BXBX NOVEL Chapter 469: Rise Up - End
The cacophony of gunfire, explosions, and screams continued for another fifteen minutes after Cao Cao and the Black Squad entered the White House, neutralizing all resistance. Then, silence fell, broken only by radio chatter and the heavy footsteps of power armor suits.
"We found something! Call the demolition team!" A member of the Black Squad shouted from the White House entrance.
The US Army soldiers and their demolition team entered, guided by the Black Squad member. They descended into the basement, where they discovered a large, sealed vault-like door.
"We haven\'t found General Moore. Mr. Cao believes he\'s hiding behind that vault," the Black Squad member informed the US Army power armor squad.
The power armor squad leader instructed the demolition team to get to work. They quickly determined that using explosives would not only destroy the vault door but also level the White House – an unacceptable outcome for the higher-ups at Liberty House.
Time passed as they attempted to blast and melt the lock, but nothing worked. The US Army had no authorization to purchase assistance from Astral Tech, as their contract only covered combat support, not cleanup operations.
Cao Cao then called upon Nicholas and his demolition expert. The expert swiftly placed several small, superheated charges around the vault door, focusing their blast radius on the door alone.
After everyone evacuated to the first floor, the basement echoed with explosions. Returning to assess the results, they found a large, man-sized hole neatly cut into the door, easily passable even in power armor.
Nicholas volunteered to enter first. A brief exchange of gunfire and a small scuffle ensued within the vault before silence fell once more. The way clear, Cao Cao entered the vault, accompanied by several US Army soldiers.
There, in the VIP room, they found General Moore hiding under a blanket, looking extremely disheveled.
"Found you, bastard!" One of the US Army power-armored soldiers, fueled by rage, charged towards General Moore.
"Ahhhhh! Don\'t hurt me, don\'t hurt me! I surrender! I surrender!" General Moore quickly raised his hands in submission.
"Private! Stop! He\'s surrendered! We need him alive for trial!" the US Army squad leader shouted, halting the soldier in his tracks. The soldier clenched his fists, reluctant to obey.
The angry soldier was none other than Joel, whose entire life and family had been destroyed by the man before him. His family, his wife, his child... and the audacity of this bastard to declare nuclear war. It was too much for a simple order to quell his rage.
"Arrrrggggghhhhh!" Joel roared, stepping forward again, ready to crush the General\'s skull with his power armor fist.
"Private First Class Joel Scott!! Step... Back!" The squad leader bellowed with a menacing tone.
Cao Cao stepped forward, placing a hand on Joel\'s shoulder and shaking his head. "Don\'t do this, son. It\'s not worth it. Trust me, he won\'t survive this. Eventually, you\'ll get your chance..." Cao Cao said calmly, nodding at Joel.
Seeing the sincerity in Cao Cao\'s eyes, Joel finally stepped back, allowing his squad leader to arrest General Moore and escort him out of the vault.
"I... I need some time alone," Joel said softly as he exited the vault.
Seeing that the US Army soldiers had left and the VIP room was empty, Cao Cao finally allowed himself a satisfied smirk, as if everything had gone according to plan.
[Everything is going according to our script, Now… for the next step.] Cao Cao thought to himself as he left the vault.
— A Week Later —
After a week of cleanup operations, the rebel leaders were nominated by the US Congress to temporarily oversee the reclaimed territory of the former Confederacy. This arrangement will last until the unification process, along with the necessary bureaucracy and formalities, is completed, which will take several months.
There is also a need to provide basic education about democracy and the voting process since they need to elect a new state governor for the reclaimed territory. The people in the Confederacy used a different method to elect their leaders compared to the US.
In the US, people elect their leaders to represent their interests in politics and governance. In contrast, the Confederacy allowed only individuals with a certain threshold of wealth and reputation to elect representatives. This was because they believed that ordinary people were too ignorant to make wise decisions and would always choose immediate benefits over long-term plans.
This belief has some basis in reality. For example, in some Southeast Asian countries, representatives are chosen because they come from parties with policies that promise direct monetary benefits if they are elected. This practice, although blatant, is not considered vote-buying but a "policy" by constitutional judges.
Even with this degree of blatant disrespect for people\'s intelligence, parties with such "policies" still win. Of course, their victories may not be landslides, but winning is still winning, regardless of the margin.
Therefore, it is crucial to have advertisements and educational campaigns in this regard.
General Moore\'s crimes were being judged in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands. The trial was broadcast live worldwide due to the infamy surrounding General Moore\'s declaration of nuclear war against the USA. This action had greatly angered the UN, especially the Qing Empire, the self-proclaimed current leader of the UN.
During the trial, General Moore showed no remorse and even laughed at the judge. When asked if he admitted to his guilt, he snorted and said:
"Guilty of what? Guilty of doing the things all of you wanted to do and failed!? Guilty of having the dream to unify the land like you did? The only thing I am guilty of is failing.
I don\'t know where my precious research on viruses and bio-engineered weapons will end up, but I believe it will eventually find its way into your hands very soon, you hypocrites!" General Moore roared before the court staff forced him to be silent.