"Very good."
In the underground command room, Chen Lin gave a small, satisfied nod.
He rose from the president's exclusive leather chair and walked over to Donald Trump, who lay slumped on the floor.
With one hand, Chen Lin lifted the leader of the world's most powerful nation like a battered sack and pressed him back into the soft chair.
"Now, put on the performance you do best."
Chen Lin lightly patted Donald Trump's bloodless cheek. To everyone present, his smile was as cold as the ice of the Nine Hells.
"Call an emergency global press conference."
"A... a press conference?"
Donald Trump's eyes were unfocused. He had no idea what game this devil intended to play next.
"That's right." Chen Lin's smile deepened. "Tell the world that a traitor within America stole the highest-level access privileges and maliciously launched the missiles."
"As for who that traitor is..."
With a hint of mockery, Chen Lin's gaze settled on General McAuff.
"Just say it was him. He seemed to have quite a few objections earlier."
This was not merely lighting a powder keg.
He was forcing America to light the fuse with its own hands, then swallow every bitter consequence under the most absurd pretext imaginable.
Utter humiliation.
Utter mockery.
Hearing his own name, McAuff's legs gave out. Unable to stay upright any longer, he dropped to his knees with a thud.
A dark wet patch rapidly spread across the crotch of his trousers.
Chen Lin paid no further attention to these politicians whose souls had been drained away.
He walked over to the wall.
Amid a dazzling emerald glow, he transformed back into an inconspicuous little snake before everyone's eyes.
With a twist of his body, he slipped nimbly into a ventilation duct and quietly departed.
After he left, the