The Predator's Admission
I kill because I need to eat!
What a cruel truth. It's like how humans kill chickens, ducks, fish, and geese—it's also for food. The difference is that humans are not chickens, ducks, or fish.
Now, someone had linked them together.
The feelings a chicken experiences when it is slaughtered are the same feelings humans are now experiencing.
A chill emanated from the deepest parts of their souls. Facing the ugly Hector Hammond, everyone present felt the primal fear of a natural enemy, an instinctual dread, like prey facing a predator.
Even the reporters, ready to break a major story, put down their cameras, their faces etched with terror.
"I enjoy your fear."
Hector smiled. The greed in his eyes flashed and was immediately suppressed. "Don't worry, I'm mainly here for an interview today. I won't eat any of you."
People swallowed, instinctively backing away.
Hector smiled. "Any more questions?"
As he spoke, his snake-like eyes landed on the female reporter in the front. Seeing the wet stain on her skirt, he curled his lip in disgust and turned his gaze to others.
"Does anyone have a question? I promise I won't harm you."
Scott, the police captain in charge of the dry corpse case, stepped forward, about to speak. He was suddenly struck hard in the stomach. His body flew out instantly, knocking over several people before landing on the road, his fate unknown.
Hector pulled his hand back and said expressionlessly,
"I said only reporters are allowed to speak. Police... shut up."
"..."
This scene was destined to go down in history and become everyone's nightmare.
Facing the powerful, tyrannical, cruel, and cold-blooded Hector Hammond, what could the weak and powerless reporters do? It wasn't that they didn't want to resist, but the examples of the Captain and the Chief were right there. What was the point of resistance?
A middle-aged reporter cautiously stepped forward, his voice hoarse as he asked,
"Mr. Hammond, I just looked up your information and found that you were just an ordinary person before. H-how did you become like this?"
"That's a bit complicated."
Hector stroked his chin, thought for a few seconds, then shrugged. "I became strong after coming into contact with an alien."
"An alien?"
The reporter's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "What kind of alien? Where did you meet it?"
"What, do you want to become like me too?"
The question was loaded with killing intent. The reporter quickly shook his head, frantically explaining, "I don't! I... I'm just curious."
Hector sneered, pointed a finger, and the middle-aged reporter was lifted into the air and slammed hard onto the ground.
"That's your punishment. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask." He then looked at the others. "Any other questions?"
Everyone fell silent. They had a huge pile of questions in their minds, but no one dared to step forward to face the temperamental, big-headed monster.
After a minute, no one spoke. Hector suddenly became enraged.
"You disappoint me. A perfectly good press conference ruined by a bunch of cowards. You've angered me. You all deserve to die."
An invisible force surged behind him. The air writhed and twisted. The massive power spread outwards, causing the pavement to crack into large fissures under the pressure.
The police and FBI present disregarded everything else and quickly opened fire. The bullets traveled only a few meters before stopping. The air became unnaturally viscous, like a gelatinous substance.
Hector raised his hand and pushed down. A mountain of force assailed them from above. Unable to withstand it, everyone dropped to their knees one after another, even the physically strong FBI agents. Someone cried out in terror,
"Mr. Hammond, you promised you wouldn't harm us!"
Hector shook his head helplessly.
"I don't want to do this, but I'm truly hungry, and your fear is incredibly tempting."
Hector licked his lips. Yellow beams of light shot from his eyes. People hit by the beams immediately lost consciousness, and large swaths of yellow particles appeared on their fear-ridden bodies.
Hector opened his mouth and sucked in the yellow particles like a giant whale drawing water.
This scene was clearly captured by the cameras on their stands. Everyone in front of a television saw a sight they would never forget.
The people who lost the yellow particles quickly shrank. Their muscles vanished, their skin lost its color, becoming shriveled and sallow. In the blink of an eye, they transformed from normal people into corpses that looked hundreds of years old.
The White House Reacts
Half an hour later, in the Central Conference Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Presidential Assistant Jason Lowe walked to the screen and turned off the truly horrific video.
The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy, a stark contrast to its usual loudness.
President Joel Nash looked at the political "heavyweights" seated on both sides of the table, a flicker of undetectable mockery in his eyes. He signaled to his assistant, who spoke.
"This incident is extremely serious. Hector Hammond now threatens national security, perhaps even global security. He must be eliminated. What are your suggestions?"
Secretary of Defense Bruno Cantor said gravely,
"There is a Marine Corps detachment north of Coast City..." Before he could finish, he was interrupted by FBI Director Jack Harvey. "Using the Marine Corps domestically! You're trying to spark a civil conflict."
Bruno clenched his fist. "If we don't deploy the military, should we leave it to you?"
Jack Harvey replied without reservation, "This matter falls within the jurisdiction of the FBI. We must not only deal with Hector Hammond but also understand the reasons behind it."
"If I recall correctly, Hector was a member of A.R.G.U.S., and the alien corpse was also at an A.R.G.U.S. base. What happened in between? Why did Hector turn out like this? We must find out. I suspect someone is using him to stir up trouble."
Bruno's expression changed slightly. Vice President Dick Cheney said solemnly,
"Hector was a temporary contractor. He was hired for his identity as a cytology professor. We needed scientists like him to help study the alien corpse."
"But my understanding is different."
Attorney General Marshall Warren interjected, "There are hundreds of cytology professors in the United States, and many scientists more knowledgeable than him. Why did you hire a dangerous individual with a history of mental illness instead of a normal person? Was it just because his father is Senator Hammond?"
"I strongly suspect there are issues of nepotism and dereliction of duty involved."
The founders of A.R.G.U.S. frowned instantly. The situation was indeed developing in the direction they had predicted, but they had no good solution.
Nepotism? It certainly existed.
Dereliction of duty? That too.
In the past, these would have been minor issues that wouldn't cause a stir. Now it was different. Nepotism and dereliction of duty were like two sharp knives plunged into A.R.G.U.S.'s most vulnerable spot, leaving them speechless.
Marshall Warren turned to the President and said with extreme solemnity,
"I recommend a full-scale investigation of A.R.G.U.S. We must clarify the entire sequence of events."
At his words, the air instantly quieted. Everyone's gaze involuntarily turned to Joel Nash at the front of the table. Power was truly amusing: the seemingly domineering and lawless A.R.G.U.S. could potentially be undone by just one sentence.
Of course, to say that sentence, one needs not only ample preparation but also the right timing. After all, the United States is a society governed by law, isn't it?
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