Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 332 Storm Between Two Factions

At four o'clock in the morning, Thorsson's private secretary noticed something amiss during a routine check.

The mansion's gate was ajar, and the air was thick with the smells of blood and gunpowder.

He pushed open the door, stepped onto the first corpse, and cried out, "My God!"

In the garden, the bodies of two police dogs lay twisted, the second-floor corridor was stained with blood, Hoover lay in a pool of blood in the master bedroom, and the words "For JFK" on the wall were particularly conspicuous.

The secretary broke down: "Director... no, Hoover! Tolson will go crazy."

Just as Secretary Walker was about to look for the phone in the villa to contact Thorson, the phone disappeared.

The phone is missing.

Only traces of cables remain, indicating that the villa once had a telephone.

To elaborate further, in the current telephone system, telephone companies cannot keep call records. Telephone companies kept call records until the 70s.

However, phone calls may be recorded.

In other words, the phone was taken away by Dobrynin's men to avoid being discovered. Before Edgar Hoover died, all the calls were from the Soviet embassy.

Isn't this just asking for trouble?

Dobrynin seized the time lag between Hoover's death and his secretary Walker's discovery and took the phone with him.

Walker returned to his residence trembling, and only then did he get through to Tolson on the phone: "Sir, something terrible has happened! Hoover has been killed, and all the security personnel and police dogs are dead!"

The news spread like wildfire.

Thorsen immediately cordoned off the scene, but the truth could not be hidden forever.

At six o'clock in the morning, the first group of reporters, having heard the news, gathered outside M Street.

Bob Woodward, a senior reporter for The Washington Post, squeezed into the crowd, notebook in hand, his eyes squinting as he observed the chaos behind the police tape.

The environment was unusually noisy: sirens blared, FBI agents cordoned off the area with yellow tape, photographers' flashes went off incessantly, and onlookers chattered incessantly.

The entire M district woke up; Edgar Hoover was a very famous and important figure.

“This is karma!” shouted a Black protester. “Hoover killed King, now it’s his turn!”

The second group of reporters were all from television stations, and a series of broadcast vans drove to the scene in Block M.

Television broadcast vans first appeared in the 30s.

(A television broadcast van in Seattle Volunteer Park, 1960)

(The television broadcast van that broadcast the Rose Bowl Parade in 1955)

A New York Times reporter interviewed Tolson's spokesperson at the scene, who was visibly shocked and saddened: "Chief Tolson is deeply shocked and saddened. Mr. Hoover is a hero of our nation, and we will spare no effort to bring the killer to justice."

The reporters were clearly unconvinced, relentlessly pressing for answers: "Mr. Tolson, why were they all wiped out despite such tight security? Was it an internal leak? Was it really V who did it? And regarding the assassination of Professor King, is it true that Director Hoover orchestrated it?"

The spokesperson was unable to answer: "Under investigation, no comment!"

All the originally scheduled newspaper headlines have been urgently recalled. The editors were already in the office at five o'clock, on high alert, waiting for information from the front lines to rewrite the front-page headlines.

The Death of Edgar Hoover: Revenge or Conspiracy?

The Mystery in Scarlet: What Does For JFK Mean?

Who exactly is V?

The television screen repeatedly played photos from the scene: a blood-stained bedroom, a police dog lying on the ground, and Hoover's pale face.

Protesters chanted outside the mansion: "Justice has been served!"

Meanwhile, Thorson smashed a glass in his office, muttering, "V? Bullshit! It must be those black radicals."

I will find you and make you pay.

The whole country awaited the sunrise the next day; the spark had been lit, and it was just waiting to boil over.

This assassination was not just a murder, but an outburst of collective discontent.

Because from the death of Kennedy to the death of King, and then to the assassination of Professor and the assassination of Robert Kennedy, Hoover's shadow loomed behind every single one of these events.

These assassinations all cast doubt on Hoover's body.

The media coverage was like a storm.

The rocket launch was at nine in the morning. When Lin Ran met Lyndon Johnson at the restaurant, the man's eyes were red, and it was clear that he hadn't slept well all night.

"Good morning, Mr. President." Lin Ran sat down opposite Lyndon Johnson with a plate of bread and bacon.

Lyndon Johnson gestured for him to sit next to him, then pointed to the television: "Am I cursed?"

On the television screen was an old Victorian-style red brick house, now cordoned off with police tape, and surrounded by cameras, reporters, and police.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just received shocking news: former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover has been assassinated at his Washington residence."

The bodies of six security personnel and two police dogs were found at the scene, and Hoover himself was shot and killed.

Even more bizarrely, the words 'For JFK' were written in blood on the wall, signed 'V,' suggesting that this might be related to the assassination of President Kennedy.

Director Tolson has ordered a full investigation, but public opinion is in uproar.

Civil rights leaders called it a "just response," while conservatives accused it of being a conspiracy by the Commymen.

To be honest, it's really frustrating; Lyndon Johnson is completely at a loss.

“Damn V! Damn Hoover!” Lyndon Johnson’s voice was filled with barely concealed rage.

If Hoover had died four years ago, he would have been absolutely happy. Hoover's death would have meant a vacancy in the FBI, and he would no longer have to worry about him.

But now, Hoover is no longer in office, and he died in this way, in such a cruel way, taking all the FBI employees with him.

This has a truly terrible impact.

Hoover killed Kennedy, and Kennedy's supporters then came out to kill Hoover. What has become of America? Forget about the rule of law; there's no guarantee of safety in Washington. They finally entered the 1960s, and now they're back to the 19th century. Are you going to kill me and I'll kill you?

More importantly, it highlights his incompetence.

If his win rate was 10% before, it's now estimated to be only 5%.

Lin Ran whispered, "Could it have been the Soviets? Did they kill him to cover it up?"

Lyndon Johnson said, "It's possible, but what about the evidence? How do we find the evidence?"

Lin Ran didn't say anything more. He looked at Lyndon Johnson as if he were looking at a rat trapped in a bellows, caught between two sides.

Want to find V? Impossible, because he is V.

Lin Ran has been in Florida all along, how could he possibly fly to Washington, D.C. overnight?
The pistols they used were all from the Soviet embassy; even if you did ballistic analysis, you couldn't find his head.

And wouldn't the best scapegoat be the Soviet Union? Why not just mindlessly shift the blame onto the Soviet Union?

However, the current surge in anti-war sentiment is undeniable. Frankly, the public doesn't want trouble; they just want peace. Blaming the Soviet Union implies you don't want peace, and you won't win the votes of those who yearn for peace. Anti-war sentiment and assassination are at opposite ends of the spectrum, making it virtually impossible to resolve both simultaneously.

Lyndon Johnson is in a dilemma.

His speech, which called for peace and urged against violence in resolving problems, was followed by even greater violence, with everyone killed, including dogs.

How cruel and violent! Is this the killing of Hoover? This is a slap in the face to the White House and to Lyndon Johnson.

Lyndon Johnson is now thankful that he's at Cape Calanaville, not in the White House, and doesn't have to deal with those damn reporters.

Even though this is Lin Ran's home turf, at this time, the reporters will still keep pressing him.

The Burning-1 launch was as successful as expected, sending two GPS nuclear-powered satellites into their designated orbits before the first stage of the rocket successfully returned to its intended orbit.

Richard Witkin and John Wilford were both reporters for The New York Times who covered NASA. The former started covering space news in the 50s and became a full-time space editor in 1963, while the latter began covering space news full-time in 1965.

Richard, a veteran journalist in the aerospace field, remarked as he watched the rocket return to Earth, "No matter how many times I watch it, this scene still excites me."

John Wilford said, "Isn't this the second time I've seen it? Only twice, the novelty must still be there."

Richard shook his head: "No, even if I see it for the two hundredth time, I should feel the same way. It represents the most advanced technology in humankind, turning the impossible into the possible."

You might not know this, but back in the 50s, before NASA existed, the Air Force and Navy were saying they wanted to make reusable rockets, but the scientists all said it was impossible.

The professor turned the impossible into the possible.

John Wilford said, "Yes, so no matter who the president is, as long as the professor is in the White House, our advantage in the aerospace field will last forever."

What is reputation? This is reputation.

Richard laughed and said, "It seems you also think President Johnson has no chance of being elected."

Wilford asked, "Elected? How can he be elected? So many people have died this year, all of them named individuals, and he hasn't produced a single survey result that the public can accept. It's no wonder he can't be elected."

At the press conference, the questions did not focus on GPS nuclear-powered satellites and the Star Wars program; instead, everyone was asking about the explosive news from early this morning: the assassination of Hoover.

"Mr. President, what are the findings of the White House investigation into the Hoover assassination?"

"We have now entrusted Director Tolson with a full investigation, and the Bureau of Investigation will hold a press conference as soon as there is progress in the investigation."

"Does the series of assassinations demonstrate the deep divisions within American society? Five years have passed since V appeared, and the White House still knows nothing about him. Does this indicate the White House's incompetence?"

"The White House already has information about V's true identity, and I believe we will catch him soon."

Lyndon Johnson's words made Lin Ran think, "No way, you could guess that I'm V?"

"Mr. President, some people believe that Hoover's death was related to the Soviet Union and Commy. Director Tolson hinted at this in a public interview. Will this affect the temporary ceasefire agreement in Vietnam? Will it cause the Vietnam War to resume?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't received any information on this yet, and I don't know if it's related to the Soviet Union, so I can't give you an accurate answer."

Lyndon Johnson thought to himself, "This is supposed to be a happy occasion. I managed to draw the reporters' attention away from the professor and onto myself. But this time, the reporters didn't ask the professor a single question. All the questions were focused on me. Why am I being questioned so awkwardly?" His weariness deepened.

Lin Ran was happy with this arrangement; it was quite rare for the launch site at Cape Canaveral to not be the center of news.

None of the reporters present knew that this launch was far more important than Hoover's.

Hoover's death was merely a minor episode in history, its ripples fleeting, but the foundation of Starlink was a truly momentous event, its changes sweeping across every corner of the world like a tsunami.

To use Lin Ran's preferred description, this is called igniting the whole world.

Lin Ran certainly loathed Hoover. He had hated the old white man ever since he was first scrutinized by Hoover's eyes in Washington. But if Hoover were still in the FBI, he felt he could let him live, live in the shadow of Moscow.

Now that he has lost his power and can no longer cause trouble, Lin Ran thinks it's best to send him on his way. This old man has lived long enough; physical elimination is the most appropriate method.

As for where Lin Ran learned his marksmanship, Redstone Base was formerly a US military base, so playing with guns here is just for leisure and entertainment.

Upon returning to Washington, D.C. from Florida, the memory of Hoover's death lingered around Lyndon Johnson for a long time.

In the press briefing room of the East Room of the White House, Pierre Salinger, Lyndon Johnson's new press secretary, was ashen-faced. He finally understood why his predecessor, Joe Christian, had quit.

Let whoever wants to do this job do it.

The hall was packed with hundreds of reporters, their flashes going off like machine guns, and the scratching of pens on notebooks was crystal clear.

The nation was in an uproar, with civil rights protesters chanting slogans outside the White House, while journalists, like hyenas, prepared to tear apart the corpse of the doomed president.

Some conservative newspapers are now calling the Republican Party candidate race a real presidential election, arguing that whoever wins, Nixon or Fred, will defeat Lyndon Johnson without firing a shot.

Salinger said, "Ladies and gentlemen, President Johnson is deeply shocked and saddened by the assassination of Mr. Hoover."

We have mobilized all resources to investigate this case, including the team of FBI Director Tolson.

Initial indications suggest this was an isolated act of revenge, possibly linked to civil rights extremists.

We promise to apprehend the perpetrator as soon as possible.

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in chaos.

“Secretary, Hoover’s security was arranged by Tolson. Why was such a tight security line so easily breached? Isn’t this a sign of the President’s incompetence? There are even assassins infiltrated into the Professor’s security team. Our country is in such chaos. Shouldn’t President Johnson be held responsible for this?”

He forced a smile: "Sir, now is not the time for accusations; we should focus on the facts themselves."

Mr. Hoover's contributions are undeniable, and his death is a loss to the nation.

Avoiding the question is a common tactic used by spokespeople. You ask A, I answer B; whether you get the answer you want is none of my business.

The reporters were clearly not buying it.

“Secretary! The words ‘For JFK’ and ‘V’ left at the scene clearly point to a conspiracy related to the Kennedy assassination.”

After President Johnson took office, he turned a blind eye to Hoover's investigation.

Now that Hoover is dead, his security detail is completely wiped out—six elite FBI agents and two police dogs! Isn't this a result of the president's incompetence, leading to laxity within the FBI? The flames of the civil rights movement should have been extinguished long ago, but Johnson's appeasement policy has allowed them to spread to Hoover. The identity of V remains unanswered, fueling widespread public controversy!

Whispers of agreement rose in the hall.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the President will make a statement at the appropriate time."

Now, please allow me to conclude the press conference; we have work to do.

Reporters swarmed around, bombarding the country with questions like artillery shells from America's troops on the front lines of the Vietnam War.

When will Johnson's incompetence end?

"Is this the beginning of a new phase of the civil rights movement?"

Salinger hurriedly left the stage, followed by a barrage of flashes from cameras.

In the White House corridor, he leaned against the wall and muttered to himself, "God help us, this storm will engulf us all."

Outside on the lawn, protesters chanted: "Johnson out! Justice has awakened!"

Hoover's death was no longer a simple murder; it had ignited a political powder keg, and the entire nation teetered on the brink of collapse amid accusations of incompetence—or more accurately, the White House under Lyndon Johnson.

Meanwhile, at the Leipzig Autumn Trade Fair, the Chinese version of System 360 will also unleash a storm on the entire socialist camp, from Moscow, Poland, and East Berlin to Kyiv and Budapest, and this storm will not easily subside.

(End of this chapter)