Having a powerful lord as a father figure, what's wrong with just wanting to draw cards?

"?"

This turn of events caught Simon off guard: "What do you mean?"

"If everyone could guess that, could it still be called a 'do-or-die battle'?"

"To launch a surprise attack, we must find a relatively weak defense, one that the enemy will not expect and will not have time to defend. Don't you think the North is an excellent choice, sir?"

Before Simon could reply, Domi circled the border between the Northern Territory and the northern part of the XJ Domain. The Northern Territory had more land and did not have as many towering mountains and harsh weather as the South. Snowfields made up the majority of the terrain.

"Here! Right here, we'll make the most of our limited forces!"

"Go all in? What about the other places?"

"With the raiding force pressing in, how are the border patrol teams in other areas supposed to defend themselves? Since they're all going to die anyway, why not have a bloodless gamble?"

Even if we gamble wrong, the worst that can happen is that we lose some property and resources. Our forces have already been mobilized, and we know the enemy's movements.

If the gamble succeeds, it will crush the enemy's last hope, severely demoralize the front lines, and allow the imperial army to advance unimpeded and capture the capital in a much shorter time.

"Your Excellency, this is clearly a win-win situation. Compared to the original defense plan, what do you think?"

To be fair, Simon was genuinely moved by the boy's plan. Even though it was just a general direction, the pros and cons were clear, which was the most important thing. Sometimes making a choice isn't difficult; just always go for the side that brings the most benefit.

"I need to discuss this with my staff again. If possible, the proposal will be sent to you soon."

"That's excellent~" Domi nodded in satisfaction.

Helping Simon wouldn't actually advance his goals, but Simon is the Prime Minister. If he could gain Simon's favor and approval, then everything he did in the future would have another layer of support, making his lobbying efforts much easier.

"Before I leave, I have one more thing to add. I hope to set up an additional department specifically responsible for releasing real false information to the enemy, so that the enemy will misjudge our deployment and strength."

Simon, stroking his chin, reversed his attitude and began to seriously consider its feasibility:

"With it in place, the plan we just discussed could have been carried out smoothly, right?"

"Yes."

“Excellent! I’ll start drafting the documents right away and submit the application to His Majesty immediately. Minister Dominic, what do you think should be called for this new department?”

Domi couldn't help but think of the records of this department from various countries during World War II in his previous life, and then a name subconsciously surfaced in his mind:

"How about we call it the 'Strategic Deception Bureau'?"

The Strategic Deception Bureau, also known as the Strategic Deception Bureau.

192. Chapter 189 188 Pressure mounts upon me, a toast to the future.

The next day, the Strategic Deception Bureau officially took root next to the intelligence department. Domi spent the whole night going from casinos, slums, brothels, post offices, and underground exchanges in the royal city, managing to gather a group of robbers.

There are counterfeiters, sellers of fake goods, those skilled at camouflage in garbage dumps, forgers of stamps, letters, and intelligence, those who can spout nonsense without batting an eye, and prostitutes who can lure people into bed with just a few words.

To others, these people were social garbage, like dead rats in the sewers of the imperial porridge, but to Domi, the first director of the Strategic Deception Bureau, they were all rare talents!

These are the people the Strategic Deception Bureau needs!

He stood on the table, looking down at his diverse group of direct subordinates, and announced in a mature leadership tone:

"From this day forward, the Lionheart Empire's Strategic Deception Bureau is officially established here!"

Although no one knew what had happened or what they were supposed to do, they simply applauded and that was it, since it was a stable job within the system.

Thunderous applause erupted from below, loud enough for even the intelligence department next door to hear. It was a huge show of respect for Domi, and he was very pleased.

"Many people may not know what the Strategic Deception Bureau does, so I will explain it here."

"The main task of so-called war deception is to make the enemy act according to one's own wishes, rather than their own thoughts, and to deceive the enemy through deception."

Common tactics include creating false appearances and signs to mislead the enemy into overestimating or underestimating their abilities, causing them to take meaningless actions, or providing an intelligence advantage to lure the enemy deeper into their territory.

"Let me give you an example. If the Empire's army is going to launch a surprise attack on an enemy city, how can you make them mistakenly believe that the Empire is going to attack the capital city instead of the city itself? The first person to answer this question will receive a month's salary in advance!"

The moment the words left his mouth, countless hands shot up.

As long as you're the first to answer, you don't even need to answer correctly. Who wouldn't want free money?

They also learned that their department seemed to have no shortage of funds.

Domi never showed favoritism to anyone. With his incredibly sharp reflexes, he immediately spotted the first person to raise his hand—a middle-aged man who stood out as handsome among this group of oddballs.

I remember he found this guy in a brothel. He was just about to start when Domi broke in through the window, preached the concept of the Strategic Deception Bureau and the basic salary, and then the prostitute and this guy joined together. It was a kind of 'nepotism' in a different sense.

Domi still doesn't know what this guy does.

He pointed at the man: "Come on, tell me."

The man stepped out from the crowded throng, approached Domi, coughed twice, and said earnestly:

"If the Empire wants its frontline legions to strike any target, it must transmit the message from within the country, and there are bound to be spies from enemy nations within the country. Let's assume that this message will inevitably be intercepted by spies..."

"In this way, I will transmit the message of the feint attack along the most obvious road, and then have someone secretly send the real message. I believe that someone here must know this kind of disguise technique."

Domi listened with great interest.

"Having spies obtain intelligence about a feint attack is only the first step. To make the other side completely believe that the Empire will attack the capital, other supporting work is needed."

"The second step is to distribute large quantities of enemy capital city maps to the front-line legions."

"The third step is to have the Empire forge a large number of fake soldier files and send them to the front lines, making the enemy believe that we are amassing a large army."

"The fourth step is to develop a detailed and as realistic an attack plan as possible."

"The fifth step is to have the front-line troops send scouts to frequently visit the area around the capital city in batches."

"In this way, they will most likely believe this 'fact'. If they don't believe it, it doesn't matter, because they can't afford to gamble. Even if they don't believe it, they will definitely disperse their forces. In any case, it will be advantageous to our side. Director, I think this is probably the meaning of the existence of the Strategic Deception Bureau."

The man spoke with such confidence throughout his plan, as if the entire plan already existed in his mind. Domi couldn't think of a better word than genius to describe this extraordinary man who was born to be a member of the Strategic Deception Bureau.

It was so good that I decided to go to the brothel that day...

Domi led the applause, and the others followed suit, offering applause in admiration for the man's plan.

As the applause subsided, Domi jumped off the table and patted the man on the shoulder: "Very good, this is exactly what I imagined the Strategic Deception Bureau should do! What's your name?"

The man bowed at a ninety-degree angle and said, "Reporting to the Director, my name is Clark. You can just call me Clark."

"Yes, everyone should learn more from Mr. Clark." After saying that, he added, "Little Clark, come with me for a moment."

A smug look appeared on Clark's face. Sure enough, there are benefits to being a pioneer. Look, the opportunity to get promoted and make a fortune is about to be presented to him!

Domi called Clark into his office alone and showed him the large map, the same size as the one in Simon's room:

“I have a task for you. Do you see this border line that borders the North? I suspect that the enemy’s hidden forces will invade and raid the Empire from here. I have persuaded Lord Simon Bolivar to begin preparations, and your task is to create the illusion that our border troops are scattered along the entire border.”

"This will be your first mission. I know it's difficult to assign such a task to a fledgling department, but it's urgent. The fate of the entire empire rests on your shoulders, K. Can you do it?"

Clark couldn't help but swallow hard after hearing this, his pupils trembling.

He thought it would be an easy task, but he didn't expect the Director to immediately push him to the limit, even raising it to the national level. How could someone like him, who was visiting a low-end brothel last night, possibly get involved in this?

"The cowardly starve while the bold thrive. I'm just a worthless life anyway, might as well do it!"

After a period of internal struggle, Clark resolutely accepted this important task.

"Leave it to me, Chief! I will do my best to complete the mission!"

“Very good, that’s the spirit I’m looking for! From today onwards, the entire department will be under your command. Give me a report every now and then, and I will also provide assistance. If you have any needs, just let me know, and if you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me.”

After saying that, Domi stretched out his hand and patted Clark on the back, saying meaningfully, "As long as this matter succeeds, you and I will both be heroes of the empire, and one day we will rise to great heights. A bright future, endless money, and countless women will be within our grasp. Everything is just around the corner."

This rosy prospect really appealed to Clark, and at this moment he couldn't help but feel excited, determined to make a name for himself in the Strategic Deception Bureau!

The matter concerning the Strategic Deception Bureau has temporarily come to a close with Clark acting as its agent.

Domi turned left after leaving the house and returned to the intelligence department. He began to review the documents he had compiled that day, putting the useful ones aside and the useless ones aside. In any case, whether they were useful or not, his horizons were gradually broadening as he was constantly exposed to new intelligence.

Real data is the least deceptive, and it can reveal a lot about things.

"The national treasury's revenue and expenditure are starting to become a bit unbalanced... but thankfully, this war will end soon."

"All we need to do is defeat that surprise attack," he added to himself.

As the end of the workday approached, the light was tinged with the last crimson afterglow, and layers of fiery clouds covered the sky. As darkness fell, everyone finished their work, packed their bags, and left early. Domi tidied up her desk and prepared to leave as well.

Just then, the tightly closed door was pushed open again. Domi thought it was some careless guy who had forgotten to bring something, but when he looked up, he was surprised to see that it was Shia.

The little princess has a new dress almost every day, and she looked beautiful today, making Domi extremely happy.

Shea walked straight towards him as if she were in her own home, then plopped down on his desk without a care for her image—wait, as if this really was her own house…

It's only in these situations, when it's just the two of them, that she shows her true self. She's the same way all the time; for example, in the dorm at the academy, she often puts her feet on Domi's stomach as a cushion, acting incredibly domineering.

"I heard you ousted the original intelligence minister and became the minister yourself?"

Domi proudly raised his head: "That's right!" with an expression that said, "Praise me, praise me!"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Shia gave Domi a light flick on the forehead:

"Fool, how could you be so reckless? What if he goes to complain to the Queen Mother or the King?"

"Don't worry, I put a lot of pressure on him before I forced him to leave. He wouldn't dare to go to them even if he had ten times the courage. He's probably at home now, waiting impatiently for a new transfer order."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Since I chose to do it, I must have been confident. Everything is going as expected, and the situation is very promising."

Seeing Domi's certainty, Shia could only sigh, "Alright, since you've put it that way... but it's still best to keep a low profile most of the time..."

Thank you for your concern~

"Who cares about you?" Shia turned her head away haughtily, but quickly looked back. "By the way, I remember the document Mother gave you didn't mention making you the Minister of Intelligence, did it? Tell me honestly, what exactly did you do this time?"

Domi deliberately kept everyone in suspense, saying, "Sia, you need to understand that when you're out in the world, you have to choose your own identity."

Well, even if Domi didn't say it, she pretty much knew it was some kind of crooked and unorthodox method.

"Like I said, since you've come from an illegitimate source, then keep a low profile. Here, take this. Eat it when you're tired, but don't overwork yourself. You still have ranked matches to play when you get back."

Shea took a glass jar containing small black pills out of her bag and tossed it to him.

Domi took it and examined it curiously: "What is this? Is it a mud ball with legs outstretched and eyes wide open?"

The little princess rolled her eyes: "Fine, consider my good intentions wasted. This is a health-preserving pill made from concentrated medicinal herbs, specially made to replenish energy. I got it because I was worried you were working too hard. If you don't want to eat it, just throw it away."

After saying that, she jumped off the table with a whoosh, landed steadily on the ground, and walked towards the door without looking back.