Chapter 30 Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Turkmen prime minister is very happy with his life and his position.As the leader of a disintegrating Communist Party, he should have been more disciplined in his personal conduct, and was on the phone at all times, awaiting instructions from Moscow.But now it is very different, Moscow can no longer control him, and he has also grown his power.Although he is nearly sixty years old, he is still full of energy.He had often joked that he belonged to the people, and the people today was a fancy clerk; after a good dinner and dancing, she entertained him as only a young woman could.Now that he was driving back to the mansion, in his black Mercedes on a clear night, with a smug smile on his face, maybe he'd find a way to get the girl promoted in a few weeks.He felt utter satisfaction at the thought of the power he had.He is loved by the people because of his approachability. He knows how to raise his hands, how to talk with the people, how to shake hands and clap shoulders, and often shows a scene of being close to the people in front of the camera.The previous establishment called it the cult of personality; it was true, and that was the way politics had to be, and he knew it.He has a lot of responsibility and he deserves something in return, one of which is this beautiful German car.Smuggling cars into the country is a show of power, but not corruption.Another reward is the woman who returns to bed with a smile and a sigh.Ah, life is beautiful.But he doesn't know that he only has one minute to live.

He doesn't need a police escort because he's convinced his people love him, and besides, it's late at night.He saw a police car at the intersection ahead, its roof lights spinning and flashing, and it stopped at the intersection, blocking the way.A policeman stood next to the car, and he raised his hand as he spoke into the intercom, barely looking at them.The prime minister was wondering what happened, but his driver and bodyguard slowed down dissatisfiedly, parked the car in the middle of the intersection, and then touched his gun, ready to act at any time.As soon as the car stopped, they heard movement to the right of the car.The prime minister turned his head away, and before he could open his eyes wide, a huge truck ran towards him at a speed of forty kilometers per hour.The high bumper of a military model hit the bottom of the windshield. The car was thrown ten meters to the right and stopped after hitting a stone wall of a building.At this time, the policeman came over, followed by two assistants who emerged from the shadows.The driver died of a broken neck, which the police could tell from the angle of his head and neck, but one of them reached through the shattered window and shook the driver's head to make sure.But what is surprising is that the Prime Minister is still moaning despite multiple injuries. They think this may be the reason why his body has become loose and soft after drinking.However, it's easy to do.A policeman walked up to the truck, opened the tool box, took out a tire wrench, came back, and struck the Prime Minister close to the temple.When the job was done, he tossed the tool back to the truck driver.The Prime Minister of Turkmen died in a car accident, and then their country has to hold elections, doesn't it?And this is just the beginning, after which a leader whom the people know and respect will come to power.

Senator, it's been a long day.Tony.Brittany Road, it took me a few weeks to get used to everything.But you know, management is management, and there has been a lack of management in the Department of Defense for some time.Of particular concern to me is the procurement system.It takes too long and costs too much.This is not corruption, but an attempt to enforce it with a specious set of standards.Here's a simple example: If you buy food the way the Department of Defense buys weapons, you'll starve to death in the supermarket before you decide which pear to buy. TRW is an engineering company, and I think it's a pretty good one.I simply cannot run my company like this, or the shareholders will eat me.We can do better, I am determined.

How long will it take?We've just ended a war, and the Senator asked. Senator, America has the best medical care in the world, yet people are still dying of cancer and heart disease.Things can’t always be perfect, right?In addition, what is more important is that we can spend less money and do more.I'm not asking you to increase funding across the board.Yes, procurement funding must increase, as does training and readiness funding.The real wasted spending of the Department of Defense is on personnel; the entire Department of Defense is overstaffed, and I think it's a waste of taxpayer money.Our ineffective use of manpower, Senator, is a waste of nothing.I guarantee a reduction of two to three percent, and possibly more if the purchasing system can be regulated.Therefore, I need legislative support.We have spent a lot of money on research, and now it is time for practical application.We spend the hard-earned money of the people, and we should use every penny wisely.

Most importantly, the people of the United States go through fire and water for their country, and they must be the best trained, best supported, and best equipped.In fact, we can do this and save money if we run the whole department efficiently.The beauty of this Senatorial term is the belief that anything is possible.A year ago, he would have come under fire for what he just said.The concept of efficiency is foreign to most governments, not through their fault but because they have not been told they can do better. But why do we need to focus so much on defense?this era has Britannon cut him off again. He knew he had to get over it, but it was unbearable.Congressman, have you been to the building opposite recently?

The way the senator shrank his head back was really hilarious.At this point the chairman of the meeting announced the end of the meeting with a blow of the gavel, and a vote was scheduled for the next morning.Members of parliament expressed their appreciation and willingness to vote for Britannon's straightforward and positive speech, and expressed their willingness to work with him.In this way, the day ends; and a new day begins in the other corner of the earth. As soon as the UN resolution was passed, the first cargo ship set sail for the Iraqi port.After the ship arrives at the port, it is unloaded by large equipment, and everything is progressing rapidly.For the first time in years, Iraqis have enough bread on the table for everyone.The morning news released the news, interspersed with live footage of people on the street buying bread with smiles on their faces, and announced that the new revolutionary government would meet to discuss other important domestic issues that day.The Palm Bowl and the Storm Path duly picked up the messages and passed them on; but the real news of the day came from another place.

Glofko told himself that the Turkmen Prime Minister might have died in a car accident.His personal misbehavior has long been rumored in the intelligence agency, and car accidents are not uncommon in their country. In fact, there have always been car accidents in the Soviet Union, especially those caused by drunkenness.But he never believed in any kind of coincidence, especially one that would inconvenience his country.He has enough men to find out the truth, but that won't help.The prime minister is dead and must be re-elected, and it is clear who will win because the late prime minister has been so effective at keeping political opposition at bay.At present, he also noticed that the Iranian army was gathering and preparing to advance westward.In such a short period of time and in such close proximity, two national leaders died, and both were in countries bordering Iran.No, he wouldn't believe it even if it was a coincidence.Thinking of this, Glofko made up his mind and picked up the phone.

The USS Pasadena is docked between two Chinese naval operations fleets, about nine miles apart.Although well-armed, the U.S. submarine is more like a lone policeman patrolling Times Square at midnight, trying to keep tabs on everything around him.Every few minutes, the captain used his electronic device to detect the surrounding electronic signal, and the sonar room also transmitted data to the signal tracking team located in the rear of the command module.The chart table is full of people, marking various target points.The captain ordered the dive to a depth of three hundred feet so that he could spare a few minutes to study the map, which had become too complicated for him to keep in mind.After the submarine stopped, he came to the chart table.

This is a fleet exercise, but the way the exercise is performed is too common. In the exercise, one team plays the good guy, while the other team plays the bad guy to fight, and it can be judged by the direction of the ship formation.But the two fleets were not facing each other, but facing the east at the same time. This is called the threat axis, that is, the direction the enemy intends to attack, and the east is the Republic of China.The operations officer overseeing the map is marking the transparent map. Command module, sonar report.Another call came. command module.The captain picked up the microphone.

Two new targets were discovered, sir, designated as S 20 and S 21.They all appear to be underwater targets. S 20 azimuth is three|two|five, the frontal route is weak and looks like a Han-class attack nuclear-powered submarine, the outline is clear above 50 Hz, and there is noise reduction equipment.Twenty-one is also an underwater target, bearing three｜three｜○, beginning to show the silhouette of the Xia class, sir. Are there bombers in the exercise fleet?The captain asked, how clear is the outline of twenty-one? It is becoming more and more obvious, sir, the sonar room replied, judging from the sound, it is a Xia-class nuclear-powered missile submarine, Captain.The Han-class nuclear-powered attack submarine is moving south, and its current bearing is 3|2|1, advancing at a speed of 18 knots per hour.

sir?The operations officer quickly marked a location.Nuclear-powered submarines and bombers sit behind the Northern Surface Fleet. Do you have other conditions?asked the captain. Sir, the goal is getting a little complicated. Report up.Someone was talking at the chart table, and the chart was being changed in his hand. Is there a situation on the east side?the captain insisted. Sir, there are six targets to the east, all merchant ships. The map has been calibrated, sir.Operations officers confirmed that Taiwan's navy remained inactive. Will change.the captain said to himself. General Bondarenko also did not believe in coincidences, and besides, he was not interested in the southern regions that had once been part of the Soviet Socialist Republic. What's your take on the current situation?asked the lieutenant general. Have you been briefed on Iraq? Yes, Comrade Chairman. Then tell me about it.Grovek ordered. Bondarenko leaned over the map table and compared it with his hands as he spoke.I think what you are concerned about is the possibility of Iran trying to achieve superpower status.If Iran is united with Iraq, their oil wealth will increase significantly; in addition, they will also have borders with Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Conquering these countries can continue to multiply their wealth, and some small countries are also very likely to be invaded.The objective situation in this area is quite obvious. The general spoke with the calmness of a professional soldier analyzing a disaster. If the two are combined, the population will greatly exceed the combined population of other countries by five to one, right?Or more disparity?I don't remember exactly that number, but they would undoubtedly have a manpower superiority, enough power for outright aggression or great political influence.This new United Islamic Republic would then have enormous economic power and the ability to control energy supplies to other countries. Now look at Turkmenistan.If, as you suspect, this is not a coincidence, then Iran also wants to expand northwards, possibly annexing Azerbaijan.His fingers moved along the map, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and parts of Kazakhstan.This triples the population and gives the UMI a significant resource base.Subsequently, assuming that Afghanistan and Pakistan are eaten, a new country will be formed extending from the Red Sea to India, or more precisely from the Red Sea to China.In this way, our southern border is adjacent to the enemy country.Speaking of this, he looked up. This is more serious than we expected, Glofolk.He concluded solemnly that we know that China covets our east and that this new country is a threat to our oil fields in the south. I cannot guard this border.God!Resisting Hitler pales in comparison. Glovoko was standing on the other side of the map table, and he had summoned Bondarenko for a reason.He is a new generation of military generals who have been battle-tested in the war against Afghanistan. He is not too old or young, and he does not have the ideological baggage of the previous generation.He is an optimist, open to Western things.He just came back from there and spent more than a month with the troops of various NATO member states, trying his best to learn from the advanced experience of other countries, especially the United States.At this moment, Bondarenko looked down at the map worriedly again. how long?How long will it take to establish this new country, the general asked? Glofko shrugged: Hard to say.Three years, the worst may be two years, the most optimistic, five years. Give me five years and the authority to rebuild our military, and we'll probably be fine.Bondarenko shook his head. I can't promise you that.The government will not give me the financial and material resources I need.Impossible, we do not have the financial resources for this. So?The general looked up and looked directly into the eyes of the head of Russia's foreign intelligence service. Then I'd rather be a combat officer.We are protected by mountains to the east, which is an advantage; but we only have two railways to provide logistical support, which is a disadvantage.In the center, if they annexed all of Kazakhstan, he tapped the map, and look, that way, they were closing in on Moscow.What if there is still an alliance?Maybe with Ukraine?Turkey?or Syria?The whole Middle East will succumb to this new country and we lose, Chairman.We can threaten with nuclear weapons, but what good does that do us?Even if 500 million people died in China, the population is still larger than ours.Moreover, their economic strength has grown stronger and stronger, while ours has become weaker and weaker.They have the money to buy weapons from the West, and even import technology to produce them themselves.If we use nuclear weapons, it is very dangerous both strategically and tactically, and there are also political considerations.As for the political gains and losses, I leave it to you to analyze, but in the military, the enemy has an advantage in terms of weapons, manpower and geographical location.They have the ability to cut off the energy supply to the world, thereby limiting our hope of foreign aid.If this continues, our country is in danger of being destroyed. His cool judgment is the most worrying fact.Bondarenko will not be alarmist, he is just stating objective facts. How to stop all this? We cannot lose those republics in the south, but the question is how do we keep them?Control Turkmen?That could spark a guerrilla war.Our military must never fight that kind of war, not even one. what do you need? Time and money, political support to rebuild the military, and Western aid.The general stared at the map, lost in thought.He was like the queen of a wealthy family, the heir to a large fortune, only to find in the end that there was only a pile of debt left.He returned from the United States optimistically, feeling that he saw a way out and the future, and found the right direction to defend the country, and planned to form a professional army to defend this free country together.But such a team takes years to build.If Groveko and the Intelligence Service were right, his best remaining hope was that his country would rally, trade space for time, and strike back, as it did in World War II.Nobody can see the future, the general told himself, and maybe that's good, because history, as we all know, seldom repeats itself.Russia had good luck in the war against fascism, but one cannot rely on luck forever.A typical combat method is to weaken the combat effectiveness of the strong opponent first, then turn to destroy the weak enemy, and then choose a favorable time for oneself to face the strong opponent again.Bondarenko knew this, but could do nothing about it.He is the underdog with his own difficulties.His country could look not to friends but to enemies it had worked so hard to create over the years. Seiler had never experienced such pain.He had seen the agony he had struggled with in his home country's intelligence service, and had personally inflicted it, but nothing like this, as if he was being punished for the past.His whole body was in pain, as if he had been quartered by five horses; he was originally a man of great strength, strong body, and a well-known tough guy, but now he couldn't hold on anymore.Every musculature in him was tormenting him now; every movement he made to ease the pain only provoked more pain, so much pain that he forgot the fear he should have had. But Dr. McGregor was terribly frightened.He was wearing a full surgical gown, mask and gloves, so his hands didn't shake because of his concentration.He had just drawn blood from a patient, and it was the first time in his life that he was so careful. He had never even drawn blood from an AIDS patient.He had never had a case of haemorrhagic fever before; to him it had always been just a word in a textbook, an article in The Lancet, some sort of academic interest, Something that is vaguely scary, but it's here right now. Seiler?asked the doctor. Um?He breathed heavily after uttering a word. How did you get here?If I'm going to help you, I have to know. Without hesitation, and no longer worrying about secrecy, he stopped and took a breath, preparing enough energy to answer the question. from Baghdad.Came here by plane.He added superfluously. Africa?Have you been to Africa recently? Never before.His head swung a centimeter from side to side, then his eyes closed.He is battling the pain and seems to be having some success, and this is his first trip to Africa. Have you had sex recently?McGregor asked further.This question may seem cruel, but in theory, it is possible for a person to contract the disease through sexual contact. It took a while for the patient to realize the doctor's question, and he trembled again.No, I haven't touched a woman for a long time.McGregor could see it on his face: no more, I won't have Have you had a blood transfusion recently? No. Have you ever come into contact with someone who has traveled elsewhere? No, only in Baghdad, only in Baghdad.I was the general's bodyguard, followed him day and night, that's all. Thanks.We'll give you some painkillers, then give you a blood transfusion and ice to cool you down.I'll be there in a moment. The patient nodded.The doctor came out of the room, holding a blood-filled test tube in his gloved hand.Damn it!McGregor whispered. While the nurses and medics were busy with their jobs, McGregor was not.He split the blood sample in two, sealed it with extreme care, and sent one to the Pasteur Institute in Paris, the other to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, both by airmail, and the rest to his laboratory. Teacher, an able Sudanese.At the same time, the doctor also drafted a fax, which read: If a suspected case of hemorrhagic high fever is found, send it to every hospital in every city in the country. But first he picked up the phone and called the Health Bureau. it's here? !The doctor from the Health Bureau asked, in Khartoum?You are right?Where did the patient come from? That's right.McGregor replied that the patient said he was from Iraq. Iraq?How could this disease come from there?Have you tested the patient's antibodies? Getting ready.Scots tell Africans. how long? One hour. Let me go and have a look before the notice comes out.Health officials instructed. That person means: to supervise.McGregor closed his eyes and gripped the receiver tightly, trying to hold back his anger.All over Africa, health authorities are in denial about everything, and that's one of the reasons why AIDS is so rampant in Central Africa.They deny and deny, no wonder the death rate here is so high. Doctor, insists McGregor, I believe in my diagnosis and I have a professional responsibility to Can wait till I go.He answered casually.McGregor knew it was the African way, and he couldn't win it.What will happen to his patients when the Sudanese Health Service can cancel his visa in a few minutes? All right, doctor.Please come here immediately.he urged. I still have some things to do, I'll go when I'm done.That could mean a whole day or more, both of them knew that.Is the patient isolated? All precautions have been taken.McGregor assured him. You are an excellent doctor, Ian.I know it's right to leave things to you.The phone hung up with a snap.He had just put down the receiver when the phone rang again. Hello? Doctor, please go to Ward 24.the nurse told him. He was there in three minutes; it was Shahaile.A medic was coming out with an emetic bowl, and there was blood in it.McGregor knew she was also from Iraq.oh my god! None of you have anything to fear. This was somewhat reassuring, though not as sure as the members of the Revolutionary Committee had hoped.The Iranian mullahs may be telling the truth, but the generals sitting around the table have fought Iran in the past, and one never forgets an enemy on the battlefield. We need you to control your country's military.The older mullah went on to say that as long as you cooperate, you can keep your original positions.All we ask is your allegiance to your new government.It will never be that simple, they will be closely watched, the officers know that, but they have no choice.If they make a wrong move, they will be executed. But in fact they still have some kind of choice: die now, or die later.The surviving senior Iraqi officers exchanged furtive glances.They cannot control the Iraqi army. The soldiers of the army are either standing with the people or with the grassroots officers.The former, having enough food for the first time in nearly a decade, is in a good mood; the latter is happy to see a new look in the country.The old regime is over, and there is no going back.They can regain control only with the help of old enemies.Now the foe of yore stands at one end of the table, smiling triumphantly on his face, with power in his hands to give away like change in their pockets.In fact, they don't give anyone a choice. The head of the titular Revolutionary Committee nodded in acceptance of the terms, and within seconds the other members nodded too, and with that nod the sovereignty of the country entered history. All that's left is to make a few phone calls. The only surprise was that it wasn't on TV.This time the storm track and listening posts at the Palm Bowl have been exhausted by analysts elsewhere.As can be seen later, the TV cameras were positioned, but something else had to be done first, and the satellites recorded it all. The first Iranian motorized troops to cross the border sprinted along the road without a sound on the radio.But this cannot be concealed. There are two American KH|11 reconnaissance satellites above their heads, and their signals are connected to the communication satellites, and then transmitted to the receiving station.The closest receiving station to Washington is at Fort Beaver. Hello?Ren picked up the phone and put it to his ear. Mr. President, this is Ben.Goodrey.The action begins.Iranian forces are crossing the border and see no resistance. Released? not yet.It seems that they want to seize the mastership first. Ren looked at the clock on the bedside table.OK, we'll take care of that at the briefing tomorrow morning.There's no need to sacrifice your own sleep, someone will work all night for him, Ryan told himself.He himself used to work through the night often.Yes, sir. Wren put down the phone and went back to sleep, a presidential skill he was learning.Half asleep, he thought, maybe he'd have to learn to play golf in a crisis, wouldn't it? A rapist, to be precise.He had been taking care of a fellow inmate, a murderer.Judging by the fast-forward tapes, he's been doing well. Moody has told the medics to closely monitor the incoming nurses.The new caregivers took everyday precautions: wearing gloves, washing carefully, keeping the room clean, wiping up any fluids.This last task became increasingly difficult as the condition of the first group of infected subjects progressed.The collective groans from the loudspeaker made him aware of how much pain they were going through, especially without the use of painkillers, which violated Islamic principles of compassion, but Moody dismissed them.The second group of subjects was working as instructed, but they did not have masks. The rapist was a young man, in his early twenties, whose extraordinary devotion to the patients in his care might have been an empathy for the murderer's pain, or perhaps he had simply wanted to appear worthy of forgiveness.Moody pans the camera closer to the target.The man's skin was dry and red, and his movements were sluggish.The doctor picked up the phone.A minute later, a medic enters the shot.He spoke to the rapist, put the thermometer in his ear, and left the room to pick up the phone in the hallway.Test item No. 8 had a body temperature of thirty-nine degrees two, and was extremely tired and in pain.His eyes were red and swollen.said the medic gruffly.The medical staff here are more sympathetic to Jane.Sister Baptiste; that's to be expected.Although the latter was a pagan, she was at least a chaste person, and the men in the room were quite different, which made things a lot easier for everyone. Thanks. Well, it's true, Moody told himself. The Mainca strain was indeed airborne, and the only thing that needed to be proven was whether it could be completely self-transmitting, killing this new patient.When more than half of the second group showed symptoms, they were moved to a treatment room down the hall, and those in the first group who were severely infected with Ebola were given medication to end their lives. The commander would be satisfied, Moody knew.The latest experiment was as successful as the previous one.Now, one thing is becoming more and more certain: they have a weapon that no human being has ever wielded.It's amazing, isn't it?Moody said to himself. Flying out of the country has always been the easier route.A movie star is stopped after walking through a metal detection gate, the detection rod is swung all over his body, and it turns out to be the gold cross pen that often embarrasses him.Then he walked towards the first-class lounge, without looking to see if there were any police around.If they were around, they would have detained him immediately, but they were not around and did not stop him.He had a clipboard in his carry-on, but it wasn't time to take it out yet.As the flight was about to take off, he walked through the gate and quickly found his seat at the front of the 747.Only half the passengers were on board, which gave him more freedom to do whatever he wanted.As soon as the plane took off, he took out his notes and started jotting down everything.As usual, his photographic memory came in handy again.He worked non-stop for three hours and didn't feel sleepy until the plane was over the mid-Atlantic.Yes, he thought, he needs some sleep.