If all the past presidents of the United States were ranked, Joel Nash would undoubtedly be the worst.
There were simply too many scandals about him: corruption, bribery, being gay, office romance, cult membership, and so on. Every now and then, CNN would expose some insider information related to him.
The American people had grown accustomed to the president's incompetence. Many didn't even consider him a president, just a temporary occupant, and this sentiment had spread to the White House.
Aside from a few powerless minor departments and his assistant, Jensen Law, who followed his orders, no one else paid any attention to Joel Nash, and they didn't even bother to be polite to him in public.
Joel Nash could be said to be one of the most disregarded presidents in the world.
The reasons for this situation were complex, but at its root were four words: 'illegitimate origins.'
Four years ago, 51-year-old Joel Nash ran for president as a third-tier Republican candidate. No one had high hopes for him, and his campaign team also felt there was no chance of winning. But Joel Nash didn't think so. No matter how others lobbied or persuaded him, he stubbornly refused to give up, sticking to the race like a shadow, accompanying it all the way, and enduring until the final stage of the election.
At the time, many treated him as a joke—a candidate with less than 5% of the votes? It was ridiculous.
Then, a miracle happened.
The leading candidate suddenly suffered a heart attack and "coincidentally" encountered a traffic jam on the way to the hospital. Then, he was gone.
The frontrunner died of a sudden heart attack. The second-ranked candidate was overjoyed, but unfortunately, not long after, a video of him molesting a minor went viral online, and then he, too, was gone.
The first and second candidates both mysteriously dropped out. Throughout American history, nothing like this had ever happened. Once could be called a coincidence, but twice definitely indicated a causal factor. Based on the "greatest beneficiary principle," public opinion quickly pointed the finger at the third-ranked candidate. All sorts of conspiracy theories flooded in, and major media outlets condemned him, calling him the darkest schemer and most shameless usurper in history.
Under multi-faceted pressure, the "third-ranked" candidate immediately held a press conference and announced his withdrawal from the election.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded.
The first was gone, the second was out, and the third quit. Of the four candidates, only Joel Nash remained, leaving no other choice.
Things were so bizarre, so strange. No wonder some say that persistence until the end leads to victory; Joel Nash's personal experience was the best interpretation of that saying.
The election, which had consumed countless human and material resources, ended in a bizarre fashion. Not only the media but also the public found it laughable.
Senators from both parties and high-ranking political officials had no choice but to begrudgingly acknowledge Joel Nash's candidacy. Thus, the president with the lowest vote count in history was born.
With such a dark history, how could anyone in the White House respect him? Departments like the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Eye of Heaven led by the Vice President were all secretly investigating the truth of what happened that year.
They suspected the president was connected to an evil organization and manipulated the election through sinister means.
Unfortunately, after three years of investigation, no evidence was found, and Joel Nash remained firmly in the presidential seat.
Power dictates authority. A president is, after all, a president. You might not respect the person, but you cannot disregard the power he holds. Just like now, the Department of Justice and the FBI are using the mummified corpse case to challenge the military faction led by the Vice President.
The final decision, however, rested with Joel Nash. Without his approval, there would be no special authorization document.
Time slowly passed in an eerie atmosphere. Joel Nash took two sips of coffee and, under everyone's gaze, slowly said,
"Hecton Hammond, an extremely dangerous superhuman, is responsible for the deaths of over a hundred innocent citizens..."
"Dick, how much do you know about him?"
Vice President Dick Cheney paused for a moment, then gestured with his hand. His assistant placed a stack of documents on the table behind him.
"Hecton Hammond's identity, background, experience, family situation, and combat analysis are all in here."
Joel opened the document, quickly scanned it, and then said,
"How confident are you in eliminating him?"
Dick Cheney said without hesitation, "One hundred percent."
Joel chuckled, then turned to look at the grim-faced FBI Director Jack Harvey and asked, "How confident are you?"
Jack Harvey frowned and also said, "One hundred percent."
"Both are one hundred percent, that's excellent."
"Since both of you can do it, then proceed with the operation. Hecton Hammond is a heinous murderer who seriously endangers national security. Every second he lives is a provocation to the nation. I will sign the special authorization document, allowing you to execute him on the spot."
Joel Nash looked expectantly at the "big shots" in the room,
"What do you all think?"
Everyone: "..."
He's playing both sides again! How many times has it been?
Dick Cheney let out a slight sigh of relief and said in a deep voice, "I fully support the President's decision." After speaking, he looked across the room. Attorney General Marshall Warren and FBI Director Jack Harvey exchanged glances. Despite their suppressed anger, they could only grudgingly agree.
After the meeting, the assassination operation officially began. Both sides gathered their capable subordinates to form a special operations team.
The military's order was to eliminate Hecton Hammond at all costs, demanding only his corpse, not a living person; the FBI, however, aimed to capture him alive if possible.
With differing orders, their combat strategies also changed. Dick Cheney directly activated the Fourth Infantry Division to carry out a humanitarian extermination of Hecton Hammond.
The FBI, on the other hand, opted for superhumans.
Both sides raced against time, without a moment's pause, hoping to find Hecton Hammond as soon as possible, either to capture him or kill him. As for failure... that was not an option... Coast City.
Ever since Hecton's dramatic performance, the entire city had been shrouded in a terrifying shadow.
The internet had also become very quiet.
No one expected Hecton to be so insane, killing people in a way that defied comprehension during a police press conference.
Ten police officers and twenty-six reporters all died, with no one spared.
The piles of mummified corpses outside the police station were deeply etched into the minds of the citizens.
In a dilapidated apartment somewhere, after watching the news report on TV, Hal Jordan, ignoring his aching body, struggled to get up.
Tom, nearby, quickly said, "You're not well yet, don't move around."
Hal ignored his friend, gripping the bed frame with his right hand, which had only two fingers remaining. He slowly shifted his body, and when his plaster-cast legs touched the ground, he suddenly used his core strength to stand up from the bed.
Excruciating pain shot through his legs, but he gritted his teeth, enduring it with sheer willpower. Leaning on the wall with his right hand, he walked step by step towards the door.
Tom stepped forward to help him but was pushed away. His expression immediately became complex.
"Hal, we're best friends."
"I know."
Hal stopped. After a few seconds, he said softly, "That's why I don't want you to stay here." He paused, then added,
"I'm going to see Luke Shaw."
Tom's face changed dramatically.
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