Chapter 1206: The Viper of the Empire (Second update, please subscribe)
As usual, the dawn broke in the east, and London ushered in a new day. The sun came from the east, close to the horizon, through the gray morning mist, and began to illuminate the earth. It was another eventful day.
Lawrence did not sleep well that night. When he did not sleep well, he would toss and turn all night.
As usual, Lawrence ate the breakfast prepared by Dahomme and gloomily read the morning newspaper. He was looking for what Hamlet called "something that could excite passion", something that could arouse his passion.
After returning to England from Jerusalem, Lawrence found himself in a dilemma. What was this dilemma?
He was not excited about anything. He hoped to find something to get himself out of this state of mind.
He once suggested funding the tribes in the Arabian Desert to help them resist the rule of France and the Ming Dynasty. He wanted to participate in it, but was rejected.
After "Jerusalem", he has been neglected, and it seems that everyone has forgotten him. If he had not received the salary of a lieutenant colonel every month, he would even feel that he had been forgotten by the British Empire.
He once did something earth-shattering!
And now?
He is just an insignificant person in London, and only he can understand this feeling.
"The Amazon expedition team of Nanhua University of the Ming Empire has entered the Amazon River. They will..."
Looking at the news in the newspaper, this was old news from yesterday. Such news would not arouse much interest in London. At most, it would make some people in the Royal Geographical Society want to go to the Amazon and conduct expeditions based on the empire's self-esteem, so as to compete with the Ming Empire.
What else is there?
However, Lawrence frowned slightly when reading the news, and muttered to himself.
"Amazon, Ming Empire..."
Once again, Lawrence thought of the Ming Dynasty, the country that had seized Africa. Because of Africa, Britain had once had unpleasant experiences with the Ming Dynasty, but they were only unpleasant experiences. After all, diplomacy cannot solve problems. London did not condemn the Ming Dynasty's seizure of Africa, nor did it launch a preemptive attack, nor did it engage in heated rhetoric or mutual insults. It seemed that London did not protest against what the Ming Empire did in Africa.
"Africa, America... If we don't cut off their evil claws, the Ming Dynasty will sooner or later reach out to the whole world, and finally threaten the entire British Empire!"
While thinking deeply, Lawrence saw another piece of news in the newspaper: "The No. 3 Tunnel of the Ming Ecuador International Railway is completed..."
"International Railway, International Railway..."
Muttering this word, Lawrence suddenly made up his mind and said.
"I need to find Sir Manson and talk to him clearly."
After Colonel Weinberg retired, Sir Manson became Lawrence's direct superior. Of course, what Lawrence would never know was that it was Sir Manson who saved his life.
"The British Empire needs to keep this guy, this venomous snake!"
"Master, do you need a taxi?"
The servant Dahom standing by said at the right time,
Looking up at Dahome, a glimmer of tenderness flashed in Lawrence's eyes. When he brought him back to London from Jerusalem, Dahome was only fourteen years old. On the surface, Dahome was his butler, but in fact he was his lover.
"Um,"
Lawrence nodded.
"A taxi!"
Ten minutes later, when the taxi arrived at the door and was about to leave, Lawrence looked at Dahom and said.
"Dahom, believe me, one day I will give you that gift."
What is the gift?
Of course it is the freedom of Tianfang.
…
"Pan-American International Railway,"
In Lord Manson's study, Lawrence begins his narrative:
"About ten years ago, the Ming Empire Railway Company proposed the construction of the "Pan-American International Railway", that is, to connect the South American countries through railways. This plan was originally proposed by the emperor himself. On the surface, this plan is a railway, but in fact it is to infiltrate and control the South American countries through railways. In the past many years, due to the opposition of the Peru-Bolivia Federation, this plan has been shelved until now. Now, with the demise of the Peru-Bolivia Federation, the last obstacle has disappeared, and facing the powerful and arrogant Ming Empire, South America is simply unable to stop their ambitions. As early as last year, countries including Ecuador signed..."
Lord Manson gestured impatiently.
"Lieutenant Colonel, you need to talk about some substantive issues."
"The real question? What if..."
Lawrence said.
"Sir Manson, if we don't stop them now, then soon we will have to see an Ecuador completely controlled by the Ming Dynasty. They will infiltrate the country through the railway and eventually take control of it."
“It’s no secret!”
Sir Manson's slightly angry look is an interesting signal, he doesn't show it but just hints at a slight displeasure - his time is precious!
"Yes, it is a well-known fact."
Lawrence sat silently across from the desk. From Sir Manson, he could appreciate the approach of an old-school imperial elite who only had the interests of the empire in their eyes.
"The only question is, how are we going to stop them!"
"Stop them?"
Sir Manson's casual question had an aggressive tone.
"What will stop them? A fleet? A war? Can Ecuador stop them?"
"It can't be stopped! Ecuador can't stop it, Colombia, Venezuela, they can't stop it!"
Shaking his head, Lawrence said bluntly.
"But if we don't find a solution, we can only watch the Ming Dynasty occupy the entire Americas! This is definitely not in the interests of the British Empire, so we must think of some solutions besides sending out a fleet!"
Lord Manson, the man in charge of covert operations for the British Empire, pondered as he looked at Lawrence.
This guy is a venomous snake!
A venomous snake loyal to the British Empire! In the past years, Lawrence has proved his loyalty with silence.
The British Empire needed this venomous snake, which is why he was spared.
Just as he said, the British Empire could not just sit and watch them connect America into a whole bit by bit with railways, and then use the railways to control those backward South American countries.
"What's going to stop them, Lieutenant Colonel?"
Lord Manson asked.
"Sir Manson, I have a plan! If we take this action, we may not be able to stop Ecuador from stopping it, but at least we can make all the countries including Colombia and Venezuela choose to refuse! At least they will refuse desperately!"
On the way here, Lawrence had already thought about several steps of action. He took out a notebook and handed it to Sir Manson, saying:
"This is the plan I drew up. It costs very little, only a few hundred pounds, and we don't even need our people to show up to implement it."
When Sir Manson took the notebook and picked it up with interest, his secretary walked into the office with a cup of coffee, put it on the table, and asked:
"Lieutenant Colonel, coffee please?"
Lawrence smiled at her:
"Coffee, that's just what I needed, thank you, Miss Lucy."
"It doesn't matter."
Miss Lucy turned and left the room.
Sir Manson was still looking through Lawrence's plan. He was thinking as he read, as if he was considering the feasibility of the plan. Finally, when he closed the notebook, his eyes changed when he looked at Lawrence, and the corners of his lips rose slightly.
"Lieutenant Colonel, you really didn't let me down! By the way, are you interested in participating in another project?"
(End of this chapter)
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