Chapter 333: Dark Night Protocol

Langley sat down, and another scientist stood up.

Doctor Williams formed a sharp contrast with Langley—he was burly, with a thick head of black hair, looking more like a football coach than a scientist.

"Compared to biological weapons," Williams's voice was low and powerful, "the advantage of chemical weapons lies in their immediacy and controllability."

He pressed the remote control, and a series of molecular structure diagrams appeared on the screen.

"This is our latest developed XN-20 nerve agent," Williams explained,

"It combines the lethality of Sarin and the persistence of VX, but it spreads faster and has stronger penetrating power. It can penetrate most civilian gas masks, and even certain military protective suits."

Williams pointed to a map marked with several red dots: "We have already conducted small-scale tests in the Nevada Desert. The results... were very significant."

"Be specific, Doctor Williams," Havier urged.

Williams hesitated for a moment:

"All living things in the test area, from insects to large experimental mammals, died within 30 seconds of contact with the agent. More importantly, the time the agent remains active in the environment can be adjusted as needed, ranging from a few hours to several weeks."

"This means we can make a specific area completely inaccessible for a period of time," Havier added, "which is very suitable for strategic isolation or regional blockades."

Williams nodded: "Exactly. Moreover, XN-20 can be delivered in a variety of ways: artillery shells, aircraft spraying, or even concealed ground release devices. It is colorless and odorless, and almost impossible to be detected by conventional equipment."

"What about the antidote?" a general asked.

"We certainly have the antidote," Williams said confidently, "and only we have it."

The atmosphere in the conference room changed subtly, from initial shock and unease, gradually shifting toward a dark excitement.

The darkest side of human nature—the desire for power—was quietly manifesting in these figures at the center of power.

"Gentlemen," Havier stood up again, "biochemical weapons are only part of the 'Dark Night Protocol'. We have more means."

He signaled for Williams to sit down and took over the presentation himself.

"We launched the 'Shadow Project' three months ago," Havier explained, "its goal is to infiltrate the scientific research system of Long Country and find out the secret behind their rapid technological breakthroughs."

The screen switched to a photo showing an Oriental man with a blurred face.

"This is Li Mingyuan," Havier's voice became unusually serious,

"According to our intelligence, he is the key figure in a series of recent technological breakthroughs in Long Country. From Graphite Bombs to anti-ship Missiles, and even their Integrated Circuit Technology, all of these are related to this person."

"One person?" Wilson scoffed, "Impossible. These technological fields span too widely; no one can be proficient in all of them."

"We thought so too," Havier nodded, "that is the most suspicious part. Our analysis indicates that Li Mingyuan is either a genius among geniuses, or..." he paused meaningfully, "or he has obtained some kind of external technological source that we do not know about."

"Beijixiong Guo?" someone guessed.

"Unlikely," Director Carter shook his head, "Beijixiong Guo itself lags behind us in many fields. Moreover, our informants inside them have not found any signs of large-scale technology transfers to Long Country."

"Regardless," Havier continued, "the primary goal of the 'Shadow Project' is to get close to Li Mingyuan, learn his secrets, and if possible... eliminate this threat."

The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop by a few degrees.

"In the meantime," Havier's voice became even colder, "we will launch the 'Overwhelming Counterattack' operation plan."

He displayed a detailed operational map marked with the major cities, industrial centers, and military bases of Long Country.

"The plan is divided into three phases: Phase one, use conventional weapons to conduct precision strikes on Long Country's military bases to weaken their counterattack capability; Phase two, deploy biochemical weapons in key industrial zones and research centers to paralyze their technology and military-industrial systems; Phase three, if the first two phases are not enough to make Long Country submit, we will consider..." Havier took a deep breath, "a limited tactical Mushroom Strike."

A commotion erupted in the conference room.

"Mushroom weapons?" Macaulay asked in horror, "That is too far! This will trigger a full-scale war!"

"It will not," Havier responded calmly,

"Our intelligence shows that Long Country's projects are still in the primary stage; they do not have the capability for an effective nuclear counterattack. And Beijixiong Guo, upon seeing our determination, will wisely remain neutral."

"You cannot be sure of that," Macaulay insisted, "Beijixiong Guo might support Long Country, and that would lead to a great war."

"Risks always exist, Mr. Macaulay," Havier said coldly, "but compared to the risk of sitting by and watching Long Country rise as a superpower, this is worth it."

The conference room fell into silence again, with everyone contemplating the weight of this decision.

"Gentlemen," Havier's voice broke the silence, "the President has approved the first two phases of this plan. The third phase depends on the situation. Now, we need to determine the specific action schedule and details."

He looked at a general in a naval uniform across the conference table: "Admiral Mongomery, how is the reorganization of the Pacific Fleet progressing?"

Admiral Mongomery looked serious: "After losing the 'Enterprise', we have moved the 'Freedom' and 'Victory' carrier strike groups to the west. The reinforcement fleet will be in place within two weeks."

"Very good," Havier nodded, then turned to Doctor Langley, "Doctor Langley, how long will your BW-7 need to be ready for battlefield deployment?"

Langley was slightly excited: "The production line is ready, and enough doses to cover Long Country's major industrial centers can be produced within two weeks. However, I suggest conducting a small-scale test first to confirm its effectiveness in an actual environment."

"Test location?" Havier asked.

Langley thought for a moment: "It is best to choose an area with climate conditions similar to the target area but with a lower population density. This way, we can evaluate the results while minimizing collateral damage."

"I will consider it," Havier responded briefly, then turned to Williams, "What about XN-20?"

"It is ready for deployment," Williams said confidently, "our facility in Nevada is producing it 24 hours a day."

Havier nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. Then, the action time is set for three weeks from now. Phase one, air strikes on Long Country's military bases and research centers; Phase two, deploy biochemical weapons in key areas."