Spark

This was the largest rout the River Force had encountered in the 21st century.

They didn't even have a chance to fight back, and were already squeezed out of the battle zone by the employees of the German Steel Group who had been waiting here for a long time. Only the wreckage of an assault boat and several corpses were left behind.

——

However, this does not mean that their combat effectiveness has declined at all, nor does it prove that this is a great victory for the defenders.

Because everything is planned.

In the corner office, Grady sat in the seat that originally belonged to Bob. He looked at the assistant standing aside with a happy smile on his face.

"I have to say that you made a very correct choice, and this choice also laid the foundation for the success of our operation."

"Now, the operation in Cuba is officially on track. It won't be long before we can enter Cuba in the name of combating illegal mercenary organizations."

"This reason is even better than the reason we originally thought."

"Sometimes, the gears of fate turn in that inadvertent moment, don't they?"

Hearing his words, a peaceful smile appeared on the assistant's face.

The turning of the gears of destiny?

Maybe.

Maybe Bob should have left this position long ago, maybe he should have found another job long ago, maybe Grady is indeed a more suitable person in power than Bob.

But no matter what, he is a real betrayer after all.

And his new boss obviously knows this very well.

What kind of turning of the gears of fate is this? It's just that I found a better destination for myself before the ship sank.

So he replied:

"This is all your fault. As you said, I just made the right choice."

"No, it's not just a choice."

Grady laughed and continued:

"Bob is a big trouble. If it weren't for your help, we wouldn't have gone so smoothly. By the way, what's going on with the killer? His name is Wade?"

"It's good and it's bad."

the assistant replied.

"Tell me?"

"It's good because he was almost at the end of his rope. You know, the FBI is very good at interrogations. They did what we wanted to do, which was to kill him before he spoke."

"But it's not good because now he has become a hero inexplicably - which is of course a side effect of the propaganda we have done in public opinion."

"When Bob becomes a traitor, he automatically becomes a hero, and that's bad for us."

Grady's brows furrowed slightly, and he tapped his fingers on the table just like his predecessor in this office. After a long time, he spoke:

"He is a highly unstable factor and must be dealt with."

"But he can't die in an FBI interrogation room, at least not under these circumstances."

"We need to assign this crime to our opponents - you understand? It can't be us who kill the heroes."

"It's very troublesome."

The assistant looked grave.

"Our opponents don't want him dead more than we do, and it's very difficult to execute because no one will step into such an obvious trap."

"In contrast, why not slightly deflect the direction of public opinion and deal with him within the boundaries of the 'law'?"

“That’s not conducive to us continuing to inspire people.”

Grady shook his head decisively.

"You know, at times like this, the more we need fanatical supporters."

“And once the cold water of ‘law’ is poured out, many things will become difficult to do.”

After the words fell, the two fell silent at the same time.

"So what exactly should be done?"

the assistant asked.

"This is something you should consider. In your previous work model, was it Bob who made the proposal and you made the decision?"

The assistant was speechless when he said this, but it was obvious that he had no room for refutation.

"Then, maybe we can only let him live. But at the same time, we must shut him up."

"There is only one solution I can think of - Veritaserum."

"This is the most reasonable solution that can shut him up without touching the bottom line of public opinion."

"The FBI can be blamed. The use of truth serum in interrogations is their routine anyway."

"very nice."

Grady finally nodded with satisfaction.

In fact, as a former senior military officer stationed in Iraq, he is even more familiar with this type of drugs than those who use them on the front line.

Veritaserum--the name sounds very bluffing, but in fact, it definitely does not achieve the magical effect in the movie.

Perhaps interrogation would become simpler in a hallucinogenic state, but its sequelae are unbearable by any "human being".

Even if it is used strictly in accordance with the regulations, even if the dose is extremely low, it will turn the drug user's brain into a ball of paste. In severe cases, it may even directly lose the ability to think and become a "semi-vegetative" who can only perform instinctive actions mechanically.

Therefore, it is really appropriate to use this method to shut up Wade.

The logical chain of events is smooth. Because the interrogation was too difficult, veritaserum had to be used. In the end, improper use caused the suspect to lose consciousness.

"Can you arrange it?"

Grady continued to ask.

"There are risks. There is a strict approval process for the use of truth serum. We need to deal with many people, not just our own people."

"Of course, on the other hand, our opponents should not reject such a plan. After all, they also want to get the truth."

"Then do it, don't leave any holes."

Grady made a decision decisively, but the assistant on the side looked at his expression and couldn't help but feel panic in his heart.

Wade, a once unknown veteran, was forced into this situation under the arrangement of the invisible hand.

He always thought that he was volunteering, and that he was really sacrificing himself for some cause.

But in fact, every move, every decision, and even every thought he takes are the result of being "manipulated."

And now, after he has completed his "mission" and after his last value has been squeezed out, he has been abandoned without mercy.

Will I be abandoned like this one day?

——

No, this question actually doesn’t need to be asked at all.

Because he will definitely be abandoned.

The key is, when will that day come?

And when that day comes, who can save himself?

A term suddenly flashed through his mind, and it made him shiver involuntarily.

But when he wanted to dispel this "concept", he discovered that the foundation of this concept had actually been deeply rooted in his entire consciousness.

Maybe, that's really the only solution

The conflict in Cuba has undoubtedly attracted global attention, but in fact, the turmoil in public opinion mainly occurs among ordinary people. As for those in high positions, those in power have actually anticipated this day.

Various response plans were quickly launched, industrial machines began to roar again, public opinion control was strengthened, and social order was reorganized.

The most ironic thing is that no country has declared a state of war, but under the management of the "actual state of war", the originally chaotic situation in the entire Europe has actually been alleviated to a certain extent.

As rumors spread that "a rationing system was about to be implemented," grain prices, which had remained high for a long time, fell. Officials from various countries took the opportunity to organize a joint operation to resolutely clean up the lowest-level small and medium-sized grain merchants.

Such an action of administrative power overriding the law should have caused huge backlash, and could even be used by grain merchants to directly attack the government.

But in fact, no major grain merchant dares to speak out at this time.

They are afraid that if they show any opposition in such an extreme situation, the official iron fist will fall on them the next moment.

Yes, wartime has not yet been declared, but who can say that it is not wartime? ——

Cuba's guns have been fired.

But this shot hit Europe, thousands of kilometers away, themselves.

In addition, the start of construction of major military factories has also led to the development of a large number of related industries. Not only steel, but even the traditional fossil energy industry has seen a wave of comeback.

After all, the update of war equipment has not yet been completed. Today's tanks, aircraft and warships all burn oil.

Under such circumstances, the national economic environment has rapidly improved, the number of jobs has increased, and the employment rate has increased. Those "refugees" who were originally desperate and forced to take to the streets have returned to factories and become workers.

The value they created flowed back into the market, bringing greater confidence to the financial market, triggering a series of chain reactions that ultimately affected the last financial product.

national debt.

The interest rates on government bonds have begun to decline, sliding back towards normal levels, but the funds raised through government bonds are increasing, and these funds have been quickly invested in nuclear fusion and superconducting projects under construction, promoting a leap forward in project progress.

A virtuous cycle is established, and this is just the result of "a gunshot".

What if this battle can really start?

Will it bring stronger economic impetus, or will it swallow up the hard-earned development results?

Many people are thinking about this question, but in fact, this question is destined to have no answer.

At the Nantianmen project base, Chen Nian had just chaired a technical discussion meeting of the Nantianmen project platform cooling module working group. On the way back to his office, Chen Nian looked at the report and said to Lin Yongming beside him:

"The pure air-cooling solution we are using at this stage is definitely not enough. We need to consider that the Nantianmen Aerial Platform requires high-altitude operations. When the air is thin, the air-cooling efficiency will be greatly reduced."

"I think heat recovery is still the right way to go, but the biggest difficulty we face now is the extra weight added by the heat recovery device."

"How to make it as lightweight as possible within the available range is something you need to consider."

"All I can provide is a complete framework. As for what should be deleted or added in this framework to meet the needs of practical application, I will no longer be involved."

"Understood, we will take care of this."

Lin Yongming quickly replied.

In fact, the "framework" Chen Nian refers to is not just a framework. It should be said that what he provides is a sample that exceeds current usage needs.

If we push the time forward a few years and wait for the technology to mature further, this sample should be able to be used directly.

But now, all we can do is castrate.

It has to be said that this is a pity - even in the eyes of some scholars, it would be disrespectful to their achievements.

Fortunately, Chen Nian has no burden in this regard at all. He doesn't care what others do to his design. He only cares about one thing:

Will the final result meet his requirements?

Fortunately, with the joint efforts of hundreds of top engineers, Chen Nian's needs can be fully met.

Thinking of this, Lin Yongming continued to explain:

"Regarding the issue of heat recovery devices, we plan to learn from the experience of previous molten salt reactors and cover another layer of molten salt liquid cooling device between the insulation layer and the heat dissipation layer to use the flowing liquid for heat transfer."

"You don't need to tell me this detail. I understand your thinking."

Chen Nian interrupted Lin Yongming and then said:

“But the most critical issue now is that you have to use lighter materials to replace traditional thorium-based materials, right?”

"That's right. The Materials Research Institute is already doing development work, and they plan to use it."

"I'll solve it. I've seen the Institute of Materials Research's plan. The plan of alkali metal halide + sulfate simply doesn't meet the requirements. In theory, even metal-based salts won't work."

"The density is too high, the added weight is too much, and the efficiency is not ideal."

"The only thing that can meet the requirements should be ternary nitric acid-based molten salt, which is HiTec molten salt."

"However, on this basis, I still need to make some improvements. If there is time, I will do it as soon as possible."

This time, Chen Nian did not give a clear time, but Lin Yongming did not doubt his efficiency at all.

Chen Nian didn't say anything. It was definitely not because he was unsure. It might just be because he was not sure how far he wanted to improve and optimize.

"No problem, there's no need to worry about this matter for now."

"The situation has eased - by the way, you probably haven't seen it yet, the latest intelligence, Organization No. 003 has been exposed."

"Exposed? So soon?"

Chen Nian stopped in surprise.

"Yes, the collapse of this kind of organization often happens in an instant. Their leaders have recently begun to operate in the United States."

"They seem to be planning to go straight into politics and start engaging in direct political activity."

"And it was this that exposed their financial chain."

"Now, including us and the FBI, we have all focused on them."

"But the United States seems to be planning to cover up, and we speculate that it is related to the current Secretary of Defense."

"That's not hard to guess."

Chen Nian nodded slightly and said.

"But who is the leader you are talking about?"

Lin Yongming smiled mysteriously and replied:

"You wouldn't guess it."