Capítulo 1459: Chapter 690: I’m Only Doing This for Your Own Good

He looked at Victor, his gaze complex: “This is just the beginning. The list of heavy weapons is beyond imagination, from the latest anti-materiel rifles to old mortars, and even twelve operational German 88mm anti-aircraft guns, hidden in the cellars of suburban farms, surrounded by piles of rusty but still dangerous ammunition.”

“Damn!”

Victor couldn’t help but curse.

“For the United States to have lasted this long without a massive GM, it’s really the Americans who can handle things.”

He blew out a puff of smoke, watching as it slowly dispersed.

There are nearly 400 million weapons in the entire United States…

If this were in some big country, it would force you to produce shit; a rifle could shout for fairness, ten rifles would damn well dare to attack institutions, and a hundred would prepare for “division.”

When it comes to bold folk customs, it’s more ferocious over there.

The office was filled with smoke; as Victor had just settled his cigarette in the ashtray, the encrypted hotline on the table suddenly rang, the sharp sound breaking the silence of the room.

Casare and President Lunaczarski instinctively looked at the phone, then at Victor.

The ringing of this phone often signifies extremely important and urgent matters.

Victor furrowed his brows slightly, gesturing for Casare to answer.

Casare picked up the receiver, listened to a sentence, then covered the mouthpiece with his hand, turned to Victor, and lowered his voice: “Boss, it’s the White House line, Little Bush hopes to talk to you in five minutes.”

Victor nodded, “Put him through.”

Five minutes later, the phone rang punctually.

Victor took a deep breath, picked up the receiver, and spoke in a calm tone: “This is Victor.”

A voice from the other end immediately came through, repressed with enormous anger and an urgency on the brink of collapse, with almost no greetings, it bombarded directly:

“Victor! I’m damn fed up with your encroachments! What do you think you’re doing? Playing a game of conquest?!”

“Listen, I’m warning you as President of the United States, this is not a request, it’s a final ultimatum, immediately cease your military action, stop your damn process, retract your greedy hands from Texas! Otherwise…”

He took a sharp breath, his voice abruptly rising,

“Otherwise don’t force me! Victor, don’t push me to press that button! Let’s die together, let the flames purify all, you take Texas, I’ll let all of North America be buried with you and your Mexico! And I mean it!!!”

“I’m not joking.”

In the corner of the office, Casare and Lunaczarski, though unable to hear the specifics, could sense the immediate change in Victor’s aura.

Victor held the receiver, with no expression on his face, his brows tightly furrowed.

He could clearly feel the hysteria and desperation in Little Bush’s tone.

This guy seems truly pushed to consider the doomsday option?

After a few seconds of silence, this brief silence only added pressure to the other end of the call.

Victor could even imagine Little Bush in the White House situation room, his eyes bloodshot.

Then, Victor spoke slowly, his voice unexpectedly calm, with a hint of strange reassurance.

“George,” he directly used the other party’s name,

“Think about the consequences, they aren’t something you or I can bear, nor can the United States or Mexico, it means the end of civilization, and you’ll become the eternal sinner who most prominently ruins the North American continent, destroys human civilization history. Your family name will forever be nailed to the pillar of shame.”

Heavy breathing could be heard on the other end, “I can’t control it, you, have crossed the line!”

Victor continues speaking, his voice not high, “The issue in Texas is a historical leftovers issue, a result of your own internal contradictions intensifying, our intervention was at the invitation of Texans, to restore order, to avoid greater humanitarian disasters, and in fact, order is indeed being restored, life is returning to normal.”

“War is not the goal, George, sitting down to talk is what politicians should do, the situation in Texas has already changed, this is fact. But perhaps we can discuss… how to define future boundaries and relationships in a way that benefits both sides and the Texan people, rather than immediately talk about destruction.”

“Impulsiveness is the Devil.”

Victor backed down…

Really, he introspected whether he’s been pressuring the Yanks too much.

This is bad for everyone, he doesn’t dare to gamble.

The United States is too close to Mexico, but likewise, Mexico is also too close to the United States!

The other end fell into prolonged dead silence, only Little Bush’s heavy and unstable breathing was audible.

Victor patiently waited; he knew, once the craziest ideas are slightly suppressed by reason, they’d quickly fade away, replaced by deep fear and helplessness towards reality.

A period seeming like an eternity passed, and Little Bush’s voice came again, still hoarse, but the madness seemed to have diminished, leaving endless fatigue and frustration:

“Talk! As soon as possible!”

“My Minister of Foreign Affairs will contact the Secretary of State within twenty-four hours; we can open new communication channels.”

Without waiting for a reply, Victor softly hung up the phone.

The office was silent.

Casare and Lunaczarski looked at him intently.

Victor turned around, walked toward the large floor-to-ceiling window, and gazed at the lights of Mexico City outside.

“The true battle is just beginning now.”

He murmured to himself, no hint of fear in his voice, only calmness and anticipation.

Swallowing Texas is only the first step, how to digest it and cope with the ensuing storm is the real test.

And he’s confident in winning the next round.

…