Chapter 278: Division of Power in A.R.G.U.S.!
The President's Calculated Risk
Smoke lingered in the room, refusing to disperse.
Norman Gant took a puff from his cigarette, his eyes deep in thought.
"Joel Nash can't be unaware that you hold the evidence to force him out of the White House. Faced with this, the typical approach would be to distance himself from you and push you out of the center of power. Yet, he hasn't done that. Instead, he made you the first Director of A.R.G.U.S."
His brow furrowed.
"I can't figure out what our President is planning."
Sam Lane remained silent, admitting his own confusion upon learning of his promotion to A.R.G.U.S. Director.
According to the latest White House document, all supernatural events and aliens within the US borders would be handled by A.R.G.U.S. In addition to its original structure, Sam Lane was given the authority to select members to complete the A.R.G.U.S. structure, backed by hundreds of billions of dollars in annual government funding. This meant A.R.G.U.S. would become a law enforcement agency on par with the FBI and CIA.
Logically, such a crucial department should be controlled by a trusted confidant. Yet, Joel Nash chose Sam Lane, despite knowing the latter had been actively trying to remove him from the White House!
Norman Gant mused, "Who gave him that advice? Or is he simply trying to express gratitude to you?"
Sam Lane shook his head.
"His behavior lately has been thoroughly confusing. At times, I even suspect he never had amnesia and is just pretending to be simple."
"Seriously?"
Sam Lane sighed. "Of course not. I sent people to test him repeatedly, but there were no results. Joel Nash has shown no response to questions about the past, not even a basic change in his expression. This indicates he is telling the truth and really has amnesia. What I don't understand is the ability he's displayed. How can a man with memory loss have such strong discernment and autonomy? Also, don't you think his learning speed is too fast?"
Norman Gant was thoughtful. This was the source of much confusion. A President who lost his memory managed to familiarize himself with the daily affairs of the White House in just one week. Even with latent memory, it shouldn't be that fast!
Sam Lane continued,
"And this list. The people on it were chosen solely by Joel Nash. If they were all mediocrities or fools, that would be one thing. But they are elites! I simply cannot figure out how a man with amnesia managed to select top talent from hundreds of applicants."
Norman Gant said gravely, "You mean he has someone backing him."
Sam Lane nodded seriously.
"That's the only answer. Someone must be guiding him, teaching him what to do. Judging by the information we have, Joel Nash has a very close relationship with that person and places an extremely high degree of trust in them."
"The First Lady?"
"Kate Nash doesn't have that kind of strategic mind."
"Who else could it be besides her? It can't be Vanessa, can it?"
Sam Lane shook his head. "We can't rely on guesses; we have to rely on clues."
"Do you have any clues?"
"Not yet, but we will. The mastermind who invested so heavily in Joel Nash certainly won't be looking for a simple return of money. Wait for it. He will eventually surface."
Sam Lane clenched his fist, his expression utterly grim.
"When he does, I will catch him. The United States will not be a tool for conspirators."
Norman Gant sighed deeply, feeling exhausted by the complex political situation. After a moment, he said,
"How do you plan to handle the A.R.G.U.S. situation? I've heard of Amanda Waller. She's capable but extremely autocratic. She won't willingly hand over the organization she worked so hard to create."
"I worry about a conflict breaking out between you two."
Sam Lane was silent for a while before finally saying, "I will appoint her as Deputy Director."
Norman Gant frowned, clearly disapproving of the decision.
"One mountain cannot hold two tigers. If you don't want A.R.G.U.S. to be divided, the only way is to force her out."
Sam Lane gave a wry smile. "It's not that easy." He added, "I even suspect this is a trap Joel Nash set, hoping to use Amanda Waller to eliminate me."
Norman Gant was taken aback. "Surely not!"
Sam Lane didn't answer. Amanda had built A.R.G.U.S. from scratch, and its core personnel were fiercely loyal to her. Replacing her with a mere document, he knew exactly what sort of complex situation he would face.
The people at A.R.G.U.S. wouldn't respect him and might even be openly hostile. That was the most vexing problem.
Waller's Resignation
In the temporary A.R.G.U.S. base in Arizona.
After reading the document from the White House, Amanda Waller lay back in her chair, silent for a long time.
For years, her greatest wish was for A.R.G.U.S. to shed its shadowy reputation and become an official government executive department like the FBI and CIA. Now, her wish had come true, but in such a ridiculous way.
A single document had nullified years of her hard work!
"Is this what power is?" Amanda muttered to herself, her eyes conveying a deep confusion.
Her deputy, standing nearby, couldn't bear it anymore. He said grimly, "We still have a chance. Meet with the President and make him change this decision." He paused, a fierce look in his eyes. "If he refuses, we'll force him to agree."
As a core member of A.R.G.U.S., the deputy had clearly learned about the demon Ghast incident through some channel.
Amanda looked up coldly, her gaze cutting into the deputy, making him shiver.
"The matter of the demon Ghast must be forgotten. Remember, there never was a demon Ghast."
"But..."
"If you don't want to die mysteriously, remember those words firmly."
The deputy paused, then finally nodded.
"Connect me to General Lane," Amanda said, closing her eyes with a look of exhaustion. "I need to talk to him."
Focusing on the Future
The A.R.G.U.S. incident did not cause a major stir. As the people on the new list took their places one by one, the new cabinet was formed, and the chaotic political situation gradually calmed down.
Based on the new roster of officials, the Department of Defense and the Senate were the biggest beneficiaries outside of the President, which rendered many of the dismissed high-ranking officials powerless, despite their resentment.
The Senate and the Department of Defense could not overthrow the President at this juncture, nor could they reveal the demon Ghast incident. Although some related rumors circulated online, rumors are just that—without supporting evidence, they are ultimately just speculation.
The situation in the White House was temporarily resolved, allowing Luke to finally free up his time to deal with his company's affairs.
On his third day back in Metropolis, Luke summoned his three key subordinates: Dior, Tony Wu, and Wang Hu, to a nightclub.
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!