Past Life Returner
chapter-401

"Why John Doe? Because he is a symbol of capitalism along with Jonathan Hunter. I want to talk about how the government has modified over thirty-four laws just to hide John Doe.”

Every time he switched channels, various voices came out.

Why now…

The President of the United States frowned with discomfort.

"If you don’t take any action, the worst-case scenario will become a reality. We are 99.9999%! The probability that you are with us is 99.9999% as well!”

"The government only gives us numbers, and just looking at those numbers makes us think that our economy is actually growing. However, why is it not the case for those around me? My family and neighbors are still suffering in all aspects, such as jobs and taxes. It is so hard to see them in pain. Hasn’t our world become better by repelling alien invasions?”

"People think that our system avoided collapse because of ‘Stage of Advent Defenders’ like Jonathan and Gillian Investment Finance Group, but they have only indulged in greed as they have always done. They monopolized information and made investments so that they wouldn’t lose anything. There is evidence everywhere that they knew about the alien invasion in advance and prepared alternatives before the Day of Advent. They didn’t defend the Day of Advent. They took advantage of it.”

"What many people are not aware of is that the New York Stock Exchange is not a national institution. It is owned by Jonathan Investment Finance Group, so who would own the Federal Reserve Bank? Why do you think the board members of the Federal Reserve Bank are filled with people from the Jonathan Group?”

"It’s not right. Protesting is our duty. Join us!”

"I guess I have to talk about numbers again. A society is deformed just by the top twenty percent of the rich occupying ninety percent of total wealth. But do you know this? Even among the top twenty percent, a few people like Jonathan Hunter and John Doe hold seventy percent of the wealth. The calculation is pretty simple. A few people hold more than sixty percent of the world’s total wealth. Just a few! Even a kid would know that this is wrong.”

"It was the Awakened who saved human civilization, not them. They were betting on humanity’s crisis!”

"There is something bigger. Look at how the World Awakened Association was integrated into the capitalist world. Why have they, who once crawled out of hell, become such obedient followers and only move by the rules of capital? The King of Hell. Jonathan Hunter. John Doe… They hold power beyond our imagination.”

"Police oppressed the public, and friends were arrested. I spent many nights awake on the streets. The reason I can tolerate this is that the future of our children depends on us.”

"If they acted as ‘Defenders of the Day of Advent’ for justice, now is the time to show a new justice. Bring justice to the world, Jonathan Hunter! Reveal yourselves, John Doe, and the leaders of Gillian Group! We are not your slaves!”

"The occupation will continue! Gather around, people! We will never be defeated! Always! Forever! We will definitely occupy Wall Street!”

"John Doe! John Doe! John Doe! Reveal yourself, John Doe!”

The louder the voices calling for John Doe grew, the more pressured the President of the United States felt. The protest wasn’t going to end within a day or two. His aides also stated that it would be much bigger and prolonged than the previous ones.

Unlike the past, which had been initially sparked by discontent with the government’s economic policies, this particular protest was triggered by the revelation of John Doe’s vast financial influence. The mere disclosure of the information instilled fear in the general public. They were overwhelmed with dread that they had to walk out on the streets, protesting.

In fact, there were signs. After the shock of the Day of Advent was settled, companies began to reveal their changed shareholder registries. When the total was tallied, 22.3 percent of the world’s total shares were in Jonathan Group alone, and the top ten groups combined held a staggering 62.1 percent.

If the scope was limited to the United States, then their control rate would have been much higher.

Meanwhile, the world had found stability after the alien invasion, and the once-fearsome monsters were now mere contents to be consumed. The stories of how Awakened were making a fortune and living as luxuriously as royalty caused a sense of deprivation among the general public.

The tension had subsided, so the void was filled with fear and deprivation, fueled by anxiety. The Day of Advent, which could have led to the extinction of humanity, was soon forgotten by the public.

So why not!

However, his real concern was with the opportunists trying to take advantage of the situation and the fact that his core supporters, the farmers in the Farm Belt, were supporting the protestors.

He turned off the television, then picked up the newspaper on his desk, only to throw it on the floor in frustration.

「Jonathan Hunter and John Doe’s Financial Empire Even Reached the Farm Belt… Twenty-Two Confirmed Corporations.」

That was undoubtedly the work of the cunning Democratic Party.

Opportunistic bastards.

They had deliberately leaked the information that even the vast lands of the Farm Belt were under the Jonathan Group’s possession.

The off-year election was not far off. The economic indicators had been improving since China’s suppression, so he was looking forward to it. Moreover, new markets had opened up for the Awakened!

Nonetheless, if the situation persisted, he couldn’t dispel his anxiety about the possibility of losing both the House of Representatives and the Senate to the Democrats. If such an outcome were to occur, then the power of the presidency would be rendered meaningless. The club would look for a new alternative other than him.

As his worries deepened, someone knocked on the door. One of the opportunists came, right on time. The president quickly picked up the newspaper he had thrown and hid it in a drawer.

"I have been waiting for you, Mr. DeColes.”

The assemblyman was a fellow Republican who led a major faction in the House. He could be considered a comrade.

However, the president could sense that the meeting was going to be uncomfortable as the assemblyman had entered with an awkward expression.

In the end, the assemblyman’s lengthy statement was the same as others that the president needed to make a decision quickly to win in the upcoming election. And the decision was…

「Special Investigation Hearing Plan (John Doe)」

The document was thin. Nevertheless, when it was placed on the desk, it sounded like thunder to the president. Although he remained expressionless, he was screaming inside.

You will pass out once you realize his identity. How dare you!

***

It was infuriating.

"You have to at least make a show of it, Mr. President. Who is John Doe?”

He grumbled, “I’d like to ask that myself. Isn't this the work of Obama and the rest of you?”

“...It’s unfortunate that we have come this far, but now is not the time to worry about Wall Street. You have done enough, Mr. President.”

The president burst out in anger, unable to contain his emotions any longer.

"You say it so easily! I cannot agree to this hearing! Never!”

The decision to hold or not hold the hearing rested with the Republican Party, which held the majority in the House. The president now realized that the party leaders had decided to proceed with the hearing.

Damn it.

The old lady who was once fully supported by the Democratic Party had lost not only to him but also the interest of the club. She was in a position to know the existence of the club, and a few high-ranking Republican officials were aware of it as well.

However, that was it. Those in a lower rank, who could only guess the presence of the club, were only focused on the upcoming election.

He vehemently insisted, “If the party turns their back on me, I will do the same, sir. Don’t forget that I can also put up a fight. I’m going to say this again, but I do not agree with the hearing. I have made my stance clear!”

"I will be back again, Mr. President. Please take a close look into the documents.”

The president called his chief aide over with a clear directive. He needed to select individuals who would align with him regardless of their political party.

The two moved to the chief aide’s office. They listed the names of House members on a large screen board and checked them one by one. Suddenly, the chief aide whispered, “...It is difficult right now to find supporters. What about asking for cooperation from the club members?”

It was an unwritten law. Unless the person was at the venue where the club conference was held, they shouldn’t have mentioned its name.

The U.S. President narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

If that happens, then they will be questioning my qualifications.

A strong impulse had hit him. He actually wanted to tell the club’s secrets to the chief aide and his position within the club as well. The club had such a vertical hierarchical structure. He had to consistently prove his qualifications to remain in the club even after the end of the presidential term.

The former president’s failure to do so had resulted in a miserable life after retirement.

I can’t believe he is into extreme sports at that age. That must be the only way to suppress his desires.

The president didn’t want to experience the same fate as the former president.

He suddenly said, “Let my wife know that I won’t be able to come home for a few days.”

That night, the U.S. President was nervously biting his dry lips. He reviewed the hearing plan while threatening and convincing House members, and he found that some parts were excessively detailed, contrary to the claim that he had to at least put on a show.

The hearing wasn’t just about the scale of John Doe’s assets. It was a place he would be questioned about his past when he had accumulated such wealth and the detailed process of protecting the world on the Day of Advent. Employees of the Jonathan Group were scheduled to take the witness stand.

These crazy motherfuckers. Are they trying to blow up the entire world?

Many people wanted to raise their value through this opportunity without realizing exactly whose pocket their election expenses had come from…

The president shifted his gaze toward the whiteboard. He was still five seats short of stopping the hearing, but he had finally reached a point where he could catch up.

Wait…were the windows open before?

A gust of wind blew from behind. Ever since the chief aide and his team had started running around, the president was alone in the office. It was supposed to be empty, except for him.

Yet, he felt a heavy presence from his back along with the wind’s intrusion. His heart quivered. He didn’t know how they passed the security, but there was no doubt that a group of unregistered Awakened had come together. If not that, then the club might have sent killers.

Frightening thoughts crossed his mind. Since he was well aware of his failure to get rid of the protest and the hearing, he moved quite slowly to check behind him.

However, there was only one person. The force emanating from that person was so powerful that the president had originally thought there was a group of Awakened intruders.

After he recognized the Awakened’s face, he hurriedly lowered his head with widened eyes. Although it wasn’t actually him, he needed to treat him as if he was John Doe as this guy was entrusted with full authority.

“...The King of Hell