Working as a police officer in Mexico.

Chapter 733 A terrible teammate, I can't carry him.

Despite strict gag orders from the Pentagon and the White House, the first to smell the blood and pounce on the Fort Stewart mutiny scandal were the local news media.

reporter…

Our business relies on timeliness; as long as we're one step ahead of our competitors, we can earn more.

The day after the incident, a local television station known for its boldness and incisiveness, Northwest View, sent its news van to the streets of Tacoma, Washington.

This place is not far from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is a frequent destination for base personnel during their leave.

Reporter Kyle Jenkins and his cameraman stopped a thin, young white soldier who looked like he had just come out of a convenience store, wearing a somewhat worn U.S. Army combat uniform, on a relatively busy commercial street corner.

“Soldier, excuse me, we’re from Northwest Perspective News.” Kyle handed over the microphone, the camera focused on the soldier’s tired and anxious face. “May I interview him?”

“We can give you $20.”

The soldier had intended to turn and leave, but upon hearing about the money, he stopped, hesitated for a moment, and nodded.

"We understand that active-duty military personnel like yourself have not received their salaries on time for several months. Is this true? How are you and your family currently living?"

The soldier paused for a moment, his eyes darting away, instinctively trying to avoid the camera. But when he heard the words "salary" and "family," it was as if a sensitive nerve had been touched. His lips trembled, and his previously bewildered eyes quickly filled with humiliation and anger.

His voice started softly, but then, as if finding an outlet, it rose sharply, "We haven't received a single penny of pay for four months! Four months! Do you know what that means?"

He became emotional as he faced the camera, saying, "My wife had to move in with her mean-spirited mother and the children because we couldn't afford the apartment rent. My car was towed away by the bank because I couldn't pay the loan. Now I'm eating the meager rations that even dogs wouldn't eat at the base every day, just to save a pitiful amount of food allowance to send home!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his face flushed red, waving his arms: "I can't survive! I really can't survive! Maybe...maybe after we finish the last of the canned food we got from the Salvation Army, I'll..." He paused, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes, "I'll take my M4 assault rifle and go rob! Yes, rob! Just like they do in the movies, since this country doesn't care about us anymore!"

"Fuck the fuck the neighbor's son!!"

The cameraman zoomed in sharply, capturing every detail of despair and anger on the soldier's face. Reporter Kyle felt both uneasy and secretly excited to have gotten such explosive material. He pressed, "Soldier, calm down. You mean you'd resort to violence..."

"Shut up!" the soldier roared, as if the last thread of his reason had snapped. He suddenly reached into his quick-draw holster and pulled out a standard-issue M9 pistol!

"Damn it! Hand over your money, now! All of it!" He pointed the gun at the reporters and cameramen, his voice hoarse and distorted with excitement. "Give me the cameras! And the wallets! Now!"

This sudden turn of events stunned the reporters and cameramen.

The camera shook violently for a moment, then seemed to be hastily placed on the ground or a platform. The image was tilted, capturing the menacing figure of the soldier raising his gun and the reporter's panicked hands.

“Listen, soldier, calm down! We’ll give you money…” the reporter’s voice trembled.

A flurry of fumbling sounds followed, and then the wallet was tossed over.

The soldier grabbed the wallet, then glared fiercely at the camera on the ground, as if he wanted to smash it, but in the end he just roared at the camera: "This is what you forced me to do! This is America, you son of a bitch."

Then, he grabbed his wallet, turned around, and ran quickly out of the camera's view, disappearing around the street corner.

The camera remained in place for about two minutes, recording the empty street corner and the faint screams coming from afar, before being lifted again by the still-shaken cameraman.

"God...he...he really robbed us...an active-duty U.S. soldier, in broad daylight..."

Kyle, speaking incoherently to the camera, quickly summarized his words with professional instinct: "Viewers, you've all seen this, this is not a drill! A U.S. soldier who had been owed pay for four months robbed us after telling us about his plight. What desperation could drive someone to such an act! This is not just his personal tragedy, but a failure of our entire nation!"

The video, especially the scene of the soldier drawing his gun to rob the place and the final desperate scream, was broadcast almost without any editing by Northwest View News. It was like pouring a bucket of cold water into a boiling pot of oil, instantly igniting public opinion across the United States.

Television stations, radio stations, newspapers, and especially emerging internet forums were all flooded with this news.

Shocking! US soldiers openly robbed a journalist; the reason was...

"Four Months of Unpaid Wages: Loyal Guardian Turns into Street Robber?"

America's disgrace: Who drove our children insane?

"Great? Let's feed our soldiers first!"

We must ensure they live with dignity!

Is the economy in trouble because Italy is entering the US?

If the previous Rangers mutiny still carried a sense of distance, as if it were an internal military affair, then this robbery that occurred on the streets of the city, committed by a white soldier, completely shattered the psychological defenses of countless ordinary Americans, especially the lower and middle-class white population.

"Even white soldiers were forced to rob?!"

"He's not Black, he's not a drug addict, he's a soldier serving our country! Look what the government has done to him!"

"Little Bush is still spouting nonsense about greatness. Greatness my ass! If my kid joined the army, he'd end up like that too!"

We have to do something!

Public opinion was in an uproar.

Angry citizens began leaving messages on the White House website, calling congressional offices, and some veterans' groups and civilian organizations even began holding small-scale rallies, demanding that the government immediately resolve the issue of military pay and hold those responsible accountable.

The White House, Oval Office.

As Bush watched the robbery footage playing on a loop on TV, he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" he cursed three times, his chest heaving violently. "What the hell is going on?!"

Chief of Staff Karl Rove stood aside, waiting for him to finish venting before cautiously speaking: "Mr. President, the pressure from public opinion is too great. You must now step forward and address the nation, expressing the government's determination and concrete plans to resolve this matter. You must provide a clear timetable, or at least a gesture; otherwise, the backlash from public opinion will be terrible."

"Attitude? Timetable?"

George W. Bush whirled around, his eyes bloodshot, waving his arms excitedly. "Where's the money?! Carl, tell me, where's the money coming from?! How am I supposed to pay their salaries? Print them with the printer in my office? Or sell the furniture in the White House?!"

Karl Rove was sprayed with spittle, but he didn't back down. Instead, he steeled himself and said in a low voice, "Mr. President, conventional methods are too late. Perhaps... perhaps we have no choice but to resort to extraordinary measures." "What extraordinary measures?" George W. Bush stared intently at him.

"Rob the rich to help the poor," Karl Rove uttered through gritted teeth.

George W. Bush was taken aback, then laughed angrily: "Rob the rich to help the poor? Who do you want me to rob? Morgan? Rockefeller? Or Bill Gates? If I dare to touch these American companies, my impeachment case will be on the congressional table tomorrow! They will tear me apart like a piece of waste paper!"

"No, it's not an American company."

A ruthless glint flashed in Karl Rove's eyes. "It's European companies, or Asian companies, especially Japanese and South Korean companies! They've made a fortune in our markets, growing and expanding thanks to our order and security guarantees. Now is our most difficult time. Shouldn't they 'voluntarily' contribute a little? We can use a 'special security tax,' a 'temporary solidarity fee,' or whatever else they want to make them return some of the profits they've taken in the past!"

Upon hearing this, George W. Bush frowned.

It's not that he has any moral fastidiousness; in international politics, might makes right.

He just felt... wouldn't making money this way be too slow? And the way he was doing it was too ugly, which would inevitably cause a major diplomatic upheaval and retaliation.

“This takes time. By the time the money arrives, the soldiers on the front lines will probably be driving tanks to the White House for a visit, not just looting.” George W. Bush sat back wearily in his chair, rubbing his throbbing temples. “Is there a faster way? Like…like the Federal Reserve…”

Robbing the Federal Reserve?!

What a big dog egg!

Banker: You son of a bitch, Bush, are you trying to rebel?
Chief of Staff Karl Rove was so startled by Bush's earth-shattering idea that he stumbled. Robbing the Federal Reserve? That was tantamount to declaring war on Wall Street and all international financial capital! He quickly stepped forward, his voice trembling:

"Sir! Please calm down! The Federal Reserve... the Federal Reserve cannot be touched! That's not solving the problem, that's lighting the final powder keg, it will blow us all to smithereens!"

George W. Bush also realized how crazy his idea had been.

He just saw Kennedy come to pick him up, um... in his convertible.

Taking a deep breath and forcibly suppressing the thought, I waved my hand irritably, "I know, I'm just blinded by anger."

Seeing this, Karl Rove quickly elaborated on his "Robin Hood" plan: "Mr. President, conventional legislation to raise taxes is too slow. We can make an exception. Many foreign companies operating in the U.S., especially those operating in certain gray areas, are not clean. We can have the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, and the FBI work together to select a few large targets under the pretext of 'suspected violation of specific regulations,' 'endangering U.S. economic security,' or 'needing to cooperate with a special investigation.' We can then conduct surprise raids and freeze their assets, and then issue them hefty fines. They can only resume operations after paying the fines. This money can be allocated directly to the Department of Defense for emergency use under the name of a 'Special Stabilization Fund,' bypassing Congress!"

Ok…

All of these actions are unconstitutional.

But damn it, which US president hasn't violated the constitution?
They really think they're civilized.

Later, I'll show you what it means to storm Capitol Hill.

"This is essentially a quick and forced 'loan.' Once things calm down, we can gradually appease them through subsequent tax policies or other exchanges of benefits. But right now, we must get the cash first!"

This is a risky plan that will severely damage America’s business reputation and international image, and could even trigger a trade war, but as Rove said, it is one of the fastest ways to make money.

The soldiers must be reassured.

If they kill their superiors today, will they kill the president tomorrow?

He pondered for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "Okay, let's do it! We need to choose our targets carefully, prioritizing companies from countries with delicate relationships with our allies or those whose countries are heavily reliant on us domestically. We need to be quick and ruthless!"

"Yes, sir!"

Karl Rove accepted the order, but then remembered a key question and tentatively asked, "What about Mexican companies? They also have considerable investments in the United States, especially in several southern states, and these entities are quite large."

When George W. Bush heard "Mexico," he thought of Victor, and the muscles in his face twitched noticeably.

He desperately wanted to act! If he could snatch a piece of meat from Viktor's tiger's mouth, it would solve his immediate problem and dampen his opponent's arrogance—how satisfying! But his remaining rationality was screaming alarm bells. Almost instinctively, he asked, "What happens after I act? Will Viktor think this is a declaration of war? Will his army open fire immediately?"

Karl Rove chuckled, the answer was self-evident.

Given Viktor's vindictive nature, let alone shutting down his core businesses, even touching a minor, insignificant company could serve as a pretext for border clashes or even larger military action. The United States is currently riddled with internal problems and simply cannot afford a major conflict on another front.

Looking at the Chief of Staff's expression, George W. Bush understood everything. He seemed to have all his strength drained away, waving his hand dejectedly, his tone full of frustration and helplessness: "Forget it, let's not bother with him for now. Let's not create any more trouble. Let's focus on European and Japanese/Korean companies first."

Is it unreasonable for a father to ask his son for something?

"Understood." Karl Rove also breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that the president would get carried away and stir up a hornet's nest for Victor.

However, just as George W. Bush made this difficult decision to try to prolong his life by "involution" with allies and partners, trouble came knocking on his door instead of him.

"Knock knock knock!" A rapid knocking sounded at the door, and before George W. Bush could respond, his personal secretary burst in.

"Sir, a large-scale violent incident has occurred in an area north of Portland, Maine. Initial reports indicate that members of the extreme xenophobic group 'Brotherhood of White Americans' systematically attacked a community primarily inhabited by Mexican-American workers. More than 20 Mexican-American civilians have been confirmed dead, and the death toll is rising!"

"What?!" Bush jumped up from his chair, his vision blurring. He grabbed the table to keep from falling, and angrily cursed, "Damn it! They're just making things worse! These brainless idiots!!"

He immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

At a time when racial tensions within the country are already acute and relations with Mexico are highly strained, this massacre targeting people of Mexican descent is like handing a lit bomb to Victor!

"Immediately! Issue the strongest condemnation statement in my name! Classify it as a terrorist attack! Order the Department of Justice and the FBI to mobilize all available resources to suppress and wipe out this damn Brotherhood as quickly as possible. Find all the participants and the masterminds behind it and punish them severely. Be quick, before Victor can react, and make our stance clear!" George W. Bush almost roared as he gave the order.

"Yes, sir!" The secretary wrote it down and immediately turned to run off to relay it.

"I feel like I'm serving a bunch of stupid Americans!" George W. Bush grumbled to his chief of staff.

I'm so exhausted.

……

(End of this chapter)