[Chapter 595: The Perfect Timing]
"Sir, do you still have those respirators? There's a massive shortage of them here."
"How's the situation, Max?"
"There are dozens of injuries, damn, still our own people causing the explosions. If we hadn't had our planes overhead, there would have been dozens of casualties."
"Who the hell is coordinating this?"
"They can't handle it. The UK is in worse shape; an entire class has been wiped out, leaving only one man."
"Crap, only a few people have died. If we mistakenly hit too many, that would be truly embarrassing. I've resolved the issue with the respirators. We'll be urgently dispatching a batch, and the shipment should arrive shortly. Once I heard about the chaos, I quickly secured a load. If you have any surplus there, do me a favor."
"Alright, sir, the champagne and cigars are sparse; it's perfect for some barter."
And so a raucous war drew to a close. Inside the broadcasting hall, the faces of the experts looked grim.
Where's that lunatic's guard?
A group of fellas running like rabbits on the road clearly had no connection to the elite forces.
What happened to the promised tank battles, the M1 versus T72? Hell, the T72 couldn't even reach the M1.
You guys don't know the shooting range and still dare to pontificate?
Okay then, the experts got beaten by the Soviets. The T72 is fine, but it's a beggar's version. Weapon-exporting countries are all like that; what they sell is always a bit inferior.
The anticipated showdown is nowhere to be seen, and the bone pile has been ignored. According to Pentagon pressure, this part was easily brushed aside.
Over a hundred thousand dead, what a terrifying scene that is. Keep in mind, the US previously lost two wars without that many casualties.
Interestingly, the commander seems to have forgotten about these casualties too. He must be worried about the embarrassment. Over two hundred thousand prisoners, good grief, this is an internal battle. If it were overseas, four to five hundred thousand troops could easily be wiped out on the spot.
Forget about the commander for a second; such a loss for America would mean life as they knew it couldn't go on. If it continues, they would have to deploy heavy artillery.
...
[Chapter 596: The Calm Before the Storm]
During the tumultuous years of war, William White rarely ventured out, spending most of his time within the United States.
There was no choice; the anti-missile 747s were still under construction, and it was better to play it safe. Just look at the current desert regions -- missiles flying one way and interceptors buzzing around the other.
Flying around in a piece of metal at this time is definitely not the safest option.
Cowboys, by nature, are just not cut out to be pilots. The moment they spot anything on the radar, they jump straight to attack -- it's honestly a bit ridiculous.
"William, is your Jurassic Park delayed by a month?"
"I told you from the start that it would be better to hold off until the end of the year. Look at it -- both films are in the same boat; even Cameron is complaining."
"Can't you throw out a few more indicators? Didn't you already start production?"
"It's just a copy, George, just a copy. And do you really think I'm going to give those guys a chance?"
"Come on, I didn't see that coming. This is just the first one. You've unearthed a gold mine."
William White was in a bit of a quandary; aside from Jurassic Park, he also had The Lion King on his plate. It seemed that right through the end of the year, there would be no openings for IMAX theaters. He had promised to adjust things, and Lucas was quick to disappear. There's more than one Star Wars, after all; he had his hands full.
...
"Master, the situation in Sierra Leone is tense. We can't get diamonds anymore."
"Those guys are way too idle; it's only been a few days since they last ate. What's sparked the trouble this time?"
"Who knows? Africa is quite the enigma. There are many things that are just inexplicable."
"Tanner, we can't go back for now. What are you thinking?"
"master, that diamond, the Sierra Leone star, someone has proposed a trade. But..."
"But what? No need for the runaround." William White was a bit anxious; he'd been eyeing that diamond for a long time. Last he heard, it was up for auction in the States but got canceled for some reason that was never made clear.
"master, they need weapons."
"Tsk, that won't do. I have principles. Tell them they can trade in gold. By the way, go find Max and have him get two brokers; we won't get involved in this mess."
"Alright, master, but this trade probably isn't going to be simple."
"Yeah, I get that. I'll contact Max soon. The situation in the desert is settling down; sending a couple hundred guys over shouldn't be an issue."
"Okay, it shouldn't require that many, but let's be cautious. I've heard there are quite a few people interested in it."
"Ugh, now that the war has started, forget about diamonds here. Why can't these bastards just calm down for once?"
"Master, that continent is basically a quagmire now. The Soviets have pulled out, and the Pentagon seems uninterested. Now it's a free-for-all for influence from every nation."
"Ha! You forgot one thing -- the CIA is nothing but a stirrer. They can't stand to see anyone else thrive."
"Master, when are we heading back? While it's said that war brings a lot of benefits, we also need a place for those we can't deal with."
"Soon. Once things settle in the desert, we'll have some old scores to settle with Gaddafi. They should be feeling pretty cheerful lately, huh?"
"Indeed. They've drawn in a lot of tribal factions; the CIA folks are all backing down."
"Let them go wild."
...
Moussa Koussa was quite pleased of late; he discovered that as long as that pesky security company was out of the way, the CIA couldn't get a handle on them. It appeared that only businessmen could be the most unscrupulous players in this world.
Hmph, once I wrap up business here, I'm certainly going to have a word with you. What's up with the U.S.? You're just a slightly wealthier merchant.
They say you learn from your mistakes -- a lesson this guy under William White has learned the hard way -- yet he was back to being smug again.
...
He might look down on William White, but William wouldn't underestimate him. Gaddafi wasn't just some oaf; even after offending the U.S. so harshly, he had survived for quite a few years.
Saddam was clueless in diplomacy, but Gaddafi was no fool. In fact, outside of his troubled relationship with the U.S., he maintained decent ties with other countries. Even if a collapse were to happen, not everyone would speak ill of him.
Saddam could be strung up, but this guy cannot afford to be. If William White ever crossed the line, he would certainly run into trouble -- big trouble. Thus, William White needed to wait -- wait for the right opportunity.
...
On February 26th, Saddam unilaterally declared a ceasefire. This strange maneuver led to the immediate collapse of his forces. Having seen enough battles, there was nothing unusual about fighting while negotiating. But to just stand there and take a beating without responding? This guy might be starting a trend -- there certainly aren't many examples like it.
Saddam's move left the U.S. stunned. They were sure this war would be easy to win. The ease with which they could secure victory was completely unexpected.
Just a few days had passed, and what was once touted as an ironclad defense or a so-called elastic defense? Cough, whatever you called it.
They had promised to bleed the U.S. dry, hadn't they?
Instead, Iraq managed to bleed itself dry, losing hundreds of thousands of troops while inflicting minimal casualties on the enemy.
111 people -- that's all there was. The rest were just U.S. casualties from friendly fire.
Damn, in this war, the U.S. ended up killing dozens of its own, nearly half of what Saddam took out.
...
The Soviets were furious now. They understood very well that the U.S. was a nation prone to taking risks. The two wars following World War II were purely of their own making.
When a gamble fails, naturally, they need to lick their wounds. Now, with Saddam practically serving the U.S. a platter of troubles, it was more than just a headache for them.
The mentality of great powers tends to be pretty similar. If the Soviets had easily triumphed in Afghanistan, they certainly would have been eager to stretch their influence too.
Saddam's folly ended up costing both himself and the Soviets dearly. This was their divine intervention moment.
Coincidence or not, Gaddafi's departure marked the beginning of a swift decline for the Soviets. The speed was frankly astonishing.
The Soviets were done; the blacks had already come to realize that. The territory that once belonged to the Soviets in Africa crumbled almost overnight.
Without Soviet influence, the U.S. had little interest in that slice of Africa. Firstly, the distance was just too great; secondly, it was the Europeans' turf -- best not to poach on your subordinate's territory.
However, no one expected that the chaos in Africa would drag on for decades. The population lost to war and hunger is measured in the millions.
Ultimately, the regular folks realized that the continent was simply not suitable for them.
Thus, this latest great migration was more explosive than the slave ships of the last century. If things continue, Europe might just turn a darker shade within a century.
*****
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