My teacher is Bruce Lee, who dominated Hollywood.

Chapter 187 The Feast is About to Begin

Three full days had passed since Qin Han handed the land deed and cash promissory note to General Samuel.

Over the course of those three days, the entire outside world was thrown into utter chaos and panic by the US president's resignation.

The stock market on Wall Street plummeted, countless people watched on television and lashed out at politicians in Washington, as if the entire United States was shrouded in a thick gloom.

Qin Han's super account has already started buying. Although the broker thinks it's a bit too early to buy at the bottom, the client has already made it clear: he just needs to execute the orders, and he's happy to have some free time.

This is certainly not about exploiting the market. Qin Han is very clear that once Nixon's successor takes office, he will sacrifice his own political future to quickly restore market confidence!

What a kind person!

On the evening of the third day, an unusual noise suddenly came from outside the welfare home.

The first person to enter the room was General Bill, who had taken off his military uniform and put on a gray civilian uniform.

This powerful figure in the Pentagon turned slightly to the side, naturally giving up half a body space to leave the central position to the person behind him.

A slightly hunched figure appeared before Qin Han: Richard Nixon strode in.

Without the entourage of Secret Service agents or the frenzied flashing of cameras, this elderly man, who had just lost his throne of supreme power, appeared in a veterans' ward in Hawaii that didn't even have air conditioning.

He was wearing a dark blue suit, and his makeup had been completely removed, revealing deep nasolabial folds and heavy dark circles under his eyes.

However, a sharp edge still lingered in those eyes: a shrewdness and depth honed after more than half a century of fighting in Washington.

General Bill glanced at Samuel, the two old acquaintances nodded to each other, and walked out of the room together, closing the heavy wooden door behind them.

Nixon's gaze fell on Qin Han, his eyes filled with complex and unfathomable emotions.

"In the Oval Office, I looked at the internal reports from the FBI and CIA and pictured you countless times in my mind."

"A down-on-his-luck martial arts instructor who taught boxing in the slums suddenly transformed himself, not only manipulating those Jewish moguls in Hollywood, but also stirring up quite a storm in Washington."

Nixon pulled over a folding chair that originally belonged to the nurse and sat down without any hesitation: "Today, I finally saw with my own eyes the ghost that caused this series of major events."

Facing one of the most powerful people on Earth, Qin Han took a deep breath and picked up two glasses from the small wooden table beside him: "You overestimate me, Mr. President. Please allow me to continue using this title."

Qin Han handed one of the glasses of water to Nixon: "There are no ghosts, just a small boat in the tide of time."

"Many things are just a matter of chance, and I just happened to be there at the right time."

"coincide?"

Nixon picked up the glass of ice water but didn't drink it. He stared at the ice cubes swaying in the glass and let out a low laugh.

"Young man, when you use the word 'coincidence' in front of politicians, it's tantamount to insulting their intelligence."

"Was the C4 bombing at the Oscars a coincidence? Was the Boeing plane that attempted to crash into the White House a coincidence? Or was it also a coincidence that you happened to have a fully armed, even more lethal than the Special Service's Asian security team on that flight?"

Nixon's fingers tightened on the glass: "We don't need to play these pointless word games anymore. If it weren't for your meticulously planned, 'coincidental' hijacking, which slapped the label of national hero on my head—"

The old man's chest heaved violently: "When that tape recording how I covered up Watergate was made public, I wasn't facing a resignation speech, but rather the cold handcuffs of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia!"

Qin Han watched quietly as the other man vented his anger until Nixon's emotions calmed down slightly. Only then did he slowly pick up his glass of water and take a small sip.

"Go to jail?" He put the water glass back on the table and met Nixon's gaze. "You and I both know very well that that's simply impossible."

Nixon's brows furrowed instantly.

"No matter how much the media fanned the flames, no matter how fiercely the Democrats in Congress clamored, it was all just a political show put on for the grassroots voters."

"The United States of America absolutely cannot afford to see a former president appear on television in prison clothes and shackles."

"That would completely destroy the country's image as a beacon in the global arena and cause the entire Western world's belief system to collapse."

"You have absolutely no need to worry about jail time. The first thing your successor will do after taking office will be to sign a general pardon."

"Bang!" Nixon slammed the glass in his hand onto the table, splashing water everywhere and wetting his suit sleeves.

This seasoned politician, who had weathered countless storms, could no longer maintain his solemn dignity.

He stared intently at Qin Han, as if he wanted to cut open the young man's skull to see what was inside.

"How did you guess that?"

Nixon lowered his voice considerably: "This decision is currently known to no more than three people. It's top secret, and there's absolutely no way it could be leaked!"

Faced with the other party's almost interrogative tone, Qin Han remained calm and instead laughed: "There's no need for any information leaks, because your resignation speech itself is the best proof."

"The transfer of power is never so smooth. A president who controls the world's most powerful military will not voluntarily step down unless he has reached some kind of absolutely secure deal."

"If you don't reach an agreement with the interest groups that want to bring you down, what awaits the United States is an endless struggle between the two factions."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, yet every word was piercing: "The animosity between the two parties will escalate indefinitely, Congress will be completely paralyzed, and the entire machinery of the state will grind to a halt. It will be an internal conflict even more terrible than the Vietnam War."

The air in the ward seemed to freeze, with only the old electric fan overhead still spinning tirelessly.

After a long while.

"Hahahaha—" Nixon suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh that carried a sense of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

His maniacal laughter.

He laughed as he pulled a clean white handkerchief from the inside pocket of his suit and wiped the water droplets that had splashed onto the back of his hand.

"Now I finally understand why you were able to create so many incredible 'coincidences.'"

"You possess a terrifying intuition that transcends age and experience; I can't think of any other reason why you could be so certain."

He put the handkerchief back in his pocket, completely relaxed, and naturally leaned back in his chair.

"That's right. Before I gave my resignation speech, Ford, the old guys who call the shots in the Democratic Party, and I had already reached a tacit understanding."

As a leading figure in the Democratic Party, Ford clearly played a crucial balancing role in this deal.

"If this endless tearing apart continues, America is doomed." Nixon's tone carried a rare hint of seriousness. "Wall Street is bleeding, people are protesting in the streets, and the morale of the military has plummeted. If we continue to fight over those damn tapes in the Oval Office, the entire country will collapse from within."

He turned his head, glanced at the clear blue sky outside the window, and his voice became incredibly deep: "Ford was a great man, at least—in this respect, he was greater than me. He was willing to take on this mess, willing to bear the wrath of the entire nation by pardoning me, a sinner."

"He knew very well that signing that pardon was tantamount to declaring that he had personally buried his hopes of re-election, but he did it anyway. He was willing to trade his political future for a chance for this society to regain stability."

"Because we all know very well that on the other side of the Iron Curtain, that covetous giant is watching our every move with wide eyes."

"The KGB and the Kremlin dream of seeing America mired in a civil war. If we show even the slightest weakness or division, they will seize this golden opportunity to pounce and tear us apart!"

Qin Han sighed softly: Yes, all those talk about freedom and judicial fairness in the media have to give way when it comes to the core interests of the United States, which involve its survival and hegemony.

He listened quietly without interrupting.

Because he knew that Nixon had traveled all the way to this dilapidated nursing home in Hawaii to reveal these top-secret deals that could upend American society, not to find an audience to confide in.

Every time a politician makes an appearance, it is inevitably accompanied by extremely clear interests.

As expected, after a brief moment of reflection, the former president quickly composed himself and reverted to his shrewd politician persona.

He tapped his cane lightly on the ground twice: "My era has ended, Qin."

"With my departure, the entire Washington and the entire cabinet will inevitably undergo a complete reshuffle and restructuring."

"Those old zombies who once sheltered Japanese zaibatsu and took bribes from the Seiran-kai will inevitably face a fierce backlash from the military and new interest groups."

"But a power vacuum cannot last forever. When the old vicious dogs fall, new wolves will inevitably rush in to seize the territory."

He smiled at the young man before him: "This is a crisis, but also a feast that comes only once every few decades. You have wealth, but lack connections; however, you are lucky to have won the friendship of the powerful military faction represented by Bill."

He spoke in a highly seductive tone, enunciating each word carefully: "Can you seize this once-in-a-lifetime period of power reshuffling and deeply embed your roots in the earth of this country—"

"From now on, you and your Hollywood empire will be able to rest easy in America, without ever having to worry about the covetous eyes of any politicians or powerful figures. It's all up to you."

"Because of the previous severance, if they fall, my life might not be so comfortable. I'll use this advice to ensure a worry-free life for the rest of my days."

"I should start writing a memoir about myself —"

It was a deal, and a dangerous gift, but the former president's words made Qin Han realize that this was an unprecedented opportunity!

This president, who had just stepped down from power, could never have imagined that a few months later, a catastrophe capable of destroying the entire existing economic order would sweep across the globe!

Meanwhile, the newly rich in Washington who have just finished the reshuffling and taken their seats in the cabinet will face a dead end that is a hundred times more desperate than Watergate—they can't find oil!

In this darkest hour when even the national machinery cannot resolve the energy crisis, if someone could break through the blockade imposed by Arab countries and continuously transport that vital lifeline of oil to American ports—

If one's "shadow fleet" can appear on the horizon like a savior at the very peak of the crisis.

Therefore, he doesn't need to curry favor with or bribe those high-ranking cabinet officials at all.

At that time, those politicians who hold the power of life and death will frantically rush to him for cooperation in order to keep their official positions and quell the riots of the people!

Most of the cabinet members would be more than willing to become Qin Han's helpers, or even become watchdogs for Han's Film Company in Washington!

What are those Wall Street vampires?

When he holds the reins of this nation’s energy lifeline, he is the rule itself.

Qin Han picked up the glass of ice water and drank it all in one gulp; the cold liquid forcibly suppressed his boiling blood.

"Thank you for your advice, Mr. President. I will certainly attend this grand event in Washington on time."

The meeting is over.

As General Bill escorted Nixon out of the dilapidated welfare home and into the Hawaiian night, Qin Han stood alone at the end of the medical ward corridor, looking out at the deep Pacific Ocean.

The sea breeze whipped up the waves, creating a roaring sound.

The Greek underground shipping route provided by Marlon Brando seems poised to be activated soon. This seemingly insignificant move, originally intended to pressure Japan, is about to become the fulcrum for shifting global hegemony.

Less than three months remain until the outbreak of the Fourth Middle East War.

Qin Han slowly clenched his fists at his sides, his knuckles making a slight cracking sound.

Time is of the essence; conventional negotiations and procurement are simply not enough. It seems that the process of forming the "shadow fleet" must be accelerated at all costs.

Even if it means squandering every penny of Hans Film Company's accounts, even if it means resorting to the most barbaric underground methods.

This batch of supertankers must all be in place before October!