They must not be allowed to get their way.
But right now, he couldn't just drop all pretenses and pull out a gun to kill them.
The U.S. representative cleared his throat, adopting an arrogant expression characteristic of bureaucracy.
"Representative of France, your proposal... its starting point is good, and it's very imaginative."
"However, it's far too impractical. Forming a global government? It involves currency unification, military reorganization, and legal integration. This would require decades of demonstration!"
"And..." The U.S. representative turned his head abruptly, glaring fiercely at the representative of the XYZ Country .
"You're asking us to merge with this barbaric nation? Their navy is still using radar to lock onto our warships in the Pacific right now! Unless they lay down their weapons and surrender first, it's absolutely impossible! Not a chance!"
The representative of the XYZ Country immediately understood, slammed the table, and stood up, staring back with fury!
"Put away your arrogant face! We have no interest in this so-called Human Federation! As long as you don't apologize and deal with the relevant personnel, any form of cooperation is just empty talk! We will never hand over our nation's destiny to an institution full of prejudice and hegemony!"
The two representatives went back and forth, forcibly pulling the topic back to the military conflict in the Pacific, attempting to use this heated argument to delay the vote on the proposal.
However, the representatives controlled by the Skrulls seemed to have anticipated this situation long ago.
The French representative's expression darkened as he coldly interrupted the argument between the U.S. and the Eastern Ancient Kingdom.
"We anticipated your short-sightedness and selfishness long ago."
"At this critical moment for human survival, you are still only focused on immediate geopolitical interests. Your stubbornness will push all of humanity into the abyss of destruction."
The British representative also chimed in: "Since you are unwilling to set aside your prejudices and integrate into the historical torrent of human development, then the World will no longer wait for you."
"If you exercise your veto power, my country will immediately withdraw from the United Nations framework. Together with all other nations, we will form a Human Federation government on our own."
The representative of Japan spoke next, his tone dripping with haughtiness.
"Not only that... once the new Human Federation government is established, any old regime that refuses to join will be regarded as a stumbling block hindering human evolution. The Federation will not rule out taking measures including economic blockades, shipping embargoes, and even..." He paused deliberately, "...necessary military action to ensure the consistency of Earth's goals."
Labeling, threats, and forcing a showdown.
This combination of moves was executed seamlessly.
Hearing these blatant threats, the representative of America was so furious his lungs felt like they were about to explode.
Even though he knew the people before him were merely controlled puppets, these words still deeply stung their pride as a superpower.
For most of the two hundred plus years since its founding, America had sat firmly on the throne of the World's hegemon.
In this United Nations, it had always been them wielding the big stick of sanctions to threaten others. Since when was it the turn of a others to dare to shit on their heads?!
Anger, humiliation, and suppressed frustration intertwined in their hearts.
The American representative swept the documents in front of him aside, papers fluttering through the conference hall like snowflakes.
He pressed both hands on the edge of the table like an infuriated lion, his gaze fiercely scanning the national representatives who had threatened him.
"Sanction America?!" He let out a deafening roar.
"You can try! Let's see who ends up begging for mercy in the end!"
The U.S. representative grabbed his briefcase, the latch snapping shut with a heavy "clack."
"We will never bow to any form of threat!"
Leaving behind these resounding words, the American representative didn't spare anyone another glance, striding towards the doors of the United Nations General Assembly Hall and storming out in a fit of rage.
Seeing this, the representative of the XYZ Country also gave a cold snort, packed up, and stood up with his delegation.
"Those with different paths cannot make plans together."
Leaving behind these seven brief and powerful words, he also led his delegation out of the General Assembly Hall without looking back.
With the departure of the two nations' representatives, the General Assembly Hall fell into an eerie silence.
The remaining representatives glanced at each other, exchanging silent, cold sneers.
...
San Francisco, Pym Technologies Headquarters.
Darren Cross paced irritably back and forth in his spacious office like a Beast trapped in a cage.
His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy, and the documents on his desk had been swept to the floor.
Just a few days ago, he had been in high spirits.
Over a dozen automated production lines specifically built for the Wasp Suits had just been completed; everything was ready for immediate production.
He fantasized that once the Wasp Suits were mass-produced, he would become one of the wealthiest tycoon magnates in the World.
But that damn Ellis New Deal, like a bolt from the blue, had shattered his dreams into pieces.
Within a single day, the United States had entered a planned economy, with presidential executive orders forcibly taking over all high-tech enterprises and heavy industries.
Special commissioners from the federal government, accompanied by the military, directly took over Pym Technologies' financial systems.
All capital flows and special materials were now uniformly allocated by the Department of Commerce.
Without federal government permission, he couldn't even buy a single high-precision screw.
Without materials or funding, the production lines came to a direct halt.
And that wasn't even the most fatal part.
The deadly part was that he had already accepted large deposits from several major underground organizations, including HYDRA and the Ten Rings.
He had laundered these funds through secret channels and injected them into Pym Technologies' accounts, but it turned out he had outsmarted himself.
If he couldn't deliver the goods by the delivery date, those people were not exactly kind-hearted souls who were easy to talk to.
These people wouldn't send him lawyer's letters or sue him in court.
They would only shove a bomb in his mouth or chop him into pieces to feed the dogs.
He must escape!
Darren stood up abruptly and walked quickly to the safe, rummaging through several forged passports and security keys for offshore accounts.
But soon, his rummaging stopped.
He slowly lowered his head, his gaze seemingly penetrating the floor.
In the core area at the lowest level of Pym Technologies, there were hundreds of server rack clusters lined up.
Stored within were the fruits of his labor over the past decade: tens of billions of physical simulations, micro-particle collision experimental data, and calculation models.
This was his entire fortune from his attempts to reverse-engineer the Pym Particle formula.
These servers were physically welded to the building's load-bearing structure; he couldn't possibly take them all with him.
If he fled now, it would mean abandoning over a decade of hard work, giving up the success that was within reach, and becoming a stray dog!
Darren slumped back into his office chair, and just as he was struggling...
"Click."
The office door was pushed open without any announcement.
Darren turned his head, his gaze fierce.