Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

The atmosphere in San Francisco has been rather tense these past few days.

The series of murders has instilled a sense of unease in everyone, and calls for accountability from the police system are growing louder.

"The police are incompetent!"

"A bunch of good-for-nothings who just eat and do nothing!"

"Why isn't that son of a bitch Blake Monroe stepping down?!"

"Are our taxes just feeding a bunch of useless idiots and cowards?"

"The San Francisco police department is full of brainless idiots, and we fucking can't do anything about them!"

Faced with a flood of public criticism, San Francisco Police Chief Blake Monroe chose the most bureaucratic and common approach: to resort to bureaucratic jargon.

"The investigation is underway," "Important leads have been obtained," "The progress of the case is confidential and cannot be disclosed"...

Meanwhile, he secretly sent his confidants to various newspapers to try to pressure them to stop reporting on the deaths.

After all, the public's attention will never stay on one thing for more than three days. As long as the media stops stirring up trouble, new interesting stories or scandals will emerge to divert public attention in a few days.

And so the matter was simply glossed over.

But this time, he miscalculated.

At the behest of Mayor Stephen Pavli Weber, several newspapers with close ties to the American Party not only did not back down, but instead launched a full-scale attack.

The newspaper's editorial section was filled daily with sharp criticism of the police department's ineffective handling of cases and its shirking of responsibility, which in turn led to questions about the corruption and incompetence of the entire San Francisco judicial system.

The criticism is directed at the police and court systems controlled by the Democratic Party.

Besides, another theory is gradually spreading in San Francisco.

John Sutter was actually the mastermind behind it all. In order to reclaim the land, he hired Chinatown spies to murder Ferdinand Sterling and Connor Brandon.

While some have questioned whether the rioters were all white, this claim is rather far-fetched.

However, fueled by racial discrimination, this simple conspiracy theory, heavily racist in nature, quickly captivated a large number of panicked ordinary white citizens.

The fear and terror of the white population in San Francisco quickly turned into anger and madness.

In the border area where Chinatown and the white community meet, sporadic acts of provocation, shouting, and even throwing stones and smashing the windows of Chinese shops have begun to appear.

Although it has not yet escalated into a large-scale riot, the pervasive hostility and sense of danger are already clearly palpable.

This surging undercurrent naturally did not escape the notice of the assassins scattered throughout San Francisco like a neural network.

The intelligence was quickly gathered, analyzed, and eventually presented to Zeng Guofan.

"In short, Mayor Webb, who has ties to the Democratic Party, wants to use the panic caused by the murder to extend his reach into the Democratic-controlled judicial system, and is now stirring up trouble by taking advantage of this situation."

"So, is this considered an undeserved disaster?"

Chinatown, weapons factory dormitory area, first floor meeting room.

I used to lean back in a sturdy armchair, my fingers lightly tapping on the smooth tabletop.

Several people stood before him: Dutch, Guilliman, and Jian Yuan, all of whom were currently in charge of external operations and intelligence.

Dutch shrugged: "Strictly speaking, no, since those two white men with Chinatown deeds were indeed killed by our people."

He once sneered, "Does he want to ignite the powder keg of anti-Chinese sentiment decades in advance and exterminate all the Chinese in Chinatown? Isn't he afraid of breaking his own teeth?"

On the other side, Guilliman said, "My lord, according to my recent analysis of the political factions in San Francisco, the American Party controls a paramilitary militia organization here called the Vigilance Committee."

"I suspect that Mayor Webber and his cronies are trying to exploit the current public opinion to exaggerate the so-called Chinese threat to create legitimacy for the vigilance committee to intervene on a large scale, or even replace the existing police and judicial system."

"Once the committee's armed forces enter Chinatown to maintain order, conflict will be almost inevitable. At that time, they will have a legitimate reason to suppress and expel the enemy, while greatly consolidating their own power."

Jian Yuan narrowed his eyes, a fierce glint in them: "My lord, should I take some men out tonight? Forget about those damn mayors, councilors, and vigilance committees, let's find their hideouts, name them one by one, and slaughter them all!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation: "Killing them is easy, of course, but what about the trouble that follows?"

"The mayor and councilors of a city died overnight, right when they were about to target Chinatown. Doesn't that clearly tell those white people that we did it?"

"What will arrive then won't be some ragtag vigilance committee, but state militia and federal troops!"

"What we need to do now is, while ensuring Chinatown remains safe, find a way to eliminate those foreigners who are stirring up trouble behind the scenes, without arousing suspicion directly on us!"

Jianyuan scratched his head, exasperated: "Can't we pin the blame on the Democrats?"

"Framed..."

This word made Dutch's eyes light up: "My lord, I have a plan!"

"You have another plan?" Zeng looked at Dutch and said, "Tell me."

Dutch didn't answer immediately, but first confirmed a key piece of information: "I remember that several of my accomplices have successfully infiltrated the San Francisco city and county courts and police systems, taking up low-level clerk or police officer positions, right?"

Do they possess any substantial damaging information about key figures in the Democratic Party?

"Let me ask."

He once used a skill to instantly sink his consciousness into the depths of the insect hive network, and among hundreds of active consciousness nodes, he accurately located the few lurking within the judicial system.

After a brief, heart-to-heart talk, he nodded: "There really is."

"A Democrat named James Casey was the police chief of San Francisco County. After taking office, he became an expert in all sorts of vices, including drinking, gambling, and womanizing, and was also adept at embezzlement and bribery."

More importantly, our people overheard him boasting while drunk a few days ago that he had served time in prison in New York for theft, but he concealed this history and bribed the official in charge of vetting candidates to climb to his current position.

Guilliman added, "I know this guy. The San Francisco Gazette, controlled by the American Party, exposed his corruption and bribery, but the investigation into him was ultimately dropped and the reports were suppressed under the protection of the judicial system."

Dutch stroked his chin: "Is he really that suitable? Then let's choose him!"

He began to explain his plan clearly and slowly: "The core of my strategy is to divert the trouble eastward."

"First, have our people spread the news that James Casey is hiding his criminal record to American Party-controlled newspapers, such as the San Francisco Gazette, which Guilliman mentioned."

"On the day the news was published, our people, posing as James Casey's men, stormed into the newspaper office and, in front of all the staff, openly threatened the editor-in-chief, demanding that he publish a clarification statement in subsequent reports, saying that the previous report was fake news."

"Given the current bitter rivalry between the two parties, and the journalistic ethics that newspaper editors typically possess, even if only superficially, he is almost certainly not going to agree to such a blatant threat. If he firmly refuses, our men will shoot the editor on the spot."

He grinned, revealing a bloodthirsty smile.

To cover up a scandal, San Francisco County Sheriff James Casey brazenly ordered the assassination of the newspaper editor who exposed the truth.

"After this news came out, I don't believe the American party and their vigilance committee still have the mind to care about Chinatown."

After a few seconds of silence, Zeng was the first to nod: "I think it's a good idea. Guilliman, what do you think?"

Guilliman pondered for a moment and said, "The basic framework of the plan is feasible. But I have one concern: how can we guarantee that the editor-in-chief will publish it?"

Dutch replied, "That's where we'll have to ask that guy who works at the county police station to do it. As someone from the county police station, his words about betraying his boss naturally carry weight."

Guilliman nodded. "In that case, I'm fine."

He immediately decided, "Alright, let's proceed according to Dutch's plan. Without further ado, I'll send the county police's assassins there now."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Montgomery Street, the office of the San Francisco Gazette.

This is a three-story building constructed of brick and stone, with the air constantly filled with the distinctive smell of ink, paper, and lead type.

James King, the editor-in-chief of the bulletin, was sitting in his office, smoking a Havana cigar and writing an editorial to be published in the newspaper the next day, still targeting the negligent police.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the office door, and his assistant Charlie's voice rang out.

"Mr. Kim, a gentleman who claims to be from the San Francisco County Sheriff's Department is looking for you."

James King paused, his brow furrowing.

Could it be that I've been too harsh on the police these past few days, and those vulgar and rude savages have come to retaliate?

He opened the drawer on his right, placed the revolver in an easy-to-reach position, and then said, "Let him in!"

Soon, a tall, white young man walked in, wearing a small brass badge on his chest, the insignia of the San Francisco County Sheriff's Department.

James King looked at him and said, "A visitor from the county sheriff's office? Well, young man, what kind of nonsense is your stupid, arrogant, and greedy chief coming up with now?"

The young white man shook his head, looking somewhat nervous. "I wasn't sent by James Casey. I'm just here to ask one thing: is it true that your newspaper will give me ten dollars for providing a big news story?"

James King paused for a moment, then nodded.

He'd seen many people trying to sell him big news, but they were either con artists or speculators. The police badge on this young man's body and the meaning behind his words gave him a glimpse of a possibility.

He took a ten-dollar gold coin from the drawer and said, "As long as the information you provide is true, exclusive, and verifiable, this gold coin is yours."

The young white man stared at the gold coin, swallowed hard, and then truthfully recounted James Casey's dark history.

Five minutes later, the young man hurriedly left with the gold coin in his hand, while James King in the office excitedly began calling for reinforcements.

"Charlie, Charlie!"

"Keep tomorrow's front page free, and postpone all other news. Forget about that damn Chinatown; the citizens are sick of it!"

"Believe me, this time, we'll make sure that son of a bitch James Casey is kicked off his job as county sheriff!"

The next morning.

With the crisp cries of newsboys, the front-page headline of the San Francisco Gazette stirred up a storm in San Francisco.

"Breaking News! Breaking News! Shocking Scandal! The county police chief is actually a released convict!"

Exclusive Reveal: Chief James Casey Embroiled in Bribery Scandal Again, Accused of Forging Resume to Gain Position!

"The Sinful Past of Law Enforcement Officers! The Gazette Exclusively Reveals Chief Casey's Unknown Secrets!"

The compelling headline caught the attention of San Francisco residents, and the news quickly ignited the already pent-up frustration with the police system, with discussions and curses heard everywhere.

"James Casey again? Why isn't that son of a bitch stepping down yet?!"

"So he was a thief himself! No wonder his police officers were so lenient with criminals; they're all cut from the same cloth!"

Inside the San Francisco County Sheriff's office, the atmosphere had plummeted to freezing point.

James Casey slammed the newspaper on the table, feeling as if struck by lightning. His blood boiled, and he roared, "Only our own people knew about this! Someone among you betrayed me! Who?!"

His gaze swept across the crowd standing before him, his eyes bloodshot and filled with murderous intent.

With this news, his political life was effectively on its last legs. If anyone in San Francisco were to send a telegram inquiring, news of his past misdeeds in New York would spread throughout California within a week!

"Boss, you know me. We're in this together. If something happens to you, I won't be any better off."

"Boss, you know me. If it were me, I wouldn't be here today."

"Boss, you know me. I've been living and eating in prison these past few days, so I haven't had a chance to betray you."

"That's enough!"

James Casey was so angry he almost laughed. He slammed his fist on the table, his laughter a mixture of rage and despair. "Fine, very well! I've figured it out now, you're all innocent, you all have your reasons! So this news just fell from the sky?!"

Just then, someone said, "Boss, the most important thing right now is probably not to find the mole, but to deal with the newspaper matter as soon as possible."

"Handle? How should we handle it?!"

Casey interrupted him rudely, his voice filled with hostility. "That old bastard James King, he's stinking and stubborn, like the hardest rock in the latrine!"

Money, sex, threats—what methods haven't I used? That son of a bitch is completely impervious to reason! He just wants to gain fame by insulting us and giving us that lousy newspaper!

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and then said, "Alright, I'll go visit a few councilors right now. I need their support."

And you, guard the police station entrance and stop those hyena-like reporters. Remember, don't answer any of their questions!