Chapter 604: The Best Poison to Blind Reason

Country M, Presidential Office.
"What did you say? Someone's trying to sabotage Fang Huan's insurance business?"
The BD President, fresh from being forced into a second term and utterly fed up with this "glamorous prison," listened to his aides' report...
He nearly spat out his coffee, a strange, exasperated expression on his face.
"Are these bastards tired of living? Or have they lost their minds? Do they even know what they're doing?
Of all the people they could target, why did they have to provoke Fang Huan's investment?"
"Yes, Mr. President.
According to intelligence, the Insurance Industry Association is throwing money around on Capitol Hill, handing it out to anyone, party affiliation, reportedly having already bribed a number of members of Congress.
The goal is singular—to join forces and cripple Fang Huan's insurance business, preventing it from setting foot in the US market."
Could it be that even now, there are still fools on this planet who haven't grasped the forbidden power represented by the name "Fang Huan"?
It was utterly absurdly foolish.
His aide sighed and said with a wry smile,
“Mr. President, this… you can’t entirely blame them for being stubborn.
After all, the Insurance Association is their biggest financial backer; whether it’s campaign funds or private ‘political donations,’ it’s an astronomical sum.
Now that their financial backer is in trouble, refusing… is indeed a bit difficult for them.”
“So, this was actually a choice?”
President BD’s lips twitched, his tone filled with pity for these idiots.
“On one side is a financial backer who will cut off your source of income; on the other side is ‘Fanghuan Investment,’ which can wipe you off the face of the earth.
These morons actually chose the former?”
The answer was self-evident.
Money, indeed, is the best poison to cloud judgment.
The salaries Congress pays its members are certainly enough for them to live a decent life.
But compared to the "donations" casually tossed out by financial giants, it's a drop in the ocean.
Who could resist a bribe that could instantly make you financially free?
“Alright,” President BD rubbed his temples, seemingly already anticipating a bloody storm.
“Tell me, how exactly are they operating?”
“Mainly, it's about the licenses. You know, to open an insurance company in the US, you have to get a license from each state's regulatory department.
Without the state regulatory department's approval, nobody can open for business.
Right now, the Insurance Association has mobilized their network, lobbying like crazy with money.
Currently, only a handful of states have approved Fang Huan's application; the vast majority have rejected it for various absurd reasons.”
“Is the Insurance Association behind all this?”
“Yes, Mr. President.
The insurance cartel, while not as all-encompassing as the financial giants on Wall Street, is still a deeply entrenched network.
If Fang Huan's investment comes in, it's like a prehistoric crocodile jumping into a goldfish pond; the entire industry will be turned upside down.
They'll fight tooth and nail to keep this crocodile out.”
BD, of course, knew all about this.
If Fanghuan Investment were to venture into the insurance industry, it would undoubtedly employ disruptive tactics.
Their foray into the insurance sector is nothing short of a shocking move.
The talk of "caring for the vulnerable" and "filling social security loopholes" sounds more compassionate than a priest in a church.
But to discerning observers, this rhetoric is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing, preparing to use the gentlest knife to carve out the fattest prey.
Moreover, Fang Huan's style has always been bloody and brutal, devoid of any martial ethics.
Even more astounding is that Fang Huan's public relations strategy has evolved to a level incomprehensible to ordinary people.
To promote their new business, they even went so far as to "physically exorcise" the CEO of a rival insurance company!
This kind of publicity is a masterful exercise in violent aesthetics, sending chills down the spines of all their competitors.
"Have you found any clues in that assassination case?" President BD suddenly asked.
"The Insurance Association and the FBI practically turned the world upside down, digging every inch of the earth for evidence, trying to pin this crime on Fang Huan.
But... nothing.
The scene was spotless, as if wiped clean by a god; not a single trace connected to Fang Huan could be found."
BD wasn't surprised at all by this result.
Of course, their opponent was Fang Huan!
That's a behemoth who can manipulate the president of the United States like a pawn; would they let you find even the slightest incriminating evidence?
"What about the killer? Did they get him to talk?"
"His mouth is tighter than a safe.
During the interrogation, when the agents subtly asked about Fang Huan's investments, he gave them a 'are you crazy?' look.
He said he completely didn't understand why they should connect him with that great charitable company; his eyes were like he was looking at a bunch of idiots."
"Really not even the slightest clue?" BD asked incredulously.
“Yes, Mr. President. They checked, and that guy hasn't even used any of Fanghuan Group's social media accounts. He's as clean as a caveman.”
President BD couldn't help but sigh.
Impeccable execution, severing all ties—that's definitely Fanghuan Investment's style.
“What about the trial? How's it being arranged?”
“The Insurance Association can't wait any longer. They're using their connections to pressure the Department of Justice, demanding special treatment, a lightning-fast trial.
The verdict will be delivered as early as next week.”
This is practically a spectacle in judicial history.
A murder case, from arrest to trial and sentencing, has only taken a little over a week.
Normally, the court schedule is packed like an emperor's harem; it would take at least half a year to get a turn.
But this time, the murderer was barely out of the loop before the court rushed to trial. The efficiency was so fast one might think the judges were all on drugs.
The reason is simple: the Insurance Association is scared.
They feared that further media coverage of the murderer would transform him from a criminal into a Robin Hood-like figure, a Robin Hood-like hero who robbed the rich to help the poor.
This would ignite the anger of many, ultimately backfiring on them.
"I heard that the executives at those insurance companies deleted their profiles and photos from the internet overnight?"
"Yes, completely. But the real masterminds behind this cartel have never disclosed their information."
The so-called "list of executives" circulating online are, at best, just a bunch of high-level employees.
Even if someone imitates the crime, only a few insignificant pawns will be killed.
But they still have to completely erase the murderer from public view before the public can venerate him.
"Because the public has already labeled the murderer a 'hero,'" an aide explained.
"If the situation gets out of control and triggers large-scale copycat crimes, then no amount of executive heads will be enough to cover it all."
That being said, on the other hand, unseen power is the most terrifying.
Whether it's the CEO who was killed this time or the executive profiles circulating online, they are not the real power players, but just a group of puppets following orders.
The true puppet masters always remain hidden behind the scenes, in unfathomable depths.
Isn't this precisely what makes Fang Huan Investment so terrifying?
The name Su Hao is now a household name in the global financial world.
But everyone understands that he is merely the fang of Fang Huan, this behemoth of war, the "face" standing in the spotlight.
Behind him, there must exist an even more unfathomable will.
However, no one knows who that will is.
Therefore, even if you kill the "face" standing in the limelight, you can never truly harm the core of power.
Because the true entity is invisible.