Long-term salvation

As for [Large-Scale Wars], the most likely scenario is to gather together and become the final bargaining chip to shake up a battle, or to tear open a small gap to create conditions for subsequent large-scale attacks. Don't expect to hold the line or be the main force on the battlefield."

"Similarly, in a large-scale war, no matter how technologically advanced your equipment is or how many advanced vehicles your units possess, it won't mean much if you have insufficient manpower, no logistics support, and poor training. For at least the next twenty to thirty years, or even half a century, the human element will remain a crucial element in military warfare. Weapons are an important factor in warfare, but not the decisive factor. It's people, not things, that are the decisive factor."

The younger generations of your group are the best example...it's shameful on both sides.

"That's why I need 'allies,'" Rhode said meaningfully. "No 'monster' can survive the steel torrent, the sky-shattering bombardment, and the nuclear flash. Monsters die when killed, and the same goes for humans."

"Of course, it's best for us not to participate in a large-scale war. After all, the Army Without Borders isn't a country, and global operations require the political endorsement of the United Nations. This is what I and... those old men will be doing in the future. You don't have to worry."

"But there are still some incorporeal monsters that are very troublesome, aren't they?" Balalaika said aloud. She finally got the cigar from Rhodes today as she wished, and now she was squinting her eyes, enjoying the aroma of the top-grade Cuban tobacco. "What should we do then? We can't use tactical nuclear weapons in every situation, right?"

"The first one will be handled by a professional [Mobile Task Force], and the second one, I will take action."

Rhodes replied calmly, but then he shrugged under the soldiers' eager admiring gazes and added with a smile:

"Of course, I'm not always available, so Atlas Corporation and Aperture Technologies are both developing the appropriate weapons, protective equipment, and containment devices. Science and technology are the primary productive forces. Soldiers, I will not let you go to the battlefield unprotected—even if it means sacrifice, it must be meaningful."

After thinking about Rod's words, Colonel Orlovsky nodded. He sighed and sat back in the chair beside the small table. Looking at the medals and the long-unused officer's ID on the table, he said with a half-joyful and half-sad tone:

"I understand. At least I can still do my old job here and command an army."

"Your abilities and experience are more than enough for this task," Rod laughed, pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, and lit one for himself—no one was trying to stop him smoking. After a few puffs, Rod jokingly said, "If the Soviet Union were to launch a real 'Big Thunderstorm Plan', I'm sure you would be the one to tear down the Berlin Wall."

Hearing Rhodes's joke, the colonel waved his hands in annoyance and said unhappily:

"I used to think the top brass might attack NATO to resolve the economic difficulties, but now it seems that even that map-headed guy doesn't have the courage... Tsk, although I don't think this is a good solution, it's at least better than throwing power to the ground and letting a madman pick it up."

"Let's not discuss what may or may not happen now, Colonel." Rhodes patted the colonel's shoulder, walked to the window, and looked at the ships and cargo ships anchored in the port. Suddenly, he remembered something else and turned to the soldiers and said:

"Your Warsaw Pact weapons and equipment will be provided by Atlas, but you must also learn to use NATO weapons and remember to get along well with your colleagues."

"...NATO tanks are terrible."

"Fighting isn't just about tanks, and it's not just on the ground. Soldiers, I hope you can learn how to fly fighter jets... Oh, that's right! Colonel!" Rhodes whipped his head around and looked at the startled colonel. "I still need fighter pilots, pilots of all kinds of aircraft, as many as you can!"

"Well... okay, I'll contact them, and Perseus will definitely help."

"That's great," Rhodes said, pulling out a small notebook and excitedly writing it down. "I'm planning to set up an air corps for the Army Without Borders, complete with fighter jets, transport planes, and the like. Going to Moscow? No, I'm not going. I want to go home... or maybe even go to Turkey first."

Chapter 260: Crossing the Bosphorus

As the passenger ship entered the Bosphorus Strait, dusk was spreading from the Asiatic Plain to the European Hills.

The condensed raindrops on the porthole glass reflected the city skyline into mottled fragments, like a kaleidoscope through thousands of refractions, but these were firmly bound within the copper window frame and covered with a hazy mist due to the girl's warm breath.

"Istanbul..."

"No, wrong! It's Constantinople!" Rhodes suddenly jumped up from his chair. He picked up the thin literary girl and spun her around several times like he was teasing a child. "You, you must hold on to this belief - one day, Constantine XI will return like lightning!"

"Your return wasn't lightning-fast," Himari quipped. The teaspoon between her fair fingers made a resonant sound as it touched the wall of the cup, and the deep amber tea slowly swirled in the direction of her stirring. "Besides, the entire population of Greece is smaller than that of Istanbul, right? (1036 million/1566 million, 2023)"

Hearing the girl's words, Rhode sighed and put down the dizzy You, and said in a pretentious aria:

"Will there not be a Christian to come and cut off my head?"

"The one who has chopped off the most Christian heads is the Christian, Sensei," Himari smiled and delivered a two-hit combo.

These words immediately made Rhode raise his eyebrows. He quickly approached Himari and put his face directly in front of the girl. Facing the suddenly blushing cheeks, Rhode was still getting closer, but he quickly withdrew before really touching those cherry lips, sitting back on his small sofa, raising his eyebrows at the girl proudly, looking particularly funny.

"...Sensei really doesn't act like an 'adult' at all."

Himari coughed lightly a few times, trying to completely suppress the embarrassment in her heart, but the tea that had already spilled made her efforts in vain.

After realizing that her little bit of evil could not stand up to the shameless man in front of her, the girl quickly changed the subject and asked:

"Ms. Marianne and Miss Mana haven't come back yet... and neither has Miss Little Red Riding Hood."

"Just call them by their first name. They'll definitely prefer a more intimate name."

Rhodes wiped his hands with a clean wet towel, then placed his cold hands on the dizzy face of You, who quickly regained consciousness and let out a cute cry - but Rhodes had no intention of letting her go. After his palms were completely warmed by the scorching cheeks, he chose to remove his palms, leaving the literary girl in a dizzy state again.

This girl is really interesting... I'll continue teasing her later.

"Please let Yu go," Himari said helplessly. She leaned forward slightly and placed the teacup on the small table. "You played with the child until he almost fainted. You didn't even read much of the information."

"Indeed," Rhodes nodded in agreement. He then put on a malicious smile, looked at the somewhat uneasy Himari, and said slowly, "Should I change my target?"

“…Hmm?!”

The door of the luxurious room was opened just right, causing Himari to look at the door with a bit of regret and loss in her heart:

It's Marianne and the others who have returned.

They wheeled in an aluminum cart loaded with Turkish-style dishes and half a slow-roasted lamb, its crust as crisp as amber icing and a dazzling, irresistible glow. The oxtail stew still simmered in a clay pot, its thick sauce brimming with chickpeas like pearls from the sea.

The most stunning dish, however, is the marinated sea bass sashimi – silvery-blue fillets from the Sea of ​​Marmara, translucent as moonlight, folded into lotus shapes and dipped in saffron emulsion, garnished with wild capers and dill sprouts.

At this moment, the dining cart, the round table on which the food was placed, and even the entire room itself seemed to have become a miniature territory of the Ottoman Empire, and the Sultan inside was inspecting his territory with satisfaction... and his beautiful concubines.

Rhodes changed his identity quite obediently. He made a cross on his chest and whispered:

"Pretend to change your faith, only to regret it later."

"You're saying something we don't understand again, Commander. Well, these were supposed to be delivered by the ship's waiter, but we intercepted them en route and are taking them along."

Marian said with a smile, and behind her, Mana and Little Red Riding Hood were shaking the cherry wine and several wine glasses in their hands at Rod.

The clouds in the distance had gradually parted, and the sunlight leaking through the gaps passed through the rain-covered portholes and fell on the beautiful women in the room. They happily talked about the feeling of sailing and ate exotic Anatolian cuisine.

"We'll sleep one more night on the ship tonight, and we'll be arriving at the port of Hatay Province, Turkey tomorrow." Mana adjusted her glasses, her gaze sweeping across You's dazed face. "But speaking of which, Commander... are you planning on arranging for me to go to Atlas Corporation?"

"Hmm, not really." Rhodes swallowed the fish fillet in his mouth. As he used his knife to cut into the mutton oozing with gravy mixed with rosemary and sumac honey, he said to Nikki, "I plan to send you to Aperture Technology. Himari's personality and experience are not enough to deal with those crazy tech people who only want to cause trouble. The monthly project approval is still a bit troublesome, and Yuka doesn't know much about those high-end scientific research projects. As for Himari..."

Rhodes winked at the sickly girl in the wheelchair, who was eating baklava mille-feuille and Sardinian frankincense ice cream. After noticing Rhodes's gaze, the latter responded with a cute expression full of confusion.

"Himari, I was planning on sending her to Atlas. The people there are more ethical, and Ians can take care of her."

The girls of Kivotos...are still just students after all. Even though they possess extraordinary wisdom and strength, they are no match for the "adults" when it comes to scheming.

"What about me? Sensei, you said you would take me to the Vatican, right?"

You blinked and nibbled at her fork. The rich aroma of milk pudding still lingered between her forks, making her subconsciously unwilling to move it away. Because of this, she mumbled even now, and the blush on her face hadn't completely faded.

"Indeed," Rhodes nodded slightly. "But there's no rush now. I was originally planning to introduce you to the Greek director of the Cogito Foundation. His family runs a huge library and museum. But I think you'd rather go back to Hill Manor and see your room first. I've already notified Mary and the others to prepare it."

"That... is indeed something to look forward to."

The ferry crossed the Sea of ​​Marmara and entered the Aegean Sea, named after the Greek mythological figure Aegeus.

In the shaking waves, the ship slowly moved forward towards the ancient Kingdom of Antioch.

Chapter 261 Antakya?

Antakya in the morning is a piece of sun-melted amber, captivating with its historical beauty. The Orontes River, flowing through the city's edge, carries bronze reflections, winding like a liquid ribbon beneath the Roman stone bridge, casting trembling shadows on the Crusader-era walls.

The city is the capital of Turkey's Hatay Province, near the Syrian border. Formerly known as "Antioch," it was the place where Jesus' followers were first called "Christians." As early as the Seleucid era, it was a major economic, cultural, and military center. It later experienced rule through the Roman Empire, the Arab Empire, and the Principality of Antioch during the Crusades, ultimately falling to the Mamluk king Baibars I. To this day, Antakya has failed to regain its former glory.

Perhaps... after the arrival of the new "Crusaders", this place will become different again.

But now, Rhode just wanted to enjoy a slow and comfortable time. He threw all his troubles aside and sat on the old bench like a dead fish on the beach, watching the girls leave, talking and laughing, and walk towards the market.

At this moment, the clear sound of copper bells is still vibrating on the spire of the old church, and Christians are still worshipping the Church of St. Peter in the Grotto, but they are completely unaware that the real Son of God has already come, as if God has inadvertently flowed his divinity into this city.

Fragments of Byzantine mosaic tiles cast colorful spots of light on the stained glass of the newly built hotel. Next to the defense tower built during the Crusades, several oleander trees are dripping pink venom on the Ottoman-style carved iron gate.

The Kurdish craftsman's copper shop had just put up its awning, and the brass hookah was shining like honey in the morning light, entangled with the sesame aroma wafting from the Arab naan shop opposite, but was then overshadowed by the sizzling aroma of Turkish kebab escaping from the oven.

Christians walked by, Muslims walked by, and atheists stopped here.

Rhode endured the faint clamor and shouting, his gaze sweeping from buildings to pedestrians and the road, finally settling on the girls. Marian pushed Hiru's wheelchair, listening with a touch of curiosity to her and Mana's thoughts on technological development, while Yu held a thick, exquisite book with its title inscribed in Arabic.

The girls walked through the market selling all kinds of fruits, vegetables and food. They walked slowly along the uneven stone bricks, carefully selecting what they wanted - everything here had a wonderful exotic feel, completely different from the modern city in the distance.

Where is Little Red Riding Hood?

"Commander! Would you like some barbecue? And hummus with tomato sauce."

Little Red Riding Hood appeared out of nowhere, her long red hair swaying in the aroma of food. Rhode raised his eyes reluctantly and said slowly:

"Okay."

"Do you want me to feed you?"

"Okay, with your mouth?"

"!!!"

Little Red Riding Hood didn't dare to do this in front of passers-by. She shook her hair, letting the bright red hair hit Rod's face. When the latter stood up because of the itch, a thick cardboard box lined with tinfoil was stuffed into his hand.

The slightly hot temperature of the barbecue reached Rhodes' brain earlier than the aroma, causing him to open his eyes slightly. Then he saw three black cars driving through the narrow streets with difficulty and stopping near the bench.

"This comes at the perfect time," Rhodes sighed, still using a wooden spoon to stir the hummus with the sauce. "It could have been earlier or later, but now is the time..."

The burly men in suits got out of the car, walked up to Rhodes and said respectfully:

"Mr. Irons would like you to go to the new Antioch section of the city."

"Atlas Company, okay? Is he anxious?" Rhodes shrugged. He looked the security guards up and down and asked with a smile, "Have you eaten yet? If not, I can treat you to something."

"That's not necessary, Boss," the leading man said with an awkward smile. "Mr. Irons didn't specify a time, but he will be returning to the United States in the evening. If you want to go back early, you can take the same plane with him—those are his exact words."

Tsk...this old man's ability to understand people's hearts...

"Forget it, I'll go with you now," Rhode sighed. He stood up from the chair with a "Hey Yo" and turned his head to say to Little Red Riding Hood, "Let them come back. Um - buy some fruit and yogurt. It's not appropriate to go to see Irons empty-handed."

"I think if you give me something like fruit or yogurt, Mr. Irons will definitely complain about it... although he will eventually accept it with a stiff expression."

"Ah, yes, that's what I'm after."

Rhodes spoke incoherently as he quickly ate the hummus in the box with a disposable spoon, stuffing the grilled meat into his mouth as well, which looked rather unsightly.

Atlas security personnel: "..."

little Red Riding Hood:"……"

It felt like we were drawn into some weird PLAY.

The security personnel were relieved that Rhodes was willing to go now. Atlas Corporation had only begun to expand its influence in the Antioch region three months ago, and along with it came intelligence personnel from various countries and forces, and even some extremist forces were beginning to stir.

At this time, it is better to be more careful.

After greeting the girls who were carrying various small gifts and distributing some Red Apple cigarettes, which no one wanted to smoke, to the security personnel, Rhodes got in the car and drove towards the new city area in the slowly starting vehicle.

Atlas Corporation plans to build another city outside the urban area of ​​Antakya and transform the modern urban area to prevent the destruction of ancient buildings of great historical value.

For this reason, on the wide roads outside the city, one can see large trucks heading towards the new city, as well as Labor engineering robots being transported by heavy-duty trailers. This thing can already be seen on construction sites in countries around the world, even within the Warsaw Pact. Even Aurora has begun to build manufacturing plants in the Northeast as a state-owned enterprise to meet the country's growing industrial and construction needs.

The best labor engineering robot on the market now is a product from Atlas, but it is also competing with Aperture Technology and its affiliated Japanese subsidiary Shinohara Heavy Industries. In the future, more manufacturing companies will obviously join this feast.

Looking at the heavy trailers and the engineering robots on them passing by the car window, Rhodes had a feeling that the world was developing at a frantic pace. Perhaps in a few years, humans would be able to live the life they did a few years after the millennium... Many people would be left behind by the development of the times, but more people would catch up.

Suddenly, Rhode began to look forward to what human society and the entire world would become when the millennium arrived. He hoped that mankind could hold on until that moment and not cause any major trouble in the millennium.

But no matter what, the times are still developing, unstoppable and irreversible.

"Time, Forward!"

Rhodes muttered softly, causing Marian, who was sitting next to him, to look at him with doubt. She then noticed that her lover's eyes were still fixed on the engineering robots.

"Should I think about the Metal Gear from Metal Gear Solid? Oh, that's right! I wonder if those guys from Raiden will appear in this world... Never mind, there's no rush for that."

Rhode continued to relax while humming "Times, Forward", enjoying this rare leisure time, until -

"We're almost there, Boss."

The driver's voice pulled Rhodes back from his wandering thoughts. He looked forward and saw a heavy metal door slowly enlarging. Of course, it was not closed, but opened to facilitate the vehicles participating in the construction to come and go.

"New Antioch, the center of Atlas Corporation's rule in the Hatay-Antioch Autonomous Region of Türkiye."

A fortress-like city is rising up in front of Rhodes!

Chapter 262: New Antiaok!

dusty.

The skeletons of seven unfinished skyscrapers stand in the city center of New Antioch, like watchtowers for observation - day, night, the Mediterranean, the Levant, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia - the central building is the master who controls everything and is also the symbol of Atlas Corporation in this place.

New Antioch expands in all directions with the area where these skyscrapers are located as the core. Several roads and railways connect the industrial area, the old city, the new and old civil airports and military airports, and the Iskenderun port which is also under expansion... The Titan god who holds up the sky is unscrupulously exerting his power, bringing down miracles of steel, technology and violence.

Thousands of workers shuttled between the scaffolding, using welding guns as pens and dazzling electric arcs as paint to paint precise and cold architectural aesthetics between the steel beams. The splashing metal droplets fell like a rainstorm, melting the warning signs with words such as "Watch your head!" and "Danger of falling objects!" into star-like holes.

Twelve AL-3 bipedal engineering robots had awakened from their standby mode. These four-meter-tall steel giants half-knelt in their makeshift charging docks, pale blue smoke emanating from their back cooling grilles, and their hydraulic joints emitted a long, whining sound similar to a steam locomotive taking off.