The Wolf of Los Angeles.

Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Mercedes-Benz sent by the hotel drove out of the city and along a wide country road for more than half an hour, arriving in front of a farm.

Near the entrance, Secret Service agents acting as security personnel stopped the car.

Joseph, with his white hair, had no choice but to get out of the car and walk inside. He entered the largest brick house in the middle and saw Zipperton dressed as a cowboy.

Zipperton looked particularly energetic, and he even looked a bit heavier.

Joseph went over and shook his hand, saying, "Old friend, it's been a long time. You've gotten younger."

"I've been under less pressure lately and in a pretty good mood." Zipperton's words were not pleasant and quite impolite: "I would have been even happier if you hadn't come."

Joseph seemed not to understand these words, and said with a smile, "Old friend of many years, you haven't shown up for a long time. I was worried that something had happened to you, so of course I had to come and check on you."

Zipperton took a cup of coffee from the coffee machine, placed it in front of Joseph, and casually picked up the sugar bowl: "Put it yourself."

Joseph took out a few sugar cubes, put them into his coffee cup, stirred them slowly a few times, and said, "Old buddy, you can't just hide here forever, can you?"

Zipper adjusted his cowboy hat: "I'll rest here for a while, and when the time is right, I'll naturally go out."

Joseph, still with that smiling expression, said, "In the current situation, the Donald Party is at a disadvantage and needs elders and meritorious figures like you to step forward and save the situation."

"I can't run for another election, nor can I take up any other important congressional position," Lassoton said calmly.

Joseph came alone to win over Richardson's support, saying directly, "As long as you are willing to speak out within the party, I can step up, shoulder this enormous pressure, and take on the responsibility of reviving the Democratic Party."

Zipper didn't reply, but instead spread his hands and looked at the other person.

Joseph paused for his signature moment, then slowly began to speak: "Seraphim's death is not as simple as it seems. The Shamdo organization, as claimed by the Tom Emmer administration, is only the visible killer. There may be hidden forces behind the scenes. If I come to power, I can thoroughly investigate this case, avenge Seraphim, and completely resolve the crisis you are facing. From now on, you will no longer have to worry about your personal safety..."

“I have never worried about my safety.” Lassoton’s attitude was completely different from what Joseph had expected: “This is America, not declining Britain, and certainly not the Middle East.”

Joseph had made preparations for his arrival, since it wasn't exactly a secret that Seraphim and Lalston didn't get along, especially for high-ranking people.

He mentioned another name: "You don't want to avenge Silarie, but don't you consider Chelsea's feelings? Don't you consider Chelsea's future security?"

Upon hearing his daughter's name, Zipperton's initially calm demeanor nearly crumbled, and his tone turned icy: "Don't mention them in front of me again. If you do, don't blame me for kicking you out."

Joseph quickly assured him, "I won't mention it again."

He wondered to himself, could all those sensational gossip rumors be true?

But considering this relationship where the woman is stronger than the man, it doesn't seem impossible.

Joseph's expression remained unchanged, but his mind was racing, recalling rumors about Hillary, a photo of a long-deceased old friend, and then imagining Chelsea's appearance...

The death of that person back then was always said to be suspicious, and many tabloids speculated that it was related to Zipperton.

Even Zipperton was the mastermind behind it all.

Thinking about this, Joseph suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and the fog surrounding the Hillary case suddenly cleared up.

He glanced at Zipperton with a smile. Could he be the real mastermind behind it all?
The purpose of this trip was not to investigate the mastermind behind the scenes. Joseph gathered his scattered thoughts and said to Lassoton, "The foundation of your career comes entirely from the development of the Donald Party. If the Donald Party's overall interests are damaged, your interests will also be damaged."

Zipperton took off his cowboy hat and hung it aside, saying, "You came to me this time simply to get back what Hillary left behind and my support within the party. But these things aren't important. Even if I support you, given the current social situation, you still won't be able to get past the Elephant Party and Tom Emmon."

Joseph retorted, "How can you know the outcome if you don't compete? How confident were you when you competed against old Walker? If it weren't for the major riots in Los Angeles that reversed the situation in California, how would you have won against old Walker?"

This was one of the proudest moments in Laugh Tale's life, and it also brought back fond memories for him.

During Jack Neville's eight years in power, the Soviet Union had just collapsed, Russia was eager to offer assistance but couldn't even get a taste of what was good for it, and the United States had the strongest global influence, forging a global hegemony even stronger than that of the British Empire in the last century.

But with his departure from office, the Republican Party made a comeback, and on 9/11 two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. The United States had to completely adjust its strategy, personally engaging in war in the Middle East and getting bogged down in a quagmire.

In recent years, the Elephant Party has also brought out a small number of people who were previously confined to the corners of society and developed them into a mainstream social movement, which led to Tom Emer winning the election.

These demons and monsters suppressed the traditional forces of the Donkey Party, such as Cthulhu, causing many Donkey Party members to join them and become their supporters.

The country is in a mess, and society is in a mess too.

Zipperton rarely goes out, staying on the farm, but the internet allows him to see the state of society. He said, "In the last election, the Elephant Party secured an advantage on the LGBTQ movement, and then you guys went after the LGBTQ people..."

When Joseph saw that he was finally willing to speak on the main topic, he did not interrupt rashly.

Zipperton waved his hand and said, "You've never sat in that position, your vision is too limited, always focused on places like the American mainland."

Joseph asked in bewilderment, "I've also been paying attention to places like Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America."

Zipperton stood up, walked to the world map hanging on the wall, and pointed directly to the Middle East: "This is the key."

Joseph recalled the US military's operations in the first half of the year and said, "The new round of counter-terrorism military operations in northwestern Iraq and along the Syrian border have been successful, and the military has gradually withdrawn to military bases in places such as Mosul and Baghdad."

“That’s not the problem.” Seeing that he still hadn’t grasped the point, Zipperton simply said, “From the war in Afghanistan to the war in Iraq, and to this year’s new round of anti-terrorism military operations, all of these were initiated and led by the Elephant Party, which consumed countless resources and the results were not optimistic.”

He began by explaining in detail: "The long-term military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan did boost morale in the short term, but the time has dragged on and the amount of military spending has been enormous. The benefits that the United States has gained may not outweigh the costs. The front lines are mired in war, and countless young American men have lost their lives on foreign soil. Do you remember my actions in Somalia back then? How big was the media storm afterward?"

Joseph's emergency response was always a bit slow, but after hearing this, he gradually understood: "Using the Elephant Party's military operations in the Middle East as a breakthrough?"

Lassoton continued, “If I were sitting in the Oval Office, the wisest course of action regarding the Middle East situation would be to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. Afghanistan is a poor place with no profit to be made, so a complete withdrawal would be best. Iraq should also withdraw some of its troops, leaving the mess there to the local government and supporting their infighting.” Joseph earnestly asked, “But the attacks in London have once again drawn public and media attention to the Middle East.”

“This is a good thing for us,” Lassoton pointed out. “If the military suffers a major setback in the Middle East, it will immediately attract nationwide attention, and the Elephant Party, which advocates for a tough military action in the Middle East, will also face enormous pressure.”

Joseph realized the difference: "Isn't this the old method?"

Zipper chuckled: "Whether the method is old or not doesn't matter, the key is that it works."

Joseph had already figured out what to do, but he didn't say it.

In fact, it's not much different from what Hillary Clinton did before: supporting one or several military forces in the Middle East, taking advantage of their hatred towards the US military, choosing a suitable time to launch an operation against a small US military unit or other small bases, preferably causing heavy casualties to the US military, and having the media reporters capture it at just the right moment.

The remaining task is to create momentum through media and public opinion.

These are all tasks that donkeys and elephants excel at.

Joseph got the result he wanted and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he still tried to extend an invitation: "Will you attend the national congress at the end of the year?"

If Zipkins publicly endorses him, his popularity within the Donald Party will increase.

Zipperton slowly shook his head: "I am a heartbroken man who can only soothe my wounds by hiding alone in a quiet farm."

Joseph thought of the rumors he had previously associated with him. If they were all true, Zipperton was indeed a seriously injured man.

He said no more and took his leave at the appropriate time.

Zipperton escorted Joseph to the house door and watched him walk out of the farm.

He called his assistant and said, "Is the person I asked for ready?"

"The cult leader has already sent someone to deliver it." The assistant glanced at his watch. "The plane should be landing soon."

Less than two hours later, several heavily disguised cars drove into the farm.

Several young girls, wearing headscarves with inverted pentagrams, got out of the car and went into the house of Zipperton together.

That evening, Joseph Jr. arrived in Pennsylvania and met with his trusted team members.

The two sides exchanged views on the situation in Little Rock.

Rodriguez, the campaign manager, was relatively conservative, saying, "This would cause a serious setback for the US military in the Middle East, and wouldn't that affect America's global influence...?"

“That’s not America’s global strategy, that’s Elephant Party policy!” Joseph’s personal assistant, Dillon, thought about the issue entirely from a partisan perspective: “What we need to do is what is in our interest, and everything else must serve that purpose.”

Joseph fully agreed with this attitude, saying, "If the American defeat can bring us victory, then such a defeat is worthwhile."

After this brief adjustment, Rodriguez's thinking also changed, and his goal was to win the election at all costs.

Even if this victory would harm vital American interests, we would not hesitate.

Joseph squinted and said in a low voice, "In the face of competition between the two parties, all contradictions must take a back seat."

“Yes.” Rodriguez seized the opportunity to express his opinion: “We want to find a suitable proxy, which requires mobilizing a lot of manpower and funds overseas. We must prepare in advance, as there are only two years left until the election.”

Dillon, a former soldier who participated in the Gulf War, has a good understanding of the situation in the Middle East. He suggested, "Northwestern Iraq and the area near the Syrian border are the best options. The Tom Emmer government has just launched a large-scale anti-terrorism military operation there, which used methods such as airstrikes and ground advances, inevitably harming the interests of the local people."

His words were a summary of his experience over the years: "Under normal circumstances, once the US military launches a large-scale counter-terrorism military operation in a certain region of the Middle East, the security situation in that region will deteriorate rapidly, and a large number of anti-American military organizations will emerge, including some ambitious individuals."

Joseph also had collaborators in the military, and he said to Dillon, "Take a group of people and personally go to the Middle East to settle the relevant matters as soon as possible."

He then looked at Rodriguez: "Once there are any results in the Middle East, immediately launch a media attack."

They both agreed.

Dillon added, "Overseas situations and policies are only part of the factors influencing the election. Domestic factors cannot be ignored either. If we can win the party election smoothly, we will face Tom Emmot directly. Judging from the media, Tom Emmot has a very high approval rating in the polls."

Joseph squinted again, as if he were about to fall asleep: "What's your suggestion?"

Dillon said, "I have carefully studied the previous covert battle between Tom Emmer and Sillarie, and some things are basically certain. Tom Emmer definitely has an illegitimate child. He deceived the entire United States last time. If we can expose this, it will deal an irreversible blow to Tom Emmer's reputation!"

Not to be outdone, Rodriguez added, "According to various sources, Tom Emerson and Claire Emerson's relationship has broken down, and their illegitimate child is an irreconcilable conflict between them, which is something we can exploit."

Two years ago, Joseph, as Hillary's running mate, witnessed all of these events.

Many things can be whitewashed through media relations, making the public believe that it is slander.

But in the eyes of those at higher levels, it is not difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake.

Joseph remained convinced that the illegitimate child was real and continued to draw attention to it.

He said, "You need to mobilize resources to do these things and give me a result."

The other two nodded and left the study one after the other.

Joseph squinted, and this time he was truly asleep. (End of Chapter)