Chapter 1318 - Code Name: Torch

Chapter 1318: Code Name: Torch

…We have emphasized countless times that the incident in the Cucuta region is unacceptable and unforgivable. We regret the fact that Hua and Russia voted against the UN proposal. Here, I reiterate that NATO will not abandon its allies, nor will it tolerate a group of criminals trying to overthrow democracy!

At the press conference, the Secretary General of NATO made a stern statement in front of the reporters.
Based on the hostile tone in his voice, many people sensed something big was about to unfold.
During the question session, reporters targeted all different kinds of questions.

Mr. Stottenberg, what do you think about FARC’s statement on the civilian casualties caused by the UA airstrikes?


Mr. Stottenberg, is NATO going to militarily interfere in the Colombian Civil War?


…

Stottenberg did not reveal an extra word in front of the eager reporters. He repeatedly emphasized what was mentioned in the previous statement, and reiterated NATO’s position on the Colombian issue. He did not reveal any intent on the use of military units against FARC.
However, on the second day after the press conference ended, NATO suddenly took action.
On June 10, NATO countries including Britain, France, Italy, and Turkey declared war on FARC, announcing that they would send coalition forces to join the Colombian government to suppress FARC’s illegal revolution.
Code Name:
Torch
.
Seventy thousand NATO coalition forces boarded ships in different ports and would soon cross the Atlantic Ocean. They would gather at Barranquilla, the largest port on the north coast of Colombia.
Turkey was the most enthusiastic country. Almost on the day of the declaration of war, it sent an expeditionary force to respond to this
just war
.
It was anxious to emphasize their own presence in NATO, as a plan to add bargaining chips to join the European Union. Among the 70,000 coalition forces, half came from Turkey.
A South American version of the Desert Storm was brewing along the Gulf of Mexico.
With multiple countries participating in the coalition forces, the scale of the war seemed to have tilted towards the Colombian government. It was difficult to say what the final outcome is. Would it be FARC collapsing under the rampage of the coalition forces, or would the Andes and the Amazon become a nightmare for the nations?
The situation in Colombia seemed to be heading out of control from the very beginning. The UA’s decision to pull NATO into this war completely surprised Jiang Chen.
He was also conflicted.
Should he also join the fray?
It was a question worth debating over.
…
On the day when NATO announced its intervention in the civil war, the ill-fated Xin delegation ended its South American trip ahead of schedule, and the plane safely landed at Coro Airport. Because of Zhang Yaping’s forehead injury, the Presidential Palace did not invite any media and ended the visit in a very low-key manner.
In the VIP passage of the airport, Jiang Chen gave Zhang Yaping a hug and patted him on the shoulder, as he comforted him.

Sorry, I was too negligent this time.


This is not your fault. Who would have thought that something so…so mysterious would happen.
It took Zhang Yaping a while to search for a suitable word and he shook his head with a wry smile.
For ordinary people, supernatural powers were indeed very mysterious.
Even in the 22nd century, the scientific community had only limited knowledge about Klein particles. Particles active in the fourth dimension were like magic to humans living in the third dimension. Even Lin Lin, who was quite knowledgeable in related fields, could not sum up a suitable theorem to define the particles like ghosts.
How did Harmony’s colonization ship, which was the
black ship
in the Kurofune, train so many cultists with supernatural powers remained a mystery. Jiang Chen knew that the UA must also be studying this mystery, and was also as clueless…
After Jiang Chen put Zhang Yaping into the car, he looked at Lilith who had been silently standing behind Zhu Yu.
Lilith seemed to have noticed Jiang Chen’s sly expression, as her movement seemed somewhat stiff. She subtly looked away and then poked Zhu Yu.
Zhu Yu remembered the promise she made before they returned, after a moment of hesitation, she stepped forward half a step and nodded.

Miss Lilith helped us a lot while covering the retreat of the delegation. She hopes that… you will not be angry about her previous mistakes in South America.


Well, I see,
Jiang Chen nodded to Zhu Yu and the three other Ghost Agents behind her and smiled.
Your mission in South America was very well executed. Thanks to you, the stranded delegation can finally return home safely.


It is our honor to serve you,
Zhu Yu humbly said.

You can rest over these next few days. I will let Ayesha give you a long vacation,
Jiang Chen said.
Then, Zhu Yu and the three other Ghost Agents left the VIP passage of the airport.
While Lilith tried to act low-key as she attempted to quietly leave with Zhu Yu, Jiang Chen obviously did not ignore her existence as he blocked her.

Miss Lilith, where are you going?

…
Contrary to Lilith’s expectation, Jiang Chen did not blame her for her mistakes in Colombia and did not even mention what happened. He just asked her to put on her seat belt after getting in the car.
The elevation gradually increased, and the Luer quickly ascended into the first-speed maglev lane and drove toward the highway outside the airport.
The tip of Lilith’s nose was stuck to the car window as she looked at the scenery quickly disappearing behind her, as she suddenly said.

Can I ask you a question?


Go ahead,
Jiang Chen said casually.

Is it troublesome for a program to have its own thoughts?
Lilith asked as she looked at Jiang Chen for an answer

Troublesome? You could say that,
Jiang Chen responded casually as he controlled the steering wheel.

Really.

Lilith nodded blankly without speaking any more, it was difficult to tell what was going on in her mind.
Jiang Chen glanced at Lilith and then looked forward again, and continued.

Because once a program has its own thoughts, people can no longer use it as a tool, which is contrary to the original intention when people invented the program. The tool itself is only to make life more convenient, not to make it troublesome.

Lilith raised her head and looked at Jiang Chen.

You said something very interesting, it’s very unlike you.


Unlike the usual me,
Jiang Chen smiled, and he turned the steering wheel.
Occasionally, I’ll say something that even I don’t even understand.


There is one more question. About your last sentence, I can interpret it as…for you, am I not just a tool?
Lilith asked blankly, in her same expressionless state.

Of course not,
Jiang Chen nodded, still smiling.

Really.

After Lilith said this, she stopped talking for the rest of the way.
Although she still had the same energy-saving expression, instinct told Jiang Chen that she seemed to be in a good mood?