Even though it was close to 9 p.m. New York time, this scandal, following the packaging and distribution of evidence by Richard Castle and Moz, sparked a massive uproar in no time. These two troublemakers didn't just send the damning evidence that would utterly ruin Mr. Andrew's reputation to major domestic media outlets but also conveniently forwarded it to large media groups in other countries. According to Castle, if they said they would make Mr. Andrew famous tonight, they were going to ensure his name spread worldwide.
Andrew, who was speeding toward his hotel in an armored limousine, already knew what was happening before he even arrived. Thanks to the car's satellite TV, no matter which channel he switched to, they were all broadcasting the same thing—news of his scandal.
"That old dog, how dare he..." Andrew was almost losing his mind with rage, gritting his teeth and cursing Charles Harn. In his eyes, it was clear that Harn was behind this. His eyes, bloodshot, turned to his chief of staff sitting beside him. "I'm probably going to have to resign because of this, aren't I?"
The chief of staff, equally troubled, nonetheless responded clearly, "Since this scandal exploded and became public knowledge almost instantly, we don't have the time to contain the damage. So yes, sir, you're very likely going to have to step down.
But that's not the main issue. What we need to be most cautious of now is preventing the other side from capitalizing on this and coming after you for war crimes or, worse, crimes against humanity!
That's the problem we need to address immediately. At the very least, we should try to clarify things or frame it as a retaliatory action after an attack by the local indigenous tribes. What do you think?"
Andrew's barely contained fury subsided slightly upon hearing the possibility of his political enemies using this scandal to charge him with serious crimes like war crimes or crimes against humanity. "Do you think Charles Harn, that old dog, did this?"
The chief of staff was now convinced that this vice president he served was utterly incompetent. If it weren't for his illustrious family background, how did this guy even become vice president?
Was now the time to investigate who was behind this?
The priority should be cleaning up the mess. Damn it, Andrew was still fixated on finding the culprit? Couldn't he tell what was important right now?
Despite his inner complaints, the chief of staff's job was to fill the gaps for the person he was advising. So, though he was cursing Andrew in his mind, he soberly explained, "Sir, what we need to focus on right now isn't finding out who's responsible. We need to issue a statement in your name as quickly as possible to mitigate the risks. For example, we can claim that when this happened, you were young and had no idea what was going on with that African tribal group. From the photos and videos, it's clear you were in your early twenties at the time, correct?
So we can shift the blame to the commanding officer of the operation. You were just a soldier following orders from your superiors. Do you understand?"
Andrew knew that the most important thing now was to reduce the pressure on himself, but he hesitated over his chief of staff's suggestion to issue a statement and shift the blame onto the person in charge of the operation. "The truth is, that incident back then happened because my family and some other families cooperated. If I blame it on them, it wouldn't be appropriate. What if I frame it as something done for the national interest instead?"
The chief of staff was now convinced that his boss was hopelessly clueless. It was painfully clear that Andrew had never faced real adversity, having been pushed up to the position of vice president on the strength of his family name. And now, in the midst of a public uproar, he was planning to hide behind "national interest." Was he trying to dig his own grave faster?
Feeling utterly exhausted, the chief of staff realized that he and this fool were tied to the same sinking ship. He could only patiently explain the difference between the two approaches. "Sir, if you frame the African massacre as being in the national interest, given the current media climate, how can you be sure that the Department of Justice won't send an independent investigation team to look into this matter?
Could this withstand a serious investigation?
So, forget your idea. Stick with my advice and emphasize how young and uninformed you were at the time. You were just a soldier following orders. Do you understand?
That's the only way we can minimize your culpability."
After hearing his chief of staff's stern words, Andrew's rage flared up again. "Damn it, this is all Charles Harn's doing! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this mess!
Fine, I'll follow your advice, but Harn must pay. I don't care if he's responsible for tonight's mess or not. Before I step down, I want to drag him down with me..."
As Andrew was muttering about Charles Harn, the senator himself had also learned of the overwhelming news coverage concerning Andrew's involvement in an African massacre during his younger military days. Since he had once discussed such a destructive plan with the now-deceased Colonel Johnson, Harn instinctively assumed this was Johnson's doing from beyond the grave.
While Harn initially felt a moment of satisfaction, he quickly realized the implications of this scandal breaking now. Given that he had just struck a deal with the other political faction the day before, and now this explosive story emerged at Andrew's critical fundraiser, Harn knew he was in deep trouble.
At the very least, the other side would not listen to his explanations. In the end, this scandal was now firmly on his head.
Realizing this, Senator Harn quickly retreated to his study to make some calls, seeking help. He knew that Andrew, who was destined to fall from grace, would certainly come after him with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, the ones who triggered this entire scandal—Castle and Frank—were laughing at home, watching the news reports dissecting the issue from every angle. For the moment, regardless of which side of the political spectrum the media belonged to, they were united in their outrage.
After all, this was a "democratic" nation, one that constantly touted "freedom" and waved that banner to interfere in other countries. Even the networks that usually aligned with Andrew's party didn't dare whitewash the situation, as the scandal was far too severe.
Soon after, Castle saw that Andrew's chief of staff had appeared on television to issue a statement in Andrew's name, explaining that Andrew had only been a soldier at the time, carrying out orders and unaware of the consequences.
Unfortunately for Andrew, the timing of this statement couldn't have been worse. Because Frank and his team, well aware that Andrew was bound to fall, were preparing to leave New York for London. And in the midst of this, the ever-cunning Marvin quietly approached the portly journalist, urging him to leak the truth about Andrew's involvement in another massacre, this time in South America, immediately after his withdrawal from Africa.
With this fresh scandal hitting the media, Vice President Andrew finally faced his fatal blow.
Just as Andrew's chief of staff was still on live TV, swearing that Andrew was merely following orders during the African massacre, the attending journalists received new leaks revealing that Andrew hadn't just been involved in a massacre in Africa.
He'd done the same thing in South America after leaving Africa?
This was a massive scandal!
The chief of staff, who had been trying to salvage his boss's reputation, was stunned by the barrage of new questions from the reporters. Although he suspected the leak came from those old agents, he wasn't sure if they were also responsible for the earlier African massacre leak. Based on what Andrew knew, those agents shouldn't have had any knowledge of the African incident. This new leak likely came as opportunistic sabotage, once Andrew's troubles surfaced.
Regardless, none of these speculations changed the fact that the situation was spinning out of control. The interest of the public was only growing, and the chief of staff, standing on stage with a bitter expression, knew that Andrew's ship was sinking fast.
Andrew's political career was truly over.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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