Chapter 255 Walked Through Hell
The honorable Secretary Hoover of Victoria was restricted like a zombie.
If this got out, he would be a laughingstock.
"I asked you to impose a cyber threat on Veridiania, and this is what you ended up with!"
Sterling slammed his desk and shouted angrily, "Who exactly are we dealing with?"
Secretary Hoover, sweating profusely, said, "You weren't supposed to know the his name. But I admit, I underestimated Veridiania. His name is Paul Four, and he wrote seven programs! Each of these seven programs has the power to crush our top-notch cyber technology in Victoria! We are completely unable to handle it! Mr. Prescott, Veridiania should not be underestimated; we must handle this cautiously!"
By this point, Hoover's sweat had already dripped into his eyes, but he didn't dare to wipe it away!
"So, Veridiania does have some talent in the hacker world?"
Sterling squinted his eyes. "But that's limited to hackers. Holding Veridiania in high regard is impossible. Their human evolution technology and mechanical technology can't compare to ours!"
First Secretary Prescott glanced cautiously at the countdown on the screen, nervously saying, "Sterling, 10 minutes left, only 2 minutes and 15 seconds remaining!"
"Why are you panicking! Veridiania doesn't have the guts to declare war on us! As for this hacker, he has even less courage! Even the Veridiania government will stop this hacker out of fear of us!"
Sterling sat back behind his desk, as steady as a rock.
Secretary Prescott, sweating profusely, added, "Only 1 minute and 20 seconds left. I suggest you enter the safe bunker!"
"Am I supposed to be afraid of him? When the time is up, he will naturally back down!"
Secretary Prescott said, "Sir, only 30 seconds left!"
"Stop repeating that stupid countdown to me! Secretary Prescott, get me General Carmen of the Cobra Unit!"
First Secretary Prescott was in a state of panic but couldn't argue, "Yes, Mr. Prescott!"
At a secret missile base outside the government building, a sudden burst of fire lit up, then smoke billowed.Smoke billowed as a Tomahawk intercontinental missile rose from its silo!
It ascended slowly into the sky.
The base commanders were instantly thrown into panic!
The system had been hacked and paralyzed!
There had been no warning, no countdown before the missile launch.
It had just... fired.
As the missile climbed, everyone froze like statues.
"We're screwed!"
One commander, the first to snap out of it, shouted, "Someone calculate that missile's destination, now! Sound the alarm!"
High in the sky, the Tomahawk stabilized, its lateral thrusters kicking in to adjust its course and lock onto its target.
"Sir!"
A technician's face was a mask of terror. "The missile's heading 39.8 degrees north. There are no military targets there - just the government building! Impact in 90 seconds!"
"Get me a phone, now!"
The base commander screamed, nearly soiling himself.
Meanwhile, at the government building, Theron, the Chief Secretary, dropped the black phone with a clatter and burst into Sterling's office like a madman.
The moment he crossed the threshold, he yelled at the seemingly composed Sterling, "We're in deep shit! They've actually launched a missile!"
"Nonsense! That's impossible!"
Sterling slammed his fist on the desk and rose abruptly. He was about to shout when his expression froze.
Through the window behind his secretary, he could see a tiny red dot in the distance, hurtling towards his office.
Sterling was shocked.
A missile!
There wasn't even time to duck!
"Get defensive measures in place, intercept that missile!"
Sterling's composure had completely evaporated.
"Mr. Prescott, the weapon systems and missile defenses near the government building are already down!"
"What?!"
Sterling felt his blood run cold.
Even Hoover, desperately clinging to life, was crawling out of the wreckage with all his might.
Sterling, as a leader of the nation, had to think on his feet.
Frantically, he grabbed his phone and tweeted: [Sorry! During a cybersecurity test, we inadvertently interfered with the Veridianian Empire's network systems. I, Sterling, on behalf of our negligent staff, offer sincere apologies to Veridiania. May our two nations remain forever friendly!]
As soon as Sterling hit send, he glanced up at the approaching missile.
The Tomahawk had reached above the government building, but instead of striking directly, it continued to hover, ascending slowly.
On a nearby hacked computer, a new message from Paul Four appeared: [Still not enough!]
Sterling's body trembled.
He immediately tweeted again: [As compensation, I am willing to sign a cybersecurity peace treaty with Veridiania, pledging never to infringe upon your systems again. Additionally, I will lower import tariffs on Veridianian goods and support your economy. Over the next year, I will encourage Victoria's businesses to invest at least $50 billion in Veridiania!]
After sending the tweet, Sterling stared at the screen, his hands shaking.
Paul Four's reply came through: [Reluctantly accepted. Enjoy the celebratory fireworks!]
Then, the sky erupted with a deafening roar!
The Tomahawk missile soared high and exploded in a spectacular display far from any casualties.
It was the dead of night in Victoria!
Above the White Palace, the sky was ablaze with vibrant colors!
The most expensive fireworks in history!
A $13 million Tomahawk missile transformed into a dazzling light show.
Sterling collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.
He thought, 'This Paul Four is a lunatic—caring nothing for consequences and wielding incredible power! A Veridianian madman!'
At that moment, Sterling grasped the gravity of the situation.
Public phones were down!
National websites had been defaced!
Weapon systems were under control!
Domestic hackers and tech experts were completely outmatched!
If that missile had actually destroyed the government building, Victoria would have been leaderless.
Chaos, riots, and even regime collapse would have followed.
Sterling gasped for breath.
He felt like he had just walked through hell.
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