Shadow Empire

Chapter 1042 Reminder and Attack

The room was quiet, and each gentleman was contemplating the future direction and trends of the country and even the world.

War or peace?

Actually, this question is not complicated, and it has its own answer: what can peace and war bring to the Federation, respectively?

Advantages, or disadvantages.

The Speaker shifted his position and turned to Senator Cleveland. "Jeffrey, which direction do you think we should be heading?"

"War, or peace?"

Senator Cleveland pursed his lips. "War or peace doesn't really make much difference to us. The key is our value and position in these negotiations."

"Both Slade and Dantra had large numbers of cities destroyed, and their industries and all other aspects were severely damaged."

"Especially Dantra, we can use our privilege as the victors to dismantle their industry, reduce their production capacity, and turn them into a dumping ground for federal goods over the next five to ten years."

The other gentlemen all nodded in agreement if they could sign an unequal ceasefire with the Dantras, such as the Dantra Republic lifting tariffs and import/export restrictions on the Federation.

In this way, the large quantities of cheap industrial goods produced by the Federation will be able to firmly dominate the market of the entire Dantra Republic when their industry is severely damaged.

The profits from dominating this market are so high that they don't even need to do the math to know the enormous benefits involved.

“In addition, we can request the stationing of troops in the Republic of Dantra, or... do something else, like Lance did in Lapa.”

"And it's not just Lapa; his bizarre actions have given me a lot to think about. We can still station troops in Slade, on the grounds of continuing to protect them from armed attacks by the Dantras."

"We can also station troops in more countries and require local governments to pay for our military expenses."

"This way we can also save on military spending."

"So as I just said, I don't really care whether this war will bring peace or continue. All I care about is the interests of the Federation."

"The interests of the nation!"

He paused, "Some time ago, people from the second largest party in Dantra approached me..." He took out a cigarette and lit it, "They wanted to use the impeachment of the president as a condition to sign a joint statement with us to end this war, but I refused."

“This is not in our interest. We have been fighting for more than two years, invested so much manpower and resources, and there is a possibility of millions of casualties on that land.”

"They just want to hand over a president and end it all, which is something I cannot allow and do not want to see, so I refused."

“They haven’t contacted me since then. Maybe they think I have too much to ask. So I’d like to ask, have they contacted any of you?”

The gentlemen in the room looked at each other, and eventually shook their heads to indicate that no one had contacted them.

Senator Cleveland fell into deep thought. After about seven or eight seconds, he flicked his cigarette ash and said, "They may very well turn to the Slade after they don't get the results they want from me. After all, in terms of the ceasefire and the developments after it, they are the ones on our side, while we are their enemies."

Enemies, friends, allies—these relationships change rapidly and complexly. One minute you might be allies, but the next you could be on opposing sides with conflicting interests.

Another senator said, "I agree with Jeffrey's point of view. The most important thing now is not whether the future will be war or peace, but to prevent Slade and Dantra from reaching an agreement."

The Slade people have long been dissatisfied with the Federation gaining the initiative among the alliances. If they didn't need to rely on the Federation to fight against the Dantras, they might have already shaken off the Federation.

Now that they have this opportunity, which satisfies the Slads' demands for the distribution of benefits after the war ends, and also allows the Dantras to avoid being severely bitten by the Federation, they may have already begun to consider how to announce the final outcome of this war to the outside world!

Senator Cleveland nodded slightly. "In fact, President Dantra is unwilling to cease hostilities because if he does, he will become a criminal and be put on trial."

"Whether it's Slard or Dantra, the final outcome of this matter is that someone has to step up and take the blame, and then quickly shut up."

"Perhaps we can start from here to disrupt their peace talks."

"If the struggle between the second-largest party, which advocates negotiations with the Slavs, and the president intensifies, and the president uses his privileges..."

"Perhaps things will change."

"A president who has lost everything and can only move forward, and a warrior who has defeated the demons—all of this can bring this war to a perfect close."

Senator Cleveland said with certainty, "I'll take care of this..."

That evening, the president of the Republic of Dantra received a letter addressed to him.

The envelope had no origin or destination. According to the security guard, he put it on the guard's desk in the blink of an eye, and he didn't know who put it there or if anyone saw anyone deliver it.

The note said it should be opened by the president himself, so he didn't dare to be negligent and sent it in.

"Has it been checked?" The president had been looking tired and listless all this time.

His chief of staff nodded and handed over the envelope. "It's been checked. There's no powder, no toxins detected. There's only a letter inside."

"But don't worry, I can assure you that no one else has seen it so far, apart from the person who wrote it."

The president nodded and took out the letter, which had already been unsealed, though he still put on gloves for safety.

There wasn't much written on this letter; just a few short sentences.

"Your Excellency the President:"

"The second largest party has contacted the Federation and the Slade, and they intend to use you as leverage to stop this war."

"Please prepare in advance to avoid rumors of suicide."

"An ordinary person who cares about your health!"

The president's expression worsened after reading the report. Under pressure from domestic financial and political magnates, he had no choice but to opt for a temporary ceasefire.

He knew that some people were working to end the war completely, but he didn't expect that these people had already made contact with the Slade and the Federation.

He didn't know whether they would betray their own interests, or to what extent, and it wasn't written in the letter, but he was, as the president of a country, a leader, a ruler.

He was well aware of this. If they couldn't push things to the extreme, they certainly wouldn't do it.

Thinking of this, a look of hatred appeared on his face. He then handed the letter to his chief of staff, who took it and quickly read it, his expression becoming unusually solemn.

“I knew they contacted the Slade, but I didn’t expect they also contacted the Federation.”

The president bit his fingernail. "They're not going to let me live, if my death helps their ceasefire plan."

The chief of staff also felt waves of despair. Now, many conglomerates and powerful families were no longer on their side, and they had lost a considerable number of supporters.

If the second-largest party were to stand up and openly oppose him at this point, or even try him or send him to Slade and the Federation for trial, he would most likely not be able to come back alive.

He knew the character of the people behind him well; they would not allow a family that might harm them in the future to continue to exist.

Mr. President, his family may be uprooted.

"We can't wait like this; we must take the initiative."

He couldn't sit still any longer; he stood up and paced back and forth, still somewhat hesitant.

As president, Dantra's constitution and laws also grant him immense power. Although conglomerates and powerful families no longer support him, he still manages to control a significant portion of the military.

If we're talking about going all out, he's still the most powerful man in the country, without exception.

But there is one prerequisite: he must be willing to go all out and act regardless of the consequences.

Once he starts thinking about family, clan, and consequences, he becomes entangled in these matters, which may explain why those people openly contact the Slade and the Federation.

They are not afraid of the president's misbehavior at all.

Of course, they were absolutely right; the president indeed dared not act recklessly, at least not yet.

That's how people are. When they're not driven to the brink of despair, they'll keep thinking about whether they still have a chance to turn things around, and thus slowly slide into the abyss.

He was still hesitating.

He worked and handled these matters late into the night, finally finishing his work for the day around 10 p.m.

He usually slept in the presidential palace, but he didn't like the atmosphere there, which made him feel lonely. After the defeat in the war, no one dared to disturb him at night.

This also meant that, apart from the patrolling staff and himself, no one else could approach him during the night.

The presidential palace is very large. A large building can feel empty, and an empty and dark space can inexplicably breed real fear in people's hearts.

He doesn't like it here; he wants to go home.

Moreover, it's not that safe here. Who knows if those patrolling bodyguards and security personnel are backed by people who intend to use him as a bargaining chip?
If so, he would be living under someone else's surveillance and control. He is the president, and he doesn't like that feeling, so he wants to go back.

He went back to his manor to rest. The people there were all his men, arranged by the family, and absolutely reliable. He didn't need to worry about them harming him while he slept.

He can sleep well at the manor; now all he needs is rest and calm reflection.

Soon, he arrived outside the Presidential Palace and got into his car.

The president's motorcade consisted of three cars, one in front and one behind. He sat in the middle car. The three cars drove out of the presidential palace and headed towards the suburbs.

It was very quiet along the way. Dantra, the capital, used to be very lively, but in the last two years it has become increasingly quiet. After six or seven o'clock in the evening, there are hardly any people on the streets.

Only in places like nightclubs, strip clubs, or bars can you still see a lot of people gathering.

But in other places, there was practically no one loitering around anymore.

Large numbers of soldiers, mostly young men, were sent to the front lines and died there, causing immense grief and pressure to every nation.

These things don't show up when war is going well, just like the Federation right now, where people are immersed in the joy of economic boom and rising incomes.

Only those who have lost in the war, after the fervor has faded, will experience a soul-piercing pain.

The darkness outside the window concealed the desolation on the road, which was perhaps one of the reasons why the president deliberately chose to leave the presidential palace at night. He did not want to see these things, nor did he want to see the turbulent emotions in the eyes of those watching his motorcade on the roadside.

Just as the motorcade was about to enter the suburbs, several vehicles suddenly rushed out from the surrounding area and attacked the car carrying the president.

The gunshot shattered the silence of the night in an instant. The president was stunned for about half a second before his bodyguard in the passenger seat ordered him to lie down.

The car was bulletproof, but the bodyguards were still worried that they might be able to harm the president inside.

At that moment, the president's heart began to race uncontrollably, and the slight dizziness caused by the rapid heartbeat made him feel somewhat dazed.

Ultimately, fear brought him to his senses, and in that moment he seemed to become incredibly calm, rational, and clear-headed.

He lay prone at the lowest point, feeling the impact of the collision.

Feel the subtle vibrations as the bullets hit the car door and shattered the car window.

The gunfight didn't last long, probably only three or four minutes. After failing to kill the president, the gunmen and assassins immediately withdrew.

Three vehicles wobbled and swerved toward the manor. The manor heard the gunshots and sent people to meet them.

Nearly twenty minutes later, the police chief appeared before the president, his face covered in sweat.

The president sat there watching him without saying a word; the oppressive atmosphere was almost making him faint.

After a long while, he said, "It has been twenty-seven minutes since I was attacked, and you and your men have finally found your way here."

"I'd really like to know what you were doing for the previous twenty minutes."

(End of this chapter)