A Bumpy Road to Power

To be honest, Ezekiel Sawyer was indeed prescient.

A few days ago, he had already planted his trusted aide, Alaric Pace, beside Dirk Carter to keep him under surveillance.

Alaric Pace was truly diligent and dedicated; as long as Dirk Carter was in the office, Alaric was almost inseparable, which meant that Dirk had no chance to act rashly.

At the same time, Ezekiel Sawyer also knew about Dirk Carter's past role in Helios County, so he kept a close watch on matters over there, using Bohdan Sherwood's visit as a pretext to meticulously check the vehicles on highways and corridors, with all cars from Helios County undergoing strict scrutiny.

What he did not anticipate was that, over the past few days, Caleb Ford and Cosimo Griffin's men had disguised themselves in various identities and quietly infiltrated Veridia City.

Some as tourists.

Some as businesspeople.

And some even mingled in under the guise of workers.

Like this, without anyone noticing, Dirk Carter gathered a certain number of people.

This was also the reason why the "Self-capture" plan succeeded.

Having obtained evidence of Ezekiel Sawyer's "rebellion," the next step was to deal with Bohdan Sherwood.

Just as Dirk Carter and Caleb Ford were hurriedly heading towards the auditorium.

The storage room door suddenly clanged open.

A familiar face walked in.

It was none other than Dirk Carter's secretary, Alaric Pace.

Upon seeing Ezekiel Sawyer and his subordinates handcuffed to the iron frame, a trace of contempt flashed in his eyes.

"Useless."

Alaric Pace muttered to Ezekiel Sawyer and his subordinates.

Then, with a wave of his hand, a few people came in and began to unbind Ezekiel and the others.

To such insults, Ezekiel Sawyer had no retort. Instead, a look of apology appeared on his face.

Very soon.

Everyone was unbound.

Ezekiel Sawyer respectfully approached Alaric Pace and asked, "What's the directive from above?"

Alaric sneered and said, "What instructions can there be? If it weren't for your stupidity, we could have waited to act when Bohdan Sherwood checked into the hotel. Now that we've been exposed, let's advance the plan..."

A look of malice flashed in Ezekiel Sawyer's eyes.

He said to Alaric Pace, "Please inform the higher-ups that this time, I, Ezekiel Sawyer, definitely won't make another mistake."

Alaric Pace left expressionless.

Cold sweat broke out on Ezekiel Sawyer's back.

Even Dirk Carter thought Alaric Pace was just an "eye" that Ezekiel Sawyer had placed.

It was only now they realized Alaric was the mastermind the Houseman Family had placed in Veridia City to direct the entire operation.

It's undeniable; Jethro Houseman's thinking isn't something ordinary people can fathom.

Inside the auditorium.

State Committee Secretary Gregory Bates was passionately delivering a speech, and the hundreds present were listening attentively, scribbling notes in their notebooks...

At this moment, the doors slammed open with a loud bang.

The noise was loud.

It interrupted Gregory Bates' speech and startled everyone present.

Dirk Carter swaggered in.

There were two special agents at the door, and their first reaction was to move forward and control him upon spotting someone barging in.

However, behind Dirk Carter, a dozen individuals donning black jackets suddenly appeared. While they were all dressed alike, their hairstyles and demeanor were starkly different, and some even had visible tattoos on their necks.

This implied that these individuals were certainly not from within the system.

Upon entering, each group of three faced off against one special agent.

With a clear advantage in numbers, the two special agents were swiftly subdued.

"Dirk Carter! What are you doing?"

Sitting in the front row, Jamal Palmer, upon seeing Dirk Carter appear again, was so frightened that his pores opened and he immediately stood up.

"Sit down!"

Dirk Carter commanded Jamal Palmer with a malicious look and a firm tone.

Jamal Palmer was intimidated by the expression.

In that moment, he didn't know whether to remain standing or to sit down.

"Comrade Dirk Carter, are you rebelling?"

At the podium, Gregory Bates, seeing Dirk Carter's increasingly outrageous actions, was also filled with anger.

"Close the doors."

Dirk Carter ignored his words.

He turned to Caleb Ford and gave the order.

Caleb Ford nodded.

In the entire auditorium, there were four security passageways. The banging sounds echoed as all four doors were shut and locked from the inside.

This scene caused a stir within the auditorium.

Those who were unaware began to feel a sense of unease spreading.

Firstly, the group Dirk Carter brought along didn't seem right, with a bit of a hooligan vibe.

Secondly, wasn't Dirk Carter supposed to have been detained already? Why was he back in the auditorium?

The last point, and the most crucial one.

Dirk Carter seemed to have no regard for the City Committee Secretary or the State Committee Secretary.

Once all four doors were closed.

Someone in the audience couldn't hold back any longer.

Whispered conversations turned into clamorous noise, and some even stood up from their seats, shouting and cursing at Dirk Carter, plunging the previously serene meeting into chaos.

Bam!

A sharp and loud gunshot echoed within the auditorium.

The gunshot quickly suppressed the cacophony.

Those who looked indignant were suddenly silenced upon seeing the gun in Dirk Carter's hand, gulping down their fear and sitting quietly.

Looking at Jamal Palmer, he was likely the most cowardly among them.

The moment the gun went off, he hid beneath the front row table out of fright.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, he sheepishly emerged again.

Likewise, Gregory Bates was white as a sheet; if he hadn't been supporting himself on the podium, he might have already collapsed to the floor.

In contrast to these people's terror.

Bohdan Sherwood was the calmest one.

From the time Dirk Carter entered to him firing the gun, his expression hadn't shown a trace of surprise.

No wonder he had experienced major scenarios.

Even in such a situation, he could remain composed.

"Com...Comrade Dirk Carter, what exactly...what are you doing? You even...even brought a gun..."

Gregory Bates scolded through the microphone.

But his voice was trembling.

The last part of the sentence seemed stuck in his throat.

Dirk Carter still ignored him.

He strode directly to the stage.

As Dirk Carter, gun in hand, approached, Gregory Bates retreated again and again, vacating the podium.

However, Dirk Carter's target was not him.

But Bohdan Sherwood.

Several leaders from The State Council, upon seeing this, stood up in unison, attempting to block Dirk.

Unexpectedly, Bohdan Sherwood waved them aside and also stood, facing Dirk directly.

Dirk Carter took out the previously hidden recording device from his pocket.

He directly handed it to Bohdan Sherwood.

Bohdan Sherwood took it, squinting with some suspicion and asked, "What is this?"

"Committee Member, could you please have someone play it?"

Dirk Carter said.

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