Victor glanced at the photo, his face expressionless: "That's normal. If it were us, we'd keep a trick up our sleeve too. Just make sure our 'backdoors' in those systems still work. Also, remind McTavish that the first batch of officers is due to train in Mexico soon. As for the training content... add courses on 'Anti-Access/Area Denial,' especially the sections on countering aircraft carriers."

Casare grinned: "Understood. By the way, over in Africa, Oluchi from Kenya just announced another former British colonial state has joined their 'Reparations Alliance.' London's Foreign Ministry is going crazy."

"Let them go crazy." Victor turned and headed to the door, "Tell the Foreign Ministry we can 'upon request' offer 'neutral historical archive verification and loss assessment services' for the former colonial states and the United Kingdom — for a fee. We need to turn historical debts into tradable financial products."

England, Birmingham, Community Cooperative Warehouse

Sarah Kent was counting a batch of second-hand laptops obtained from the Netherlands' "anonymous donors," preparing to distribute them to various communities' "digital literacy classes." Allen was testing wireless mesh network equipment nearby.

"The 'Preparatory Committee' in London has started soliciting opinions on the constitutional draft." Allen remarked casually, "The process is quite complex, requiring professional legal knowledge. Our people... most of them can't understand those terms."

Without looking up, Sarah said: "Then let them write something we can understand. Have each community gather a hundred of the most pressing issues they face — waiting times for medical treatment, class sizes in schools, broken streetlights that no one fixes. Turn these into proposals, write them in plain language, and send them to the Committee. If they say it's not 'constitutional' enough, tell the media: that's the kind of constitution ordinary English people want."

"This will anger those legal experts." Allen cautioned.

"That's the point." Sarah finally paused, looking at the darkening sky outside the warehouse, "Let them explain on TV why 'the people have the right to timely medical care' can't be written into the constitution. Let everyone see if what's in the new bottle is still the old wine of the gentry."

A young volunteer hurried in: "Sarah! There's trouble in Liverpool! The dock workers' union and the branch of the 'English Congress' have fallen out! The union claims we've usurped their right to call strikes and that we're 'outside agitators'!"

Sarah frowned. This was bound to happen. The old union forces held the organizational resources and saw the 'Congress' as a threat. She looked towards Allen.

Allen pushed up his glasses: "There are three people in the leadership of the Liverpool union... who have economic problems. They've been misusing the union funds, and we have the evidence. We can 'anonymously' provide it to dissatisfied members within the union. Meanwhile, suggest that the Liverpool branch proactively proposes forming a 'Joint Action Committee' with the union to share resources and negotiate together."

"Divide and conquer." Sarah understood, "But be careful not to become just like them."

"The goals are the same, but the methods can be flexible." Allen said calmly, "Our goal is to change the system, not to be moral saints."

North Sea, International Waters

The United Kingdom's Royal Navy's last destroyer on constant combat duty, HMS Indomitable, was conducting a near-tragic 'sovereignty display' patrol. Captain Rogers stood on the bridge, looking at the radar screen that showed the boundary of the seas belonging to the Scottish 'Autonomous Kingdom' to the north, like a silent mockery.

"Captain, we've received a message from the Scottish Coast Guard." The communications officer reported, "Advising that we've approached the 'Scottish Kingdom's Exclusive Economic Zone' and requesting to know our intentions."

Rogers' mouth twitched. Once, the whole of the North Sea was the Royal Navy's backyard.

"Inform them that the Royal Navy is conducting routine training." He paused, "Keep the tone... normal."

"Yes, sir." The communications officer hesitated for a moment, "Also, the sonar department reports detecting unusual underwater activity to the northeast. Characteristics... very quiet, unlike typical merchant ships or submarines."

Rogers' heart tightened. Russians? Or... the rumored 'Ghost' submarines that Mexicans sold to Scotland?

"Maintain surveillance, do not provoke." He ordered, a sense of powerlessness welling up inside. Provoke? With what? The ship's anti-ship missiles are of an outdated model, and the spare parts aren't complete. Meanwhile, the opponent may be equipped with the world's quietest AIP submarines.

Impressive? ~

He remembered an internal briefing he saw yesterday: the navy's budget had been cut again to pay the first installment of compensation to Scotland. The HMS Indomitable would likely be decommissioned next year, becoming a museum or being dismantled.

"The Empire..." he murmured, his voice drowned by the sea breeze.

Same day, Washington D.C., Capitol Hill, an underground briefing room

The lights were dimmed. Seated around the oval table were the Deputy Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Deputy Director of the CIA, and two 'advisors' from important think tanks.

"The disintegration of the United Kingdom is a foregone conclusion." The Deputy Director of the CIA stated flatly, "Our assessment is that in six months to a year, we'll be facing a fractured British Isles: Scotland (pro-Mexico), Wales (pro-European), Northern Ireland (potentially joining Ireland), and a weakened England that may further split."

"And the Mexican infiltration?" The Deputy Secretary of Defense inquired.

"Comprehensive. Military, economic, technological, intelligence. Their development in Scotland is far surpassing our expectations. More importantly..." The Deputy Director pulled up several charts, "Through 'technical cooperation' and 'debt swaps,' they're systematically acquiring access to ports, mineral resource data, and communication network permissions in former British colonial states. In Africa and the Caribbean, our influence is rapidly being eroded."