North American riot police: Start by arresting P. Diddy!

Chapter 190 And I—am that thug!!! (Seeking monthly votes)

At this moment, all the audience members understood:
Rorschach never intended to let these insurance company directors live!
Whether it's the "gutted steel frame," the "jaw-splitting device," or the "mechanical twisting device" before us, they all seem to offer a way out, but in reality, they are all dead ends.

Because the key is always hidden in the cruelest way, and by the time it is found, it is too late.

Bill closed his eyes in pain.

Rorschach first pushed them into the abyss of despair, then gave them a illusory lifeline, but when they desperately grasped it, they found that what awaited them was still even deeper despair.

"That damned demon!"

Looking at the former mayor's corpse, Bill's anger was gradually replaced by despair.

He now only hopes that the police can find the hostage warehouse as soon as possible, defused the building bomb, and end this nightmare.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention—"

Rorschach's voice rang out again:
"These exquisite instruments of torture were all made by my old friend Clyde."

"Perhaps you've forgotten who he is. Just a reminder: do you remember the bombing of the New York City Department of Justice a month ago?"

Upon hearing this, not only the citizens watching television, but also Bill and Ronion in the studio exchanged a shocked glance.

"Yes, that's right. My brother is a 'law-abiding citizen' who was harmed by the damned New York District Attorney and fought against the judicial system alone to seek justice for his deceased wife and daughter."

"Of course, I also provided a little bit of help in the process."

"After I told Clyde about what these unscrupulous capitalists had done, he was so angry that he worked through the night to manufacture these instruments of torture."

"As you can see, it is a masterpiece in terms of both craftsmanship and cruelty."

Rorschach spoke as if he were introducing his friend to everyone, his tone full of pride and arrogance.

But to everyone present, these words sounded like Clyde was an even more brutal terrorist than Rorschach.

After all, a normal person's brain couldn't come up with so many bizarre and horrifying torture devices.

"Alright, let's continue with the next trial. And this is..."

Inside the Oval Office.

The Black president is receiving meticulous management from his image team.

Each president's staff consists of elites from various industries, including professional costume designers and stylists.

This time, facing a live confrontation with terrorists in front of a nationwide audience, the president, who is always very image-conscious, was even more meticulous.

He stared intently at the bloody images on the television, repeatedly reciting his prepared speech, anxiously awaiting news from the FBI.

Behind him, Underwood was still standing by the window, smoking.

Only his wife Claire knew that only when he was emotionally turbulent would he, who never smoked in public, smoke one cigarette after another to calm himself down, just like a seasoned smoker.

Unlike the president, Underwood never looked at the television screen again after deciding to connect with the terrorists.

Soon, a phone call went directly to the office.

The president quickly grabbed the microphone, and Robert's excited voice came through the receiver.

"Very well, I only have one request: this operation must be swift!"

He spoke into the microphone and ordered, "Be ready for my message at any time. As soon as you receive the order, rush in and rescue all the hostages! And Rorschach too."

The president narrowed his eyes and asked in a cold voice, "What weapons did you bring?"

A few seconds later, after listening to Robert's confident report, the president nodded with satisfaction: "Can I trust you, Robert? I can guarantee you right here. If you can capture Rorschach, I will not only award you a medal, but also promote you to the Department of Defense."

"."

On the other end of the phone.

Robert, who was holding his phone, didn't know what to say for a moment.

He was perfectly capable of being the FBI's local tyrant, but he must be out of his mind to go to the Department of Defense, which is practically the Pentagon's private domain.

"Yes, I understand. Don't worry, Your Excellency."

After hanging up the phone, Robert raised his hand and gestured tactically around the area, pointing directly to the warehouse at the edge of the dock.

In an instant, dozens of drones took off, closely monitoring every entrance and exit of the warehouse.

Teams of fully armed FBI agents, wearing bulletproof vests, spread out in tactical formations, completely surrounding the warehouse.

Heavy weapons are being rapidly unloaded from the armored vehicle:
Handheld rocket launchers, surface-to-air missiles, Browning M2 heavy machine guns, and Gatling rapid-fire machine guns!

"I'll see how you dodge this artillery fire!"

Robert crossed his arms and confidently stared at the warehouse a hundred meters away.

He could arrest this terrorist who has wreaked havoc on North America with just a single order from the White House.

He couldn't help but smile as he recalled the glorious scene of receiving the medal.

Sorry Jack, but who told you to be so slow? I'll gladly accept the highest bounty ever on a terrorist!
"Chief, isn't our primary mission to rescue the hostages?" one of his subordinates asked, frowning as he looked at the team member carrying the rocket launcher.

"Save my ass! Didn't you watch the live stream? Those bloodsucking parasites deserved to die!"

Robert waved his hand with a thuggish air, "Remember, when you capture a target like Rorschach, the death of a few tycoons is nothing! Consider it necessary combat losses!"

"Yes, Sir."

Meanwhile, in the Oval Office.

The president finally straightened his tie, struck his most authoritative pose behind his desk, and nodded to the camera.

Inside the studio.

Rorschach continues to showcase new torture devices while revealing crimes committed by those on trial, such as embezzlement, bribery, and stock price manipulation.

The reason I only picked a few items is because the list is so long it's suffocating.

"Alright, let's begin his trial now. I'm sure the folks watching on TV are already itching to get started."

Suddenly, the host, Ronion, who had been silent all along, interrupted Rorschach.

“Mr. Bubba, we have just received a connection request from the White House. The president is online. We hope you can suspend your current actions.”

He read the teleprompter quickly, word by word.

The atmosphere in the studio changed instantly.

Apart from the director, who already knew, all the staff and Bill looked shocked.

Bill, in particular, immediately straightened his cuffs and sat up straight.

American viewers held their breath, afraid of missing a single moment.

After a moment of silence, Luo Xia's soft laughter echoed in the studio.

Barack Hussein Obama (President's name)

"Of course, I've wanted to have a good talk with the first black president in history for a long time."

Rorschach lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and calmly gazed through the wisps of smoke at the man appearing on the large screen behind the host.

The president who sat next to the Stars and Stripes, claiming to be the leader of the free world.

"To all the American citizens watching this live stream, I must first apologize to you."

On the screen, the president appeared solemn.

He deliberately avoided mentioning Rorschach and lynching, getting straight to the point:
"Due to corruption within certain bureaucratic systems and loopholes in commercial insurance, our firefighting heroes have been plunged into a predicament of bloodshed and tears. I know that many widows of firefighters are watching this live broadcast right now, and I sincerely apologize to you!"

After speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply to the camera.

His posture was more humble than ever before, his face filled with sorrow and guilt.

At this moment, all the viewers watching the live stream had extremely complex expressions.

They both hated the greed and shamelessness of unscrupulous capitalists and were very pleased with the president's humility.

Ten seconds later, the president slowly straightened up, facing the national audience with a sincere expression:

“I have urged the council to draft a special compensation plan for all firefighters involved in the 9/11 rescue. The compensation owed by New York City Hall and unscrupulous corporations will be paid in full as soon as possible. The Department of Justice is developing a compensation plan, and we will repay double the amount owed to the families of heroes over the past decade.”

Brooklyn, at Steve's home.

The widows of the firefighters watching the live broadcast embraced each other and wept as they heard the president's promise, their hands trembling as they wiped away their tears.

However, in stark contrast to these women, Steve showed no sign of joy.

He gripped his thighs tightly with both hands, staring at the president's hypocritical face on the screen, his eyes filled with disgust.

He doesn't believe these politicians are unaware of the tragic fate of the 9/11 firefighters.

Rumors of this had circulated among the public for some time, but no one paid any attention. It wasn't until Rorschach revealed the truth in the bloodiest way that the president hypocritically came out to put on a show.

“Those capitalists deserve to die, and you hypocritical politicians deserve to die too!” Steve gritted his teeth. At the same time, he began to worry about Rorschach’s safety.

Since the president personally contacted him, is Rorschach in danger?
On television, the president continued to promise compensation for firefighters and frequently mentioned the healthcare bill, claiming that it was under review in Congress and that once passed, it would provide universal healthcare and prevent the tragedy of firefighters being unable to afford treatment from happening again.

“Pah, pah. Pah.”

The president's speech was interrupted by sudden applause in the studio.

Rorschach asked slowly, “Mr. President, your promises are very moving. But I want to ask: Your so-called healthcare reform will inevitably involve cooperation with insurance companies. How can you guarantee that there won't be any parasites like UnitedHealth Group?”

Many viewers fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

Indeed, “universal health insurance” sounds wonderful, but its implementation inevitably depends on insurance companies.

Through Rorschach's trial, the public has seen the true colors of these companies. How can they still trust the cooperation between the government and insurance companies?

"Rorschach Butcher."

The president's face remained impassive. He did not answer the question, but instead said, "Rorschach. Or should I call you 'The Judge'? No, let me tell you your real name—Coward."

“Any citizen of this country has the right to question, challenge, and criticize me, but you don’t!”

"You hide behind the camera, brandishing bombs and torture instruments, calling yourself the embodiment of justice. But let me show you what true justice is!"

"Justice will not hold civilians hostage in the dead of night, will not execute suspects through lynching, and will certainly not threaten innocent people in a building with bombs!"

He lightly slammed his fist on the table, his voice suddenly rising in volume.

"You keep talking about fighting for 'those who suffer injustice and oppression,' but how many people have lost their fathers, mothers, and children because of your actions?! Because of your bombing just now, six ordinary people in New York were injured today. Is this your justice? Paying for bloodshed with even more blood?"

"Look at the masterpiece you left behind: the United Insurance board was torn apart alive, Mayor Michael died of poisoning, and more than two thousand employees in the CBS Tower are on the verge of death!"

"Is this the 'justice' you claim to uphold?! No! This is torture! This is the most blatant display of terrorism!"

The president pointed sharply to the portrait of Lincoln behind him and said in a resounding voice, "One hundred and fifty years ago, this country abolished lynching through a civil war. And today, you want to bring it back to America?"

“Let me tell you, Rorschach! True justice changes society through law and vote. Only cowards and thugs need to use torture devices and bombs to satisfy their twisted messianic fantasies!”

He leaned forward slightly, getting closer to the camera, and said, "So listen to me carefully."

"Your 'trial' is invalid! Your 'justice' is a joke!"

"When the FBI drags you out of your dark lair, our people will see your true colors!"

"You're nothing but a violent psychopath who doesn't even have the courage to stand in the sunlight and face trial."

Finally, the president straightened his tie, sat back down, and his tone returned to calm.

"History will remember this day, not because of your absurd 'trial,' but because when terror struck, this country proved once again that we will not be intimidated by madmen, we will not be blackmailed by thugs, and we will not bow down to cowards hiding behind the camera!"

"May God forgive your soul—for the laws of the United States will never forgive your sins!"

After this long monologue was delivered, the entire studio fell silent.

A few seconds later, applause began to ring out sporadically, then swept across the entire floor!

"clap clap"

Bill clapped his hands frantically, the previous fear no longer visible on his face.

"That's right! We will never bow to terrorism! USA! USA!!!"

"USA!!!"

"USA!!!"

"."

Applause and cheers resounded throughout the entire building.

The people watching the live broadcast were also moved by the incumbent president's passionate speech. At that moment, they clenched their fists in excitement, firmly believing that the country's future was bright.

In the Oval Office, Underwood frowned imperceptibly.

Even when this black president was running for office, he noticed that the other party was very good at public speaking and his words could easily inspire others.

Judging from the other party's speech just now, there was absolutely no flaw in it. Even he, a veteran politician who had been in politics for decades, was somewhat influenced by it.

However, as the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, Rorschach spoke up:

"Mr. President, that was a wonderful speech. But let's see who your justice truly protects when the spotlight goes out."

"You call me a coward, then I'd like to ask you, when Wall Street bankers destroyed millions of families with subprime mortgages, how many high-ranking officials did your Department of Justice prosecute? When insurance companies refused to pay out dying firefighters, where was your law and order?"

Compared to the president, Rorschach's voice was low and slow, as if he were reading a verdict.

"On January 20, 2009, you stood on the steps of Capitol Hill and vowed to 1 million Americans to change this country."

"But a year has passed and Wall Street bankers are still using taxpayers' money to give themselves bonuses; your healthcare reform bill is still a blank sheet of paper; and in Iraq and Afghanistan, our soldiers are still dying in a war that has already been lost."

“You say you want a ‘transparent government,’ yet the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay still haven’t been tried! You say you want ‘accountability for Wall Street,’ yet Goldman Sachs executives haven’t even attended a single decent hearing! You say ‘healthcare is a basic human right,’ yet just a few days ago, a firefighter’s widow in Brooklyn died vomiting blood outside the emergency room because she couldn’t afford chemotherapy!”

"Do you know what's the most ridiculous thing?"

Rorschach's tone was calm, devoid of any emotion:
“If these things happened during the Bush era, people would say, ‘That’s just how the Party is corrupt.’ But now they’re happening during your term! Right under the nose of a president who calls himself a ‘reformer’!”

“You politicians always ask, ‘Why did Rorschach resort to violence?’ Let me tell you—because when every cog in the system is crushing ordinary people, polite protests only bring louder ridicule!!!”

"You just said 'justice will not be served by vigilante justice'?"

"But when the entire system itself is a meticulously designed vigilante justice, isn't breaking it the greatest justice?!"

"Now I'll tell you what real terrorism is."

The next second, a recording was suddenly played.

The person speaking inside was none other than Thompson, the CEO of United Insurance who had already died tragically. In the recording, he smiled at the numerous board members and said, "These poor bastards should have died in the fire long ago, so we wouldn't have to pay them back."

Recording is off.

Rorschach's deep tone seemed to suppress boundless rage:

"Did you hear that? This is real terrorism! Terrorism in a suit sitting in a boardroom! And you, Mr. President, are nothing more than a waiter serving them coffee!"

"You say history will remember today? Of course it will! It will remember that when the law becomes a fig leaf for executioners, there will always be people who would rather be thugs than let it fall!"

"And I—am that thug!!!"

With the final word, "Rorschach," all the citizens watching the live stream fell into a deathly silence.

Rorschach's desperate shouts, like thunder, shook the souls of everyone present.

At this moment, even the Black president was speechless.

Behind the camera, the strategist hurriedly gestured, and the consultant had already dialed Robert's number.

The president narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Your words are completely unreliable, Rorschach. Over the past six months, you have been the one who has hurt this country the most. Now, we will bring you to justice!"

"The FBI located your hideout just before the call began. Now, let justice be served!"

After he finished speaking, he nodded emphatically to the advisor.

The next second, the White House order was sent to Robert's phone.

Robert immediately waved his hand sharply to his men: "Move!"

Hundreds of fully armed FBI agents acted simultaneously.

Drones cleared the way, light machine guns swept through, and heavy firepower blasted open the warehouse door.

Despite his clerical background, Robert was the first to rush in.

The strong smell of blood almost made him vomit.

After enduring the stench and looking around, the FBI director stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Limbs and severed bodies were scattered throughout the warehouse, and blood stained the entire floor. The cold mechanical torture instruments were also covered in blood.

Ignoring all attempts to stop him, he rushed deeper into the area, where the stench of blood grew even stronger.

"Fake."

Robert suddenly had a bad feeling.

His gaze fell on the table—on a piece of white paper, written in blood: “U Late (You’re late)”.

This is not a live broadcast.

Looking at the body, which was clearly dead for more than a day, Robert broke down cursing, "It's a recording! Damn it! He played a recording in the studio! He fooled us all!!!"

Meanwhile, in the studio.

Rorschach flicked his cigarette butt and asked calmly:
"Mr. President, have you caught me?"

(End of this chapter)