Beauty Comic Cultivation Record

Chapter 173 The storm is coming

Author: Zhu Bajie who pursues dreams

Chapter 173 The storm is coming

"Judging from the look on your face, things should be going smoothly!"

Francis Underwood returned to his residence, put his suit jacket on the clothes rack, and sat on the sofa tiredly, but his face could not hide his excitement.

The Secretary of State's wife brought him a cup of hot coffee, and sat across from him holding a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice.

Claire Underwood, the wife of the Secretary of State bears her husband's surname, but she is a woman with extremely keen political sense. She was once Francis Underwood's right-hand assistant in his political career.

When Francis became Secretary of State, Clare must account for at least half of the credit.

"Everything went according to plan!" Francis Underwood took two sips of hot coffee, then took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to his wife.

"What is this?" Claire took the file and flipped through it several times!

"I have made an invitation list for the cocktail party. The president, vice president, speaker of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate and me, the secretary of state, will all attend!"

Francis Underwood said: "Of course some big names are coming too. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve, as well as Rockefeller, JPMorgan Chase, Stark and other influential families in the federation have also sent invitations!"

"A secret meeting led you to such a drinking party. Doesn't the owner of the white house have any objections?"

Claire looked at Francis who looked tired, walked over and held his head in her arms, gently squeezing his temples with her two thumbs.

"The political system of the Federation is like this. Behind these invited people are the enterprises and consortiums of the Federation that are too big to fail.

Once the peace talks with Wakanda are successful, the government alone will definitely not be able to reap the benefits. It is said to be a cocktail party, but in fact it is just everyone sitting together and sharing the cake!"

Francis Underwood lay in his wife's arms and explained: "Neither the invitees nor Wakanda will doubt the true purpose of this reception!"

Claire rubbed Francis' head and said with some worry on her face: "Isn't it too risky? With your political strategy, we still have a chance, there is no need to take this risk!"

Claire naturally knew her husband's plan. Although she had been with him for so many years and was used to the overt and covert fights in the political field, she was still shocked by Francis's generosity.

"There is no chance. According to Garrett's current prestige, if nothing happens, he can be re-elected for one term. If the next term is the Democratic Party, how many chances do I have?"

"However, these people attending the cocktail party are all important figures in the Federation. Once something happens to them, it will cause a shock to the entire Federation!"

"Isn't this bad?" Francis raised his head and looked at his wife. The two looked at each other, with a fierce look in his eyes:

"Washington suffered a terrorist attack. The president, vice president, speaker of the House of Representatives, and president pro tempore of the Senate were assassinated. A large number of heads and CEOs of well-known companies were killed."

"According to the federal constitution, I will directly take over the position of president, and when the federation encounters a terrorist attack, I can directly exercise the wartime powers of the federal president!"

"I specially invited the heads of consortiums such as JPMorgan Chase, Rockefeller, and DuPont to attend this cocktail party. Once something happens to these leaders, these consortiums will inevitably be in civil strife for a period of time."

"At that time, as a wartime president, I will get rid of those terrorists, then rectify the economy, save the unemployment rate, and maybe even get rid of one or two conglomerates that are too big to fail.

Claire, do you think I, the hero who saved the Union, can serve longer than Franklin Roosevelt?"

Claire lowered her head and looked at her husband in astonishment. This was the first time she knew that Francis had such ambition in his heart.

"But Roosevelt's experience cannot be replicated. You have to know that he was re-elected because during World War II, when the federal government was facing a revolution, he gained public support and was re-elected for four terms.

And after him, the federal constitution stipulates that each president can only serve a maximum of two terms!"

Franklin Roosevelt was the first and last president in federal history to be successfully re-elected for four terms.

The Federation has implemented a presidential system since its founding. Counting the current president, there have been 45 presidents, only 11 of whom were not re-elected.

According to the original constitution of the federation, it only stipulated that the term of each federal president be four years, and did not clearly stipulate the term of the president's re-election.

In other words, as long as there is sufficient public support, the president can be re-elected.

But Washington, the first president of the Union, had a clear judgment about his status.

After being unanimously elected as the federal president twice in a row, he resolutely refused to seek a third term, leaving a tradition in the federation that each president can serve a maximum of two terms.

This tradition lasted for 150 years before it was broken by Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the Confederacy.

He was an unprecedented four-term president of the federation and became the longest-serving president in the history of the federation so far.

But the reason why Roosevelt was able to be re-elected for four terms was because we were in the midst of the Great Depression and World War II.

The long war has triggered panic in the hearts of the people of the Federation. They long for stable rule.

Roosevelt's election can maintain policy consistency and minimize the turbulence caused by the change of office.

But after Franklin Roosevelt left office,

In 1951, the Federal Congress passed the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution, which stipulated that no one could hold the office of president for more than two terms.

"Roosevelt can win over public opinion and be re-elected, why can't I?" Francis looked at his wife and asked.

"Since Roosevelt was re-elected because of the Revolutionary War, I will create an enemy for the federal government to face!"

There seemed to be a flame called ambition burning in Francis's eyes. Leaving a lasting name in history is the ultimate aspiration of every politician.

Claire looked at her husband and said nothing. As an equally ambitious woman, she could still tell which status was higher between the Madam Secretary of State and the First Lady of the Federation.

She rubbed Francis' head for a while, then sat on the sofa next to him, picked up the invitation list, and checked for any gaps he had made.

"Tony Stark, Frank, please cross out his name!" Claire looked at the names on the invitation list, raised her head and said to Francis.

(Frank is the abbreviation of Francis! It is usually a title between acquaintances and couples)

Francis looked at Claire suspiciously.

Claire analyzed calmly: "You have to know that the head of the Stark family has another identity. You don't want a troublesome Iron Man to appear in your plan!"

Francis, who made a mistake while busy, then remembered that Tony Stark also had an identity as Iron Man. Although he was very confident in the secret weapon produced by Cobra,

But facing Tony Stark, who was in the limelight in the Federation during this period, he felt uncertain.

"Wouldn't it be very abrupt if I didn't invite him?" Francis frowned.

Although the Stark family is not as good as those old consortiums, after World War II, the management of two generations of Starks has given the Stark family a deep influence in the federal military.

And now that Stark Industries is involved in the energy field, he is a veritable energy tycoon!

If Tony Stark is not invited to this cocktail party, it would indeed seem too superficial and too deliberate!

"You forgot, the current president of Stark Industries is not Tony Stark!" Seeing Francis' embarrassment, Claire woke him up with one sentence.

Francis suddenly woke up after hearing this, hugged Claire and kissed her: "Then change the name of the invitation to Pepper Potts!"

Claire took out a pen, crossed out Tony Stark's name on the invitation list, and wrote Pepper Potts' name!

Of course, this manuscript is just a first draft drawn up by Francis! The real invitation letter has not yet been produced.

The reception is scheduled for three days later. These days are enough for the White House service staff to deliver the invitation letter to the person who should send it.

"Song Tang!" Claire saw an unfamiliar name on the invitation list, and she looked at Francis in confusion.

"Someone has to take the blame for this matter, and this person is just right in height, short, fat and thin!"

Claire nodded understandingly.

"One more thing, you can help me find information about a ** organization during World War II. I want a batch of their clothing, slogans, and badges! Hurry!"

Francis thought of the resurgent Hydra that T'Chaka talked about.

A gang leader colluded with a resurgent terrorist organization during World War II and launched a terrorist attack on the Federation.

The president and vice president were killed one after another. Secretary of State Francis Underwood stepped in to turn the tide.

Is there any more perfect plot than this?

"What organization?" Claire asked.

"HYDRA!"

The next day, Francis sent the prepared cocktail invitation list in duplicate to the White House Office and the Blair State Guesthouse!

After being confirmed by the President and T'Chaka, Francis ordered the White House staff to prepare invitations!

He himself came to the Blair State Guesthouse and held a two-day secret meeting with T'Chaka.

Of course, saying it's a secret is just a way of saying it.

Although Wakanda is a small country, T'Chaka is a political veteran. He first reached a secret agreement with China and Russia, and then forced the Federation to submit.

As the world's most powerful country, the Federation currently relies on the power of all countries to supply itself. Whenever there is an economic crisis, it will print out US dollars and let the whole world pay for its consumption.

All this is based on his powerful military equipment and technological level.

If China and Russia are allowed to overtake each other in a corner through Wakanda's vibranium technology, this result will be unacceptable to the federation.

So in this case, there is not much room left for federal negotiations.

However, it is not that the White House staff have not formulated countermeasures. They have studied Wakanda’s national conditions.

Wakanda's land area and population are destined to have little impact on several other countries even if they become a permanent member of the World Security Council.

This is also the reason why China, Russia, France and Britain successively agreed to Wakanda’s admission to the UN Security Council.

For such a multi-ethnic country with a monarchy system, the Federation also has its own set of methods.

The tried and tested method is naturally to convey to them the ideas of federal freedom and democracy.

In a few years, this small country will surely be shaken and fall apart.

"Mr. Secretary of State, send an exchange team to Wakanda to help Wakanda establish a university.

Accept some Wakandans to study in the Federation,

Is this a requirement of your federation to set up an embassy and allow Wakanda to open vibranium technology to you?"

In the small conference room of the Blair State Guesthouse, there was a formal negotiation. T'Chaka looked at the terms of the treaty in front of him and stared at Francis!

"If I'm right, the war has not yet been decided. Why does this agreement make me feel that we have lost in Wakanda!"

Francis smiled: "Your Majesty, our requirements are not demanding. You must know that if Wakanda wants to become one of the permanent members of the World Security Council, it will naturally have to shoulder the responsibilities of a great power!"

"Our Federation's technology has also helped many third-world countries. If Wakanda wants to become a permanent member of the U.S., it will naturally have to show its sincerity!"

T'Chaka scoffed at Francis's statement. Although Wakanda was closed to the outside world, it was not long after T'Chaka came to power.

Wakanda joined the United Nations as a small, fourth-rate African country.

If it weren't for the butterfly effect of the Tang and Song Dynasties, the King of Wakanda would have stirred up troubles in the United Nations.

Even his death was because he criticized and held accountable the Avengers at the World Security Council meeting, and was taken away by the Winter Soldier with a wave of bombs.

The reason why T'Chaka criticized the Avengers was that 11 of his own citizens died in the conflict while doing charity activities in Sokovia.

As a seasoned politician, T'Chaka's intentions in doing this naturally cannot be so simple.

His speech indirectly led to the birth of the Sokovia Accords,

This agreement, formulated by the Ministry of Defense and agreed to by 117 countries, is like a collar on the Avengers, stipulating that the Avengers can only take actions with approval;

It can be seen from various signs that T'Chaka is also a political veteran active in the world.

He is well aware of the nature of the federal government. In recent years, the federal government has blocked countless sophisticated technologies from other countries!

Also, if the Federation wants to set up an embassy in Wakanda, T'Chaka will never agree to it.

Wakanda's intelligence agencies are spread all over the world, and he knows what the Federation's embassy is.

Especially in the Middle East, some small countries in Africa are simply the source of unrest.

Secretly support anti-government forces, subvert countries that are not pro-American, and steal intelligence from other countries.

If the Federation is allowed to set up an embassy in Wakanda, within a few years, the throne under his ass may have to be moved.

Studying abroad is even more impossible. After studying abroad for a few years, you will wait until those international students come back.

T'Chaka thought with his butt, knowing what they were going to do.

Liberal democracy, opposition to imperialism, and this invasion of cultural consciousness are the tried and tested methods of the federal government.

T'Chaka vetoed every condition in the document for the federal government's contribution.

Then he had a heated meeting with Francis

The first day of negotiations lasted from 10 a.m. to the afternoon, but the two sides still failed to reach a consensus.

During the negotiations, the two parties were still at a stalemate on some terms regarding interests.

Generally speaking, the federal government can agree to Wakanda joining the World Security Council...

But the conditions offered by the federal government were unacceptable to T'Chaka.

The negotiations lasted until about four o'clock in the afternoon. Francis saw that T'Chaka was unmoved and stubborn.

Francis can only go back to report the situation to the president and prepare for tomorrow's talks.

In the White House not far from the State Guesthouse, a large group of White House staff have already deduced many outcomes of the talks in advance and formulated a large number of backup plans.

What Francis has to do is to clearly explain the results of this negotiation process and choose a feasible plan from many alternatives according to the progress of the negotiation.

………

Down's Manor, New York, Huxin Pavilion,

Ryan, who had just met several Hammer Industrial shareholders, returned to the manor and looked at the boss sitting by the lake fishing.

He glanced around and noticed the invitation placed on the long desk.

Ryan opened it and saw a cocktail invitation from the White House.

"This was sent by an officer, saying it was a cocktail party held at the White House and I was invited to attend.

Go check and find out who received this invitation, and what is the true intention of this invitation?!"

"Yes, boss!"

Ryan put down the invitation in his hand, returned to the study, and searched for information about the reception through his personal network.

……………

"Boss, I checked clearly. The standards of this cocktail party are very high,"

In less than ten minutes, Ryan returned to Huxin Pavilion and reported the found information to Tang and Song.

"The people attending the reception are all big shots from the upper echelons of the federation, and they are all heads of consortiums. The president of the federation, the vice president and some senior officials will also attend the reception...

Stark Industries received an invitation, and the invitee was Stark Industries President Pepper Potts!

The Osborne Group did not receive the invitation."

"The one invited was not that arrogant Tony Stark."

Tang Song smiled, picked up the cigar box from the fishing box at hand, took out one, and threw the box to Ryan

“Try the new stuff from Cuba!”

Ryan took the cigar box and looked at the cigarette box. The box was inlaid with tiny aquamarine gems.

These diamond-like gemstones are pure in color, and more than a dozen of them are embedded in this cigar box. This cigar box alone can be sold for six figures in the market.

"A tobacco company in Cuba wants half of the tobacco quota in New York! Find someone to talk to!"

Boss Tang smoked a cigar, looked at the motionless buoy on the lake attentively, and casually decided on the tobacco supplier for a metropolis with a population of tens of millions.

Ryan picked up the cigar cutter, trimmed and cut a cigar, and sat on the stone steps next to Tang Song, puffing away the smoke with Boss Tang.

"Boss, things are not going well in Washington these days! Someone has offered a big price to buy the life of the King of Wakanda. I think you'd better not attend this cocktail party!"

"Kane sent a message back saying that a big drama about assassinating the king and killing a driver was about to be staged in Washington, and I happened to go to watch the show.

It would be so interesting if the Secretary of State really got it done!"

Tang Song stretched lazily and said.

The Secretary of State hired a hitman organization to assassinate the federal president. He couldn't miss such a great scene.

World Security Council Headquarters, Manhattan, New York

Alexander Pierce, as the Secretary-General of the Security Council, also received an invitation to this cocktail party.

"Are our people in place?"

Alexander Pierce looked at the invitation in his hand at a senior agent behind him with a SHIELD badge on his chest!

"The four Winter Soldiers and the killer we are looking for have arrived in Washington, and arrangements have been made!

Mr. Whitehall has arrived in Washington and says he will personally direct the operation!"

"Whitehall!?" Alexander Pierce looked suspicious: "He can do experiments well, but he is commanding this assassination?

Where is Strack, still on the battlefield in East Africa?"

Compared to Daniel Whitehall, who is obsessed with immortality, Alexander Pierce has more faith in Strack, a soldier with a background in command.

"The Baron says he is stuck in East Africa for the time being!"

"Then tell Whitehall that things have changed and ask him not to move for the time being. I have a plan!"

Alexander Pierce looked at the invitation in his hand and thought thoughtfully.

Francis' secret negotiations with Wakanda on behalf of the White House stalled for another day.

The two sides reluctantly reached an agreement, and Wakanda opened up part of its vibranium technology to the federal government, and at the same time gave the federal government part of its vibranium quota.

The federal government agreed to cast a crucial vote on the World Security Council.

The negotiation lasted until seven o'clock in the evening, when the result was finally reached.

After the incident was over, Francis returned to the White House with the signed agreement.

On the other side, a group of people in the Cobra base are making final preparations for tomorrow's cocktail party.

Boxes of arms were distributed. Kane took out a pistol from the arms box. As soon as he got hold of it, he felt the weight was wrong.

Click, he disassembled the pistol cleanly in twos and twos, and inspected every part of the gun.

I discovered that this gun was made of plastic!

"This is a firearm made with the latest 3D printing technology. Even the bullets are not made of metal, but are made of special materials!"

The Cobra Commander wearing a silver-white mask stood on the high platform and saw Kane inspecting the firearm. He walked over and said to him, his voice full of pride.

Kane frowned: "This kind of firearm is not durable. Compared with firearms made of metal, its durability is too poor!"

Kane reassembled the pistol: "The service life of an ordinary pistol is 3,000 rounds of ammunition, but this gun can fire up to 1,000 rounds!"

The Cobra Commander waved his hand, and a buzzing laughter came from under the silver mask: "Hahaha, we don't need it to be durable, as long as it can last through tomorrow afternoon!"

At this time, White Ghost came in with a group of Cobra soldiers in black suits carrying a batch of boxes.

"Everyone, put on new uniforms!"

A Snake Eyes soldier opened the box, and the Cobra Commander took out a black combat uniform from the box, pointed to the octopus snake head badge on the combat uniform and said to everyone:

"From now on, we are not Cobra, we are Hydra, remember, everyone, remember our slogan!

hail hydra!”

“ hail hydra!

hail hydra!."

Kane looked at the familiar emblem on the combat uniform on the Cobra Commander's hand, blinked, and listened to the group of Cobra-eyed soldiers shouting some familiar slogans.

"You...we are Hydra!" He asked the white ghost holding a katana beside him!

White Ghost shook his head: "I'm just looking for a scapegoat!"

Kane looked at Cobra Commander and suddenly felt that he and his boss would be able to talk together.

……………

night falls

In the state hotel, T'Chaka's heart was heavy, and his mind was always full of danger omens.

But I can't tell what it is exactly, it's like a darkness shrouding my heart, and I can't reach out and touch anything discernible.

He was so worried that the black beauty beside him no longer smelled good!

The reason why T'Chaka violated his ancestral precepts and stirred up troubles in the world is that he clearly saw that the reason why Wakanda can maintain a high degree of independence and self-isolation is because of the convenience brought by vibranium.

After all, Vibranium's resources are limited, and Wakanda must find a way out for itself. This is why it has developed intelligence agencies all over the world.

Although this time he successfully led Wakanda to join the World Security Council,

But he himself couldn't tell whether what he had done was good or bad for Wakanda.

(End of chapter)