The Exorcism Began in America.

Just behind Julia, a finely dressed old man smiled upon hearing this.

"Julia, the planned doomsday safe zone can't accommodate so many people. There are always some who need to be eliminated!"

After giving it some thought, Julia looked at the crowd not far away with a hint of a smile in her eyes and nodded in affirmation.

"I think you are quite right, Mr. Smith!"

The faces of other passing legislators also revealed similar smiles.

They looked at the protesting crowd with a hint of mockery, as if they were watching a bunch of clowns.

...

In Augusta, the capital of Maine, within the uniquely designed legislative building.

Legislator Bower was standing before the crowd, his face flushed with anger, his eyes filled with a mix of indignation and incomprehension.

If it hadn't been for these people disagreeing with his proposal, things would never have escalated to this extent.

"Fellow legislators, we are running out of time!" he declared.

"The people of Maine are under the Bizarre threat. Right now, a nuclear strike is the most effective measure! If you agree, we can immediately curb the Bizarre's advance!"

Legislator Bower's voice was decisive, filled with hatred for the Bizarre.

Unfortunately, the more than one hundred legislators before him clearly had their own ideas.

In response to his passionate plea, some of them didn't even bother to lift an eyelid.

The old man sitting in the Speaker's chair, seeing that no one else wished to speak, had no choice but to speak himself.

"Legislator Bower, please calm down. We understand and sympathize with you deeply regarding your child being slaughtered by the Bizarre, and we regret it as well. But please, don't let your emotions get the better of you! Regarding the use of nuclear weapons, we must follow the opinion of the people of Maine."

The Speaker's words seemed to give the others an excuse, and another person immediately added, "Exactly! The impact of the last nuclear bomb on the public was huge; I believe everyone witnessed it firsthand. If it happens again, our opinions will count for nothing. The people of Maine will surely riot!"

"That's right. Our main task right now is to ensure societal stability."

"Yes... yes!"

"..."

The chorus of agreement made Legislator Bower's eyes widen. He looked around incredulously, wondering if God was playing a joke on him.

The Bizarre's tentacles have already appeared in the districts of Augusta, and these damned people are still talking about worrying for the people of Maine?

"You bastards!" he roared. "If we wait any longer, there won't be any people left in Maine!"

Already consumed by grief, Legislator Bower completely lost his composure, pointing at those around him and berating them furiously.

If these bastards had agreed to his proposal from the start, none of this would have happened, and his child wouldn't have died!

"Legislator Bower, please watch your language!" the Speaker on the platform said with a dissatisfied frown.

He then signaled to someone at his side.

The Deputy Speaker nodded and descended with a few staff members, intending to restrain this "Madman Bower" before he could say anything more inappropriate.

The faces of the other legislators who had been insulted darkened simultaneously, and they cast hostile glances at the seemingly crazed Bower.

At their level, they might not care much about verbal abuse from common people; a smile could often smooth things over to maintain their public image. But to be insulted like this by a peer was something they found hard to tolerate. They were no strangers to brawls in the assembly, having participated in their share. If not for the thought that Bower, acting like a wounded animal, had just lost his child and that attacking him now could tarnish their own reputations, they wouldn't have minded ganging up to teach this idiot a lesson.

"Let me go! Let go of me, now!"

Bower struggled fiercely under the restraint of several burly men. The nuclear option absolutely cannot be abandoned; it's Maine's only chance!

"Legislator Bower, you should go home and rest," the Speaker said from the platform in a placating tone. "The State Government has already sent a request to Mr. Chu Feng in New York regarding the Bizarre. We believe he will arrive soon to resolve the issue." He then nodded at the two men beside Bower and withdrew his gaze.

Acting on the Speaker's signal, the two burly men forcefully dragged Legislator Bower towards the exit.

Watching this unusual scene, occasional snickers could be heard from the nearby legislators' seats, clearly ridiculing Bower's current pathetic state.

"You can't do this! A nuclear weapon is the right choice right now! If we wait any longer, it'll be too late..." Bower roared, struggling in the grasp of the two burly men.

Even after the doors were completely closed, his shouts could still be faintly heard by everyone inside.

Many were silently sneering:

What an idiot, still thinking about using a nuclear weapon at this point? The foolish public won't always remember the *reason* for using it. They'll only know that calling an Exorcist is an option. Once this Bizarre crisis is over, if another nuclear weapon is used in the interim, at least half of us here will lose our current positions!

Once Legislator Bower's voice had completely faded, everyone in the assembly hall gradually returned to their usual demeanor. They eagerly rubbed their hands together for the next proposal to be tabled, preparing for another heated, spittle-flying debate.

After all, the reconstruction efforts after an Exorcist completed an Exorcism represented a rather lucrative endeavor.

However, none of them noticed that in a corner of the legislators' seating area, a woman with a full head of golden hair was surveying the crowd, a sinister smile playing on her lips.

...

"Chu Feng, it's confirmed! Our instincts were right; the light in the sky has indeed turned a shade redder," Taran said, handing a document to Chu Feng. He then sat on the sofa, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it casually.

Chu Feng took the document. Looking at the various jumbled figures on it, he immediately felt a headache coming on.

"Okay, as long as the result is confirmed, that's enough!" Chu Feng said, closing the document with a shake of his head and gazing out the window.

Changes like this don't just happen without reason, especially considering the celestial anomaly he had personally witnessed last night. He just wondered what kind of trouble this change would stir up next.

BUZZ... BUZZ... BUZZ...

The sudden ringing of a phone shattered their thoughts.

"It's Debbie!" Taran exclaimed, looking at his phone, his eyes tinged with confusion.

She should know where I am and wouldn't disturb me without a good reason.

With a swipe of his finger, the puzzled Taran answered the call.

"Manager Taran, you need to come back quickly! The number of Bizarre in New York City has suddenly surged. We don't have enough Exorcists stationed in New York to handle the situation!"

The voice from the phone made both Taran and Chu Feng freeze for a moment, then they exchanged a startled glance.