Invasion of America

Chapter 93 Refuge
Arlington Cemetery, drizzling rain.

A group of mourners dressed in black, holding umbrellas, stood solemnly in the gloomy cemetery.

Diaz followed the mourners and gently placed the bouquet next to the grave. He then turned and bowed slightly to the family of the deceased and whispered a few words of condolence.

The family members nodded politely in gratitude, their faces devoid of sadness. Everyone present mechanically went through the motions, going through the motions.

The deceased was a U.S. Senator, an old lady over 80 years old, and a symbol of "high moral character and prestige" in the political arena.

But in the eyes of all the mourners, she was just an old person who should have been put into the coffin long ago, and holding a funeral was still a joyful thing.

The priest stood beside the tomb and began to tell the life story of the deceased.

After laying the flowers, Diaz had no patience to listen any further. He quietly retreated to the back of the funeral procession and approached a man in military uniform.

"This is the second sitting congressman to die this month, and the fifth in the past three months." Diaz lowered his voice and spoke in a cold tone.

The man in military uniform stared calmly ahead. "Yes, so what? There are a lot of old guys in their seventies and eighties in Congress. They should have moved on long ago."

Not only Congress, but also the State Department, the Supreme Court, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, and the Treasury Department are filled with a large number of old and stubborn parasites.

It wouldn't be a pity if they all died; it would only benefit the country."

Diaz's eyes flashed with anger. "It's good for those old guys to die, but we're also threatened. The Supreme Court justice who died last month was even our ally."

The man in military uniform tilted his head slightly and said disdainfully, "It's better to let the virus eliminate these old guys than for you, the Tree of Justice, to use violence to eliminate them.

This is the price we must pay to save America. Besides, we have already produced the vaccine in advance, and you are already immune, so what are you worried about? "

Dias gritted his teeth and said, "What are you worried about? I'm worried that you'll use only one sentence in your report to describe the global epidemic that Project 'X' may cause.

He even deliberately put that sentence in the middle page of the report because he didn't want me to see it.

I'm worried that you're hiding other side effects, leading to an impossible situation. I'm even more worried that the virus's immune escape is too strong and the vaccine's effectiveness is too short.

By the way, Monica said that the 'super soldier' ​​you created is useless. That idiot from Niger has only muscles but a problem with his brain and is not smart enough.

The man in military uniform looked a little embarrassed, and patiently explained, "The experimental subject you chose is illiterate, so of course he is not useful.

As for vaccines, the development and production speed of RNA vaccines far exceeds that of ordinary inactivated vaccines, so there is no need to worry too much about immune escape.

Virus X has a fast iteration rate, and its virulence in nature will quickly weaken. It will sweep across the world like a tidal wave, taking away a group of immortals, and then everything will return to normal.

1918年的西班牙大流感如此，1977年的俄国流感如此，2009年的H1N1流感更是如此。

This is a kind of natural selection that eliminates the old and weak who are a drag on human development, allowing society and the economy to revitalize.

One year, at most.

We will experience panic, helplessness, despair, and then return to a peaceful life. The young people will be grateful to us."

The uniformed man's voice gradually rose, his tone almost fanatical: "In addition, the 'X' virus is very special, and the enhancer produced by it is really effective on humans.

Given enough data to sift through, we can create a whole new kind of humanity, a whole new future.”

This sound made everyone at the funeral turn around, their eyes filled with confusion and dissatisfaction. Dias had no choice but to interrupt and shout "Shut up."

The man in military uniform then realized his mistake and quickly stopped talking.

After a few minutes, the coffin was lowered into the ground, and the funeral was about to end. The mourners gradually dispersed.

Dias asked the man in military uniform again, "Are you sure the 'X' virus will only wreak havoc for a year at most?"

"I'm sure." The man in military uniform replied.

"The research and development of safer and more effective enhancers must keep up, and many people are waiting," Dias continued to remind.

"Don't worry, we will all become the first generation of a new human race," the uniformed man promised. He then asked, "How are you going to resolve the troubles within the Tree of Justice?"

Dias scoffed at the uniformed man's promise, but he also said confidently, "I'm not in trouble, why should I finish it?"
-
At this moment, Zhou Qingfeng was driving, taking old man Hammer to start his 'training day', learning how to become a 'Shadow King'.

“Victor, you are very good at fighting and killing, but no matter how strong you are, you are not stronger than a bullet.

A true 'Shadow King' requires connections and secrecy, just like Dias. Your enemies are the ones you need to learn from.

As a senior intelligence analyst at the Department of Homeland Security, Diaz's position may seem low, but his authority is very high.

His most terrifying ability is his pervasive spying skills and the large number of unspeakable secrets he possesses.

With enough secrets, he can control everything in the deep government and complete one insider deal after another.

But Dias has a flaw, which is that he relies too much on technology such as computers. Without a mobile phone, radio, or the Internet, he would immediately become an idiot.

So, I want to take you to meet some friends." Old man Hammer chattered in the back seat, but he fell asleep due to lack of energy.
-
The car drove out of Washington, DC, headed north along the winding road, entered Maryland, and finally stopped in front of a country house.

Lucy had called ahead, and an elegantly dressed old lady was standing at the porch to greet them. She glanced at the sleeping Hammer through the car window, then turned her gaze to Zhou Qingfeng and Lucy, extended her hand, and said:
"I'm Mrs. Grey. Let Hammer sleep. The temperature outside is suitable and the air is good. Please come inside."

The two followed Mrs. Grey into the villa's study.

Lucy sat down and explained her purpose: "Mrs. Grey, my grandfather Hammer is the founder of the 'Tree of Justice', and Victor provided funding for the organization.

But now Diaz, who controls the 'Tree of Justice', wants to kill us. We hope to gain the support of members of the organization, such as you."

Mrs. Grey gently stirred the black tea in her cup, lowered her eyes, and shook her head slightly, saying, "Lucy, I may have some ability to pass on information, but I can't protect you, let alone support you.

If I were you, I would immediately flee the United States and stay away from Diaz.

As long as you run fast enough, he won't necessarily have to kill you. Staying alive is more important than anything else. You can always come back later."

Lucy had anticipated this answer. She took a document from her bag and gently placed it in front of Mrs. Grey:

"Here's information on Virus 'X' and the data on 'excess deaths'. Dias's plan is far more dangerous than you think."

Mrs. Grey glanced at the title of the document and still shook her head, "I know about this. Dias provided us with the vaccine, and he promised that this was just a more terrible flu." "Dias's promise?" Zhou Qingfeng suddenly spoke, letting out a low laugh with undisguised sarcasm in his laughter.

Mrs. Grey frowned slightly, expecting the young man to make some insightful remarks, but nothing came of it.

Her face gradually darkened, and the coffee cup in her hand was placed heavily on the table with a crisp sound. She was about to order him to leave, but suddenly stopped.

Considering Zhou Qingfeng's wealth and the "electric flight" he now possesses, perhaps we can be more patient with this young man.

The old lady suppressed her anger and asked, "Victor, do you have any special insights?"

"No." Zhou Qingfeng shook his head indifferently, "I provided Diaz with more than 70 million US dollars in financial support, and he never thought of giving me any preferential treatment or promises.

And you, an old lady in your sixties or seventies, who has no value left to be exploited, yet you still believe in Dias's promises. What else can I say?"

The old lady became furious when she heard this.

Zhou Qingfeng stood up and said to Lucy, "Let's go to the next address. I hope your grandfather's friends are not so stupid."

Lucy didn't insist, just sighed and followed Zhou Qingfeng away.

The study door was gently closed, and only the old lady was left in the room. Her eyes fell on the document on the table, and she did not move for a long time.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the study door.

Before Mrs. Grey could respond, the door was pushed open. Old man Hammer leaned halfway in and greeted her with a big smile, "Hi, Grey. It's been years since I last saw you. You're still as beautiful as ever."

The old lady looked up in surprise, glanced at him coldly, and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm old and no longer beautiful. I was just mocked by a young man for being stupid."

Hammer sat down on the sofa in a familiar manner, picked up the coffee pot on the table and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Young people are like that. I remember you having the same bad temper when you were in your teens and twenties."

Mrs. Grey snorted and didn't respond.

Hammer took a sip of coffee, suppressed his smile, and asked in a low voice: "Is the vaccine given by Dias really effective? Several members of Congress have died recently. Have they been vaccinated?"

The old lady's face instantly turned extremely ugly, as if an invisible needle had pierced her painful spot, and she was unable to refute or explain.

After a long while, the old woman finally lost her temper and asked in a low voice, "What can I do? The damn virus has been leaked. What else can I do except believe that the vaccine is effective?
As for those two young men, I can't fight Diaz, so naturally I can't help. What can you expect me to do? "

A sly look flashed in Hammer's eyes. He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice: "Perhaps you need a shelter."

"What? A shelter?" The old lady suddenly perked up and stared at Hammer and asked, "You built a shelter?"

Hammer nodded, his tone becoming serious: "If everything is just a large-scale flu as Dias said,
So it is very necessary for elderly people like us to find a place to hide and avoid the most virulent stage of the virus."

The old lady's brow furrowed, her mind racing. She retorted, "A shelter might not be a good idea. Perhaps I should find a more upscale nursing home."

Old man Hammer laughed sarcastically and said, "The shelter is closed, but the sanatorium is not. Many people have died in the sanatorium."

That’s right. When facing a virus, the best way is the dumbest way - lockdown.

The old lady's mind was a little confused. She rubbed her temples and murmured softly, "I admit that the shelter is a good idea, but but..."

Hammer didn't give her much time to think and continued:
"Two months ago, Victor wanted to rent a nuclear missile silo in the Montana desert for conversion, but the silo was too small.

He found an abandoned mining town in Kansas, but the town lacked water and the living environment was poor, which was not ideal.

So he ended up taking a bankrupt vacation camp in the woods of Mississippi and fixing up the inside.

Don't forget, he's a billionaire, and with that much money, he could build a really nice shelter."

He paused and continued, "Shelters are also divided into different levels. For example, mining towns are relatively poor, with only a small amount of medical care and not enough food, mostly canned food.

Holiday camps would be better, as they already have good living facilities, sufficient funding, and adequate medical care.

In addition, he also plans to rent a cruise ship of more than 100,000 tons.

Of course, it is an old cruise ship that is about to be scrapped, but it has everything a cruise ship should have and is enough to accommodate thousands of people.

Anyone entering the shelter must first undergo a medical check to ensure they are not infected with the virus before entering."

Hammer sighed as he spoke, "But it seems that not enough people realize the seriousness of the problem, and there are actually quite a few people who are still hoping for luck.

Victor's shelter business is not very popular. But I have decided to leave tomorrow, after all, I am old."

The old lady finally couldn't bear it anymore, she suddenly stretched out her hand and pressed it on the table, interrupting Hammer: "Hammer, stop talking.

Tell me, how much is the highest level asylum place? I want to leave now.

The last epidemic lasted for three years, and the yellow-haired president actually asked us to drink disinfectant to kill the virus. God knows what kind of idiots supported him?
I've always known that the Washington bureaucracy is unreliable, and now I have even less confidence in them."

Hammer laughed out loud, feeling happy that his evil plan had succeeded. He continued, "Grey, you are my friend, you can enter the shelter for free.

Of course, if you want to live a better life, you can spend your own money to purchase living facilities. There will be a dedicated person to connect with you.

But Victor is having some trouble now, and the shelter project isn't progressing well. As you can see, at this critical moment, we're still wasting time."

The old lady's face turned cold. "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"

"You don't need to do anything special. Just use your channels to spread the news of the impending outbreak of the 'X' virus, and that's all."

The old lady gasped, "Hammer, you are indeed the most vicious CIA officer I know. You want to kill Diaz."
-
At this moment, Zhou Qingfeng and Lucy were waiting in the car outside the villa. He suddenly received a call from Jennifer, who asked him, "Victor, what did you say to my father?"

"What's wrong?" Zhou Qingfeng was also puzzled.

Jennifer said frantically: "My father suddenly had to go to 'East University' to reunite with my sister, and Old Baker went with him.

He also wanted to take me with him, saying that the U.S.’s epidemic prevention capabilities were too poor and he wanted to seek refuge in the safest fortress in the world.”

ah.? !
(End of this chapter)