Chapter 484 The Dust Settles (Bug Fix): The Second Half of 1998

In 1998, the summer in the Northern Hemisphere turned into autumn amidst the ravages of natural disasters and the threat of man-made calamities.

By October, the American planes that had been flying for three months and the warships that had been circling back and forth in the Gulf for three months finally seemed to be quieting down.

The US president has once again given a public address, and is now summarizing his remarks.

"We are facing a dictator who refuses to abide by the rules of the international community."

"Saddam Hussein deceived the world time and time again. He expelled UN inspectors and blatantly broke his own promises made after the Gulf War. His goal was to conceal his ability to produce nuclear and chemical weapons. Faced with this direct threat to global security, the United States cannot and will not stand idly by."

"Our goal is clear and noble: to disarm Iraq and protect the world from catastrophic weapons."

"The force we are demonstrating is not for the sake of war itself, but to uphold the authority of the UN Security Council, to allow inspectors to return to their work, and to ensure that Saddam Hussein cannot use nuclear weapons to threaten his neighbors and the world."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao earnestly reminded Ivan's assistant, "Take good care of him, really, look how well he writes articles."

Defining a large-scale military operation as "implementing UN resolutions" and "preventing nuclear proliferation"—both of which are the mainstream consensus in the international community—makes it difficult for opponents to morally attack it once this big label is put on display.

Listen to what they say next.

"It is because the United States has demonstrated unwavering resolve and strength that we can announce today that Iraq has unconditionally agreed to the return of UN inspectors to complete their work. By demonstrating our willingness to use force, we have successfully avoided the use of force. We have won a safer world for our children."

Oh my, the logic is complete!

By demonstrating military force, a diplomatic solution can be achieved, thus avoiding war.

He created the crisis himself, but through a few words and subtle manipulation, others transformed it into a rational, restrained, and successful crisis management case.

As expected of the President of the United States, he can elevate the self-preservation of his personal political life to fulfilling international obligations and defending global security.

A protracted and controversial military deterrence can be packaged in a way that makes it seem "correct" both diplomatically and morally.

Wang Xiao pointed at Ivan with exasperation and said with heartache, "You should all learn from him."

Look at the speeches of the presidents in Washington and yours in Moscow side by side. Don't you feel ashamed?

Isn't Russia known for producing great writers? How come with so many people, they can't even put together a complete writing team?

Listen to the Kremlin president's speeches: tough, blunt, and rude; emotional and confrontational; always a direct declaration rather than an attempt to persuade.

This style was somewhat effective in the early stages of the collapse of the Soviet system, when a strongman was needed to stabilize the situation. At that time, people were in a state of panic, and everyone needed a strong support, even if that support was domineering and unreasonable.

But things are different now. It is now autumn of 1998, the 20th century is coming to an end, and this is a complex era that requires meticulous governance, economic recovery, and winning international trust.

This set of political rhetoric based on authority and confrontation appears clumsy, ineffective, and even counterproductive.

For example, in this instance, Russia, which was also acting as the vanguard against the United States, clearly put in more effort and even deployed aircraft and warships to conduct exercises in order to demonstrate its determination.

As a result, it didn't generate as much international attention as France, which just talked the talk from beginning to end.

The "chicken" in "Gallic Chicken" is actually a cunning chicken! They can make a 3-point performance sound like a 10-point one.

You polar bears are doing the complete opposite.

Ivanov had no choice but to rub his nose and obediently accept the scolding.

In fact, he had discussed this issue with Chubais. However, the Kremlin president was not a very cooperative leader; his personal will guided everything.

Wang Xiao grimaced and shook his head repeatedly.

However, she had to admit that no matter how high her rhetoric was, the resulting "Winning Studies" was just a passing frenzy. What truly excited the American people, or rather the American military-industrial complex, was that no sooner had the United States announced its withdrawal than the princes in the Middle East declared that they would purchase American equipment to improve their national defense capabilities.

These words struck as a stab in the back to the anti-American vanguards Russia and France.

France, in particular, had reached a good agreement with a Middle Eastern country and was about to finalize the last step of the process, ready to sign the agreement and then deliver the Mirage series fighter jets.

As a result, it was snatched away at the last minute, which was no less than a slap in the face.

Russia's situation was similar; the prize that was almost within their grasp also slipped away. However, Russia has always pursued a strategy of large-scale, high-volume acquisition and low-price competition, so its losses were slightly less severe.

Of course, Wang Xiao highly suspected that, given the Russian's personality, even if it was stabbed deeply, it wouldn't make a sound unless it was dead. And what if it died? Well, then it wouldn't be able to make a sound either.

In short, they silently digested the situation and continued to join France in proclaiming their victory.

See that? Through the tireless efforts of us brothers, we managed to successfully defuse a Middle East war.

It's unclear whether the US is trying to advertise its own weapons or simply trying to annoy people.

It did indeed swiftly withdraw its troops from the Middle East, but that didn't stop its warships from circling the seas and launching cruise missiles from the Red Sea, accurately and decisively striking targets in Sudan and Afghanistan.

This time, it didn't even trigger a strong uproar or opposition from the international community.

Who dares to stand up and point their finger at the US and criticize it?

Just three days earlier, the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were attacked by car bombs at almost the same time, resulting in 224 deaths, including 12 U.S. citizens, and more than 4,000 injuries.

According to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, embassy premises are inviolable, and infringing upon any country's embassy abroad constitutes an infringement upon that country's sovereignty.

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack.

That's right, Al-Qaeda wasn't idle even before 9/11.

Bin Laden did not suddenly appear in the United States' view when the WTO building was bombed.

The United States has identified him as the mastermind behind the October attack.

Since others have openly come forward to claim responsibility, the United States naturally didn't tolerate it.

A meteor shower of 75 cruise missiles struck al-Qaeda camps in Khost province, Afghanistan.

As for Sudan, the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, located within its borders, also became a target of the attack.

The United States accuses it of having close ties with al-Qaeda and manufacturing chemical weapons for the latter.

The factory insists that it only provides medicines to the Sudanese people.

International experts have also analyzed that it is very likely that the US bombed the building by mistake.

But it was an accidental bombing, and the US has always acted like a domineering father. What can you do now that the war has already started?

The response remains the same: condemnation, but a redefinition of the term "terrorism."

Amidst the chaos, at least the US president has achieved his goal: he has successfully portrayed himself as a strongman.

Wang Xiao stared at the newspaper for a long time before suddenly realizing, "No wonder they're going to bomb it again."

Ivanov was completely bewildered: "Bomb what?"

Wang Xiao said seriously, "Keep bombing America. America's reaction is too restrained, which does not align with the base's objectives."

Ivanov couldn't help but widen his eyes: "Is this considered restraint?"

Yes, yes, yes. Any country with the capability would tolerate its embassy being bombed, especially in such a blatant and provocative manner, telling you, "I bombed it, so be it."

But the US retaliated without holding back; the base alone was hit by 75 cruise missiles and was riddled with holes.

The Kremlin president reacted with extreme anger. Gennady Zyuganov, chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, went so far as to call the United States a terrorist state.

Even China, which has always been extremely restrained in its diplomacy, publicly stated that it condemns all forms of terrorism and advocates handling the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in accordance with the UN Charter and international law... to safeguard world peace and stability. (Note ①)

This is clearly an expression of dissatisfaction.

Wang Xiao shook his head again, then suddenly asked, "What if the base's goal is to drag the United States into Afghanistan? Afghanistan is the infamous graveyard of empires."

Yes, once she thought about it that way, her logic made sense.

Because this attack failed to achieve its objective, the 9/11 attacks occurred three years later, and then Al-Qaeda finally achieved its goal.

Ivanov was not a time traveler, nor did he possess the superpower of precognition. He did not know about 9/11, but the geographical term Afghanistan is an eternal pain for any Russian who grew up in the Soviet era.

Good heavens! If the Soviet Union hadn't been forced into Afghanistan and made such a mess of things, it wouldn't have collapsed so easily.

He shook off his subtle emotions and began to stroke his chin thoughtfully: "You mean, they want to drag the US into Afghanistan, just like they dragged down the Soviet Union, to drag down the US?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "That's very possible. Humans are experience-based and path-dependent beings; successful experiences will be repeatedly applied in the future."

Ivanov thought about it and it made more and more sense, then he laughed: "Unfortunately, this American president is cunning; what he needs is a controllable crisis."

He had already orchestrated the Iraq crisis himself, so the bases that came to him willingly became his backup plan.

Unless his political career requires it later, he won't linger on the base any longer.

Wang Xiao couldn't help but sigh, muttering to himself, "Sometimes you can't help but believe in luck."

Take Bill from Washington, for example. Even though he had one foot off the cliff, he managed to grab onto a crooked tree and climb back up step by step.

In the foreseeable future, bases that willingly offer themselves up for slaughter are his readily available tools.

Ivanov kissed her on the cheek and grinned, "Our king is born with good fortune."

Wang Xiao's reaction was to exhale through his nostrils, making a humming sound.

The assistant had to come over and remind them, "It's getting late, it's time to leave."

Where to go? To a country villa in Punoning.

So Wang Xiao didn't really want to move.

Ivan, resting his chin on his hand, asked her, "What did he do to you?"

Good heavens, sometimes he really couldn't understand what Vlamikl was thinking. How could he be so fearless?

Wang Xiao continued to exhale through his nostrils, stating succinctly: "He's not up to that level yet."

Ivan chuckled: "So, are we still going? If not, then we're not going."

So what if it was rude? Who disrespected whom first? If no one cares about dignity, then no one should care about dignity either.

Wang Xiao sighed, started to move her legs off the sofa, let go of the little panda, and looked down to find her shoes: "I still have to go. Anyway, if I see it this time, I don't know when I'll see it again."

Why do I say that? Because Punonin was no longer in Moscow for the next period of time.

Where is he going? Is he going out to fight?

That's not quite it.

He was given a new position by the president of the Kremlin and was to become the governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

Yes, to this day, Russia remains in a state of fusion between socialism and capitalism, including in the appointment of local leaders, which is not determined by elections.

Since they're leaving Moscow, their relatives, friends, and acquaintances will definitely see them off.

So today, at his country villa, Punonin hosted a grand banquet to entertain his guests.

As a prominent political figure in Moscow, the guests who came to offer their blessings were naturally influential individuals.

As soon as Wang Xiao got off the car, he ran into Gusinsky and Nemtsov at the door. The two were discussing the snow from Moscow to the Far East.

Thank God, after a long drought, it finally snowed in Russia.

Although it's too late to plant any crops this season, the heavy snowfall at least brings hope for a bountiful harvest next year and prevents the forests from catching fire again.

When Nemtsov saw Ivanov, he immediately stepped over to talk to him, with a hint of complaint: "God, Ivanov, you've really screwed me over."

He had no intention of leaving Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, which was the glory of his political life and the place where he made his living.

However, since the Kremlin president wanted to send Punonin to Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, two tigers cannot share one mountain, so Nemtsov would definitely have to leave.

The president's bargaining chip was Ivan.

Ahem, that's not what I meant. Although the two are often linked together by the media and referred to as the "twin stars" of Russia's new reforms, I guess some people secretly ship them.

However, Russian tradition is extremely averse to homosexuality, and no politician would be so insane as to engage in such promiscuity.

The president, through his youngest daughter Diachenko, said to Nemtsov: "Boris, you've participated in rural reforms and achieved results. So what's next? Aren't you interested in factory reforms? Ivan is currently overseeing factory management reforms; don't you really want to participate? Good heavens, you should go, because the majority of Russia's population is industrialized, and they live in cities."

Nemtsov struggled for a full week, and even sought advice from Ivanov along the way, before finally deciding to come to Moscow and become Russia's Minister of Industry.

Now that he sees someone, he's unwilling to miss any opportunity to properly discuss the next steps of the work with that person.

Thank God, the Americans' months-long commotion has given international crude oil prices a much-needed boost, and now crude oil prices have risen to $35 a barrel.

This is undoubtedly a major positive development for Russia, as the money gave Nemtsov the courage to take on industrial reforms.

Wang Xiaochong nodded to Yura, who was smoking beside him. Yura had worked for Nemtsov for over a year and seemed much more composed. With Nemtsov gone, Wang Xiaochong became the person in charge of the subsequent rural reform plan.

See, people still need to do things. Even if you start with things you initially looked down on, if you do a lot of them, you'll naturally reap the rewards.

Yura opened her mouth, as if to speak to her.

Leaning against the door, Gusinski spoke first with a smile: "Oh God, Miss Wang, you are truly a woman who makes the whole world tremble."

Although she didn't directly admit that the most popular answer on "I Buy Online" for "if you are Bill" came from her.

However, at least in Moscow's political and business circles, everyone generally assumes it was her doing.

Some people even gloated over this, believing that Washington was too arrogant and had bitten off more than they could chew.

If the White House in Washington had taken Russia seriously, it would have been impossible not to notice Miss Wang, who had been orchestrating events behind the scenes during the 1996 Russian presidential election.

If they had noticed her sooner and spent money to hire her as a crisis PR professional for the US president, things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand.

Gusinski wasn't necessarily interested in watching America's misfortune; in fact, he had a very high level of goodwill towards the United States.

He simply exclaimed, "You're really amazing."

Wang Xiao said with an air of seriousness, "The US president is the real deal. All the power struggles are minor matters. A true king will fight if he can, and never waste words. Otherwise, look at the monarchs in history, aren't they all like that?"

Gusinski tried to recall, and it seemed to make sense.

He thought of a Chinese proverb: "One force can overcome ten techniques."

Strength over skills seems to make sense.

So he smiled and nodded, not continuing the teasing, but moving on to the next topic: "Hey! Miss Wang, I want to talk to you about going public."

As a media mogul, one of Gusinski's biggest dreams was for NTV to be listed on the U.S. stock exchange.

Last October, the prospect was quite promising, as Russia was then a new hotspot for global investment.

However, when the financial crisis hit, Russia voluntarily devalued the ruble by 15% in November of last year. Although this effectively prevented a financial collapse, the fiscal austerity measures, coupled with the influence of the international environment, inevitably caused the overheated Russian financial market to begin to cool down.

In particular, Gusinsky had borrowed a lot of money from foreign banks, which he had to repay. The devaluation of the ruble forced him to repay even more money.

Tight fiscal policy has reduced the number of middle-class people, resulting in a decrease in the customer base willing to pay for television, which translates into a decline in NTV's revenue.

The devaluation of the ruble reduced the competitiveness of imported goods, leading to fewer foreign companies willing to advertise on television, which in turn affected NTV's revenue.

All these difficulties combined have only prevented NTV's stock from listing on Wall Street so far, but that doesn't mean Gusinski has given up hope.

Especially after he learned that "WoBuy.com" had successfully rang the bell on Nasdaq, his burning desire swelled to its extreme.

"Miss Wang, you have to teach me how to do this in detail?"

He does have his own financial advisor, and market conditions change daily. Last year's Russian stocks are a world apart from this year's, and he needs to know the latest market trends.

Unfortunately, Wang Xiao couldn't help him: "I don't know. I didn't even go to America. My subordinates did all the work. I just need to sign."

"God!" Gusinsky groaned in pain. "Could you spare a few men for me? Why don't I have any men as capable as those?"

Wang Xiao chuckled: "Because when they were losing money, I pretended not to know."

Gusinski was about to say something when the villa's hostess came over and greeted everyone: "Ladies and gentlemen, please come in and have some refreshments."

The guests who were smoking in the courtyard laughed and agreed, and began to put out their cigarettes one by one before walking inside.

Benezovsky suddenly appeared out of nowhere, approached Wang Xiao, and whispered, "Miss Wang, have you chosen Vladimir?"

Wang Xiao looked completely bewildered: "Choose what? Which Vladimir are you talking about?"

Russian names are repeated very often; it's always the same ones.

Among them, Vladimir is a highly repetitive noun, similar to the repetition rate of words like "great" or "strong" in Chinese. In the 1990s, you could come up with more than a dozen of them in a class.

Berezovsky's eyebrows seemed to dance: "Hey! Which other Vlamikil could it be? Of course, it's our friend Vlamikil."

Wang Xiao was utterly speechless and helpless: "Sir, among our friends alone, there are several Flamkirs."

After greeting the guests, Lydia turned around, pursed her lips, and then mustered up the courage to greet Wang Xiao: "Hey! Wang, I'm so glad you came."

Wang Xiao handed her the gift and hugged her, saying, "Of course I came, my dear Lydia, we're the friends."

Benezovsky craned his neck several times, but feeling he couldn't force his way into the two ladies' enthusiastic conversation, he could only shrug and leave.

Good heavens, can anyone tell him whether the president's sudden assignment of Pronin to Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was because he had taken a liking to him, or because he wanted to bring Nemtsov to Moscow to train him?

Lydia sighed softly when she saw that the ungrateful person had finally left. "Your Majesty, I need your help. My whole family needs your help."

Wang Xiao asked, puzzled, "What happened? Do you need money?"

"No, no, no," Lydia immediately shook her head.

Although their family's financial situation was not comparable to Wang Xiao's, God, she doubted that there were many people in Moscow who were richer than Wang.

But their family wasn't short of money, because they never had any major expenses.

Her concern was for her husband: "Vlamikl hasn't slept well for days."

Lilia grabbed Wang Xiao's hands and held them to her chest, pleading earnestly, "Wang, please help us, we need your help."

Wang Xiao instinctively declined: "But I don't know how to govern a region. I have no experience in this area at all. Since Vladimir has such high standards for himself, he should consult Nemtsov more. After all, no one knows Nizhny Novgorod Oblast better than Nemtsov."

Lilia paused, wanting to emphasize that this was not what she was talking about, nor was it what her husband was worried about.

But the words were on the tip of her tongue. The political knowledge she had been forcibly cramming for so long had finally given her a little bit of political acumen—she couldn't say it.

Shouldn't a central government official who is about to be appointed to a local post worry about his inability to govern the region well? No, he must worry, and that is the only thing he should worry about.

Any other ideas that come to mind at this point are wrong.

Lydia instinctively clenched her fists.

Wang Xiao cried out, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Darling, I definitely won't run away early, I still want to eat your snacks."

All eyes turned to them, and Lydia quickly let go of her hand, forcing a smile: "Then you should eat more. You're too thin. Young ladies always strive to be slim."

Wang Xiao laughed heartily: "Are you talking about yourself, my young wife?"

Those around her, unaware of what was going on, joined in the laughter, and some even praised Lydia for her radiant appearance.

Good heavens, this is blatant lying.

If Prononin's ordeal was 10 points, Lydia's ordeal was definitely double that; even high-end cosmetics couldn't save her from exhaustion.

Punonin walked over with a smile, kissed his wife's cheek, and then boasted, "How lucky I am to be the husband of such a beautiful lady."

The laughter around them grew even louder.

Nemtsov, however, was uncooperative. Forgetting his playboy ways, he directly pulled people to work: "Alright, my dear Vladimir, you can save your lovey-dovey stuff for after we're done. Now let's have a proper chat."

The scope of industry is very broad, and in Russia, the military industry is the largest sector.

Nemtsov felt that the only cards he could play next, besides the modern factory management system that Wang had brought from South Korea to Ivan, were the European plans that he had vaguely learned about.

The latter was specifically handled by Punoning.

Nemtsov felt he had to take it over, otherwise the technology he had acquired would be wasted.

His words were witty, and Punonin had no choice but to pinch his nose and play along.

The room was very warm, and the carbon dioxide exhaled by people made the air feel increasingly heavy.

Wang Xiao felt overwhelmed and decided to go outside for some fresh air. Watching the birds hopping around on the branches was quite amusing.

When she turned around, sure enough, Punonin was standing behind her.

See, in many cases, in a family, the woman of the house is the one who takes the lead for the man of the house.

Unless the former fails, the latter will never show itself.

Punonin, who was forced to take the stage, certainly didn't look well.

He stared at Wang Xiao, then suddenly whispered, "Am I completely abandoned?"

As soon as the news broke that he was to be transferred to Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Moscow was abuzz with speculation.

Some people are certain that he is the president's chosen successor to the Kremlin, so according to convention, he was sent to the countryside to gain experience so that he could take over the position smoothly.

Good heavens! How could he believe such a thing? If it was about gaining experience, sending him out in 1996 would have been more reliable than in 1998.

Don't forget, the presidential election is in two years. What can he possibly do in the local area in two years?

He was more inclined to believe the other explanation: that he had been rejected.

The president used this opportunity to strip him of his tax police force, cut off his connection with the Department of the Interior, and turn him into a tiger without claws and teeth, only able to fawn over the crowd in the circus.

He didn't know why the president would suddenly launch such an attack without any warning.

Although the president didn't particularly like him, he was satisfied with his work, especially the progress in taxation, which stabilized Russia's financial foundation.

After much thought, the only thing that could make him reflect on himself was his emotional outburst at the Kremlin in July, during which his criticism of Wang Xiao was relayed to the president by Dyachenko.

He felt incredibly frustrated whenever he thought about it.

Because if you want to be the head of state, you must consider issues from the perspective of the head of state.

His accusations against Wang Xiao were interpreted by the president as a manifestation of his inner turmoil, which is not in line with the demeanor expected of a head of state of a major power.

Wang Xiao looked at Punoning quietly, then suddenly laughed: "Why didn't you refuse? As far as I know, the transfer of high-ranking officials requires the consent of the person being transferred unless the president directly objects. He hasn't objected, so why didn't you refuse?"

She nodded. "So you're actually looking forward to another possibility, to nurturing your potential, right?"

A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Punonin's face; he couldn't deny that a small glimmer of hope still lingered in his heart. He had searched all over Moscow, and he couldn't find anyone with a greater advantage than himself.

After all, the favored Ivan wouldn't run for president.

Wang Xiao laughed even harder: "Vlamikl, I find you guys really strange. Are you trying to establish socialism or capitalism? I always thought that presidents are elected, no matter which country it is, unless it's a royal succession."

Punonin looked at her: "Then please answer me, if I were to run for office, would you be my PR representative?"

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "If you think you are capable of taking on this responsibility, then of course I can charge you according to the market rate."

She sighed, “But sometimes I don’t understand why you’re in such a hurry. You’re only in your forties, not seventy or eighty. Why are you so anxious? You’re very healthy, you have good lifestyle habits, and you can prepare everything at your own pace.”

Punonin squinted at her: "What do you mean?"

“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Wang Xiao shook his head. “My only advice is to stop your anxiety. You haven’t been forced into anything.”

He's already like this before he's even become president.

Given your current mental fortitude, you'd be doomed if you actually became president.

Be kinder to yourself; don't force yourself to shoulder burdens you can't handle.

Russia is not the United States. The latter has a solid foundation, and even if a president were to run for four more years, it wouldn't go bankrupt.

Russia doesn't have that much confidence.

Ivanov opened the door and greeted Wang Xiao: "Hey! Wang, your apple cake is here, it's all 1/3 sugar."

Upon seeing Punonin, he was quite surprised. "What are you doing here? Nemtsov has been looking for you everywhere."

Wang Xiao continued, "He's worried about it. He can't sleep well at night, and Lydia is also annoyed by his noise. She asked if the hospital in the container market has massage therapy to treat insomnia."

Ivanov chuckled, gloating, "See? See? People with too many schemes are prone to having trouble sleeping."

Wang Xiao glared at him, and he finally quieted down.

She turned her head and looked at Punonin again: "Vlamikil, your life is up to you. No one can really control your life."

Just like the American judiciary, it may not always keep pace with politics.

For the remainder of 1998, the focus of world opinion remained on the United States.

First, there was the US midterm elections in November, which, unsurprisingly, saw a landslide victory for the Republicans.

According to American political practice, the ruling party usually loses seats in Congress during the midterm elections held while the president is in office.

Hillary Clinton's tapes and a dangerous brinkmanship policy were enough to frighten centrist voters and ignite voting enthusiasm among the Republican base.

But what's interesting is how things went from there.

With the Republicans in control of the House and the evidence overwhelming, the articles of impeachment were naturally passed.

So the whole world is watching to see when the US president will be impeached and removed from office.

The impeachment case reached the Senate, but suffered a crushing defeat, receiving approximately 58% of the vote, failing to reach the two-thirds threshold, and the US president remained president.

Okay, okay, this isn't surprising.

After all, it is well known that convicting and removing a president who stabilizes a crisis could trigger deeper political turmoil.

Moreover, although the president is embroiled in scandals, his economic achievements and his final "last-minute intervention" still have a certain degree of public support.

Most importantly, the surge in arms sales following the military operation was seen as a diplomatic victory for the United States, especially winning the favor of the massive U.S. military-industrial complex, which was willing to provide funds and manpower to lobby on behalf of the president.

In short, he made a mistake, but it's not enough for him to be ousted from office.

Finally, the high-energy moment has arrived.

The president did survive politically, but he did not receive a pardon.

He was still found guilty by the judge and jury of "sexual harassment" and "perjury," and was required to pay huge sums of compensation, pay fines, and perform community service as punishment.

As the first president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime while in office, he is destined to be forever remembered in American history.

This could be considered a case of getting what one desires.

So, is Wang Xiao satisfied with this result?

I wouldn't say I'm satisfied, but I can accept it. After all, she can't decide whether the US president stays or leaves.

But she wanted to nail him to the pillar of historical shame, to forever brand him a lecherous liar, one that could never be whitewashed; to make him a lame duck for the remainder of his term, casting a shadow over all his political legacy.

Because criminals should never be glorified.

————————!!————————

Sorry I'm late, [sob emoji]

Note ①: In actual history, on August 7, 1998, the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were almost simultaneously attacked by car bombs. Then, on August 20, US warships launched cruise missiles from the Red Sea to strike targets in Sudan and Afghanistan.

On August 21, 1998, Russian President Boris Johnson condemned the US airstrikes in Murmansk. He stated, "My attitude is indeed negative, as with any act of terrorism, military intervention, or failure to resolve issues through negotiations. I am angry and condemn this action." Yeltsin also called it "rude" that the US did not notify him beforehand. Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, stated that the US "has effectively become a terrorist state."

On August 21, 1998, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao stated that China condemns all forms of terrorism and advocates handling the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in accordance with the UN Charter and international law. He also stated that the international community should strengthen coordination and cooperation in combating international terrorism in order to eliminate the root causes of international terrorism and safeguard world peace and stability.

The novel adjusts the timeline because, according to the novel's timeline, the world's focus was on the US military action against Iraq at the time. By taking action when the US was withdrawing from Iraq, Al-Qaeda could draw all attention to Al-Qaeda and expand the impact of its operation.