Chapter 226: The Origin of the Affair!
The Conspiracy Against the President
Stan Darloff, carrying his girlfriend and his boss, fled for over ten miles, stopping only when they were completely out of the combat zone between the Swamp Monster and the serpent cult.
The three squatted on the ground, panting heavily. The memory of the recent battle filled their faces with deep terror.
Over thirty people—senior, well-trained personnel of the FBI, including Roy and Nelson—were all gone, dead at the hands of the venomous snakes.
The losses from this operation were devastatingly heavy.
Maeve worriedly said, "Emily is still back there, she..."
Jack Harvey cut her off. "She'll be fine. That bastard Luke Shaw won't let her die."
Stan Darloff took off his jacket and covered his girlfriend with it. After carefully scanning the surroundings to confirm there was no danger, he asked with a serious expression,
"Director, please tell me, what was the real intent of the Green Forest Project? Was it really just to eliminate a cult?"
Maeve was surprised by her boyfriend's question. Thinking back on everything that happened, a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. The FBI had its rules, rarely cooperating with outsiders, especially not organized crime. And the Serpent Spirit Society—if it was so dangerous, why didn't the Director petition the White House to use military force to flatten the snake pit? Instead, the Director himself personally led the team.
He hadn't participated in a field mission for over a decade.
Jack Harvey caught his breath, seeing the two of them staring intently. After a moment's thought, he sighed.
"The Green Forest Project is top secret. You two aren't strictly authorized to know, but since you insist, I won't hide it any longer."
"Do you two remember the series of accidents that occurred during the Presidential election four years ago?"
The two looked at each other, not grasping the meaning. Could the Green Forest Project be related to the President?
Jack Harvey spoke somberly, "Four years ago, the current President, Joel Nash, ran in the election as a third-tier Republican candidate. His approval rating was extremely low. No one believed he would win; many even treated him as a joke."
"How could a man with less than five percent approval become the President of the United States? Yet, it happened." He shook his head. "First, the primary candidate, Mr. Douglass, suffered a sudden heart attack at a campaign rally. On the way to the hospital, the ambulance was delayed by a car accident for over ten minutes, and he died."
"The second candidate didn't celebrate for long. Footage of him molesting a minor somehow reached the media. The Department of Justice investigated, and he was immediately disqualified from the election."
"The third candidate became the scapegoat for the two incidents. Unable to bear the massive public pressure, he announced his withdrawal from the election. The rest, you know—Joel Nash became the first US President in history with less than ten percent of the popular vote."
"Too many unexpected factors occurred during the campaign, forcing people to be suspicious, but we could never find evidence. The Green Forest Project was born from that."
Jack Harvey spread his hands, sighing. "The plan was actually initiated not by me, but by the Senate and the Department of Justice, bypassing the President. The goal was to find evidence of the improper means Joel Nash used during the election process."
Hearing this, both were genuinely shocked. They never imagined such secrets lay behind this operation. Stan Darloff said earnestly, "Director, can you tell me what information you found?"
"What do you want to know?"
"The Serpent Spirit Society and the President! Did Joel Nash win because the Serpent Spirit Society interfered?"
"Yes, to be precise, it was that gray-robed figure."
"So, the goal of this operation was to find evidence linking the gray-robed figure and the President?"
"Exactly."
With that confirmation, Stan Darloff and Maeve understood everything. No wonder the Director never contacted the White House. No wonder he personally rushed to participate in the operation. The ultimate target of the Green Forest Project wasn't a cult—it was the President.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was gathering evidence against the President!
Maeve swallowed, suppressing her alarm, and whispered,
"Does Luke Shaw know about this?"
Jack Harvey gave a cold laugh. "How could he not know? He knows better than anyone. He not only knew the Serpent Spirit Society was hiding in the swamp forest, but he also knew all the strange occurrences that happened before this, and he's fully aware of the secret collusion between the President and the Serpent Spirit Society."
Maeve asked confusedly, "Then why didn't he expose it?"
The old man laughed loudly, his hardened face full of sarcasm.
"Who do you think that Asian is? A patriot? Pah! If he were a patriot, the Coast City Police Department wouldn't be the Shaw family's backyard."
"That kid is a demon. Rotten to the core, a bastard through and through. He doesn't care who the President is. It wouldn't matter if it were a cultist or a lunatic."
"But..."
Maeve had a good impression of Luke and couldn't help defending him. "He still came. Without his help, we never would have found the Serpent Society's lair."
"Do you really think he was helping us?"
The old man countered, his expression utterly derisive. "Believe me, if he genuinely wanted to help, the Serpent Spirit Society would have been wiped out long ago, and not a single one of our people would have died."
That last statement hit home. Remembering their tragically dead comrades, Stan Darloff and Maeve fell silent.
Several questions had been nagging at them: The Hummingbirds were so potent, why didn't they attack the snake swarm? Luke Shaw himself was a metahuman, yet he never lifted a finger. And that servant—cold, emotionless, like a machine built for killing. Every time Maeve met his gaze, she felt a chill deep in her soul.
He possessed so much power, yet he kept hiding it, refusing to use his full strength. What was his true motive?
Stan Darloff whispered,
"Director, what do we do now?"
"We wait. That kid took my money, so he owes me an explanation. Otherwise, this isn't over."
Jack Harvey heavily snorted and hid behind a large tree to close his eyes and rest.
Clash of Ancient Power
The rain gradually stopped, but the sky did not clear, becoming even more ominous.
A black cloud appeared over the Swamp Forest, electrical arcs flashing within it.
With a deafening roar, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking the fiercely burning green flames with an incredibly terrifying energy fluctuation.
The two energies collided, resulting in a massive explosion.
Luke couldn't help but retreat, his expression grim as he stared at the ancient demon, Ghast, whose claws were now wreathed in electricity.
"As a demon, you can manipulate lightning?"
"Ridiculous human, you know nothing of magic."
Ghast spread his hands, and a thunderbolt descended overhead. The bright white current encased the entire armor.
Warning... Warning...
Energy severely over limit. Initiating emergency measures!
The Phantom armor released a powerful electromagnetic wave. Eight spider legs shot out from the back and connected, forming a circular cannon barrel. Countless spots of light converged in the barrel, forming a nearly solid energy blast.
Boom!
A blue column of light, thicker than a water barrel, shot out, striking Ghast squarely in the chest.
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