American Strategic Deception Bureau

　It is absolutely impossible to gather hundreds of thousands of troops with just a wave of the hand like Zhang Jue, the great sage of the Taiping Dao in the late Han Dynasty of China.

　Don't be fooled by the fact that tens of millions of people in the United States believe in cults in the 21st century. But if this number is distributed among more than 5,000 illegal cults, the average size of each cult is only a few hundred to a few thousand people, which is probably less than the number of members in the fan clubs of some second- or third-rate idol singers!

　A small sect of this size could only occupy a piece of land, conduct some illegal business, and elect a city councilor to act as a protective umbrella. They didn't even have the guts to evade taxes. In front of the real chaebols and capitalists, they were as vulnerable as ants.

　——Fat Asahara’s Aum Shinrikyo was able to develop 1 million followers in Japan. If it were in the United States, he would be lucky if he could fool 100,000 people!

　Then, wealthy families, giant corporations, and gangs all have the potential to form alliances. However, due to the serious exclusivity among cults, getting a group of them to form an alliance is as difficult as summoning God to appear - each cult views the other cults competing for believers as their mortal enemy, so how can they unite?

　Even most cult groups themselves, after being inherited and developing to a certain scale, often split for various reasons.

　(The Unification Church, the sworn enemy of Japan's "Reiwa Patriot" Yamashita, who shot Prime Minister Abe, is now in a state of division.)

　As a result, cult groups cannot grow to a large scale, are fragmented and unable to unite, and often suffer from internal divisions.

　For the US government, which has a very low lower limit, it basically does not pose any major threat and will only cause some minor trouble.

　Similarly, on the surface, what Firi put into the "Abnormal Human Asylum" was not a single religious group, but a bunch of religious groups. Even if 200,000 mentally ill retired soldiers were divided up and fooled away by them one after another, a single religious group would not expand too much.

　——Whether it was Dr. Kissinger and his students, the FBI agents, the patrol officers sent by the Pentagon, or the private investigator sent by President Nixon, after investigating Firi's "Abnormal Human Asylum", they all felt that this arrangement was reasonable.

　Although they also found that the doctrines that many cult groups preached were similar - most of them were various modified versions of the Hera Bible, but no one thought there was anything wrong with it: more than 80% of the world's religions have prophecies about the end of the world. Does this mean that these religions are all the same?

　Faced with these crazy soldiers who were deceived by the US government with patriotic slogans and conscription orders and sent to the Vietnam battlefield, and tortured to the point of mental breakdown, missionaries naturally had to say things like "The world is full of lies" and "Live for yourself and don't be fooled again."

　What else can be done? Can the Pentagon force these new religious groups to continue chanting patriotic slogans to soldiers? If that were the case, let alone whether anyone would come. Even if a stubborn missionary came and said such words, he would have been kicked out by the angry soldiers long ago!

　Moreover, isn't the pessimistic statement "The world is full of lies" a set-in-stone truth for American society today?

　The Vietnam War lasted from the early 1960s to the late 1960s, from "special operations" to genocide. The initial propaganda has long become a joke.

　Black humor such as "In order to save Vietnam, we must send all Vietnamese to heaven" is now everywhere.

　The federal government's credibility has completely collapsed, and no one knows when it can be rebuilt.

　So, even though these cult groups criticize and insult the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon, no one thinks there is anything wrong with it.

　In fact, even ordinary soldiers in the US military are full of resentment and anger when talking about the government and Congress.

　Moreover, the groups that come to this desert shelter to "recruit new members" include many attractive-looking hot girl groups like the "Women's Nude Spiritual Society" and the "Women's Psychic Research Society", looking for handsome and obedient strong men to serve as cauldrons to help them practice "Tantric mental methods"...

　——After all, these veterans only have mental problems, not all of them have physical problems, and there are still many handsome guys among them.

　Anyway, looking at those strong men who were stripped naked by the hot girls and dragged back to be "juiced", the other men present showed envious expressions.

　In short, as long as the crazy soldiers sent to the "Abnormal Human Asylum" were not all absorbed by a religious organization, but were instead diverted to many large and small religious groups, then in the eyes of the US officials, they would not pose any significant danger. Instead, they would solve a rather difficult problem left over from the Vietnam War soldiers in a "quick, good and economical" way - at least these soldiers and their families would not cause trouble collectively.

　Therefore, Firi took the opportunity to apply for Pentagon commendations for all those sects that secretly worshipped various variations of the Prince of Lies, Cyric, which was equivalent to giving them an official and legal endorsement, and they were all approved smoothly.

　—— Bureaucratic institutions also value human touch. If you neither give them money nor power, but still want them to do things for you,

　So honorary titles must be given, right?

　If you don't give anything but assign the task, then the people below can only fool you with formalism.

　In short, the Church of Prince of Lies Xirik, which has surfaced, has now received official endorsement from the US government and can openly build a temple and establish a sect!

　Moreover, we have been specially approved to preach in the military - although it is currently limited to retired veterans, it is a good start after all, and we can take it slowly!

　-

　Next, regarding Fieri's appeasement method of giving free anesthetics to "abnormal soldiers", after Dr. Kissinger called and communicated through his connections, Washington, after a brief consideration, also expressed that it was completely feasible.

　After all, as early as the Civil War, the US military had the habit of letting soldiers smoke opium and hemp - without the stimulation of drugs, how could those state militias hastily recruited from farms and factories withstand such a bloody, cruel and inhumane combat method of "line shooting"?

　Imagine your companions being headshot or knocked down one by one, blood and brain matter splattered all over your face. But you still have to march towards the enemy's guns and cannons to the beat of a marching drum. How can you possibly endure this mentally without taking some drugs?

　In the days that followed, all kinds of drugs continued to be used in the American military and civilian population, though sometimes they were very popular and sometimes they were used less.

　Since the soldiers had been taking anesthetics all the time on the battlefield, there is no reason why they must stop taking them after returning home, right?

　Moreover, although they are generally referred to as drugs by laymen, the effects of different drugs are also very different:

　Some drugs can keep people excited, making them energetic, quick-thinking and tireless for a certain period of time, such as the "smart drugs" often taken by "good" students in the United States and the stimulants commonly used by soldiers; other drugs can make people fall into beautiful hallucinations and feel happy.

　——The former is a "work drug" and the latter is a "recreational drug".

　Take drugs to stay alert while working and take drugs to enjoy yourself when resting.

　American soldiers take all kinds of stimulants on the battlefield, which has given them enough energy. After they come back, it’s time to take some hallucinogens and enjoy themselves!

　What's more, the Pentagon only approved a small amount of money for Philip, which was just enough to buy drugs for the soldiers.

　If we really want them to enjoy a life of luxury after completing their missions, just like the Assassins hired by the "Old Man in the Mountain", where will the money come from?

　It is also impossible to expect the bosses on Capitol Hill to allocate more money, or to ask the Pentagon bureaucrats who pass through it to withhold less money.

　It is a sin to give green American dollars to lowly thieves to support the army!

　So, let them enjoy the cheapest "chemical bliss"! It's cheap and works!

　--In the years to come, drug abuse in the United States will become even more widespread, and almost everyone will take drugs: workers take painkillers, students swallow smart drugs, gangsters eat ice, hooligans smoke marijuana, and athletes are all disabled but strong-willed asthma patients. It really is true that people take drugs according to their social status.

　Moreover, those discerning middle-class Americans use different drugs at different times: smart drugs for studying, sleeping pills before bed, sleep-inducing supplements for a quick lunch break, and performance-enhancing supplements when they need to work all night... There are over twenty legal narcotics to choose from, covering every aspect of life and work. It's like everyone's on drugs, but who knows when the zombies will appear?

　Even though there are no zombies on the streets or biochemical crises breaking out yet, it is an indisputable fact that the rate of birth defects among newborns in the United States has increased significantly.

　It’s no wonder that in the setting of "Warhammer 40K", future humans will change their genes into a mess, becoming less human than bananas.

　This is clearly a great example of art being inspired by reality—given the current trend of drug abuse in the United States in the early 21st century, who knows what kind of biochemical monsters will be created in a few hundred years! By the time a thousand years pass, I'm afraid it will truly become a hive city in the Warhammer world.

　As an accelerationist who enjoys fun, what Firi is preparing to do now is to make such an interesting scene happen fifty years earlier.

　The various Cyric sects he secretly supported could also rely on the generous distribution of extraordinary anesthetics to recruit more believers, causing more Americans to lose the distinction between reality and illusion, ultimately allowing the madness of Cyric, the Prince of Lies, to prevail in the world, with madmen and madwomen everywhere...

　The cult had a great time preaching and recruiting people at the "Abnormal Human Shelter" in Phili, and they often made some gains, with many groups even luring many people away on the same day. However, some groups came here and found almost nothing.

　The most unpopular among them are naturally the environmental groups.

　Sayings like "Save Mother Earth", "Humans are the cancer of the Earth", "We only have one Earth", and "Forests are the lungs of the Earth" may fool those innocent and kind-hearted students, but they make these soldiers who have struggled out of the purgatory of blood and fire feel infinitely disgusted.

　You have to know that they had just escaped from the cruel nuclear war scene where nuclear explosions were frequent and mushroom clouds filled the sky. Their spirits were on the verge of collapse. They couldn't even save their own lives and health, so how could they care about protecting the natural environment?

　What's more, what did these American soldiers do in Southeast Asia before?

　Toxic defoliants were sprayed into the rainforest, causing the forests and rice paddies to wither, and Vietnamese babies were born with deformities.

　Watching the mushroom clouds of nuclear explosions rising everywhere, turning the vibrant tropical country into a radioactive wasteland with no life.

　These soldiers burned, killed and looted everywhere, and they didn't even care about human life. How could we expect them to value animal life?

　Under such circumstances, it is as difficult for environmental protection organizations to recruit people from them as it is for a small animal activist to bravely enter a dog meat restaurant.

　Uh, the chefs and butchers in the dog meat restaurant should blame themselves for committing original sin and join their dog and cat loving organization to atone for their sins!

　However, unless absolutely necessary, everyone is accustomed to shifting the blame to others and seeing themselves as victims.

　Especially those unfortunate soldiers who were forcibly conscripted and suffered enough in the battlefields of Southeast Asia. They hate the world and the government, and feel that the whole world has deceived them and owes them. How can they have any extra mercy to give to the environmental protection cause?

　All you do all day is talk nonsense about protecting nature, but who will protect us soldiers?

　Therefore, these environmental organizations that come to the "Abnormal Human Shelter" to promote their work are either ignored or booed and stoned.

　The worst case was a silly pretty girl who came to promote animal protection naked only in high heels and a fur coat. She was taken advantage of by a few horny soldiers who took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, covered her mouth, stripped her clothes, dragged her into a barracks, and took turns having sex with her.

　It was not until the next day that she was thrown outside next to a trash can, smelling all over, and she was unable to identify the murderer.

　But what is admirable is that despite such setbacks, the environmental protection organization's enthusiasm for publicity remains unabated, and it even brought in reporters for follow-up interviews.

　"Ah, although these environmentalists speak eloquently and with all sorts of rhetoric, when you think about it carefully, it all sounds so fake!

　They always talk about saving the Earth, but why does the Earth need humans to save it? Even if all the nuclear bombs in the world were to explode simultaneously, they would only destroy the surface environment of several million square kilometers, not even the slightly deeper underground.

　Ultimately, the emphasis on environmental protection we've begun to place on the environment in recent years is primarily aimed at protecting the environment in which we inhabit. As for Earth... forget about protecting it. Even if humans desperately try to destroy it, what's the point? Can a group of tiny ants destroy a mountain?

　Our entire civilization, all our cities, all our buildings, all our population, our culture, our religion, our technology... all our material and spiritual possessions are but tiny bacteria clinging to the Earth. If the Earth had a consciousness of its own and was determined to wipe out human civilization... then a single sneeze from the Earth would be enough to wipe out our civilization.

　Looking at the futile performances of these environmental protection groups, Firi couldn't help but complain.

　"This just illustrates their ability – to lie with righteous indignation and integrity."

　Dr. Kissinger, however, praised him, saying, "He is so confident and self-assured in his deception, which shows that he has great potential for a career in politics."

　"Indeed, to be in politics one must be good at deception. In a sense, environmental protection is the highest form of deception that has replaced religion."

　Fili tilted his head and thought for a moment, recalling the German Green Party, which had transformed German Industry 4.0 into German Industry 0.4 and nearly destroyed Europe's last remaining advanced industry under the banner of environmental protection. And then there was the Swedish environmental activist Greta, whose meteoric rise to fame was followed by her immediate ban...

　Well, people who engage in politics are certainly dirty-hearted, but those who engage in politics through environmental protection are actually those who hide the black hearts of devils under the appearance of saints!

　It sounds like... a pink-haired dumpling with white skin and black hair?

　Fortunately, environmental groups are not very powerful nowadays, and the competition between major powers is much more brutal.

　Even millions of lives could be lost at any time, and few people with nothing better to do would care about nature and the environment.

　"Compared to the Earth and nature, our human civilization is actually very small. Environmental protection is currently a luxury for us, or a political tool to attack specific opponents - similar to how countries in medieval Europe accused other countries' kings of being "impious" and "blasphemous."

　Kissinger continued, “But many Americans are so arrogant that they think the United States can do anything! This is true in environmental protection and in international issues. As a result, the United States is now in a

　We are almost being dragged down by a foolish overseas war!"

　Indeed, just as survival and reproduction are the instincts of any living thing.

　Overseas expansion is something every country inevitably undertakes when it reaches a certain level of power. Setting aside morality and conscience, this kind of expansion and aggression actually promotes overall social progress and promotes the survival of the fittest.

　But whether it is a company or a country, any reckless and unrestrained expansion will ultimately result in failure.

　"Indeed, the United States has now reached a point where it has no choice but to cease fire, no matter how great the resistance is."

　Firi sighed and said, "Otherwise, I'm afraid the person who finally ordered the ceasefire and withdrawal would be someone unknown."

　After the February Revolution in Russia, the Provisional Government that overthrew the Tsarist regime faced a choice: Should it follow public opinion and withdraw from the world war, pursuing a humiliating peace? Or should it ignore public opinion and continue the world war?

　However, the powerful pro-war faction had taken control of every aspect of the provisional government, and the British and French Allies also exerted external pressure, forcing the provisional government to continue the war.

　In the end, Russia's White Provisional Government chose war. So the one that signed the peace treaty with the Germans became another Red Government...

　Now, American society has been dragged to the brink of collapse by the war, and no one sees any hope of victory. No matter how powerful the military-industrial complex and the war hawks in Congress may be, they are powerless to distort the perceptions of the American people and drive them on a death march to a foreign country to be bombed by nuclear weapons.

　Therefore, the Vietnam War was doomed to fail.

　If we insist on continuing the war, then, as Lenin famously said, "the imperialist war will be transformed into a civil war"!

　"In fact, ever since the two armies dropped nuclear bombs on each other, our army has been retreating in great strides on the Indochina Peninsula."

　Dr. Kissinger said, "Next, I will go to Washington to launch an activity to promote a ceasefire and withdrawal. You continue to cultivate the development of new religions here. Even if you let them become negative and pessimistic hermits or fanatics, don't let them become communists!"

　Otherwise, America is in danger—let us each work hard to prevent the world we know from being destroyed.”

　Just like that, Dr. Kissinger left, and Firi stood under a flag with a purple skull emblem on it, watching his old partner leave.

　Then, he heard the long-lost excited voice of the "System":

　[Host! Good news! Your success in this dimension has earned you the special attention and favor of the Prince of Lies!]

　"System, please don't use the word 'pamper', okay? I don't like gays, and he's not a goddess..."

　[None of this matters! What matters is that Prince Zi Yan of Lies is delighted and is ready to reward you with a treasure! What do you want?]

　"Treasure... Oh, by the way, speaking of system-based protagonists, a portable space should be standard, right? Is there a portable space that can hold a living person? As a former otaku, although I don't mind running around, I still want to take my home with me..."

　The army moved to the nearby port city of Vung Tau and later to Con Dao.

　——Just like the Knights Hospitaller who retreated to Rhodes Island in the late stages of the Crusades, General Weyand began "island-based remote control warfare."

　At the same time, American troops scattered in the Mekong Delta and other parts of South Vietnam also abandoned their positions and retreated to the coastal areas.

　At this point, everyone could see that the US troops stationed in Vietnam, which had been subjected to nuclear bombs for four months, were really determined to withdraw from the war at all costs.

　At the New Year's Eve dinner at the White House, President Nixon also proposed a ceasefire and peace talks with North Vietnam and the Red China behind North Vietnam.

　——Although the conservative war advocates in the United States are still clamoring to fight the war to the end and not to make any compromise with the communists, it is of no use: at this time in the United States, they have long since become warmongers who are hated by everyone, or are seriously politically incorrect.

　Once their political influence becomes negative, naturally no one will pay attention to their clamor and will only regard them as the ravings of fools.

　The left opposes the war, while the right thinks it is a stupid war and that the war cannot be stopped only due to inertia and the fact that no one is willing to take responsibility.

　In this way, in confusion and hesitation, Americans bid farewell to the war-torn and turbulent 1960s and ushered in the unpredictable 1970s.

　On the same day, Fieri and his family moved into the newly built town of Eden in the San Fernando Valley.

　-

　As a newly built American-style upscale garden town, Eden Town is located on the northwest edge of the San Fernando Valley. It has bright houses, clean roads, shady trees, gurgling water, and complete infrastructure. Even the electrical wires run in underground pipes instead of cheap poles.

　At first glance, it looks like a typical American upper-middle-class community during the Cold War.

　However, as an experimental nudist community, the town is surrounded by a wall to prevent harassment from outsiders. Security guards are posted 24/7 at each gate, allowing the community's nude men and women to live their lives in peace and practice "Tantric Joy Zen."