160: Chapter 160 The Hungry Wolf Beside the Gold Mine! The Sultan Sharpens His Knife!

The live broadcast of Vikram Singh's trial caused tremors that far exceeded Lin Zhou's expectations.

His original intention was to kill the chicken to warn the monkey and establish the majesty of the rule of law, but he inadvertently ran a massive global advertisement for the gold mine sleeping beneath "Ironforge".

For the financiers sitting in offices in Washington, London, and Tokyo, this was merely an interesting investment target.

But for those neighbors struggling in poverty and war, this massive fortune of four billion US dollars was enough to make even the calmest of people waver and choose to take the risk.

Sudan, a country that shares a long and ambiguous border with the Cyber Freedom Republic.

Nominally, it has a central government, but in reality, it is carved up by over one hundred and fifty tribal factions of varying sizes.

Years of civil war, drought, and famine have pushed the people's desire to seize wealth on this land to the extreme.

When news of the "new gold mine in Africa" spread to every corner of Sudan via old radios and the few mobile phones with internet access, those tribal leaders clutching AK-47s clenched their fists upon hearing the news, the greed in their eyes burning hotter than the desert sun.

"It's right next door! Wealth bestowed by Allah!"

"Our people are starving, yet they sit on a mountain of gold!"

"Bir Tawil has been the pasture of our Darfur people since ancient times! The gold there should rightfully belong to us!"

The flames of greed were thoroughly ignited and spread rapidly.

And at this moment, some agitators who sensed an opportunity also arrived quietly.

In a dusty small town in western Sudan, an American claiming to be a "humanitarian aid consultant" was meeting secretly with Musa Ibrahim, the leader of the largest local tribal alliance.

"Leader Musa, your warriors are the most powerful fighters in Sudan, yet you can only guard this barren land." The American said unhurriedly while elegantly wiping his cup with a handkerchief, "And your neighbors, that so-called 'Cyber Freedom Republic', a group of outsiders, have occupied the treasure that should have belonged to you."

Musa Ibrahim, a dark-skinned, fierce-looking middle-aged man, looked at the other party vigilantly: "Who are you? What do you want to say?"

"I am your friend." The American's smile deepened, his words implying inducement, "A friend who can provide you with weapons, funds, and intelligence. We all hope to see a... more reasonable allocation of resources. As long as you are willing to unite with other tribes to form a coalition army to 'take back' what belongs to you, we will provide all necessary support."

The same scene continued to play out among various tribes in Sudan. Under the secret collusion and profit inducements of American intelligence personnel, a loose but numerous "Tribal Coalition" was being rapidly organized.

This was just Plan A.

In Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, Plan B was also proceeding simultaneously.

Officials from the US Embassy in Sudan frequently entered and exited the Sudanese government building, conducting "friendly consultations" with pro-American members of parliament. Their topic was only one: the sovereignty of the Bir Tawil region.

"Gentlemen, historical documents can prove that during the British colonial period, the administrative rights of this area were once assigned to Sudan. Egypt's abandonment does not mean Sudan has also abandoned it." An American consultant "reminded" the Sudanese legislators at a closed-door meeting, "Now, a regime of unknown origin has occupied it and discovered massive wealth. This is a blatant violation of Sudan's national sovereignty!"

Under the promotion and infiltration of the United States, a bill regarding "officially declaring the Bir Tawil region as territory belonging to Sudan" was quickly drafted and prepared for submission to parliament for a vote.

Once passed, the Sudanese government army's deployment of troops would gain a "legal basis".

The tribal coalition was responsible for disrupting the situation and creating friction; the government army would wait for the legal basis and prepare to "recover" it in the name of the state.

One open and one covert, with both approaches working simultaneously, a double noose was tightening toward Bir Tawil.

Intelligence on these secret operations was intercepted by China's intelligence network in Africa almost as soon as it happened.

Beijing, late at night.

Lin Zhou received an encrypted call personally placed by Director Zhou.

The voice on the other end of the line did not have the slightest bit of small talk, cutting straight to the topic: "Xiao Lin, something has happened. There are major movements in Sudan, and there is an American shadow behind them."

Lin Zhou listened, his body straightened, his expression serious.

Director Zhou said in a deep voice: "This tribal leader, Musa Ibrahim, has been bought off by them. He is currently connecting with the remnants of the 'Justice and Equality Movement' in the Darfur region, as well as the Beja tribes along the Red Sea coast. The Americans have promised to provide weapons and funds, with the goal of cobbling together a so-called 'Tribal Coalition' of at least five thousand people to create harassment and pressure on you from the western and southern fronts."

"In addition, people from the US Embassy are unusually active in Khartoum. They have already persuaded more than one-third of the members in the Sudanese Transitional Parliament, mainly hardliners from the 'National Congress Party'. They are preparing to force the bill through to legally declare sovereignty over Bir Tawil. Once the bill is passed, the Sudanese government army can justifiably send troops in the name of 'recovering lost territory'. One open and one covert, they want to crush you right there."

Director Zhou described the layout of the double strangulation in detail, the severity of which exceeded all contingency plans.

"They are trying to rob us openly." Lin Zhou lowered his voice, each word clear; those who knew him could tell he was suppressing his anger.

"That's right, it is open robbery. The tribal armed forces are the appetizer; the real main course is the Sudanese government army." Director Zhou's tone became stiff, "Once their bill is passed, the war will begin. Your hundred or so people cannot hold onto a gold mine."

Lin Zhou remained silent; Director Zhou's words were not false. One hundred and fifty elite soldiers were good at street fighting and special operations, but to confront a country's all-out attack in an open desert was no different than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"What do I need?" Lin Zhou asked very directly.

"You need a real army, as well as heavy firepower capable of holding the position." Director Zhou replied, "I have already reported it. The first batch of military aid supplies will be shipped to you as quickly as possible, and some good things that can stabilize the war situation will be urgently added. In addition, a small-scale military advisory group will accompany them; they will teach your troops how to fight a modern defensive war."

The phone call ended, and Lin Zhou looked out the window at the thousands of lights in Beijing, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long while, he picked up the internal communicator and connected to He Jun's line.

"He Jun, come to my office immediately! All core members, convene the highest-level emergency military meeting!"

His command was not loud, but it made the person on the other end of the receiver feel the pressure.

"War is coming. We must be prepared to let those hungry wolves know that beside the gold mine, it is not a piece of fat meat ready to be slaughtered, but a hard bone that can break all their teeth!"