Homo Sapiens

Tianzhu.

Thiruvananthapuram, in the south.

This was the location of one of Tianzhu’s major military airfields, which also served as the southern base for the Tianzhu Air Force.

The base commander, Major General Rode, was reviewing the upcoming flight patrol schedule when his aide-de-camp knocked on the door.

”What is it?”

The aide-de-camp whispered in his ear, ”Mr. Dudi would like to see you.”

”Dudi?” Rode tapped his fingers on the patrol schedule. ”When?”

”He’s just outside the base. It seems to be urgent.”

Rode closed the schedule. ”Then show him to my office.”

”Understood.”

A little over twenty minutes later.

A pot-bellied, middle-aged man walked into the office with a broad smile.

”Good afternoon, General Rode. It’s been a while. Wonderful weather we’re having today.”

Rode replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, ”Mr. Dudi, you seem to be doing well for yourself. Is it still black tea for you?”

”Haha, you have an excellent memory, General.”

The aide-de-camp had already prepared the Darjeeling black tea. He deftly brewed it and poured a cup for each of them.

After about ten minutes of small talk, Dudi’s beady eyes flickered, and he gave Rode a meaningful look. Rode immediately understood and waved his aide-de-camp away.

The aide-de-camp smiled, left the office, and closed the door behind him.

”Mr. Dudi, was there something you wanted to discuss?”

Putting down his teacup, Dudi said with a grin, ”My friends and I have run into some trouble with our investments in Ceylon—our gem mines and tea plantations.”

’Ceylon?’ A look of surprise flickered in Rode’s eyes. ”Then you should be speaking with the foreign affairs department. There’s nothing I can do to help you here.”

”Don’t you think this is a perfect opportunity, General? What that Qingye Group is doing in Ceylon has drawn intense dissatisfaction from Europe and America. If we make a move, there’s a high probability the northern part of the country will respond to us,” Dudi proposed with a sly smile.

”...” Rode was no fool. He was well aware that Ceylon had recently defaulted on its sovereign debt and followed it up with a series of chaotic moves, landing them on Europe and America’s blacklist.

If Tianzhu were to stir up trouble now, Europe and America would most likely turn a blind eye.

But Rode was still no fool. He spread his hands and replied, ”This isn’t something I can decide on my own.”

”Of course. We’ll need to speak with Delhi. But before that, if you were to take certain actions, General, it might help some people make up their minds,” Dudi said pointedly.

Rode still didn’t commit to Dudi’s proposal. Instead, he shook his head. ”I need to discuss this with my colleagues. Let’s not be too hasty.”

”Very well! I trust the General will make the right choice.” Dudi was still smiling.

A short while later, Dudi also stood up to take his leave.

Standing by the blinds, Rode watched the fat bastard’s retreating back. ’I’ve already got some ideas, but I can’t be too direct. I also need to pull a few more people in so all the pressure doesn’t land on me alone.’

After all, there had indeed been calls within Tianzhu recently to send troops to intervene in Ceylon.

However, the last time they had intervened, they had suffered losses in both troops and commanders, which made some factions oppose the idea.

Now, he needed to ”find” a pretext to get everyone in Tianzhu ”on the same page” as quickly as possible.

Rode didn’t even need to think about how to do it; such pretexts were all too easy to find. The key now was to persuade a certain faction within the air force.

Soon, like a busy little bee, Rode was on the phone, calling six or seven officers he was on good terms with to arrange an ”internal social gathering.”

As for the actual purpose, he wasn’t foolish enough to discuss it directly over the phone.

But his colleagues understood his implication. They knew the social gathering was just a pretext for a private meeting.

...

「Ceylon.」

Colombo.

Inside the Colombo operational intelligence station, hidden beneath a temple.

After dealing with the Tiger Gang, Chen Jianxiong had successively dispatched large numbers of New Human employees and Soldiers from other regions, inserting them into shell corporations and minor gangs across various industries in Ceylon. At the same time, he was preparing to secretly recruit a number of locals as new employees.

A subordinate walked in hurriedly.

”Minister, we’ve received Level 1 intelligence from the Tianzhu South Station.”

Taking the earpiece, Chen Jianxiong inserted it into his ear. A moment later, his brow furrowed, but then he broke into a smile. ”This little hegemon of South Asia really thinks highly of itself, doesn’t it?”

He had, in fact, already made numerous predictions and contingency plans regarding Tianzhu’s reaction.

After all, the Indians’ thought processes weren’t just bizarre; they were coupled with an inexplicable self-confidence. Chen Jianxiong had not underestimated the possibility of them meddling in Ceylon, he just hadn’t expected them to lose their patience so quickly.

”Eh? The people from Black Ship are fanning the flames too? So that’s how it is...” Seeing the latter part of the intelligence report, he finally understood why the people from Tianzhu couldn’t hold back any longer.

Chen Jianxiong opened his personal biological computer. After he entered a special genetic code and passed a brainwave spectrum analysis, the computer connected to the Hongsawaddy Branch via an internal fiber-optic network.

A moment later, Yang Mengjiao appeared on the video screen.

”Your Excellency, the Minister, what are your orders?”

Chen Jianxiong didn’t waste any words, getting straight to the point. ”Immediately activate Phase One of Operation Flash Flood.”

Hearing this command, a playful glint flashed in Yang Mengjiao’s eyes. ”Oh? It seems our good neighbors are getting restless! No problem. Anything else?”

”As a precaution, have the Hongsawaddy Branch dispatch an additional 5,000 New Human employees here.”

”Understood. I’ll arrange it as soon as possible.”

”Carry on.”

”Goodbye!”

After Yang Mengjiao signed off, Chen Jianxiong did not close the secure computer, but instead dialed another number.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man in sea-blue camouflage appeared on the screen.

”Chen, is something urgent?”

”Ovi, I need some assistance from your External Security Division.”

Ovi Fernando, head of the Ocean Department of the Homo Sapiens Company’s External Security Division, quickly ran through the possibilities in his mind for a few seconds before guessing, ”Is there trouble in Ceylon?”

”Not yet, but with Black Ship fanning the flames, the people from Tianzhu are planning to interfere. I’ve already arranged for the Hongsawaddy Branch to create a diversion, but the Ceylon Branch’s security forces are still relatively weak and need to be reinforced as soon as possible.”

Ovi nodded. ”How do you need me to coordinate?”

”What are the available security forces that the maritime security teams can mobilize right now?” Chen Jianxiong asked.

”...” Ovi checked the numbers on his internal computer.

Currently, aside from the Malaysian Navy, which couldn’t be moved, the overt maritime security forces that the Homo Sapiens Company could mobilize were the covertly controlled assets of its three branches in Luzon, Siam, and Hongsawaddy.

Among them, the Luzon Branch formed the core of their maritime security power.

After calculating the forces at his disposal, Ovi proposed a plan. ”I can transfer the recently commissioned amphibious assault ship, the *Greater Luzon*, the amphibious assault ship *Negros*, and four Manila-class Frigates.”

Also considering the need to construct a base on land, he continued, ”As for other ground security teams, I recommend we transfer one Field Division and one army aviation division from the Hongsawaddy Branch.”

”Regarding the Hongsawaddy Branch, I’ll have to trouble you to coordinate with Mao Gu,” Chen Jianxiong entrusted this task directly to Ovi.

Ovi didn’t refuse, as this was something they could coordinate internally within the External Security Division. ”No problem. I’ll discuss it with Mao Gu right away. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

”Then I’ll leave it to you.”

”Don’t mention it. We’re all on the same team.”

After the two said their goodbyes, Chen Jianxiong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

To reduce the pressure and attention on their activities in Asia, Chen Jianxiong once again instructed the head of the Latin America Region to ramp up their operations.

’Can’t let America have it too easy.’