Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 159 Turmoil
United States, Washington, D.C.

Late at night, table tennis player and Vietnam War veteran Forrest Gan was awakened by bright lights from a building across the street from the hotel. He had just been received by the president earlier that day and had been put into this luxury hotel.

So he called the front desk.

A moment later, a voice came from the other end of the phone: "Security Department, this is Frank Weill."

Forrest Gan, looking at the still flickering bright lights outside the window, politely said, "Hello, sir, could you please send a repairman to the office in the building across the street? It's pitch black inside; the people there are probably looking for a fuse or something. Their flashlights are keeping me awake."

The security guard across the street responded quickly: "Okay, sir, I'll go check right away."

Thank you, goodnight.

"You're welcome, sir. Good night as well."

As Forrest Gan hung up the phone, the words "Watergate Hotel" were prominently printed on the letterbox beside him.

After that, Gan happily went to sleep.

However, he had no idea that his phone call would unveil the prelude to a political scandal that would shock the world.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The White House, early morning.

President Richard Milhouse sat alone in his private study next to the Oval Office, the morning light filtering through the gaps in the heavy curtains and falling on his ashen face.

He had just shaved, his chin was smooth, but he couldn't hide the bloodshot eyes and deep fatigue.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and his chief of staff walked in, carrying no newspaper, but with an expression more somber than any previous bad front page.

“They’ve recanted, Mr. President,” the chief of staff said in a flustered voice. “Bark, Martinez, Gonzalez… they’ve all changed their previous testimonies and admitted that they broke into Watergate on orders from the White House.”

Milhouse took a deep breath: "Where's Nancy?" He was referring to the Attorney General.

“She…resigned, sir. She submitted her resignation last night.” The chief of staff replied, “The new special prosecutor obtained new evidence this morning from the tapes we handed over.”

Before he could finish speaking, there was another knock on the study door. This time, a man with a stern expression walked in, carrying a briefcase.

Milhouse's eyes suddenly sharpened from their weariness.

He recognized the man: a professor at Harvard Law School, the newly appointed independent prosecutor, a New Jersey native known for his stubbornness, and also the guy who had put him to death.

“Archibold Cox,” Milhouse’s voice was icy. “I don’t recall having any appointments this morning.”

Prosecutor Cox remained unmoved. He calmly placed a document on the mahogany table in front of the president: "Then consider me an uninvited guest, Your Excellency. This is a subpoena just issued by the District of Columbia Court, and a copy of the transcript of the audiotape we obtained last night from the Department of Justice archives."

Milhouse's gaze fell on a line of text on the document, words that were indeed spoken by him and evidence that he had failed to destroy.

Prosecutor Cox: "Six days after Watergate, you instructed your assistants to have the CIA obstruct the FBI's investigation of what happened. That is irrefutable evidence."

The chief of staff standing to the side stared wide-eyed, seemingly completely unaware.

Milhouse stared at the document, remaining silent for a long time.

Cox stated, "This evidence will then be transferred to the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Department of Justice. My investigation ends here."

He then stood up, picked up his hat, and said, "Then I shall take my leave, Your Excellency President."

……

Throughout the day, the doors to the Oval Office opened and closed constantly.

The news spread quickly, not only in the social circles of the United States, but also within the Republican Party itself; everyone felt they had been greatly deceived.

Protests began to resound throughout the country, hot-blooded college students began to organize marches, religious groups and the media began to condemn Milhouse's actions, and public anger began to erupt.

The president they had always trusted was a hypocrite who would stop at nothing to seize power.

"Your Excellency, we have already lost half of the seats in the Senate. If this continues, the Republicans may..."

The Republican whip sat down opposite Prime Minister Milhouse and took a deep breath: "The outcome of the impeachment is probably irreversible. Even some of us who were once the most steadfast are privately expressing our hope that you will make the decision."

President Milhouse looked at the man before him: "So you're the one they've chosen to be the leader?"

The Republican whip pursed his lips and remained silent. This was tantamount to advising a president to resign; if word got out, his political career would be in jeopardy.

President Milhouse was speechless for a moment, then finally said, "I've worked for this country to ease diplomatic relations, end the Vietnam War, and build a public environmental system."

The party whip nodded: "Yes, we have all seen your contributions."

President Milhaus seemed deflated. He waved his hand and said, "Never mind, I will pass on my resignation to Erich von Stern. I know what to do."

The party whip breathed a sigh of relief, gave the president a final slight bow, and then left.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the Hashim River Front Command, Lu Lin answered the receiver, and Prince Muhammad's voice came through the phone.

"How is the battle going now?"

"Everything is proceeding according to plan, and the Zionians have begun their retreat."

Lu Lin replied, "We have established several strong beachheads on the west bank of the Hashim River. Bandar is currently leading the 1st Armored Division and the 'Ghost Division' northward. It is expected that in about 24 hours, they will encounter the garrison of the central mountain range on the west bank near the Yamuk River."

"Well done, your uncle praised you highly, keep it up."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Prince Mohammed got down to business: "A political scandal recently broke out in the United States, which directly affected the ruling party and even their president. It is possible that the government of the United States will be in a state of shutdown for the next few months until their regime stabilizes again."

Could it be the Watergate scandal?!
Lu Lin then asked, "Will this matter affect the front lines? Should I change our combat strategy?"

Damn it, what a coincidence that this happened at this time?
Lu Lin had a headache. As a transmigrator, he was all too aware of the power of this "political earthquake."

This is far more than a simple political scandal; its chain reaction will have global implications—the President of the United States was forced to resign, becoming the first leader in history to do so, plunging domestic politics into unprecedented chaos, and potentially exacerbating the Cold War's turmoil...

The most direct impact on Shuangzhi was the diplomatic standstill, and the "Sudri faction" temporarily lost its backer.

After all, all the prominent figures in the United States are now launching a fierce attack on the soon-to-be-vacant position, or trying to seize greater benefits.

Who still cares about this remote corner of the Middle East?

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Prince Muhammad replied, "This morning, a diplomat from the United States visited your uncle again. He represented the government of the United States, at least for the time being, and made assurances to us."

Lu Lin didn't interrupt, but listened quietly.

Prince Mohammed continued, "All signed contracts for weapons and equipment aid, supplies being transported by sea, and planned deliveries will remain unaffected, so at this stage you can rest assured and need not worry about decisions made on the front lines."

Lu Lin replied, "Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Ibrahim stepped forward and asked, "What did His Highness say?"

Lu Lin then recounted the entire story, including the events surrounding the Watergate scandal, to his chief of staff.

Ibrahim nodded after hearing this: "So, our logistics are running out as soon as we use them?"

“That’s unlikely,” Lu Lin said, “No matter which party comes to power in the United States, they will not give up the arms business. At most, they will re-evaluate us after this batch of orders is completed.”

He paused for a moment: "But what I'm more worried about is the strategic shift. In order to balance regional power, the new government may very well adopt a policy of 'dual support' for Zion and the Arab world, to prevent either side from gaining an absolute advantage."

Ibrahim immediately understood: "That's certainly possible, and it would indeed be more in their long-term interest."

Just as the United States sells weapons to India and the Mughals in South Asia, and supports its allies in Europe through NATO while maintaining dialogue channels with Ant Group.

The United States' favorite strategy is to maintain a balance between its rivals and their conflicts in order to gain an advantage.

Lu Lin paced back and forth in the command room, his tone becoming firm: "So this few months of downtime is also an excellent opportunity for us. As long as we can seize this opportunity and crush Zion's main force in one fell swoop, it will be too late even if the new government wants to adjust its policies!"

Ibrahim smiled knowingly: "If I were Bandar, I would be under a lot of pressure right now."

“For him, commanding armored groups in battle is the best way to relieve stress.” Lu Lin also smiled, but the smile quickly faded, and he changed the subject: “What I am more worried about now is Riyadh. The United States has always supported our Sudri faction, and the conservatives will never let go of this period of weakness. They will probably take this opportunity to launch an attack and force His Majesty to postpone or even stop the progressive reforms.”

“Don’t underestimate your uncle and father,” Ibrahim patted him on the shoulder. “Although His Highness the Prince is not as skilled in battle as you, his wisdom and skill in the political arena are also outstanding. Moreover, in this world, there may never be another brother-minister relationship as close and trusting as that between the Prince and His Majesty.”

Their tacit understanding is the strongest bulwark against all challenges.

Lu Lin thought about it and agreed, so he nodded: "I hope so. After all, what we can do now is to fight the battle at hand well."

(End of this chapter)