If it was the ETO, pulling this off would be difficult. Frederick Taylor had once been the United States Secretary of Defense, and the entire apparatus of the United States stood behind him. Even with Sophons that gave them full-map intelligence, successfully assassinating Frederick Taylor would not be easy. At the very least, it would be no less difficult than assassinating Lin Feng.
But if it was someone within the United States itself doing it, the situation would be different.
They were all from the same country, part of the same system. They were not external enemies like the ETO. Even if something went wrong, it would not damage the United States' reputation. After all, this was an internal affair.
"After old Taylor dies, who will become the Wallfacer?"
Someone raised the question, and everyone in the meeting brightened. Who would not want the powers of a Wallfacer?
The United States used to have three branches of government, but now, with the Wallfacers included, there were four.
And politically speaking, it stood above the other three branches.
The President had executive power, but the term was short.
The Chief Justice had judicial power and held office for life, but was still constrained by the law.
The House of Representatives had legislative power, but there were too many members, and representatives were elected by vote. Absolute control was simply impossible. Anyone capable of that could directly conquer the United States by force.
But Wallfacers had none of those restrictions. They served for life and wielded authority across multiple fields.
A single sentence—"This is part of the plan"—could suppress all objections and grant them something close to dictatorial power.
Who would not want power like that?
While having dinner with his father, Lin Feng looked as usual. But Taylor, who knew his son well, still noticed something was off.
"Looks like work hasn't been going too well."
Lin Feng shook his head. "No. I'm just a little tired."
"Unfortunately, I can't offer you much advice on that, because I'm a workaholic who doesn't know how to rest." Taylor paused, then looked at Lin Feng with concern. "...Feng, if you really can't bear it anymore, then give up. There are many humans, and many of them are smarter than you."
Frederick Taylor thought Lin Feng was troubled by Trisolaris, but what truly put Lin Feng in a bad mood was not Trisolaris. It was humanity.
Lin Feng forced a smile. "Dad, you should have a little more faith in me. Right now, I'm the person the ETO most urgently wants dead after Luo Ji."
Lin Feng had learned everything from Liang Gong. Sophon intelligence was comprehensive, so Lin Feng knew the entire chain of events behind the information Liang Gong had delivered.
And because he understood it so clearly, he was burning with rage.
He had been thinking about how to help All Humanity ease the crisis of the Great Depression, how to help humanity's undercover agents within the ETO put their plans into practical use.
That was right—he had never considered the Wallfacer Plan. But so what if he had not? Even if he deserved no credit, he had still worked hard, hadn't he?
They called him useless, then planned to kill his father and seize his authority?
Why had Lin Feng risked his life to become a Wallfacer? Was it not so that Taylor, his father in this life, could live safely and peacefully?
Family was Lin Feng's reverse scale! Touch it, and die!
The only reason he had not erupted yet was because he was wary of Liang Gong and was considering how to discover the clues more reasonably without alerting the ETO.
"Where are you going?" Taylor asked.
"I'm full. I want to take a walk."
Lin Feng walked outside. He looked around, and his gaze settled on a house.
He called over a CIA agent and pointed at the house.
"What's going on with that house over there? Why are the curtains drawn?"
"It's already nighttime. Isn't it normal to draw the curtains?" the CIA agent replied.
"Is it?"
"Uh..."
Lin Feng's eyes met the CIA agent's gaze, making the agent feel uncomfortable all over, as if he had been stripped naked.
"My experience tells me that ETO members are hiding in that house. They may have learned that I left the residence and are lying in wait there to assassinate me," Lin Feng said with certainty.
"That can't be..."
Lin Feng shook his head and smiled confidently. "Haven't you read detective novels? The more impossible something seems, the closer it is to the truth, because reality is far more fantastical than fiction."
"..."
The CIA agent opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
"Take a team and search the people in that house," Lin Feng said.
"Understood."
An hour later, the CIA agent returned with his men.
"Report. There was nothing unusual. The residents only go to bed early because of their work."
"I see. Then I suppose I was overly anxious."
Lin Feng showed no reaction and merely nodded calmly.
Inside the house Lin Feng had ordered searched, two people were using surveillance equipment to monitor Frederick Taylor's residence. One of them held a walkie-talkie.
A voice came from the walkie-talkie.
"How is it?"
"Everything is normal. Our people covered it up. Feng Taylor didn't grow suspicious."
"That's good."
After ending the call, one of the watchers asked his companion in confusion.
"Feng Taylor actually discovered us. Where did he learn such counter-surveillance skills? He clearly never received any professional training."
The other man focused on wiping down the equipment parts as he answered.
"Who knows? Maybe he's naturally perceptive. I've encountered people like that on missions before."
"Our Wallfacer won't stay there much longer. Once Feng Taylor leaves, we act."
"We need to move fast. There can't be witnesses, and we can't leave evidence. Frederick Taylor can only die in a retaliatory gang murder."
"If we can't do it, then the only ones who will die are us."
The next day arrived, and everything seemed normal. The watchers continued monitoring Frederick Taylor's residence until noon.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang, and someone called from outside.
"Hello, I'm here with your pizza delivery. Your order has arrived."
One of the watchers stood up. "My delivery is finally here."
"Keep watch for me."
After handing over his work to his companion, he went downstairs.
The watcher did not open the door. Instead, he opened the mail slot and had the deliveryman pass the pizza through it.
Unfortunately, that did not help.
The moment the watcher took the pizza, an icy gun barrel pressed against the back of his head. Another gun was shoved directly into his mouth, making him clearly realize what would happen if he made a sound to warn his companion.
Besides those two guns, several others were aimed coldly at the vital points across his body. To stay alive, the watcher had no choice.
The pizza delivery was merely a distraction. The real killing move was the combat team that had opened a gap in the sealed window and infiltrated the house.
After drugging the watcher unconscious, the combat team leader signaled with his hands.
"The Wallfacer said that if possible, capture them alive."
Everyone nodded and carefully headed upstairs.
The watcher upstairs knew nothing. Since he was responsible for surveillance, all his attention was focused on Frederick Taylor's residence.
"Claude, something's happening. Feng Taylor looks like he's about to return. We need to act. Time won't wait."
The moment he finished speaking, he felt something icy pressed against his forehead.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't act."
"You... Who are you?"
Only then did the watcher realize what was happening, but it was already too late. Faced with so many guns, any resistance would turn him into a sieve.
"We're the FBI. We hope you'll cooperate with our investigation, ETO."
The team leader forced a smile onto his stubbled face.
Lin Feng's convoy was intercepted by police cars halfway back to the residence.
But the people standing before the line of police cars were not police officers.
"Who are you?"
The CIA agents got out of the cars with guns in hand, ready to fight.
"We're the FBI. Here are our credentials."
One of the FBI agents stepped forward and displayed his identification.
"We received a call for help from the Wallfacer. ETO members have infiltrated the CIA."
Upon hearing the FBI agent mention the Wallfacer, the CIA agent turned back toward Lin Feng in surprise.
At that moment, Lin Feng had just stepped out of the car.
"Put down your guns." Lin Feng looked at the CIA agent he had sent to investigate the house yesterday. "I said put down your guns. This is part of the plan. Besides the FBI, I also notified the troops stationed nearby. Your resistance will only get you killed, Thomas, and may even leave your families branded as ETO. Think carefully."
Lin Feng's cold gaze swept over every CIA agent. Once the first CIA agent lowered his gun, more and more followed suit and chose to surrender.
Among the CIA agents, only a small group led by Thomas had chosen to betray Lin Feng. Most of the CIA agents had done nothing wrong, so naturally they were not afraid of being investigated.
The CIA agents were disarmed just like that. No desperate last stand occurred. After all, no one could outrun bullets, and numerous snipers had already been positioned.
Sitting in an FBI vehicle, Lin Feng let out a long breath.
Damn it, my palms are drenched in sweat...
After calming down, Lin Feng gave the FBI a new order.
"Investigate. I want to know just how deeply the ETO has corrupted the United States, and whether it can still be trusted."
"Damn bastard!"
A fat man inside the White House tossed his phone aside, his face deathly pale.
He hurried frantically to the parking lot and drove home.
The moment he got home, he began hurriedly packing his luggage and called for his child.
"Son, we need to leave."
"Where are we going?"
The little boy, still watching television, asked in confusion.
"To China."
The fat man hurriedly packed his luggage, but his movements froze at the sound of a voice.
"Sorry, Vice President, but you're not going anywhere."
Someone walked out of the kitchen.
It was an FBI agent!
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