North American riot police: Start by arresting P. Diddy!

Chapter 267 Gathering the High Table
An emergency meeting is being held in the underground conference room of the White House West Wing.

This is the umpteenth similar meeting in the past two weeks.

Almost every two days, the intelligence room is filled with cabinet members and high-ranking military officials.

Even the most inconspicuous people in the audience were either military advisors or regional intelligence chiefs.

Even a powerful bureau chief like Jack wasn't qualified to sit at the head table.

"According to intelligence intercepted by the CIA this morning."

Underwood sat beside the president, flipping through the documents in his hand and reading aloud: "At 7:46 AM on January 16th, our intelligence department intercepted an electronic signal indicating that Cobra headquarters had been invaded by foreign enemies, suffering heavy losses, and its leader, McCullen, was fleeing towards Washington."

His report was extremely long, interspersed with a large amount of supporting data such as time and location. After analysis, it ultimately proved only two points: first, the CIA had personally captured McCullen; second, it confirmed that Cobra had been absorbed by Spectre.

The people present exchanged glances, unable to process this shocking news for a moment.

The terrorist organization that left the five permanent members of the UN Security Council helpless and forced them to eliminate its overseas strongholds was breached by Rorschach's group within hours.

Even its leader fled to Washington like a stray dog.
They could hardly imagine how powerful Spectre had become.

That shouldn't be the case. They were just a few lone wolves who got together, so how did they suddenly and inexplicably take down Cobra and become the world's largest terrorist organization?

Everyone's attention was focused on this Spectre, while they were also secretly marveling at Underwood's truly outstanding abilities.

This newly appointed Secretary of State has only been in office for a few days. He probably doesn't even know what the CIA's directors look like, let alone have any control over it. Yet, he has obtained such crucial intelligence and captured the priceless former leader of Cobra.

However, one person present had a different idea.

"Frank," the president suddenly asked, his gaze fixed intently on the Secretary of State beside him, "was McAllen really captured independently by the CIA without outside assistance?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions became somewhat subtle.

Underwood smiled slightly and nodded calmly, saying, "That's right, this was indeed an independent CIA operation. However, I think it also benefited from their surveillance and meticulous planning over several days in advance. Since the White House was attacked with poison gas, the CIA has strengthened its intelligence network and counter-terrorism defenses in the Washington area. The fact that they were able to intercept intelligence and capture McCullen is the result of long-term preparation."

The president paused for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Frank, I have always trusted your judgment and never doubted your abilities. But there is something I must confirm now."

His expression was serious: "Intelligence indicates that you secretly met with Rorschach at the American Museum of Natural History in New York more than a month ago. I initially dismissed it as an intelligence error, but now that Rorschach has become the head of the world's largest terrorist organization, I have to reconsider."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the intelligence room turned their gazes toward Underwood.

Did the Secretary of State make a secret deal with terrorists?
This news is truly shocking.
Of course, similar operations are commonplace on the battlefields of the Middle East.

They did indeed secretly fund several government-affiliated armed groups to achieve strategic objectives.

But Rorschach is different; he sees the United States as a mortal enemy, and the two are worlds apart.

Faced with the questions, Underwood nodded helplessly and responded frankly, "I understand the president's concerns. I can admit the facts: I did have a private meeting with Rorschach, and a deal was indeed struck."

"Wow"

This confession caused a huge uproar.

Attendees gasped or whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with shock and bewilderment as they looked at the newly appointed Secretary of State.

The president narrowed his eyes: "Frank, why? This is not in line with your usual hawkish style."

Underwood hesitated slightly, then finally said softly, "I did not handle this matter well and did not inform you in advance, but it was a last resort."

"What exactly is this deal?!" Attorney General Holder demanded sharply, his piercing gaze fixed on Underwood.

"Ugh"

Underwood sighed deeply, his expression grave. "I didn't want to make this public, but it's come to this point, so I have no choice but to speak out. He asked me to help exonerate former Midtown Police Chief Pete Griffin."

“Peter Griffin? Who’s that?” someone asked in confusion.

But Holder immediately realized what was going on and explained, "That's Rorschach's former boss. He retired in New York six months ago and was unexpectedly involved in a murder case, wrongly convicted of the murderer and imprisoned on Termination Island."

“That’s right,” Underwood nodded and added, “Chief Griffin and Rorschach had a deep, father-son relationship. So when this retired chief was wrongfully imprisoned, our terrorist came to me, hoping I would use my authority to clear his name.”

Holder's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty after hearing this.

He recalled that Underwood had asked him to pay attention to the case under the guise of the Senate intervening in the Department of Justice, and he had indeed done his part to clear Griffin's name.

He originally thought this was just to give justice to a veteran police officer, but he never expected that there was a deal with terrorists behind it.

"Frank," a cabinet minister who was close to Underwood couldn't help but warn, "you need to be careful. You know the federal government's attitude towards terrorists. Doing this could backfire."

"What I really want to know is, what did he give you that made it worth the risk?" someone asked directly.

This was also the question on the minds of most people present.

They knew Underwood all too well; he was a thoroughly political creature, cold-blooded, calculating, and driven by self-interest.
Moreover, his wife runs multiple businesses and is not short of money at all.

What exactly made him willing to risk political consequences and get such a stain on his reputation?

"Alright, since you all want to know..."

Underwood pursed his lips and uttered a single word under everyone's gaze: "CD."

This inexplicable answer left many people bewildered, waiting for his further explanation.

But Underwood remained silent, sitting up straight and keeping quiet after saying the word.

However, several people present suddenly changed their expressions and were visibly shaken.

The Black president, in particular, was the first to react. He tightened his grip on the glass, suppressing his shock, and looked at Underwood beside him.

The latter simply nodded slightly and said no more.

"What CD?" someone asked eagerly.

But Underwood remained silent, and the president offered no explanation.

The atmosphere in the intelligence room suddenly became strange, with everyone secretly speculating about what this mysterious "CD" could possibly be.

“Alright, the issue of the CD is a top-secret federal file, so it’s not appropriate to discuss it here.” Holder broke the silence first, then took the initiative to change the subject.

He looked at Jack, who was on a video call on the big screen, and asked seriously, "Can you be sure that the [machine] is really not damaged? Wasn't the [Staff] in Rorschach's hands? Now that they've broken into the mainframe, will they give up so easily?"

Jack glanced at the silent Underwood and the president, and cautiously replied, "I'm arranging a full-scale test. So far, it seems that apart from some data loss and hardware damage, the source code hasn't been tampered with. I think it's probably because of the deterrent effect of the self-destruct program, coupled with the limitations of the deep-sea environment, that Rorschach and his team chose to retreat."

"That's good. By the way, about the Cobra's base and safe house," Holder began discussing follow-up plans with Jack. But most of the people in the intelligence room weren't focused on that.

Their eyes kept darting between Underwood and the president, as they secretly speculated.

Those officials who knew the inside story of the "CD-ROM" were deeply shocked.

They knew Underwood's tastes all too well; the DVDs at Old Man's estate would never contain any evidence against him.

If it wasn't his, whose could it be?
A few hours later, the meeting ended.

The group of people, each with their own thoughts and feelings, left the intelligence room in silence.

Underwood was about to get up when the president left him alone.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, the president didn't get straight to the point. Instead, he went to the coffee machine, brewed two cups of coffee himself, and handed one to Underwood.

"I hope you can understand me, Frank."

His tone softened, “The Federation has been in turmoil and fraught with crisis for the past six months, with enemies both inside and outside the country eyeing it covetously. Many times, I have worried that I will become paranoid.”

Underwood nodded slightly and replied sincerely, "I completely understand your situation, Barack. If I were in your shoes, I would only be more cautious."

The president smiled with relief.

The two then chatted about policy matters and even anecdotes about the White House and the State Department. The atmosphere was harmonious, completely unlike the tense atmosphere that had just been present in the Situation Room.

Perhaps feeling he had laid enough groundwork, the president took a sip of coffee and asked casually, "If I'm not mistaken, the discs you're talking about are the ones Rorschach took from the cellar of Old Man's estate, right?"

“Yes, those are the CDs,” Underwood readily admitted.

The president frowned: "But didn't Jack get it all back in the last deal? Does he have a backup?"

Underwood sneered, "We all underestimated this guy's audacity. He was already prepared to fight the Federation to the end back then, and what he handed over was just a backup; he kept the original firmly in his hands."

The president's face darkened, a chill ran through him, and he felt a vague unease.

He lowered his voice: "Which one did you trade? Have you seen it?"

"of course not."

Underwood shook his head, his expression serious. "Although that kid is reckless, this move he made was extremely insidious. He clearly wanted to sow discord, undermine cabinet unity, and create internal strife."

The president remained silent, staring intently at Underwood with piercing eyes.

Seeing this, Underwood sighed, "Barack, please believe me, I understand. In the past few years, we have indeed had disagreements, but those were differences in political stance. Now America is facing internal and external troubles, and we should stand together and overcome these difficult times."

"Where is the CD now?" The president, too lazy to listen to his nonsense any longer, interrupted his grand speech and asked directly.

"Burned!"

Underwood answered decisively, "I don't care about the content, and I don't want to know who it's about. The first thing I did when I got the disc was throw it into the incinerator and destroy it completely."

His gaze was firm as he solemnly declared, "Whatever lies inside cannot shake my resolve. We now have only one enemy: Rorschach Butcher! This is not the time for infighting; we must unite against him!"

The president squinted at the stern-faced Secretary of State, then suddenly chuckled, “Don’t be nervous, Frank, I was just asking. You’re right, the big picture is what matters.”

Underwood smiled and said, "I believe we can overcome this challenge as long as we work together."

Now that the conversation had been open, the atmosphere between the two noticeably eased.

Shortly after, Underwood got up to say goodbye and left in a hurry.

The Black president lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and pressed the communicator on the table.

Secret Service chief Michael Banning immediately appeared.

"Create an accident and plant a new agent next to Frank. I need to know his every move. Also, secretly contact the CIA director."

"clear."

After watching Banning leave, the president stubbed out his cigarette, his face grim.

That damn white politician really thinks he's some kind of black idiot who can be easily fooled!
--------

Manhattan, New York.

The hotel was brightly lit, yet a sense of oppression permeated the atmosphere.

Manager Winston sat alone at the bar, his brow furrowed in worry.

The news of the elder's assassination attempt in Panama a few days ago has spread throughout the underworld, shaking the entire High Table. Undercurrents are surging, various forces are eager to make their move, and the situation is on the verge of exploding.

As for the murderer, he's easy to find.

Rorschach, the supervillain with a billion-dollar bounty, made no attempt to hide the fact that he had murdered the Elder. When he hung the Elder's body outside the building, many surveillance cameras captured his image.

A major desert nation in the Middle East has put a bounty of one billion dollars on the High Table. Whoever kills Rorschach will receive a bearer check in a Swiss bank.

Add to that the federal bounty, and that's a whopping two billion US dollars!

The problem is that no one has the guts or the ability to actually avenge the Elders, including the powerful gangs of the High Table who wield absolute power in the underworld.

So don't be fooled by their eagerness and gathering of men; they're not actually seeking revenge for the elder, but rather eyeing the throne vacated by the elder with covetous intent.

They had already discussed it properly, and they even decided to establish a rotation system for the elders, similar to that of the federal president, with a rotation every four years.

However, in order to elect the first elders, none of the council members were willing to submit to each other, and they had been preparing to fight for several days, with the winner becoming the elder.

As a crucial hub for the High Table movement among the people, the Mainland Hotel's influence naturally attracted numerous board members vying for its attention, leading to both overt and covert struggles.

Winston sensed an impending storm, fearing that a global gang war would soon erupt in the underworld, leaving rivers of blood flowing.

Lost in thought, he suddenly froze, staring intently at the hotel entrance.

A man in a red leather jacket strolled in, and when he stopped in front of him, he pulled down his sunglasses and revealed a familiar smile:

"Long time no see, Winston. Did you miss me?"

(End of this chapter)