[Chapter 542: The evidence is as strong as a mountain]
"Master, I think we know why Saddam has suddenly gone off the deep end."
"Let me think -- did he find out that Kuwait and the U.S. plan to team up against him?"
Tanner's expression was priceless. He couldn't figure out how his young master had guessed it; it seemed almost magical. For all anyone knew, Kuwait might not even be aware of it yet.
"Master, how did you figure that out?"
"It's simple; America wants that idiot to know, so he knows -- it's just that easy."
"I figured as much. The CIA head, William Webster, met with the Kuwaiti leader. There's no way someone like that could have left that meeting with notes."
"I think whatever they're talking about is bound to involve some conspiracy to undermine his economic and political stability."
"Ha, I don't know the specifics, but that seems to be the gist."
In just a few words, a massive conspiracy was laid bare. No joke; the CIA chief secretly plotting with Kuwait to let Saddam in on it? Such absurdity couldn't possibly exist.
...
"Barry, focus on the desert region. Prepare some top-notch teams. If something goes down, we need immediate follow-up."
Barry Diller looked utterly confused. He was aware of the tension in the desert area, but needing to prepare teams was a whole different ballgame.
"Mr. White, are you saying there might be another war?"
"Yeah, right now the chances are pretty high, extremely high. What I need you to send over are not entertainment reporters; I need war correspondents."
Getting called to Los Angeles was already strange enough. If there wasn't some major event, Barry wouldn't have believed it. He had been doing well for years, and even William White had treated him nicely.
Well, now that he understood the situation, it really wasn't appropriate to discuss this over the phone.
"Mr. White, is Saddam really about to lose it?"
"Let's put it this way: he's being driven crazy. If oil prices stay the same, it'll be tough for him to control the situation at home. Starving crowds will surely tear his regime apart."
"Man, Kuwait is naive, trying to rile up someone so powerful. They probably shouldn't have lent money in the first place. If they were having financial troubles, they could have just delayed things a bit. Sigh, this is probably going to turn into a long, drawn-out war."
Information truly shapes one's worldview. Little did Barry know, the one pushing too hard wasn't Kuwait at all. It had always been the CIA stirring the pot.
...
"Mr. President, we paid a heavy price for this information. Three operatives lost their lives."
"Bastards, are they nuts? The rise in oil prices doesn't only benefit me. How could they willingly play lapdog to the U.S.?"
"They really are bastards. Based on this, we identified a mole. Just now, those idiots have already confessed."
To say the CIA was foolish wouldn't really be fair. A handful of documents and tapes wouldn't convince Saddam.
To him, being subservient to the U.S. wasn't an issue as long as he benefited. He had done that plenty of times, merely trying to survive.
Kuwait's military power was barely a fraction of his. A little flattery towards the U.S. was just about survival.
But now the game had changed; that group had forgotten their beliefs and planned on taking him down.
After fighting for eight years and losing hundreds of thousands, they hadn't gained a single inch of land and were buried in debt. He couldn't be oblivious to the rising undercurrents at home. The situation was like dry tinder; even a spark could challenge his rule.
"Bring those idiots here. Tell them if they tell the truth, they'll just end up as lion food. But if they dare to lie, their entire family will end up as lion food."
"Yes, sir. I'll bring them right away."
A bunch of poor fools, used and unknowing. Sometimes you have to control your greed. Ha, the U.S. power isn't easy to borrow. Even if you do succeed, you won't gain any real authority.
...
A group of guys scheming in the desert didn't concern William White. He had no vested interests in that place and didn't care how many died. It seemed Kuwait was on the brink of collapse; he could get a piece of those overseas assets in the end.
"Sir, the dozen or so players you sent aren't good enough."
Hearing Ferguson's complaints, William White felt a bit annoyed. Of course they weren't! What soccer talent was there in the U.S.? These guys had been hard to come by.
"Ugh, Ferguson, do I not know their skills aren't up to par? The '94 World Cup in the U.S. being a laughingstock for the world wouldn't be good for the tournament. Don't worry about that; Galaxy Legends will cover these costs, and there'll be sponsorship money down the line."
"Alright, Mr. White, I'll do my best to give them opportunities. About those loans we spoke of, does the Legends team have any standards for players?"
"You definitely need to send some capable ones; it'd be best to send your assistant coach too. If they stand out, you can take them back anytime."
"Okay, it's a deal."
William White didn't have a good way to deal with this stubborn guy. He just wanted to see if the untamed Ferguson would turn out to be better than his previous self.
Despite the U.S. not excelling at soccer, they weren't short on Latino players. Talent was talent; there was no arguing about that, regardless of numbers.
China and India together accounted for almost half the world's population. Picking a team from within those numbers was no simple task.
...
"George, you handed me a hot potato; I'm really stressed out right now."
"Hey, why the rush? There are still four years to go. Somehow, we'll find a good way. By the way, I heard someone sent a big princess to negotiate. Why won't you budge?"
[T/N: Lee Boo-Jin, Samsung's Lee Kun-hee's daughter.]
"Too bland. I don't like it."
"Stop making excuses; it's really about being too scared to take a bite. Come on, just sweeten the deal and toss it back to them."
"I'm a person of high morals. How could I act so shameless?"
"Quit it; I hear that Australian sheep of yours has been locked up for a week. Ha! How's it tasting?"
"Familiarity doesn't mean I can joke about it. Watch out, or I'll sue you for defamation. I was just showing her how to act, nothing more sordid than that."
*****
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