"Judging from your expression, things should be going smoothly!"
Francis Underwood returned to his residence, hung his suit jacket on the clothes rack, and sat on the sofa tiredly, but his face could not hide the excitement.
The Secretary of State's wife brought him a cup of hot coffee and sat opposite him with a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice.
Claire Underwood, the Secretary of State's wife, took her husband's last name, but she was a woman with an extremely keen political sense and was once a capable assistant to Francis Underwood in his political career.
Clare deserves at least half of the credit for Francis becoming Secretary of State.
"Everything is going smoothly as planned!" Francis Underwood took two sips of hot coffee, then took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to his wife.
"What is this?" Claire took the document and flipped through it a few times!
"I have drawn up an invitation list for the cocktail party. The President, Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and Secretary of State will all be present!"
Francis Underwood said: "Of course, some big names are coming too, including the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Rockefeller, JPMorgan Chase, and Stark, all influential families in the Federation, who have also sent invitations!"
"You turned a secret meeting into a cocktail party. Doesn't the owner of the White House have any objections?"
Claire looked at Francis, who looked tired, and walked over to him, holding his head in his arms, and gently massaging his temples with his thumbs.
"This is the political system of the Federation. Behind these invited people are all the too-big-to-fail companies and conglomerates in the Federation.
Once the peace talks with Wakanda are successful, the benefits will definitely not be borne by the government alone. It's called a cocktail party, but in fact it's just everyone sitting together to share the cake!"
Francis Underwood rested his head on his wife's arms and explained: "Neither the invitees nor the Wakanda side will doubt the real purpose of this reception!"
Claire rubbed Francis' head and said with some worry on his face: "Isn't it a bit too risky? With your political strategy, we still have a chance. There is no need to take this risk!"
Claire naturally knew what her husband was planning. Although she had been with him for so many years and had witnessed the open and secret struggles in the political arena, she was still shocked by Francis's generosity.
"I have no chance. With Garrett's current prestige, he can be re-elected for another term if nothing unexpected happens. If the next election is for the Democratic Party, can you calculate how many chances I still have?"
"But, those attending the reception are all important figures in the Federation. If anything happens to them, it will cause a stir in the entire Federation!"
"Isn't this good?" Francis looked up at his wife. They stared at each other, and there was a fierceness in his eyes:
"Washington suffered a terrorist attack. The president, vice president, speaker of the House of Representatives, and president pro tempore of the Senate were assassinated. A large number of heads and CEOs of well-known companies were killed."
"According to the federal constitution, I will directly take over the position of president, and when the federation is attacked by terrorists, I can directly exercise the wartime rights of the federal president!"
"For this cocktail party, I specially invited the heads of JPMorgan Chase, Rockefeller, DuPont and other financial groups to attend. If something happens to these heads, these financial groups will inevitably be in turmoil for a period of time." Lan
"As a wartime president, I will get rid of those terrorists, rectify the economy, save unemployment, and maybe even get rid of one or two too-big-to-fail corporations.
Clare, do you think that I, the hero who saved the Union, can serve longer than Franklin Roosevelt?"
Claire lowered her head and looked at her husband in some surprise. It was the first time she knew that Francis had such ambition in his heart.
"But Roosevelt's experience cannot be replicated. You have to know that he was re-elected because during World War II, when the federal government was facing war, he won the support of the people and was re-elected for four terms.
And after him, the federal constitution stipulates that each president can only be re-elected for two terms at most! "
Franklin Roosevelt was the first and last president in federal history to be successfully re-elected for four terms.
The federal government has been implementing a presidential system since its founding. Including the current president, there have been 45 presidents, of whom only 11 failed to be re-elected.
According to the original federal constitution, it only stipulates that the term of office of each federal president is four years, and does not clearly stipulate the president's re-election period.
In other words, as long as there is enough public support, the president can be re-elected.
But Washington, the first president of the Confederacy, had a clear understanding of his own status.
After being elected as the federal president twice in a row with unanimous votes, he resolutely refused to seek a third term, leaving behind the federal tradition that each president can only serve two terms at most.
This tradition lasted for 150 years before it was broken by Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the Union.
He was re-elected as the President of the Federation for four consecutive terms, which was unprecedented and also became the longest-serving president in the history of the Federation to date.
But the reason why Roosevelt was able to be re-elected for four terms was because it was during the Great Depression and World War II.
The long war caused panic among the people of the Federation, who longed for a stable rule.
Roosevelt's election could maintain policy consistency and minimize the turmoil caused by the change of government.
But after Franklin Roosevelt left office,
In 1951, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited anyone from serving as president for more than two terms.
"If Roosevelt could win re-election by rallying public opinion, why can't I?" Francis asked, looking at his wife.
"Since Roosevelt was re-elected because of the anti-corruption war, I will create an enemy for the Federation to face!"
Francis' eyes seemed to be burning with a flame called ambition. Leaving a name in history is the ultimate aspiration of every politician.
Claire looked at her husband without saying anything. As an equally ambitious woman, she could still tell which one had a higher status between the wife of the Secretary of State and the First Lady of the Federation.
She rubbed Francis' head for a while, then sat on the sofa next to him, picked up the invitation list, and checked for omissions.
"Tony Stark, Frank, cross out his name!" Claire looked at the names on the invitation list and said to Francis.
(Frank is short for Francis! It is usually used between acquaintances and couples)
Francis looked at Claire in confusion.
Claire calmly analyzed: "You have to know that the head of the Stark family has another identity. You don't want an Iron Man to mess up your plan!"
Francis made a mistake in his haste and then remembered that Tony Stark also had the identity of Iron Man. Although he was very confident in the secret weapon that Cobra had taken out, Lan
However, facing Tony Stark, who was currently in the limelight in the Federation, he was unsure.
"Wouldn't it be awkward if we didn't invite him?" Francis frowned.
Although the Stark family cannot compare with those old-established conglomerates, after World War II, the management of two generations of Starks has given the Stark family a profound influence in the federal military.
And now that Stark Industries has entered the energy field, it has become a veritable energy tycoon!
If Tony Stark wasn't invited to this cocktail party, it would have seemed too conspicuous and too deliberate!
"You forgot that the current president of Stark Industries is not Tony Stark!" Seeing Francis' embarrassment, Claire woke him up with one sentence.
Francis suddenly came to his senses after hearing this, hugged Claire and kissed her: "Then change the name on the invitation to Pepper Potts!"
Claire took out a pen and crossed out Tony Stark's name on the invitation list and wrote Pepper Potts' name instead!
Of course, this is just Francis's first draft! The actual invitation has not yet been produced.
The reception is scheduled for three days later, which is enough time for the White House staff to deliver the invitations to the right people.
"Song Tang!" Claire saw an unfamiliar name on the invitation list and looked at Francis in confusion.
"Someone has to take the blame this time, and this person is just the right height, weight and body shape!"
Claire nodded in understanding.
"One more thing. Please find me some information about a terrorist organization during World War II. I want a batch of their uniforms, slogans, and badges! Quick!" Lan
Francis thought of what T'Chaka had said about the resurrected Hydra.
A gang leader colluded with a revived anti-Japanese organization during World War II to launch a terrorist attack on the Federation.
The president and vice president were killed one after another, and he, Secretary of State Francis Underwood, stepped forward to take charge of the situation and turn the tide.
Is there a more perfect plot than this
"What organization?" Clare asked.
"Hydra!"
... ... ..
The next day, Francis sent two copies of the invitation list for the cocktail party to the White House office and the Blair State Guest House!
After confirmation from the President and T'Chaka, Francis instructed the White House staff to prepare the invitation!
He went to the Blair State Guesthouse and had a two-day secret meeting with T'Chaka.
Of course, saying it is a secret is just a statement.
Although Wakanda is a small country, T'Chaka is a political veteran. He first reached a secret agreement with China and Russia, and then forced the Federation to submit.
As the world's most powerful country, the Federation currently relies on the power of various countries to supply itself. Whenever there is an economic crisis, it will print US dollars in large quantities and let the whole world pay for its consumption.
All of this is based on his powerful armaments and technological level.
If China and Russia are allowed to overtake others through Wakanda's vibranium technology, this result will be unacceptable to the Federation.
So in this situation, there is not much room left for the federal government to negotiate.
However, the White House staff did not fail to formulate countermeasures. They studied the national conditions of Wakanda.
Wakanda's land area and population mean that even if they become a permanent member of the World Security Council, they will not have much impact on other countries.
This is also the reason why China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom have successively agreed to Wakanda's entry into the UN Security Council.
The federation also has its own set of measures for this multi-ethnic, monarchical country.
The tried and tested method is naturally to convey to them the ideas of federal freedom and democracy.
In a few years, this small country will be in turmoil and fall apart.
"Mr. Secretary of State, send an exchange team to Wakanda to help Wakanda set up a university.
Accept some Wakandans to study in the Federation,
Setting up an embassy and letting Wakanda open up its vibranium technology to you, is this what your federation requires?"
In the small conference room of the Blair State Guesthouse, a formal negotiation was taking place. T'Chaka looked at the terms of the treaty in front of him and stared at Francis!
"If I'm not mistaken, the war has not yet been decided. Why does this agreement make me feel like Wakanda has already lost?"
Francis smiled and said, "Your Majesty, our request is not too demanding. You should know that if Wakanda wants to become one of the permanent members of the World Security Council, it must naturally assume the responsibilities of a great power!"
"Our Federation's technology has also helped many third world countries. If Wakanda wants to become a permanent member of the UN, it must show its sincerity!"
T'Chaka scoffed at Francis's statement. Although Wakanda was closed to the outside world, it had been established not long ago since T'Chaka came to power.
Wakanda joined the United Nations as a fourth-rate small country in Africa.
If it weren't for the butterfly effect of Tang and Song, the king of Wakanda would have caused a lot of trouble in the United Nations.
Even his death was caused by him criticizing and holding the Avengers accountable at the World Security Council meeting, and was eventually taken away by the Winter Soldier with a bomb.
T'Chaka criticized the Avengers because 11 of his own citizens died in the conflict while doing charity work in Sokovia.
As a sophisticated politician, T'Chaka's intentions in doing this could not be so simple.
His speech indirectly led to the birth of the Sokovia Accords.
This agreement, drawn up by the Department of Defense and agreed to by 117 countries, is like a collar around the Avengers, stipulating that they can only act with approval;
From all indications, it can be seen that T'Chaka is also a political veteran active in the world.
He knew the nature of the federal government very well. Over the years, the federal government had imposed countless blockades on other countries' cutting-edge technologies!
Also, the Federation wants to set up an embassy in Wakanda, but T'Chaka will never agree to it.
Wakanda's intelligence agencies are spread all over the world, and he knows what the Federation's embassy is like.
Especially in the Middle East, some small countries in Africa are simply the root cause of unrest.
Secretly support anti-government armed forces, subvert non-pro-American countries, and steal intelligence from other countries.
If the Federation were to really set up an embassy in Wakanda, within a few years, the throne under his butt would probably have to be moved.
Studying abroad is even more impossible. After studying abroad for a few years, I have to wait for that group of international students to come back.
T'Chaka knew what they were going to do even if he thought with his ass.
Freedom and democracy, opposition to monarchy, this kind of cultural consciousness invasion is a tried and tested method of the federal government.
T'Chaka rejected each of the federal government's commission conditions in the document.
Then there was a heated conversation with Francis.
The first day of negotiations lasted from ten in the morning until the afternoon, but the two sides failed to reach a consensus.
During the negotiations, the two sides were still deadlocked on some terms related to interests.
In general, the federal government can agree that Wakanda can join the World Security Council...
But the conditions offered by the federal government were unacceptable to T'Chaka.
The negotiations lasted until about four in the afternoon. Francis saw that he could not persuade the stubborn T'Chaka.
Francis could only go back to report the situation to the president and prepare for tomorrow's meeting.
In the White House, not far from the State Guesthouse, a large group of White House aides had already deduced the many possible outcomes of the talks and prepared a host of backup plans.
What Francis has to do is to explain the process and results of the negotiation clearly and select a feasible plan from many alternative plans according to the progress of the negotiation.
... ... … …
Tang's Manor, New York, Lake Pavilion,
Lane, who had just met with some shareholders of Hammer Industries, returned to the manor and saw his boss fishing by the lake.
He glanced around and noticed the invitation placed on the long eucalyptus.
When Lai En opened it, he saw that it was an invitation to a cocktail party issued by the White House.
"This was sent by an officer, saying that there was a cocktail party held at the White House and I was invited to attend.
Go check who received this invitation and what is the real purpose of this invitation?!"
"Yes, boss!"
Lai En put down the invitation in his hand, returned to the study, and searched for information about the cocktail party through his own network of contacts.
… … …
"Boss, I checked it out. The standard of this reception is very high."
In less than ten minutes, Lai En returned to the pavilion in the middle of the lake and reported the information he had found to Tang Song.
"The people attending the reception are all big shots in the upper echelons of the Federation, and they are all the heads of the following financial groups. The Federation President, Vice President and some high-ranking officials will also attend the reception...
Stark Industries received an invitation, and the invitee was Pepper Potts, President of Stark Industries!
The Osborne Group was not invited.”
"It turns out that the egomaniac Tony Stark wasn't the one who invited me."
Tang Song smiled, picked up the cigar box from the fishing box beside him, took out a cigar, and threw the box to Lai En.
"New stuff from Cuba, try it!"
Ryan took the cigar box and looked at it. It was inlaid with tiny aquamarine gems.
These diamond-like gemstones are pure in color, and a dozen of them are inlaid on this cigar box. This cigar box alone can be sold for six figures in US dollars on the market.
"A tobacco company in Cuba wants half of New York's tobacco quota! Find someone to talk to!"
Boss Tang smoked a cigar and stared intently at the motionless buoy on the lake. He casually decided on the tobacco supplier for a metropolis with a population of tens of millions.
Lai En picked up the cigar cutter, trimmed a cigar, sat on the stone steps next to Tang Song, and smoked with Boss Tang.
"Boss, things in Washington are not peaceful these days! Someone has offered a huge sum of money to buy the life of the King of Wakanda. I think you'd better not attend this reception!"
"Kane sent back a message saying that a big drama of assassinating the king is about to take place in Washington, and I just want to go and see it.
It would be interesting if the Secretary of State could pull it off.”
Tang Song stretched lazily and said.
The Secretary of State hired a killer organization to assassinate the Federal President. He couldn't miss such a good show.
... ... ... ..
World Security Council Headquarters, Manhattan, New York
Alexander Pierce, Secretary-General of the Security Council, was also invited to the reception.
"Are our people in place?"
Alexander Pierce took the invitation in his hand and looked at a senior agent behind him with the SHIELD badge on his chest!
"The four Winter Soldiers and the killer we are looking for have arrived in Washington, and everything has been arranged!
Mr. Whitehall has arrived in Washington, and he says he wants to take charge of the operation himself!"
"Whitehall!?" Alexander Pierce looked skeptical: "He can do experiments, but commanding this assassination
What about Straker? Is he still on the battlefield in East Africa?"
Compared to Daniel Whitehall, who was obsessed with immortality, Alexander Pierce trusted Strucker, who was a military man, more in terms of command ability.
"The Baron said he is temporarily tied up in East Africa!"
"Then tell Whitehall that things have changed. Tell him not to move for now. I have a plan!"
Alexander Pierce looked at the invitation in his hand and said thoughtfully.
... ... .
Francis' secret negotiations with Wakanda on behalf of the White House were deadlocked for another day.
The two sides reluctantly reached an agreement, with Wakanda opening up part of its vibranium technology to the federal government and also giving the federal government part of its vibranium quota.
The federal government, for its part, agreed to cast a crucial vote on the UN Security Council.
The negotiations lasted until seven o'clock in the evening before they came to a conclusion.
When it was over, Francis returned to the White House with the signed agreement.
... ... .
On the other side, a group of people in the Cobra base were making final preparations for tomorrow's cocktail party.
Boxes of ammunition were distributed. Kane took out a pistol from the ammunition box. As soon as he picked it up, he felt the weight was wrong.
Kaka, he disassembled the pistol in a few seconds and checked each part of the gun.
I found out that this gun is made of plastic!
"This is a firearm made with the latest 3D printing technology. Even the bullets are made of special materials instead of metal!"
The Cobra commander wearing a silver-white mask stood on the platform. He saw Kane checking his guns, walked over and spoke to him, his voice full of pride.
Kane frowned: "This kind of firearm is not durable. Compared with guns made of metal, its durability is too poor!"
Kane reassembled the pistol: "The service life of a normal pistol is 3,000 rounds of bullets, and this gun can only fire 1,000 rounds at most!"
The Cobra commander waved his hand, and a buzzing laugh came from under the silver mask: "Hahaha, we don't need it to be very durable, as long as it can last until tomorrow afternoon!"
At this time, White Ghost came in with a group of Cobra soldiers in black suits carrying a batch of boxes.
"Everyone, put on new uniforms!"
A Snake Eyes soldier opened the box, and the Cobra Commander took out a black combat uniform from the box. He pointed at the octopus snake head emblem on the uniform and said to everyone:
"From now on, we are not Cobra, we are Hydra, remember, everyone, remember our slogan!
Hail hydra!
“Hail hydra!
hail hydra! ... "
Kane looked at the familiar badge on the combat uniform in the Cobra Commander's hand, blinked, and listened to the group of Cobra Eyes soldiers shouting somewhat familiar slogans.
"You...we are Hydra!" he asked the White Ghost who was holding a samurai sword beside him!
White Ghost shook his head: "It's just looking for a scapegoat!"
Kane looked at Cobra Commander and suddenly felt that he and his boss would definitely be able to have a conversation.
… … …
Nightfall
Inside the State Guesthouse, T'Chaka felt heavy-hearted, his mind filled with dangerous omens at all times.
But I couldn't tell exactly what it was. It was like a darkness shrouding my heart, and I couldn't touch anything identifiable with my hand.
He was so worried that even the black beauty beside him was not attractive to him!
The reason why T'Chaka went against his ancestors' teachings and stirred up trouble in the world was because he saw clearly that the reason why Wakanda could maintain a high degree of independence and self-isolation was because of the convenience brought by vibranium.
After all, vibranium resources are limited, and Wakanda must find a way out for itself, which is why it has developed intelligence agencies all over the world.
Although he successfully led Wakanda to join the World Security Council this time, Lan
But he himself couldn't tell whether what he did was good or bad for Wakanda.