Working as a police officer in Mexico-Chapter 1716 - 771: You Gotta Have Some Culture, Otherwise You Don’t Even Know How to Curse Properly

He forced a smile that looked worse than crying: "You're right, Thomas, there's no need to call. It won't help. They will politely ask my secretary to leave a message, and then throw it into the wastebasket. Or worse, have some aide reply with a 'message received, will convey to relevant parties'."

Thomas remained silent, unsure of what to say.

Comfort? This position doesn't need comfort. Advice? Any advice seems ridiculously pale in the face of reality.

"Capital has to make money, Thomas."

Wilks murmured, his gaze vacant, "The Military Industrial Complex needs to make money, politicians need to gain political capital and real kickbacks, the country? What is the country? The country is their ATM, their chessboard, their bargaining chip in deals with others. If the country is gone... then it's gone. They can build another one, or like now, divide it into several pieces, which might be more convenient for them to manage and easier for bloodsucking."

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the glaringly bright sunshine outside, feeling it was so fake it made him nauseous.

"Let those outside still protesting 'government incompetence' and 'selling out the country' save their energy."

Wilks said softly, as if speaking to Thomas, as well as himself, "This government was sold out long ago. From me, no, from even earlier, it has been sold off little by little. Now, it's just moving from the shadows into the open, from the details of contracts to the headlines."

He waved his hand, signaling that Thomas could leave.

Thomas opened his mouth, but in the end, he just bowed slightly and quietly exited the office, gently closing the door.

Wilks sat alone in the large office, the sun still shining brightly, the tea completely cold. He reached out, slowly closing the copy of the "American Bird Atlas" stained by tea on his desk.

On the cover, a bald eagle was majestically spreading its wings, its gaze sharp.

He stared at it for a long time, then picked up the internal phone, "Connect me with the remaining officers at the Treasury Department and the Department of Commerce. Also, have the White House Counsel's Office prepare a report on the 'legal history and potential risks of foreign entities acquiring long-term land use rights and associated rights within the United States.' No rush, I'll need it by next week."

He knew this report was useless, but it was the only thing left he could do to act presidential.

The British actions were like a tsunami.

The news couldn't be contained.

In fact, the "Freedom Alliance" Kentucky authorities and the British side didn't seem to intend to completely hide it. Within a few days, the details were deliberately or unintentionally leaked to some pro-"Freedom Alliance" or pro-British media outlets.

The "Louisville Messenger," which had moved from the Kentucky State Capital to the relatively safer Louisville for publication, ran a not very prominent but information-packed article below the front page, titled: "A New Breakthrough in Wartime Investment: British Investments Enter Louisville Port, Boosting Economy and Logistics." The article, in a dry commercial tone, described the "key points" of the agreement, emphasizing that this would bring "an initial investment of millions of British Pounds," "hundreds of direct employment opportunities," and "more efficient Coalition Forces logistics transfer capabilities." As for sensitive terms like "extraterritorial rights," it glossed over with long-winded sentences like "According to the Coalition Forces Status Agreement and local legal framework, the British side will be responsible for basic order and security within its own area."

But for the commanders of other NATO countries and the capital groups behind them, this report was like a loud slap, and also a clear signal: Damn!

The Brits are already in, what are you all doing?

Everyone panicked at once, it was like queuing up, everyone has something to eat, but seeing others eat first, you feel something's wrong.

The French acted the fastest.

Scud missile...

No choice, it's historical heritage.

Under the promotion of Durand Colonel and the more direct orders from Paris, French diplomatic and commercial channels ran at full speed. The target was not Kentucky, which the British already regarded as their sphere of influence, but Tennessee, which also held an important strategic position under the control of the "Freedom Alliance."

Capital, Nashville.

In the state government building, the atmosphere was tense and delicate.

The French delegation was no longer purely military, but led by a banker named Pierre Dupont, wearing an Armani suit, accompanied by two assistants and a legal advisor.

Accompanying was a Lieutenant Colonel from the French Army's Foreign Legion, but his role was more like that of a bodyguard and a symbol, with little input at the negotiation table.

Their goal was the facilities along the Mississippi River at Memphis Port, and more importantly, an aluminum extraction and primary smelting industry chain located in the eastern part of Tennessee, which, although semi-idle, had relatively intact equipment. Aluminum is an important strategic metal, indispensable for aircraft manufacturing.

The negotiations were not easy.

Some officials in Tennessee still had a national consciousness and were wary of handing over key assets to foreigners.

But the conditions brought by Dupont were too tempting: an instant "leasing prepayment" priced in stable Swiss Francs, enough to alleviate the looming financial collapse of the state government; a promise to restore and upgrade the mines and smelting facilities, employ local workers, though the management and technical core would be French, and a vague but seemingly promising "technical transfer and future cooperation memorandum."

More importantly, the French Lieutenant Colonel casually mentioned that a battalion of the Foreign Legion was stationed less than a hundred miles away and was "very willing to conduct joint training with the Tennessee National Guard, share intelligence, to deal with any instability from the western Mexican-controlled zone or internally."