Invasion of America

Chapter 155 Taking refuge
Newport News, shipyard dock.

A small container ship slowly approached the pier, and the sailors on board threw down a mooring line, which was then tied to a bollard by dockworkers.

The cargo ship has its own crane, which lifts dozens of containers one by one and stacks them in the dock's storage yard.

A group of white people gathered around, eagerly opening the container and using forklifts to move the goods out.

"It's unbelievable that I would crave fresh tomatoes one day. These used to be used to make jam for fries, but now they've become a rare source of vitamins."

"Come on, you can't even get French fries now. There are plenty of unprocessed potatoes, but I feel nauseous just looking at mashed potatoes."

The white-skinned people crowded the dock, making a racket and showing a "want but not satisfied" attitude towards the goods that were being delivered, nitpicking endlessly.

But the 'whites' of Newport News are lazy; they have plenty of military supplies to support their lives, so they have no pressure to survive.

While the white people elsewhere were starving, the white people in Newport News were not only too lazy to farm, but also carelessly wasted supplies in nearby military depots.

The U.S. military's individual rations, or MREs, contain main dishes, staple foods, jam, chewing gum, napkins, and so on. The main dishes alone include twenty-four different types, such as chicken, pork, and beef.

This thing, if it were elsewhere, could really be traded for a beautiful foreign woman.

In Newport News, however, the "whites" thought this stuff was "unpalatable even to dogs," and only used the tea bags inside to make tea, throwing away the rest.

As time went on, the shipyard's "white skin" also worried that they would one day run out of resources, so they began to trade their military supplies with the outside world, mainly in exchange for agricultural products.

However, the productivity of survivors in other places was still too low, and the goods that could be transported for trade were very limited, until 'Holy Light' appeared in a cargo ship.

The Bahamas, which is under the control of the 'Holy Light', is very close to the United States. The tomato sauce brought by cargo ships went unsold, but the various fresh vegetables in the freezers became hot commodities.

Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, onions—all the vegetables were sold by the ton, creating a dazzling array that gave the illusion of abundance.

Someone drove up in a pickup truck, the back of which was full of uneaten MRE (Mixed Recycled Food) to exchange for baskets of fresh vegetables in the container, as if they were planning to take it back to open a fresh food supermarket.

Besides vegetables, the most popular item is rum, which comes from Cuba and is made from sugarcane. All rum is stored in wooden barrels, each containing half a ton.

As the owner of a bar in town, Shirley pushed aside several annoying white men and walked to the round wooden barrel that the forklift had brought out.

A small hole was made on the edge of the barrel lid. If you pull out the cork blocking the hole, you can smell a wine aroma with the sweet scent of sugarcane.

As the aroma wafted out, the surrounding 'white-skinned' people couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, feeling slightly tipsy.

She poured herself half a glass of rum using a decanter, the light reflecting off its golden amber color in the sunlight. She took a sip and sincerely praised, "Excellent, genuine 'gold rum,' the aging process is superb."

Smoking and drinking can numb the nerves and keep people away from pain, making them a necessity in a post-apocalyptic world. Regardless of whether they are white or black, many people have a drinking problem and drink several glasses every day.

The cargo ship brought in twenty barrels of 'gold rum,' which were all bought up by the 'white rum' crammed onto the dock. They even yelled at Marcus, who was in charge of on-site delivery, hoping to get more rum.

Several white men pushed forward, and Ciri took the opportunity to retreat and stand on the edge of the dock.

The deal played by 'Holy Light' this time was very successful, but what really attracted her attention was the force it displayed.

The cargo ship had a very high deck, and the view above was not visible from the pier, but anti-aircraft machine guns were mounted on the sides of the ship, and people in military uniforms would occasionally peek down.

With just a fleeting glance, Xi Rui sensed that the soldiers' spirit and demeanor were different from ordinary people; their faces were serious and their military bearing was impeccable.

"They are regular troops."

Sheri's first reaction was anger, because the other person's gaze held a certain contempt. But upon closer reflection, she realized that her own army didn't seem to have one that could compare.

Newport News has many surviving U.S. soldiers and officers, and most of the 'white men' scrambling to buy goods in front of us were once in military uniform.

But now these guys have all changed. Without the constraints of their superiors, they have no discipline or unity whatsoever and have become selfish and self-serving.

Sheri, however, couldn't blame her companions. She used to be a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, but now she was just a bar owner, wearing a tight t-shirt and attracting customers with her big breasts behind the bar.
-
Newport News is not a professional cargo port. Relying on the cranes on cargo ships, it took most of the day to unload dozens of containers.

A group of dockworkers from Mexico disembarked from the ship and worked diligently, operating forklifts and transporting goods.

A few hundred meters from the dock, Darlington, from the provisional government, had been observing the crew on the cargo ship for quite some time with binoculars. He was quite certain that more than half of the crew were professional soldiers from 'Eastern University'.

"The 'Holy Light' is truly unscrupulous; they traded a large amount of weapons and equipment from this key American military location for some cheap vegetables."

What was unloaded from the ship were everyday necessities. At first, only individual soldiers' rations could be traded, but soon crates and crates of military equipment appeared.

Darlington didn't know whether to be happy or sad, but he found that the weapons were mostly firearms, and he hadn't seen any heavy weapons yet.

Of course, heavy weapons transactions wouldn't be transported so casually by a small container ship, nor could they be done so openly.

Was there any insider trading involved?

"There are so many military bases around Newport News, and Norfolk alone has an aircraft carrier, destroyers, and nuclear submarines. It's impossible for those yellow-skinned monkeys not to be interested."

Darlington saw a pickup truck approaching from the direction of the docks, with a muscular, long-haired woman in the driver's seat. Realizing the vehicle was heading towards his street, he immediately walked to the side of the road and stopped it.

The pickup truck carrying two barrels of rum stopped, and the driver, Shiree, rolled down the window, glanced warily at the government envoy by the roadside, and asked coldly, "Uncle Darlington, are you also watching the dockside deals?"

“She-Ra, your father and I are colleagues, and I’d like to ask you for a favor.” Darlington, in his fifties, leaned against the pickup truck window, his tone quite sincere. “‘Holy Light’ is an evil organization, and we must stop it from corrupting America.”

Shiri shook his head. "'Holy Light' has money, resources, and connections. How can you expect us to resist the temptation to cooperate with them?"

Darlington said in a deep voice, "Son, someone has to step up and save this country. You are a soldier, and you have a responsibility too."

Hearing this, Shire sighed repeatedly, and after a long while asked, "What do you want me to do?" "Where is that 'Holy Light' high-ranking official named 'Victor'?" Darlington asked, "You were the first person to see him according to the news that came out yesterday."

According to our intelligence, Victor's real name is Zhou Qingfeng, and he is the key figure in 'Holy Light.' Eliminating him would cripple that evil organization by half."

Sheri was immediately at a loss. "I don't know where that kid is. He showed up yesterday, said 'goodbye' and then disappeared. He hasn't shown up again today."

Darlington said in a deep voice, "She-Ra, you're beautiful and have connections. You'll definitely attract that kid. Contact me once you find him. I have a way to deal with him."

A Virginia-class attack submarine is docked in the port of Newport News. The submarine's nuclear reactor is constantly supplying power to the city, ensuring the smooth operation of various living facilities.

Cell phone communication in the city was still working, and Shire could send a message to Darlington with just one call, so she reluctantly nodded in agreement, "I can only say I'll do my best, but don't expect me to promise anything."

Darlington was delighted and patted the pickup truck door. "Son, I knew you would serve your country. I'm waiting for your good news."
-
At this moment, Zhou Qingfeng is at Langley Air Force Base, a dozen kilometers northeast of Newport News. This base is located by the sea, with Black River Bend to the east.

A simple banquet was being held on a luxury yacht in the river bend. Former Air Force Major General Adams, who controlled the 'Langley,' raised his glass on the yacht's aft deck and murmured to himself:

“I know the right way to go—immediately join the Provisional Federal Government, obey them, dedicate myself, and give everything to rebuild America.”

Major General Adams glanced at Zhou Qingfeng, who was entertaining him, and sighed, "But the right path is too difficult. Right now, I just want to use the power in my hands to exchange for some easy days."

Zhou Qingfeng appeared nonchalant. He simply nodded at the major general's words, neither agreeing nor welcoming them, and merely asked indifferently, "Major General, what kind of easy life do you desire?"

The news of the 'Holy Light' reconnaissance team's arrival in Newport News yesterday spread through Sheeran's bar. That very evening, numerous local factions sent people to visit, mostly to discuss business.

Only Major General Adams requested a personal meeting with Zhou Qingfeng—he was a genuine former U.S. Army Major General and former commander of Langley Air Force Base.

Given the other party's high status, Zhou Qingfeng was also somewhat skeptical. He sent Tang Wen ahead as a scout to confirm safety and then invited the other party to meet him on a yacht at sea.

Major General Adams was very straightforward. Upon meeting, he expressed his willingness to join the cause, offering the entire Langley Air Force Base as a gift to the 'Holy Light', and even offering to act as an inside agent, providing inside information about other factions in Newport News.

"America is finished. The population loss in North America is too severe, and it is impossible to compete with 'Tokyo University' anymore. I know that your main focus is on dealing with Japan and South Korea in East Asia, but sooner or later you will have time to conquer North America."

Rather than waiting for you guys to come and kill me, I'd rather join you sooner.

I want money, power, and promises. My confidants and I must be guaranteed a place when the 'Holy Light' takes control of this land in the future.

Langley Air Force Base is home to the U.S. Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing, the main force of the Air Force, which has nearly 100 fighter jets, including F-22 Raptors.

Besides the aircraft, the most valuable part of this base is its oil depot, which contains tens of thousands of tons of high-grade aviation kerosene.

Zhou Qingfeng asked, "Major General, do you now have complete control over everything at 'Lanley'?"

“Of course not.” Major General Adams shook his head. “The base originally housed more than 17,000 military personnel, including the Air Force, Army, and National Guard.”

After the outbreak, the epidemic at our base was well controlled, with the death toll being about two-thirds. There are currently more than 5,000 soldiers remaining at the base.

However, in addition to military personnel, the base now also houses an equal number of civilians, mostly military family members, and is under quasi-military management.

I am the base commander, but many tasks need to be carried out by my subordinates, and not all of them share my ideas.

The major general paused for a moment, then asked, "You must be very interested in the F-22, right? There are two squadrons at the base, with more than thirty aircraft. I can get you some F-22s."

To other countries, the epoch-making F-22 is clearly the most advanced air force equipment, extremely mysterious, extremely rare, and extremely powerful.

Zhou Qingfeng shrugged. "The F-22 was the world's top fighter jet twenty years ago, but it's too old now, and its avionics are outdated. However, it's still good for use as an aggressor squadron."

The major general was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, taking it as the young man boasting. He downed his drink in one gulp and continued:

“Young man, you seem quite confident. But I have some free information for you: the Provisional Government of the United States is very interested in the ‘Holy Light’ you founded, and even wants to carry out a surgical nuclear strike against you.”

Zhou Qingfeng was somewhat surprised. "A nuclear strike against us? Is that necessary?"

“It’s necessary, of course it’s necessary,” the major general said with certainty. “I know that ‘Holy Light’ is taking in survivors on a large scale in Richmond, even though I’m more than 100 kilometers away.”

Didn't you consider how the provisional government would feel doing something like this? If they had enough power, they would have sent troops to suppress it long ago.

Zhou Qingfeng was annoyed and continued to ask, "Is this provisional government still in Washington, D.C.? Who is the current head?"

“No, the provisional government is definitely not in Washington, D.C., and who its leader is is a mystery.” Major General Adams shook his head. “There is a government envoy named Darlington who operates in Newport News. He should know.”

But be careful of him; that guy has recruited quite a few hot-headed individuals who want to restore America's glory. Once he gets hold of your movements, he might very well attack you.

Seeing Zhou Qingfeng's gloomy face, the major general was actually quite pleased. He comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, President of 'Holy Light'. With my assistance, you're not without advantages."

For example, I can understand if you're not interested in the F-22. But I'm sure you're interested in another piece of equipment.

Zhou Qingfeng frowned and asked, "What equipment?"

"Air-launched, long-range 'Tomahawk' cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads. With a range of 2,500 kilometers, when launched from fighter jets, they can cover the entire North American continent."

If someone threatens you with nuclear warheads, why don't you retaliate with nuclear warheads?

Now, Zhou Qingfeng was genuinely interested.

After all, who doesn't like a 'big mushroom'?

(End of this chapter)