolute bar to defamation. Opinion is protected speech. Allegations clearly identified as unproven are protected commentary on matters of public interest. This memoir meets all legal standards for protected journalistic expression.
Regarding individuals named herein: All individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Facts presented are drawn from court records, government reports, or credible news outlets. Where I speak from personal experience, it is based on direct, firsthand observation. These statements are offered as constitutionally protected opinion.
John 1:5 (KJV) “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
Rooms, Roles, and the Quiet Work
Throughout my childhood, I was placed in places most people never see. Even as a kid, I knew these spaces weren’t ordinary rooms but the hallowed “smoke-filled rooms” of political lore. I remember attending dinners where aldermen, mayors, CEOs, councilmen, governors, Presidents, chairmen, pastors, and diplomats in sharp suits quietly debated which contracts to approve next. The phrase “smoke-filled room” – famously coined at the 1920 Republican convention in Chicago – was real to me: powerful men around mahogany tables, cigar ash on the carpet, plotting and assessing candidates and favors. Those rooms taught me the rules of the political and religious game early on.
To this day, most people still don’t grasp how deeply intertwined religion and politics truly are. I’ll give the CIA credit where it’s due: they understand that the public can be steered away from uncomfortable truths simply by inserting certain trigger words— “theory,” “allegedly,” “conspiracy.” Those labels work like blindfolds.
My prayer for the public has remained the same for decades:
‘God, reveal truth today to each person in the way they can understand it. Remove fear. Give every one of Your living human creations the courage to accept what is.’
By the time I was a teenager, I could list off every title that mattered: Presidential nominee, governor, mayor, alderman, ward committeeman, campaign treasurer, developer-backed labor boss, etc. But it wasn’t just government offices; I saw the power in ostensibly civic roles as well. The very wealthiest families lock in their influence through boards and foundations.
For example, the Surdna Foundation – created by John Emory Andrus in 1917 – still has a 12-member board controlled by his descendants a century later, quietly shaping environmental and economic policy. More than 90,000 private foundations in the U.S. (with over $800 billion in assets) are half family-controlled.
Sitting on the trustee list of a foundation or charity is a major role in this architecture of power. As one analyst put it, controlling family philanthropic wealth brings “social status” and access: “people seek you out and pay attention to what you think. You’re asked to sit on boards and attend elite events…such status and access is a very real currency of power”.
In Chicago, I saw this in action. The Daleys’ and their allies have long loomed on nonprofit boards, museums, labor unions, and secret task forces – chairs and vice-chairs all – so that their fingerprints stayed hidden in plain sight.
What looks like civic duty is often just a front: a “philanthropic facade” masking the same old patronage network.
C. Wright Mills noted that elite power is essentially hereditary: Ivy League degrees and exclusive clubs mostly serve to reinforce family privilege, so that “the mantle of the elite is generally passed down along familial lines over the generations”. In the world I grew up in, you didn’t need to inherit company stock – you inherited the appointment to a symphony board or university council. Those roles taught me loyalty and discretion, the unspoken curriculum of the 0.01%.
But the true engine of this system was in its quiet work.
Beyond our borders, Chicago’s insiders tapped global networks of money and influence. I only caught hints as a kid – a whisper of Vatican connections or offshore deals –, but the reality was stark.
My own city’s dynasty had blood ties to the Vatican Bank: Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, a Chicagoan, ran the Vatican’s Institute for the Works of Religion from 1971–89. Under his watch, a billion dollars vanished from Italy’s Banco Ambrosiano amid scandal, as mentioned in previous chapters, with investigators uncovering money-laundering links to the Italian Mafia.
In other words, Chicago’s circle quietly funneled clout all the way into religious and crime syndicate networks abroad. These were the “invisible hands” behind supposedly democratic institutions.
This is how I was groomed. In those power rooms, I was exposed to every role and ritual – from state legislature offices to charity galas – in the architecture of proximity built by the 0.01%.
I was handed my part of the stage, taught the choreography. And I learned too late that those who held every right title and sat in every seat of honor often wielded their influence in ways the public never saw.
But I saw it. The rooms, the roles, the quiet work – it was all meant to prepare the next generation of insiders, to pass on “the mantle” as Mills warned.
Many old friends and peers cannot understand why I chose to step out of that design. What many of them do not realize is that you may step out of that design for a moment, but the effect, handlers, and grooming will always stay with you.
Now I share another chapter of my memoir, so you can see how the heirlooms of Chicago power are really bequeathed: through selective spaces, ceremonial titles, and backchannel dealings, generation after generation.
The Architecture of Proximity
In politics, power often comes wrapped in personal loyalty. Over decades, rare individuals are carefully positioned not on the ballot but alongside those who rule. These confidants – strategists, whisperers, buffers, moral compasses, and fixers – form complementary dyads with powerful leaders. A complementary dyad refers to two people whose skills and personalities balance each other (like a lead violin and second violin in an orchestra) so the pair achieves more together than either could alone[1]. In each dyad, one person is the visible figurehead (the leader, heir, or oligarch) and the other is the invisible partner guiding policy, personnel, or public perception. History is studded with such pairs – from Otto von Bismarck, who “truly was the real power behind the German throne,” to the unheralded aides of modern presidents[2][3].
These shadow advisors – sometimes called “shadow strategists” – are often groomed from youth. In fact, one analyst has likened this process to a kind of “managed predestination,” a deliberate cultivation of individuals who can be counted on to rule” on behalf of the elite[4]. In Chicago, we can look to individuals like Alexi Giannoulias and others who fit this narrative. I will explain why in the next few chapters.
Put bluntly, the 0.01%, the transnational class of dynastic families, influence networks, and government operatives, arrange and polish these pairings as part of a deeper design. The goal is to ensure that when an heir or rising star steps into a top role, a trusted complementary partner is already in place. Political scientists note that social dyads (in small groups) complement each other by passing on culture and specialized knowledge[5] – and savvy powerbrokers apply this in politics.
The modern label “Éminence grise” captures the idea: unofficial advisers wielding disproportionate influence. In 2015, one profile of President Obama’s adviser Valerie Jarrett described her as “the power behind the throne in the White House,” a “quiet éminence grise” whose reach extended into nearly every White House issue[6]. Jarrett – long steeped in Chicago’s Daley-machine politics and law – exemplifies a shadow strategist groomed for proximity. In 1991 she hired the young Michelle Robinson to work in City Hall; that fateful introduction brought Barack Obama and Michelle together and plugged the couple into Chicago’s patronage networks[7]. Jarrett’s complementary role to Obama was clear: where he was an inspiring orator, she was the seasoned insider who literally paved his path, co-chairing his transition and later sitting at every Oval Office meeting[8][9]. Jarrett’s children attended the same deeply rooted Catholic institution I referenced earlier; her daughter was one grade behind me.
Jarrett’s example illustrates complementary dyads in action. The leader (Obama) provided vision and charisma, the partner (Jarrett) provided institutional savvy, stability, and a moral touchstone. Jarrett even counseled Obama on crises, urging him to soften remarks that might offend police after the 2009 Harvard professor incident, and effectively acted as a human “decoder ring” for the president’s own instincts[10][6]. In political psychology terms, she was at once a strategic adviser and a kind of moral compass for Obama. (By analogy, when a first lady or confidante is called a person’s “moral compass,” the reference is to guiding the leader’s sense of right and wrong[11][3].) As one aide put it of Obama’s circle, the president was “stuck in a little world peopled only by Valerie Jarrett and his wife,” highlighting how thoroughly this dyad shaped decisions[6][12].
Similar pairs have arisen repeatedly. During Lyndon Johnson’s presidency, Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson quietly became LBJ’s most trusted adviser and “moral compass,” calming his mood swings and holding the administration together[3]. Johnson needed a voice of reason, and his wife delivered, urging civil rights action after witnessing Southern segregation firsthand, for example. Historians note that Lady Bird was LBJ’s “closest adviser,” someone the president “sought and took counsel [from]… more than any other”[3].
In practice, she often functioned as a buffer, smoothing over infighting, advising on political appointments, even urging him privately when a policy might backfire. After the assassination of JFK, she immediately took charge of scheduling and media, ensuring her husband remained visible and decisive. Her behind-the-scenes influence was real but rarely made headlines, classic for a hidden ally.
By contrast, Nancy Reagan showed that a leader’s spouse can also fit this dyad mold. Reagan valued Nancy as his closest confidante and personnel gatekeeper[13]. When Ronald Reagan governed California and then the nation, Nancy acted as an editor of his world, “making sure he had the right people around him”[13]. One aide said Nancy was effectively “the personnel director of every Reagan operation”[13]. She famously used astrology to manage the president’s schedule and engineered the ouster of his hard-line chief of staff to replace him with moderates (rolling heads and hiring Nixon alumni), all while publicly championing anti-drug campaigns. Though often caricatured as his “Dragon Lady,” Nancy was at heart a regulatory partner: she regulated who had access to Reagan and kept him steadier than he might have been alone. In short, Ronald Reagan “could never have become president without Nancy,” according to biographers[14]. In the dyad of Reagan and Nancy, he brought optimism and vision; she brought caution, style, and connection to elite society.
Even in recent years, these partnerships quietly persist. Hillary Clinton’s long-time aide Huma Abedin began as a 19-year-old intern and grew into Hillary’s “shadow” and constant companion[15]. Journalists note that Hillary and Huma spent more time together than Hillary did with her husband[16], and that anyone “who wants to curry favor with Hillary has to go through Abedin”[17]. One colleague likened Abedin to Radar O’Reilly on MASH: anticipating Hillary’s needs and “always thinking three steps ahead”[18]. In the theater of the 2016 campaign, Abedin even stepped onto the stage as a proxy for Hillary at high-end fundraisers, reinforcing how essential she was to the operation. Abedin’s role spanned confessor, fixer, and counselor. She managed the mundane (scheduling every call and detail) and the strategic (advising on policy speech edits). In short, Abedin was the moral compass and strategist at Hillary’s side. Her influence was such that Republicans seized on her presence as if she were the power behind Hillary’s presidency – a perception born of their deeply intertwined partnership[15][18]. Abedin is now married to 40-year-old Alexander Soros. Alexander Soros was, at one point, associated with individuals including my former mentor, Brian F. Hynes, Joakim Noah, and others. The Soros family has long been involved in Mark Sanor’s 361 Firm real estate conferences—an organization I was personally invited to join by its CEO, Sanor.
Perhaps the most controversial modern case is that of Donald Trump’s own family. Donald Trump famously flouted norms by installing his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner at the very center of power – Jared as senior White House adviser, Ivanka as an ex officio adviser and de facto liaison with his business interests[19]. Their appointment prompted charges of nepotism, but from the perspective of elite dynamics, it was unsurprising: the most insulated power centers use family ties to ensure loyalty. Whatever one thinks of it, Trump’s team recognized that Jared and Ivanka formed an unbreakable dyad with him. They had been with him through the campaign and transition, and their roles underscored the point that in dynastic politics the family truly moves as a unit[19]. (One adviser even described Jared as the “son-in-law behind the throne”[19].) In Ivy League style and polished wealth, Ivanka and Jared parlayed lifelong privilege into proximity to the White House. Their example is a blunt reminder that the architecture of proximity isn’t just caste and cabal, it’s also the grooming of insiders from birth.
It’s no accident these dyads appear. Elites deliberately groom protégés by design. As journalist Robert Scheer has observed, Americans are often “studiously ignorant” of how “the grooming of the elite” creates future rulers[20]. In fact, an analysis of U.S. presidential lineages identified two types of politicians: the “self-made” figure, and the “predestined”, those born into wealth or connections and raised for power[21]. The latter group (including FDR, Kennedy, both Bushes, and possibly the Clintons) emerges from families that treat leadership as a family business. In these dynasties, membership in the 0.01% comes with a carefully cultivated curriculum: elite schools, influential internships, mentoring by powerbrokers, all designed to channel ambition into approved channels. One commentator wryly defined grooming as “managed predestination” for future rulers[4]. Indeed, the American elite produces new dynasties around business or politics, the Kennedys, the Bushes, the Clintons, even the Obamas, and within each family culture, the notion of dynasty is nurtured as sacred[22][23]. As these families “spontaneously identify with each other as a family,” their interests converge, and they share protégés[23]. Organizations like legacy charities, corporate foundations, or even civic youth programs become pipelines and serve to identify loyal talent early. Internationally, forums like the Bilderberg meetings or elite summer institutes do much the same on a global scale.
Chicago, for my part, was one such grooming ground. As I’ve written before, the Daley machine and Church charities sifted children through a maze of favors and loyalty tests[24]. In elementary school, I watched the machine at work: Daley-run youth programs and Catholic auxiliaries quietly “identified loyal talent” with secret scholarships and invites[24]. The rules were never spoken aloud, but they were clear: call in your debts, smile for the cameras, and learn who calls the shots. My own family, caught in the orbit of the Church and city politics, felt that conditioning. On weekends, I followed my grandmother, insiders call “nana”, to parish bazaars and Catholic Charities drives like Misericordia; even then, I sensed the undercurrent that every dance recital or volunteer day had stakes. Those experiences, I realize now, were early schooling in the politics of proximity. As a child, I was conditioned, groomed to operate inside a network that rewards loyalty and masks control as community care[25]. My mentors taught me to question nothing and give thanks, echoing an old Chicago credo. These seedings mirror exactly the architectures behind famous pairings: discrete favors, nuns and bosses as gatekeepers, all conspiring to shape an identity fit to stand at the elbow of power. Indeed, in the Machine’s closed loop, success meant becoming one of the “privileged,” rising through patronage, and then repaying that debt by keeping the cycle alive through your children[24]. A price I deemed too heavy to pay.
Through this memoir lens, I see a through-line: my life, Jarrett’s path, and history’s great whisperers all wound together by design. Each dyad operates on trust and silence. A strategist trained from youth need not ever admit the true breadth of their influence, as long as the leader does. But for democracy, these hidden foundations shape policy and character with scant public scrutiny. Understanding terms like complementary dyads, shadow strategist, regulatory partner, executive proximity asset, strategic presence operator (SPO), soft power controller, high-value social regulator, sensory-field negotiator, and external anchor helps name what is otherwise invisible: the architecture underlying real power. This also helps answer the question many of you have asked: why me, and how a target is made.
The 0.01% count on this architecture to endure. They move pawns and people so that when a new frontman rises, a hand-picked partner is already in place beside him. My personal story is one small tile in that mosaic, part memoir, part cautionary tale. In the end, every Barack Obama or Donald Trump casts an enormous shadow. But as history and my own experience show, that shadow rarely falls far from the guiding hand.
John 8:32 (KJV) “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Sources: Historical and contemporary examples are documented by journalists and historians[2][6][3][13][18][19][26][24][25], with key terms defined in social science and popular discourse[5][11]. Each pairing above is drawn from biographies and reportage to illustrate the guarded corridors of power.
[1] Leadership dyads: Playing to your strengths - IMD business school for management and leadership courses
https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/leadership/articles/leadership-dyads-playing-to-your-strengths/
[2] 17 Notable Figures Who Really Wielded the Power in the Shadow of those They Were Sworn to Serve - History Collection
https://historycollection.com/17-notable-figures-who-really-wielded-the-power-in-the-shadow-of-those-they-were-sworn-to-serve/
[3] Lady Bird Johnson Wielded Power With a Delicate Touch | What It Means to Be American
https://whatitmeanstobeamerican.org/identities/lady-bird-johnson-wielded-power-with-a-delicate-touch/
[4] [20] [21] [22] [23] [26] George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
[5] akmepsy.sgu.ru
https://akmepsy.sgu.ru/system/files_force/text-pdf/en/2022/07/akmeologiya_2022_2-120-132.pdf
[6] [7] [8] Valerie Jarrett: The Power of Whispers | CFI.co
https://cfi.co/northamerica/2015/02/valerie-jarrett-the-power-of-whispers/
[9] [10] [12] Valerie Jarrett, The Obama Whisperer | The New Republic
https://newrepublic.com/article/120170/valerie-jarrett-obama-whisperer
[11] MORAL COMPASS Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral%20compass
[13] [14] The real Nancy Reagan was the epitome of American pride and influence | Ronald Reagan | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/06/nancy-reagan-legacy-bob-colacello-ronald-reagan
[15] [16] [17] [18] Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem | Vanity Fair
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/01/huma-abedin-hillary-clinton-adviser?srsltid=AfmBOoqS0hFnkz9nqIXNa8eV0qcgHiPwFdvpdevJ_GXF10SGOOnCwtCh
[19] Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump: new role as DC power couple raises alarm | Trump administration | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/10/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-nepotism-conflicts-of-interest
[24] [25] Chicago’s Corruption Dynasty: All Roads Lead to Rome | by Brittini Flatley | Apr, 2025 | Medium
https://medium.com/@brittiniflatley/chicagos-corruption-dynasty-all-roads-lead-to-rome-2bfc05aa696a
Citations
Leadership dyads: Playing to your strengths - IMD business school for management and leadership courses
https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/leadership/articles/leadership-dyads-playing-to-your-strengths/
17 Notable Figures Who Really Wielded the Power in the Shadow of those They Were Sworn to Serve - History Collection
https://historycollection.com/17-notable-figures-who-really-wielded-the-power-in-the-shadow-of-those-they-were-sworn-to-serve/
Lady Bird Johnson Wielded Power With a Delicate Touch | What It Means to Be American
https://whatitmeanstobeamerican.org/identities/lady-bird-johnson-wielded-power-with-a-delicate-touch/
George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
https://akmepsy.sgu.ru/system/files_force/text-pdf/en/2022/07/akmeologiya_2022_2-120-132.pdf
Valerie Jarrett: The Power of Whispers | CFI.co
https://cfi.co/northamerica/2015/02/valerie-jarrett-the-power-of-whispers/
Valerie Jarrett: The Power of Whispers | CFI.co
https://cfi.co/northamerica/2015/02/valerie-jarrett-the-power-of-whispers/
Valerie Jarrett: The Power of Whispers | CFI.co
https://cfi.co/northamerica/2015/02/valerie-jarrett-the-power-of-whispers/
Valerie Jarrett, The Obama Whisperer | The New Republic
https://newrepublic.com/article/120170/valerie-jarrett-obama-whisperer
Valerie Jarrett, The Obama Whisperer | The New Republic
https://newrepublic.com/article/120170/valerie-jarrett-obama-whisperer
MORAL COMPASS Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral%20compass
Valerie Jarrett, The Obama Whisperer | The New Republic
https://newrepublic.com/article/120170/valerie-jarrett-obama-whisperer
The real Nancy Reagan was the epitome of American pride and influence | Ronald Reagan | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/06/nancy-reagan-legacy-bob-colacello-ronald-reagan
The real Nancy Reagan was the epitome of American pride and influence | Ronald Reagan | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/06/nancy-reagan-legacy-bob-colacello-ronald-reagan
Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem | Vanity Fair
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/01/huma-abedin-hillary-clinton-adviser?srsltid=AfmBOoqS0hFnkz9nqIXNa8eV0qcgHiPwFdvpdevJ_GXF10SGOOnCwtCh
Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem | Vanity Fair
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/01/huma-abedin-hillary-clinton-adviser?srsltid=AfmBOoqS0hFnkz9nqIXNa8eV0qcgHiPwFdvpdevJ_GXF10SGOOnCwtCh
Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem | Vanity Fair
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/01/huma-abedin-hillary-clinton-adviser?srsltid=AfmBOoqS0hFnkz9nqIXNa8eV0qcgHiPwFdvpdevJ_GXF10SGOOnCwtCh
Is Huma Abedin Hillary Clinton’s Secret Weapon or Her Next Big Problem | Vanity Fair
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/01/huma-abedin-hillary-clinton-adviser?srsltid=AfmBOoqS0hFnkz9nqIXNa8eV0qcgHiPwFdvpdevJ_GXF10SGOOnCwtCh
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump: new role as DC power couple raises alarm | Trump administration | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/10/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-nepotism-conflicts-of-interest
George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
Chicago’s Corruption Dynasty: All Roads Lead to Rome | by Brittini Flatley | Apr, 2025 | Medium
https://medium.com/@brittiniflatley/chicagos-corruption-dynasty-all-roads-lead-to-rome-2bfc05aa696a
Chicago’s Corruption Dynasty: All Roads Lead to Rome | by Brittini Flatley | Apr, 2025 | Medium
https://medium.com/@brittiniflatley/chicagos-corruption-dynasty-all-roads-lead-to-rome-2bfc05aa696a
George H.W. Bush: How Politicians Are Groomed
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/george-h-w-bush-died-american-politics-george-bush-world-news-headlines-23290/
All Sources
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whatitme...eamerican
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merriam-webster
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