Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

Libya, Tripoli suburb airport.

Murphy, the U.S. special envoy to North Africa, was standing beside the gangway of a C-47 transport plane. The scorching sun left his shadow deeply on the scorching runway.

As if the heat was unbearable, he loosened his tie which had long been soaked with sweat, and the letter of commission he had just received rustled between his fingers.

Seeing that his partner looked troubled, the future Mei Wu Zong patted his shoulder and comforted him in a relaxed tone:
"Robert, cheer up!"

"You have just become the personal representative of the President. Now your every word and action will be interpreted as the attitude of the United States. You can't let us ugly people lose face!"

Perhaps it was his colleague's lieutenant general rank that made him feel at ease, or perhaps it was the classic combo of being alert and not losing face that worked, for Murphy actually straightened his back for a moment.

Unfortunately, the good times did not last long, and the envoy soon became depressed again.

"Damn the Japanese. If they hadn't been doing this in the Pacific, we would have launched Operation Torch to control North Africa. We wouldn't have ended up in this situation."

"Alas, all the previous efforts are wasted, all the previous efforts are wasted!"

As early as the beginning of France's surrender in 1940, Murphy came to North Africa as the British envoy to Vichy.

During his working days, he often traveled between French colonies, ostensibly for routine diplomatic affairs, but secretly in contact with Vichy officials and anti-Axis forces, and even established intelligence networks in Algeria and Morocco.
If nothing unexpected happens, he will play a key role in Operation Torch and eventually become the winning trump card of the Allied landing in North Africa.

But who would have thought that TG's intrusion would completely disrupt Achou and Daiying's original plans.

Torch? It's not popular now, it's just for others!

Although Mei Wuzong had not been in North Africa for long, he had already done enough homework and naturally knew the challenges his colleagues were facing. He sighed and then took out a top-secret document from his arms.

"This is the bargaining chip that the commander-in-chief and Ernest discussed. You can read it on the way. There is still plenty of time."

"okay, I get it."

Just as the two were talking, the roar of a piston engine suddenly attracted their attention.

"Gentlemen, we have to hurry," the navigator of the 33rd Squadron of the Royal Air Force reminded, "German and Italian reconnaissance planes have been active near the coastline recently."

"If we don't set off now, we will miss the French support force and take greater risks on the road."

Hearing this, Murphy nodded.

He turned around and glanced at the twelve Hurricane fighters lined up neatly on the tarmac. All of them had extra auxiliary fuel tanks mounted under their wings, and were obviously specially configured for this long-distance escort.

"Are you sure you don't need to change fighters? P-40 or P-38 will do. You are familiar with these fighters anyway."

As soon as these words were spoken, Captain Daiying walked over with a faint smile on his face.

"Mr. Envoy, please believe us. The Hurricane is more familiar with the skies of North Africa than the P-40 and P-38."

Murphy didn't say anything more. He knew that the British still trusted their fighter jets more at this stage. After all, more than two years of fighting had allowed them to gain a lot of experience.

Soon, all the planes left Tripoli Airport. After the formation assembled, they climbed to an altitude of 2,000 meters in a perfect formation.

Through the glass of the porthole, Murphy could see six Hurricanes led by the squadron leader above him and the protective parachute deployed below the C-47.

"Route 270, maintain current altitude and speed, estimated to arrive at the French rendezvous point in three hours."

During the trip to Oran, the cabin trembled slightly in the air flow. Murphy carefully read the documents handed to him by Mei Wuzong and summarized the advantages of the next negotiation in his mind.

Time passed quickly, the fleet had a smooth journey, and in a blink of an eye they flew into Algerian airspace.

The skies over North Africa were still clear, but compared to two years ago, there were fewer enemy planes from the Axis powers.

Just as Murphy was about to close his eyes and rest to get ready for the meeting two hours later, a warning from the British squadron leader suddenly came from the radio in the cockpit.

"Bulldog, there is a suspicious target approaching at high speed on your right. Damn, it's too fast, be careful! Be careful!"

The squadron leader's warning alerted all the pilots in the formation.

The airspace they were currently in was indeed the territory of Free France, but no one could guarantee that the intelligence would not be intercepted by the enemy. After all, Tunisia was still in the hands of Germany and Italy, and there was still a risk of being intercepted.

But soon, the alert was lifted.

Those strange fighters did not approach from the direction of the sun and launch an attack like the JG53 squadron did. Instead, they flew straight towards the formation, looking like they were going to join the escort formation.

Sure enough, a series of English voices with a French accent suddenly exploded within the pre-agreed radio frequency band.

The voice was full of sarcasm, and it made people feel angry when they heard it.

"Hey, aren't these the elites leading the British 33rd Squadron? How come they have become so lame after not seeing them for a few days? It's almost 1943, who is still driving the outdated Hurricane?

"I heard that even the preserved fruits in Asia are disgusted by your outdated equipment. Why hasn't the Royal Air Force replaced its equipment yet? Can't they afford it?"

"Could it be that the bigwigs in Downing Street think that being beaten up by Italy is a gentlemanly act?"

Before the British pilots could respond, several of the Grudge fighters gracefully flipped sideways, allowing all visitors to clearly see the air-to-air rockets hanging under their wings.

This is a continuation of the century-old friendship between Britain and France, and also a silent declaration to the allies: the Free French Air Force is no longer a weakling.

Obviously, the French taunt hit the bull's eye directly and accurately. The lethality was equivalent to making a reverse V sign in public on the streets of London.

Listening to the continuous shouting and cursing in the cockpit, Murphy shook his head helplessly. He had asked the squadron leader whether to change planes in order to avoid the possibility of such face-to-face NTR.

Unfortunately, the allied pilots were all stubborn and only thought about how to guard against the enemy in the direction of Tunisia, completely ignoring the biggest risk.

Seeing that his stubbornness was about to turn into a double-edged sword, Murphy quickly turned on the radio to join the group chat, thus preventing the possibility of escalation of the conflict in time.

"Everyone, we are still within the attack range of the Axis Air Force. Please calm down and work together to complete this escort mission. The overall situation is the most important thing."

"While the snipe and the clam quarrel, the fisherman gains. I'm sure you don't want to become a German or Italian hero."

Perhaps it was the common enemy that diverted the conflict. The radio channel, which was originally as noisy as a vegetable market in the early morning, gradually fell silent, and in the end, only the calm and professional communication between the navigators of both sides remained.

With unexpected tacit coordination, this large fleet flew over one navigation point after another like a formation of geese, and finally landed steadily on the runway of Oran Airport.

It’s a pity that the good times didn’t last long, and the previous tacit understanding disappeared in a flash.

As soon as Murphy's boots stepped onto the gangway of the C-47 transport plane, the scorching air of Algeria was filled with invisible hostility.

Two years ago, in Operation Ballista, the British raid not only sank several warships of the Toulon fleet, but also shattered the North Africans' already limited trust in the Allied forces.

Now, this resentment has become even stronger under the guidance of invisible forces, and even he, the middleman with the title of special envoy, is regarded as an accomplice.

The locals' eyes scanned every wrinkle on his suit as if they were inspecting smuggled goods, as if they were estimating how many bullets would be needed.

Just as Murphy's back was about to be soaked with cold sweat, the deputy sent by Old Dai to pick him up spoke up to help. He came to the tarmac with dozens of guards and gave his opening remarks in a neither humble nor arrogant tone.

"Everyone, welcome back to Algeria. The general and his Asian allies have prepared a welcoming banquet for you and are waiting for you at the Municipal Center of Oran." "Please follow me. Our soldiers will take full responsibility for security issues."

······
Play is play, jokes are jokes, but don’t joke about negotiations.

The Free French's vigilance measures were extremely strict, and no emergencies occurred along the way. The convoy quickly arrived at the administrative center of Oran.

When Special Envoy Murphy recognized the target person at a glance, he immediately stepped forward to greet him without saying a word.

Along the way, he was really afraid that he would repeat the mistakes of Archduke Ferdinand and become the fuse that ignited internal conflicts among the Allies.

"General, I miss you very much since we last met in Chad several months ago. I am glad to hear that you have successfully recovered the African colonies. On behalf of the United States and the President, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations and high respects to you."

“The original plan was that I would be traveling to Algeria with General Montgomery and General Cunningham.”

"However, the war on the front line is urgent, and the two generals are busy with military duties and it is difficult for them to get away. I apologize for this and hope you will forgive me."

It was a real pleasure to deal with people of culture. Although Britain, as a key party in the peace talks, was absent from the meeting, the diplomatic demeanor shown by the ugly Chinese really benefited Dai.

If he didn't come, then he didn't come. This saved us from the embarrassment of the Gibraltar right of passage dispute. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Your Excellency, you have come all the way here, thank you for your hard work. We have prepared a light feast in the banquet hall. Why don't you take a rest first and taste some local specialties? We can discuss important matters in detail after you have rested enough."

"What do you think?"

This standard diplomatic etiquette of welcoming guests, from cordial greetings, thoughtful arrangements, appropriate suggestions to polite inquiries, gradually relaxed the originally nervous envoy Murphy.

Everyone was talking and laughing, and the wine and food were used to bring them closer together. They were all secretly laying the groundwork for the formal negotiations that were about to begin.

After having a good meal and a good drink, Dai, Mo, and Xiao went directly to the conference room. Considering the serious situation in North Africa and the Mediterranean, Murphy did not hesitate at all and went straight to the point:

"Gentlemen, I know that you two have signed some kind of agreement, and I also know that the Toulon fleet now needs to pass through Gibraltar and sail to the safer Casablanca and Dakar."

"I came to Algeria today to discuss this matter with London on behalf of the President."

"But before the negotiations officially begin, I hope you can take a look at this document first. It was obtained from the Abwehr of Germany III and the Italian Military Intelligence Agency. At the end of the document, there is a joint signature of the man with a mustache and the man with a black bald head."

The serious and solemn look of the Ugly Country's special envoy immediately aroused the high alert of Old Dai and Director Xiao. The two of them solemnly took the sealed document, carefully opened the seal and read it word by word.

When Director Xiao saw the name of the Atlantropa Project, he did not have any special reaction. After all, this word is a professional term composed of two words. It is difficult to immediately understand its deep meaning without a deep knowledge of English.

Of course, if Huang He were present at this time, he would definitely have a gloomy face and doubt his life.

How can +2 spaghetti and +5 German three be able to adapt to the script of the Man in the High Castle and TNO? What is the purpose of this? Is it to wake up the brave tiger?

"Is this information authentic?"

However, Old Dai was different. He suddenly raised his head, his sharp eyes piercing the Ugly Country's envoy, his face full of disbelief.

After confirming that the other party's expression was serious and not a joke, Lao Dai immediately buried himself in the documents and reviewed every detail with a rigorous attitude almost like a military assessment.

As if he noticed that Director Xiao was a little slow, Murphy cleared his throat and explained in half-baked Chinese:

"The so-called Atlantropa Project is a project jointly developed by Germany and Italy, and Franco may also be involved. The core of it, to put it bluntly, is to build a cross-channel dam in Gibraltar."

“Once the project is implemented, the dam will completely isolate the Atlantic Ocean currents and interrupt the exchange of ocean currents between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, causing the water level of the former to steadily drop over a certain period of time.”

"From a technical feasibility assessment, if the plan is perfectly implemented, this project will not only allow the future Axis powers to obtain endless hydropower energy, but also create more land."

In interwar Europe, finding alternatives to fossil fuels had long been a strategic issue for all countries, with resource-poor Germany and Italy being the most pressing.

Hydropower, a cheap, practical and efficient clean energy, soon attracted the attention of the desperate men with mustaches and bald heads, and was even regarded by them as a feasible solution to economic and social problems.

The idea of ​​Atlantropa was not just a fantasy of the two Axis powers.

After all, Italy had made remarkable achievements in the field of hydropower development long before the war. At its peak, its hydropower installed capacity accounted for 22% of Europe. They have accumulated technology.

I can only say that although Lao Mo is not good at fighting, he is still quite capable in economic development and construction.

Seeing that Director Xiao understood what he meant, Murphy took out a map from the briefcase in front of him, and took out a pen to mark several important areas.

"You see, by building giant dams in Gibraltar, the Dardanelles, and at the mouth of the Nile, we can completely disconnect the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Black Sea, and the Red Sea."

"Through slow evaporation, the water level of the Mediterranean will slowly drop, eventually exposing large swathes of seabed around the coastline, creating entirely new land."

"The next step is to install giant hydroelectric power stations on each dam and hierarchically divide them into different levels, so that we can use the potential energy accumulated between different water levels to generate electricity."

"According to our forecasts, the Gibraltar Dam alone will generate enough electricity to power the whole of Europe."

It is obvious that judging from the strategic decision of Little Mustache and Baldhead to jointly sign the Atlantropa Plan, the two Axis powers clearly have absolute confidence in winning this world war.

The design premise of this unprecedented planetary geoengineering project must be based on the Axis-dominated post-war order in Europe.

As for why we have to develop the Mediterranean?

It’s very simple, just prepare for World War III in advance.

Without changing its geographical location, Europe would not have had the resources to compete with the rest of the world, or even to sustain industrial production and population growth.

If they wanted to defeat Asia and America, they had to develop the Mediterranean as a source of energy, otherwise their status as the cultural center of Europe would no longer exist.

Unlike Murphy and Old Dai, who looked at the problem from a strategic perspective, Director Xiao's ideas focused more on the economy and people's livelihood. After thinking for a moment, he also expressed his views.

"This so-called Atlantropa Project is really crazy. I see they are even planning to artificially create a Congo Lake in the Sahara Desert. It's really a fantastic project."

"But once the plan is successfully implemented, the hydropower generated by the dam will become a guarantee to prevent another war from breaking out in Europe. Compared with a written treaty, a huge energy network and local interests are the best guarantee."

“In addition, the construction of dams and hydroelectric power stations is almost planetary-scale geoengineering and can solve the unemployment problem after the war.”

"Reorganizing Europe and Africa at the socio-political and even material level, uniting those quarreling countries, and getting everyone to stop killing each other and turn to the outside world, this is really a terrifying strategic vision."

At this point, Old Dai, who had been on hold, finally finished reading all the information. His expression was extremely solemn, and he obviously realized the seriousness of the matter.

Germany, Italy and others are now pushing forward the Atlantropa plan, which means that the war in North Africa will see a thorough escalation.

If things go wrong, the severity of the situation will be no less than that of the Eastern Front in Europe.

Thinking of the new medium tanks that landed in Tunisia and the island of Malta that could fall at any time, Old Dai subconsciously said:

"Mr. Murphy, I know the purpose of your visit to Algeria. If conditions permit, we Free France will put aside our past grievances with Britain and fight the enemy together in North Africa."

"Let's be frank and ask what conditions the commander-in-chief and Fatty Qiu have put forward." (End of this chapter)