White House, Oval Office.
President Ellis sat with his fingers interlaced beneath his chin, expressionlessly watching the White House Chief of Staff standing before him.
"Mr. President! This is a blatant trampling of the law!"
The Chief of Staff forcefully waved the report in his hand.
"Vought Group now dares to commandeer the world's public broadcasting systems at will! They publicly announced an unverified apocalyptic threat, designated exclusion zones and evacuated civilians without authorization! They even bypassed the federal government to interfere with the financial system!"
The more the Chief of Staff spoke, the angrier he became. "Most importantly, for such a major operation, they submitted absolutely no application beforehand to seek the federal government's approval! They only sent the White House a perfunctory notice after the press conference!"
"This is clearly them relying on their achievements to overstep their authority! Where do they think the federal government's authority stands?"
The aide leaned closer to the desk, trying to emphasize the gravity of the situation.
"Mr. President, if this continues, the public will only know Vought, only know Homelander, and won't even know the federal government exists! At this rate, it will only be a matter of time before they replace the government and rule the world!"
"This trend must be stopped immediately!"
Ellis quietly listened to the Chief of Staff's lengthy speech, his expression showing not the slightest fluctuation.
"So, what do you suggest?"
Hearing the President ask for his opinion, the aide felt a surge of delight, thinking his advice had moved the President.
He immediately straightened up and presented his carefully considered plan.
"I suggest we immediately find an excuse to prosecute Homelander. The charge doesn't matter; it can be anything!"
A shrewd glint flashed in the Chief of Staff's eyes.
"We need to put him on