Blackstone Code

Chapter 183:

"Mr. President, Frank has been shot dead."

Outside the press conference hall of the presidential palace, the security chief, dressed in formal attire, whispered the news into the President's ear as he was reviewing his speech.

The President slowly put down the script in his hand, looked at his security chief, and rubbed his face. "This is really bad news. But are the hostages safe?"

The security chief solemnly nodded. "According to reports from the scene, Frank refused to communicate and attempted to harm the hostages. Our people had no choice but to shoot. The hostages are safe."

Only then did the President nod in satisfaction. "That's good. Protecting the safety of federal citizens is my duty..." He then picked up the script again, glanced at it a few times, and nodded to the security chief and principal aide before stepping into the conference room.

As he walked into the room, the flashlights almost turned the place into a silver world. Even the President, who was accustomed to the media, found the sudden burst of light somewhat uncomfortable.

He squinted slightly and walked to the podium, lowering his gaze to make himself more comfortable.

It had been twenty-four hours since the situation broke out yesterday morning. Regardless of what others thought, the media would go crazy first, followed by public opinion.

The news had spread. Trying to cover it up was impractical and would make the President and his cabinet seem incompetent. They had to find a way to resolve it, at least to calm the ordinary investors blocking the doors of banks or exchanges first.

After a few seconds, the frequency of the flashes decreased, but all the reporters raised their arms high. Through his earpiece, the President heard his principal aide's voice, "The lady in the second row, fourth seat, wearing a blue scarf..."

The President looked up and saw a lady with a blue scarf in the second row. He pointed casually, "The lady with the blue scarf..."

When the lady reporter stood up, the others immediately put down their raised hands, grabbed their pens, and prepared to write.

After the room quieted down a bit, the lady reporter asked, "Mr. President, since yesterday, people have discovered that the war bonds issued abroad cannot be redeemed. What can we do, and what can you do?"

Some reporters frowned; the question was not sharp enough. It was so ordinary that it was almost worthless, as the President or his press officer would eventually address such issues even if not asked. It was a wasted opportunity to ask a question.

But since it was asked, they still recorded it.

The President maintained his composure and stability, responding almost immediately, "We have urgently contacted the issuing countries of the bonds, and our embassy is in emergency negotiations with their local governments."

"So far, we haven't found any effective solutions, but I can assure the public that we are not wasting a single moment. Our ambassadors and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been working tirelessly since yesterday."

"If there is any new progress, it will be announced to the public immediately."

The answer was standard and lacked highlights. Some reporters stopped writing halfway through, knowing they could directly use the press release.

Usually, such press conferences would have a press release containing official responses and core ideas. Mainstream media would respect the content of this release, making some modifications without altering the core.

However, less mainstream media would speak more boldly, often turning a formal press conference into what seemed like a conspiracy briefing, gaining more readers and subscriptions through this approach.

Next, a few more lucky reporters were called upon to ask questions. Their questions were too standard, disappointing many journalists, as the Q&A session turned into a solo performance by the President.

This situation was becoming increasingly common. When the President first took office, he wouldn't arrange such scripted press conferences, and he was more passionate. But look at him now.

Almost every press conference he personally attended was like this, filled with official questions and answers, without a hint of surprise.

Wouldn't those "journalists" feel disgusted of themselves?

In reality, it didn't matter if it was disgusting. What mattered was avoiding embarrassment when the situation was unclear.

Half an hour later, the press conference ended. The President quickly left, and his press officer took over.

Reporters still didn't expect valuable answers from the press officer. When questions became sharp, he would state that he was just a press officer and could only answer pre-prepared questions, leaving people helpless and deeply frustrated.

After leaving the press conference room, the President removed some electronic devices that made him feel uncomfortable. These things weighed several kilograms, and carrying them around was not a pleasant experience.

He returned to his office and called in his principal aide and aides, seeking suggestions and solutions to the current problem.

Some issues couldn't be postponed.

"Mr. President, we deliberated all day yesterday and finally came to a solution. However..." He glanced at the others and then at the President, "However, you might not like it."

The President frowned. "What kind of solution?" he asked, half-jokingly in a serious tone, "For example, that I should submit my resignation to Congress?"

This was clearly not a funny joke. The principal aide forced a chuckle. "We believe the best course of action now is to let things develop naturally and provide some simple answers when necessary. This better suits our current situation and stance."

The President's frown deepened, and he scratched his ear. "Sorry, I don't quite understand what you're saying. Can you elaborate?"

The principal aide began to explain in more detail, "We do nothing for now, because no matter what we do, we can't change the attitude of those countries. They won't redeem the bonds, especially the victorious nations."

The unredeemable war bonds mainly came from the victorious countries. The defeated nations were willing to redeem these bonds and had publicly announced this as a national policy, postponing redemption for a year and increasing the redemption ratio by fifteen percent.

However, everyone knew that by the time they could redeem, the money or currency they provided would be worthless.

The President nodded. He knew this. "So your solution is to do nothing?" He leaned back, showing no change in attitude or expression. "How do I explain this to the citizens?"

The principal aide quickly corrected the small error in his words. "It's not you explaining to the citizens; it's those countries refusing redemption explaining to the international community."

"Actually, we all believe this is a good thing, as we've inadvertently solved some crucial problems by shifting the conflict from a matter between governments to an issue between a government and the international public."

"Previously, the refusal to redeem bonds was a national act, targeting the Baylor Federation as a national entity. But now, their opponent becomes ordinary citizens, making their actions seem shameless."

"We can unite with other countries facing the same issue, even the defeated nations, to create momentum in international opinion. If we can privately persuade a few small countries to redeem some of the bonds, it will undermine the trust among the victorious nations."

"More importantly, we can use 'protecting the legal rights of citizens' as an excuse to rally some support in the international community. Complete isolation is not feasible, as facts have shown."

The President listened and thought carefully. He had to admit that what the principal aide said was indeed feasible. As the biggest supporter of isolationist policy, the President now realized its drawbacks.

When the Baylor Federation encountered trouble, no one would step forward to help. In the international community, due to isolation, it had no standing. This was why the victorious countries could easily manipulate the Baylor Federation.

His thoughts ran deep and fast. He tapped his fingers on the desk unconsciously. "Neutral Alliance?"

The principal aide nodded slightly. This was his underlying idea. Since isolationism had proven unworkable, they would use another relatively moderate approach to change the Baylor Federation's position in the international community.

Considering the President rose to power on this policy, they aimed to unite some neutral countries without changing the stance of neutrality. This way, citizens wouldn't feel the failure of isolationism, while they could leverage the power of the public to solve some issues, making it a perfect solution.

"What about those causing trouble outside? How do we deal with them?" The President quickly decided and asked a sharp question.

The principal aide implied, "Some people have to take responsibility for this matter..."Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link

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