But Thomas knew this couldn’t go on.
With the Homo Sapiens Company’s intelligence capabilities, they would likely uncover the connection to Tokyo and the Yoshida Biological Laboratory very soon.
Besides, America’s intelligence agencies had plenty of moles from the Homo Sapiens Company hidden within them. Thomas understood that concealment was useless.
The best way to handle it now was for both sides to sit down for a frank, confidential discussion.
Thomas quickly called the Pentagon and had his aide, Edward, represent him in communications with the Homo Sapiens Company.
Inside the brightly lit Pentagon.
After receiving Thomas’s directive, Director Mark William immediately summoned his aide, Edward, to his office.
"We’ve gotten to the bottom of it."
Reid Van, who had come in with him, asked curiously, "Who was responsible?"
Mark William looked helpless. "It was an accident..."
He then gave them a brief and concise explanation.
After hearing the whole story, Edward and Reid Van stared at each other in dismay.
Edward, who had just been given the assignment, looked particularly conflicted and troubled. He clearly knew this would not be an easy task.
Edward thought for a moment before reminding them with a grave expression, "The Homo Sapiens Company won’t necessarily believe our explanation. We need to prepare for the worst."
Mark William was well aware of the difficulties. "Just do your best to explain. We can even invite them to form a joint investigation team to go to Tokyo and verify the intel."
"I’ll need more authority."
Mark William rubbed his forehead. "Fine. But our bottom line is maintaining the status quo."
Edward nodded gravely. "I’ll contact the Homo Sapiens Company as soon as possible."
Just then, however...
Reid Van’s phone rang. Seeing it was an emergency line, he quickly answered. After a brief, terse exchange, the color drained from his face.
Hanging up, Reid Van grabbed Edward, who was about to leave. "Hold on, the situation has changed."
"What is it now?" Edward grew even more worried.
"The Homo Sapiens Company’s Pacific Escort Fleet has forcibly landed on the Ratak Islands, the Caroline Islands, Bird Dung Island, East Irian Island, and the Gwadar Islands. They’ve deployed launch vehicles."
Mark William immediately exploded. "Fuck! What do they think they’re doing?"
The Pentagon had recently been paying very close attention to these Pacific Island Countries, hoping to bring them into America’s fold and stabilize the island chain defensive line in the Western Pacific.
This was especially true for the Ratak Islands and the West Caroline Islands, whose security treaties were about to expire. Edward had personally visited them and promised over a billion US Dollars in economic aid.
But they never expected the Homo Sapiens Company to throw all caution to the wind and just force the issue, forcibly providing "poverty alleviation" to these small islands.
Now they were caught completely off guard.
Edward’s face darkened as he looked at the sandbox map of the Asia-Pacific Region. "This is bad. The Homo Sapiens Company is clearly using this as a pretext. Those bastards!"
Now, regardless of how the Tokyo fungus incident was resolved, the Homo Sapiens Company would never spit out the meat it had swallowed. Once they deployed launch vehicles or established bases and fully authorized branch offices, it would be nearly impossible to oust their influence through conventional means.
Mark William made an instant decision. "Deploy the Eighth and Seventh Fleets immediately! We have to secure the remaining island nations. Have Kangaroo Country and New Zealand deploy their forces as well."
The so-called Eighth Fleet was a new formation the United States Army had just established. Its assets were previously mothballed aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines, primarily stationed in the Oceania Region.
Clearly, the Homo Sapiens Company’s exploitation of the situation had crossed the United States Army’s defensive red line.
The Ratak Islands, West Caroline Islands, East Caroline Islands, East Irian Island, Gwadar Islands, and Bird Dung Island, all now forcibly receiving "poverty alleviation" from the Homo Sapiens Company, had just torn a hole through two of the United States Army’s island chains.
...
There was a dedicated hotline office in the Pentagon.
Edward had already dialed the hotline for the Homo Sapiens Company’s Foreign Security Division. On the other end of the line was Ovi, the division’s Vice Minister.
The call connected.
Ovi immediately seized the initiative. "Your actions have gravely threatened our company’s security. We expect a reasonable explanation, or you will bear the consequences."
’Fuck!’ Edward inwardly cursed Ovi for playing the victim. He couldn’t show weakness now, so he retorted directly.
"That’s a question I should be asking your company! The Ratak Islands and the West Caroline Islands are our special partners. Your current actions are tantamount to a declaration of war!"
Ovi laughed wildly. "Haha! You’re the ones who poisoned our company, and now you have the nerve to blame us? If you want a fight, then stop talking and let’s settle this!"
"We never did anything of the sort. The Tokyo fungus was an accident. I hope you won’t use this as an excuse to escalate."
"Heh... An accident? You Americans seem to have a lot of ’accidents.’ I won’t believe a word of it unless you withdraw from East Japan and hand it over to our company for a thorough search."
Edward suppressed his anger. "It was an accident! I can agree to form a joint investigation team, but abandoning an ally is out of the question."
"You just said East Japan is your ally. So shouldn’t you bear joint liability? This isn’t over. You and East Japan will have to compensate our company for any and all losses caused by the Tokyo fungus."
"You..."
The conversation consisted almost entirely of mutual accusations and threats.
After more than half an hour, the call ended on a sour note.
After all, the gap between their demands was just too wide.
Of course, Edward knew full well that if America were to actually go to war with the Homo Sapiens Company now, the most likely outcome would be mutual annihilation.
Thus, both sides were just posturing, neither truly wanted to destroy the other.
The only tangible result of the conversation was their agreement to form a joint team to conduct a full investigation into the Tokyo fungus.
As for the standoff on the front lines, the stalemate would have to continue.
The Homo Sapiens Company had no intention of spitting out what it had swallowed, and America moved quickly to establish temporary military bases on the remaining island nations to prevent the company from providing any more "poverty alleviation."
In this crisis, the Homo Sapiens Company completely turned the tables, painting itself as the victim. Then, in a fit of "righteous anger," it delivered "aid" to a host of Pacific Island Countries, pushing its front line into the central Pacific Ocean.
They had their excuse ready: a misjudgment of the situation. When the time came, they would just copy the people of East Japan and offer a bowing apology. In fact, Wu Wei had already specially recruited a dozen employees from East Japan to offer a sincere, bowing apology to the world on the company’s behalf.
As for the Pacific Island Countries now under the Homo Sapiens Company’s "protection," their local populations, grateful for the aid, would eventually be crying and begging for the company to stay.
The Homo Sapiens Company never spits out what it has swallowed.
「By noon the next day.」
After a late-night discussion, the joint investigation team finally had a clear framework.
Not only would America and the Homo Sapiens Company be sending experts to Tokyo for a full investigation, but several other major powers, deeply concerned, had also forced their own personnel onto the team.
Things in Tokyo were now in total chaos.
The chain reaction triggered by the fungus incident had nearly scared the piss out of the entire world, and the pressure naturally fell on East Japan.
To appease the Homo Sapiens Company, East Japan would certainly have to pay a heavy price.
However, the arrival of the investigation team did not mean the incident was drawing to a close.
The members of the Homo Sapiens Company’s team, who already knew the truth, had no intention of letting the issue die down. On the contrary, they planned to use this opportunity to extort America for all it was worth.
Amid the surging undercurrents of the night, the various investigation team members arrived in Tokyo with their equipment, preparing to begin their analysis overnight.