The atmosphere inside the cabin of Air and Space One was so heavy it could melt water.
The president sat in his seat, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
The screen in front of him was flashing wildly, with every line on it sounding an alarm.
"Take another call from the Department of Homeland Security."
The communications officer, his face deathly pale, pressed his earpiece. "Sir, the call cannot be connected."
What about the Department of Defense?
"The call also cannot be connected."
" The Supreme Court, the intelligence agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation —go and pick up any department that's still active, even if it's just a street sweeper!"
The communications officer's fingers flew across the control panel, sweat trickling down his face.
The next second, a piercing electrical crackling finally came from the communicator.
[Sizzle--Sizzle--]
The president looked up abruptly. "Who did you contact?!"
[Government agencies at all levels have completely lost contact, and this situation is spreading rapidly across the country!]
The voice was clearly filled with fear, and there were sounds of people arguing in the background.
[Repeated! The local command chain is collapsing, a large number of key personnel are unresponsive, and we suspect they have been controlled by some unknown means!]
"Unknown method?"
A high-ranking official slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his face trembling. "What do you mean 'unknown'? Isn't it obvious that it's that monster?!"
"Mr. President, we can't wait any longer!" a senior defense official slammed his fist on the table, shouting at the top of his lungs, "That monster has begun to take over the government! We must activate the Dead Hand System immediately!"
Another aide chimed in, "Your Excellency, we must immediately launch a comprehensive nuclear strike to cover all suspicious nodes. Even if it means mutual destruction, we must bury him underground."
The president was breathing heavily, his fingers pressing against the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white.
Do you know what you're saying?
"We know," the senior defense official stared at him, "But if we keep dragging this out, we won't even have the chance to press the button."
Upon hearing this, the president took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with a handkerchief.
His hands were shaking so badly that he wiped them twice, almost poking the lens onto the table.
"I'm furious! This wasn't my order at all! Why did you all provoke that monster?!"
"Sir, this is not the time to talk about this!"
The advisor stared intently at him, saying, "Even if it means mutual destruction, we must lead this world on its journey."
The president closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and tried to slow his wildly beating heart.
Give me a minute.
"Mr. President!"
"I said, can't you understand me if I give you a minute?!"
The low hum of the engine came from below, and thick clouds stretched out outside the window. Air and Space One was cruising at high altitude; this was one of the safest places in the world.
The president took a deep breath, his mind flashing through satellite images.
The abyss of Carnival Island, lasers and lasers piercing the sky.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! I shouldn't have let you guys do these things!"
But at least it's safe here; at least I still have one last option.
A moment later, he raised his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Give me another cigarette."
No one responded.
The president frowned.
"Bring me the cigarettes."
Still no response. With a sense of foreboding, he opened his eyes.
"Alas, a single wrong decision."
Inside the cabin, the security guards, officers, and accompanying secretaries who had been standing at their posts just moments before were all lying on the floor.
Blood trickled down the carpet, staining his expensive leather shoes, and finally stopped beside the leg of the conference table.
Directly opposite him, a man clad in dark red armor was casually flipping through state secrets on the table, legs crossed.
He raised his eyes, a hint of mockery in them.
"Your Excellency, you seem quite busy."
The president gave a wry smile, trying his best to control his breathing and silently gathering his strength.
Chen Mo turned to the next page of the document, glanced at it, and clicked his tongue.
"Your emergency plan is quite detailed, but it's a bit too outrageous."
Suddenly, the president reached out and slapped the red nuclear button on the control panel.
Chen Mo chuckled, and several black and red tentacles instantly wrapped around the president's wrist, pinning his hand firmly in mid-air.
"My God."
Chen Mo put down the file and looked at him with a smile, "Are you kidding me? You actually think you can pull some tricks on me?"
The president struggled desperately, and the veins in his neck bulged.
"You monster, what do you want?"
Good question.
Chen Mo stood up, and his tentacles burrowed into the president's skin.
The president's body trembled violently, a scream escaped his throat, his eyes began to glaze over, and a dark red light flashed deep in his pupils.
Chen Mo looked down at him, her tone quite serious.
"I just want you to stop pressing random buttons and sending everyone flying."
The president was still seated in his chair, his expression gradually calming down, and his eyes becoming submissive.
A few seconds later, Chen Mo retracted his tentacles.
The president slowly stood up and bowed.
"Grown ups."
Chen Mo looked at him for two seconds and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad, at least you didn't just press the button directly. I'll spare your life. Work harder in the future."
He glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground, then looked at the still-flashing alarm on the control panel.
The safety systems of Air and Space One have all failed, and several backup communication channels have been cut off. Only the fuselage continues to fly steadily along the automatic flight path.
"Alright."
Chen Mo patted the president on the shoulder, "Back to the company for a meeting."
The president bowed his head in response.
The next moment, the top of the cabin was torn open by the Blacklight armor. A gale rushed into the cabin, blowing the corpses on the ground into the air.
Chen Mo grabbed the president by the back of his collar, and metal wings unfolded behind him as he charged directly into the high-altitude clouds.
A few seconds later, Air and Space One regained its balance and continued flying on its unmanned flight path.
But there was no one on this plane who needed its protection anymore.
The top-floor office of the Vought Tower.
Edgar stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching real-time data transmitted from various locations.
On the screen, records kept refreshing, and as the assimilated officials joined the communications, the map gradually turned into a stable dark red.
Ashley stood by the door, holding her tablet, her expression completely blank.
In just half a day, she witnessed the reshuffling of the Vought board of directors, the kneeling of government representatives, and a major reshuffling of the national leadership.
She now feels that nothing can shock her anymore.
The door was pushed open.
Chen Mo carried the president in and casually put him aside.
After regaining his footing, the president straightened his wrinkled suit and quietly stood next to Edgar.
Ashley nearly dropped her tablet when she saw the face clearly.
"Mr. President?"
The president didn't look at her; he just stood there with his head down.
Ashley opened her mouth, then silently closed it again.
It seems America is completely finished.
Chen Mo walked behind his desk, sat down, and picked up the coffee on the table, glancing at it.
"Cold?"
Ashley immediately realized what was happening.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I'll make it again right away."
"Never mind."
Chen Mo put the coffee back, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Edgar, " Old Ai, how's it going?"
Edgar raised his hand and tapped to open a national map.
"Sir, the administrative network is basically under control, and the military controls 62%. I will handle the rest; with His Excellency the President's assistance, it will be quick."
"The efficiency is good, so there shouldn't be any problems with social stability, right?"
"The stability is even better than before the operation began. Thank you for your recognition."
Chen Mo looked at the president.
"You work with Old Ai to screen out all the scum and death row inmates in the country, and take them all out for experiments. Let me see what new and amazing superpowers they might possess."
The president nodded respectfully.
"Understood, sir."
Chen Mo tapped his fingers on the table.
"Listen carefully, I'm looking for quality, not just any two of you grabbing people to make up the numbers. Those with irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing, or those posing a significant threat to society, should be dealt with first."
Edgar nodded slightly.
"I will build a screening model. The judicial system and prison system will be included in the supply chain as soon as possible."
"Very well, that's exactly what I meant."
Chen Mo smiled with satisfaction, "Get it done quickly, I'm waiting for dinner."
Upon hearing this, the president's eyes flickered slightly.
He felt he had found an opportunity to shine and took half a step forward.
"Sir, besides death row inmates and serious offenders, there are actually many other people we can use."
Chen Mo looked up at him.
"Wow, please continue."
The president's tone became more submissive.
"Homeless people, illegal immigrants, missing persons, certain patients who cannot generate value, and those forgotten by the system—we have a well-established system for handling these individuals, which can fully meet your needs."
There was a moment of silence in the office.
Edgar subtly moved away, and Ashley, who was listening in, instantly lost all color in her face.
The president, oblivious to the change in atmosphere, continued his long-winded speech.
"Furthermore, if you require better food, children are actually more adaptable and malleable. We have many avenues and specialized breeding programs that can provide you with controlled samples over the long term."
After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and waited for praise, unaware that Ashley was already standing at the door.
Chen Mo looked at him with a bright smile on her face.
" Old Ai."
Edgar looked up.
"I'm here, sir."
Was I too vague just now? Or did I go too far with my description?
"No," Edgar replied calmly, "Your selection criteria clearly exclude innocent people."
"That's fine then, he's just not smart enough."
The president paused for a moment, about to explain.
A terrifying laser beam pierced his chest in an instant.
The president's expression froze. He looked down at the bloody hole in his chest, unable to understand why he had died.
Chen Mo stood up and walked up to him.
"It was really unnecessary to keep you alive just now."
As soon as he finished speaking, several tentacles tightened abruptly.
The president's body was instantly torn apart, disappearing completely in just a few seconds, leaving only a blood-stained gold-rimmed pair of glasses lying on the ground.
Ashley stood to the side, frantically making the sign of the cross for herself.
Chen Mo looked down at the glasses and clicked his tongue.
"Tell me, why do all these people think the same way? Give them a little power, and they think the whole world is just a waste of their time."
Edgar did not comment on Chen Mo's question.
"Sir, the death of a president will create a short-term power vacuum. According to constitutional procedures, the succession process will automatically begin."
"The Constitution? What's that? It's too complicated."
Chen Mo looked at him.
Edgar paused for half a second, already guessing what Chen Mo was about to say.
Chen Mo leaned back against his desk, speaking casually as if he were arranging lunch.
"I think you should be the president."
Ashley looked up abruptly and couldn't help but gasp.
Edgar remained calm.
"Sir, procedurally speaking, this is very complicated."
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
"Can't do it?"
"It's possible."
Edgar bowed slightly. "The process doesn't matter as long as you want it to."
Chen Mo nodded in satisfaction.
"Any other problems? Let's get on with it."
As he spoke, he stomped on the gold-rimmed glasses on the ground, shattering them.
"What kind of nonsense is this? How could someone say something like using children as experimental subjects?"
Chen Mo looked up at New York outside the window and gave a slight twitch of his lips.
"If I could find someone with a normal brain, I could say I've rid the world of a menace."