The other clan heads opened their mouths, their throats working, but in the end, they could only remain silent. They understood that the Eight Clans of the Serpent needed to show greater sincerity, and handing Erii's guardianship over to Amon was a letter of surrender.
The Eight Clans of the Serpent had handed over their strongest weapon, a further sign of submission. Amon did not mind showing them a little goodwill in return.
He raised a finger to his lips and gestured for everyone to be quiet. Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he picked up the phone again, skillfully dialed a number, and switched on the speaker.
"Beep—beep—"
After a brief wait, the call connected.
A somewhat weary male voice, carrying the polished tone of a politician, came through in English. "Hello, this is Ronald."
Amon's lips curved into a smile. "Good evening, Mr. President. It's me, your loyal friend, Mike Amon."
At that title, everyone from the Eight Clans of the Serpent stiffened. Ronald, the current President of America!
The voice on the other end seemed to perk up. "Oh! It's you, General Amon, my dear friend. I was just thinking of finding time to contact you. The measures you've taken over in Japan have caused quite a stir. Some thin-skinned fellows on Capitol Hill have been throwing fits, shouting about damage to US-Japan relations and causing me quite a headache."
Ronald's voice carried a familiar sort of complaint, yet he smoothly pivoted. "But of course I trust you. As for the pressure, I've held it off for you. I'm not saying this so you'll thank me. I just want to remind you, my general, no matter how convoluted the truth may be, we need to bring back something to convince Congress and the voters, don't we? Coming back