Amidst the gaze of the crowd, the President pondered for a moment and then spoke:
"Since it's our first weapon from Tanzania,"
"I shall name it 'Guardian'!"
"I hope it can protect our country's security!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a warm applause, marking the successful conclusion of today's observation event!
After a while, the officials began to leave in their cars.
Watching everyone leave, Kikuete couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. From the overall response, today's observation event seemed to have been quite successful!
"Now, the appointment letter should come soon, right?"
As this thought crossed his mind, Kikuete inexplicably turned his head to the side and saw a middle-aged white man gazing at him. Meeting the man's gaze, he nodded slightly and then quickly walked away.
"Davis..."
Kikuete furrowed his brow and softly muttered a name.
Kikuete had heard about this Davis. He was a retired major from the United States Marine Corps and now a senior advisor to the Tanzanian Ministry of Defense, closely associated with General Baduke.
In the Tanzanian high-level circles, the President hardly showed any bias, but he had a favorable view of Huaxia. This was also the main reason Kikuete could go to Huaxia for further studies, and the same went for the General. Among the three deputy ministers of the military, Baduke was close to the Americans, Lokaha was close to the Soviets, and the third, named Keilin, didn't seem to have any particular inclination and followed the lead of the President and the General.
The thought flashed by, and Kikuete didn't dwell on it further. Today, he and General Baduke had a rather unpleasant encounter, almost bringing past conflicts to the surface. It was normal for Davis to be observing them.
However, what Kikuete didn't know was that Davis wasn't just a retired major; he also had another identity—employee of the CIA!
In the current international landscape, countries like Tanzania, which held moderate influence in the region, had long been infiltrated by American and Soviet intelligence agents. The US had the CIA, the Soviets had the KGB, and there were even rumors of the "Red House".
These spies carried out various tasks—whether influencing high-level decisions, directing preferences, or even if the high-level officials were obstinate, they didn't mind resorting to subversion!
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"Kikuete dares to humiliate me! I'll make him pay!"
As soon as he got back into his car, General Baduke couldn't help but growl. His face twisted with anger, and with heavy breaths, he saw a white man approaching. He then controlled his expression, opened the car door, and squeezed out a faint smile, inviting the man into the car.
"Mr. Davis?"
Seeing the newcomer, General Baduke managed to restrain his emotions, opening the car door and offering a smile to the approaching figure.
"You seem quite angry?"
"Worried that Kikuete will affect your power?"
With the closing of the car door, Davis, unreservedly, spoke his mind. Baduke, with little patience, retorted,
"And what if?"
To this, Davis smiled and said,
"You don't need to worry too much. If Kikuete can, then so can you."
"I've spent many years in the Marine Corps and still have some friends there, be it weapon companies like Colt or merchants who handle surplus weapons for the Pentagon."
"Whether it's finished weapons or various parts, I can manage..."
Hearing this, Baduke's face lit up with joy. He nodded and said,
"If that's the case, then I'll trouble you, Mr. Davis!"
As soon as Baduke finished speaking, Davis extended his right hand, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together, saying,
"But, you know, those damn capitalists and brokers only care about green dollars."
"So..."
Before Davis could finish, Baduke waved his hand, saying,
"Three million dollars, you handle the operation."
"After it's done, one million belongs to you!"
The number seemed to satisfy Davis, who smiled and nodded before leaving. Then, Baduke's car rumbled away.
In the afternoon, news about "domestic weapons" and "Kikuete" had spread like wildfire in the Tanzanian capital's official circles and even among the people. It was clear that Kikuete had started to build his momentum!
In the city of Dodoma, in a basement of a market, four people sat around a table. A middle-aged man with a distinct North African appearance spoke up:
"Kikuete has big ambitions! Behind him, it's likely Huaxia."
"According to his plan, with Huaxia's support, Tanzania's arms imports will decrease, leading to a significant reduction in our arms sales, which doesn't align with the Kremlin's interests."
"So, I've decided to persuade General Lokaha to take action."
"Prepare for retreat!"
He said, without waiting for the others' reaction, and left the basement, disappearing into the bustling crowd.
A while later, at General Lokaha's residence.
The middle-aged man, who had just left, walked in. He spoke bluntly:
"General, I believe we must do something."
"Otherwise, once Kikuete's arms factory develops, it will be too late!"
"And without money, our plan won't progress..."
Before the man could finish, General Lokaha lifted his head, his gaze sharp. He looked at him and said:
"So, what do you suggest we do?"
Under Lokaha's gaze, the man grinned cruelly and made a throat-slitting gesture, saying:
"To solve the problem, we must strike at the root!"
"Why don't we take advantage of Kikuete's visit to the arms factory and take action directly?"
"I'll lead the team. What do you think?"
Under Lokaha's scrutiny, the man remained silent for a long time before nodding and saying:
"Do it cleanly, and use that secret unit!"
Afterward, the man nodded and left, leaving General Lokaha alone in the living room, contemplating heavily.
At the same time, Davis returned to his mansion. He whispered to a male servant:
"I suspect that Huaxia is backing Kikuete!"
"Although Tanzania and Huaxia have had arms trades in the past, they were always conducted openly. This is a new method."
"If true, Huaxia's influence in the high-level and military systems will peak!"
"The President, the General, Kikuete, plus that Keilin."
"This is very unfavorable to us. Urgently send this news to the Pentagon and give my opinion. I hope we can deploy our hidden forces, raid the mortar factory, and assassinate Kikuete!"
Hearing Davis's instructions, the servant nodded and quickly left.