1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

"But, my friend, don't be too superstitious about so-called 'procedural justice,' and don't be too superstitious that the law can solve all problems. Overemphasizing these things will eventually kill many people. 'Procedural corruption' is far more terrifying than ordinary corruption."

"Procedural corruption...what does that mean?"

"Take your time to think about it, young man. When you figure it out, come to me and I'll tell you how I beat up those bastards in Mississippi."

"...Mr. Hammer, what exactly does Senator Long mean?"

"Take your time to think about it. When you figure it out, come to me and I'll tell you how I dealt with those KKK bastards in Oklahoma."

“? ? ? ”

The assassination of Huey and this minor incident in the handover of work did not affect the continued progress of the "Texas Purge".

Hammer and Ness quickly set up a joint investigation command in Austin and took over Huey's previous work.

Hammer, stationed in the rear, used his rich political experience and legal connections to frequently meet with judges, bar representatives, and business leaders in Texas who had not yet been affected, in order to calm people's hearts, coordinate relations among all parties, and divide potential resistance alliances.

Ness, like a sword unsheathed, led his special investigation team, which was composed of former members of the "Chicago Untouchables" as the core, supplemented by NGW and police elites, and began a vigorous but extremely standardized investigation.

Although they still adhered to the classic "Four Rules" and were still ruthless, their actions differed greatly from those during Huey Long's time in detail:

For example, unless the subject of the investigation is a flight risk or there is clear evidence, a formal subpoena is generally issued rather than a direct arrest as was done during the Huey era;

For example, the suspect's right to hire a lawyer and have a lawyer present is strictly protected. All formal and critical questioning is conducted under the supervision of a lawyer, with detailed records taken and signed for confirmation.

For example, under Hammer's instruction, the investigation team regularly released information on the progress of each case to the media, informing them of the key evidence they had obtained and the direction of the prosecution, emphasizing that everything was based on "irrefutable facts" and "rigorous legal procedures";

Hammer even arranged several "compliance inspections" of the "reflection point," inviting media and Texas representatives to visit and demonstrate that it "complies with detention standards" and "protects the basic rights of those under investigation."

Although the people in the "reflection point" and those who should have gone in but have not yet gone in are still in a state of panic, this "impartial" and rigorous style of work has been extremely effective in easing the tense atmosphere in Texas.

First, for ordinary Texans and Texas officials who have not been corrupt, the anxiety has indeed been greatly alleviated.

After the assassination, Texas, which had just gradually turned towards the Federation because Springfield personally led the NGW disaster relief, fell into panic again.

Doesn't Ms. Field think this is Texans "resisting divine authority"? Doesn't the federal government start killing indiscriminately because of this assassination?

Could it be that the new presidential envoy is thinking of "turning the Texas bureaucracy upside down"?

As such.

Fortunately, Hammer and Ness did not do so. Instead, they acted as if "we are the embodiment of the law and will never act recklessly", which quickly calmed the hearts of these irrelevant people who were "far away from political turmoil".

Secondly, this approach has successfully separated middle and low-level personnel who have been involved in the case but whose crimes are relatively minor from the targets of crackdown.

When they saw that the investigation team was not arresting people indiscriminately, that trials relied on evidence, that sentencing standards were clear, and that Hammer had released a signal that "cooperation could lead to leniency," they gave up resistance or concealment, began to actively cooperate with the investigation, and provided clues, hoping to be given a lighter sentence or cleared of suspicion.

As a result, the core diehards in Texas and the masterminds behind the scenes discovered to their horror that their pressure suddenly increased to an unbearable level!

Because the complete surrender of ordinary people and the middle and lower classes not only accelerated the acquisition of evidence of their crimes, but also eliminated them from the concept of "all Texans"!

In the past, they could incite ordinary people to join the riot by attacking Huey Long for "procedural injustice," "expansion of the purge," and "harming innocent people in Texas."

But now, the "fragmented investigation" is like a precise surgical scalpel, peeling off their "protective layer" bit by bit. If this continues, they will sooner or later be completely exposed to the sunlight. When that happens, they will only face disgrace, a long prison sentence, or even the death penalty!

Damn Hammer and Ness, they look gentle, but they are more troublesome than that mad dog Huey!

"We can't wait any longer! We must launch a counterattack immediately!" If we don't fight back, we will surely die, and we will surely die slowly;

Fight back, and you might win, and you might scare off these bastards who are "destroying the stability and harmony of Texas";

Even if I die, I'll die happily! If that's the case, then what are we waiting for?

Get started!

Force them to lose their minds, force them to attack the entire state of Texas indiscriminately, and force them to stir up civil unrest in the South!

Those behind the scenes quickly reached a consensus:

Let me show you what the Texans are capable of!

618 Dog Jumps Over the Wall Attack and Defense

Early in the morning in downtown Austin, the street in front of the hotel where the investigation team's temporary headquarters was located was very quiet.

An ordinary-looking black Ford Model B pickup truck slowly drove up and stopped on the side of the road about twenty yards from the hotel gate. The driver got out of the car and walked into a nearby grocery store as if nothing had happened.

A few minutes later, one of Ness's right-hand men, the young and capable prosecutor Martin Lahart, walked out of the hotel door with four NGW guards, preparing to go to the court to submit copies of a batch of key evidence.

They walked towards the Chevrolet sedan parked on the side of the road for the investigation team. Just as Martin opened the door and got into the back seat, the Ford pickup truck suddenly exploded, instantly turning into a huge fireball!

The violent shockwave, carrying with it shards of blazing metal, broken glass, and burning gasoline, swept across the surroundings like the Grim Reaper's scythe. All the glass windows facing the street were shattered, and the fragments rained down like hail. In an instant, the streets were filled with billowing smoke, flames shot up into the sky, and screams and cries echoed one after another!

The investigation team's car was instantly overturned by the shock wave, the doors were twisted and deformed, the windows were shattered, one of the four guards was killed and three were injured, and Martin himself was injured in the explosion and fainted.

But this was only the most spectacular of all the attacks—because within just one day, in Austin alone, there were several attacks or death threats against the investigation team, NGW, and related personnel!

"Damn it! Mr. Hammer! Mr. Ness! They're declaring war! We must fight back!"

Martin Lahat slammed the table angrily. The wound on his head split open, blood seeping from the gauze. The pain made his expression twisted like a devil:

"Let's go and wipe out the lair of those scumbags! I know there are a few suspicious villas! Don't worry, I will never kill them!"

Others shouted indignantly, "Yes! Mr. Ness! Do it!"

"This is no ordinary rebellion! We must strike hard!" "Call in the tanks and blow them all up!"

The experiences of Martin and his fellow attacked companions made everyone feel a sense of shared hatred for the enemy.

Although they were lucky this time and no core members of the investigation team died, more than a dozen people, including the young men protecting NGW, police officers, and innocent people, were killed or injured!

Therefore, not only them, but also the commanders of NGW strongly demanded more radical retaliatory measures, expanding the search scope, implementing military control over certain "high-risk areas", and even proposing "blood for blood, tooth for tooth".

As the commander-in-chief of the operation, Ness's face turned grim, and he rarely rebuked his subordinates for their "lawless" remarks.

The shooting incident just now was still fresh in my mind, and the cut on my back caused by the glass was still aching.

If the NGW guards hadn't been sufficiently alert, Ness and his core team members might have been wiped out. This was truly crossing Ness's line - when they dealt with Al Capone back then, the enemy didn't resort to such despicable means, at most using threats and bribery!

And what about these rampant gangsters in Austin?

Each terrorist attack took place in full view of the public, in public places, and was a naked provocation—to destroy the core strength of the investigation team, to create the greatest degree of terror and chaos, and to undermine the confidence of all those who dared to follow Hammer and Ness!

If you don't fight back fiercely, it will only make the other party more arrogant!

But the "President's Special Envoy" Hammer was unusually calm. He touched the bulletproof glass in his office that had nearly been shattered by a sniper rifle and asked softly:

"Elliot, do you remember our first conversation? Do you remember why Ms. Field chose us?"

Ness took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his boiling anger, and nodded. "I remember it clearly. Please rest assured, Mr. Hammer, I haven't lost my mind."

"That's good...everyone!"

Hammer stood up, glanced at the core members of the investigation team in the room, and said in a firm voice:

"Now is the time to test our faith!"

"Why did those bastards attack us so frantically? Because they were scared! They were afraid that our 'playing by the rules' approach would completely crush them!"

"They want to provoke us, to make us retaliate against them recklessly and frantically, to expand our attack, to muddy the waters, to drag us into an indiscriminate melee! Only by doing so can they coerce more people into fear!"

"If we abandon the rules now and mobilize the NGW to conduct indiscriminate raids or even military operations, we will become thugs like them, and we will lose!"

"The moral high ground Ms. Field has given us will collapse! Ordinary Texans who have just begun to believe in the law and procedures will fall into panic again! The purge will get out of control!"

"Therefore, we must adhere to the rules more than ever! The attack is a criminal case, so we must follow criminal procedures! Hand it over to the NGW Violent Crime Investigation Team! Apply for the highest level arrest warrant! Request more support from Washington!"

"We can participate moderately, but our core mission remains investigating the collusion between officials and businesses, corruption, and malfeasance in Texas! Not only must this investigation not stop, but it must also be more efficient and more precise!"

"We will use ironclad evidence and watertight procedures to tell everyone, including those hiding in the shadows, that violence cannot scare the law, and madness will only hasten their demise!"

"

Ness was silent for a few seconds, the anger in his eyes gradually replaced by a colder determination. He adjusted his suit and tie and ordered Rahat:

"Martin, notify all team members that the security level has been raised to the highest level. However, our core mission remains unchanged. All actions must strictly adhere to established procedures and authorizations. Simply cooperate with NGW in investigating the attack and do not let the attack distract you!"

"...yes!"

Ness's team left. Hammer looked at the security measures downstairs that had been strengthened several times. Having experienced many political turmoil, he sighed inwardly.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that attacking the investigation team was a blunder of utter folly. Killing Ness and Hammer would surely convince President Field and Washington to surrender.

Even in my dreams I know it's impossible!

Not only will they not back down, on the contrary, they will only send more and tougher investigation teams, vowing to turn the entire state of Texas upside down!

Even if the South rebelled, so what? At worst, it would just be another Civil War! This time, the South would lose even more miserably than the last time!

Well, even if the Texas rednecks can't see this, they are desperate and will do anything to avoid it, which does explain their madness;

But how do we explain the apparent rationality, organization, and premeditation of these attacks?

Crazy yet calm?

Putting all that aside, how could Texas, a state that had been decimated to such an extent that even the governor and his wife were killed without a burial place, still have such a fierce resistance?

Are you underestimating Huey's cleaning abilities?

Something is wrong, nine out of ten times something is wrong.

There must be a conspiracy behind this matter. It shouldn't be that simple.

However, Hammer couldn't figure it out for a while, so he decided to just stay the same in the face of change!

The air in Texas was still thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, but the headquarters of the investigation team commanded by Hammer and Ness was like a strange rock in the eye of the storm, stubbornly maintaining an almost rigid order.

The cleanup of the explosion site is still ongoing, with NGW engineers and local firefighters searching for possible clues and belongings of the victims among the rubble and charred car wreckage;

Although the atmosphere in the investigation team was solemn, it was not desperate or furious. Hammer and Ness even rejected the suggestion of moving the office to a safer but more closed military base, insisting on staying where they were - this in itself was a statement and declaration.

Therefore, contrary to the expectations of all "Texans", after a series of clearly targeted terrorist attacks, the FBI's response was incredibly "calm"!

Originally, everyone thought that since things had come to this point, Hammer and his men would have retaliated on a large scale. Many smart people even went out to buy things immediately after the attack, preparing for a long-term city-wide curfew.

In fact, there have been some rumors circulating since the attack:

"The federal envoy is going to massacre Austin!" "NGW is going to enter the city and kill people!"

"Texas is going independent!"

If it weren't for Springfield's previous experience leading disaster relief efforts, which led to NGW's ridiculously good reputation in Texas, widespread panic and riots would have probably occurred long ago.

However, the people's expectation of the army entering the city and conducting a large-scale search did not happen.

The number of NGW soldiers has indeed increased. They are patrolling everywhere with live ammunition and setting up checkpoints and roadblocks at headquarters, courthouses, and key intersections. However, their actions have been remarkably restrained—they have basically only set up cordons around the attack sites and have been very gentle with the crowds.

"This is routine security. Please cooperate with us. Our goal is to protect everyone's safety and track down the attackers. We will not interfere with your daily lives."

Among all the armed forces in the United States, perhaps only the Springfield NGW can do this. If it were any other unit, even if they didn't "keep their weapons for three days", they would have "emptied the magazine" long ago.

In addition, Hammer also publicly broadcast a speech to Austin and the entire state of Texas, which mainly included the following:

"What Texas needs now is calm and unity, not suspicion and division... Federal forces are here to eliminate corruption, restore order, and protect the rights and interests of all law-abiding citizens of Texas..."

"The federal government will never back down from a terrorist attack, nor will it vent its anger on innocent citizens of Austin and the people of Texas... The investigation team will continue its work within the legal framework..."

"Please fully cooperate with the state police and militia, increase street patrols, and calm the public... We need the eyes and ears of the people of Texas to help fight this small group of criminals who are trying to use violence to hold the entire state hostage and undermine the federal government, and work together to maintain peace on this land..."

, 3

The people's hearts were settled again - ordinary "presidential envoys" certainly did not have such prestige and persuasiveness, but "Ms. Field's envoy" could.

As a result, the panic caused by the fear of "unprovoked disasters" among ordinary citizens, small businessmen, and farmers who were originally pro-federal, or at least did not oppose the federal government's policies, was slightly relieved.

Not only that, a considerable number of residents began to respond to the call of the investigation team, actively patrolling the streets and being alert to all suspicious people and events around them. They did not seek to really catch a few attackers, but at least to make the attackers restrain themselves and not dare to be so blatant.

After all, no one wants explosions or deaths to happen around them every other day.

The prototype and power of the "people's war" gradually became apparent - a few grassroots attackers who were dissatisfied with the new policies were actually discovered by the public during their attacks and forced to flee in panic!

So, in the shadows of the city, the rebel leaders who planned the attack felt a chill through and through.

The damned Hammer and Ness still didn't take the bait. No matter how frantically you attacked, you just followed your own rhythm, using the scalpel of the law to cut into their organization bit by bit, disintegrating their foundation. You even mobilized ordinary Texans to help the investigation team catch the attackers!

damn it!

damn it!

Some Texans were furious, but other Texans sneered, "Is that all you can do?"

"What else can you do, Jew?"

"...There are two options. The first is to ignore the investigation team and the people and continue the attack. Anyone who dares to interfere with our attack or join the investigation team will be killed..."

"How dare you!"