Kapitel 89: Chapter 89: "Don't Start Trouble" and "Interrogate on the Spot"
Afternoon.
Dark clouds blocked the direct sunlight, casting a gloomy shadow over the land. Countless refugees sat by the roadside, begging passersby for food, making the town with its distinct Eastern European style feel even colder and more desolate.
The pedestrians' clothing was equally wrinkled and worn. Upon seeing the refugees, they quickened their pace as if avoiding a plague, afraid of getting entangled.
Who knows what desperate refugees might do? Moreover, the passersby were also worried about how to survive until next year—how could they care about others' hunger?
...
After sending his message and seeing the screen display "Successfully Sent," the bearded man put his phone back in his pocket and tightened the black trench coat he hadn't buttoned up. As he passed by a refugee mother and child sitting at the entrance of an alley, his steps faltered slightly, but he ultimately chose to keep walking.
Perhaps he feared that giving money or food would bring harm to the mother and child, as his eyes showed a hint of apology.
The "Redfield" displayed on the phone screen was, in fact, the man's surname, with his first name being the common "Chris."
The information exchange at the bar, and the outwardly old but highly functional smartphone, all pointed to his true identity—
Atlas Investigator.
Even Chris himself wasn't entirely sure of the significance of his full name.
He was originally born in the main universe in February 1973 and joined the US Air Force in 1991. Due to his exceptional tactical skills and outstanding physical abilities, he was recruited into the 23rd Reconnaissance Squadron of the Special Operations Command.
By early 1993, Chris and his teammates' records had caught Atlas's attention.
After a series of routine operations between military high command and defense contractors, Chris and his team were transferred to an Atlas military base in Kenya, following orders from their superiors.
From then on, Chris and his team were integrated into Atlas's combat units and were transferred to the Investigation Department in January 1994.
When the first space gate was opened, they were not involved in the initial extra-dimensional investigation because their employee level did not grant them access to the relic base.
In September 1995, as the company needed to consolidate Europe in Earth-01, Chris and his comrades followed orders and passed through the space gate to the rebuilt Paris.
Five years of the Mimic War had destroyed 70% of Europe's infrastructure.
Since the Mimics had no habit of taking prisoners, most of Europe had been a human-free zone for the past five years.
As the Mimic threat waned, the United Nations and United Defense Force (UDF), unable to bear the massive financial burden, significantly reduced their military forces. Countries like the UK, Morocco, and Norway, which were relatively intact, immediately "encouraged" refugees to "return home."
Initially, fewer than a million refugees, driven by a longing for their homeland and the desire to rebuild it, voluntarily returned.
But it didn't take long for them to face the harsh reality of having no money or food, making the dream of rebuilding a luxury.
To address their immediate difficulties, the refugees turned to the closest and seemingly most powerful UN member, the UK, for humanitarian aid.
The response they received was perfunctory, and if the UK weren't trying to maintain its international image, it might have outright refused.
After all, the five-year human-Mimic war had nearly drained humanity's resources. Every country was struggling to recover, with no strength left to care for the refugees.
Next, countries led by the UK and the US used the media to extensively publicize the violence caused by refugees, guiding public opinion toward "hating refugees," which only intensified the protests and unrest.
As public resentment peaked, the UK and US announced they would forcibly deport the refugees.
To maintain their international image and domestic stability, this process was both necessary and inevitable.
However, many scoundrels who had been granted refugee status chose to indulge in laziness and violence, frequently assaulting and robbing local citizens of the host countries. Combined with saturated job markets, this made forced deportation seem all the more justified.
Within a year of the war's end (1994 in the main universe), 20 million refugees had returned to Europe.
But during that chaotic year, Atlas established its European branch, leveraging abundant resources to attract many willing and able refugees to return home.
Simultaneously, the branch sent investigators like Chris to engage in "goods-for-goods" or "goods-for-money" transactions in the Eastern European black market, quickly acquiring local firearms and cash.
By mid-1995 in the main universe, Atlas, equipped with Hextech robots and 3D printing technology, had completed the preliminary reconstruction of Paris.
With Robert (Guilliman) as the Chief Military Officer of the Atlas branch, the company began to accelerate its expansion, centered in Paris.
By September 4, 1996, the entire territories of France, Switzerland, and Austria, along with parts of Germany, Italy, and other regions, had been incorporated into Atlas's branch, becoming green safety zones.
Within these zones, the branch employed about 740,000 people, including over 36,000 former UDF soldiers responsible for maintaining security, repelling disturbances, and carrying out various military tasks.
As for the local population, which numbered over 7 million, most were friends and relatives of the employees, though Atlas did not cover their daily expenses.
To obtain food, essential supplies, or even entertainment vouchers, residents had to work or farm.
Of course, residents could also rely on employed family members for support.
Atlas's large-scale reconstruction efforts first caught the attention of the UK, followed by the entire UN and UDF.
However, in response to external inquiries and skepticism, the Atlas branch chose to ignore them. Under Robert's direction, they even created an official online account, stating:
"Atlas's mission is to provide safety, order, and hope in times of chaos and disaster, helping people return to normal life."
They then uploaded promotional videos of New Paris, showcased Atlas's weapons and equipment, and featured the fusion power plant supplying energy to the reconstruction zone, among other content.
One particularly popular video showed a panoramic view from Atlas's "space station," capturing the breathtaking scenery along Earth's equator.
In other words, the Atlas branch publicly stated, "We are rebuilding Europe," "We have enough resources and manpower," and "We have armed forces, including nuclear weapons, to defend our territory and strike externally," subtly warning the outside world not to cause trouble.
The UK and the US understood the implications behind terms like "fusion power plant" and "space station view."
Whether or not controlled fusion technology was real, the video footage from the "space station" was verified by British and American experts to be authentic, with no signs of tampering.
So when did Atlas launch a rocket? And how did they silently transport the necessary parts for a "space station" into low Earth orbit?
Why didn't radars and satellites detect anything unusual?
Or is that even a "space station"?
Regardless of what the UK and US thought, Atlas simply laid out the facts online.
Given the dire situation in Europe, which neither the UK nor the US dared to intervene in, they had only offered "support" on the international stage.
But in less than two years, Atlas had consolidated regions like France and was expanding with increasing momentum.
Facing this rapidly rising power that refused to negotiate, and feeling both severely threatened and intolerant of being ignored, the UK and US had attempted some covert blockades, but all efforts had failed.
Atlas had no reliance on external technology or supplies, boasting even large resource reserves. Meanwhile, the constant conflicts in Eastern Europe fueled an endless stream of black-market transactions.
An open blockade? There was no justification for it. Atlas stood firmly on the side of "justice," publicly promoting its "mission," "employee benefits," and "military prowess" online. Besides, the reconstructed European regions were now more habitable for humans than before the war.
As for cyber attacks and smear campaigns, the UK and US forces had repeatedly met with failure.
In contrast, before expanding, Atlas would reveal the dire conditions in target areas, such as the misery of people's lives and the atrocities committed by warlord soldiers and extremists, to guide online public opinion.
This left the UK and US with no clear way to counter Atlas's expansion.
Unless they were willing to ignore Atlas's nuclear retaliation capabilities and choose to launch a direct attack, potentially triggering a global war...
But the UK and US had not yet reached that level of madness.
With no clear solution, they resorted to covert strategies.
They secretly supported extremist groups, instructing their leaders to use thousands of refugees as "human shields" while sending troops to the border to harass and provoke the rebuilding Atlas—an age-old tactic.
This disregard for human life did indeed slow down Atlas's recent momentum, as urban warfare determined the ownership of cities and towns.
The "Pannonia Organization" Chris mentioned was a newly emerging force supported jointly by the UK and US, occupying the former regions of Slovakia and Hungary.
Due to the tongue-twisting nature of "Pannonia Organization," Chris and his comrades in the area typically referred to it as the "Nia Organization."
Its main members were mostly extreme-minded refugees and civilians, along with many forcibly retired UDF soldiers.
Chris had also learned that elite units from the British and American intelligence agencies were responsible for the Nia Organization's daily training and tactical guidance, though he had yet to obtain concrete evidence.
However, Chris was certain that to avoid exposure and leaving traces, the UK and US had not provided direct military assistance, so the Nia Organization needed to procure weapons themselves.
As for the town Chris was in, it was Ihlava, located 40 kilometers east of the transaction site, Brno.
At this moment.
Chris left the crowded main road
, took a few deserted paths, and eventually arrived at a dimly lit alley.
He walked to the end, stopping in front of a metal door and waiting for a few seconds.
"Click!"
With a crisp unlocking sound, Chris pulled the door open and walked in, not forgetting to close it behind him.
After ascending the stairs, he reached the second floor, where he saw a control panel with a hovering holographic screen, a table filled with modular weapons, and over a dozen "plainclothes" investigators.
This was a temporary outpost set up to facilitate the investigators' operations.
"Those assigned to the operation, follow me."
Hearing Chris's words, four men and one woman, along with Chris, formed a group of six and walked to a nearby small conference room.
After closing the door, Chris adjusted his phone, placing it on the table to project detailed holographic data for the group. He then spoke in a serious tone:
"If the intel is accurate, Nia Organization's second-in-command, Valento Rodak, will personally visit Brno's arms market tomorrow.
Our mission is to neutralize his escorts and interrogate him on the spot to uncover the whereabouts of their leader, providing accurate intel for Operation Ernio 003's airborne assault.
To avoid alerting the enemy, this mission will be handled by us alone.
If we fail or fall into a trap, we have the authority to request support from Ernio 003's airborne unit, based on the situation.
However, failure would mean missing a golden opportunity. Whenever the next chance arises, it will impact the company's subsequent plans, so stay sharp and be fully prepared."
"Yes, sir."
"Understood."
"No problem."
After Chris finished speaking, the five investigators responded with their habitual replies.
——
...
The next afternoon.
Main Universe Time: September 5, 1996, 14:16.
Brno.
From above, it was clear that this former tourist destination had been ravaged by Mimic infestation.
Half of the buildings were severely damaged, with rubble everywhere. However, the main roads leading in and out of town had been meticulously cleared.
And in the town's central square, the atmosphere was buzzing with activity.
Along the streets were stalls with sunshades and shops with eye-catching signs. Vendors and shopkeepers stood on the sidewalks, loudly inviting passersby to browse and shop.
But instead of selling fruits, vegetables, or souvenirs, they were dealing in large quantities of UDF weapons—guns, grenades, and even anti-tank guns and rockets—everything was available.
At that moment, a convoy of seven SUVs and three military trucks appeared on the relatively uncluttered road.
Upon seeing this.
A woman moving through the crowd, her face half-covered by a scarf and wearing a desert-colored coat, quietly reported: "This is Ice Claw. All units, be advised, the target has appeared."
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein