Shadow Empire

Chapter 1041 Answers and Exchanges

In a very short time, as if overnight, the raging war suddenly quieted down, so quiet that it caught everyone off guard.

On the day the news reached the federal government, the federal industrial index plummeted by 7 percent, and fell by 4 percent the next day, remaining in a state of slight decline for the following days.

Even Lance, who lives in Lapa, has heard about the series of reactions caused by the domestic "stock market crash".

If the war were to end now, would the Federation's domestic industrial orders still be so high that production can't keep up with demand, let alone the problem of overcapacity?

The major problem with the federal economy in the past was overcapacity and insufficient domestic circulation. Capital held onto large amounts of money without participating in the overall economic cycle, which led to the Great Depression.

People are terrified of the Great Depression and are very reluctant to talk about the word or that period of time.

For ordinary people, they hope to forget that unpleasant time as soon as possible.

But it still exists; it won't cease to exist just because you stop thinking about it.

People were afraid that the federal government would experience something so bad again, and investors lost confidence in their investments in the federal government in just two or three days.

Aside from some active social activists on Detland Street who have been encouraging people to hold their positions and wait and see, or even to take the initiative to buy when wealthy people are panic selling, many people are already ready to get started.

As soon as any accurate information comes to light, they will most likely sprint out with the speed and agility of a race champion!

"Senator, what is your opinion on the recent widespread claim that wars will end and the world will usher in peace?"

A beautiful reporter squeezed to the front of the crowd, and when she saw Senator Cleveland emerge from the Capitol first, she immediately rushed over, holding her notebook and pen.

She was surrounded by reporters, all asking her questions. Senator Cleveland showed no sign of panic as she was surrounded by them.

Because he was surrounded by several bodyguards who formed a human wall, separating him from the frenzied reporters outside.

But there are too many reporters here, and if he doesn't say something, he'll most likely be unable to leave.

When journalists go crazy, they're far more frenzied than criminals; at least criminals wouldn't dare to so openly attack a senator's bodyguards.

Of course, criminals and journalists are different in one way: criminals may want a lot of things, but journalists just want an answer.

Standing on the steps, Cleveland pondered for a moment, then picked out some things he could say from his mind: "Peace is the ultimate goal that we all strive to achieve. If peace can come as easily as people say, it would be a good thing for us and for the whole world."

"War has brought too much pain and sorrow; perhaps it really is time to stop."

These words actually indicate a certain attitude, and perhaps peace really is possible.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't have expressed such a view, since war is what continuously brings positive benefits to the Federation.

Orders, international sales, profits from the international community, and more job opportunities.

It can be said that the war activated the Federation's ability to generate revenue, allowing each class to gain considerable benefits from it.

But as a politician, he must present himself as conforming to global values. If he says he craves war, he'll be on the front page tomorrow, a fanatical warmonger.

Therefore, he expressed his longing for peace, but whether peace can ultimately be achieved is something no one knows.

As people were quickly taking notes, another person immediately asked loudly, "Senator, will our economy be affected if the war stops?"

"The Federal Industrial Index has been falling for many days in a row, and people are worried that the Great Depression will sweep across the federal government again. How do you view the panic people are having about this?"

Senator Cleveland waved his hand, "There's absolutely no need to worry about this. In fact, the benefits of the war have only just begun, and they will last for at least ten to twenty years."

"No matter how peace comes, it is a good outcome for us and for all mankind."

"But there are still some issues here, such as whether the destroyed city of Slade needs to be rebuilt, and whether the destroyed industrial system needs to be rebuilt?"

"How did the Dantras end this war with us?"

What benefits can we gain from this?

"The Federation has not yet entered the period of benefit from the victory in the war, and the duration of this period of benefit will exceed everyone's imagination!"

At this moment, another reporter suddenly interjected, "Senator, you just said that we are the 'victors' who have received the spoils of war.' Does that mean we have won this war?" The senator glanced at the reporter and asked a good question, "Of course, undeniably correct. We are the victors of this war and the saviors who have brought peace back to the world!"

He then took a deep breath. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the question and answer session is over. I have other work to do."

The reporters tactfully stepped aside; getting the Cleveland senator to answer three questions was already a pretty good result.

They will then obtain more useful and valuable information from other senators.

After Senator Cleveland returned to his estate, several more cars soon arrived, carrying senators and other high-ranking officials.

They came together to discuss further the issue of the "shadow of peace," which is getting closer and closer to people's lives.

Senator Cleveland only ended her conversation with those around her after the Speaker of the House arrived late.

“Hopefully the president hasn’t given you any extra work to do,” Senator Cleveland said, and everyone else stood up to show their respect for the Speaker.

The Speaker of the House is a very crucial role; if ranked in federal politics, he would be third.

In other words, if the president and vice president are both killed, he will become the new successor. As for the Senate president, he is currently busy with his work with the president, and for the Senate president, the title of Senate president is just a title.

The real leader of the senators is the majority leader sitting next to Senator Cleveland, who was just chatting with him.

The Senate Majority Leader takes on many tasks that should be done by the Senate President, and his position in Congress is exceptionally high.

After Congress adjourned today, the president called and asked the Speaker of the House to come over so they could discuss some work-related matters. The Speaker did not refuse, but made a request that it not be too late.

He didn't want to miss this gathering at the Cleveland Senate today, even though he was the Speaker of the House. He knew very well that if he wasn't there, people might vote for him.

So he finished some business at the Presidential Palace and immediately rushed over from the ring road.

He greeted Senator Cleveland and the Majority Leader before speaking to the others. "We just had a brief chat. He is very concerned about the stability of the current congressional order; Congress cannot be in chaos."

This is a clear-cut truth: if Congress descends into chaos, many problems will become extremely complicated.

There are many committees in Congress, which handle a significant portion of the work of the federal government and are very critical projects.

If Congress descends into chaos, these committees could shut down, causing numerous problems. The president is very concerned about the current state of Congress and had the Speaker of the House briefly explain the recent events.

He was very willing to help if there was anything the federal government could do for him.

After the Speaker of the House sat down, they talked about the "world peace movement" that had quickly broken out. The anti-war groups on the streets seemed to have been resurrected, but this time they did not go to march or demonstrate. Instead, they petitioned outside the presidential palace in solidarity and support, hoping that the president could end the war as soon as possible.

"It's all a trick by Dantra, and I also suspect that Slard has already reached some ceasefire agreements with Dantra," Senator Cleveland dropped a bombshell right from the start.

At first, everyone was quite surprised because the Slads and the Dantras were mortal enemies, the kind of hatred that was very difficult to resolve.

Otherwise, such a fierce war would not have broken out between their two countries. If the federal government had not intervened, the Dantra flag might already be planted on the tallest building in their capital.

However, to say that there is absolutely no possibility is not entirely true.

There are no real blood feuds or mortal enemies between nations; only interests matter.

If either party makes an offer that is enough to make the other party compromise, then there is no good or bad in it.

Another senator chimed in, "I've also received intelligence that the Dantras have been frequently in contact with the Slade Foreign Ministry these past few days. We don't yet know exactly what they've been doing, but it's certainly not something good."

"It's very possible, just like you're saying, that they're engaged in peace talks, but we know nothing about it!"

As he listened to his colleagues speak, Senator Cleveland nodded repeatedly. “The Slade people have always had a problem with us. They feel that we have taken away their position and plundered the benefits that rightfully belong to them.”

"They do have a need to make contact. If they reach a ceasefire agreement on their own but can't reach one with us, and exclude us, we will be in a very awkward position."

"Therefore we must thwart their schemes..."

(End of this chapter)