"OK, we're allies. Honestly, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I already had people investigating. So far, I can confirm that Benjamin Arthur and Michael Banning are still alive, but…"
William paused, feigning hesitation and covering his forehead, which made the group, who had just received good news, feel uneasy.
Even Truman Bull, usually calm, felt his heart skip a beat. If Benjamin were truly gone, he would immediately assume the acting position, yet he wasn't prepared to take over in such a difficult time. Inside, he hoped more than anything that nothing had happened to Benjamin. "Please, Mr. Devonshire, I'm 71 years old, and I can still bear some tension. God will protect Benjamin. As long as he's alive, we can handle everything else."
"Don't misunderstand; Benjamin's fine, not seriously hurt either. My people checked the crash site of Marine One and found no sign of him or Banning being killed or injured. However, Secret Service head Lynn Jacob was confirmed dead. She was struck by helicopter debris during the crash and died from blood loss. My condolences."
As soon as William finished, a chorus of exclamations and curses filled the video call, with some even blaming William's team for arriving too late, suggesting Lynn Jacob might have survived otherwise.
William merely shrugged, looking solemn. He had indeed had the chance to save Lynn Jacob, but she wasn't his mother; her survival was of little consequence to him. He didn't even particularly care about Benjamin Arthur's fate—he prioritized those who could benefit him, like the English elite and the French leader, Kellner Bacon.
The Italian and German leaders were saved largely by chance—one in a cathedral, the other by Philip's side, rescued along the way by William. Otherwise, tomorrow might have seen two more nations in mourning. As for the heads of Maple Country and the Island Nation, William couldn't have cared less as he watched them get taken down by Barkawi.
So the Americans weren't entirely wrong in blaming William, but seeing them suffer such losses, he felt a certain schadenfreude. Their insults weren't aimed at his family, so he chose to ignore them.
Watching their agitated faces brought him a strange satisfaction.
"Quiet," Truman Bull sternly commanded, waiting for everyone to calm down. Seeing William's sorrowful expression, unwavering under the insults, some in the group felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, aside from William, they hadn't received any information about Benjamin or his party from the English government.
"I apologize on behalf of my colleagues, Mr. Devonshire. Please understand their grief over the loss of a friend and colleague."
Needing William's help, Truman Bull had no choice but to adopt a humble attitude. In the film, Truman's stance toward Amir Barkawi had shown his ruthlessness, bombing Barkawi without hesitation even if innocents might be nearby.
William took Truman's apology lightly, continuing with a look of grief. His words, however, put the others in an awkward position.
"It's all right. I understand your people's emotional outburst. However, we English gentlemen wouldn't lose our composure in such a manner. Let's put it behind us. I'm simply curious—why ask me for help and not the English government?"
This question put them in a difficult position. After learning of Benjamin's situation and gathering some intelligence, Truman and his colleagues had collectively concluded that the English couldn't be trusted. But how could they explain this to William?
After a few moments of silence, William, fully aware, narrowed his eyes and pointedly stated, "Or perhaps you haven't even asked the English government for help?"
This comment visibly unsettled everyone in the conference room.
Seeing this, William chuckled. "If that's the case, I must say you're a bit too arrogant. Don't forget, I'm also English."
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'll be logging off now. I'll let you know if I get any updates. Goodbye."
"Wait, William," Truman Bull quickly stopped him. "Perhaps we can exchange some information in return for your help finding Benjamin."
"Sorry, what did you say?" Truman's words left William momentarily stunned, though he had a good idea that they were talking about a bomb planted in his building.
But William had no intention of listening to this information. In fact, he would be thrilled if the Americans actually detonated it.
He didn't need the building entirely destroyed—just a blast within it would give him a reason to request a demolition permit from London officials. With some public theatrics, he might even secure additional policy benefits.
"Sorry, Mr. Devonshire, we'll discuss this later," Ray Munro interrupted Truman Bull and William directly, disregarding their ranks.
This interruption gave William some relief, though he put on a puzzled expression. "No, you must…"
Before he could finish, the video call was cut off. Thinking for a moment, William immediately asked his AI assistant, "Have the Americans set up their bombs?"
"Three have already been installed, and the last one is expected to be in place within fifteen minutes."
"Ha, it seems these guys are so eager to rescue Benjamin that they're prioritizing efficiency over secrecy. Then again, with the shopping mall likely empty and the streets deserted, plus the power outage in all of London, the American agents don't even have to hide. And their embassy is less than a two-minute walk from my four buildings, so efficiency is hardly surprising."
Having figured it out, William asked again, "What's the blast potential?"
"Based on the observed bomb sizes, it should have no trouble demolishing a regular wall. However, in one of the buildings, a bomb was installed on a load-bearing wall. If it detonates, given the building's age, there's approximately a 47% chance of it collapsing."
"Then deploy some spider robots to help it along. I'd rather avoid the cost of hiring someone to demolish the building," William murmured darkly. "Have you pinpointed who has the detonator?"
"Yes, sir. A group of more powerful self-destructing spider robots has already been deployed. They'll arrive in about three minutes. The person holding the detonator is sitting in a car roughly a hundred meters from Devonshire Square."
"Once the bombs are ready, take him out, and let the spider robots press the detonator. Then trigger the car's gas tank to erase any evidence. Any issues?"
"No, sir. It's a simple task."
William was racing against time to trigger the bombs himself, preventing Ray Munro's plan from being called off by Truman Bull.
Meanwhile, ten minutes had unknowingly passed on the other end. Ray Munro, still trying to convince Truman Bull, suddenly saw one of his subordinates running toward him in a panic.
"Sir, our embassy in London has been hit by a suspected bomb attack."
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