Chapter Twelve: The Angry President

  The White House, Oval Office.

  After seeing off New York State Federal Senator Frederick Miles, Jable leaned back in his chair and rubbed his sore forehead hard.

  Midterm elections are approaching, and both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are making a final sprint.

  The midterm elections are just as important as the presidential election, and are even called a wind vane for the presidential election two years later. In the November elections, not only will all members of the House of Representatives be re-elected, but also one-third of the Senators, and several states will elect new governors. Whoever controls both houses of Congress controls the highest legislative body. If the Republicans win, many of Trump's policies will be affected, or even vetoed by Congress.

  In previous opinion polls, the Democratic Party's advantage was not obvious.

  Jabari wasn't too concerned about whether or not they would win the election. Even if the Republicans got a majority of votes, they could only control the House of Representatives and not the Senate.

  Jaber cares more about Myles.

  As the youngest U.S. Senator in New York State history, Chairman of the Senate Military Appropriations Committee, and at just forty-seven years old, Miles had made a very noticeable showing over these four years. Although Jabel was reluctant to acknowledge this Irish-American politician's political potential, most major Democratic figures, as well as some key Republicans, believed that Miles would run for President on the Democratic ticket two years later, when his Senate term expired.

  Miles' background is not simple. As a rare "hawk" politician in the Democratic Party, he has close ties with arms dealers, oil companies and financiers. His ability to become chairman of the Senate Military Appropriations Committee also has a direct relationship with his deep background.

  Many people associate Miles with fellow New Yorker and 20th-century leader Franklin D. Roosevelt, who led America through the Great Depression of the late 1920s and to victory in World War II.

  This made Jaber feel very uncomfortable because he thought someone was hinting that he was Hoover.

  But facts are facts.

  Three years ago, through large-scale debt issuance, lowering interest rates, and excessive currency issuance, the global financial crisis that had spread globally finally subsided. At that time, some people predicted that under the circumstances of abundant liquidity, after the financial crisis would come a global stagflation, which would eventually evolve into a global economic depression.

  The Great Depression had not yet arrived, but stagnation had already battered America.

  Three consecutive years of stagflation have made it difficult for the US economy, which has fallen into a quagmire, to extricate itself. With China's rapid rise, some people have predicted that before 2025, China will surpass the United States and become the world's largest economic entity.

  Regardless of whether this prediction comes true, China's threat should not be underestimated.

  To improve the economy, to contain China, we need to make the US dollar a global currency again, we need the United States to continue to be the world's largest market, we need the United States to produce products that other countries need, we need the United States to maintain its position as the world's number one power, and we need to sell American products all over the world.

  A seemingly simple problem five years ago has now become an unsolvable one.

  As Japan's three auto giants fell one after another, the US auto industry also faced unprecedented challenges. In two years, China's exports of electric vehicles to the US increased twelvefold to 2.5 million units. Chinese automakers have also set up production plants in the US to produce car bodies, while power and drive systems can only be directly imported from China. Although more than a million Americans got jobs as a result, another two million workers lost their jobs.

  The US aviation industry, which has always been a source of pride for America, is also facing impact from China.

  As the first regional jet of China Aviation Industry Corporation obtained airworthiness certificate in the US, all-electric regional jets will be put into market two years later. Boeing Company will follow Ford's suit and "surrender" to China Aviation Industry Corporation, becoming a third-rate enterprise.

  Terrible, really terrible.

  Jia Pei'er dared not imagine what would be left of America after one by one, the enterprises that supported "Made in America" went bankrupt.

  However, change cannot be achieved overnight.

  America still has a chance, and it's the last one.

  At the beginning of the year, Jayapal signed a budget bill with an additional $150 billion in funding for the development of new energy and new power technologies. The money will be invested in more than a dozen super enterprises such as General Motors, Ford Motor, Boeing Company, Loma Company, Norg Company, General Electric and Mobil Corporation to accelerate America's progress in new energy and new power technologies.

  If a breakthrough can be made in two to three years, the United States will have an opportunity and the Democratic Party will also have an opportunity.

  God bless America, Allah bless the Democratic Party.

  At this time, Jaber could only pray to God, to the true Lord.

  When the secretary brought in the coffee, Jaber opened his eyes.

  "Mr. President, Director Johnson has been waiting outside for an hour and a half."

  "Is he here?" Jia Pei let out a sigh. "Let him in, don't disturb us."

  The secretary nodded, picked up the empty cup and left the office.

  Jonathan came in and Jaber regained his usual confident demeanor.

  "Your Excellency the President..."

  "Sit down, don't tell me it's bad news again."

  "Jonathan coughed twice and pulled out a document. The initial operation has been successful, but the second phase of action encountered a bit of trouble."

  "A little trouble?" Jaber's brow furrowed slightly. The CIA director's "little trouble" was often a big problem.

  "We have lost contact with one of our agents."

  "Important member?"

  "This...," Jonathan said, somewhat flustered. "She's a key member; without her, the rest of the operation can't proceed as planned."

  "Her?" Jaber's gaze shifted from the file to Jonassen's face. "The issue isn't that simple, is it?"

  "Yes indeed, need to adjust action plan, adopt backup plan."

  "How was I not aware of a backup plan?" Jaber closed the file and leaned back in his chair.

  "I don't think we'll run into trouble, there's no mention of a backup plan in the report. However, we've already prepared a backup plan."

  "Is it?" Jaber's vigilance increased, he still hadn't forgotten his crushing defeat five years ago.

  "Jonathan nodded and said: 'Everything is ready, just give the order, we can act immediately.'"

  "Just tell me directly what I need to do?"

  Jonathan shrugged and glanced at the file in the President's hand. "The backup plan has too many moving parts, it will definitely escalate things, and requires your signature to activate."

  Jia Pei'er smiled coldly, and he knew nothing good would come of it.

  Orders that require presidential approval are those that affect national interests or the interests of an ally. Clearly, Johnson was aiming at America's allies.

  What Jonathan is going to do is clearly stated in the document.

  The fuse of the South Asian powder keg has been lit. If action is terminated at this stage, all efforts will be in vain. If the last safety valve is opened, the entire powder keg will be detonated.

  What seemed like a simple question was extremely tricky for Jia Pei.

  If he takes this step correctly, he will become the hero who leads America through its difficulties. If he takes this step incorrectly, he will become the gravedigger of the "American Dream".

  Go or not go?

  Within five minutes, Jaber had considered almost every aspect of the issue.

  As long as the US does not directly participate in the war, the Indo-Pakistani War will only bring benefits and no harm to America. If Japan is dragged into it, not only can it consume Japan's national strength, but also use China's hands to punish the increasingly arrogant Japanese Democratic Party, making Japan obediently return under the wings of the US and willingly serve as a vanguard for America.

  If India wins, Pakistan will change its policy of joining hands with China to contain India and fall into the arms of the United States. If India is defeated, it will inevitably abandon Russia and turn to the United States, lean towards the West, and rearm itself, bringing hundreds of billions of dollars in military contracts to the United States. The only worrying thing is that China takes advantage of this opportunity to achieve a strategic breakthrough, destroying the strategic defense line established by the United States in Central Asia and South Asia over more than a decade with ease.

  In fact, even if the Indo-Pakistani War does not break out, China will still break through the shackles set by the United States in twenty years.

  Furthermore, to maximize benefits, providing strategic assistance to Pakistan is not enough; China must go to war. As soon as China participates in the South Asian war, its international image will inevitably be affected, and its diplomatic policy will also undergo a major change. In the next few years, or even decades, China will have to concentrate on establishing a new image, making it difficult for China to pose a threat to the United States.

  Thinking of this, Jia Pei'er let out a long sigh and picked up his pen.

  Jonathan hastily stood up and flipped through the documents until he reached the page that required the President's signature.

  Seeing the blank signature line, Jia Pei obviously hesitated for a moment. Signing a name is easy, but taking responsibility for it is not.

  Just as the pen tip was about to touch the paper, the office door was pushed open and the secretary rushed in.

  "What's up?" Jaber looked over at his secretary.

  "What just happened," said the secretary, turning on the TV and switching it to the international news channel.

  Widespread smoke, dilapidated buildings, chaotic crowds, burning Japanese and Indian flags.

  "What's going on?"

  "An explosion occurred at the press conference venue." The secretary raised his voice, and the reporter was doing a live report. "The bomb's power is very large, and the casualties are not yet clear. Japanese Prime Minister Sato arrived half an hour later than scheduled, and the explosion occurred when he had not yet entered the venue, so he should not have been injured."

  Jabeer immediately stood up. "And the Indian Prime Minister?"

  "When the explosion occurred, the Indian Prime Minister had already entered the venue and was not far from the blast site. Judging by the force of the explosion, people within a 15-meter radius would have been hard to survive."

  Jabari didn't think much of it and immediately looked over at a stunned Jenson. "You..."

  "This... I..."

  After controlling his emotions, Jia Pei let the secretary go and said: "Is this really the backup plan?"

  "No, no, this is not our planned action, we..."

  "Is there any point in explaining now?" Jaber slammed the unsigned document in front of Jonassen. "From the beginning, you planned this attack and kept me in the dark. You're finished, Jonassen. I want to see your resignation on my desk before I have breakfast tomorrow."

  As he rose to leave, Jonathan was flabbergasted, his hands shaking and his feet stumbling, utterly shocked.

  He didn't know what had happened either, because the explosion wasn't part of the backup plan.

  ****

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