dkrc Chapter 332 Olive from the Kremlin
Chapter 332 Olive from the Kremlin
He wants a promise.
Inside Command Center One, Li Zhenguo put down the communicator and repeated Marcus's last words.
His face showed no expression, but his heart was in turmoil.
This man, who calls himself "Marcus," this "variable" sent by China, has shown courage and decisiveness far beyond the scope of an ordinary special agent.
He wasn't just carrying out a mission; he was making history.
With his actions, he almost dismantled the White House's supreme command in the North American theater without bloodshed, and placed the "key" that the whole world was crazy about as a bargaining chip on China's negotiating table.
This is no longer a simple military operation; it's a high-level political maneuver.
"Commander-in-Chief, what... what should we do now?" a operations staff officer asked cautiously, his voice trembling slightly.
All eyes were on Li Zhenguo.
Their minds were still in a state of extreme shock and confusion.
Marcus's phone call contained a wealth of information.
Treason, key, proctor, suspension of command of the White House... each word is enough to trigger a world-class earthquake.
Now, the power to make the decision rests on Li Zhenguo's shoulders.
"Should we accept his request? This...this is tantamount to directly breaking ties with the United States!"
"But the key is in his hands! This is our chance to rise to the top! If we get the key, we can..."
"But he said he wanted a promise! A promise to save his people! What does that mean? Does he want us to protect all Americans?"
"That's impossible! We're already short of our own resources, how can we possibly have the capacity to manage them!"
Inside the command center, suppressed murmurs rose and fell.
Each general was analyzing the pros and cons from their own perspective.
This is a huge opportunity, but also a huge trap.
One wrong step and China could be dragged into an unprecedented quagmire.
Li Zhenguo didn't speak; he just listened quietly.
He knew that at this point, any hasty decision could have irreversible consequences.
He walked up to the huge holographic sand table and his gaze fell on the map representing the North American continent.
Zone Zero, that enormous crater, is like an ugly scar branded onto the heart of the continent.
At the edge of the war zone, the blue dot representing the Chinese "messenger" squad and the red dot representing the US forward base were very close.
Further away, there were countless red dots, representing major American cities and military bases.
This is a superpower with a population of over 300 million and the world's largest industrial system and military strength.
Even now, it is already in an unprecedented state of chaos and crisis.
However, its size should not be underestimated.
Marcus's demand was to take over the entire North American theater of operations.
This means that China will have to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining basic order on this land.
To be responsible for, to coordinate, the actions of millions of U.S. troops.
They need to take responsibility and appease the hundreds of millions of panicked people.
They also have the responsibility to fight against those endless monsters that could emerge from the ground at any moment.
This is a burden so heavy it's unimaginable.
"Commander-in-Chief," the head of the communications department strode over, a strange expression on his face, "The Kremlin has sent an urgent communication request."
"The Kremlin?" Li Zhenguo raised an eyebrow.
At this critical juncture, what is that emperor planning to do?
"Bring them in," Li Zhenguo said in a deep voice.
Soon, a cold, stern face appeared on the main screen, a face that everyone was extremely familiar with.
"Minister Li, good evening." The Emperor's voice came through the encrypted line, as steady and powerful as ever. "I think you should have received the game update announcement from the 'Interstellar Network'."
"Yes, Mr. President." Li Zhenguo nodded. "Our situation doesn't seem to be very good."
"It's more than just bad." The Emperor chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It's like being forced to play Russian roulette with a gun pointed at your head."
"Moreover, the magazine is very likely full of bullets."
His words eased the tense atmosphere in the command center slightly.
"I just watched a spectacular fireworks display." The Emperor's tone shifted, his gaze sharpening. "Over North America, a starship, supposedly from Atlantis, transformed into a magnificent mushroom cloud."
"I think this shouldn't be the work of Americans."
Li Zhenguo remained silent.
He knew that the other party was testing him.
The whole world is speculating about how that warship was destroyed.
As the only external force with ground troops in Zone Zero, China is naturally the prime suspect.
"We're curious too," Li Zhenguo replied calmly. "Perhaps the 'proctor' thinks they're too noisy."
Upon hearing the word "examiner," a knowing glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes.
"It seems that you know far more than we do."
He didn't press the matter further.
"Minister Li, I'm contacting you today to tell you about Russia's decision."
The emperor's expression turned serious.
"We give up fighting for that 'key'."
This decision surprised even Li Zhenguo.
Given this emperor's character, how could he possibly give up so easily?
"We cannot afford the sacrifice of those 100,000 souls," the Emperor's voice was heavy. "Our people have shed too much blood in the past hundred years. I cannot use their souls to make a deal with the devil."
"As for snatching it from the 'proctor'..."
The Emperor gave a wry smile.
"That fireworks display just now has already said a lot."
"We don't have that kind of strength."
Therefore, we choose to cooperate.
He looked at Li Zhenguo and spoke, word by word.
"Russia is willing, as a member of the Earth Alliance, to fully support all of China's actions in Zone Zero."
"We can immediately mobilize the 14th Arctic Garrison Army, stationed across the Bering Strait, to enter Alaska and assist you in stabilizing the situation."
"We can send our most elite Alpha Special Forces and the Siberian Shamanic Order into Zone Zero to be under your direct command."
"We don't want command, we don't want spoils."
"We only need one seat."
"When you board that ark to the new world, may you reserve a seat for us, the great Russian nation."
The Emperor's words carried weight and authority.
He expressed his stance in the most direct way.
He staked Russia's future on China's!
Li Zhenguo stared at the sincere and resolute face on the screen, remaining silent for a long time.
He knew this was a huge political bargaining chip.
With Russia's support, China now has a powerful ally in the matter of taking over North America.
This not only alleviates the enormous military pressure, but also allows us to take the absolute initiative in international public opinion!
"On behalf of China, I accept your proposal."
Li Zhenguo slowly nodded.
"It was a pleasure working with you."
"It was a pleasure working with you."
Communication was cut off.
Inside the command center, all was silent.
But everyone's eyes changed.
Just now, if they were still hesitating about whether to take on this hot potato that is North America.
So now, the Emperor's phone call has undoubtedly given them a shot in the arm!
Li Zhenguo once again picked up that encrypted communicator that led to Zone Zero.
His voice became more composed than before.
"General Marcus, I agree to your request in principle."
"However, I also have one condition."