[Chapter 669: The Smoke of America]
Chaos spread quickly. While William White had already started cleaning up the mess on his end, America was engulfed in disorder.
The mindset among all the minority communities was rather straightforward. "Hey, if you can loot, why can't we? We've been discriminated against too!" It seemed like a simple enough argument, almost laughable.
Starting in Los Angeles, this unrest swept through America, hitting Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Chicago. Any major city experienced some degree of conflict.
What about Houston, you might ask?
Well, it actually had its issues too, but that was another story. Those who were worried didn't think the cowboys would mind; after all, they weren't particularly afraid of anyone.
You could stroll around casually and shout a few times, but if you wanted to loot, you better be able to withstand an M16. Warned shots were just fluff; cowboy duels demanded speed.
Of course, without anyone with ulterior motives pushing them, this mob mentality couldn't create too much chaos. The large-scale actions that seemed formidable quickly got suppressed.
However, by this point, the nature of things had drastically changed.
Political figures might have wanted to make headlines, but they were reluctant to join such chaos. While Koreatown was nearly burnt to the ground, only Beverly Hills in Los Angeles managed to maintain some semblance of order. The losses incurred were measured in billions. Trying to step up and take responsibility wouldn't earn anyone a hearing.
...
"Sweetheart, are you really okay over there?"
"Don't worry Michelle, let Suzuki be, everything's fine. Today, it's actually calm again. By the way, we have two thousand soldiers here in Beverly."
"Okay, take care. Honestly, you should come back to Houston now; it seems like nothing's happening there. Honey, how come America is like this? It's terrifying."
"Haha, see? I told you LA wasn't peaceful. But this event turned out to be better than I'd imagined."
"But I saw on TV that there were power outages. If the power's out, wouldn't that cause chaos?"
William White sighed; it seemed that Tom Bradley's understanding fell short compared to that of a woman.
"Haha, it's nothing. They probably want everyone to calm down. I have my own generator, so it won't be an issue."
"Just come back soon; I miss you."
"Alright, I'll be back in a few days."
Power outages were undoubtedly a terrible idea for a modern city. Widespread outages just couldn't be tolerated. It generated panic; even those who planned to stay at home would feel afraid.
Fortunately, the big shots in Washington finally finished their bickering. Even the stubborn Donkeys had stopped talking about democracy. No matter how you wanted to spin it, once order broke down, everything was meaningless.
The Americans were very clear about this. When stirring things up in other countries, they'd say, "You can't do this, you can't do that." But when it came to them, anyone daring to challenge the U.S. would get pushed back hard.
...
"Master, we are not identified. The goods are en route."
"Haha, while this might reduce their productivity, considering their actions, they're all injured. By the way, what happened to that guy named Andy?"
"Haha, he claimed to be with the CIA, but he had the same stuff as that dead guy. If we hadn't undressed him right away, he'd probably be dead by now."
"Haha, it's a long road ahead. Hopefully, he'll tell the truth. By the way, this guy doesn't need to work anymore."
"Understood, master. I'll take care of it."
Los Angeles' underground world had descended into chaos. The two largest gangs had suddenly lost their leaders, a shocking development that left everyone speechless.
Soon, a strange scene unfolded in Central and South LA -- the gangs started fighting among themselves.
William White could only shake his head in disbelief at their absurd reasoning. At this point, what were they thinking by trying to carve up territory?
...
"What the hell is going on? Where are our people?"
"Sir, I don't know. Communications are completely down."
"Damn it, what's peculiar about this godforsaken place called LA?"
"Sir, this situation is beyond our control. These guys are nothing but a mob."
"Find out! Where's that guy? Bring him back!"
"Sir, we've lost contact. All we know is that the gang members suddenly turned on each other."
"What kind of mess is this?!"
The old man wouldn't have imagined that those he was worried about had already purchased one-way tickets on a journey to hell.
Some said it was a hardship like no other, death being the only outcome. In reality, that statement didn't hold true. When death became inevitable, what could one chase after but the process itself?
Cruel? Perhaps.
Those who disregard the lives of others will ultimately be disregarded themselves. If you saw others as ants, in the eyes of some, you'd be no better than a stray dog.
...
As the Koreans looked at the ruins of Koreatown, they lamented. All the hard work over the years had just vanished.
If they had any hatred, it was directed at the gangs. No matter the reasons or the discrimination they faced, their current actions merely invited more disdain.
As for the U.S., it certainly wasn't innocent either. They clearly had the capability to protect us but chose not to.
Fine, there's some logic to that. If William White were to reflect, he'd say Americans had been too naive. When has the U.S. ever seriously protected anyone?
To safeguard you, we'll send our people to die? Haha, how naive can one be!
One question remains: why?
"Boss, this should be close to the end, I'm terrified."
"Haha, Jason, if you're worried, just come stay with me."
"That's not necessary. The security guys at the corner makes me feel secure. I'm just relieved to see them. Thankfully, my mom's in Australia. If she were here, I'd be scared out of my wits."
William White shook his head and laughed bitterly. Although the trigger was that game of chance, it certainly boiled down to the economy. With inflation soaring and the economy in decline, life was tough.
"If it weren't for Tom Bradley, things wouldn't have escalated this bad."
"Does that jerk even realize what his fellow gangs are like?"
"Hahaha, Jason, this isn't quite right. He's a black man with a white heart. The elite within the black community simply don't identify with their peers."
In private circles, William White would express such truths, but outside, he wouldn't acknowledge them. As for his approach to the black community, White Films had promoted more than one athlete; his ventures in sports had numerous ties.
In fact, William White was very conscious of this issue. The U.S. had a split personality; on one hand, religious constraints urged them to maintain purity, yet on the other, they pursued hedonistic pleasures.
This presented an issue: public figures had relatively high moral standards. While random Joe could say something without consequence, when William White spoke, it inevitably became a major issue.
Some would ask if William White even had any integrity left. With so many women, he was practically synonymous with scum.
In truth, that wasn't accurate. First of all, he wasn't married. Thus, family obligations were nonexistent. Secondly, all of his partners were adults. This distinction was crucially important.
In America, one must be very careful when dealing with minors. If the other party's parents or guardians were present, it was fine. If not, it was best to avoid interaction; otherwise, it could lead to trouble. Michael Jackson found himself in that trap, unable to recover from it.
And then there were the black communities. Forget how to spell the word "black." Always use terms like 'African American' instead. Otherwise, the repercussions could be dire.
*****
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