Chapter 329: The Geneva Gambit

Words : 1817 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 329: The Geneva GambitThe revelation hung in the air like a physical weight. Dr. Zimmermann’s words—"your candidacy to overthrow the current World President"—had stripped away the last pretense of diplomatic normalcy. Now, as I looked around the circular table at the assembled world leaders, I could see the battle lines being drawn in real time. "Before we proceed," Dr. Zimmermann continued, his earlier nervousness replaced by clinical precision, "let me clarify the current situation. The World President position is not merely symbolic or ceremonial. It is a legitimate governmental role, established through international treaty, with actual authority over global resource allocation, international security protocols, and crisis management." My mind reeled. I’d known about the World President’s existence, but I’d assumed it was some kind of shadow position, a behind-the-scenes coordinator. The idea that it was an actual job that can have a rank attributed to it, with real governmental authority, changed everything about this meeting. "The current World President," Dr. Zimmermann said, "has held the position for twenty eight years. During that time, global conflicts have decreased by forty percent, international trade has stabilized, and several potential extinction-level events have been successfully managed." President Kara Valeska of Poland leaned forward, her sharp features set in an expression of concern. "Which is precisely why this meeting is so troubling. We’re discussing the overthrow of a legitimately appointed leader who has demonstrably improved global stability." A murmur of agreement rippled through roughly half the assembled leaders. I could see the division taking shape—those who supported the status quo versus those who believed change was necessary. "Legitimately appointed by whom?" challenged Samuel Osei, his earlier jovial demeanor replaced by something more serious. "The World President was selected through via his job on the System, not a single one of us as voted for his position, we simply accepted it." "The process was agreed upon by all participating nations," countered Chancellor Erik Volkov of Germany, his voice carrying the weight of economic authority. "The World President has delivered results. Why would we destabilize a system that works?" Prime Minister MacLeod raised his hand slightly. "Because the system works for some while failing others. Mr. Reynard’s broadcast didn’t create global unrest—it revealed unrest that already existed. People are demanding accountability, transparency, and representation they’re not getting." I could feel the room’s energy shifting, battle lines hardening. My Corruption Identification skill was giving me flashes of insight—nothing concrete, but enough to sense that several leaders were hiding their true motivations. The problem was that at Level 3, the skill wasn’t powerful enough to give me specific information about what those hidden motivations might be. "The question," said President Sarah Chen of South Korea, her voice carefully neutral, "is whether Mr. Reynard is actually qualified for the position he’s seeking. What we know about his abilities is impressive but incomplete." Here it was...the moment I’d been dreading. I activated my Persuasive Argumentation skill, feeling it settle into my mind like a familiar tool. "You’re right that my qualifications are different from traditional political experience," I said, standing up again. The movement felt natural, necessary for what I was about to attempt. "But traditional political experience has given us a system where billions of people have no voice in decisions that affect their daily lives." My skill was working, but I could feel resistance from several quarters. These weren’t ordinary people—many of them had abilities that made them naturally resistant to persuasion. "I have seven jobs with the possibility of getting more," I continued, "each providing me with skills and perspectives that complement each other. More importantly, I have direct experience with the challenges facing ordinary people and those of higher classes. I’ve lived in every world, worked their jobs, faced their struggles." "Skills," interrupted Liang Mei of China, her voice carrying a subtle electronic quality that made my skin crawl. "Our analysis suggests the number is extremely. How many skills do you actually have, Mr. Reynard?" I felt my pulse quicken. This was dangerous territory. "I have the skills I need to understand the problems facing humanity and the skills to address them." "That’s not an answer," pressed Mateo Alvarez of Spain, his cheerful demeanor not quite masking the steel beneath. "If we’re considering you for the highest position in global governance, shouldn’t we know exactly what you’re capable of?" My Psychological Insightskill flared. Alvarez wasn’t just asking out of curiosity—he was probing for information that could be used against me. "What I’m capable of," I said, letting my voice carry more authority, "is listening to people who have been ignored, understanding problems that have been dismissed, and finding solutions that work for everyone instead of just the privileged few." President Maria Santos of Brazil nodded approvingly. "The environmental crisis alone requires someone who can think beyond national boundaries, beyond short-term economic interests. The current World President has made some progress, but not nearly enough." "The current World President has prevented three potential wars and managed two global economic crises," Valeska shot back. "Stability has value, even if it’s not perfect." I could see the room dividing more clearly now. About half the leaders seemed committed to maintaining the current system, viewing the World President’s performance as sufficient justification for continuity. About a third were genuinely considering me as an alternative, drawn by the possibility of change and the unique nature of my abilities. The remainder were watching, waiting, evaluating. "The question of stability," I said, my Persuasive Argumentation skill guiding my words, "assumes that the current system is actually stable. But stability that requires constant suppression of dissent, constant manipulation of information, and constant disregard for the wishes of the governed isn’t really stability—it’s pressure waiting to explode." Prime Minister David Kim of Australia leaned back in his chair. "You’re asking us to gamble global security on an untested candidate with unknown abilities and no experience in international governance." "I’m asking you to consider that the current system’s failures might outweigh its successes," I replied. "That the expertise needed to govern a changing world might be different from the expertise that created our current problems." The debate continued for what felt like hours. Arguments flew back and forth across the table, each leader revealing more of their true position with every exchange. I used my skills when I could, but the resistance was significant. These people were too experienced, too skilled in their own right, to be easily swayed by a level 5 Persuasive Argumentation. What troubled me most was the growing realization that I didn’t actually know who the current World President was. The way they spoke about him—and it was clear from the pronouns that it was a him, though I already knew this—suggested someone with significant abilities and a track record of success. But his identity remained a mystery to me, and I couldn’t risk revealing that ignorance. "The fundamental issue," said Nikita Rostov of Belarus, speaking for the first time, "is trust. We’re being asked to trust someone we don’t fully understand to replace someone whose performance we can measure." His words carried weight that went beyond their surface meaning. This was a man who could read tactical situations with supernatural precision, and his assessment of the room’s dynamics was probably far more accurate than mine. "Trust has to be earned," I agreed. "But so does the right to govern. The current World President may have a track record, but that track record was built on secrecy, on denying people the right to participate in their own governance." "Democracy is inefficient," stated Volkov bluntly. "Global challenges require decisive action, not committee discussions and popular opinion polls." "Democracy is inefficient," I countered, "but it’s also the only system that acknowledges the basic human right to self-determination. Efficiency means nothing if it comes at the cost of freedom." The tension in the room was reaching a breaking point. I could see alliances forming and dissolving, could sense the careful calculations being made by leaders who were trying to determine which side offered the best advantage for their own nations. Then, without warning, the air in the room seemed to shimmer. I felt it first as a familiar tingling sensation, the same feeling I’d experienced countless times before when the System was about to deliver a notification. But this time, it wasn’t just affecting me—I could see the same recognition dawning on faces around the table. The shimmer intensified, and suddenly, hanging in the air in front of my face, the System opened and words appeared in the distinctive blue text that I knew so well: -------- EVENT QUEST: THE GENEVA GAMBIT A critical moment in global governance has arrived. World leaders must choose the path forward for humanity. Various objectives have been assigned based on individual roles and capabilities. OBJECTIVES: 1. Secure majority support from world leaders during the final vote 2. Expose government experiments conducted in secret 3. Disprove all accusations made against you REWARDS: - Leading candidate status for World President position - Military and economic assistance from supporting nations - ??? Time Limit: 8 hours Failure Consequences: Permanent loss of candidacy eligibility -------- The notification hung there for perhaps ten seconds, long enough for everyone to read it, before the System automatically closed, though the information was still accessible. In the silence that followed, I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat, could feel the weight of every pair of eyes in the room as they processed what had just happened. It had been months since I’d seen an Event Quest. The implications were staggering, not only will people be much more intense due to them representing a country, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for people to become better. They could rank up to S-Rank or even get their skills to level 10. Dr. Zimmermann was the first to recover, his academic composure cracking slightly as he stared at the space where the notification had been. "Well," he said, his voice carrying a mixture of amazement and concern, "isn’t this something." The room erupted into whispered conversations as leaders turned to their aides, their expressions ranging from fascination to alarm. I could see several of them trying to access their own notifications, presumably to see what objectives they’d been given. Samuel Osei was grinning again, but this time there was something almost predatory in his expression. "It seems," he said, his voice carrying clearly through the chaos, "that we’re no longer just dealing with international politics. We now all have personal motivations too." President Chen was studying me with new intensity, her information broker instincts clearly engaged. "Mr. Reynard," she said, "I think we need to have a very different conversation than the one we were having five minutes ago." Despite the intensity of the situation, I felt more confident than ever. I still had secret weapons in play.

Chapter 329: The Geneva Gambit

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