Chapter 443: The American Is Anxious

The atmosphere in the office eased slightly.

Several officials also nodded and discussed; some praised the Expeditionary Force's bravery, while others lamented the importance of the Huaxia Battlefield.

Others began to explore how to further strengthen cooperation with Huaxia to jointly counter the Japanese Army.

At that moment, the head of Strategic Intelligence, William Yuesefu Duonowan, rose slowly, his expression solemn, breaking the eased atmosphere.

"Mr. President, gentlemen, while everyone rejoices at the victory in Mandalay, I have a matter that must be reported to you and the others," Duonowan's voice was low and cautious, his gaze falling on Luosifu, awaiting his cue.

Luosifu's smile gradually faded; he gave a slight nod, signaling Duonowan to continue: "Speak, Duonowan, what's the situation? No need to conceal."

Duonowan inhaled deeply and said slowly: "According to the latest intelligence from our Strategic Intelligence Office, the forces participating in the Mandalay counteroffensive include a large number of our American Army aircraft, among them P-40 fighter aircraft, P-38 fighter aircraft, and even a considerable number of B25 bombers."

The moment those words were spoken, the office fell silent, everyone's gaze fixed on Duonowan, their faces full of shock.

Mashi'er frowned, his tone tinged with doubt: "That's impossible, right? We've never sold these aircraft to the Huaxia government, except for the few P-40s previously supplied to the Flying Tigers; no surplus aircraft have entered Huaxia territory. How could these aircraft appear in Jiang Anguo's units?"

"That is precisely the point I need to report," Duonowan said gravely.

"We have verified many times that the Flying Tigers' P-40 aircraft are limited in number and all used for air defense in southwestern Huaxia, never dispatched to the Myanmar battlefield."

"Moreover, the aircraft in Jiang Anguo's hands far exceed the scope of our support in both quantity and model, and their maintenance condition is excellent, as if they were brand‑new or meticulously refurbished American Army aircraft."

That is also what Duonowan cannot understand: why so many of our own aircraft would appear in the hands of a Huaxia commander.

"Could someone have privately sold aircraft to Huaxia?" a cabinet official couldn't help asking, his tone laced with concern. "If so, it would seriously violate our arms‑control regulations and could affect the Pacific Theater situation."

Duonowan shook his head: "We have already investigated domestic arms dealers and related departments, finding no trace of any private aircraft sales. At present, we cannot determine the exact origin of these aircraft; we can only confirm that they are indeed standard American Army aircraft and are not on our support list."

The office fell silent again, everyone lost in thought.

Mashi'er looked at Luosifu, his tone solemn: "Mr. President, this matter must be taken seriously. The sudden appearance of so many unidentified American Army aircraft in Jiang Anguo's hands inevitably raises doubts about his motives. Moreover, these aircraft are highly combat‑effective; if misused, they could cause new trouble. Should we dispatch personnel to conduct an in‑depth investigation, determine the aircraft's origins, and simultaneously contain Jiang Anguo?"

Luosifu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, sinking into prolonged contemplation. He stared at the intelligence on the desk, then at the assembled people, his expression complex.

After a moment, he lifted his head slowly, his tone firm: "Gentlemen, I understand your concerns. The unknown origin of the aircraft in Jiang Anguo's hands indeed warrants our vigilance. Duonowan, you continue to assign personnel for a deep investigation and must uncover the truth, but do not alert anyone prematurely."

"However," Luosifu continued, his tone softening, "our most important task right now is not investigating these aircraft's origins but dealing with the immediate problem: the Japanese Combined Fleet in the Pacific. The Japanese are pressing step by step across the Pacific, and we no longer have spare energy to entangle ourselves in Huaxia's internal affairs."

The loss of aircraft carriers in the Pacific is a blow too great for the United States; even Luosifu cannot explain it to the public at once.

Therefore, Luosifu's administration intends to conceal this significant matter.

At present, only one carrier remains in the Pacific, the Saratoga, and it has been in a shipyard for repairs.

The Cavalry, a lone vessel patrolling the Atlantic, was urgently redeployed to the Pacific after news of the Midway defeat, and, for safety, has been cruising in New Zealand waters.

Even the escort carrier Long Island has been sent to the Pacific.

As for the United States' eighth carrier, the Essex, it is still in the dock.

However, there is good news: in another month, this carrier will be launched, though fitting out will still require several months.

Nevertheless, Luosifu has little time left, so he allotted three months; that is, starting now, by October, the Essex must be ready for combat.

Luosifu paused, then continued: "The Expeditionary Force has just retaken Mandalay, morale is high, and they can continue to tie down Japanese forces, which is beneficial for us. If we rashly act against Jiang Anguo now, it could affect the Huaxia Battlefield situation and even cause us to lose this crucial ally, which would be extremely detrimental to our fight against the Japanese."

"As for the aircraft in Jiang Anguo's hands, as long as he is using them against the Japanese and they pose no threat to us, we need not probe further for now."

Luosifu's gaze hardened. "First, concentrate our efforts on the Pacific Theater; once we crush the Japanese Combined Fleet and free up resources, we can gradually ascertain the aircraft's origins and handle related matters. For now, stabilizing the Far East battlefield and cooperating with Huaxia to jointly oppose the Japanese is our primary mission."

Duonowan nodded respectfully and said, "Yes, Mr. President, I will immediately assign people to continue the investigation and will not let it affect the current war situation."

Mashi'er promptly echoed, "Mr. President's foresight is commendable; we will fully cooperate, first dealing with the Japanese in the Pacific, then handling subsequent matters."

Germany's war in Europe and Japan's war in Asia have nothing to do with the United States; we merely need to stay behind and collect money.

However, as the war drags on, the Japanese Combined Fleet could at any moment threaten the United States mainland, and the Americans can no longer sit idle.

The solemn atmosphere in the office gradually dissipated, and everyone refocused on Pacific Theater deployments, yet each person kept Jiang Anguo's name and those unidentified American Army aircraft in mind.

This young man hidden behind the Expeditionary Force is destined to become a pivotal figure influencing the Far East battlefield.

"Gentlemen, we need Huaxia; we need them to tie down more Japanese!" Luosifu shouted.

And Luosifu, looking at the night outside the window, felt faintly that Jiang Anguo might bring them unexpected surprises, or perhaps unknown trouble.