In an instant, the foreign internet comment sections turned into a chaotic mess, filled with curses.
"These damned bastards only care about money and have no patriotic sentiment at all. Do they have to grovel to America just for a bit of electricity costs?"
"Shut up, commenter above. Can you afford the bills? Do you know how expensive oil prices are now? The government is a bunch of idiots, refusing to use cheap electricity and instead subsidizing those bloodsucking oil companies with taxpayer money."
Amidst this chaos, a special group—redditors—began their specialty: fanning the flames.
They skillfully circumvented the firewall, speaking fluent machine-translated English, jumping around various comment sections.
Someone discovered a user with the ID RussiaNo1 who, just a second ago, was leaving impassioned comments under a certain congressman's tweet.
"Support the bill! Kick America's electricity out! Free electricity is the brightest!"
The next second, the same ID ran to Tesla CEO Musk's comment section to complain tearfully.
"Hold strong, CEO Musk! The government is crazy! We need cheap electricity to lower production costs! I don't want to lose my job!"
Soon, this account was exposed by sharp-eyed foreign netizens.
"Hey bro, whose side are you on?"
This behavior of jumping around and playing two roles simultaneously further muddied Russia's online public opinion sphere.
Steve chuckled softly as he watched the ongoing farces caused by electricity on his phone screen, then turned off his device.
"Let them cause trouble. The fiercer the better."
"Only when you've caused enough trouble will you realize that, besides accepting it, you have no other choice."
Just as the other side of the ocean was causing a huge commotion over the so-called security bill, America's counterattack was also underway.
In the Capital, inside a highly confidential online conference room.
The American representative wore a solemn expression, conducting a real-time connection with the energy ministers of dozens of countries on the screen.
Among them were various South American countries that had long enjoyed America's cheap oil, as well as representatives from some European countries struggling with the energy crisis and seeking a way out.
Without any preamble, America directly unveiled a weighty document capable of changing the history of human energy.
"Next-Generation Clean Grid Technology Interconnection Protocol"
This move was no longer just about selling electricity; it was about setting the standard.
Relying on its absolute technological generation gap and cost advantage, America directly defined its own power transmission protocol, interface standards, and allocation algorithms as the new international standards.
As soon as this news was released, the one-sided clamoring on the foreign internet instantly fell into a deathly silence, followed closely by cries of dilemma.
For the vast majority of countries in the world, this was no longer an issue of choosing sides, but an issue of survival.
Refusing America's electricity?
That would mean continuing to endure high energy costs, meaning their domestic manufacturing would be abandoned by this efficient, cheap new energy system for the next few decades, and meaning they would be completely isolated in the future global energy landscape.
The choice before them was cruel, yet clear.
Was it to follow America's pace and embrace a future of cheap, clean energy?
Or be coerced by Russia or China and forcibly dragged back to the expensive, inefficient old era?
"To help our partners complete the energy transition, America is willing to provide a complete set of power grid transformation plans, as well as special construction loans with extremely low interest."
The American representative's words were gentle yet powerful.
To put it nicely, this is called the responsibility of a great nation, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation.
To put it harshly... once you accept these standards and funds, your country's energy lifeline will be completely tied to the massive ship that is America.
In an instant, the global situation became clearly defined, rapidly splitting into two major camps.
The Energy Community, centered around America, enjoying the benefits of infinitely cheap energy.
And the good old dictatorships, clinging to past glory and struggling amidst high inflation.
D.C, a bustling commercial center.
Steve's thoughts were still immersed in the world-reshaping game of chess when the car body gently shook, signaling that the sedan had smoothly stopped in the underground parking garage of a top-tier shopping mall.
"Bro, we're here, we're here."
Stefanie's excited voice pulled Steve back to reality. She unbuckled her seatbelt and nudged Steve's arm.
"Let's go, let's go, stop thinking about it."
Steve couldn't help but laugh, gathered his thoughts, and nodded.
"Alright, I won't think about it anymore. Today, I'm with you."
The two pushed open their doors and got out of the car.
Almost simultaneously, the doors of the three black SUVs following behind opened in unison.
Over a dozen young men, dressed in casual clothes and appearing ordinary, quickly disembarked.
They didn't form a rigid line, but with just a glance, they instantly completed an extremely professional, tacit coordination.
Fred quickly walked to Steve's side and spoke softly into his headset.
"Disperse and maintain vigilance. Keep a safe distance and do not interfere with the Director and Missus activities. Do not expose your identities unless there is an emergency."
"Yes, sir."
Over a dozen Special Service Elites who had been injected with Enhancement Serum nodded slightly, then scattered seemingly casually, blending into the surrounding crowd.
But no matter where Steve walked, in the four directions—front, back, left, and right—there were always at least three pairs of vigilant eyes scanning for all potential threats.
"Bro, hurry up, hurry up."
Stefanie pulled him out of the underground parking garage and onto the bustling commercial pedestrian street.
"This street is actually quite nice."
Steve looked at the continuous flow of people and the dazzling array of shops around him, feeling a long-lost sense of relaxation rise in his heart.
"Of course! This is the most bustling place in D.C."
Stefanie pointed to the magnificent luxury shopping mall ahead.
"Let's go, we'll buy some things inside. Mom told me to buy you a few decent outfits, saying you're a big shot now and can't always dress so casually."
The two walked into the mall, and the cool air rushed toward them.
For the next hour, Steve completely became his sister's fitting model.
From high-end tailored suits to casual trench coats, Stefanie enthusiastically held up item after item against him.
"This one looks good, wrap it up."
"These shoes are nice too, bro, try them on."
"Wow, this watch really suits your temperament."
Facing his sister's shopping spree mode, Steve maintained a smile the entire time, showing no impatience.
When checking out, the saleswoman looked at the mountain of goods and stated a figure.
However, Steve calmly pulled out a black card from his pocket and handed it over.
It was a completely black card with no bank markings, only a string of special gold coding.
George had forced it upon him earlier, saying it was given by the state, allowing him to buy anything he wanted without needing approval or having spending limits.
"Sir, please enter your password."
The saleswoman looked at the card she had never seen before, feeling a bit nervous.
"There is no password."
Steve said calmly.
"Beep! Transaction successful."
Looking at the receipt spat out by the POS machine, Steve didn't even glance at the amount listed.
For him now, money was truly just a meaningless number.
The value of any single technology he casually gave to the state was enough to buy all the shopping malls in this city.