"Remember the USS Maine!"

"To hell with the Spaniards!"

"The time has come to intervene. The pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info human beings demand that we act. ”

"Spain does not have a sufficient amount of gold to compensate the United States for the insults it has suffered, or to pay back the precious lives of those who died in the February 15 disaster."

……

"Everybody's crazy." Qin Lang grunted and threw the stack of newspapers in his hand onto the table.

It's all crazy. That's how he feels. San Diego is a city with a large Hispanic population, with far more Spanish-speaking residents than English-speaking residents, but even so, the headlines in various mainstream and non-mainstream newspapers are as hysterical as those elsewhere.

What's even more ridiculous is that most of these newspapers are in Spanish.

"The Chinese will not do such a thing, they will not attack their homeland so hysterically." Yi Shui said, but not very sure.

Qin Lang smiled secretly: Even though he has been living in the United States for five years, Yi Shui still has no way to turn himself into a real American and patriot. Of course, he has always considered himself Chinese, and American citizenship is just a tool to cover, and his thinking is not surprising, but not those Hispanic Americans.

They are Americans, patriots, so hysterical demands to punish Spain. Qin Lang also didn't think there was anything wrong with this understanding, but the actions of the Hispanic patriots were really crazy: all the newspapers were the same or similar things, and the days were almost over!

"I hate fanatics." He shook his head, banishing thoughts that had nothing to do with reality out of his mind, then turned to his partners and the firm's military advisers sitting on either side of the conference table and gestured to them, nodding his head slightly. "Ladies and gentlemen, our long-awaited moment has finally arrived."

His words elicited little reaction, not even a hint of "buzz" - the military advisers had already been agitated by Christmas.

Before Christmas, Qin Lang issued an order to assemble troops to Guangzhou Bay to transport weapons, ammunition, medicine, and canned goods, and the amount was beyond everyone's imagination. So at that time, the military advisers were well aware that a large-scale war was about to break out, and if you think about it, the target could only be Spain's colony in Asia, the Philippines.

That is, the United States was about to go to war with Spain.

Qin Lang's predictions had always been accurate, he had a close relationship with Washington, and everyone knew about the bill passed by Congress in 1896 but was rejected by Cleveland. When William. When McKinley was sworn in as president of the United States again, the military advisers were all full of anticipation - so since Qin Lang had leaked the news that war was about to break out to them through an order, they would of course be very excited.

Just a little earlier. Passion is always temporary, whether it's love, art, politics or war. Military advisers prematurely consumed their passions, and as a result, when more accurate news appeared in front of their eyes, the only thing they could feel was taken for granted, and a little complaint.

Why are the signs of the outbreak of war not fully revealed until now?

"It's too late." Harrington shook his head in disappointment, and was immediately unanimous.

"Gentlemen, you must give Washington time to find a casus belli." Qin Lang said with a smile, as if he intended to appease his military adviser.

But whatever he wanted to do, Rachel dismissed his explanation.

"The war against Spain could expand trade, raise the income of every railroad in the United States, increase the output of all the factories of the United States, and stimulate every branch of industry and domestic trade, increase the need for labor, and finally make every stock of American enterprise more expensive than it is at present." She concluded: "These reasons are quite sufficient, and I don't think there is any need to find other excuses." ”

Qin Lang rolled his eyes at her: In Congress, members of the parliament can make similar remarks without scruples, but if the government declares war on Spain in such a straightforward way, the peace-loving American people will demonstrate on the lawn of the White House before European countries can lodge a strong protest. While the upper classes of society knew what the nature of war was, ordinary people did not - they did not need it and should not.

Therefore, McKinley must maintain his image in front of the people, love peace, uphold justice, and oppose hegemony. So the people will continue to support him.

"The president won't take your advice, Rachel."

"I know." Rachel shrugged, "The government needs to maintain its image in front of the world. But I still have to complain. Qin, Washington has wasted too much time on the issue of finding a casus belli, and that is only a very simple matter. ”

After a pause, she added, "Actually, the reason you used to make a joke is quite appropriate. ”

Those reasons ...... "the United States sent troops to Cuba and the Philippines only to eliminate the humanitarian catastrophe there"? Or "the United States sent troops to Cuba and the Philippines in order to establish a peaceful and stable new social order there"? But none of these were the reasons he came up with.

A similar rationale was used in 1896 when Congress passed a bill calling on the president to declare war on Spain. "Maintaining peace and justice" has always been an excuse used by expansionists. The problem is that this excuse is meaningless when the American people are not interested in the Cuban issue; However, when the people because of virtue. By the time Lomé's letter became interested in Cuba again, it was February 1898, when the "Maine" exploded.

"Why are you defending Washington?" O'Connor asked curiously.

"Because Washington is our client." Qin Lang said as a matter of course, "Sean, I won't offend a big client who has just signed a contract worth five million dollars with us. ”

And this is only the first contract - because there have already been two experiences, and Washington has become more savvy. This time, the time for the use of mercenaries was calculated in "days", and the duration of the mission agreed in the first contract was not only forty days, but also from the time the United States declared war on Spain. Obviously, if the mission has not been completed in more than 40 days, Washington can choose to sign another contract to extend the mission, or it can send the Army or Marine Corps to replace the mercenaries; But if the mission is completed, then there is no need to sign another contract, or hire only a small number of mercenaries to maintain order.

"It must be said that the world is always improving." Qin Lang laughed mockingly.

"I don't understand what you're laughing at, Qin." Rachel said. Washington's ghost idea annoyed her. As the military advisers told her, the Spanish Army has 500,000 soldiers, 150,000 in Cuba and 20,000 in the Philippines, and wants to defeat them in forty days? Hardly possible. But if the army or marines were sent into battle forty days after the battle, it was clear that the Spanish army would be very easy to pack up at that time.

The army and navy want to use mercenaries to weaken their opponents and then let the army reap the fruits of victory, and she can't tolerate such a thing.

"I'll let Washington know I'm good."

"There's no need for that, Rachel." Qin Lang said with a smile, waving his hand lightly, "Forty days is enough for mercenaries to complete their mission in the Philippines, whether it's Washington's or our own." ”

"Are you sure?"

"You can ask our military advisers."

"Lieutenant Colonel?" Rachel set his sights on the chief military adviser.

"Yes, Mrs. Yi." Harrington affirmed that "with 14,000 mercenaries against 20,000 Spanish soldiers, the battle would be over in a matter of days." ”

Rachel was stunned for a moment: how could the Spanish army be so vulnerable?

Another military adviser nodded. "There is no doubt about it, ma'am."

"And we have a much stronger force, the SWAT detachment." Qin Lang then added, slightly proud.

"SWAT detachment? What is that? Rachel asked, looking at the others, all confused.

"Special Weapons & Tactical Detachment, abbreviated as SWAT." Qin Lang explained, and then smiled slyly, "Do you remember the rabbit you saw in Elizabeth's lab, Rachel?" ”

Rachel's face turned pale in an instant. Even if it's been so long...... For years, she still remembered the dead rabbits she had seen in Elizabeth's chemistry lab, and the image was so clear that she could even smell the disgusting smell of the corpses...... Just an illusion, of course.

However, when she realized what kind of effect Qin Lang's "Special Weapons and Tactics Detachment" was going to create on the battlefield...... Elizabeth's poison gas was used on humans...... Thousands of dead people like dead rabbits...... She almost really started vomiting.

"Qin!" Rachel swore to settle this account with Qin Lang, and sooner or later she would take revenge.

He knew what she meant, but pretended not to know anything, and pretended not to see her expression. "It's great that you remember." A satisfied smile appeared on Qin Lang's face, "Soon, SWAT will reproduce those scenes." ”

He was satisfied. It took him four years to plan and assemble the SWAT detachment, and he solved almost all the difficulties, but he encountered only one last problem: the factory that made the chemical protective clothing had not been able to completely solve the sealing problem. But now this problem has been completely solved, and he has already obtained the first batch of 200 sets of chemical protective suits. SWAT units were able to take part in the fighting in the Philippines.

It was perfect. Qin Lang let himself be comfortably happy for a while, then avoided the fierce gaze that Rachel shot that was enough to make others tremble, and said to the military advisers, "We can start discussing the problem." (To be continued, if you want to know what will happen next, please log in to the www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!) (To be continued.) )