The shining Shoko Toyokawa

When her female companion was about to speak, the lieutenant colonel stopped her and said, "The coat you retweeted is great. It will look beautiful on you. I'll buy it for you someday."

"How can this be possible? I have already accepted so many gifts from the lieutenant colonel..."

The female companion said sorry, but she didn't have any regrets and turned away.

She did not leave immediately, but returned to the banquet hall.

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya didn't care where she went or what she did.

She stepped on the fresh snow and walked slowly into the snow that no one had cleaned.

"No one can resist temptation...?"

"Because human hearts cannot stand the test." The crunching sound of snow, accompanied by the voice of a middle-aged man, came against the cold wind. "Don't try to test people's hearts, Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya."

Hearing that voice, the lieutenant colonel turned and saluted, "Captain Calvin,"

The person who came was the new captain of the White Trojan Horse, Calvin Vincent.

"Your speech just now was very good, Lieutenant Colonel,"

Calvin is a capable brigadier general with a standard buzz cut. Although he is in his forties or fifties, one can vaguely tell that when he was young, he probably looked a bit like Captain America.

"Nowadays, many people want to join the Space Force, but they lack an understanding of its importance. As you said, as long as you control space, even a random rock thrown down would be unbearable for the country."

He naturally walked in front of Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya and began to walk forward on his own.

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya certainly didn't think that this Brigadier General was just here to blow the cold wind like himself.

So I followed him two steps behind, waiting for him to say something serious.

"Does the Lieutenant Colonel think that America can rest easy now that we have the White Horse?"

As expected, he started talking about "business" after a while.

"There's a history in Area 11 called the Enemy in Honnoji. Lieutenant Colonel, could you explain it to me? What does it mean?"

"Captain, the meaning of this sentence is very complex. The general meaning is that the former friendly forces are now enemies, and they are right next to us." Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya was neither vague nor cautious.

"Don't you think this is a terrible thing, Captain?"

"..." Vice Captain Chihaya was silent for a moment before saying, "Captain, the center of the storm is the calmest."

Her meaning was also very clear. Whether it was the fight between the two parties in America or the intervention of the people of Ji'an, in the final analysis, it had little to do with her who was at the center of the storm.

No matter who wins in the end, she will still be the one driving Penelope.

As long as America needs her, it doesn't matter who wins.

In the last election, she was bribed to support the current president's mortal enemy, and the current president still had to give her a medal after knowing this.

Now America cannot do without Penelope in order to maintain her hegemony.

To put it more bluntly, don't spill blood on me, I don't want to get involved in your business.

Captain Calvin paused in the snow. "If we can allow you to bury Xia Isabella's body, will you assist us?"

Chapter 186: The three forces fighting openly and secretly

"you?"

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya's eyes flickered, and in a moment...they regained their composure.

"Which side are you on?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, don't you think America is indecent right now?" The captain didn't respond directly. "The current ruling party is being manipulated by arms dealers. The South Vietnam War, the Yugoslav War, the First and Second Gulf Wars, and the Slavic Brotherly War were all initiated when they were in power.

Many wars are of no benefit to America itself. They are simply arms dealers coercing the Democratic Party in order to sell weapons.

The result is not only chaos in the world, but also a huge drain on America's finances!"

When the captain spoke of the excitement, his voice became louder and louder.

"For the election four years from now, America must avoid repeating the same mistakes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If the Democrats are exposed for disregarding the lives of thousands of officers and launching a nuclear strike on an aircraft carrier during the Battle of the Strait of Hormuz, they will have no chance of recovery.

So-called 'democracy' will become a joke."

The lieutenant colonel exhaled a breath of white air and said calmly, "Captain, even if I don't intervene, I can still get her body back after the political situation stabilizes."

As if he hadn't expected her to remain so calm, the captain suppressed his smile and praised her, "The most important thing for a soldier is to remain calm. You haven't let your emotions affect your decision-making. Lieutenant Colonel, you may be able to go a long way on this path."

He stopped, cleared his throat, and said seriously: "Okay, let's stop chatting. As you said, in this storm, the center of the storm where you are is the calmest.

But please don't forget that the next ruling party will be the Republican Party, and in the next four years, how much power we can give you will ultimately be decided by us."

The captain claims to be a Republican, which is very black humor, whether it is true or not.

The current ruling party, the Democratic Party, was originally afraid that the officers after the Battle of the Strait of Hormuz would fight on the side of the Republicans, and at this critical moment when the White Trojan Horse sailed, they would give themselves a big blow.

In the end, it really became the "enemy in Honnoji", and even the new captain of the White Trojan Horse claimed to be a Republican.

"What do you need me to do?"

The matter was of great importance, so the lieutenant colonel did not agree directly.

Seeing that she didn't refuse, the captain smiled again, "Lieutenant Commander Chihaya, do you know why the emperor of Area 11 has been able to rule Area 11 for nearly 2000 years?"

After leaving these words, he waved his hand and left.

The lieutenant colonel stood alone in the snow for a while. She did not move forward, but returned to the party hall.

The reason why the Emperor of District 11 was able to rule District 11 for such a long time was naturally not because of brother-sister or mother-son marriages to maintain the purity of the bloodline of the bullshit Amaterasu.

But for most of the long history, the imperial capital was just a mascot and posed no threat to those who truly held power.

The reason why Calvin mentioned "Emperor" was that he wanted the lieutenant colonel to do nothing in the upcoming turmoil, just like the emperor.

Judging from what they thought the lieutenant colonel could do, Penelope should still be in the harbor.

——Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya quickly realized this. If all this was not a trap or a test of loyalty,

It can be said that the current ruling party, the Democratic Party, has been completely fooled by the next ruling party, the Republican Party. The Democratic Party thought it had replaced a group of loyal military officers, but in fact many of them stood on the side of the Republican Party.

But can the Democrats alone easily accomplish this?

Obviously unlikely.

So who is this "third party force"?

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya thought again of that annoying officer Jian.

It's not the lizard people or the dark government in urban legends that can influence American politics.

But in reality, they do exist.

They are the people from Ji'an who control a large amount of capital and have connections with people from all levels in America. They are superior to others in America in terms of public opinion and actual status.

In the past two months, due to the sharp decline in America's military influence in the Middle East, neighboring countries with irreconcilable conflicts with Ji'an have launched attacks.

The current ruling Democratic Party naturally refused to participate in the war and shed blood for the people of Ji'an, and refused to approve more military aid.

But the Republican Party, which is about to take power, has a completely different attitude. Regardless of whether troops are sent in the end, the aid will definitely be more than that of the current Democratic Party.

Therefore, it is natural that the Gian forces sided with the Republican Party at this last moment.

They are just like Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya. They will not 'lose' no matter which side they stand on. They only stand on the side to 'win' more.

But before 'winning', there are bound to be many twists and turns.

…………

At 3:1 AM on January 1, 2025, there was a knock on Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya's dormitory door. Naomi Misora ​​was standing outside with a terribly gloomy expression on her face.

"Nagasaki and the others have been kidnapped..."

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya's face turned pale.

But if you think about it carefully, isn't that the case? For their own interests, it is impossible for the bigwigs to abide by the rules honestly.

She thought that by becoming an officer, she could protect her friends, but in the final analysis, she was neither completely loyal to her subordinates nor

Without any background or connections, how could he possibly protect everyone?!

“…Tell me what happened.”

There was no point in yelling and getting angry at the only person I had a tangible connection with.

While Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya was listening to Naomi Misora's explanation of the situation, he made two cups of strong coffee and handed one to Naomi Misora.

"Half an hour ago, the people responsible for protecting them suddenly disappeared. The commissioner who noticed something was wrong went to investigate but saw no one. There were signs of a struggle at the scene, but it was quickly suppressed. It's very likely that the commissioner protecting them had defected."

"Whose representatives are those commissioners?" Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya rubbed his temples with a headache. "Democrats, Republicans? Or maybe Gian's people?"

"Probably the Democrats. They need you on their side tomorrow."

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya wanted to curse, but she finally held back.

"So, Miss Misora, whose side is she on? The Democrats or the Republicans? Or some other faction?"

"Your side," she blurted out without thinking.

Chihaya Takashi could only smile bitterly at this.

Ever since she decided to betray Xia, she has been without a partner.

No matter if it's the person you sleep with or the person you used to work with, none of them can be trusted.

Now she can no longer trust anyone.

Misora ​​Naomi naturally noticed this. The prematurely mature pink-haired girl was reflected in her black eyes. She gently patted her shoulder and assured her, "I will bring them back safely, but what happens after that?"

"After this?"

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya was a little puzzled.

Naomi Misora ​​did not explain, or to be more precise, she could not explain.

"Think more, think more about the future," she drank the still hot coffee, stood up and left the dormitory.

"Ms. Misora?!"

Facing Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya's call, Naomi Misora ​​did not turn back, but just waved to her with her back to her in the corridor.

Lieutenant Colonel Chihaya wanted to say something, but what could she say?

Can I go with you to find everyone?

America is so old, what's the point of having her as an outsider looking for someone?

In the final analysis, the Democrats held everyone hostage, most likely because they had already sensed something was wrong and wanted her to suppress the "rebellion" tomorrow.

Now she was in such a hurry to find someone that she couldn't guarantee everyone's safety.

Now is not the time for her to be anxious or desperate.

The lieutenant colonel sat back in her chair and stared at the wall in silence. No one knew what she was thinking at the moment.

…………

……

"Colonel Kihlen, should we also take Commissioner Naomi Misora ​​under control?"

In a secret facility, an officer in an American Navy uniform said to the obese officer beside him, "She's too perceptive. She might actually find us hiding there."

Jilian checked the time on his watch and chuckled, "Relax, Brigadier General John. I've hidden them in a completely safe place. Unless someone leaks the news, no one will be able to find them."

Brigadier General John cursed the old fox inwardly and gave up the idea of ​​asking where the 'hostage' was hidden.

Otherwise, if something goes wrong, it will look like he leaked the news.

"Poor Brigadier General Calvin, he thought he was hiding well, but in fact we have already discovered him," Brigadier General John said proudly, "This time, we can find all the hidden traitors!"

"By the way," he said with a smile, turning the phone around, "Colonel Killian, why are you helping us?"

"Of course you guys gave more," Jillian said with a smile that narrowed his eyes. "There are still nearly three months before the next president takes office. Gian needs more support during these three months. This is what they say: distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The current president has suddenly become generous.

As for generous friends, we in Ji'an are always willing to lend a helping hand."

'Damn vampires!'

John cursed in his heart, but his face was full of smiles. The old man's shriveled face was squeezed into a chrysanthemum.

………………

……

In this way, amidst the open and covert struggles among various forces, the launching ceremony of the White Trojan Horse officially began.