306: Chapter 306 Trial

"That's exactly what happened. Our people witnessed with their own eyes that Lin Fang died in that explosion, not even ashes were left."

In the conference room, as the words of CIA Director Lakt fell, everyone present fell into a moment of silence.

Everyone present was shocked by this news. Many only then realized that their government, in collaboration with other factions, had organized an assassination attempt against Lin Fang, and it had succeeded.

President TP was the first to react, clapping his hands and saying, "GOOD, GOOD! Lakt, you've done an excellent job. I'm giving you a raise."

"It was my duty,"

Lakt remained expressionless in the face of the praise. After a moment's thought, he frowned and added, "But the only thing that puzzles me about this operation is that his death came a bit too easily, without any unexpected incidents."

"That means God blesses America."

President TP said with a smile, "Are you trying to say the one in Houston was a clone body double of Lin Fang? Come on, my dear Yori, that only happens in movies."

"I hope so."

Lakt sat down.

The atmosphere in the conference room gradually grew lively. Everyone was discussing the situation after Lin Fang's death, their eyes gleaming with greed.

After all, that was a behemoth worth over $5 trillion. Who wouldn't be tempted?

After a while, President TP addressed the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, now is not the time for celebration! Save the celebration for after we've swallowed the biggest piece of the pie!"

"And I hope this matter isn't leaked. At the very least, we must show we weren't involved in this terrorist attack. This company stopped the Petrification Virus at the beginning of the year. Many of our citizens are its fans. I don't want their protests keeping me up at night..."

BOOM——

Just as President TP was speaking, a tremendous roar suddenly erupted above the White House, shaking the conference room chandelier violently and scattering documents everywhere.

The cheerful chatter and discussions in the conference room came to an abrupt halt.

"What was that sound!"

President TP was startled.

Then, everyone heard intense gunfire and shouts coming from outside.

"Enemy attack! Something's coming down from the sky!"

"Shit! What kind of monster is this? Fire! Fire! Aim for their heads!"

"Why? Bullets are useless!"

"Protect the President!! Hurry!"

The conference room door was violently slammed open. Two pale-faced senior Secret Service agents rushed in.

"Mr. President, distinguished officials, please evacuate with us immediately. Unidentified aircraft have invaded the airspace above the White House. A large number of armed personnel are breaching the outer perimeter. Their equipment is unlike anything we've seen before. Our personnel are completely unable to hold them off. They're about to break through!"

The lead agent's voice was urgent, laced with unconcealed terror. If he hadn't seen wrong earlier, the gear these people were wearing was the legendary Exoskeleton Armor.

The gunfire grew closer and more intense. Judging by the sound, the enemy was about to reach them.

"Quick! Escort the President out through the E7 passageway into the underground bunker!"

Reacting, Lakt grabbed President TP and rushed toward the emergency evacuation door disguised as a bookshelf at the rear of the conference room. The other high-ranking officials also snapped out of their daze, scrambling and stumbling to follow, abandoning all decorum and composure, desperate to escape the place that was about to become a battlefield.

Who had the audacity to assault the White House, the very heart of the nation's power, in such a brazen manner?

However, it was already too late.

Hiss——

As if ice and snow were melting, a massive hole instantly appeared in the conference room door and the several Secret Service agents behind it. The agents didn't even have time to scream before most of their bodies were vaporized.

Five soldiers clad in Exoskeleton Armor stepped into the conference room one after another, their pulse rifles aimed coldly at the crowd.

Moments later, President TP and the government officials were herded onto the South Lawn outside the White House. Only then did they see the full extent of the devastation outside.

This place, symbolizing national dignity and celebration, was now unrecognizable, littered with craters and fallen Secret Service agents.

What terrified them even more was the unidentified aircraft now hovering above their heads. It wasn't fully visible; everyone could only see the faintly distorted light and shadow on its surface, with only the three engine nozzles below clearly discernible.

"This is the Third-Party Technology Rapid Response Force. Yori Lakt, Kraken Cole, Diana Rome..."

"You have violated Articles 7, 9, 10, 13 of the *Third-Party Biotechnology Company External Security General Charter* and the relevant subsidiary international accountability clauses. You are hereby formally placed under arrest in accordance with the law."

After one armored soldier made the announcement, the other soldiers immediately moved forward to apprehend those on the list, escorting them into the Shadow Crow fighter. The previously numerous high-ranking officials of the American government were instantly reduced by nearly half, and those taken were the most heavyweight figures.

Before the American military could arrive, the fighter had already ascended back into the sky. It seemed to transform into an invisible bolt of lightning; with a sonic boom, it vanished in the blink of an eye.

So it was Third-Party Technology...

President TP looked up at the now empty sky, then at the surrounding devastation. Suddenly, rage overwhelmed him.

A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth. His vision went black, and accompanied by the screams of those around him, he collapsed to the ground.

That afternoon,

unbeknownst to most of the world's populace, Third-Party Technology's Shadow Crow squadrons flew across over a dozen countries globally, leaving their mark in the east, west, north, and south.

As long as they were behind-the-scenes supporters of the "New Life" organization—whether family patriarchs or high-ranking government officials from various nations—this force captured them all, with no one able to stop them.

After the last fighter left the skies above the Qiao family in the Central Continent, the remote island in the Atlantic Ocean had gathered nearly 2,000 people.

It was night there now. Many had already lit bonfires. In their eyes, this was the hope for survival.

——

In the office at the top of the Civilization Spire.

Lin Fang was sitting in his chair, his body slightly reclined into the backrest. From this angle, his expression was inscrutable.

[Boss, everyone is assembled. Shall we begin the countdown?]

"Begin,"

Lin Fang said calmly, watching the incoming call pop-up on his desk labeled 'Minister Zhang'. Unanswered. This was who-knows-how-many calls from him today.

[Global live broadcast initiated]

As Xiao Hei's words fell, all connected devices operating worldwide popped up with an advertisement window—a link to a live stream. The title of the stream shocked countless people, or left them bewildered:

"Third-Party Technology's Solar Disc Space Station's First Weapon Firing Experiment."

Though the title was long, the information it revealed also astonished everyone.

Even the nations of the world, dissatisfied with Third-Party Technology's willful actions, paused to watch.