215: Chapter 215 Trump flies directly to Kadena

"Bang!"

A folder slammed onto the desk.

A line of red text was printed on the cover.

Top Secret — Hong Kong Operation After-Action Report.

President Trump raised his hand and pushed the file forward half an inch.

"John."

He tapped the cover.

"You explain to me, what is called 'controllable'?"

John Browning stood in front of the desk, his military uniform crisp, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Mr. President, the initial phase of the operation was just intelligence support; we did not directly intervene with troops. Israel promised that they would only create localized chaos to force the East to divert its attention regarding the Hong Kong issue."

President Trump looked up.

"Localized chaos?"

He opened the file, pulled out a page, and threw it directly in front of John.

"A firefight at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, multiple explosions in the city, a passenger plane threatened by missiles, an emergency landing in Victoria Harbour, and hundreds of casualties."

He pulled out a second page.

"And this."

"Israel agents used our encrypted channels to mobilize two private armed groups that weren't on record."

"John, you call this 'localized'?"

John didn't answer immediately.

President Trump stood up, his palms pressing down on the desk.

"What are they saying outside now?"

"They aren't saying Israel is crazy."

"They are saying the United States handed someone a knife, and ended up cutting its own hand."

"This isn't just a failure."

"This is humiliating."

The office was silent for two seconds.

John spoke: "Mr. President, the Hong Kong incident did indeed exceed our estimates. But Israel concealed the scale of the operation, and in the final stages, they bypassed the limits we set."

"So what?"

President Trump stared at him.

"You want to tell me that we can't even hold the leash of our ally's dog?"

John's jaw tightened.

There was no way to answer that.

There was another document on the edge of the desk.

A letter of protest submitted by the Hong Kong SAR government through the East's diplomatic channels.

The wording was very harsh.

Demanding a thorough investigation.

Demanding severe punishment.

Reserving the right to take all necessary measures.

President Trump picked up the document and slammed it back onto the desk.

"This thing has already been sent to the State Department."

"The East isn't just issuing a press release to curse a couple of times this time."

"They are demanding an explanation."

John said in a deep voice: "The Department of Defense has already initiated an internal review. The Middle East theater will cooperate with the National Security Council to submit a complete chain of events."

"I want the person responsible."

President Trump raised his hand and pointed at him.

"Don't hide a single one."

As soon as he finished speaking, there were three knocks on the office door.

Without waiting for a response, the Chief of Staff pushed the door open and entered.

He was holding a tablet and walking quickly.

"Mr. President, emergency situation."

President Trump turned his head.

"What is it now?"

The Chief of Staff placed the tablet on the desk.

On the screen was a satellite map of the Western Pacific region.

Several flight paths were marked in red.

A patch of sea near Okinawa was circled.

"Twenty minutes ago, the East's naval fleet in the East China Sea changed course."

The Chief of Staff tapped on the layer.

"One Type 055, one Type 052D, and one supply ship have broken off from their regular patrol zone and are maneuvering at high speed toward Okinawa."

He paused for a moment.

"They are currently about 300 nautical miles from Kadena Air Base."

John immediately stepped forward.

"What about missile launch records?"

The Chief of Staff swiped the tablet.

"Yes."

New data popped up on the screen.

"High-intensity launch training. The type is still being analyzed, but the intensity exceeds a normal patrol display."

President Trump took the tablet, looked at it for a few seconds, and his expression darkened further.

"What do they want to do?"

No one answered immediately.

He said the answer himself.

"Hong Kong?"

"Snowden?"

The Chief of Staff adjusted his glasses.

"The intelligence analysis office has provided three assessments."

"One, a military stance regarding the Hong Kong incident."

"Two, monitoring recent US military movements in the Okinawa direction, especially after the transfer of Snowden."

"Three, it is related to your state visit."

President Trump stopped moving.

"My itinerary does not include Okinawa."

The Chief of Staff looked at the tablet.

"The original plan did not."

The office went quiet again.

President Trump threw the tablet back onto the desk.

"A highly classified itinerary, and they can guess it in advance?"

John said in a low voice: "Mr. President, the East's surveillance capabilities in the Western Pacific have improved rapidly. We cannot treat this fleet operation as a normal display."

"Cannot?"

President Trump looked at him.

"Then what do you suggest I do? Cancel the visit? Change course? Let the media write that the President of the United States was scared away by a fleet?"

John slowed his speech.

"My suggestion is to maintain the original itinerary and not add a stop in Okinawa."

"The situation at Kadena is currently complex."

"Snowden is being held there."

"Personnel related to the Hong Kong operation are undergoing review."

"And there is a spy currently undergoing special training."

He stopped for half a second here.

"If any of these points go wrong, it will become an international incident."

The Chief of Staff didn't respond to John.

He placed another document in front of President Trump.

"Mr. President, I have a different suggestion."

President Trump looked at him.

"Speak."

"Change the first stop to Okinawa."

John turned his head immediately.

"That won't do."

The Chief of Staff ignored him.

"Air Force One flies directly to Kadena."

"You stay at the base for two hours."

"Inspect the front-line troops and give a speech."

"Bring only the White House press corps, and we will release the footage uniformly."

President Trump didn't speak.

The Chief of Staff continued to press.

"The outside world currently believes we have lost control in the Hong Kong incident."

"The East's fleet is active in the direction of Okinawa."

"If you fly to Tokyo as originally planned, public opinion will say you bypassed Kadena."

"But if you land directly at Kadena, the narrative control returns."

John interrupted him.

"You are treating the President as a gamble."

The Chief of Staff turned to John.

"General, this is not a gamble."

"This is politics."

John's voice lowered.

"There is an East fleet 300 nautical miles outside the base, Snowden inside the base, and the Hong Kong incident just broke. You letting the President land there is equivalent to putting all the variables into one room."

The Chief of Staff opened the file.

"Kadena is one of our most important bases in the Pacific."

"Complete air defense system, complete security perimeter, Air Force One's flight route can be adjusted temporarily."

"The East will not take action against the President's plane."

John stared at him.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because they don't want to go to war."

The Chief of Staff answered quickly.

"Their fleet operation this time is core-focused on warning, not firing."

"They want us to show restraint."

"Then we cannot show fear."

President Trump sat back in his chair and tapped the desk twice with his fingers.

The Chief of Staff immediately added a sentence.

"You going in person is the strongest response."

"The East's fleet can only cruise in the outer seas."

"The media will see the President of the United States standing at Kadena giving a speech."

"Tokyo will see it."

"The East will see it."

"Israel will see it too."

President Trump looked up.

"Israel?"

The Chief of Staff swiped the news page on the tablet.

Above was the ambiguous statement from Israel media regarding the Hong Kong incident.

"They are pushing the responsibility away."

"If you go to Kadena without notifying them in advance, they will know one thing."

"In this game, it's not their turn to sit at the main table."

President Trump was silent for a few seconds.

He liked hearing that.

John still wanted to speak.

"Mr. President, I must remind you that the spy project at the base also has risks."

"He is personnel trained according to the Li Li template."

"Li Li himself is a secondary high-level target for the CIA, internal codename Alpha-7."

"If the East's fleet operation is related to this person, we have not ruled out the possibility yet."

The Chief of Staff finally looked at him.

"General, are you saying the East would sail a fleet to Okinawa for a variety show star?"

John's expression was cold.

"He is not an ordinary variety show star."

"Middle East air combat, Hong Kong hijacking, Mandarin Oriental incident, he was at the scene for all of them."

"And every single time, he survived."

"Such a person appearing on any chessboard cannot be treated as a passerby."

President Trump's expression became more annoyed when he heard this.

"It's this Li Li again."

He picked up the coffee on the desk, took a sip, and put it down immediately.

"Last time in the Middle East, Israel lost face because of him."

"In Hong Kong, he made things blow up to the whole world again."

"Now there is a Zhang Nan at Kadena who was modeled after him."

"Is this guy a star or a disaster?"

John didn't respond.

The Chief of Staff responded.

"That's why we should go even more."

The three people in the office all stopped.

The Chief of Staff lowered his voice.

"Mr. President, you go to Kadena in person."

"All projects at the base will automatically enter maximum control."

"Snowden will be re-sealed."

"The spy project will be included in the presidential security screening."

"All threads will be gathered into our hands."

"This is safer than listening to reports from across Washington."

President Trump leaned back into his chair.

"Does the East really not dare to move?"

The Chief of Staff didn't hesitate.

"They don't dare."

"What they are best at is oppression, not losing control."

"They sailed the fleet there to make us retreat."

"If you don't retreat, they can only watch."

John said coldly: "You think of the opponent as too rule-abiding."

The Chief of Staff replied: "I just understand lenses better than you."

President Trump raised his hand.

"Enough."

The two stopped.

President Trump stood up and walked to the window.

Outside was the sky of Washington.

A few seconds later, he turned around.

"John, continue the Hong Kong after-action review."

"I want a list."

"Who approved the channel, who authorized the permissions, who let Israel bypass oversight."

"Don't miss a single one."

John saluted.

"Yes."

"Get out."

John stood for two seconds, then turned and left.

The door closed.

Only President Trump and the Chief of Staff remained in the office.

President Trump returned to the desk, picked up the tablet, and took another look at the red flight paths in the direction of Okinawa.

"Change the itinerary."

The Chief of Staff nodded.

"First stop Kadena?"

"Correct."

President Trump threw the tablet back.

"Air Force One, fly directly to Okinawa tomorrow."

"Notify the Prime Minister of Sakura Country, have them coordinate the reception."

"Push back the arrangements in Tokyo."

The Chief of Staff noted it down.

"What about Israel?"

President Trump sneered.

"Let General Watawobuhu watch it from the news."

"Isn't he very good at making trouble?"

"This time let him see who the real protagonist is."

The Chief of Staff closed the file.

"What about the propaganda team?"

"Prepare a press release."

President Trump thought for a moment.

"Write the headline: Leader Visits in Person, Kadena is Impregnable."

The Chief of Staff paused.

"This headline is very powerful."

President Trump waved his hand.

"Go do it."

The Chief of Staff turned and left.

When his hand touched the doorknob, the internal phone on the desk rang.

President Trump picked it up.

"What is it?"

The voice of the White House National Security Assistant came from the other end of the phone.

"Mr. President, Kadena Air Base just sent back the security project list."

"There is one item that requires your confirmation on whether to include it in the inspection scope."

President Trump was a bit impatient.

"What project?"

The phone paused for half a second.

"Special Personnel Adaptation Training."

"Codename, Alpha-7 Behavior Simulation Project."

President Trump's hand froze on the phone.

In the office, only the sound of electricity in the line remained.

"Go!"