Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 422 A World Full of "Temptation" [1.1 words]

Brooklyn, time: unknown.

"Welcome to continue following CCTV News."

"The extreme storm weather that lasted for four weeks along the North American coast has passed. According to incomplete statistics, the weather event caused at least 300 deaths and more than 100 people are still missing. Since California has declared independence and is the most steadfast free state on the map of the new United States, Governor Haddmore said that California is fully capable of handling the unfortunate event. At the same time, the state firmly rejected the new United States' request for humanitarian aid and the dispatch of rescue teams."

"Let's turn our attention to Washington."

"President Rodlin Myers recently delivered a speech on the White House lawn, first expressing her anticipation and longing for the upcoming US presidential election, and then engaging in an online debate on various controversial executive orders from her re-election campaign—"

"Regarding President Myers' current less-than-optimistic approval ratings, she simply responded with the phrase 'trust in the choice of the new Americans.' What will the election at the end of 2079 look like? Who are the current frontrunners?"

"My colleague M.J. Carl Vinson will answer these questions one by one on the news commentary program..."

The television screen flickered and then went completely black, with faint, indistinct red particles around it, like some escaping blood particles.

"Hum hum…"

A short-haired, purple-haired girl with an extremely youthful appearance, still somewhat childish, dressed in a very androgynous style, removed the network cable from the back of her neck and sat up from the hacker chair, humming a popular rock song from 2050.

"Song Zhaomei, can't you fucking wake up?!"

The door was pushed open forcefully, and the singing stopped abruptly.

This is Song So-mi's boyfriend.

"what are you saying?"

Aside from being startled by the boy's sudden rebuke, Song Zhaomei's fierce tone was mostly due to her youthful arrogance.

"If you keep doing things this way, the company will be targeted sooner or later. Don't you understand? We're already on the company's and federal statistics. You! Nightingale! Did you even see those words?"

Song Zhaomei sneered, crossed her arms, and groped around for a while before finally finding a cigarette.

Strangely, the air inhaled while smoking would inexplicably come out of their bodies, like... a phantom. However, the man and woman seemed unable to see this strange phenomenon.

"If you're afraid of dying, don't follow me. I don't want to be a cowardly coward!"

Song Zhaomei's sarcasm was merciless: "Isn't the most important thing for hackers to make a name for themselves? If we don't do this, what big projects do you expect us to get? You're just a coward! Do you understand?!"

Huffing and puffing...

The boy was clearly enraged.

Song Zhaomei seemed to be the dominant one in the relationship. She was certain that the boy wouldn't dare to do anything to her, so after a moment of stalemate, she lowered her head, shook her leg, and prepared to take a few puffs of her cigarette.

"You're a fucking lunatic!"

Enraged, the boy stepped forward and shoved Song Zhaomei hard.

Song Zhaomei was rather slender, and the boy's push caused her to stumble and fall to the ground...

She stared blankly at the boy.

"Song Zhaomei, we're doomed!"

It wasn't until the door was closed that Song Zhaomei realized that her relationship had come to an end.

Perhaps it was the stubbornness that only teenagers possess, but Song Zhaomei stood up, dusted herself off, and shouted at the door, "Just you wait and see! Only I, the Nightingale, can be called a top hacker in Brooklyn!"

"roll!!"

"Hold!!!"

A desperate scream accompanied the girl's sobs, while a pair of blood-red eyes silently watched the scene unfold.

That's a mirror.

At this moment, the mirror surface seemed to have instantly completed hundreds or thousands of copy-paste operations, forming a long tunnel playing the same image, and at the end of all this strange phenomenon was the dressing mirror above the sink used for washing and grooming...

"call."

A prosthetic hand, consisting only of black mechanical structure, extends out. The figure of the young Song Zhaomei, who is looking at her in front of the mirror, touches her neck, where the military technology logo is clearly visible.

The woman's back and thighs were devoid of any flesh, only empty, dark, hollow structures remained...

The lark cannot see her own facial features, and even though she desperately wants to do it, she is powerless to do so.

Two blood-red eyeballs were sunken into eye sockets that looked as black as if they had been scorched by flames, making them look like a demon.

"Am I... dreaming again?"

The lark murmured to itself.

"Thankfully, I'm home now."

As the lark whispered softly, something seemed to happen beside her.

She looked at the floor, which collapsed rapidly like shattered pixels. The world that had just been so real now seemed to be floating in a corner of a void universe. The structural fractures in the room were all dark red, the kind of color found only in the depths of cyberspace.

The window was pushed open.

The lark turned its head and saw "another her" staring straight at it from the windowsill.

"Kill me, please..."

In just a moment, the shadow flashed to the side of the lark standing in front of the washbasin. She reached out and grabbed the lark's arm, but her hand was an enviable physique.

"Please help me, I've given you everything..."

(Stuttering sound effect)
"Can I die?"

The lark in front of the sink stared at the pleading man like a monster, her face slowly contorting from calm to grotesque. "It's all your fault! I've learned how to be a lark, why don't you just die! You're clinging to me, aren't you? Damn it!"

The lark was gripped tightly by the neck, and the intense suffocation did not provoke any resistance from the other bird. The lark, which was begging to be killed, simply smiled and waited for death to come.

call!
The lark opened its arms, and the other version of her, suffocating, suddenly fell to the ground.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Why…"

The coughing that followed suffocation was accompanied by the lark's sobs. She reached out and grabbed the trouser leg of the guy who hadn't killed her. "Why?! You've already lived in my place, why don't you want me to die? I'm in so much pain, I don't even recognize myself anymore."

Please…

However, the lark who had just tried to strangle "herself" in front of the mirror slowly squatted down, reached out and stroked her cheek, quietly watching the woman who was pleading with her...

"Have you forgotten, Song Zhaomei? You haven't gotten rid of the person who harmed you yet."

The scene stopped abruptly.

Two identical faces turned to look at the hacker chair in the room. Li De was there, talking to Song Zhaomei when she was a child. The scene began to change at an extremely fast speed, and Li De was standing next to the lark who had lost her limbs...

"Song Zhaomei? Song Zhaomei! Wake up..."

"Damn it, how did it turn out like this?"

Song Zhaomei, who had lost all four limbs, slightly opened her eyes.

"Li De...?"

Li De, who had been burying his head in his hands, thinking that Song Zhaomei would never wake up, slowly raised his head. He hurriedly reached out and grabbed the thick network cable next to Song Zhaomei's seat. "Hey, it's me, Xiao Song—can you still hear me?"

Song Zhaomei made no movement, her lips twitching for a long time.

"Help…"

"Li De".

Li De painfully clasped his hands together in front of his forehead, then suddenly erupted in rage and cursed fiercely—

"Hold!"

The scene changed again.

This time, Song Zhaomei, who was determined to die, suddenly lowered her head in pain.

"Why did it turn out like this?"

“It’s Miles, Miles, Reed, Rin, those dogs Washington kept—none of them want you to live. Do you still want to die? Our revenge hasn’t even begun yet!”

Song Zhaomei looked up blankly at the ferocious face opposite her, her facial muscles twitching a few times.

Like looking in a mirror, the two faces transformed from two extremes into identical expressions of resentment and malice.

suddenly!

One hand grabbed Song Zhaomei, who was kneeling on the ground begging for death. The younger version of himself looked at her with resentment, his hand gripping Song Zhaomei's arm tightly, as if he wanted to pull his entire hand into the core of the prosthetic body.

The young girl shook her head slightly.

"Song Zhaomei, run!"

The youthful Song So-mi (representing humanity) was instantly shattered.

A shower of red data, like a river of blood, rained down on Song Zhaomei, forcibly turning her face towards him. "Li De is still lying to you. He said he would definitely help you, but he's still Miles's dog. Your hope of survival was personally cut off by Rin. Have you forgotten all that?"

"Correct."

"If we die, they won't have an easy time either."

His chest heaved, concealing immense anger, and his voice began to grow sharp and cutting.

until…

Scattered blue data points seeped into this fabricated scene, and Song Zhaomei began to let out a shrill roar.

……
-
Washington, D.C., an unnamed basement.

The pristine white corridor was devoid of any decorations except for the new American flags hanging every three meters along the side.

At the end of the corridor was a large steel door that was almost reflective of people. Two security guards in neat suits stood at the door, their hands clasped in front of them, watching people walk down the corridor.

"Password."

One of the security guards had his hand on his waist, and the dense patterns of prosthetic lines on his neck made the scientist opposite him, who was carrying a box and wearing a lab coat, somewhat afraid.

"Uh...a bird flapping its wings on the white house."

"uh-huh."

The security guard took a step back, leaving the bewildered man standing there. Suddenly, a large net made of lasers appeared in the corridor, which had no raised structures, and slowly moved towards the man dressed as a scientist.

The man's unease and the approaching net kept the two security guards' eyes on him the entire time.

"Tick-tock..."

After the scan, a normal response was heard.

The two security guards stepped aside, and the man in the white lab coat forced a nervous smile. The two guards didn't respond; they just watched him go in quietly, and the heavy door closed again.

The security guards exchanged a glance and shrugged. Every time they came here, some of the less courageous guys would get weak in the knees, so they were used to it.

After all, this is a "birdcage".

No one can get in except with presidential authorization.

Noticing the door behind him closing, the man, who had just looked tense, twitched at the corner of his mouth, seemingly a completely different person from before. He simply gripped the suitcase he was carrying and walked slowly down the tunnel.

In the quiet facility, only his footsteps could be heard. Every surveillance camera was watching the visitor until he passed through the final data scan and stood in the core room of the data server.

His emotionless pupils stared at the body connected to various cables on the central cooling platform. Looking down from above, the lark, no longer resembling a human, was essentially a CPU (processor) connected to a cyber network…

"Ah, I found you."

The man's voice was so soft that only he could hear it as he looked at the... exquisite "work of art" and exclaimed in admiration.

Most people in the world who understand the dangers of the internet are searching for the key to the wall, and the man has now found the key to controlling the world's death.

A strange blue light flickered in the man's eyes as he stared at the lark. He lowered his head and opened the box, revealing a laptop. Like any software scientist who came here to check the lark's program, the man began his "work" under the watchful eye of the camera.

However, when the man was connecting to the data reader, he secretly inserted a wire hidden between his fingers into the protocol check jack, but the person behind the camera seemed not to notice this action.

"Talk to me, okay, bird?"

The man's fingers flew across the keyboard. The interface, devoid of any fancy features, began reading data. He rested his hands on the table, patiently waiting for the program on his laptop to slowly run.

The seemingly random code appeared to the man as a rising three-dimensional landscape, as if he had sunk into cyberspace to search for the lark.

Within the sealed data fortress, the man witnessed the annihilation of data warfare, and also a consciousness hanging on the network that was about to dissipate.

interesting…

He stroked his chin, quietly observing the information, which resembled a game of hide-and-seek, trying to determine which was the real lark.

The situation was more serious than the guys in the company had assessed. The lark's sense of self had almost completely dissipated, and the inability to distinguish who it was was crucial for the conscious owner to abandon the will to live.

In other words…

The lark is still alive; there must be a reason for it to continue living.

He was checking the data on the computer in front of him, which was so fast that no one could see it clearly unless his information processing speed was beyond human comprehension.

The lark's consciousness was struggling against the creature coming from the other side of the wall.

How can we describe the reason why the lark has come to this point?
Men prefer to describe it as being attacked from both sides.

The lark hanging on the black wall, using the method of bypassing login to the regional network, evaded network surveillance and scanning by other foreign spy and hacking agencies. This is also the key reason why Miles is always able to gain the upper hand in international affairs.

Of course, the lark is also an important weapon for Miles to refute his political opponents; she is a natural machine for gathering top-secret intelligence.

However, this means that the lark would have to face away from the wall, which means that those wandering creatures outside the wall could potentially enter her consciousness at any time... even if the original purpose of these roaming AIs was simply to get to the other side of the black wall.

The longer the lark hangs on the black wall, the more the complex data and self-awareness will diffuse, until both body and consciousness are deconstructed.

Two years.

Faced with a world that seems to be in a state of mental breakdown, people can no longer be called human.

The man used a clever method.

He is a natural-born master of data construction. He wants to use the lark's memories to awaken the personality consciousness that supports this body and is still serving the new America, because that lark only knows how to obey.

[Data Loading]

【//……access denied】

[Agreement expired]

The man seemed not to see anything and continued to execute the instructions.

[//Restricted Users]

【//bIRd{……%}】

The man saw the usernames mixed in with the garbled text. He knew that both the Nightingale and the guys outside the wall were watching him. He used data to force his way into the Nightingale's mental world on the internet.

[//Leave ￥%]

The man's fingers hovered over the keyboard.

He then smiled.

They stubbornly continued to hack into the other party's data.

His gaze was full of pity, like that of an intelligent being looking at a single-celled organism.

【Similar items #￥】

The other party discovered the information the man wanted to reveal to him.

"If you know that... then just be a beast that only knows how to devour data."

The man slowly raised his fingers.

He manipulated the network processes, continuing to accelerate the progress.

Accompanied by operation—

At this point, all data on the interface is cleared, and the protocol has been approved.

Looking at the blank interface, the man wasn't in a hurry; he knew the other party would ask him questions.

finally…

[Administrator]: Who are you?

[User]: People who want to find you

The other end remained silent for a long time, seemingly unwilling to respond, with only the fluorescent blue cursor flashing incessantly.

[User]: Did you conspire with it to take revenge on the world?

[User]: Why choose to trust a simple and weak program instead of us? We can help you achieve this dream without paying such a high price.

The other party remained silent.

"Ugh... this is troublesome."

The man turned to look at the side camera, and a sound came from behind him.

"Time is running out for the inspection. Don't linger. Pack your things within five minutes. Technical issues need to be reported to Number One."

The man calmly turned his gaze to the computer screen.

[Administrator]: I have disregarded all costs.
The man smiled and stretched his neck slightly.

[User]: Really? If I also want Miles to die, and you help us, you'll get an extra chance to survive? And Miles can die before you get that chance.
[User]: I think a super hacker who can withstand the erosion of the Great Firewall for so long should be able to calculate the profits. Even if we lied to you, we could still choose to let Miles, who caused you to become like this, die a horrible death.

[Administrator]: I already have a plan.

It was yet another clear rejection.

The man's eyes were fixed on the time display in the lower left corner.

[User]: What if Rin can guess your plan? What do you plan to do?

[User]: You seem to be underestimating your enemy. He's far more terrifying than Miles. Are you sure you want to leave him until the end? You'll lose miserably.

this time.

The other party no longer responded as slowly as before.

"Who are you"

This passage is full of impatience; even without any punctuation, the man can sense that urgency.

Fear, suspicion, discontent...

The man thought for a moment and typed out a single word.

[User]: Night
[Administrator]: Why?

[User]: I guess you're wondering why I know this, but I have no comment. Rin is a partner we can't work with. Even though we tried to recruit him, his current base is too large. If you want this guy to die, you have to rely on us.
[Administrator]: How to do it?

[User]: He has a female subordinate who's been tied down by technology Arasaka poached from outside the Black Wall. He wants his people to gain the trust of New America and use your medical technology to eradicate Relic.
[Administrator]: That's impossible. I've observed that relic signal; it's too weak. Without the help of the neural matrix, her fate would be to be replaced by the humanoid AI in the chip, just like me.

[Administrator]: I can kill her anytime I want.
[User]: You don't understand revenge. Her death is revenge in itself. Compared to that, it's just a simple appetizer for our plan.
"Time's up, disconnect the device as soon as possible."

The equipment manager was urging the man to disconnect the computer…

[Administrator]: Okay. [User]: We've taken control of a missile launch site in Atlanta, the nearest city to Night City, destroyed Airspace One, and allowed Miles's plane to fly over Night City.
[Administrator]: Contact me at the address provided. The birdcage cannot be in your birdcage for more than fifteen minutes. Please leave.
[User]: Thank you for wielding the sword of Damocles that holds the key to restarting the world.
……
-
As soon as he got into the car and fastened his seatbelt, Lin Yue glanced at Rebecca's call history on his phone and let out a barely audible sigh.

Lin Yue now desperately wants to find a second neural matrix under the Big Dipper…

However, after Rebecca suffered the tragedy at Relic two years ago, Emma naturally organized a team to try to find any trace of the neural matrix within the collapsed Beidou facility, even if it was just a prototype...

Unfortunately, there's only one of these.

In other words, Rebecca was in far greater danger than he and Sasha, because there was no hope in sight.

While claiming to be trying to find a treatment in the new United States, Lin Yue wasn't entirely sure. The reason he dared to take such a gamble was because his military technology in the research of neural matrices and AI-integrated brain was undoubtedly number one.

Unlike Soul Killers, military technology attempts to cultivate these highly aggressive AIs to build cyber nuclear weapons.

Therefore, in cases like Rebecca's, the chances of finding a new American are indeed greater.

Making a mistake is always better than doing nothing. Lin Yue mentally prepared himself and prepared to drive from the east of Taipingzhou to Badlands, and then detour from Stone Ridge Mountain to Night City.

As the car headed towards Night City, taking advantage of the sunlight partially obscured by industrial fumes, Suzuki called.

“Mr. Rin, Miss Rebecca’s data blockade has been partially lifted… Arasaka was very opposed to this risky operation, but it was Yixuan who personally approved it.”

"He asked me to tell you that he is very sorry about this matter, and that if needed, Arasaka is ready to pave the way for the alternative plan to be put on the table."

Lin Yue knew that Arasaka and his group of rigid scientists would definitely be very resistant to this kind of behavior, which was tantamount to opening a hole in a tight dam, but using the company to fight back was far more troublesome than he had imagined.

Even though Lai Xuan secretly joined forces with himself to eliminate many of Arasaka and the Dreamers' enemies, it was still somewhat difficult to go head-to-head with those giant corporations of the European Community.

"Ryoun can rest assured about the Japan Airlines matter. The Japanese government has very little initiative left in this matter, and it won't be long before Arasaka has a solid foundation to support the attack on Kamikori."

At this point, Lin Yue's heart pounded several times.

Lin Yue was silent for a moment, then asked, "How is Rebecca?"

“We can’t track offline relic in real time, that process must be extremely painful, they say… it’s like cancer!”

"It's like a flood that's been blocked for a long time. As long as there's even the slightest opening, the rate of leakage is beyond imagination."

Suzuki frowned as he looked at Rin in the holographic video.

He quickly told Lin Yue the news, which wasn't exactly good news...

“I will have Brandon and the cybersecurity department keep a close eye on Miss Rebecca. Our people have done as you instructed and have not disturbed the New America infiltrators. Everything is normal on the Colonel's side so far, and there is no word from the people in Gemstone Green about Hansen meeting anyone.”

Lin Yue, however, seemed to take it all in stride.

"If Hansen wants to collude with others, we can't keep an eye on him. After all, it's a gemstone blue, and it's surrounded by three layers of ghost hounds."

Having come this far, Suzuki naturally wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Do you really think Hansen will contact New America? You seem very certain, but if I were Hansen... I would have absolutely no clue."

"To use a proverb from your motherland, the feeling of being 'boiled like a frog in lukewarm water' is not an exaggeration."

Lin Yue said calmly, "That's why Hansen won't easily give up any opportunity to regain control of Dogtown."

"Please believe this colonel's madness—"

As Suzuki frowned, he heard the adult he trusted say slowly, "Give him the chance, and he'd dare to shoot down the new US president's space shuttle."

"This... can't be right, can it?"

Suzuki was sweating profusely, feeling as if Rin had played a terrible joke on him.

Two years ago, Lin Yue would have completely believed that the Dogtown boss had the guts, as long as Lark agreed to go together…

However, if betrayal occurs between friends, it's something you'll probably remember for a lifetime.

Even if the lark were still alive, it's hard to say whether Hansen would trust her, but it's possible that some significant interest might drive Hansen to choose to stand with the lark...

"That's all for now, Suzuki. Just let Dogtown prepare. Whatever happens, we'll leave it to Emma."

Just as Lin Yue was about to give Suzuki some instructions, Otto's voice rang out, and the content of his words immediately changed Lin Yue's expression.

"Dogtown's website has been hacked."

"The data processing method is not quite like that of a human hacker; it's more like some kind of intelligent program... but I can't be sure if it's a lark. It's too fast; it's like it's testing the waters."

Lin Yue pressed the accelerator, his expression somewhat grim.

Although Ultraman did not confirm that the enemy hacker was Lark based on the principle that sufficient evidence is required to draw a conclusion, Lin Yue had a hunch that it was Lark.

"The entire online weapons control system of Dogtown was accessed, excluding the offline ones, as if some kind of filtering was being performed."

Listening to Otto's analysis, Lin Yue felt more and more that the enemy was playing this game with their cards up their sleeve.

Even if Lin Yue didn't know that the new US president's vehicle, Space One, was going to be shot down in the original timeline, he could still deduce from this action that the enemy probably wanted to use Dogtown's weapons.

Of course… Hansen isn’t stupid. Weapons require offline biometric verification before activation, and the Lark can’t launch large weapons purely online…

Then there's no need to even think about the offline person who's acting on his behalf.
-
Otto said calmly, "Why would the lark do this? Rin, if I may be so bold, although I have put forward this conjecture, I do not see the underlying meaning of this matter."

"Hansen has nothing left to save her."

Lin Yue sneered, "If my enemies were as lively and energetic as I am, I wouldn't be able to sleep. If I could get in touch with Hansen, one of them could kidnap the new US president, and the other could smear the Pacific Dreamers—if it were me, I would definitely do that. The key question now is... when will the new US president fall? I'm worried about whether Rebecca can be found..."

Otto pondered for a moment: "The enemy is in the shadows, and so are you. Dreamers are indeed not suited to act until we are certain of our success."

Lin Yue nodded and pressed the accelerator harder.

“I need to find V and have Arasaka spy on Miles’s whereabouts. It’s much better than the Dreamers doing it themselves.”

Otto said that this was the only option at the moment.

"All of this is currently based on conjecture, and it's hard to say whether the enemy is targeting you."

"So, in your mind, there was supposed to be a new US president falling to the ground?"

Otto has a strong ability to understand abstract concepts, and she knows that Lin Yue has a grasp of the world's inherent direction.

Rin: "This will happen."

Otto: "What about topological prediction?"

Lin Yue shook his head. "I would rather see what will happen tomorrow. Unfortunately, I only saw a lot of fragments, including... the scene of this incident. I thought Miles could escape this calamity, which is why I arranged for Rebecca to do this, just to try my luck."

Otto now understood why Lin Yue had sent Rebecca, a capable and courageous member of the team but lacking in shrewdness, to find spies from New America.

"In that case, you'd better hurry, Rin. This kind of thing could happen in the next second."

“Rin, when we’re waiting for an uncertain future, moving forward for the hope that might appear along the way… it’s like a trap, or perhaps that’s just how things work…”

Are the world and fate tempting us?

The rocky ridge mountains outside the car window flashed by quickly. Lin Yue said, "Otto, we have an old saying: fortune and misfortune are intertwined... Whether it's a trap or a temptation, you have to step on it. I don't believe anyone can knock my teeth out."

……
-
The office's luxurious solid wood door was pushed open, and Rodlin Myers, with his brisk steps, impeccably styled hair, and pristine white attire—as striking as the building that represented the highest power in the new America—strode in.

Her assistant kept telling her about the matters that needed to be handled and the progress of the work as she traveled.

The National Security Advisor was breathing heavily and speaking very quickly.

In the new American political system, he was a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President and the President's chief advisor on national security issues.

No one knew if Miles was listening attentively; her slightly furrowed brow, contrasting with her upright posture, suggested the many difficulties she was currently facing.

Miles stopped abruptly at his desk, gesturing to interrupt his assistant.

"We'll talk about the dry stuff later. Is there anything else?"

The assistant glanced outside—

"Your Excellency, the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the Speaker of the House, and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been waiting for you for half an hour."

"Speaker?" Miles tapped his fist lightly on the office desk a few times. "What's this bastard who's always showing off his fat woman like a peacock?"

The assistant pursed his lips and shook his head.

The visitor is not good.

Miles immediately understood.

"Let Anthony (Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers) come in first."

"How are you doing, Mr. Miles?"

The man, who had gained some weight, had only a few sparse hairs covering the top of his head. His round body made people wonder if he could still serve the country. However, Anthony was Miles's right-hand man... so she had to deal with these staff members who wanted to consult with her first.

Miles forced out the insincere, friendly smile that politicians usually give when greeting their predecessors.

“If it’s just signing documents, you don’t have to come in person. Of course, I don’t want the guy waiting outside to come either, but I just hope you’re in good health, I swear to God.”

The chubby Anthony straightened the hem of his suit jacket, his whole body twisting backward along with his head.

“That son of a bitch Henry, please sign this procurement proposal first. I think I can talk to this bastard right away—does bringing an ally change anything?”

Miles gave him a thoughtful look. "Oh, Anthony... for your health's sake, I'll keep this guy."

Miles quickly signed the document and had his assistant hand it to this key figure in charge of the economy; all the benefits they had from getting military technology were thanks to this guy.

“Miles, I believe that I and my people will always stand firmly in your support.”

Anthony stood up.

It's not the right time for a long talk; his presence was merely to say this aloud.

The loudness was just enough for someone outside the door to hear it.

As Miles slowly sat back in her chair, she glanced calmly at the door, as if she were ready for battle, then picked up a news article she hadn't finished reading. She didn't want to appear tense about the matter…

"Your Excellency the President."

There were no footsteps on the soft carpet. Miles looked up when he heard the sound. "Damn it, I almost forgot. Have a seat, Henry... Have a seat, Richard."

The withered man in front of him had a body that looked like a spaghetti block—tall, shrewd, and ugly. A step to his side stood a slightly younger man with curly hair and bulging eyes, who seemed devoid of emotion and merely followed along with polite inquiries.

The man glanced at the door, making sure no one from the president's office would come to sign documents, then exchanged a look with the man beside him.

However, Miles' pen made a sound at this moment, perhaps due to a problem with the controller, as it emitted a series of strange noises.

This pen is no ordinary pen.

In addition to its writing and recording functions, Miles' chest also contained a signal transmitter and a triangular blade less than one centimeter long, which could also fire a bullet once.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency President."

The assistant panicked and quickly stepped forward to grab Miles's things and forcibly shut them off.

Having some minor mishaps before the formal talks can increase the psychological pressure on the opponent during negotiations.

Miles is a master of negotiation skills.

"Damn it."

Miles shook his hand in annoyance, but when he turned to look at Henry, he forced a smile.

"Has the weather been nice lately?"

Henry smiled.

"God bless the new America."

Then came silence.

However, just as Henry was about to bring the issue to the forefront, Miles, who had been smiling and watching him, spoke first.

"Mr. Speaker, thank you for coming to the White House."

"Let me be frank—the Freedom of Defense Assistance Act must be passed this week. Our allies are still bogged down in the war, and every day of delay means more civilians will die."

"This is both a strategic interest and a moral obligation of the new United States... As a permanent member of the Security Council and the President of the new United States, the new United States has a responsibility to protect the stability of the surrounding region of its allies."

Henry clearly hadn't expected that Miles, that ruthless scoundrel, would just say it like that.

The words that came out of her mouth were so pure and innocent, as if the House of Representatives were up to no good.

His chaotic thoughts were calmed down by years of experience on the political battlefield.

Henry forced a smile.

"Your Excellency, the history of military technology should have taught you that moral obligations cannot put food on the table."

Miles didn't expect Henry to drop the pretense and instead tear off the mask, ready to fight to the bitter end.

"As you can see, this country is still grappling with an immigration crisis and inflation! You want Congress to approve 600 billion euros in aid, but where is the funding to prevent free states from invading?"

"Our voters are starving, and Your Excellency wants to fight for others first? Besides—your good intentions are also disliked by these free states, which is not good for the country's image."

"I want to reiterate my position: the Xian Act stipulates that the purse strings belong to Congress!"

The power to approve the budget was Henry's signature weapon.

Richard, who had come with Henry, coughed awkwardly and crossed his legs slightly. "Your Excellency, the Speaker and I agree that the new America will no longer be responsible for others."

Just when everyone thought Miles would reconsider the direction of the conversation, a loud slap on the solid wood table startled her assistant standing next to her.

"enough!"

"Last year we passed the border security budget, and you personally removed the funding clauses. Now you're using that as an excuse to obstruct foreign aid—it's blatant political blackmail! If the Free States succeed, we'll be next—"

"National security is not an option!"

As he continued speaking, Miles' fingers tapped rapidly on the table.

However, Miles's fierce reaction had no effect other than frightening the young chief.

Please reiterate your position!

"Extortion? Ha!"

Speaker of the House Henry abruptly stood up. "My job is to speak for the voters of this new America, not to write blank checks for you..."

Miles was furious at Henry's offensive behavior, and the feeling of being controlled despite having all the power in his hands.

Henry seemed oblivious.

He wanted to say the most hurtful things.

"The bill can be put to a vote—first, halve the aid cap and add auditing provisions to ensure that every penny is used. Otherwise, let it sit in the procedures committee."

This…

The threat is so blatant that it's no longer concealed.

Miles could even hear himself clenching his teeth.

After suppressing the urge to scream from my stomach—

"Henry, you're licking blood off a knife's edge."

"With the trust of our allies collapsing, who will still cooperate with us?"

"They keep talking about the new American voters, but what about the polls?"

"—70% support aid! Are you going to hold the entire country hostage for the sake of a small group of extremists?!"

Henry naturally wouldn't accept a charge that was practically tantamount to treason.

He looked at the young bureau chief beside him; he knew what he was going to do.

Although the bureau chief was young, he adopted a tone of earnest persuasion: "No offense intended, but your approval rating in swing states is beyond just plummeting..."

"Your Excellency, I am also responsible for the security of the new America—I've heard that you bypassed Congress and privately pledged aid to our allies?"

"If the evidence is conclusive..."

Miles's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out of his throat...

"What do you want?"

The bureau chief glanced uneasily at the speaker beside him.

“Speaker Henry will initiate hearings according to procedure…the people have the right to know the truth.”

Miles chuckled coldly upon hearing this.

She then tossed the documents in front of her onto the table beside her.

"Richard."

"Threatening oversight? It seems your only goal is to paralyze the government?"

Richard's face darkened. "I didn't say that, Your Excellency. For reasons of national security, you need to pay attention to the potential problems this may bring."

Miles slowly walked out from behind the desk and gently leaned against the front edge of the desk.

It seemed to be telling the two people that she was still there.

"A piece of advice for Henry and for you."

"Either submit it for a vote next week, or I'll veto your outrageous domestic bill..."

"The public will see who is creating the crisis."

There was a long silence.

The atmosphere in the presidential office was like being filled with Arctic ice and snow.

"Alright, Your Excellency."

Henry shrugged. Things had come to this; they were now enemies…

"Then let's see who has the best skills. Remember—the election is coming soon, and you need more than just foreign aid from Congress. As for the government shutdown, let's see who the voters pin the blame on."

The door was pushed open by the assistant.

Miles looked up at the ceiling, his eyes closed, his eyelids twitching.

"Did Lucas fail?"

Henry, that old dog, sensed something was wrong; it was obviously a problem with military technology.

After hesitating.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Miles slowly opened his eyes.

The flags of the new America were displayed on either side of the magnificent gate, and she seemed to want to memorize every detail of these flags.

The world of power behind the flag is so fascinating…

Even with her legs broken and crippled, she was still tempted to think about how to keep the chair she was sitting on.

No amount of sacrifice is too much for this!
……

……

(End of this chapter)