Lynn picked up the phone and dialed the number of Tom, the editor-in-chief of The Stars and Stripes, directly.
The call was answered in a second.
"Lynn! My God, you finally contacted me! The report on Soldier Boy is simply... it is simply a miracle!"
Tom's excitement could be felt through the phone line.
"Tom, listen."
"I want you to prepare a front page, an exclusive, hard-hitting story."
"Of course! Of course! What is the topic? Does Soldier Boy have another new feat? Did he burn off Hitler's mustache?"
Tom's imagination had been led astray in an outrageous direction by Lynn's previous work.
"No."
Lynn walked to the console and tapped his fingers lightly on the metal surface.
"The protagonist this time is a Joker."
He reframed the "recruitment" behavior of Red Skull in an extremely insulting way.
A madman hiding in a dark, damp Underground Room in Germany.
A loser who was psychologically deranged because of his jealousy of our God of War's glory.
He attempted to imitate the miracles of Soldier Boy, but because of his inherent incompetence and acquired sleaziness, he could only use civilian body parts and rotting animal entrails to stitch together piles of nauseating monsters called "Puppets."
These monsters were the very "masterpieces" of Professor PygValentine in "Puppet Town" that Lynn wanted Tom to write extensively about.
Now, they all had a new creator.
Red Skull.
"He doesn't even have a face of his own; he can only wear a ridiculous red mask to hide his ugliness and incompetence."
Lynn's narration was calm and cruel.
"Now, this wretch, this pervert who only knows how to toy with corpses, has actually had the audacity to send an invitation to our God of War through despicable means."
"An invitation?"
Tom gasped, his keen journalist's instinct sensing the news value.
"Yes, an invitation."
Lynn chuckled.
"He wants our God to be a watchdog for his dirty Underground Room."
Tom on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, then burst into an irrepressible gasp.
"This... this group of damn German scum! They are insulting God!"
"Write this story as dramatically as possible, Tom. Remember a few keywords: imitation, jealousy, impotent rage, blasphemy."
Lynn coaxed him, like a devil whispering.
"I need every American who sees the newspaper to feel the utmost contempt and visceral anger toward this so-called Red Skull, while feeling injustice for Soldier Boy. Just living on the same Planet as such a thing is a disgrace."
"I understand!"
Tom's breathing grew heavy; he could already see how the sales of tomorrow's newspaper would explode, and he even saw how thick his year-end bonus would be.
Hanging up the phone, the chill on Lynn's face did not dissipate in the slightest.
Strike first.
Before Johann Schmidt could even show his "HYDRA philosophy" to the World, he had to be completely defined as a "perverted Joker jealous of heroes."
On the battlefield of public opinion, the first impression is everything.
The next day, the newsstands for The Stars and Stripes were swamped.
The front-page headline was written in giant, blood-red font—
[The Joker's Jealousy: The Red Mask from the German Gutter Attempts to Recruit Our God of War!]
The content of the report was as inflammatory as could be.
Tom perfectly executed Lynn's instructions, portraying Red Skull as a perverted serial killer hiding in the Shadow, psychologically twisted by jealousy.
The "monsters" he created were accompanied by a few processed, blurry photos found in the ruins of "Puppet Town"; those limbs and stitching marks triggered visceral disgust in the public.
And such a Joker actually dared to "blaspheme" the God in their hearts.
Emotions of anger and contempt spread like a virus throughout the entire country.
People rushed into the streets, burning portraits depicting a Red Skull.
The name Red Skull, before he had even officially stepped onto the stage of history, was already firmly bound to words like "pervert," "incompetent," and "Joker."
This was exactly the effect Lynn wanted.
He pressed his advantage, announcing through the "Captain America Patriotic Foundation" that he would invest in an urgently produced battlefield propaganda short film.
Lynn mobilized a few third-rate actors who were barely scraping by in Hollywood, but paired them with the top editors in the United States.
The crew was assembled within twenty-four hours; Lynn didn't even visit the set in person, arranging the entire filming plan clearly just through a few phone calls.
He cross-cut the video footage of Soldier Boy fighting at the "Base" with the terrifying scenes created by Professor Pyg in "Puppet Town."
On one side was the towering figure of Soldier Boy, bathed in "Holy Light," using his divine power to tear apart steel and save the common people.
Under the lens, he was the embodiment of perfection, synonymous with strength and justice.
On the other side was a dark and damp Underground Room, where a coward (played by an actor) wearing an ugly red mask, amidst crazy laughter, stitched together broken corpses with needle and thread.
The strong visual contrast completely opposed and solidified the images of Soldier Boy and Red Skull.
"God" vs. "Joker."
"Creation" vs. "Stitching."
"Light" vs. "Filth."
This short film, titled "Wrath of God," was played before the feature films in all theaters nationwide and broadcast on a loop on television.
Washington, The Pentagon.
An officer wearing the rank of General called Lynn personally.
"Mr. Morris, I, on behalf of the Congressional Special Committee, express our highest respect for the brilliant victory you have achieved on the battlefield of public opinion."
The other party's wording was very formal, even filled with awe.
"General, I only did what I was supposed to do."
"No, you have done far more than we imagined."
The General's exclamation came from the bottom of his heart.
"Lynn, you can not only 'create heroes,' you can even 'define enemies'!"
This sentence pointed out Lynn's true value.
The high-ranking officials of the Military realized that this young man held a weapon more terrifying than artillery shells.
A power to shape thoughts, define right and wrong, and manipulate the will of the people.
"After an emergency discussion, the committee has unanimously decided."
The General's tone became serious.
"We need to systematize and normalize this power."
"We will establish a brand-new secret department, tentatively named the 'Office of Strategic Psychological Warfare,' and you will be in full charge of it."
"The department will have an independent budget and operational authority; you can mobilize any resources, including the Military intelligence department, to assist your work. Your only goal is to win this... war of ideas for us."
Lynn listened quietly.
He leaped from being a "hero consultant," a collaborator drifting outside the system, to becoming a key gear in the War Machine that controlled "ideology."
The business empire "Vought" that he had envisioned, with one of its core businesses—"Hero and Villain Storyline Packaging"—had actually obtained national-level authorization and resources in this way.
"I accept."
Hanging up the phone, Lynn looked out the window.
An authorization document representing supreme power would soon be delivered to his hands.
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