Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1259 The Invisible Weapon (First Update)

At 5 p.m., the ruler of Latvia, dressed in a suit, appeared on camera on time to deliver a speech on the disaster. His speech addressed the difficulties he faced during his visit and the current situation in Cuba. He explained Cuba's past struggles and future challenges from economic and military perspectives, drawing parallels between the plight of the Yugoslav Federation and Cuba. The emperor emphasized that Yugoslavia, like Cuba, resolutely opposed the exploitation of impoverished nations by neoliberalism, stressed Yugoslavia's and his personal aspirations for building a community with a shared future for mankind, and outlined the upcoming scientific research cooperation between the two countries.

This was a fairly standard diplomatic statement, offering little new information beyond reiterating Yugoslavia's position and reiterating trade cooperation with Cuba. Even so, most think tanks specializing in international relations saw the underlying tensions and harbingers of impending war in this speech.

As the architect of the Yugoslav Federation, the emperor could not have been unaware of the power of finance. Even the financial problems of ancient dynasties could destroy a nation, let alone the US dollar, which had been inflated through massive leverage, financial derivatives, and digital games. Even now, finance remains a highly effective weapon, and its power is now unimaginable. All actions taken after the establishment of the Yugoslav Federation were aimed at utilizing this invisible weapon. This plan took shape in a thatched hut in the Latvian mountains, nestled between a goat's rooftop and a few bottles of fine brandy.

The Emperor's speech constructed a trading market that excluded the US dollar and the vast financial empire that the dollar had proliferated haphazardly. Joining this trading market meant that one could ride the wave of industrial upgrading in Latvia and Wakanda and share in the high technology that could create high productivity. For the Yugoslav Federation, which was building a spaceport and receiving support from other planets in the solar system, this trading market would be more prosperous than any trading market on Earth.

Everyone remembers the missile strike at Norfolk Naval Base and the Emperor's speech at the United Nations, symbolizing the end of American military hegemony, along with the financial hegemony protected by that military dominance. The missile attack on Norfolk Naval Base was just the beginning; subsequent actions, such as the destruction of Wall Street, were all aimed at undermining the dollar's dominance. The financial system suffered from extreme inflation due to the massive amount of leveraged, nonexistent dollar bills losing their value. The damage caused by this speech in Cuba far exceeded that of all the previous military operations in Latvia, because it provided a channel for financial capital to find a safe trading environment.

It's not that politicians haven't promised to solve the problem, but this financial train that's been growing at an insane rate simply can't be stopped.

No beneficiary of any financial conglomerate is willing to stop and let their assets become worthless just to save America. Doubling one's wealth through constant inflation is common practice for financial giants; the so-called middle class merely enjoys a small share of the profits from the recovered wealth. Losing even that would mean the lower classes lose most of their income. Therefore, no politician is willing to risk offending donors and voters by fundamentally addressing the financial structure to achieve their political ideals. And the last person to do so was John F. Kennedy; the eternal flame still burns on his grave.

Another issue affecting the dollar was the extreme military hegemony of the Latvian emperors.

While the United States could certainly trigger a nuclear war to destroy Latvinia, the Latvian emperor has the ability to find every politician and behead them. No superhero can stop the powerful emperor and Latvinia's control over orbits, as demonstrated in the airport battle during the Avengers' Civil War. Low-dimensional global military hegemony is meaningless in the face of Latvinia's technological superiority and cannot guarantee the safety of all those who benefit from it. This is why royal power trumps money; when the life that uses money is gone, money loses its meaning.

This is the impact of the Emperor's trip to Cuba. The ever-forward-moving financial train has been forced to slow down due to the loss of protection. The US financial system is gradually backfiring on itself due to the excessive issuance of dollars and the financial figures resulting from massive leverage. The dollar, which cannot plunder wealth, has led to hyperinflation. Hyperinflation has triggered extreme social divisions, gradually burying the hopes of all the people at the bottom of society to escape.

During the speech, Diana Lister, standing beside the Emperor, showed no sign of ease. This wasn't due to the terrifying, extreme weather she had experienced during the visit, but rather because the Emperor was surrounded by no other security personnel besides the knights and the Black Armored Guards. All the three-meter-tall Imperial Guards were absent, not even when the Emperor boarded his plane to leave. This gave most of the local officials attending the meeting a slight sense of relief. While the "superhuman phobia" instilled by the knights remained deeply ingrained, the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the Imperial Guards was even more unbearable. For this reason, many viewed the Emperor's trip to Cuba as a show of force rather than peaceful dialogue.

Diana Lister lowered her eyes, watching the Emperor stand before the boarding ramp, facing the slowly rising ramp panel. The sunlight was gradually swallowed by shadows until the Pegasus Heavy Assault Transport took off. Only then did the Emperor's movements slowly cease, becoming stiff, indifferent, and seemingly lifeless. Victor von Doom opened his eyes, pulling his thoughts away from the other side of the Atlantic—the Emperor standing on the assault transport at this moment was not a real person, but a substitute acting according to a predetermined program, a puppet constructed of flesh, machinery, and magic, possessing only the most basic abilities of movement when uncontrolled. Originally, this puppet was intended to replace the Emperor in his academy life, but now Victor von Doom had to retrieve it and use it for the ceremony.

Each time, he marveled at his friend's talent and wisdom. Creations combining technology and magic did exist, but not everyone possessed the emperor's astonishing creativity. However, what amazed him even more was the emperor's planning and arrangements for the future. Such a grand plan would require countless people and thousands of years to realize, and everyone, including Victor and the emperor himself, was merely the fuel that kept the plan running.

The true emperor was still far away at the edge of the solar system, awaiting the actions of the Sisters of the Brethren and the Guardians of the Sun. Meanwhile, the humans still living on the surface of this planet were completely unaware that someone was fighting to the death for their lives at the distant edge of the solar system's halo. Diana was somewhat indignant about this. Although her duties weren't directly related to finance, she knew how much it cost to send knights out on a single mission. She declared that the emperor should levy taxes on the entire world to balance this expense, or allow the disaster to continue until all nations were forced to pay taxes before resolving the problem.

"This is……"

“He made many preparations,” Victoria Hand said calmly. Although she only learned of the alchemical doll's existence in the last few hours, this didn't prevent her from using her long-standing expertise in disguise as an intelligence professional to present it as the result of her own careful planning. “Many measures can continue to be implemented after he leaves, ensuring that all objectives are achieved,” she told Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers, who later attended the meeting. “While I don't particularly agree with Nick Fury's style, I'm certain of his assessment of the Emperor: that we cannot understand him.”

"Victoria, I think you should have enough transport capacity now, right?" Steve Rogers asked. He and Victoria Hand already knew each other, and he particularly admired this serious and dedicated intelligence chief. "We're superheroes; the people below need our help, anywhere."

“You are nothing, Steve Rogers.” Victoria Hand shook her head. “You are more politically charged. I’m sorry, I can’t let you leave like this, at least not now.”

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(End of this chapter)