Chapter 502: Did I get up too fast this morning?

White building, inside the oval office.
“You…you’re serious?”
John’s face was filled with astonishment, as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable.
He looked at the old man before him, who had once vowed to fight Fang Huan’s investment to the bitter end, but now seemed somewhat forlorn, and for a moment he didn’t know how to respond.
“My mind is made up.” Aiden’s tone was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable resolve.
This president of the United States, who once wanted to devour Fang Huan alive, was now saying he would “stand with Fang Huan and move forward hand in hand”?!
“But…but!” Aiden’s sudden change of heart caused John’s brain to freeze.
Was he out of bed this morning?
This script isn’t right!
This turn of events was so abrupt, even the fastest driver on Mount Akina would crash!
“I know what you’re thinking,”
A bitter, self-deprecating smile flashed in Aiden’s cloudy eyes. He waved his hand, as if trying to dispel some unbearable memory.
“I know my political life is coming to an end.
If I hadn’t been so foolish as to provoke Fang Huan, that plague, my term would have been smooth sailing, perhaps even leaving a glorious mark on history.
But now, as you see, the era of our Democratic Party… is over.”
He paused, his voice lowering further.
“And all of this is the price of defying Fang Huan!”
To prolong his life, he even feigned madness, playing the role of an elderly person with dementia, just hoping to peacefully pass the time until the end of his term.
But the earth-shattering “natural disaster” in Turkey completely sobered him up.
He realized that in the face of such absolute power that crushed all living beings, all his cleverness and acting skills were nothing but childish tricks, utterly ridiculous.
“You’ve heard about what happened in Turkey, haven’t you?” Aiden asked.
“Yes, Mr. Aiden. A massive earthquake wiped out the joint investigation team we sent here… completely.”
“Completely wiped out? Ha…that’s not what the media says.” Aiden laughed, a laugh filled with sorrow and irony.
“They’re showering Fanghuan Investment with praise!
They’re praising them for ‘choosing to take full responsibility despite an unfair investigation’;
They’re praising their ‘noble character’ in providing exorbitant compensation to the families of all the victims, calling them paragons of corporate conscience, beacons of humanitarianism!
Social media is awash with condemnation, everyone is cursing our stupidity, saying that our reckless actions killed so many innocent people and cost the great Fanghuan Investment so much money, and everyone’s sending 'sympathy' messages to Fanghuan!”
This world has gone completely mad!
The entire public opinion sphere has become Fanghuan’s puppet; they make the public think whatever they want.
With a single twist of the clock, even black can be turned into white.
“And in the future, this situation will only worsen.”
Aiden’s eyes dimmed as he looked out the window.
“They’ve even swallowed a behemoth like Disney; they’re planning to start from childhood, brainwashing the next generation prematurely.
So that from birth, they’ll live in the world Fang Huan has created.”
“…” John fell silent.
Because it was the truth.
And no one could stop it.
In this day and age, anyone who dares to criticize Fang Huan's investments in the slightest will immediately be labeled a "madman" or a "conspiracy theorist" and subjected to online harassment by millions.
Even that last line of defense, Lina, the anti-monopoly bureau chief known as the "Iron Lady," resigned after being discharged from the hospital.
While it's called resigning to take responsibility, everyone knows she was utterly terrified and fled overnight.
“Fang Huan knows that I was the one who ultimately approved this operation behind the scenes,” Aiden’s voice rang out softly.
“No, perhaps… they knew from the beginning that I would do this.
My clumsy acting as a senile old man is probably no different from a clown’s act in their eyes.”
“You…are you afraid of their retaliation?”
“Of course!” Aiden admitted frankly.
“They can already completely paralyze my government, turning it into a vegetative regime.
What do you think will happen if they take one more step?”
John’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he uttered two words with difficulty: “Impeachment…?”
“That’s right. Even if I’m a vegetative president, I want to leave this stage with dignity.” Aiden sighed deeply.
“Not to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame!”
This was his bottom line.
For an old-school politician like him who valued his reputation more than life itself, “impeachment” was the ultimate humiliation, more terrifying than death!
After all, in the history of the United States, no president had ever been successfully impeached and removed from office.
He'd rather die than become that "first person in history" nailed to the pillar of shame!
"Those Communist guys are clamoring to impeach me every day.
But everyone knows it's just a political performance, a means to completely paralyze my government. Nobody really thinks it will succeed."
Aiden's tone shifted. "But... what if Fang Huan wants it to succeed?"
"..." John instantly understood.
"I know you've been frequently contacting various factions within the Communist Party and our Democratic Party lately, 'building relationships' everywhere."
"Mr. Aiden, those are just... routine meetings!" John hurriedly explained.
"No need for acting in front of me, John," Aiden interrupted him.
"Perhaps it's a routine meeting for you. But those you meet don't see it that way.
Nobody sees you as my former secretary-general; they only see you as—an envoy sent by Fang Huan Investment!"
Cold sweat beaded on John's forehead.
Aiden was right.
In fact, even without instructions from Fang Huan's headquarters, he was desperately expanding his network.
Because an invisible fear constantly loomed over him:
On Fang Huan's behemoth, the slightest lapse could mean being thrown into the deep sea as a pawn!
"I heard you're inviting some people to join a certain...group?"
"Ah, that's..."
"That group, can I join?"
John's expression froze instantly, as if he had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world:
"Mr. Aiden, you want to join?"
"Yes, I want to join." Aiden's eyes were unusually firm.
"That group, it was founded with Fang Huan's investment, right?"
"Joining there means I'll get Fang Huan's protection, right?"
"Theoretically... that's right, but..."
"No buts. Tell me, what's the name of that group?"
John hesitated for a moment, then finally answered in a low voice:
"The Trinity Guild."
"Ha, good heavens, that name sounds like a conspiracy theory."
Aiden chuckled, "Is Su Hao the leader?"
"Su Hao is at the headquarters in Xia Country, and there's a branch in M ​​Country, led by... the Minister of Commerce."
"Damn it! Even he's Fang Huan's man?
No, now we should be asking, who isn't Fang Huan's man!"
Aiden shook his head and asked again solemnly,
"Never mind all that, I'm just asking you, can I join?"
"If... I introduce you to the Minister of Commerce, it should be feasible."
"But there's one condition."
"A condition?" Aiden took a deep breath.
"Tell me, whatever the condition, I'm prepared."
"Mr. President, um…you…" John's expression turned strange, he hesitated.
Aden's mind flashed through countless scenes from movies and novels.
These mysterious secret societies always hold some kind of ritual when accepting new members.
And this one before him was a behemoth far more terrifying than any organization depicted in literature!
The ritual must be wilder, more brutal!
But whatever the condition, he would accept it!
Even if it meant selling his soul to the devil, signing a contract with his own blood, he…was willing!
John took a deep breath, and with an extremely complex expression, a mixture of embarrassment and seriousness, cautiously asked:
"You…do you play video games?"
"...Huh?"