Chapter 525: The Earth Guard Corps
Tesla Backed Against the Wall
To reverse the decline, Linda exhausted every possible method she could think of.
Political endorsements, celebrity influence, press conferences, charity events, social media campaigns, and advertisements.
After several days of effort, public opinion finally calmed down slightly. However, before they could celebrate for long, a new problem arose: a reporter broke the news that the powered armor flooding the black market had the exact same core panel as the armor produced by Tesla.
Furthermore, the material composition of key components like the drive shaft, stabilizers, and conversion devices was identical. These materials were patented and could only be produced by Tesla.
The public was outraged after the news aired.
The situation, which had just begun to stabilize, instantly plummeted. Angry citizens turned their fury on the Tesla executives, calling them cold-blooded snakes and arms dealers with blood on their hands.
Tesla's reputation suffered a massive blow. Demonstrators protested at the gates daily, and reporters staked out every location, ready to devour them alive.
As things stood, Linda finally understood: everything was planned. The enemies hidden in the shadows had set up a continuous trap, pushing Tesla to the brink, one step at a time.
"You damn bastards! Don't let me find you."
Linda was furious. Tesla held her blood, sweat, and tears; it would not become someone else's stepping stone.
Siobhan voiced his concern,
"I'm afraid we can't contain this one. We have to find a solution quickly. And the White House..."
"Don't worry about the White House."
"Why shouldn't we worry about the White House?"
"Just trust me. In any case, the White House will not target us."
Siobhan was utterly baffled. He couldn't understand where Linda's confidence came from. It was as if the President was their family servant.
"The most urgent thing now is to expose the hidden hand behind the scenes. Only by taking them down can this crisis be resolved."
The girl clenched her fist, her eyes burning with anger. She had already identified a prime suspect. If she followed the clues up the chain, she was certain to find the mastermind.
"Damn it, I'm going to make you pay."
The Earth Guard Corps Proposal
Despite the turmoil outside, President Joel Nash remained calm, making no statement and proposing no corresponding sanctions. This strange behavior puzzled many, and divisions began to appear within the White House.
Cabinet officials, including the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General, approached Joel Nash to explain the stakes and gauge his thoughts. The result was unexpected.
Even with such clear public opinion, the President still sided with Tesla.
The situation was too strange. Could the rumors be true—that the President had an undisclosed relationship with Tesla?
In a private villa in Washington D.C., a special meeting was being held. All attendees were powerful and influential figures: Congressmen, military generals, and even the newly appointed Speaker of the House, Pelock. In addition to these important figures, there was one more person in the room.
A bright bald head, a silent face, cold eyes... it was Lex Luthor. He sat in the second position on the left, only secondary to Speaker Pelock and Congressman Evans.
Luthor's presence was somewhat surprising. Over the months of their cooperation, Luthor's intelligence and foresight had been highly impressive. It was because of him that their influence had expanded so rapidly, forging alliances with multiple international organizations and recruiting a large number of high-ranking officials. His contributions were evident. However, due to his sensitive status, he shouldn't be attending such a meeting, unless...
A thought struck the attendees, and they all looked toward Evans. The Congressman coughed, took out several documents, and threw them on the table.
"Here is a plan. Take a look."
Everyone quickly picked up the documents, reading them with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Sure enough, it was the "Earth Guard Corps" plan that Lex Luthor had previously mentioned.
The entire plan was massive, sufficiently crazy, radical, and wild, simultaneously spiking adrenaline and inspiring deep reverence.
The content was extensive, covering over five hundred pages, but it could be summarized in one sentence: using the United States as the core, integrate the world's power to establish an interstellar military force belonging to all humanity. Then, use this force as a foundation to create an Earth Federation, eliminating the barriers between nations while preserving ethnicity and tradition.
The core of the entire plan was human civilization. For human civilization to develop rapidly, the concept of a "nation" must be abolished. Unite all humanity to establish an Earth Federation, use alien technology to quickly elevate the level of Earth's civilization, and improve the fundamental scientific literacy of all people to prepare for the expansion into space.
It was imaginable that, if successful, the world would turn a new page, becoming the most significant event in the progress of human civilization. The people in the room would, through this, climb to the pinnacle of human power and be remembered by all future generations.
According to Lex Luthor's blueprint, the first phase required five years to complete, and the second phase required ten years. Once the second phase was complete, the third phase would naturally follow.
The plan was first proposed a month ago. Everyone had seen it but hadn't voiced their thoughts at the time because they were too stunned. After careful consideration, they realized it was indeed feasible.
After entering the twenty-first century, aliens were no longer myths but a tangible reality. They existed deep in space in large numbers, and each one seemed to possess the power to destroy Earth.
In the face of an ever-increasing external threat, consolidating Earth's civilization truly had a chance of success.
The conference room was silent. Everyone's eyes flickered. They looked at each other, but no one spoke. The Guard Corps plan was incredibly tempting, but it was also extremely dangerous. If it failed, everyone involved would suffer the consequences.
Evans put down his coffee and looked at Anders at the far end of the table.
"What do you think?"
Anders gave an internal wry smile. He could only offer a middle-ground response,
"It's creative and ambitious, but it's too risky."
Evans shed his previous composure and said with a smile, "It's certainly risky. Everything has risk. The key is how to avoid risk and achieve our goal. I've carefully considered Luthor's plan. There are no flaws. It can be executed." He then sighed softly,
"I'm over seventy and don't have many years left. Before I meet my maker, I want to do something significant."
"The first phase of the plan will be executed by me. You don't need to worry."
Hearing this, everyone looked up, unable to hide their surprise. These were not the words of a politician. They wondered what method Lex Luthor had used to persuade Evans to take the lead.
Speaker of the House Pelock smiled wryly,
"Since you've said so, how can we refuse?" He then turned his gaze to the left. "Mr. Luthor, I hear you've prepared two surprises specifically for this meeting."
Luthor nodded, his expression serious.
"The people who are about to enter may be unsettling to you. Before they appear, I must remind you: regardless of what you see, please remain calm."
He then walked to the door and opened it.
Two figures appeared under the light, shocking everyone into stunned silence like a clap of thunder.
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