September 7, 1904, dawned as a truly thrilling and exciting holiday for all Americans. This was the momentous day Mr. Dutch Van der Linde, renowned as the Great Western King of America, was officially crowned President of the United States. It was also the historic day the United States of America transitioned into the United Republic of America, marking a fundamental shift in its social system—from individual capitalism to a more centralized state capitalism. This represented a giant leap forward for the nation and signaled the end of the days when many Americans struggled to put food on their tables.
As early as the morning of September 7th, people had already begun to gather around the podium where Mr. Van der Linde was scheduled to deliver his speech, and their numbers were immense! In fact, crowds had been arriving sporadically for a full week prior, excitedly wandering through Blackwater . Some had even stayed awake for several nights in a row, their eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, yet their spirits burned with an even fiercer fervor. As the appointed time drew closer, this anticipation escalated into a frenzy, with people congregating on the Blackwater plains as early as midnight, eagerly awaiting the start of Mr. Van der Linde's Great American Ceremony. By midnight, the entire plain was completely packed with eager citizens.
Understanding the plight of his people, Mr. Van der Linde himself stayed up all night. He brought Arthur, John, and Hosea to the Blackwater Town plains in the dead of night to personally meet with the assembled crowd. He even arranged for the Van der Linde Security Services to manage discipline and distribute free beer and water to all attendees, ensuring his people would not go thirsty.
When President Van der Linde's figure appeared on the plain in the darkness of the night, the entire scene erupted into an almost frenzied wave of celebration! Who would have believed that Mr. Van der Linde, as President, would still come out in the middle of the night? Who would have believed that he truly regarded all the people as his family, shaking hands and embracing everyone who came? Even as a humble farmer, his approachable demeanor had captivated workers, and now, as President, he remained so kind and amiable. The impact this had on the people was truly immense and deeply moving.
"Van der Linde!" "Van der Linde!" "Van der Linde!"
The cheers began in the dead of night and echoed ceaselessly until dawn. Finally, as the sun climbed high in the sky, and with the people of Blackwater Town exhibiting bloodshot eyes from their all-night vigil but radiating peak excitement, President Van der Linde's 'Great American Ceremony' commenced as scheduled on the Blackwater Town plains!
September 7, 1904: the sun shone brightly, and auspicious clouds filled the sky. It seemed even the heavens acknowledged that Mr. Van der Linde was to be crowned President of the United States today, making the weather clear but comfortably temperate. Warm sunlight bathed the vast plain where hundreds of thousands of people had gathered. As far as the eye could see, the entire plain was densely packed with people, a sea of bobbing heads, a once empty landscape now teeming with life. To accommodate the immense crowd, even John's original farm, 'Beecher's Hope,' along with its few dilapidated wooden shacks, had been directly demolished to create a vast gathering space.
Before the official ceremony began, a roaring sound already resonated in the sky.
"Whoosh!!!"
Planes, emblazoned with Van der Linde's newly designed American flag, roared across the sky, their tailfins spewing colored smoke to perform dazzling aerial displays. Although planes had been reported in major newspapers, with black and white photographs available everywhere, witnessing these powerful machines soar across the sky in person still brought immense surprise and thunderous cheers from the hundreds of thousands present.
"Oh, my goodness! These are Mr. Van der Linde's planes? Oh, I used to think these planes flew slowly like hot air balloons and relied on the wind. I never thought they could fly so fast, this is truly great!" "Look, son, these are Mr. Van der Linde's planes. I heard Mr. Van der Linde personally met every pilot. You must become a glorious pilot someday! Then bring Dad to meet Mr. Van der Linde too!"
The aerial performance ignited a fresh wave of cheers, completely filling the entire venue with the booming voices of the crowd. The atmosphere on site grew increasingly fervent, and as this jubilation continued, finally, when a familiar figure appeared on the already constructed high platform, the cheers completely ignited the entire Blackwater Town plain!
"Ladies and gentlemen, hello everyone, I am Dutch Van der Linde!"
"Boom!"
With Mr. Van der Linde's incredibly familiar opening line, the entire scene erupted.
"Van der Linde!" "Van der Linde!" "Van der Linde!"
The crowd could no longer suppress their unrestrained cheers for Mr. Van der Linde, many even fainting from sheer excitement. Everyone shouted until their faces were red, some collapsing from the effort. This 'Great American Ceremony' hosted by Mr. Van der Linde ultimately set world records for the most dangerous speech, the most dangerous presidential speech, the most charismatic stage, and more.
For future generations, they could only glimpse the fervor and revelry of the people back then from old newspapers and faded photographs, but even that was enough to be truly astonishing. But for the people of today, this astonishment was destined to be remembered for a lifetime.
The cheers of the crowd continued for a long time without ceasing, and Mr. Van der Linde's speech had already begun.
"I am very happy to see you all here today, to see that you all have food, clothes, houses to live in, and charcoal for winter! What makes me even happier is the radiant smiles and relaxed expressions on your faces, which proves that we have torn open the oppression of capital and officially begun a life with dignity and food! I once said that what we need is not a piece of bread, a bottle of milk, or one or two dollars scratched out from the bulging money bags of those damned capitalists on Wall Street, obtained by begging.
What we need is to live with dignity and freedom! Perhaps some of you still find my ideas ridiculous, perhaps some of you still think that having food, drink, and clothes is enough, perhaps you think I'm talking without understanding the struggle, pursuing dignity and freedom after all I'm loaded...
But, should those capitalists who gained their high status and immense wealth through oppression and exploitation stand above our heads and opress uss? Should we be exploited by them and become their slaves? No!
Power gained through exploitation should be the least admired, and status gained through oppression should be the least respected! Therefore, we are not ungrateful people who aim too high; we are merely seeking the treatment we rightfully deserve! But, this is just the beginning!
Capital is best at gradual erosion, capital is best at making a comeback. Our battle line is still long, but our struggle is forever fervent! We have already achieved a phased victory, and I believe that under the guidance of Van der Linde's thought, we will always be victorious and always move forward!
Ladies and gentlemen, I declare that the United Republic of America is officially established today! The American people will always have the right to fight for their rightful interests!"
"VAN DER LINDE!" "VAN DER LINDE!" "VAN DER LINDE!"
Dutch smiled...
A new chapter had begun for America, and maybe for the world as well...