Darkstone Code

Any significant political change cannot bypass the two-party committee. As for why the Socialist Party is not discussed, it’s because the Socialist Party has no say in this matter.

At least, they have not yet participated in this kind of affair.

After Mr. Truman made a decision, Lynch arranged a meeting with the short-statured chairman of the Progressive Party Committee.

They agreed to meet at a villa in the suburbs. Compared to public figures like the President, the chairman of the two-party committee is not particularly someone who would be recognized everywhere he goes.

However, the current situation is somewhat special; who knows how many eyes are watching around. Therefore, they settled on a location that could guarantee privacy and security.

The ancient medieval design style makes the villa appear somewhat "worn out," using materials with shallow bark, giving the villa a very primitive feeling.

In the stone-built fireplace, the fire crackled and burned, with a blackened metal tube hanging above, bubbling inside.

A very special fragrance permeated the room.

The short-statured elder stood by the fireplace, using a specialized metal tong to hold the can, pouring the contents into two cups, then placing the can aside.

He carried the two cups back to the sofa near the fireplace and handed one cup to Lynch, "Try it out, it’s quite rare outside."

Lynch looked down at the cup; its ivory-white wall was lined with a layer of golden rim, the cup filled with bright red liquid, looking... a bit mysterious.

It was very red, but unlike blood, it smelled very fragrant, with some foam at the edge of the surface.

He blew on it, took a sip, and his expression immediately changed.

Seeing Lynch’s face change from relaxed to amazed, the short elder couldn’t help but laugh heartily, "Isn’t it quite special?"

Lynch swallowed the small amount of soup in his mouth and nodded in appreciation, "Very peculiar, I’ve never had anything like this before. What is it?"

The short elder shook the cup in his hand, and took a small sip, "A beverage called ’Holy Blood,’ supposedly favored by a group of folks referred to as the ’Heroic Kings’ from tens of thousands of years ago!"

Since the Saint Harmony Association began collecting various items related to legends from around the world, many undiscovered things have gradually been unveiled within the association.

The short elder was also a member of the Saint Harmony Association, and as a third-level member, he already had the eligibility to access these files.

In some documentation from certain ruins, the Saint Harmony Association found some very interesting records.

The records described humans and gods living together, with deities occasionally mating with humans, producing half-human, half-divine beings.

These beings had human appearances while possessing some divine powers.

Later, the Divine King, displeased with the birth of too many demigods from the mingling of gods and humans, forbade deities from establishing close ties with humans, thereby creating a distance between gods and mortals.

He even secretly sent out gods to eliminate these "hybrids," resulting in the death of a large number of demigods, some of whom began to resist.

They declared themselves heroes, opposing the deities.

The thirteen strongest heroes were referred to as the "Heroic Kings," the absolute main force against the gods.

And Holy Blood was their favorite beverage.

It was brewed from over a hundred ingredients, some of which are extinct, with the Saint Harmony Association finding substitutes through ancient texts research. However, it had lost its documented effects.

For example, drinking it supposedly granted immense strength, and as Dragon Blood Wood grew scarcer, being a core ingredient, hardly anyone knew about this outside.

Even within the Saint Harmony Association, not many knew about it.

After all, not everyone is willing to expend significant human, material, and financial resources to replicate something possibly fictional.

Listening to the words of the short elder, Lynch picked up the cup again and took a small sip, the aroma becoming even more rich.

He felt his muscles, "I seem to really feel stronger."

The short elder laughed heartily, "That’s just an illusion after hearing the story; no one knows if these records are true or false, including the note documenting these ingredients."

"I asked some researchers, and they said these are just compound fragrances of spices without detecting anything different."

He sighed softly as he spoke.

In fact, the largest small circle within the Saint Harmony Association is named "Eternal Life," and the short elder is one of them.

It is composed of some of the most powerful and influential people from the Federation and the world, sharing a common trait of being older.

The youngest is over fifty, with older ones up to eighty or ninety, spending a significant amount annually here, funding the Saint Harmony Association’s exploration of various ruins, seeking various legends.

Their goal is quite simple; like the name of this small organization, they are searching for the method to achieve immortality.

Standing at the pinnacle of the human world, the only thing that might move them is probably eternal life, isn’t it?!

Unfortunately, until now, eternal life is still just a dream. Although relics are continuously being unearthed, indirectly proving there might have been gods in this world, who knows where those beings have gone?

Or perhaps... from the start, this was a malicious joke from ancient people?

The sentiment quickly passed, and the short elder collected his emotions without taking long. He pressed his hands lightly on the armrests of the sofa, directly facing Lynch, "Let’s hear your thoughts."

Lynch nodded slightly, "Is there a possibility for the President to be re-elected?"

The short elder shook his head, "The Duncan Clan must dissolve, so... I’m afraid I can only say I’m sorry. I know you’re on good terms."

His attitude was clear that the Duncan Clan had touched the core interests of both parties, so they must fall.

For this, they must sacrifice the President.

Lynch frowned slightly, as he had to show the displeasure one would expect from a friend of the President upon hearing this rotten news.

This was a form of expressing stance, of revealing one’s position. Of course, he quickly gathered these expressions, "If the President cannot be re-elected, then the next President..."

He didn’t continue, while the short elder showed a curious expression, "Do you want to recommend a candidate?"

It’s common for capitalists to select candidates, and if the capitalists strongly support a party or are core supporters of the party, the committee might consider their opinions.

Although Lynch hadn’t been a member and supporter of the Progressive Party for long, the potential he demonstrated was enough for people to value his opinion. Otherwise, the short elder wouldn’t have invited him here for a meeting.

Lynch nodded, "I spoke with Mr. Truman. As I mentioned earlier, I hope to nominate him as a candidate."

Actually, anyone could publicly announce their intention to run for President and become a candidate, even without committee nomination.

But self-announcement and party announcement are two different concepts.

Party announcement indicates that the opinions within the party committee have unified, and the candidates put forward will receive party resources and support.

This is the most crucial, important point. Without resources and support, the election cannot go far.

The short elder scratched his head. It was clear he now had an inexplicable feeling; at his status, he no longer needed to hide his emotions excessively.

"Truman is too young. I discussed this with the President before; he believed that in about ten years, he would be suitable."

Lynch shook his head, "War is about to break out, Chairman. Right now, our priority is to address war issues."

"Mr. Truman comes from a military background; he understands war and the military better than anyone else."

"I am not against having a President who was a teacher or an opera singer, but at this time, what we need is a President who has a sufficient understanding of war!"

"Only in this way can we ensure that after the war breaks out, our country won’t make the wrong choices due to some ’military common-sense errors’."

The short elder smiled and shook his head, "It’s a rather far-fetched argument, Lynch. Can you tell me the core reason?"

Lynch thick-skinnedly wasn’t the least bit embarrassed, "He is my good friend; having him in office benefits me, and Mr. Truman is a true radical, not a pretended one."

"This aligns with some of my plans, the plan to seize wealth from overseas."

The short elder smiled and nodded in approval after listening, "See, telling the truth isn’t that difficult..."

He began to ponder after speaking.

The Progressive Party advocated conservatism in past years because conservatism was prevalent then; people were unwilling to involve themselves too much in international affairs. To win votes, one had to show a conservative stance.

Later, radicalism became popular, and even Conservative Party candidates held frightening radical thoughts, let alone Progressive Party candidates.

However, among these people, how many are truly radical, and how many are fake radicals? Everyone knows well.

In a way, they are just actors, showing the public what they want to see, thereby gaining public support and votes.

But Mr. Truman is a genuine radical, and one who comes from the Military.

It also means he is dangerous in certain respects, like the previous naval battle with Gafura.

The President never authorized them to sink Gafura’s fleet, yet the Navy did so anyway, which is true radicalism.

Radical, and dangerous!