American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Every day, fierce winds and dark clouds rolled in from the sea, bringing torrential rain that filled the trenches and foxholes with water. The drenched soldiers gazed at the surrounding landscape as if looking at a photographic negative: gray, white, and black. The towering peaks of Haiyun Ridge were submerged in thick cloud, and the drizzling weather cast a thin mist over the rice paddies and valleys. Between the clouds and mist, the hillsides appeared and disappeared, looking as black as slag.

　It was not until around noon that the heavy rain and dense fog would briefly dissipate, and the outline of the mountain would once again become clear.

　Steam rose in the sunlight, but by the afternoon, the mountains would be engulfed in mist again. Tin cans hung on the wire mesh would clang in the strong wind, accompanied by the rumble of thunder that cut through the sky... Many soldiers with hypersensitivity often mistook this for enemy artillery fire!

　In fact, from June to September 1963, the North Vietnamese regular army, which retreated to the Hue Plain, did not launch any further attacks on Hai Van Ridge. However, the hypersensitive American soldiers constantly mistook thunder, tree shadows, landslides, mudslides, and wild animals and refugees that accidentally struck landmines for enemy forces. As a result, the muddy defense line was constantly filled with bursts of gunfire, and occasionally artillery would fire indiscriminately into the open ground.

　But this is not a big deal. In the past, the South Vietnamese army wasted ammunition as much as possible and liked to fire at empty rice fields.

　The actual battles fought by the US military during this period mainly took place in the heart of "Quang Nam" south of Hai Van Ridge. The opponents were small groups of Viet Cong guerrillas, special forces and spies. During the rainy season with heavy rain and muddy roads, the Viet Cong was also unable to send large-scale troops to fight.

　Having abandoned approximately 80% of the former South Vietnamese regime's territory, Quang Nam's territory is now reduced to just five coastal provinces stretching from Da Nang to Nha Trang. These five incomplete provinces, totaling less than 30,000 square kilometers, are reduced to a narrow strip along the coast, much like Chile. The combined strength of the US military and the rebuilt Quang Nam Army exceeds 300,000 troops, making this a very high troop density.

　However, even after such a large-scale "abandonment of land", large areas of Viet Cong bases are still scattered among the remaining mountains and rivers of Guangnan.

　More than a decade earlier, during the Anti-French War, Viet Cong guerrillas had established a stronghold along the southern coast between Hue and Quang Tri. Numerous villages nestled in the sand dunes and salt marshes of the seashore, many of which the guerrillas transformed into fortresses, entrenched themselves there and fiercely guarded Highway 1 and nearby French and puppet military strongholds. Despite successive French Expeditionary Force commanders' orders for sweeps and annihilation operations, the guerrillas, like invincible cockroaches, kept returning, each time more formidable.

　By the end of the Franco-Vietnamese War, the French losses on Highway 1 had become unbearable. Almost every French transport convoy was attacked and ambushed, suffering baptism of blood and fire. So much so that the French called this road "the road without joy."

　The US military now does not have to worry about harassment from these fortress villages. This is certainly not to say that the US military is better at clearing out guerrillas than the French army, but because the area of ​​100 miles from Hue to Quang Tri has all changed hands during the previous North Vietnamese offensive and has become North Vietnamese territory.

　From the outset, the US military retreated south of Hai Van Ridge. So who were the Viet Cong guerrillas to the north to fight? The North Vietnamese People's Army's transport convoys?

　In short, as long as the US military does not cross the Hai Van Ridge and attack the Hue Plain, the local tunnel defense system that has been painstakingly built will be useless.

　However, although the former stronghold of Quang Tri-Hue, where the Vietcong guerrillas were most rampant, had been ceded to North Vietnam, the Vietcong guerrillas had also managed to seize control of numerous strongholds in the coastal areas south of Hai Van Ridge, with the most severe situation being in Binh Dinh Province.

　This province is located in the center of the five provinces of Quang Nam from north to south. The Truong Son Mountains plunge into the sea in Binh Dinh Province. Apart from a few rugged valleys and the provincial capital of Qui Nhon, which is surrounded by rocky hills, there is almost no flat land along the coast.

　As we all know, guerrillas generally like to go into the mountains.

　Therefore, in the mountainous Binh Dinh Province, except for the provincial capital Qui Nhon, the rest of the places were infested with Viet Cong. Even Phong Son County and Phu My County to the north of Qui Nhon were occupied by the Viet Cong, forming a large base area.

　The only Highway No. 1 that runs from the south to the north coast through the entire territory of Vietnam, and of course through the entire territory of Quang Nam, was also cut off and destroyed by the Viet Cong.

　As a result, the five provinces of Guangnan Kingdom cannot be connected by land, just like isolated islands on the land.

　What's worse is that the local Viet Cong forces entrenched in Pengshan County are the predecessors of the future 3rd Division of the Vietnamese Army, the "Golden Star Division". More than ten years later in another time and space, during the Sino-Vietnamese War, the Lang Son defenders who threatened to "eat breakfast in Pingxiang (a city on the China-Vietnam border) and celebrate the Spring Festival in Nanning" have always been known for their bravery and fearlessness. They are among the most stubborn and crazy among the Viet Cong.

　So, despite the overwhelming force of a 200,000-strong American invasion, a formidable threat, and the insurgents of the Central Highlands, the ethnic minorities establishing their own nation and breaking away from the Vietcong, the Vietcong, seemingly isolated and beset by enemies, continued to launch frequent attacks during the rainy season under the command of General Le Trung Xun, a formidable general who had previously led the expedition to Quang Nam.

　In torrential rain at the end of August, a Viet Cong battalion from Phong Son attacked a US helicopter base in Qui Nhon, killing or wounding 50 people and destroying or damaging 40 aircraft. They then defeated a company of Marine reinforcements, killing or wounding over 30.

　Entering September, the Vietcong's attacks in Binh Dinh Province became more frequent. Almost every day, a US military outpost or patrol was attacked. Every day, people were killed or injured in ambushes and traps. The sentries often saw dark shadows in black clothes passing through the bushes at night, moving quietly towards them, and then greeting each other with bullets and grenades.

　The wind and rain flew back and forth in the dark sky, and plane crashes happened from time to time.

　More than 30,000 American troops were shamefully trapped in Qui Nhon by less than 3,000 Viet Cong, and had almost completely lost control of the rest of the rural areas in the province.

　After being beaten so many times, the American soldiers were no longer as excited as when they first arrived. Instead, they began to adapt to the weather and became more and more fond of telling various black jokes: "Hey, Bill, you are going on patrol today. If your legs are blown off, can you give me your boots?"

　Both Quang Nam President Zun Shi Ding and General Westmoreland, commander of US forces in Vietnam, were deeply dissatisfied with this. However, due to torrential rain, typhoons, and muddy roads, which made it difficult to deploy aircraft and armored forces, they had temporarily held back and passively accepted the attack for several months.

　As October approaches, although Vietnam's rainy season has not yet ended, it is finally coming to an end, and the amount of rain each day has decreased a lot.

　Therefore, General Westmoreland, who had been waiting impatiently, could not wait to mobilize two US divisions and six battalions of the Guangnan Army in early October, advancing north and south along Highway 1 to attack the Viet Cong's stronghold in Pongshan County.

　It had to be admitted that Phong Son was not an easy target. The Vietcong had been operating this base for years, and every village had been fortified. The Vietcong guerrillas and local villagers had dug trenches, tunnels, underground warehouses, and even underground first aid stations, forming a perfect defense system. This made it difficult for the enemy to completely destroy this small base with a single, swift sweep.

　The Viet Cong fighters also resisted quite tenaciously, causing the US military to suffer heavy casualties due to various problems such as weather, terrain and fire coordination.

　But after suffering a few setbacks, the US military, now still a strong force, quickly regained its form and got back into the rhythm of the game.

　Under the overwhelming air and artillery firepower advantage of the US military, the Viet Cong guerrillas, who had almost no heavy weapons, barely resisted for two days in Phu My County and only seven days in Phong Son County. In the arduous tug-of-war, the Viet Cong left behind more than a thousand corpses and more than 600 people were captured.

　However, the remnants of the Viet Cong, who were almost out of ammunition and food, retreated to the Jinshan River Valley after escaping from Pengshan County and continued to fight with the US military.

　According to General Westmoreland's battle report, the US military won the Battle of Phong Son, regained control of 140,000 people in the coastal areas of Binh Dinh Province, as well as 80% of the arable land and villages, and wiped out more than 2,000 "well-equipped and well-trained Viet Cong troops" while losing only more than 100 people.

　Well, as for the number of casualties of the Guangnan Army in the Battle of Pengshan, it was ignored in his report.

　The American soldiers who were still being bathed in gunfire and the smell of gunpowder and corpses on the battlefield did not feel so relaxed.

　After a few months, their fantasy of war had long since vanished. Some people were still fascinated by the flames of war and liked the thrill of it, but most people were in a trance all day long and were on the verge of emotional collapse. That kind of mental problem could not be solved by drinking a glass of wine or taking a pill.

　After all, this was a dirty war without any chivalry, and neither side abided by the rules of war of any civilized country.

　The Viet Cong frequently executed prisoners and raided hospitals, while the US military brazenly deployed poison gas from the very beginning of the battle. Few Viet Cong prisoners made it to the camp alive, with reports typically stating they were "shot trying to escape." Some units didn't bother to capture prisoners, simply killing any Viet Cong they saw, even resorting to indiscriminate killing. Suspicious Vietnamese were shot and counted as dead enemy soldiers—according to an unwritten rule within the US military in Vietnam: "If someone dies and is Vietnamese, they're counted as Viet Cong."

　In this brutal and cruel hellish environment, one can imagine the mental stress endured by the American soldiers.

　According to reports from American war correspondents on the front lines, "In war, everything deteriorates rapidly: corpses, boots, canvas, metal, and morality. Under scorching sun or in the wind and rain, we fought in unfamiliar swamps and rainforests, our humanity gradually disappearing like the protective powder in the barrel of a gun. Our battle was of the most brutal kind, a killing of man against man. This was not the disciplined warfare of Europe, but a brutal, unruly wilderness where we slaughtered each other for our own survival."

　To save our own lives and the lives of our comrades, we didn't care who we killed, how many we killed, or how we killed them. Some criticized this as brutality and a disregard for the laws of civilized warfare. But the problem is that the Vietcong never followed these laws.

　The US military and its local allies can only retaliate, both sides are accustomed to brutality and cold-bloodedness..."

　However, for the US military that had stepped into the quagmire of the Vietnam War, the small-scale battle of Pengshan was just the beginning.

　The next generation of Americans was destined to endure the torment of the Vietnam War...

　-

　"That's it. Although I'm still theoretically part of the US Army in Vietnam, at least I've temporarily escaped the quagmire of the Vietnam War. I can bask in the bright sunshine and eat breakfast in a clean, dry room. Meanwhile, those unfortunate people who arrived in Vietnam a little later than me can only eat canned food in the rain, their bodies damp and moldy, and they have to worry about being pointed at by the Viet Cong..."

　In the bunker of the San Fernando Valley refuge villa, Ferry enjoyed a simple but hearty breakfast, admiring the beautiful pink limbs and buttocks of the women around him, while listening to reports about the Vietnam War on the radio.

　Such complaints.

　"Yes, now you don't have to worry about being pointed at by the Vietcong. You can even point your gun at the female Vietcong at any time!"

　Marita smiled evilly and reached out to grab the handle under Fili's crotch, then motioned for Zhao Qiuniang to crawl over and lie down, "My dear, as the former commander of the US military in Vietnam, do you want to mess with this female Vietcong after breakfast to celebrate the US military's victory in the Battle of Phong Son?

　Hmm, the skin seems to be getting softer and softer! It’s really hard to put it down! "

　Feeling the mistress's touch and listening to her praise, Zhao Qiuniang's face turned slightly red, but she couldn't help feeling a little happy and proud.

　Although she prided herself on her beauty, Zhao Qiuniang also knew that she only had a pretty face, and overall she was still far behind those stunning beauties.

　First, due to the long years of fleeing, her hands and feet were covered in thick calluses, not as delicate as those of the young ladies who had never touched water. Secondly, there were unsightly white sweat stains on her back, waist, and inner arms. This was because too much dust and sweat accumulated under the airtight clothes, and without timely washing, they were finally suffocated.

　Even after her life improved significantly after following the American officer, Ferry, Zhao Qiuniang's delicate skin still frequently developed unsightly prickly heat. In hot weather and during intense exercise, the body needs to perspire profusely to stay healthy. If fabric fibers clog the pores, prickly heat will form on the skin's surface. If left untreated, it can even leave lasting scars.

　But since she came to this wonderful villa full of beauties, not only have the sweat stains and calluses on her body been cleared up, even the unsightly prickly heat has disappeared - she bathes several times a day and doesn't even wear clothes, so why worry about clogged pores?

　However, even though Zhao Qiuniang had already stretched out like a cat, with her butt sticking out, Fili didn't rush in. Instead, he glanced helplessly at Marita, who seemed to have a bad memory. "No need for exercise after dinner, dear, did you forget? We have to drive to Marilyn Monroe's house today! She made an appointment with us last week, saying she had something important to discuss with us..."

　"Oh, yes, that seems to be the case..."

　Author's words: PS: The United States has really cut off the source of the problem this time, and is preparing to allow Palestinian refugees to immigrate to the United States, thereby resolving Israel's predicament!

　Well, if all the Gaza refugees were moved to the US, wouldn't the Palestinian issue be solved? If the people were gone, wouldn't the land belong to Israel?

　The left wants to protect the Palestinians, and the right wants to help Israel, but no one can say a word of opposition.

　Chapter 283: The Virtuous Wife Monroe Wants to Be a Female Drug Lord

　October 11, 1963, noon, Los Angeles, Brentwood neighborhood, Marilyn Monroe's house

　The host and the guests sat down and talked and laughed happily.

　In the sunny courtyard, a folding picnic table was set up. Monroe, the hostess, sat at the table, chatting with Marita and Fili with a smile, while DiMaggio, the host, was clumsily working the grill in front of him, turning a long row of sizzling skewers.

　At the same time, Mrs. Murray, the housekeeper, wearing a bib, brought out plates of steaming hot meals from the kitchen, and boasted with a smile that most of the dishes for today's lunch were cooked by Marilyn Monroe herself.

　What's a little surprising is that, unlike the stereotype of actresses who often cook hellish dishes to poison their boyfriends, Marilyn Monroe, a legend among Hollywood's top stars, actually had excellent cooking skills!

　Her best dish is stir-fried pork with peas. She is also very good at making cakes and pies. Her cooking skills are even good enough to open a restaurant!

　This was truly an unusual situation. Before crossing over, Fili had watched many variety shows featuring cooking performances by actresses from China, Japan, and South Korea. Most of them ended up chopping vegetables in a panic, adding seasonings in a chaotic manner, and the food was a horrible sight after it came out of the pot...

　Of course, this can't be blamed on their poor skills. After all, those popular actresses are busy running around every day, eating and sleeping, so where do they find extra time to practice cooking?

　Therefore, Marilyn Monroe, who is a good cook and a good wife and mother, is in stark contrast to her screen image.

　However, considering that she actually worked as a full-time housewife for several years before changing her name to become an actress...

　Well, if one has talent, perhaps cooking skills can be developed, right?

　In short, while Fili was eating the sliced ​​meat, fried peas and small pies made by Marilyn Monroe herself, she was watching Marita chatting with her about parenting experiences - although Miss Monroe was fourteen years older than Marita, Marita had experience in giving birth, but Monroe had never had one.

　In the sunshine, Marilyn Monroe, who is now four months pregnant, has a slightly visible belly. She is wearing a loose light blue cotton dress and has loose soft red hair. She seems to have restrained her former glamor and instead has a bit of maternal charm.

　Alas, I wonder what kind of baby she will give birth to next year? A boy or a girl?

　Just as Ferry was lost in thought, a burst of appetizing burnt aroma, accompanied by rising hot steam, entered his nose. He looked up and saw that it was DiMaggio.

　The gentleman came over with a plate of freshly grilled beef skewers and put it on the table.

　"Sorry, it's a little burnt. It's not as good as my wife's."

　In short, an unmarried couple and a newly married couple, just like this, drank beer under the awning, ate barbecue, pies and cakes, and chatted about various irrelevant topics. After eating and drinking for a while, Marilyn Monroe finally changed the subject and talked about business.

　"Um, you're planning to build a small greenhouse for growing psilocybin mushrooms on Malibu Beach, and you'd like some technical support from me?"

　After hearing what Marilyn Monroe said, Ferry was stunned in surprise, and looked up at the pregnant woman for a long time.

　-Ms. Monroe, after you retire from acting, are you planning to switch careers and become a female drug lord?

　-

　Well, speaking of this, it seems that it is still Fili's fault.

　Just like the "Nuclear Wasteland Doomsday Survival Culture Craze" he had previously initiated, he initially launched the "Psilocybin Mushroom Psychedelic Package" just to cover up the healing magic he cast on Monroe. It became a hit in Japan first, and then was exported back to the United States.

　As a firsthand witness of this process, Marilyn Monroe not only "personally experienced" the therapeutic effect of this thing, but also witnessed with her own eyes how the Japanese in Hakone Mountain turned this "magic fantasy mushroom" native to Mexico into a famous product that made a fortune in just one year.

　So, when she retired from the entertainment industry and prepared to start her own family, Marilyn Monroe naturally thought of repeating the Japanese operation.

　Although both Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio are famous figures in American history, Monroe hasn't saved much due to her many years of hardship and investment losses. DiMaggio has been retired for many years and has been living beyond his means.

　Well, a considerable portion of DiMaggio's assets were squandered during the period when he was "working at his own expense" to pursue his wife last year.

　How comfortable Monroe felt when she enjoyed all this, but now she feels so heartbroken after marriage.

　Currently, the combined personal assets of Monroe and DiMaggio are approximately $200 million.

　This was still a huge fortune in the 1960s. But as someone who had seen the world, Monroe would have wanted to earn more. However, the world was turbulent, financial products in the financial market were unreliable, and real estate prices were also fluctuating.

　As for the spa club that Monroe is planning, the preparation process alone will take one or two years, and it is hard to say when it will start making money.

　Before that, how could she make a quick buck? Monroe touched her buttocks and naturally thought of what she had seen and heard in Japan last year.

　So, she shamelessly found Fili again, asking Fili to provide technical support and help her set up a fantasy mushroom cultivation base as soon as possible.

　Although Ferry had guessed this beforehand, he still couldn't help feeling embarrassed when he heard Monroe's plan.

　"Marilyn Monroe brand" hallucinogenic mushrooms? What kind of depraved pastime is this, luring teenagers to hell?

　Well, if you think about it, this doesn't seem like a big deal. After all, even amphetamines are legal supplements these days, not to mention psilocybin mushrooms.

　Didn’t the future boxing champion Mike Tyson also have a sudden realization after bankruptcy, open a farm in California to grow hemp, and sell ear-shaped hemp gummies to replicate his famous scene of biting off his opponent’s ear in the boxing ring, in an attempt to return to the peak of wealth by drug trafficking?

　As a believer in an evil god, seeing the American people indulging in a life of drunkenness and debauchery is something that Fili should wholeheartedly support!

　Also, female drug lord Marilyn Monroe? This IP also sounds very interesting!

　In short, he agreed without hesitation, which made Marilyn Monroe feel relieved.

　"I'm sorry, Lieutenant Colonel Jin, for causing you trouble again this time. But thinking of the child in my belly, I always want to give him the best."

　She said a little embarrassedly, "Even if I can't compare to Patrick Kennedy, who was born in the White House this summer, I still hope that my children can enjoy a wealthy, decent and happy childhood..."

　Patrick, who was born in the White House? Hearing this name, Fili couldn't help but ponder.

　, and took a long tour around the Aegean Sea on his yacht - yes, it was the Greek shipping tycoon who later took over and remarried her.

　Perhaps it was because of this experience of traveling together in the Aegean Sea that Mrs. Jacqueline formed a bond with the Greek shipping magnate.

　When Jackie returned to the White House after her fun, President Kennedy asked her if she would like to accompany him on a short campaign trip. She said great, where to go? He said Texas - and then, there, Jackie and her husband got on the convertible of fate; watching his imagination run wild...

　However, in the dimension Fili resided in, as if by some twist of fate, Patrick Kennedy, "born in the White House," though still frail due to premature birth and reportedly suffering from congenital diseases, ultimately managed to survive, having survived an early death.

　Mrs. Jacqueline naturally had been taking care of her sick children in the White House and had no time to ride on the Greek shipping magnate's yacht and enjoy the sunshine of the Aegean Sea.

　Well, it's already October.

　Next, will President Kennedy still travel to Dallas, Texas next month and get on that fateful convertible?

　Fili thought about it and felt unsure.

　First of all, it needs to be made clear that in the United States, the assassination of a president is not something to be surprised about. It is actually a very common occurrence.

　Presidents Roosevelt and Truman before Kennedy, and Presidents Ford and Reagan after Kennedy, all encountered killers.

　Almost every president has been the target of assassination attempts, and at least nine presidents have faced assassination attempts. Four of them were killed, five survived, and one, President Harding, was said to have died of illness, but it has long been suspected that he was poisoned.

　So, from a probability perspective, it doesn't seem strange that someone wanted to assassinate Kennedy.