American Strategic Deception Bureau

　But in order to restore the lost glory and for the remnant of the invincible British Empire that dominated the seven seas in their minds, the British citizens at that time were still willing to rekindle their passion and fight for it.

　Of course, this trend of reminiscing about the past is ultimately just a countercurrent of the times and cannot last.

　By the end of the 20th century, the British had basically accepted the end of the empire and the changing times with equanimity.

　He completely extinguished his ambition to conquer the world and quietly returned to being a small character on the edge of the world.

　But once this spirit faded, the motivation to do things also disappeared. Everyone only cared about their own personal gain, and the situation became more and more exaggerated.

　For example, the British high-speed rail that has been under construction for 30 years and still hasn't been completed, and the two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that can never be equipped with a full complement of carrier-based aircraft...

　But at this point in 1970, the glorious hegemony of the British Empire had not long dissipated, and British gentlemen still remembered the glory of the empire before World War II.

　Especially when they watched the United States being dragged down by the Vietnam War and even broke out into a civil war, even the British senior officials who signed the Nassau Treaty with the United States and handed over their nuclear arsenal with both hands could not help but secretly regret and wonder if they had voted too early?

　Judging from the current situation of the American Yankees, who seem to be about to bring about their own destruction, perhaps the hegemony of the New World is also short-lived?

　Once the United States completely declines, will the center of human civilization return to the Old World? (Refer to the timeline of Cyberpunk 2077)

　In short, seeing the bad luck of the gentlemen in Washington, the British gentlemen in Whitehall and Westminster in London were all feeling upset.

　However, no matter how shaky the US hegemony may be, Britain's hard power can no longer sustain a world empire.

　——It is really difficult to restore the throne that has been abdicated.

　Today, Britain's industrial strength is not only far inferior to that of the United States and the Soviet Union, but has even fallen behind the rapidly recovering Japan and West Germany.

　Under the current circumstances, it is difficult to reconquer and recapture the colonies that have already become independent.

　Therefore, at this point in time, the whole of Britain is actually very confused about what to do next.

　Want to regain world hegemony, although the ambition is there, the strength is lacking.

　Just be content to be a middle-class country. When I recall the glory of the past, I still feel unwilling.

　Moreover, the current world order is clear: the Red Soviet Union is the mortal enemy of the entire capitalist camp. Before the Soviet Union's collapse, Britain would never dare to antagonize the United States, as they needed its protection. Similarly, the United States could not afford to lose Britain, as it was a crucial ally. This fundamental principle was unbreakable. Small private actions were harmless, but true party-building against dissidents was absolutely unacceptable.

　Moreover, the entire British top leadership knows that due to the size limitations of the British Isles, it will be difficult to return to its peak if the current development path is followed.

　Unless they can overtake the rest of the world again, just like Britain did when it led the Industrial Revolution and crushed the world's agricultural countries...

　In that case, there might be some possibility of Great Britain once again ushering in a complacent Victorian era.

　But the problem is, everyone knows how to overtake, but where is the British curve?

　Therefore, the sudden appearance of the extraterrestrial civilization UFO in southern England this time is like a precious gift from God to the British Empire, a gift to the British Empire at a time when Britain is gradually declining.

　The British Empire received a shot of adrenaline—although it couldn’t change the situation, it was strong enough!

　While the exact purpose of these two "alien metals" remains unknown, the mere fact that they have put Britain back in the spotlight of world news is a dream come true for Prime Minister Heath.

　Perhaps, the British Empire's hope of returning to its peak depends on contact with aliens?

　However, when Prime Minister Heath returned to 10 Downing Street and convened an emergency cabinet meeting, he found that the situation was not as good as he had expected.

　Because the UFO incident that occurred on Salisbury Plain has already spread all over the world.

　Even the "alien metal" he had just seen had been lost abroad!

　Because there were so many UFO witnesses near Stonehenge at the time, including many foreigners, photos of the UFO and descriptions of the witnesses had already appeared in newspapers and on radio stations before the British government reacted and blocked the news.

　As a result, the news of the "aliens" visiting Earth quickly spread from Ireland to China. Because this news could not be concealed, anyone on Earth who was even slightly informed knew that an alien flying saucer had appeared over Stonehenge!

　Because the signatures of these "alien superheavy metals" were so obvious, those searching the underbrush around Stonehenge immediately noticed their unusual nature, and even engaged in violent fights over these "exotic treasures." Those who eventually came into possession of these "alien superheavy metals" some stored them in their cellars and safes. Others sought ways to sell them for cash, fearing they might be confiscated by the government and left with nothing. The heavy signatures of these alien metals were so obvious that counterfeiting was impossible, and their appearance on the black market caused a sensation.

　It just so happens that those black shops that are willing to accept dirty tricks are usually also places where underground intelligence is circulated, and the news about aliens is really too explosive.

　Therefore, long before MI5 could react, the KGB, CIA, French intelligence agencies and other forces lurking in the UK had all swarmed over like leeches smelling blood, fighting wits and courage over the "alien metal" found around Stonehenge, and were willing to sacrifice their lives for a piece of metal, making scenes of spy war comparable to the real version of 007 unfold in the UK.

　It’s a pity that for a long time, no director will bring them to the movie screen.

　In the end, when Prime Minister Heath saw "Unnamed Metal A" and "Unnamed Metal B", almost the same "alien metal" had probably been placed in front of the President of France, the President of the United States, the General Secretary of the Soviet Union or some other big shot.

　What’s even more terrible is that the locations where crop circles occurred before were also mainly concentrated in Wiltshire, where Stonehenge is located.

　Various amateur scientists and tabloid editors are generally keen to link crop circles with aliens in their articles.

　This made many foreigners who were already suspicious feel even more that the British might really be hiding some unspeakable secrets.

　Otherwise, why didn't the alien UFO appear somewhere else, but in Wiltshire, where there are so many crop circles?

　Legend has it that the earliest crop circles appeared in the 16th century. Does this mean that similar alien UFOs arrived hundreds of years ago and came into contact with the British at the time, allowing the British upper class to master certain mysterious knowledge and power?

　Wait, the rise of the British Empire also seems to have begun around that time, right? Is there some connection between the two?

　Therefore, when the "Stonehenge UFO Incident" attracted the attention of major countries around the world, various overt or covert temptations were sent to London, leaving the British government at a loss as to how to respond for a while.

　When Prime Minister Heath asked the Foreign Secretary about the latest reactions from other countries, the Foreign Secretary said with a bitter face, "The French have expressed their desire to convene a UN conference in Switzerland to discuss this matter specifically. They also called on the United Nations to address this as a challenge and opportunity faced by all of humanity, and urged that no country should act unilaterally. The Soviets and Americans subsequently issued similar declarations. Other European countries haven't made clear statements, but simply hope that we will disclose the truth as soon as possible... Furthermore, most countries around the world are wondering if we have something unspeakable on Salisbury Plain that has attracted the attention of alien UFOs."

　He looked at the Prime Minister with a gloomy yet curious expression, "Do we have any?"

　"Of course not. We don't have anything on Salisbury Plain that could attract aliens. Stonehenge is just a pile of ancient, heavy stones. I went to see it when it was being restored in 1958, and there was nothing strange there."

　Prime Minister Heath answered decisively, rubbing his eyes and temples at the same time, only to feel his eyes becoming increasingly dry and his head aching.

　Is there any reasoning or analysis for the strange behavior of the alien UFO? How did it appear on Salisbury Plain and then suddenly disappear?

　"Well... before and after this incident, our radar did not detect any abnormalities, Your Excellency, Prime Minister."

　An Air Force general stood up and replied somewhat embarrassedly, "We still don't know how this UFO suddenly appeared.

　Now, why did Earth choose to land at Stonehenge? We don’t know how it disappeared, nor do we know what the alien metals scattered there were used for.”

　"So the military knows nothing? Well, then please sit down and listen to what others have to say."

　Prime Minister Heath said unhappily, "This UFO suddenly appeared at Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, then disappeared without any communication with us. Do you consider this a provocation? Or a reconnaissance mission? Or a demonstration?"

　"Well, I think it's more likely... some kind of accident! Or maybe this UFO got lost!"

　The Defense Secretary began, "According to eyewitnesses, the alien UFO was on Salisbury Plain for less than a minute. Almost as soon as it appeared, it took off and disappeared. Whether it was a provocation, reconnaissance, or a demonstration, it shouldn't have been so brief. It felt more like someone drove the wrong way and entered an unfamiliar place. So they quickly reversed and turned around, leaving without a second thought."

　"In other words, the arrival of this UFO was purely accidental? There was no subjective intention?" the Prime Minister asked.

　"That... I'm afraid I can't guarantee that. Although from the outside, it doesn't look like a warship used for military purposes.

　But the problem is, we don’t know what weapons the aliens are using or what kind of ships they need to match them.

　Even more troubling is that we have no idea how it arrived on Earth, on Salisbury Plain, where Stonehenge stands. We don't know whether it came prepared or just happened to discover Earth. We don't even know where it went next. According to the urgent communications we just received, neither we, NASA, nor other space agencies have detected any signs of an imminent arrival of extraterrestrial civilizations. Therefore, even if more alien spacecraft are heading towards Earth, or if they are simply hiding in the solar system, we have no way to detect them.

　The Defense Secretary talked a lot, but the Prime Minister only heard two sentences: I don’t know this, and I don’t know that.

　In short, the military knows nothing, and the Prime Minister can only guess in his mind and make his own judgment.

　What's more troublesome is that he has to pretend to be confident and know everything in front of the people and foreigners.

　Otherwise, if it causes public panic, social unrest and economic fluctuations, it will be very bad.

　But the question is, what is the most appropriate way to fool or perfunctorily deal with the people?

　Just as the Prime Minister was contemplating this, an urgent call came into the conference room, instantly disrupting his thoughts and causing him to jump out of his chair: "What? A supernatural incident just happened in London? On the Thames?"

　Author's Note: PS: Indonesia, once known for its anti-Chinese sentiment, now has the second-highest pro-China percentage in Southeast Asia, exceeding 70%, second only to Malaysia. It's even more pro-China than Laos. Meanwhile, Cambodia, where we invested in building the canal, isn't actually pro-China, but rather more pro-US.

　Why? Because Indonesia believes it's far from China, lacking direct borders. Its primary expansion target is New Guinea, and its opponent is Australia, which the US is certain to side with. Therefore, Indonesia wants to make friends with distant countries and attack those nearby, aligning itself with China to counter the US and attack Australia.

　This is a national policy that is almost universally recognized, and it is almost impossible to reverse it.

　Similarly, even if we want to expand, we cannot reach Indonesia before we have settled the entire Indochina Peninsula and the Philippines.

　This is also why Indonesia was able to introduce high-speed rail from the mainland very smoothly, while Vietnam was extremely reluctant.

　Of course, if the United States is willing to help Indonesia take action against Australia, Indonesia will immediately rebel.

　Chapter 531: What should be messed up is not messed up, what shouldn’t be messed up is messed up

　London in October is in the golden autumn.

　The cool autumn breeze blows through the streets and alleys of this former "world capital", turning the leaves in Hyde Park gradually yellow.

　The warm sunlight shines through the sparse branches and leaves, falls on the ground, and makes passers-by feel warm.

　Against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds, the street scenes of the capital of the British Empire appear both vivid and elegant.

　Although it is not as crowded as Manhattan in New York with skyscrapers that look like a forest of steel and concrete, it has a more historical charm.

　Ferry took Marita for a walk through the streets and alleys of London, feeling the remaining "Victorian style" here.

　It must be said that the London of the 1970s, compared to the London of a hundred years ago during the heyday of Queen Victoria, where Sherlock Holmes and Watson were the roaming spies, lacked the blessing of imperial hegemony, but it seemed to have a more elegant atmosphere.

　Firstly, thanks to years of deindustrialisation and technological progress, the air pollution situation in the British capital has improved significantly.

　With the reduction of coal burning, the once dreaded "London fog," a dark yellow tint that made it impossible to breathe, has become rare. Even the water of the Thames, once so filthy it could kill cockroaches, is now miraculously becoming clearer.

　Today's London, and indeed Britain, is like a beauty in its twilight years. While it may no longer possess the flamboyant and domineering air of yesteryear, it instead possesses a more refined and elegant cultural atmosphere, allowing one to sense the glorious legacy of a certain era without being bruised by the sharp edge of imperial hegemony.

　——Colonial Empire

　After the collapse of the United Kingdom, Britain tried to strip away its offensive parts while retaining most of its beauty.

　Of course, this kind of "remnants of the past" kind of beauty is ultimately like "the sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it is near dusk", and it cannot last too long.

　Once the imperial legacy is exhausted, Britain will completely return to its normal historical status as a remote island nation and become a nobody.

　In short, Fili and Marita had a great time strolling around London. They felt that history was everywhere and every brick and tile contained a story.

　The only regret is that a few months ago, the Northern Irish Republican Army carried out a terrorist attack in London using a nuclear bomb. Not only did it blow up the London Bridge on the spot, but it also caused serious damage to Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben across the bridge, which are still under repair.

　When Fieri came to London this time, these landmark buildings were still surrounded by scaffolding and had become restoration sites, and nothing could be seen clearly.

　Furthermore, due to the brazen threat of a nuclear bomb in London by IRA terrorists, the entire UK was in a state of panic, with security measures being significantly increased. Security measures were being installed at various public facilities, and many famous museums, as well as villas, palaces, and castles open to tourists, such as Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, were temporarily closed to the public.

　Even Trafalgar Square and Regent's Park are temporarily closed now. There is a lot of construction going on inside. I don't know what is going on.

　Although the British Library remained open during martial law, where one could visit and see the seat where Marx once read, Marita's interest in reading was limited. She simply strolled through London's Piccadilly Circus (a famous shopping street), which she described as inferior to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. However, she still bought some bags and cosmetics, and decided that she had done enough exploring in London.

　There's no way around it. London, which had just been hit by an atomic bomb and was under martial law, was really not very suitable for travel or vacation.

　By then, British newspapers were already rife with stories like "The Untold Story of Stonehenge and UFOs," along with strange tales of "alien metal and treasures from the stars." Even in cafes and pubs, people were buzzing with excitement about these stories.

　There were also some people like hippies, social activists and religious people who distributed makeshift leaflets on the streets talking about aliens.

　Even at the Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, those guys who gave speeches standing on cardboard boxes no longer used those long and difficult-to-understand political and economic terms, but instead talked about more mysterious topics such as "the relationship between the universe and humans" and "the impact of extraterrestrial life on human civilization".

　After hearing so much nonsense from people of all walks of life, even Marita was confused and asked where Ferry got the alien metal from?

　"What alien metal? It's just some fine gold and mithril! High-end supplies for alchemy! I finally got this treasure!

　Of course, if you insist on saying they are alien metals, then they can be considered as such. Because these two substances are indeed not originally found on Earth.”

　Fili whispered while biting Marita's ear, "The little bit of fine gold and mithril I threw out is worth at least two fighter jets!"

　——In order to make the "alien UFO at Stonehenge" scene a reality and not turn it into an urban legend like the Loch Ness Monster, Ferry spent a lot of money this time. Before leaving, he scattered a handful of refined gold and mithril fragments in the grass where Stonehenge was located.

　These were all alien materials he had exchanged through the "system" at great expense. Although the style was fantasy rather than science fiction, if one had to say that these adamantine gold and mithril were alien metals, it wouldn't be wrong.

　In short, after promising to give his wife a piece of magic jewelry decorated with fine gold and mithril, Marita showed a satisfied smile.

　But then, when the two of them sat in a small tavern on the street, drinking beer and watching TV and reading newspapers, Fili was shocked: "Huh? What kind of news is this? What's wrong with Europeans? They're not in chaos when they should be, but they're in chaos when they shouldn't be!"

　——Although long before planning this alien UFO scam, Firi knew that it would inevitably cause ideological shock to many people.

　But what Ferry never expected was that the stimulus effect of this incident was so significant - after the news of "the arrival of alien UFOs" spread, social unrest of varying degrees soon broke out throughout Britain and even throughout Europe:

　Some people are overjoyed at the arrival of aliens, some are heartbroken, and more are deeply terrified from the bottom of their hearts.

　Because people don't know whether the uninvited aliens in the UFO are friends or foes? Are they good or evil? What do they look like? What is their purpose in coming to Earth? Why were there no signs of their arrival? Do they have the ability to travel at the speed of light? Or even faster than light?

　In the days ahead, will humanity be on the verge of a technological revolution, or will it have to prepare for a bloody and brutal war to defend the Earth?

　Some people who like to have fun and watch the show are in a frenzy, expecting aliens to bring about a major change to modern society, whether good or bad.

　Historians looked through the historical records of the Age of Exploration with sad faces, trying to figure out what fate would happen to those backward indigenous tribes after they encountered the European navigators who represented advanced civilization... The more they looked, the more speechless they became.

　Cha Yue felt worried.

　Scientists relied on photos and traces from the scene, as well as a few metal samples, to speculate on the aliens' technological level, especially their combat capabilities. However, due to the lack of intelligence, they had no idea what to do, so they could only fabricate nonsense in their reports to get by.

　Even more helpless are the religious people. They either angrily declare that UFOs are all lies, or frown and ponder over their scriptures, trying to figure out how to explain these aliens from a theological perspective, or to explain their gods from the perspective of the aliens.

　——After all, no matter which sect of the Abrahamic Triads, there is no place for aliens in theology!

　Well, Buddhist theories are unlikely to be compromised by aliens. This is because as early as the time of Gautama Buddha, Buddhism had the concept of the "Three Thousand Worlds." If each world in Buddhism represents a civilized planet, then wouldn't that make sense?

　Under these circumstances, the international environment strangely calmed down temporarily. The armed standoff on the border between the US and Soviet troops in Germany ended. Cambodia and Vietnam also lowered their rhetoric, and even the anti-US movement in South America temporarily subsided.

　Of course, this calm situation was only superficial; who knows what undercurrents were surging beneath the surface. If the alien UFO hadn't already slipped away from Salisbury Plain, intercontinental missiles from various countries would probably have already begun refueling and nuclear submarines would have been ready to sail for battle.

　Civilian society was in even greater chaos. Eastern Europe, where state enforcement was relatively strong, was largely unaffected. Aside from minor panic buying and stockpiling, people continued to go about their daily lives. After all, even if aliens arrived, life still had to go on, and bread and sausages still had to be bought...