Chapter 465: Money and Power
The Search Strategy
The circle drawn by Eve was huge, encompassing over a dozen countries including China, India, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Pakistan. Finding a single fragment of a meteorite in such a vast area was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
After leaving the lake-view manor, Linda immediately contacted Charlie, instructing him to use ShowMe's information channels to conduct a worldwide search for news related to meteorite sightings. She didn't explicitly state the reason, only claiming it was Luke's request.
She also initiated a certain level of concealment with the Hongmen and Coast City operations. Luke's identity was too sensitive; if news of his "death" were to leak, who knew what chaos might erupt?
Overnight, Linda seemed to have matured, no longer acting with the same recklessness as before.
After handling the initial calming measures, the next step was to head to Asia, but first, she needed to select a suitable CEO for Tesla.
Among the senior executives at Tesla, the only suitable candidates were Barry Allen and Billy.
Barry Allen had the technological advantage, while Billy was a member of the Shaw family. After careful consideration, the final choice fell on Billy. His skills were well-rounded, meaning no immediate issues would arise. Furthermore, as Luke's cousin, he was familiar with Dior, Wang Hu, and Wu Yue, giving him resources to solve problems if they arose.
Another two days passed. The physically and mentally exhausted Kryptonian girl returned to the lake-view manor and found the twelve phantoms.
"Do you have any good ideas?"
Number Three spoke. "An old parchment scroll describes a soul magic that can sense the Original Body's soul fluctuations through hair or blood. However, this magic has a time limit and a distance restriction."
"How far?"
"No more than nine miles."
Nine miles wasn't a small distance, but compared to the entirety of Asia, it was hopelessly inadequate.
Number Eight suddenly suggested, "The best method is actually to mobilize all the natives in Asia and have them voluntarily collect the starship fragments and deliver them to us."
Number Eleven was dumbfounded.
"Eighth Brother, stop joking! How could they possibly deliver them right to our door?"
"Money makes the world go round."
"This isn't just about money."
"What if you add power?"
Number Four's pupils narrowed. "You're not thinking of involving him, are you?"
"Why not? He is the Original Body's servant. He's been sitting in that position for so long, it's time he did something useful."
Number Five agreed with the decision. "With him giving the order, plus the massive bounty offered by Tesla, it should work."
"The Original Body strictly warned us not to expose his existence unless absolutely necessary. If you do this, people will be bound to get suspicious."
"There are priorities. The most important thing right now is to retrieve the Original Body. Everything else can wait."
Linda was lost by their cryptic conversation and couldn't help but ask,
"Who is this 'him' you keep talking about?"
The apostles exchanged glances, seemingly debating whether to tell her the truth. After a brief discussion, Number One said solemnly,
"The President of the United States, Joel Nash."
Linda's eyes widened. She was utterly shocked.
"The President... How is that possible? That's insane! You are all completely insane! Luke, he... he... when did he do that?"
"Sorry, that's all we can tell you. If you want more details, you can ask the Original Body."
Number Eight continued, "Have Joel Nash exert pressure on those Asian countries in the name of the US President. At the same time, Tesla will provide financial support. Anyone who collects a starship fragment and hands it over will receive a handsome monetary reward."
"With a two-pronged approach, we'll quickly receive a large quantity of fragments. All we have to do is use the magic in the storage room to check the piles of debris for the Original Body's soul fluctuations."
"This is the fastest and most reliable method."
Number Eight's proposal was remarkably sound and immediately compelling. The more Linda thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
"You contact Joel Nash. I'll go prepare the funds right now."
The girl left excitedly. She was clearly thrilled and impatient, and she didn't seem to care about the potential consequences of such actions.
The President's Gambit
Five days had passed since the Battle of the Kryptonians, and Metropolis was still shrouded in grief.
White floral tributes covered the worn-down streets. Mournful citizens gathered around the ruins, offering their final respects to lost family and friends.
At noon, the city government released the casualty statistics.
The endless gray list contained 133,782 dead, in addition to 90,000 permanently disabled, and 150,000 lightly wounded.
The direct economic loss exceeded $650 billion, with subsequent losses projected to reach $2 trillion.
What a terrifying figure. In that moment, the sky over Metropolis seemed to turn gray.
It was then that an inappropriate announcement came from the White House. After expressing deep condolences for the victims, current President Joel Nash shifted focus to Krypton.
He first detailed the Kryptonians' malicious behavior, then focused on the starship, and finally touched upon some strange technological topics. His odd speech left people bewildered. Soon after, reporters revealed that Joel Nash had contacted the leaders of several Asian countries, urging them to collect the debris of the Kryptonian spacecraft.
Simultaneously, Tesla loudly announced that it was investing $4 billion to establish collection points in various countries. Anyone who provided a starship fragment would receive a proportional monetary reward.
The two pieces of news combined set the world ablaze.
Foreign countries weren't the only ones baffled; high-ranking White House officials were also shocked. The President has gone mad, they thought, actually pressuring allied nations for the sake of a minor company like Tesla.
In an instant, public opinion erupted.
Tesla and Joel Nash became the focus of discussion. No one could understand why the President would make such an absurd move at such a critical time.
Inside the Oval Office, First Lady Kate Nash watched her husband with a conflicted expression.
"Joel, what's wrong with you? Why did you give that order? You... you..."
"Luke Shaw. It's him, isn't it? He's blackmailing you, right?"
Adam (Joel Nash) had adapted well to his role as President over the years and was performing admirably, even better than his predecessor. His composure was unshakable. Facing his "wife's" accusation, his expression didn't change at all.
"He's not forcing me. I instructed them to do it."
"You?"
Kate was stunned and completely confused.
Joel Nash instructed his secretary to let the waiting officials enter. The office was soon crowded with representatives from the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, CIA, FBI, and more.
"You are all perplexed about why I issued that order." His gaze swept over the crowd. "It's because of the war. The war showed me our deficiencies. When faced with an invader, our military was completely ineffective. We were forced to rely on so-called superheroes for victory."
"I am deeply ashamed of that fact."
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