"So, that's the dilemma we're facing right now, President Candace."

Andy sat down in front of Candace and recounted the story in general.

Candace covered his forehead with emotion.

"I've heard you say it in the newsletter before, but it's really incredible, was the rocket really launched by them? Oh my God, so long after the end of the war, this is the first post-war human astronaut to use a spacecraft into space, and you, Andy, you're planning to be part of the second batch. ”

Andy leaned back in his chair and shook his head helplessly.

"The crisis we are facing now is very realistic, Prester will definitely not be merciful, if we can catch up, everything will still be saved, if we can't catch him, it won't be long before NcR will be completely finished in a month or so. Even if he chooses not to bomb the Eastern SAR... I mean, the old concept of the word, which is the Great Southwestern Federal area east of the Hoover Dam, people here don't get much good. ”

"It's going to be a revert to the miserable state of the old days when it was cut off from New California, and it's going to be even worse in the future."

The Candace branch president was very serious and agreeing.

"You're right Andy, and it's not just that, whether it's for our country, the NcR, for the people there and for the survival of this country, or for our own future, it's worth our efforts, but I have to tell you clearly, not everyone is aware of the urgency."

She raised her arm and pointed out the window.

"You see, just investigating Kolezin's remnants and purging Prest's treason is full of twists and turns, and there are a lot of things that are entangled with each other... Mayor Dodge has recently had his personal freedom restricted, and the brigadier general has taken his soldiers to the west, and Colemans is currently in charge of the Hoover Dam. ”

Andy subconsciously frowned.

"The deputy director of the National Anti-Terrorism Agency? Doesn't he understand people? If we continue like this, NcR will be destroyed, and if we can't unite and gather all the resources we have to stop Preste, then everything will be doomed, and even then, will he be able to remain indifferent? ”

The Candace branch president made a gesture of silence.

"You can't talk nonsense, especially if you... He's so stubborn, if you run up to him and say this, he'll just think you're talking nonsense, and even imprison you first. ”

"Why is he?"

Andy asked angrily, it wasn't the first time that this bastard had gone against the grain, but it was surprising to him that it had reached this level.

The Candace branch president looked at Andy in front of him, his eyes were a little complicated.

"I've heard he's recently gotten some intel on your background, in some moldy scrap paper that's been forgotten in the corner... It's not easy to use your past misdeeds to knock your reputation at Hoover Dam, but you seem to be involved in a manslaughter involving the death of an NcR soldier. ”

"He's running this thing, and if you stay here for a long time and someone else learns about it, there's a chance that the gendarmes will come and arrest you, and if you resist arrest, it could have a worse aftermath... I heard that Colemans got in touch with the sergeant major of the Ranger unit through personal connections, and asked a few very powerful Ranger to come over and help. ”

Andy was in trouble.

"What the hell is that old man trying to do?"

Candace voiced her guess.

"It's not just this, there have been a lot of turmoil recently, but if you think about it, it actually revolves around one center, that is, Mayor Dodger, and the investigation about you is naturally related to him, and everyone in Hoover Dam City knows that the relationship between the two of you is very good, and the connection is very close."

.....................

At the same time, in the NcR City Council, several people were chatting hotly.

Colemans, deputy director of the NCR National Counter-Terrorism Bureau, sat in the main seat, raising a glass full of high-end red wine, and around the table in front of him sat many people of high status, rich pockets, and important positions.

For example, McClavdie, the manager of the eastern branch of the Crimson Caravan, and Colonel Walton Walker, who was personally appointed by the brigadier general to take command of all the soldiers stationed in the company before leaving.

These people are staggered here, talking and laughing, and the bottle caps that eat and drink things in a minute have to be earned by the wastelanders outside for a long time.

Colemans took a sip of red wine with a flushed face.

"This time we taught that nasty Joseph Dodge a hard lesson, or it won't be long before he'll have to get out of the way, look at it, haha."

Walker echoed with a smile, and then there was some searching in his eyebrows.

He gave a few compliments, then asked a question.

"Director, I don't know, Congress... Well, how are you going to continue the eastward movement? ”

Colemans waved casually.

"There's no need to be so inhibited, Walton, I'll just tell you. First, the Eastward Movement will certainly continue, but in the future, it will be necessary to revise the direction of the Eastward Movement, and change from the blind and infinite expansion of the boundaries to the East during the Tibbette period in the past, to increase the depth of cultivation, seek to balance the balance of payments, and try to ensure that the progress of this Pioneer Movement can always be stable and improving..."

"Oh, look, I always accidentally say something official, hahahaha!"

Several people around laughed one after another, and the drinking party was happy for a while.

In the corner of the wine table, there are several unsmiling people, they are wearing NcR Ranger armor based on the second generation of combat armor before the war, redesigned by counterpart experts, and developed and produced by a small number of NcR domestic military enterprises, and several people also have a signature Ranger hat in their hands.

There is no doubt that these are several rangers, a total of three people.

Two of them are faintly led by the Ranger with a short beard on the chin in the middle, and a Ranger Sequoia hanging from his waist, meaning that he is a highly respected veteran Ranger who has served as a Ranger for more than two decades.

The trio did not drink alcohol or smoke, and they did not eat much.

Colemans said three things in a row, to the effect that the new President Peterson had his own considerations for the new plan for the Eastward Movement, and he believed that continuing to build infrastructure and defend against endless attacks in the Buramen-infested eastern part of the Hoover Dam was a foolish investment with no end in sight, compared to the Mojave Desert region, controlled by the Desert Rangers, a militia self-governing group, which Tibbert had considered inconvenient to meddle in in the past, the 'Borderlands' was a better target.

This means that the center of the eastward movement will shift from east to west of the river.

The Rangers had already been stationed there before the NcR troops were there, and after a detailed investigation of the situation on the ground, it was believed that it would not be long before the allocation for the eastern region would be further cut in favor of the NcR 'unity' in the Mojave Desert, but at the same time it would mean that Congress and the president would no longer expect to work in the eastern part of the Hoover Dam.

This may not seem like a good thing at first glance, but for some it is not.

McClofty has completely turned over, although this is not just done by her own strength, the Crimson Caravan Company is very important in the NcR country, and the energy is huge, as the largest money bag in the Republic, in order to win their support, some 'unimportant old accounts' are gently turned over, so that Alice McClofdie, the manager who is favored by the Crimson Caravan Company, can get away with it, which is really cost-effective for Colemans.

In the future, it will be west of the Hoover Dam, but there will be a period of time, during which the NcR will gradually loosen the regulation of the east side, as long as it is operated a little, this...

She stared at the red wine in the wine glass and lost her mind for a moment, and when she came back to her senses, there was already a change of topic on the wine table, and Colonel Walker said that the recent investigation of the Kolezin remnants had not gone well for various reasons, and that the other officer stationed there at the fort of Arashid had not been at odds with him, which made him constrained.

Colemans chuckled twice.

"Take it easy! This, this Arrashid fortress still has to exist, after all, this place is a symbol of the eastward movement, and the recovery is what the president asked for by General Kimball, who would dare not do it? But you see, it won't be long before the garrison there will be removed, such an eastern salient, surrounded by so many marauders and natives, and shooting all day long, how much money are we going to stick in it? ”

"Since today even the city of Bull Head where the Bull Head Massacre took place has been forgotten, then the fate of the fort of Arashid will be the same in the end, I heard that before it was recovered, people called it... Abandoned fortress? That's what it's called, right? ... Ha, that's a good name, one day it will be forgotten like the Bull Head City and turn back into an abandoned fortress! ”

"After a few years he leaves with his soldiers, who else can fight against you here?"

Colonel Walker heard of this for the first time, until the man in front of him knew a lot of the inside story, and hurriedly toasted it, and after a few compliments he took the opportunity to inquire about a matter of recent concern.

"I don't know if you know... The newly appointed General Kimball previously ordered a serious investigation of the Kolzinji remnants in various places, but recently it seems that the rumors have quieted down again, and I heard some people say that Kolzinji may be active in the east now, and I am worried that if my side does not do well, what will happen to the general's ears when the time comes? ”

Colemans grinned and waved his hand to signal Colonel Walker to calm down.

"You have to be forgiving and forgiving, it's almost enough, it's a serious investigation, you tell me, what is the point of tracking? I know that before General Kimball came to power, he had a good personal relationship with Kollezinji, and now this is unspeakable, but who didn't revolve around the old general at that time except him? ”

"You also check this, check that, I can't figure out when Kolezinji is really found in your hands, you tell me what you plan to do? Locked up? Killed? Or put it? Or send it to the general to make a decision? Don't touch it, if you do... The fire doesn't just burn on your head. ”

Colonel Walker suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and praised the wisdom of the director in front of him.

The two rangers glanced at each other, and there was some disdain in their eyes, but the veteran Ranger at the head was still expressionless and unmoved, these were just one of the many within the army, and they had nothing to do with the Ranger troops, and they would not participate unless the president asked them to do something.

McClofty looked curiously at the veteran Ranger, who had noticed the silent man as soon as she entered the room, if she was not mistaken...

"Well, can you do me a favor? Director Colemans. ”

The old man, who had drunk a little gaffe, almost did not shy away from looking at it with an obscene expression.

"Of course... Of course, little Alice, you just say it. ”

McClofty raised his glass slightly and looked at the veteran Ranger.

"I'd like to get to know this handsome guy, if I'm not mistaken, this is the absolute legend known as the 'Ranger of the Rangers', Mr. Hanlon, I'm right?"

Colmanston burst out laughing, got up from his chair and staggered to the middle of the three Rangers with his glass, placing one hand on the veteran Ranger's shoulder and toasting him closely.

"Little Alice didn't say anything, my old guy forgot about you, I'm sorry, brother, you see I did it, when I greeted the sergeant major, I just hoped that she would send a few good hands to support my waist, but I didn't expect it to be not only a good hand, but also a good hand among you!"

The Ranger replied nonchalantly, and then calmly greeted a smiling McClavdie, but that was all.

The people around him didn't think he was rude, but felt that such a god man should act like this, after all, he had arrogant capital and was very strong. In the past, his resume is full of flashing deeds, most recently preventing an assassination of President Peterson by the Brotherhood of Steel; As for the future, whether it is in the eyes of the internal members of the Ranger unit or outsiders who care about this matter, after the current sergeant major retires, the successor will most likely be the legend of the Ranger in front of him, a future sergeant major.

The crowd shifted the conversation to the Ranger, and after a few conversations, Colemans was repeatedly touted that even if he wasn't in the mood to talk more at the dinner, he now had to say a few words in response.

"You have won the award of Director Colemans, and I applied for it on my own initiative, and for this purpose I have also replaced another honorable colleague. The Sergeant Major was talking about this when I received a report from a Ranger who claimed that his Ranger squad had followed in the footsteps of a group of remnants of the enclaves before the Eastern District had lost contact with the mainland; After years of tracking, he can now confirm that there are a lot of remnants of the enclave quietly operating in the area east of the Hoover Dam where we have less activity, which is no small feat. I had never had the opportunity to visit the east in the past, but this time I finally found an opportunity, and in that case, I must do a thorough investigation and find out all the vicious remnants of those harmful enclaves from the vast sea of sand. ”

A righteous speech won the applause of the crowd.

Colemans is even more meaningful.

"Well, great, the glory of the Republic is lit up by people like you, and not only the enclaves, but also some sanctimonious wicked people who are jeopardizing our common honor, which... I may need your help, Brother Hanlong. ”

Hanlon put down the wine glass he had only taken a sip.

"I want to hear about it."