[Chapter 641: The Friendship Boat Capsizes Suddenly]
It must be said that William White picked a really inconvenient time for this move, completely stressing Gaddafi out. The reason is simple; if it were just the United States, Gaddafi could manage it. After all, they had already burned bridges long ago, and it couldn't get much worse than it is now.
But the French jumping into the fray at this time is truly despicable. That flight 772 incident was from '89; now you're saying I have to take the blame too?
Come on, can we at least be reasonable here?
We've had a decent relationship, and you guys owe all your cheap oil to me! Let's not forget, you've also made a pretty penny from the big projects around here.
What is this?
Are you just going to turn your back on me? A bunch of bastards.
Gaddafi had no idea that compared to preparations with the Europeans, their little friendship was hardly worth mentioning.
To put it bluntly, there's no eternal friendship, only eternal interests. The United States softening its stance on the Euro means the Europeans naturally need to return the favor.
"These bastards.. Moussa Koussa, go find out what's really going on."
"Yes, I'll check it out right away."
Rather than being angry, Gaddafi was more anxious. Was U.S. planning to attack him?
He wasn't the dim-witted idiot that some people might have thought; during the Golden Valley operation, his anti-aircraft capabilities were nearly nonexistent. He'd originally planned to buy some scrap from the Soviets, but that now seemed impossible.
The once-proud Soviets? Gaddafi believed he wouldn't see that anymore. To him, the Soviets had gone mad. What good intentions could the United States possibly have? Expecting them to lend you a hand? That's the biggest joke of this century.
...
As turmoil erupted around him, William White had every intention of staying out of it. There had already been too much going on this year, and he was starting to lose patience. Once he dealt with these matters, he planned to head to Lanai Island.
This time, he intended to stay a while. The world had become a chaotic mess.
"Sir, Tanner is here, do you want to see him now?"
"Do I have any other plans today?"
"Besides Mr. Filson, nothing else is scheduled."
"Alright, Lisa, don't set anything up. Let's leave it at that for today."
"Got it." His assistant was happy; he had no appointments, which meant he wouldn't be stuck out and about, and she hadn't had much personal time for a while.
"Tanner, what's the issue?"
With someone he knew well, William cut straight to the chase; no need to chatter about the weather. Besides, chatting about the weather in Los Angeles was practically a running joke.
There really isn't any bad weather. If there were, you wouldn't have Hollywood. Filming conditions were limited in this era, and directors of course preferred clear sky; every day of the year could be a shooting day.
"Master, the situation with the black guys isn't right, especially around Koreatown. These guys seem like they're gearing up for something."
"Eh? Wasn't that Latasha Harlins - Soon Ja Du thing wrapped up already? Are they planning to drag it out endlessly?"
"It feels a bit off. If no one's stirring the pot, these guys tend to be pretty straightforward."
"Straightforward? Yeah, straightforward people can still be sensitive. Who knows what might trigger them again? It's hard to imagine them not finding something. By the way, what's the name of those two biggest black gangs? Never mind; how are they doing now?"
"Their mood is pretty unstable. There have been several attacks targeting all the Asian communities recently."
"Asian?" William scratched his head, confused. This made no sense. Shouldn't they be picking fights with the Koreans or targeting the whites? What the hell...
"Ahem, master, these guys are mostly face-blind. They can only see the Mongoloid face features, they can't recognize the Koreans specifically. Master, I think they're just expressing dissatisfaction. In fact, there have been quite a few conflicts lately. The surge in unemployment is probably the biggest issue."
William hadn't anticipated Tanner having such insights. It seemed the guys in Washington had also considered this, but just decided not to deal with it. The boss in Los Angeles was indeed a black guy, and if their own people couldn't manage, what could he do about it?
"Very good, Tanner, that's progress. It likely is this issue, and we don't need to worry. What you need to keep an eye on is whether anyone is stirring the pot. By the way, could that dead angel have anything to do with this?"
"Master, based on his call logs, we've identified two individuals who seem to be of low rank. I've already arranged for people to monitor them."
"Good, let's see who is causing trouble and what their motives are."
Those hiding in the shadows are quite insufferable. You can't know their identities, nor their intentions.
With this uncertainty, you never know when you might offend them. If it weren't for so many unknowns, William wouldn't have bothered getting involved.
In his view, no matter how big the trouble the blacks stirred up, it usually ended in a robbery. Once they've stolen enough, they'll return home. If there's nothing left to take, they'll go home too. Worrying over these people isn't worth it.
The ones causing trouble behind the scenes are the most dangerous. Generally speaking, people with normal thoughts wouldn't act out; the backlash is just too great. If things went awry, chaos would erupt across the country.
Let's not forget, there are millions of various types of firearms in the hands of civilians, and it's no joke.
William understood very well that some people would stop at nothing. If it weren't for those bastards, would World War II have even happened? That's debatable.
Looking back from a modern viewpoint, at least the British and French were unwilling to go to war. The two victors feel this way, and the losers may feel even less inclined.
"Tanner, Thanksgiving is coming up. Although this year's promotions aren't substantial, they will still draw in quite a few people. We won't have time to bring in more from elsewhere. Could you see if more police can be hired?"
"Sure, master. If that's not feasible, can we possibly pull in some from surrounding areas?"
"Sure, it'll just cost a bit more; as long as nothing goes wrong."
"Master, you won't be here for Thanksgiving, will you?"
"Of course, I'm leaving in a couple of days. The air here is just too terrible. Those damn refineries, why won't they upgrade their equipment?"
William could only shake his head regarding the quality of fuel in the U.S. Among developed countries, America had the worst gasoline. When Washington attempted to formulate some policies, they quickly realized their idea was impossible to implement.
"Master, I'll go make arrangements then; time isn't on our side."
"Right, focus on areas where the blacks are concentrated. We don't need to worry about Texas; nothing will happen there."
Tanner left with a grin, fully understanding why the boss said that. Texas was filled with cowboys; if you wanted to be a robber, the risk was certainly high. The robbed probably wouldn't even know what hit them before someone took them down.
He recalled a video he saw where some guy seemed to be robbing a convenience store. As soon as he pulled out the handgun, a passer by next to him shot him dead instantly. He didn't even have a chance.
Whenever someone talks about gun control, the rifle association always cites Texas. See, guns in good men's hands represent justice. Guns themselves aren't good or bad; you need to catch the bad guys, not confiscate guns from the good ones.
*****
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