American Strategic Deception Bureau

　"What explanation? When I heard you were planning to invade Cuba from Key West, I already felt something was wrong! When Eva called me and told me you'd hired a PR firm to promote it, I immediately rushed over on my motorcycle!"

　Esteline's words were a bit garbled, perhaps because he'd been exhausted from speeding on his motorcycle. But he still managed to convey his anger and confusion. "And what did I see? A marching band of elementary school students? And soldiers carrying baguettes? What the hell is going on?"

　"Ah, that can't be helped, Mr. Esteline. I wasn't keen on hiring kids to perform in the marching band, but time was tight, so I only found a Miami elementary school band willing to hire them, so we can earn some pocket money for the kids."

　Fili looked at the children following the propaganda vehicle, breathing in exhaust fumes while playing trumpets and drums, and said with a hint of pity, "So, I'll have to use this elementary school band to fill in for now. Since you think this is unsightly, I'll definitely correct it next time!"

　"As for the baguettes in the mercenaries' hands, that was a substitute when we really had no other choice!

　Despite using my CIA credentials and trying to persuade them, the mayor and city council of Key West still wouldn't allow a group of foreign mercenaries to parade with rifles, allegedly fearing they might scare tourists. So I had to leave my guns and ammunition on the boat and distribute them once I was aboard.

　But it would have looked wrong to have soldiers marching empty-handed. So I gave them baguettes to carry on their shoulders instead of rifles."

　Fili complained, "After the parade, this baguette can still serve as their afternoon tea snack today..."

　"Although your explanation is as outrageous as the facts I saw, I'm more concerned about this than the baguette!"

　Estelline pointed at the cameraman in the car. "What on earth are you thinking? How can a TV station broadcast a war?"

　“Ah, Mr. Estelian, the mission assigned to me by the bureau seems to be a feint attack, right?

　Since this is a feint, we must make it a big show, so the enemy can clearly see our movements and even pay close attention to them the entire time!"

　Firi waved his hand dismissively. "So, I hired a PR firm and invited reporters from newspapers and TV stations. They gave Castro a clear view on TV before we even had to make a move. Is there anything wrong with that?"

　"This is a big problem! How can there be no problem with such a shameful thing?" Team leader Estelian was so angry that he almost laughed.

　"Well, even if it's embarrassing, it's only embarrassing the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front. But when have they ever had any shame?"

　Fili smiled and replied, "Mr. Estelion, since you're here, why don't you join us in the feint troops' marching oath-taking ceremony?"

　After saying that, he signaled the jeep driver to restart the car and drove away.

　Seeing this, Team Leader Estelian could only sigh and follow on his Harley motorcycle.

　-

　In short, with the music of the elementary school marching band and the tap dance of the high school girls cheerleading team, this farce-like "Baguette Army" marched proudly through the busiest streets of Key West and finally arrived at a pleasant tropical beach in the southwest of the island.

　At this moment, fifteen US Army LCVP infantry landing craft left over from World War II were neatly lined up on the beach, waiting for their passengers to board. These retired old landing craft were not provided by the CIA, but were temporarily rented from several military theme parks in Florida by Fieri with his CIA identity and the connections and face he had accumulated in the Pentagon.

　When these 400 "Baguette Army" arrived at the embarkation point,

　Later, there were more than a thousand onlookers following.

　A flat area was cleared on the beach in advance, and the propaganda vehicle carrying former Prime Minister Cardona drove directly there to serve as the podium.

　Immediately, flagpoles were placed on both sides of the propaganda vehicle, and banners were hung with the words "Swearing-in Ceremony for Free Cuba Fighters" in large letters.

　The rest of the exiled politicians from the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front also gathered in twos and threes, standing around the propaganda vehicle with gloomy faces and numb expressions, reviewing the 400 "Free Cuba fighters" gathered in front of them with complicated eyes.

　Well, there was no orderly marching or uniform saluting - this group of rabble that had gathered together hastily and hastily was unable to perform such difficult and complex movements. They just barely formed a decent large square formation.

　Apart from the baguettes in everyone's hands, the only thing worth seeing is probably the cannon placed in front of the crowd.

　——This is not an ordinary mortar or field gun, but a Napoleon bronze cannon from the American Civil War era!

　I wonder if this is really an antique from the Civil War era a hundred years ago, or just a prop cannon used in Hollywood movies?

　"Oh, I rented this cannon from the Grand Army of the Republic. I'm using it temporarily. It didn't cost much..."

　Firi pointed at the bronze cannon and proudly showed off to Team Leader Estelion, who almost rolled his eyes.

　Well, while the name is a bit exaggerated and sounds a bit like something out of Star Wars, the "Grand Army of the Republic" is actually just a local militia organization in Florida, with a maximum strength of two or three hundred people. The name is purely for self-promotion.

　Just like the famous redneck right-wing militia group in the Midwestern United States in the 21st century, the "Mongols," known for their motorcycle riders, don't even have a single Asian among them, let alone a genuine Mongolian. It's unclear how those white racist motorcycle riders, like schizophrenia, can claim to be the "Mongol cavalry of the New World" while simultaneously discriminating against, excluding, and suppressing people of color...

　In short, because of the citizens' right to bear arms stipulated in the Constitution, various armed militia organizations have always been active in various states of the United States. In order to attract attention, increase their presence and attract sponsorship, these militia organizations are often smaller in scale and more famous in reputation - such as the "Grand Army of the Republic" with hundreds of people, the "North American Freedom League" with dozens of people, and the "Earth Defense Force" with only a dozen people.

　The names sound really impressive, but after actually seeing them, one can only feel speechless and disappointed.

　Some time ago, the "Grand Army of the Republic" militia organization encountered a serious financial crisis and was forced to set up stalls in Key West and sell off their belongings - various military uniforms, tents, sabers, etc. from the Civil War era, as well as an antique bronze cannon that was said to be left over from the Civil War era.

　Firi, who was negotiating with the mayor about the military parade on the island at the time, happened to pass by the stall of the "Grand Army of the Republic" and saw this ancient cannon. He thought it was very historical, so he paid some money and borrowed it temporarily to use as a salute in the military parade.

　So, with Firi's order, the muzzle of Napoleon's bronze cannon, which had been pre-loaded, suddenly burst into flames, and a roar resounded through the sea and sky.

　José Miro Cardona, the leader of the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front and former Prime Minister, who was standing on a propaganda vehicle, perked up a bit when he saw this. He once again loudly denounced Castro's crimes of "threatening human rights" and "suppressing freedom", and called on the soldiers to fight bravely and counterattack their homeland.

　The Cuban mercenaries standing below were also quite polite. They held a baguette in their mouths and clapped their hands.

　Next, the military commander of the 400-man mob, Torres, the son of former Prime Minister José Miro Cardona, reluctantly climbed onto the roof of the car, took over the microphone from his father, and said a few polite words of "Long live freedom" to the mercenaries, reporters and onlookers.

　Then, the four hundred mercenaries clapped their hands again. They then turned and headed towards the seashore, one after another getting into the landing craft's cabins.

　Next, one landing craft after another, packed with people, retracted the gangplank at the bow, spewed out a cloud of black smoke, and reversed away from the shore with the roar of the engine, leaving white foam on the sea surface, and turned around and slowly headed towards the island of Cuba more than 100 kilometers away.

　Seeing this, the elementary school band on the shore also played "The Star-Spangled Banner" again to suit the occasion.

　The idle people who were eager to watch the fun and the cheerleaders all shouted and jumped at the landing craft, waving goodbye desperately.

　After taking a bunch of photos, the reporters turned around and pointed their cameras at the Cuban exiled politicians who remained on the beach and began interviewing them.

　In a corner of the beach, watching these LCVP infantry landing craft go out to sea one after another, Team Leader Estelion couldn't help feeling a little confused.

　Just like that... he took 400 men across the sea and headed straight for Havana to defeat Castro?!

　Isn't this too much of a joke?

　Even though it was just a feint, and we hadn't expected any results from the start, we couldn't just charge in and get killed, could we?

　If we cross the sea to Cuba now, I'm afraid we'll be strafed by Castro's air force planes as soon as we reach the shore, right?

　However, just when he was in such a trance, he found that the fifteen infantry landing craft had not sailed far from Key West Island;

　After just a short circle on the sea, they turned around and headed back to the beach! Immediately, the landing craft ran aground one after another, lowering their bow gangplanks.

　The soldiers, who had just been on board for less than half an hour, also got off the boat and returned to the beach leisurely, holding half-eaten baguettes.

　Then, Captain Filikin appeared out of nowhere, climbed onto the publicity vehicle parked on the beach, and announced loudly into the microphone: "You've all worked hard today! Today's rehearsal was a success! Now please follow me and find a place on the island to set up camp and rest!

　I'll treat everyone to beer and barbecue tonight, so we can relax a bit. Then we'll do it all again tomorrow!"

　After hearing Firi's words, everyone, from former Prime Minister José Miro Cardona, the "political poster boy" who had been shouting for a long time from his propaganda vehicle, to Team Leader Esteline, who had been chasing him on a motorcycle, suddenly felt dizzy and almost vomited blood on the spot.

　Author's words: PS: Alas, it now seems that I seriously overestimated Israel's intelligence and military capabilities in my previous book.

　Even if Israel had nuclear bombs and dared to use them, it would probably be difficult for it to fight against the Middle Eastern countries alone, right?

　It’s one thing for France to be embarrassed on a daily basis, but how come Israel is in such a dangerous situation, how can it be so lame?

　Others are prepared for danger in times of peace, but Israel forgets to be prepared for danger even in times of danger.

　But think about it, half a century has passed since the Yom Kippur War! Today's Israel is no longer the iron-blooded country it once was.

　Chapter 57: Soul Bound by Gravity

　"What? Rehearsal?! Is this all rehearsal today?!"

　After realizing what was happening, Estelion rushed to Firi in disbelief, grabbed his collar and yelled, "Are you kidding me?"

　"I'm serious! War is such an important and serious matter, how can we not rehearse a few times?"

　Fili brushed away Estelian's hand and replied sternly, "Anyway, Castro doesn't know which of our attacks are real and which are just rehearsals and exercises. If he doesn't prepare, he might be successfully ambushed. If he does prepare, it might all be in vain."

　You see, in this way, our feint attack has successfully diverted the attention of the Cuban side, hasn't it? "

　After that, he walked away, leaving only Team Leader Estelion, who was still stamping his feet and cursing behind him: "Madman! What a madman!"

　Just like that, the rabble of 400 people, who had just been out at sea for more than ten minutes, returned home, whistling at the scantily clad beauties on the beach, and walked briskly away from the beach in southwest Key West. The live broadcast also came to an end.

　Of course, such a crude trick is obviously not enough to fool veterans like the Castro brothers.

　In Havana, the Cuban capital, 170 kilometers away from Key West, after watching the live TV broadcast from Key West and laughing heartily, Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro lit a cigar and regained his usual calm.

　"You're right, this is a truly stupid invasion. It's already stupid enough before it even begins."

　He exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly, "But on the other hand, we all know why those traitors in Florida are deliberately pretending to be stupid. Has there been any special movement at the Retalhuleu training camp in Guatemala recently?"

　"According to the latest intelligence, the military training camp run by the rebels in Guatemala has been closed due to the approaching rainy season."

　When talking about business, Che Guevara, who had been smiling a bit, turned serious. "Except for a small group of light infantry who were transferred to Florida, the rest of the rebel forces have gathered in Puerto Cabezas, Guatemala, apparently making final preparations before crossing the sea.

　In addition, several US Navy destroyers stationed in Guantanamo Bay have also been behaving abnormally recently, frequently sailing in our southern territorial waters at night, seemingly surveying the Cuban coast, and have been spotted by our militia patrolling along the coastline..."

　"According to public intelligence from the United States, the USS Essex, the flagship of the US Navy's Task Force 81.8, two LST tank landing ships and five destroyers will conduct exercises in the Caribbean in the near future," Raul Castro added.

　"Then the situation is now very clear. The enemy is divided into two groups, one strong and one weak."

　Fidel Castro removed the cigar from his mouth and tapped it on the rim of the glass ashtray. "A small group of enemy troops is staying in Florida to the north, acting as a smokescreen and using some artificial and exaggerated performances to attract our attention.

　Of course, it is not ruled out that they may really cross the sea and go south to harass the coastline near Havana - but that would be just a feint at best.

　At the same time, the enemy's elite main force crossed the sea from Guatemala, preparing to strike a fatal blow to us from the south!

　In short, the moment of decisive battle is not far away! Whether the Cuban red regime can survive depends on the next battlefield confrontation!

　He glanced at the map of Cuba hanging on the wall and concluded, "Che! Raúl! Action! Put the army on immediate alert—especially the air force! Then mobilize our militia! Mobilize our people! Prepare for the shameless invasion of U.S. imperialism!"

　Just like that, with the order from the bearded Castro, Cuba, which was already not peaceful, immediately became more turbulent...

　-

　The next day, April 16, Firi led the 4 rabble who were temporarily assigned to his command and continued to repeat the parade and review performance of the previous day.

　The same propaganda vehicle led the way, the same military band and cheerleaders, no guns, and everyone carried a baguette on their shoulders.

　It’s just that the elementary school band quit after a day of hard work, and not only were all the students exhausted, but they also had to go back to class.

　The high school girls cheerleaders, however, were still enthusiastic and said that as long as they were paid enough, they would dance for a whole week.

　Therefore, the elementary school student marching band on the first day was replaced by a black jazz band hired on Key West Island from the second day onwards, singing and dancing with the female cheerleaders. It must be said that the muscular black man paired with the long-legged white girl also created a wonderful sense of contrast, which was equally eye-catching.

　Then, just like yesterday, after the soldiers squeezed into the landing craft, they just went out to sea for a circle and returned to the beach by the same route.

　However, compared with yesterday, the number of idle people on the island who came to watch the fun and the reporters who followed the reports were much less, as if they were tired of it.

　Even the photographers and TV reporters who came to broadcast live with cameras were yawning and looked listless - if they hadn't been paid by the PR company, they probably wouldn't have bothered to repeat the report.

　Team Leader Estelian rode his motorcycle to take another look. But when the landing craft returned, he couldn't contain his anger and shouted at Ferry, "I see, Captain King, you're not planning on going to Cuba, are you?

　Forget it, if you really don't want to take the risk of going to Cuba, then don't go. Anyway, with the farce you're performing here, it's enough to make Castro and Trujillo think we're going to attack Cuba..."

　"Captain Estelion, the result will be the same whether we launch a feint across the sea or not."

　Fili sat on a beach chair and replied lazily, "Because of the almost impenetrable secrecy measures before, the training camp in Guatemala couldn't be hidden from Castro at all. When the mercenaries boarded the transport fleet, Havana should have received the news.

　So, Castro understood from the outset that the Florida attack would only be a feint to divert his attention. But what he didn't know was that even the mercenaries crossing the sea from Guatemala wouldn't attack his territory this time.

　"Yes, let's spare him this time. After we kill Trujillo, we'll go back and settle the score with this bearded bastard!"

　Estelion nodded, "I'm going back to command the Dominican operations now! You just keep performing over here!"

　After Estelion left, Firi's surroundings became completely quiet.

　At this point, Fili's deception was finally basically successful.

　Bluffing is a science, it all depends on who has a smart brain. People without brains deserve to be fooled all their lives.

　If the deception is successful, more people will support it, the market will get better and better, and then the fake will become real.

　The foolish locals thought that Cuban mercenaries would cross the sea from Florida and attack Cuba directly, while the shrewd Castro thought that the enemy would attack from Guatemala in the south. But the fact was that no one would attack Cuba, and the CIA pointed its spearhead at another island.

　Thus, all the people who needed to be fooled were successfully fooled, and Firi's mission was completed.

　He lay on the beach chair, looking up at the clear and cloudless blue sky, and couldn't help feeling a sense of emptiness and melancholy in his heart.

　Although he had been working hard on various antics on Key West in recent days, for the American media, it was barely enough to make a splash. A mere scrap of newspaper news was the limit.

　With the exception of the local Florida TV station to which he had bribed money, all the top media outlets ignored him without even a glance.

　Because, in recent days, the attention of the world's public opinion has been focused on the vast space.

　——On April 12, 1961, Soviet Air Force Major Yuri Gagarin entered the Earth's orbit on the spacecraft "Vostok", becoming the first astronaut in human history to enter space and the first traveler to overlook the Earth from space!

　When Gagarin's spacecraft entered space, children from all over the Soviet Union walked out of the classroom, salespeople walked out of the shops, and workers walked out of the factories, looking up at the sky curiously. It seemed hard to imagine that there was really a compatriot flying among the stars above their heads.

　When Gagarin returned to the ground safely, he immediately became a celebrity around the world.

　——The hymn of mankind is a hymn of courage and a hymn of hope.

　The pioneering struggle and the courage to discover are always the most admirable heroic deeds.

　Therefore, Gagarin's success in reaching space made all of humanity excited. No matter which side of the Cold War Iron Curtain, newspapers, radio stations and television stations in various countries competed to report the news of this space voyage and spread Gagarin's name.

　A total of 27 countries warmly invited Gagarin to visit.

　The Queen of England was looking forward to meeting him like a fan.