[Chapter 762: The Freedom of the Sky]
I remember a song that went, "You gave me a colorful future, letting me possess a sky of freedom."
The guy who wrote that song was clearly an artsy type. In real life, you could never have such a sky.
This world is dangerous; it has always been dangerous. There's always a group of people who simply disregard all laws and rules.
Most absurdly, in a way, they're the ones who set and maintain the rules.
For someone like William White to encounter such matters in his current position was shocking. If you were just a regular person, nobody would even care about your privacy.
"Sir, there's a problem; we just intercepted a call. White Center called the cops."
"Damn it, didn't I tell them not to use American servers?"
Before they could finish speaking, they were jolted into silence by a sudden explosion.
"What? A gas leak? Are you kidding me?"
"Shut up, think carefully about how to explain this. Who authorized you to do this? Who do you think you are?"
Clearly, the other party was just issuing a warning. If they didn't want to escalate matters, they might as well stick with the gas explosion. However, if there was a next time, well, they could try their luck and see if they'd find an opportunity to speak.
...
Being bravado-happy at William White's level was actually quite embarrassing. Didn't he have better solutions?
Of course, he didn't. It was a statement, showing just how angry he was. "Don't even think about challenging my bottom line," he seemed to say. Because he knew that the other side equally had no bottom line.
To be honest, the surface laws in the U.S. had very strict regulations regarding this matter. What kind of place was White Center? They had two supercomputers.
To breach a supercomputer, you first needed a comparable one yourself. So honestly, trying to play that kind of game from a computer enthusiast's standpoint was quite ridiculous.
When the supercomputer was breached by hackers, the police arrived just in time for a gas explosion. Eye-witnesses claimed there were no injuries at the scene.
As this news spread around the world, the head of the CIA was still vacationing in Miami.
William White's thoughts were simple: if you didn't give me an explanation right away, I would escalate matters further.
If there was still no response, he could always threaten to take them down piece by piece.
William White was very sure that these incidents were carried out in private. There was no way the Justice Department would provide such authorization; weren't they already dealing with enough trouble?
...
In fact, the Justice Department wasn't pleased with that group of bastards either. William White wasn't like Leo Wanta; one misstep could lead to serious trouble. Let's not even mention that their big boss couldn't protect them -- Clinton couldn't protect them either.
"Investigate, dig deep! You idiots must've had too much time on your hands. Pentagon is very displeased with us; didn't you know that?"
"Sir, our collaboration with Executive Outcomes Security has been unilaterally terminated by them."
"Damn it, look at what you've caused! Get me William White's phone."
Alright, Mr. Rich was furious. When a pile of wiretaps and photos landed in front of him, even the head of the CIA seemed a bit rattled. "Who gave you the nerve?"
Let's clarify; were they the ones doing the surveilling, or were they the ones being surveilled? This was absolutely humiliating.
Damn it, if this matter wasn't handled properly, it would be a surefire Watergate-level scandal.
The public didn't really care about the infighting among politicians. To put it bluntly, none of you guys had clean hands. If this involved everyday people, it would be a disaster.
Yes, you heard me right: William White was just an everyday person. Even though he had a lot of money and prestige, from a legal standpoint, he was just an ordinary man.
You might say, "But isn't Leo Wanta an ordinary person too?" If you don't recognize him as a CIA guy, then he's just an ordinary person, isn't he?
Let's clarify, first, you need to have money -- lots of it. Those earnings must be legal. Secondly, you need to have social influence. When things really go south, who does the jury believe is the crux of the matter?
Once it came to William White, the CIA had no chance of winning. William White might have many flaws, but he also did plenty of charity.
And the CIA? Well, we all understand how that goes. Also, are you guys insane? When did your work flip to domestic matters? There was no intelligence here!
...
"Master, those guys have backed off."
"Seriously, who did I tick off? Even the NSA's getting involved. Did I seem too easy to approach?"
"Ha ha, Master, those two will probably end up clashing too."
"Sigh, that Pentagon guy is just a decoration. It appears that Bush Sr. has more control than him."
William White clearly hadn't wronged that guy. Obviously, now that troubles were arising, Clinton was delighted about it. One should know that things were worse for Clinton; even his childhood companions had been taken out.
However, the situation couldn't escalate any further. If this continued, he might become the scapegoat.
For an unestablished family, reaching such a position was actually quite difficult. On the surface, Clinton indeed seemed to be on an easy path. Not only did he marry a beautiful and wealthy woman, but he also had a plethora of inexplicable support. Every time he recalled that, Clinton would get a bit dazed.
If William White had been there, he would have made it clear to him. The hand behind didn't give up meddling.
Without great powers backing you, where would any future prospects come from? That was nothing but dreaming.
Look at those prestigious universities; could any of them lack backing from a big financial group? These people had their own judgment systems. Who was suitable for politics, and who was suitable for the CIA?
When they discovered good candidates with potential, there were always individuals who would become your friends and arrange your future. When you ran into trouble, there would also be someone to lend a hand immediately.
Everything required a return.
What? That's impossible; it's a bit exaggerated.
Ha ha, have you heard of the Bilderberg Meeting? That so-called most mysterious organization actually isn't much at all.
It's already become common knowledge; it's just that. Just being part of this group is quite terrifying. The members' roster would definitely leave you staggering.
William White was hardly thriving; even at such an outer club, he hadn't managed to get a ticket.
In fact, he had thought wrong. His current position was a bit awkward; the threshold for the Bilderberg Meeting was not something he hadn't reached -- it was rather exceeded.
At this point, with his stature, who could possibly incorporate him? That was simply impossible. Additionally, that so-called club was more like a negotiation institution.
A bunch of big shots sat down to boast; you had to arrange seating, right? If William White were to really attend a meeting, who could possibly hold a higher position than him?
In the realm of capital, all status was dictated by capital. Those princes were just there for appearances; they certainly had no real power to speak.
Asking William White to sit at the same level as those spokesmen? Was that a joke?
Sure, the top ten financial groups each had their own strengths; perhaps William White wasn't noteworthy. However, if you came in personally, it might indeed be a real situation.
...
"Tanner, I'm tired; let's go back. I just want a piece of sky where I can breathe freely, is that really too much to ask?"
"Master, how about we give them a strong push?"
"Ha ha ha, no. Everything must have its limits. Going too far isn't good; after all, I'm part of the rules."
"Master, if we find them again next time, there's no need to hold back."
"If they enjoy digging, let's send them out to mine."
*****
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