"The Superhero Registration Act?"
Mr. President couldn't help but furrow his brow. "What exactly does that entail?"
"To put it simply," the Attorney General spoke up text-book sinisterly after pushing up his glasses, "it appeals to superheroes to register their real names and identities on an official roster!
From this day forward, they can no longer be masked heroes; instead, the public must be made aware of their true identities and names, and the public has the right to know exactly where they are located when a crisis occurs!"
Who among those attending this meeting wasn't a master manipulator? They quickly grasped the absolute malice hidden within this plan.
First of all, once the superheroes' alter-egos were forcibly exposed, their daily lives would inevitably be disrupted.
Secondly, what would the criminals who had been suppressed and retaliated against by those superheroes do once they learned their true identities? I might not be able to handle you, but could it be that I can't retaliate against your family?
Finally, and most ruthlessly, was that mandatory location sharing! When a crisis occurred, the public would know exactly where the superheroes were in the very first instant.
Under such circumstances, if casualties still occurred, it would naturally be blamed on the superheroes' incompetence.
From then on, no one would complain about the government; instead, they would shift all the blame onto the superheroes for failing to do their jobs effectively.
This was equivalent to forcibly driving a wedge between the superheroes and the common civilians, who were originally in the same camp against the government.
It forced the two sides to turn on each other like dogs biting dogs, while they, the high-level government officials, could beautifully maintain absolute invisibility.
Not only would they no longer have to endure public anger, but they could even play a massive game of balance—simply balancing the public opinion or conflicts between both sides would allow them to firmly control both forces in their own hands!
After thinking through these critical points, the military big shots and politicians present simultaneously displayed smiles mixed with excitement and cruelty.
Brilliant! This plan was quite literally killing three birds with one stone!
Not only could they use public opinion to destroy the Arbiter's reputation, but they could also take this opportunity to push forward the Superhero Registration Act they had dreamed of for so long, and... they could even use this excuse to ruthlessly squeeze a massive fortune out of the citizens' hard-earned wealth!
"Let's do exactly that!" General Mac slammed his hand on the table, a greedy light flashing in his eyes. "Mr. President, contact that brat immediately, precisely according to the narrative we just agreed on!"
"This... very well."
The President hesitated for a moment, but under the oppressive stares of everyone in the room, he ultimately reached out with a trembling hand and picked up the specialized telephone on the desk.
"Peter, it's me. Regarding the warning you gave today in Times Square, we place the utmost importance on it! Can you detail for us exactly what the situation is regarding the crisis you spoke of?"
"Of course."
Peter cleared his throat and relayed the exact narrative he had prepared long ago to the President on the other end of the line, word for word.
In his description, the Inheritor family became a bunch of lunatics who took pleasure in slaughtering superheroes and could destroy the universe at any moment.
At the same time, he incredibly solemnly suggested that Mr. President must establish a brand-new, massive defense and shelter infrastructure at all costs.
After listening to Peter's account, the other end of the phone fell into a prolonged silence. A moment later, the President's "conflicted" voice echoed once more:
"Peter, on behalf of all our citizens, I express the highest respect for your heroic sacrifice! You are a true hero!"
"Except... as you know, to establish an energy defense system sufficient to cover the entirety of New York, or even the whole United States, the expenditure is simply... far too astronomical. Given our current financial situation... we truly have the will but lack the strength."
Peter had predicted this response long ago. He sneered on the inside, yet maintained an incredibly anxious tone:
"Mr. President, this isn't a matter of money! This is a crisis concerning the very survival of all mankind! Once they descend, the entire Earth will be devastated!"
"I understand, of course I understand!" The President's tone sounded like he was on the verge of crying from anxiety. "But the problem is that we truly cannot produce this money! More importantly, the taxpayers won't understand! If they find out we are using funds to build those illusory safety installations, they will only feel we are throwing their money down the drain!"
"Then what should we do?" Peter displayed an anxious attitude perfectly fitting his actual age. "Those monsters could arrive at any moment. If we delay any further, it will be too late, and countless people will die because of it! This is absolutely not a case of me being alarmist!"
"I know, Peter, I can understand your feelings!" The President comforted Peter, and after exchanging a look with the surrounding officials who were desperately suppressing their laughter, he spoke up:
"Let me think... I've got it! Perhaps we can leverage your reputation and the power of the media. I will contact the television networks immediately to broadcast an emergency news update, and you will stand up in your capacity as the Arbiter to explain everything to the general public!
Let them understand how severe the crisis we face truly is, how about that? This might be the only way... only in this manner can we convince Congress and the citizens to approve this emergency appropriation!"
Listening to the President's "deeply sincere" performance on the other end of the line, Peter almost laughed out loud on the spot. These politicians truly couldn't wait to make him lose all standing and reputation!
However, this exact outcome was precisely what he wanted!
Therefore, Peter likewise suppressed his laughter, using a "noble and righteous" tone as he said heavily:
"I understand. For New York, and for our home, I am willing to stand up and bear all of this!"
"Wonderful! Mr. Arbiter, rest assured, we will definitely cooperate with you with our full strength!"
Hanging up the phone, the "weakness" and "solemnity" on Peter's face instantly vanished without a trace, replaced by a playful smile.
Beside him, Tony Stark and Captain America had already listened to the entire conversation, completely dumbfounded. Tony stared at Peter with his jaw dropped, as if looking at an alien.
"Peter, have you lost your mind? You are literally putting yourself on a spit to be roasted over an open fire!" Even Tony, who was traditionally known in the public eye for being utterly outrageous, felt that Peter was courting death right now.
Even Steve Rogers, who had always trusted Peter unconditionally, couldn't help but furrow his brow at this moment. "Peter, this is far too risky. The trust of the public is hard-won; once it is lost, it is incredibly difficult to win back."
However, faced with the anxieties of the two men, Peter simply smiled indifferently. He turned around, looking at the two core figures of the Avengers before him, his eyes flashing with the light of brilliant strategy.
"Rest assured, all of this is within my calculations."
"In addition... for this grand performance to execute its absolute maximum impact, relying on me alone simply won't cut it." Peter's gaze swept across the faces of Tony and Steve individually, the corners of his mouth hooking into a mysterious arc.
"The upcoming script still requires a deeply dedicated performance from the two of you."
"Us? A performance?" Tony and Steve exchanged a look, both seeing a thick cloud of confusion in the other's eyes. Perform what?
Faced with their bewildered gazes, Peter smiled and spat out a word that caused Tony and Captain America to violently suck in a breath of cold air:
"Civil War!"
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