American Comics: Tales of Cultivator

# Chapter 173: The Gathering Storm Before the Rain

"Judging by your expression, things must be progressing smoothly!"

Francis Underwood returned to his residence, hung his suit jacket on the clothes rack, and sat tiredly on the sofa, his face unable to hide his excitement.

The Secretary of State's wife brought him a cup of hot coffee, while she herself held a cup of freshly squeezed apple juice and sat opposite him.

Claire Underwood, the Secretary of State's wife, was a woman with extremely keen political acumen and had been a capable assistant throughout Francis Underwood's political career.

Claire's contribution accounted for at least half of Francis becoming the Secretary of State.

"Everything is proceeding smoothly according to the plan!" Francis Underwood took a couple sips of hot coffee, then took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to his wife.

"What is this?" Claire took the document and flipped through it a few times!

"The guest list I've drawn up for the cocktail party. The President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, President pro tempore of the Senate, and I, the Secretary of State, will all attend."

Francis Underwood said, "Of course, some Important Figures will also come. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve, as well as influential families/clans in the Federation like Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Stark, have also been invited."

"You've turned a secret meeting into this kind of cocktail party. Doesn't the occupant of the White House have any opinions?"

Claire looked at the tired Francis, walked over, cradled his head in her arms, and gently massaged his temples with her thumbs.

"That's just how the Federation's political system works. Behind these invited people are the Federation's enterprises and consortiums that are too big to fail.

Once the peace talks with Wakanda are successful, the benefits involved are something the government alone cannot swallow. It's called a cocktail party, but it's really just everyone sitting together to divide the cake!"

Francis Underwood explained, resting his head in his wife's arms, "Neither the invited guests nor the Wakandan side will suspect the true purpose of this cocktail party!"

Claire massaged Francis's head, with a worried look on her face, she said, "Isn't this a bit too risky? With your political strategy, we still have opportunities; there's no need to take this risk!"

Claire naturally knew her husband's scheme. Although she had accompanied him for many years and was accustomed to the open and hidden struggles in the political arena, she was still shocked by Francis's grand plan.

"There are no more opportunities. Based on Garrett's current prestige, he can likely be re-elected for another term if nothing unexpected happens. If the term after next goes to the Democratic Party, how many opportunities do you think I have left?"

"But, those attending the cocktail party are all Important Figures of the Federation. If something happens to them, it will send shockwaves throughout the entire Federation!"

"Isn't that good?" Francis looked up at his wife. Their eyes met, and his gaze carried a hint of ruthlessness:

"Washington suffers a terrorist attack, the President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate are assassinated, and a large number of heads and presidents of well-known companies perish."

"According to the Federal Constitution, I will directly take over the presidency, and when the Federation is under terrorist attack, I can directly exercise the Federal President's wartime powers!"

"For this cocktail party, I specifically invited the heads of consortiums like J.P. Morgan Chase, Rockefeller, and DuPont to attend. Once something happens to these heads, these consortiums are bound to fall into internal strife for a period."

"At that time, as the wartime President, I will eliminate those terrorists, then rectify the economy, lower the unemployment rate, and maybe even deal with one or two consortiums that are too big to fail.

Claire, tell me, as the hero who saved the Federation, will my term exceed Franklin Roosevelt's?"

Claire looked down at her husband with some astonishment. It was the first time she had known Francis harbored such ambition.

"But Roosevelt's experience cannot be replicated. You must know, he was re-elected because during the WWII period, the Federation had to face WWII (World War II), and he gained public approval, which is why he was re-elected for four terms. Moreover, after him, the Federal Constitution stipulated that each President can only be re-elected for a maximum of two terms!"

Franklin Roosevelt was the first and also the last President in Federation history to successfully be re-elected for four terms.

Since its founding, the Federation has always implemented a presidential system. Including the current one, there have been a total of 45 Presidents, only eleven of whom did not succeed in re-election. According to the Federation's initial constitutional provisions, it only stipulated that the term of each Federal President is four years and did not explicitly stipulate a term limit for re-election.

In other words, as long as there is sufficient public approval, the President can be continuously re-elected.

But the Federation's first President, Washington, had a clear understanding of his own status.

After being elected Federal President unanimously for two consecutive terms, he resolutely did not seek a third term, leaving behind the tradition for the Federation that each President could be re-elected for a maximum of two terms.

This tradition was only broken 150 years later by the Federation's 32nd President, Franklin Roosevelt. He was unprecedented and unrepeatable in being re-elected for four terms and also became the President with the longest term in the Federation's history to date.

But the reason why Roosevelt was able to be re-elected for four terms at that time was because it was during the Great Depression and the WWII period. The long-term war triggered panic in the hearts of the people of the Federation. They yearned for stable rule, and Roosevelt's election could maintain policy continuity and minimize the turmoil caused by a change in administration.

But after Franklin Roosevelt left office,

In 1951, the Federal Congress passed the Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution, stipulating that no one shall hold the position of President for more than two terms.

"Roosevelt could leverage public opinion to be re-elected, why can't I?" Francis looked at his wife and counter-questioned.

"Since Roosevelt was re-elected because of the WWII (World War II) war, then I will create an enemy for the Federation to face!"

Francis's eyes seemed to burn with flames of ambition. Leaving one's name in history is the ultimate goal of every politician.

Claire looked at her husband and did not speak. As a woman who also had ambition, she could distinguish which position was higher between the Secretary of State's wife and the First Lady of the Federation.

She massaged Francis's head for a while, then sat on the sofa next to him, picked up the invitation list, and checked it for omissions and errors.

"Tony Stark, Frank, cross out his name!" Claire looked at the name on the invitation list, then looked up and said to Francis.

(Frank is a nickname for Francis! It is generally used by acquaintances and between husband and wife.) Francis looked at Claire with doubt.

Claire calmly analyzed, "You must know, this head of the Stark family/clan has another identity. You don't want a troublemaking Iron Man appearing in your plan, do you!"

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

Facing Tony Stark, who was at the height of his popularity in the Federation at this time, he was also unsure.

"If we don't invite him, won't it seem very abrupt?" Francis frowned.

Although the Stark family/clan cannot compare to those established consortiums, after WWII (World War II), the management of two generations of Starks gave the Stark family/clan deep influence in the Federation military.

And now Stark Industries is involved in the energy sector, truly a veritable energy magnate! If Tony Stark is not invited to this cocktail party, it would indeed seem too conspicuous, too deliberate! "You forgot, the current president of Stark Industries is not Tony Stark!" Seeing Francis's predicament, Claire enlightened him with a single sentence.

Hearing this, Francis immediately realized, embraced Claire, and kissed her: "Then change the name on the invitation to Pepper Potts!"

Claire took out a fountain pen and directly crossed out Tony Stark's name on the invitation list, writing down Pepper Potts's name! Of course, this draft was just Francis's initial draft! The real invitation had not yet been made.

The time for the cocktail party was scheduled for three days later. These few days were enough time for the White House staff to send the invitations to the intended recipients.

"Song Tang!" Claire saw an unfamiliar name on the invitation list. She looked at Francis with doubt.

"Someone has to be the scapegoat for this matter. This person is just the right height, weight, and build!"

Claire nodded understandingly.

"There's one more thing, help me find information on a ** organization from the WWII period. I need a batch of their clothes, slogans, and badges! And make it fast!"

Francis thought of the Hydra that T'Chaka had mentioned, which had resurfaced.

A gang boss colluding with a ** organization from the WWII period that had resurfaced, launching a terrorist attack on the Federation.

The President and Vice President are successively killed, and he, Secretary of State Francis Underwood, steps forward to take on the heavy responsibility in a time of crisis and turn the tide.

Could there be a more perfect plot?

"What organization?" Claire asked.

"Hydra!"

The next day, Francis sent two copies of the drafted cocktail party invitation list to the White House office and Blair House! After confirmation by the President and T'Chaka, Francis instructed the White House staff to prepare the invitations! He himself went to Blair House and began a two-day secret meeting with T'Chaka.

Of course, saying it was secret was just a formality.

Although Wakanda is a small country, T'Chaka is a political veteran. He first reached secret agreements with the Chinese and Russian sides, and then compelled the Federation to comply.

As the world's strongest country, the Federation currently supplies itself using the strength of various countries. Whenever there is an economic crisis, it will extensively print US dollars, making the whole world pay for its consumption.

All of this is built upon its powerful military equipment and technological level.

If China and Russia were allowed to achieve a breakthrough using Wakanda's Vibranium technology, this result is unacceptable to the Federation.

Therefore, under these circumstances, there isn't much room left for the Federation to negotiate.

However, the White House advisors were not without countermeasures. They had researched Wakanda's national conditions. Wakanda's territory and population were destined to prevent them from causing much influence on the other few countries, even if they became a Permanent Member of the World Security Council.

This is also the reason why China, Russia, France, and the UK successively agreed to Wakanda's entry into the Security Council.

For this kind of multi-ethnic, monarchical country, the Federation also has its own set of methods.

The tried-and-tested method is naturally to export the Federation's freedom and democratic ideology to them.

In just a few years, the hearts of the people in this small country are bound to stir, and it will fall apart.

"Mr. Secretary of State, sending exchange teams to Wakanda, helping Wakanda establish universities, accepting a portion of Wakandans to study abroad in the Federation, establishing embassies, having Wakanda open up Vibranium Technology to you, these are your Federation's requirements?"

In the small conference room at Blair House, during a formal negotiation, T'Chaka looked at the treaty clauses in front of him, gazing at Francis!

"If I'm not mistaken, the war has not yet determined a winner. Why does this agreement make me feel like our Wakanda has already lost!"

Francis smiled: "Your Majesty, our requirements are not harsh. You must know, Wakanda wants to become one of the Permanent Members of the World Security Council, so it naturally must bear the responsibility of a major power!"

"Our Federation's technology has also helped quite a few Third World countries. Wakanda wants to join the Security Council, so it naturally must show its sincerity!"

T'Chaka scoffed at Francis's statement. Although Wakanda practiced self-imposed isolation externally, as early as shortly after T'Chaka ascended the throne,

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

If it weren't for Tang Song's butterfly effect, this King of Wakanda certainly caused a lot of trouble in the United Nations.

Even his death was because he criticized and held the Avengers accountable at the World Security Council meeting, and was then taken out in one go by the Winter Soldier using a bomb.

The reason T'Chaka criticized the Avengers was that his 11 citizens died in this conflict while doing charity work in Sokovia. As a seasoned politician, T'Chaka's intention behind doing these things naturally cannot be so simple.

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

This agreement, formulated by the Department of Defense and agreed upon by 117 countries, was like a collar placed on the Avengers, stipulating that the Avengers can only take action under approval;

It can be seen from various signs that T'Chaka is also a political veteran active in the world. He deeply knows the nature of the Federal Government. In recent years, the Federation has imposed countless blockades on other countries' cutting-edge technology!

Also, the Federation wants to establish an embassy in Wakanda, which T'Chaka will absolutely not agree to.

Wakanda's intelligence agency is spread throughout the world, and he certainly knows what kind of stuff the Federation's embassies are.

Especially in the Middle East and some small countries in Africa, they are simply the root of turmoil.

Secretly supporting anti-government forces, subverting countries not friendly to the US, and stealing intelligence from other countries.

If he really allowed the Federation to establish an embassy within Wakanda, in just a few years, the throne under his rear would likely have to move.

Studying abroad is even more impossible. After a few years of studying abroad, when that group of students studying abroad returns,

T'Chaka, thinking with his rear, knows what they will do.

Freedom and Democracy, opposing the imperial system, this kind of cultural and ideological invasion is a tactic that the Federal Government has tried and tested.

T'Chaka vetoed one by one the conditions proposed by the Federal Government in the document.

Then he began intense talks with Francis. The first day of negotiations lasted from 10 AM until the afternoon, and the two sides still did not reach a consensus in the end.

During the negotiations, the two sides were still deadlocked on some clauses regarding interests.

In the general direction, the Federal Government can agree to the Wakandan side joining the World Security Council...

But the conditions offered by the Federal Government were something T'Chaka could not accept.

The negotiations continued until past 4 PM. Seeing that he couldn't persuade the obstinate T'Chaka,

Francis could only go back and report the situation to the President, preparing for tomorrow's meeting.

In the White House, not far from the State Guest House, a large group of White House advisors had already anticipated the many possible outcomes of this meeting and negotiation and formulated a large number of alternative plans.

What Francis had to do was to clearly explain the process and results of this negotiation and, according to the progress of the negotiation, select a feasible plan from the many alternative plans.

......

New York Tang Manor, Lake Heart Pavilion,

Lane, who had just met with a few Hammer Industries shareholders, returned to the Manor and saw the Boss sitting by the Lakeside fishing.

His gaze swept across and noticed the invitation placed on the long table.

Lane opened it and saw that it was surprisingly a cocktail party invitation issued by the White House.

"This was sent by a military officer. He said it was a cocktail party convened by the White House, inviting me to attend.

Go and check who received this invitation, and what its true intention is?!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Lane put down the invitation in his hand, returned to the study, and searched for information about the cocktail party through his connections/network.

......

"Boss, it's been confirmed. This cocktail party is very high-level,"

It took less than ten minutes for Lane to return to the Lake Heart Pavilion and report the information he found to Tang Song.

"The people attending the cocktail party are all Important Figures in the upper echelons of the Federation, all heads of consortiums. The Federal President, Vice President, and some high-ranking officials will also attend this cocktail party...

Stark Industries received an invitation, and the invited person is Stark Industries President Pepper Potts!

Oscorp did not receive an invitation."

"Surprisingly, the one invited wasn't that arrogant fellow, Tony Stark."

Tang Song smiled, picked up the cigar box from the fishing box beside him, took one out, and threw a box to Lane.

"New stock from Cuba, have a taste!"

Lane took the cigar box and looked it over. The box was inlaid with tiny sea-blue gemstones.

These diamond-like gemstones had pure color. More than ten of them were inlaid on this cigar box. This cigar box alone could sell for six figures in US dollars on the market.

"A tobacco company from Cuba wants half of the tobacco quota here in New York! Find someone to go and negotiate!"

Boss Tang smoked a cigar, intently watching the motionless float on the lake surface, and casually decided the tobacco supplier for a metropolis with a population of tens of millions.

Lane picked up the cigar cutter, trimmed a cigar, and sat on the stone steps next to Tang Song, accompanying Boss Tang in smoking.

"Boss, Washington hasn't been peaceful lately! Someone offered a large sum to buy the life of the King of Wakanda. I think it's better if you don't attend this cocktail party!"

"Kane sent back a message saying that a grand play of assassinating the king is about to be staged in Washington. I happen to be going to watch the play. If things really succeed for that Secretary of State, that would be too interesting!"

Tang Song said, lazily stretching.

The Secretary of State hiring an assassin organization to assassinate the Federal President, such a good grand play, he certainly cannot miss it.

New York Manhattan World Security Council Headquarters. Alexander Pierce, as the Secretary-General of the Security Council, also received the invitation for this cocktail party.

"Have our people arrived?"

Alexander Pierce held the invitation in his hand and looked at a high-level agent behind him who was wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge on his chest! "Four Winter Soldiers and the hitmen we found have all arrived in Washington and have been properly arranged! Mr. Whitehall has arrived in Washington, he said he wants to personally command this operation!"

"Whitehall!?" Alexander Pierce looked suspicious: "He's okay at doing experiments, but commanding this assassination?

What about Strucker, is he still on the East African Battlefield?"

Compared to Daniel Whitehall, who was obsessed with immortality, Alexander Pierce trusted Strucker, who had a military background, more in terms of command ability.

"The Baron said he is temporarily unable to leave East Africa!"

"Then tell Whitehall that things have changed, tell him not to act for now. I have a plan!"

Alexander Pierce said thoughtfully, looking at the invitation in his hand.

Francis, representing the White House, and Wakanda's secret negotiations were deadlocked for another day before the two sides barely reached an agreement. The Wakandan side opened up a portion of Vibranium technology to the Federal Government and also gave the Federal Government a portion of the Vibranium quota.

As for the Federal Government side, they agreed to cast a crucial vote in the World Security Council.

This negotiation continued until 7 PM before it finally had a result.

After the matters concluded, Francis took the signed agreement back to the White House.

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

Boxes of firearms were distributed. Kane took out a handgun from a firearms box. As soon as he picked it up, he felt the weight was wrong.

Click-click, he disassembled the handgun completely in a few moves, checking each part of the firearm.

He found that this gun was surprisingly made of plastic! "These firearms are manufactured using the latest 3D printing technology. Even the bullets didn't use metal, they used special material!"

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

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

Kane reassembled the handgun: "The lifespan of an ordinary handgun is 3000 rounds of bullets. This gun can fire at most 1000 rounds!"

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

At this moment, Storm Shadow led a group of Cobra Soldiers wearing black suits and walked in carrying a batch of boxes.

"Everyone, change into your new uniforms!"

A Cobra Soldier opened a box. The Cobra Commander took out a black combat uniform from the box and pointed at the Octopus Snake-Head Emblem on the combat uniform, saying to everyone:

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

hail hydra!"

"hail hydra!

hail hydra!"

Kane looked at the familiar badge on the combat uniform in the Cobra Commander's hand, blinked, and listened to the group of Cobra Soldiers shouting a somewhat familiar slogan.

"You... we are Hydra!" he asked Storm Shadow, who was holding a katana beside him!

Storm Shadow shook his head: "It's just finding a scapegoat!"

Kane looked at the Cobra Commander and suddenly felt that he and the Boss could definitely get along well.

......

Night fell. Inside the State Guest House, T'Chaka felt a heavy weight on his heart. His mind was constantly filled with signs of danger.

But what exactly it was, he couldn't say clearly, like a patch of darkness covering his heart, unable to reach out and touch anything discernible.

He was deeply worried; even the black beauty beside him was no longer appealing! The reason T'Chaka violated ancestral teachings and stirred up trouble in the world was that he saw clearly that Wakanda could maintain a high degree of independence and self-imposed isolation because of the convenience brought by Vibranium.

Vibranium resources are limited after all. Wakanda must find a way out for itself, which is also the reason why he developed intelligence agencies spread throughout the world.

Although he successfully led Wakanda to join the World Security Council this time, he himself couldn't say clearly whether everything he had done was good or bad for Wakanda.

(end of chapter)