noveldrama
Chapter 463: 172, earth-shattering thunder!_2
Chapter 463: 172, earth-shattering thunder!_2
Chapter 463: 172, earth-shattering thunder!_2
“F**k… what kind of things did we even choose?”
“Haha, history teaches us there’s no bottom line for these people; they’re just a bunch of animals in human skin.”
“Ha, politicians!”
“We must seek justice for those girls, we must make those who do evil pay the heaviest price!”
“This is a smear and provocation against our country. Surely no one actually believes this is true?”
“Haha, whether it’s true or not, just ask them and you’ll know!”
“All the news is about the Clintons’ affairs, but apart from those, they’ve done many other things that hurt our country’s interests!”
“Who in the world would cast their vote for such a bastard couple?”
“The Liberal Party and the Conservative Party must give us a clear explanation!”
People from all over began to protest, some forming alliances on the internet, some already organizing and starting to take to the streets to run and call out.
Even minor things in the past would spark various protests, let alone after such major news broke tonight.
Meanwhile,
some high officials and wealthy businessmen who got wind of the situation, upon seeing the videos and photos that had blown up on the internet, began to move assets abroad or look for comparatively safe havens.
This was an earth-shattering cataclysm, a seismic event that could turn the American political scene upside down.
…
Washington D.C., within a renowned palace.
Johnson Hester, with a nervous heart and unaware of what had happened, stepped into the palace and was led by security personnel to Clinton Hamilton’s office.
The room was large and lavishly decorated, even more so than the Duke’s office.
Being the third most important person there, added to her husband’s special status, her position within this palace was hardly less than Oliver Ma’s.
These were the confidence and connections Clinton Hamilton had accumulated over many years.
But for Johnson Hester, this was the first time in his life he had stepped into the office in this palace.
Though nervous, his eyes involuntarily looked around, and he fantasized about how glorious it would be if he could one day become the Duke himself.
After about 30 minutes. the Clintons finally entered the office.
Dressed in elegant evening attire, they exuded an air of grace that starkly contrasted with the newly rich Johnson Hester.
Elg extended his hand, smilingly said, “Mr. Hester, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Despite the polite words, an air of superiority oozed out, which was unavoidably nauseating.
But Johnson Hester didn’t come on strong right away; in fact, he didn’t have the power to and didn’t want to offend these two real VIPs so soon.
Otherwise, if Lin Chen couldn’t help him become Duke, then the Johnson family’s ship might really sink at his hands.
“Good evening, Mr. Duke,” Johnson Hester greeted him politely and shook his hand, then looked at the woman standing next to him and said, “Mrs. Hamilton, good evening.”
Mrs. Hamilton nodded slightly and said directly, “Mr. Hester, a pleasure to meet you, your first impression on me is not as rude as on television.”
Her tone was clearly unfriendly.
Johnson Hester shrugged, smiling, and said, “Competition is always like this, some cruel methods are necessary to achieve the goal.”
“Mrs. Hamilton, some of the things you did to me at times also made me think you were a vicious woman.”
An exemplary tit-for-tat.
Neither initiating hostility nor was Foster willing to grovel before them.
There was no need!
Upon hearing his words, Mrs. Hamilton wasn’t angry; her husband, Elg, was also smiling as he said, “It seems that Mr. Hester is just like my wife, both are straightforward people.”
“That’s good, it can greatly save us time between each other.”
Elg looked at Hester and in an extremely polite tone, said, “Then let’s get straight to the point, Mr. Foster, how much profit would it take for you to give up this Duke election?”
“Please forgive my impudence, but I too was once a Duke of America and held the position for 8 years, I should understand this circle better than you.”
“To put it simply, I’ve never even, to this day, seen an individual without the backing of interest groups ascend to the Duke’s throne. Even if there are examples in other countries, the outcome is never too good.”
“In short, the Duke is merely a figurehead, but to become that figurehead, it requires negotiations and compromises in all areas, not something that can be achieved with mere individual bravery.”
“What do you think, Mr. Hester?”
Elg had already made his point very clear; after all, the room was equipped with devices that interfered with recording video and audio, so they didn’t need to worry about Hester spreading their words.
Besides, even if their words were spread, it wouldn’t have much impact on them.
Elg felt that no one knew better than himself how to handle fishing trawlers.
Johnson Hester had undoubtedly already thought about this problem and now didn’t pretend to ponder but directly answered, “If I refuse, what do the two of you plan to do to me?”
Standing behind him was Lin Chen, which meant that taking the path Elg mentioned was impossible for him.
Since that path was impassable, there was no need for pointless talk.
Everyone was being direct and transparent, laying bare their bottom line, thus making today’s meeting one with disagreements.
“Mr. Hester, I think you shouldn’t be too quick to refuse,” Elg said, but his wife now looked more like a symbol and a sign, seated behind the office desk, she gazed indifferently at Hester and had no desire to speak.
Elg continued, “I have some information about you, which I suggest you look at before making your decision.”
He passed over an iPad.
Hester accepted the iPad, and because it wasn’t locked, he could directly access the main menu.
The contents of the iPad could also be seamlessly streamed to the television.
However,
when Hester finished watching the content of the video, his complexion turned unprecedentedly pale, and his demeanor dropped significantly, no longer as strong as when he first came in.
Elg laughed and said, “Everyone makes mistakes in this world, and I am no exception.”
“Rest assured, for now, you are the only one who has seen the content of the videos, and if you accept our request, they will never be seen by the public.”
“But if you still decide to follow your own thoughts, the second half of your life might be spent in prison.”
“I guess you’ve never lived in prison before and probably don’t understand how those rough inmates would react to someone as delicate as you.”
They used a mix of threats and inducements, first the carrot, then the stick.
Elg might just be an American, but his mastery of Grand Xia’s military tactics was impeccable.
If this were before, these tactics might have scared Johnson Hester into complying, seeking only peace of mind.
But after meeting Lin Mo, Hester’s thoughts had changed significantly.
He said with a smile, “So, you’ve prepared two sets of bracelets for me this time, one that could give me eternal wealth, and the other to send me to that damned prison you mentioned?”
“Elg, you don’t really believe that your own ass is that clean, do you?”
With these words, the atmosphere in the spacious office gradually grew tense.
Elg glanced at his wife.
His wife looked back at him.
Both were very clear in their minds that today it would be completely impossible to peacefully resolve the situation with Johnson Hester through conversation!