Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 151 I shout "Long live the Emperor!" to you, Democrat!
"And now, we are standing at a critical turning point."

Blair straightened his back, his voice firm, and he barely blinked.

"This is not a debate about the budget table, nor is it a technical detail about tax rate increases or decreases."

"It's about who we are and what kind of future we're heading towards."

"Are we still willing to believe that the fate of this country is written by all fifty states?"

“We see the problems, we know they exist—but we also know that acting alone will not solve them.”

Blair paused for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd below the stage.

North Carolina is not an island.

"We are not a sunken ship adrift on the edge of the Union, lost and directionless."

“We are part of this land, part of that promise.”

"That commitment that began in Hamilton, has survived wars and crises, and has never been extinguished."

"This promise tells us that someone will reach out when you fall."

"You don't have to carry the burden alone when you need help."

At this point, Blair's voice rose noticeably by half an octave, and his eyes became moist.

A few people in the audience stood up and applauded, and the applause quickly spread.

In an instant, cheers and applause rose and fell in the arena.

Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Blair took a deep breath, perfectly mimicking a rehearsed expression, and then said:

“I’m standing here to tell you: I believe in this promise.”

"I believe the Federation exists not to interfere, but to protect."

"I believe our responsibility is not to shirk our shared destiny, but to step forward."

"We are standing here."

"We still belong to this country."

"We should not only belong to it, but also jointly shape its future."

Natalie patted the cameraman next to her on the shoulder.

The man turned his head in confusion and mouthed a question to her.

Natalie smiled slightly, signaling him to stop filming the audience and focus on the women.

Seeing this, the man shrugged and did as he was told, looking completely indifferent.

Meanwhile, Blair continued:

"This vote is a choice."

"It's not about voting for me personally, but about voting for the close bond between us."

"It's not about voting for a particular political party, but about voting for a belief."

"When difficulties arise, we can still choose unity rather than division."

"That's why I'm standing here."

"This is my position, which has never changed since the day I announced my candidacy."

"North Carolina belongs to its people and to this country."

"Let us—"

"boom!"

Blood splattered.

The body fell to the ground.

The microphone fell off the podium, emitting a piercing static.

The next second, the sky collapsed and the earth cracked.

Security personnel rushed forward quickly.

State police at the scene began shouting warnings.

But those words were completely drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.

Reporters immediately turned their cameras to Blair, who had fallen to the ground.

Some, as if by conditioned reflex, swerve towards the sky and the street.

The speaker continues to output high-frequency noise.

A female volunteer rushed to the front of the stage and reached for the microphone on the ground, but was forcibly pulled away.

Some people fell down, while others ran wildly.

The child's cries mingled with the adults' angry shouts and frantic running.

Flags fell, scraps of paper flew up, and placards hit people on the head.

The man pressed his bleeding arm and frantically searched for his family.

Natalie feigned surprise, secretly observing the movements around her.

Finally, when the chaos at the scene reached a breaking point, she screamed with all her might:

"My God! What is that?"

"Look!"

The cameraman next to her was the first to hear. He turned the camera in the direction she was pointing.

A huge white banner with black lettering has been hung on a tall building in the distance.

"SHE BROKE THE TENTH. NOW WE BREAK THE UNION."

(She tore up the Tenth Amendment. Now it's our turn to tear the Union apart.)
"AMERICA IS A REPUBLIC— NOT HER KINGDOM."

(The United States is a republic, not a kingdom.)
"No funding without consideration."

(Without consent, there is no federation.)
Zhou Yi released the rifle, letting it hang on the pre-installed steel cable, partially covered by a raincoat.

Then, the gloves and shoe covers were sealed into a polyethylene bag, and the remaining traces were roughly cleaned up.

He didn't wipe the scene too clean, deliberately leaving a few hasty and rough wiping marks.

Pretending to be a non-professional.

After throwing the Constitution booklet on the ground, Zhou Yi walked into the stairwell empty-handed.

Once he reached the first floor, he didn't rush to leave the lobby.

That was one of the few locations in the entire building that was covered by surveillance cameras.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then turned and crawled into the unfinished fire safety renovation area, pushed open the emergency door and went out.

There were few pedestrians on the street.

Only the sharp sirens of police cars could be heard in the distance, growing ever closer.

Zhou Yi walked north along the street corner.

Dark blue work jacket, faded jeans, and a black backpack.

They were dressed no differently from ordinary technicians.

Just as he was about to turn left, several police cars sped up and stopped on the side of the road.

Immediately afterwards, several men in uniforms came down.

They acted quickly, setting up temporary roadblocks and stopping pedestrians on the road separately.

One of the officers noticed Zhou Yi and gestured, "Hey, sir, please wait a moment."

Zhou Yi stopped and pulled the backpack strap over his shoulder, looking puzzled.

The officer took a few steps closer, his gaze shifting from the man's face to his arm, and then asked:

"Where did you come from?"

"The Morgan Street area."

Did you hear anything unusual?

Zhou Yi frowned slightly, as if confirming:

"There was a loud thud; I think it was probably a tire blowout on one of the cars."

"What happened?"

The officer did not answer, but stared at him for a few seconds.

Asian.

Kind-looking.

Neatly dressed.

There was no sign of panic.

"Do you have any identification?" he finally asked, his tone softening.

"Uh"

Zhou Yi looked a little embarrassed, took out a work ID from his pocket, and handed it over.

"Sorry, this is all I have."

The officer quickly glanced at the photo, then looked at the person in the photo, and said dismissively, "It's nothing, it's not a big problem."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you, really."

"Don't go this way afterward, we're going to start sealing off the area."

The officer handed the items back to him, casually adding, "If you're heading north, it's best to take the next street around."

Zhou Yi nodded, put away his work ID, and was about to turn and leave when he heard the police officer behind him suddenly raise his voice:
Hey! You, come here for a second.

"Don't move!"

"Take your hands out!"

Zhou Yi did not turn around.

A black man was vaguely reflected in the roadside rearview mirror.

At this moment, he raised his hands high, nervously trying to explain himself.

"Where are your documents? And what's in your bag?!"

"Slow down! Don't make any unnecessary movements!"

A breeze was blowing across the street corner.

The officer's right hand rested on the holster at his waist.

(End of this chapter)