Chapter 253: Visitors from the Department of Defense!
Luke's Disengagement
The series of events over the past few days gave Luke a clearer understanding of the man in the White House. He was not as foolish as Luke had initially thought; he was quite shrewd, politically savvy, and sharp-sighted.
With a single glance, he saw his enemy's vital weakness—Jack Harvey's lack of protection outside his official capacity—and he ruthlessly sent a killer for a fatal strike.
Jack Harvey's death left his subordinates in disarray, like a pack of wolves without an alpha or a hive without a queen. By the time they regrouped, the situation would already be irreversible.
A successfully re-elected Joel Nash would become the true President, holding absolute power, reorganizing his cabinet, and installing his confidantes in every key position. By then, who would dare investigate his identity? Even if evidence were presented to prove he was a demon, the Supreme Court would dismiss it for the sake of the nation's reputation.
A President could be a cripple, a pervert, a hypocrite, or a homosexual, but he absolutely could not be a demon. That would be an ultimate humiliation for the entire country.
To signal that he had no intention of participating in the power struggle, Luke took Vanessa and her "best friend," Eve, on a vacation to Hawaii.
Hawaii was truly a wonderful place. While it was freezing in Coast City, it was still over here.
Looking at the scantily-clad young women on the beach, Luke, wearing nothing but swim trunks, felt a familiar surge of heat in his abdomen. Ever since he ate the green apple from the Swamp Creature, his body had been improving daily, his energy more abundant, leaving him with an endless reserve of strength.
The cool sea breeze seemed to blow away all his worries and conflicts, leaving only beautiful beaches, sexy women, and refreshing food.
This is how life should be!
Luke sighed in satisfaction, pulled his hat over his eyes, and closed them blissfully. He hadn't slept long before familiar footsteps approached, followed by a soft body settling into his embrace.
Luke instinctively wrapped his arms around the beauty, enjoying the wonderful sensation of skin-on-skin contact, his voice lazy.
"Did you learn?"
"No."
Vanessa, wearing a blue bikini, pulled the hat off Luke's face and said, somewhat annoyed, "I'm too clumsy. No matter how I try to slide, I fall. I keep wiping out."
"It's okay. Take your time. You'll get it eventually."
"How about you teach me?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you! We've been here for three days, and all you do is lie here sunbathing. It's too boring. Come on, let's go wakeboarding."
The girl was displeased with Luke's laziness and dragged him up, pulling him toward the beach.
Eve was also there. Compared to the fair-skinned, soft-featured Vanessa, her figure was more in line with the American aesthetic: tan skin, a round and ample backside contrasting sharply with her waist. Just standing there, she commanded hundreds of double-takes.
The three played happily in the ocean until the sunset arrived, then they returned to the hotel.
Luke ordered a seafood platter from the service desk and headed back to his room to change. Pushing the door open, he saw two old men sitting on the sofa and said speechlessly,
"Trespassing is a crime, General Lane."
Sam Lane ignored Luke and gestured to the elderly man beside him. "This is General Rozier. He represents the Department of Defense. We have something important we need to discuss with you."
Luke put on his pajamas and said casually,
"I told you three days ago, I won't get involved in your business. Don't expect me to share the country's burdens. It's not going to happen."
"But you are still seeing Vanessa."
Rozier smiled, his voice characteristically husky. "Using Vanessa and Mrs. Nash's influence to bring down Joel Nash was a crucial part of Director Harvey's plan. You haven't given up, which suggests you have no intention of letting Joel Nash off the hook. You must have heard the saying, 'An enemy you can't befriend must be made to disappear forever'?"
Luke was surprised. He studied the sparse-haired old man with a strange expression.
"You and my grandfather..."
Rozier chuckled. "We did quite a few foolish things in our youth. That phrase was the former Hongmen Society leader's favorite saying, and your grandfather considered it a golden rule."
"I see."
Luke realized. "No wonder they sent you to be the negotiator."
"Negotiator is not the right word. It should be partner."
"Oh?"
Luke raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "You want to cooperate with me?"
"If Jack Harvey could cooperate with you, why can't we? The Department of Defense has more power than the FBI."
Rozier sounded confident, but Luke shook his head. "I think you may have misunderstood. I cooperated with Director Harvey not because of his power, but because he had something I needed. That's what made the cooperation possible. As for you two..." He paused, shrugging,
"You don't have anything I want. Cooperating with you offers me no benefit; it only adds trouble."
Rozier produced a file.
"Read this first."
Luke took the file with suspicion. He opened it and quickly scanned the contents. The more he read, the stranger his expression became. Finally, he froze, put the file on the table, and said with admiration,
"The Department of Defense is very well informed."
Rozier said, "Your creation of Bluebird and Tesla is not a secret. Bluebird is an energy company, and Tesla is a military-industrial enterprise. Once the factories are built, the next step is development. Orders from the Department of Defense would significantly reduce your development time, wouldn't they?"
"That's true, but it's not a necessity. I won't sell my life for a benefit like that."
Rozier said heavily, "Luke, believe me, we came here with genuine sincerity this time."
With a long sigh, he continued,
"The inside story of the case has spread. People in the Department of Defense and the Senate now know Joel Nash's identity. Those who were initially skeptical are now fully convinced due to Jack Harvey's sudden death. Many are afraid and worried, seeing the White House as a demonic lair. They are afraid to even set foot inside. Who could have imagined that a demon lurks inside the cautious, seemingly spineless Joel Nash? If this demon goes berserk, the entire White House will become a hell. No one can tolerate such a thing. We must fight back. The Department of Defense will never accept the rule of a demon."
Luke followed up, "How do you plan to proceed?"
"You agree?"
"I need to know the entire plan before I can consider agreeing."
"That's impossible!" Sam Lane protested angrily. "Who can guarantee you won't leak the plan?"
Luke shook his head with a knowing laugh.
"The demon inside Joel Nash is called Ghast, the ruler of the galaxy in the ancient era. In addition to powerful magic, he has two special abilities. One is the Aura of Ill-Omen—you're aware of that, so no need for me to explain. The other is the Mask of Fate: he has one body but two souls. The souls are intimately connected, without beginning or end. To truly kill him, you must kill both souls at the exact same time. Otherwise, he will resurrect using the power of the other soul."
"The soul inside Joel Nash is one of them. The location of the other one is known only to me."
Luke pointed a finger at himself. "Do you understand, gentlemen? If you want to eliminate him without any future repercussions, I am the hurdle you absolutely must overcome."
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