Eh? Do you also want to try the iron fist of the humanoid girl?

The girl looked and behaved intelligently and respectfully, and despite the hostility between them, she showed just the right amount of respect when greeting Raphael.

There are so many things hidden under those shining eyes.

A girl who can do this with micro-expressions during a half-minute greeting is really talented, Raphael thought.

She never quite figured out who the dozen or so people sitting at the table were, even though one of them was a Wehrmacht general wearing a sash.

But it was obvious that the most important person was the company's director - a little old man with thick white hair and a rosy face, but with a happy face, sparkling eyes, and energy that was no less than that of a young man.

"How long will you stay here, Professor Raphael?" he asked at the other end of the long table, just as a waiter in a dark tuxedo brought up a roast pork elbow on a silver plate. "If the weather remains as bad as it is today..."

The strong wind hit the balcony of the banquet hall, and a lot of water splashed onto the glass wall of the restaurant. Lightning flashed across the sky with a lavender light, and a moment later, thunder slowly came in.

"I'm sorry, could you please say that again?" Raphael asked back at the right time.

The director did not repeat himself and said:

"Oh, I think I should go to the company's technical department to learn about the progress. Hello, how is it? Professor, what do you think of the Russians' approach? The so-called strong artificial intelligence should not be what the Wall Street financial scammers say. As an industry authority, you should know that."

"Oh, well, the Russians' technological innovation came so suddenly that it was hard to understand. You know, from the disintegration of the former Soviet Union to the establishment of the new Soviet Union, the development of related disciplines was almost stagnant."

Raphael smiled and said, "Their artistic level remains at the forefront of the world. I can tell you that the progress of the new Soviet Union cannot be underestimated. Obviously, they are all very cunning guys."

"I've had a lot of dealings with Russians, and they're not very good at doing business." The director was confused by Raphael's statement.

“You may have been deceived.”

All the faces at the table turned to Raphael.

"The Russians are very hard to figure out." Raphael cut off a small piece of steak and said slowly, "They have been preparing for this more than ten years ago. It's very secretive."

"You mean general-purpose industrial robots that are used in a large number of applications."

"Yes, they operate autonomously." Raphael affirmed, "This is more important than the strong adaptability and flexibility it shows. When this self-discipline is put into the military, what can you think of?"

"A two-man T-14."

“It’s just the beginning.”

The director lost his smile and slammed the table hard: "This is unforgivable!"

You idiot, who will forgive whom? Raphael kept complaining in his heart. The people who said this should at least be the leaders of the NATO group, not the wretched old man in front of him.

What a big shot, it's all nonsense. The "Dnieper-43" exercise has ended, and a lot of information has been circulated through different channels. Much of it is deliberately false information, but there is also a lot of intelligence that is extremely credible.

The fact that intelligence has leaked out shows that they are not a monolithic group internally, but the signs of such a large amount of information leaking out also prove that the Russians are interfering with information.

Raphael believed that Krauss-Maffei Wegmann must have an intelligence gathering office in related fields, just like the armored vehicle production and maintenance company operated by Asuka.

Both parties knew the truth very well and the whole conversation was just nonsense. At first glance, it sounded like all useful information, but in fact, there is a lot of public information available by searching.

What is the relationship between the two parties? To put it bluntly, Raphael is a shameless thief who openly steals the secrets of his rival company. In addition, relying on his authority in the field of artificial intelligence, he forcibly creates industry barriers.

It’s fine that the Stasi supports it, and it’s certain that the two parties have cooperated; but it was unexpected that their largest customer, the Wehrmacht, is now standing behind the armored vehicle production and maintenance company.

One test is enough.

The director suppressed his anger, forced a smile, and invited the guests to enjoy the food.

"Anyway, Professor, I'm so glad to meet you this time."

The next morning, at half past six, Raphael opened his eyes and got up, changed into a simple shirt and dark jeans, took his schoolbag, and blended into the crowd on the street, running towards Karl Marx University of Leipzig.

Chapter 215 Cost

From the perspective of Germany and France, the invasion of Africa was proceeding briskly. Arrows and pins on military maps were penetrating deeper into the hinterland from all directions, day by day.

On the African soil, rows of soldiers wearing helmets and covered in dust marched continuously for kilometers, walking, riding in cars, or sitting directly on the outer armor of tanks.

More vehicles and autocannons rolled along with them.

Everything was going on slowly and dully, and generally peacefully, with many black people carrying things and delivering supplies to these outsiders.

Some soldiers joked that they were here to inspect the production and quality of farm tools.

Although this large group of people's outdoor adventure cannot be clearly described as a picnic mission - there have been nearly 3,000 casualties in the African development so far - it is not completely unexciting.

After a day's march forward, the large group would eat in the wild or on the roadside, camp under the stars, or set up tents in the heavy rain.

They resented the farm work and had a rebellious heart, but they felt that life here was much better than in Europe, and they could enjoy the good things that they could not enjoy in Europe: vigorous exercise, fresh and pollution-free air, good food and drink, gambling, friendship and sweet sleep.

Of course, the farmers kept shooting at them with AK rifles that were donated by the Soviet Union or made by hand in small workshops in the last century.

This was expected.

The coalition forces fought back, carrying out planned bombardments according to the coordinates on the map or the codes provided by the drones. Then, the 155mm howitzers made a satisfying roar, the muzzle flashed, and the gun body fell back.

Everyone worked quickly and sweated profusely. The officers shouted orders to boost morale.

Some unlucky people were hit by stray bullets, but most were not.

Trees were burning and cottages were burnt down.

After a while, the shooting was called off. The coalition forces left behind the battered bodies, called in the wounded helicopter to take away the unfortunate ones, and continued to march briskly.

After defeating the African country's army, the Wehrmacht and the French Army advanced rapidly, marching south along the desert road, aiming to capture and occupy the oil facilities about 70 kilometers away.

Because they were worried that the enemy would blow up the oil fields and cause unnecessary losses.

The newly formed tank unit is rapidly gaining combat experience, constantly trying out new tactics, and looking for the enemy's T-55/54 and T-62 tanks to fight against.

Some tank units even penetrated deep into Africa.

The enemy mobilized manpower, besieged it, and tried to destroy the barbarians in the West. But even the old Leopard 2A4 main battle tank was still not a monster that the old stuff from years ago could deal with.

They looked scary to the local natives and were indeed deadly.

These armored monsters walk the roads, crushing ripe crops, firing long, thin projectiles... and nothing can stop them.

A large number of Leopard 2A4s were driving across the wasteland of Pingtan, and they were able to show off their prowess against a frightened, weak enemy with almost no organization.

In the Balkans, the friction between Serbia and Bulgaria quickly turned into a fierce hot war. The armies of both sides were like the front line in the weather. The fierce confrontation caused the front line to move back and forth, setting off gusts of wind that destroyed everything.

In order to break through the opponent's defense, both sides simultaneously narrowed their targets and concentrated their long-range support firepower, which became more intense, more frequent and more concentrated.

The bloody battle continued, with thousands killed every day and thousands more withdrawn from the battle due to injuries.

In the clear August sky, fast-flying lightweight drones called "traversers" kept swooping down with bombs, crashing into soldiers, children, livestock, women, or whatever the operators saw, adding to the clamor of bloodshed and terror.

During this period, Romania joined Impart and sent troops to attack Bulgaria.

God knows how the war in the Balkans took place, but there is information that Bulgaria was attacked by relic weapons.

The death toll is not confirmed, but the problem with the relic weapons lies here. In addition to the people who were directly killed, there should also be ways for the wide-area collapse radiation ELID patients to survive.

But no one is sure what the success rate is.

This was so different from previous large-scale conflicts and wars that everyone began to feel a strong sense of unease.

The Balkans were becoming increasingly lively, and when Romania became involved, ethnic massacres became more frequent.

……

Raphael was waiting for her sisters. At such a special moment, or perhaps because of such a special moment, she wanted them to stay by her side.

This is not the birth of a beautiful idea.

At this moment, Raphael was watching the broadcast of the battlefield - a direct military confrontation between Romania and Bulgaria.

This was different from the previous minor fights. The two sides were equally matched and fought back and forth in the ruined city. But she felt that this was not enough, because reporters could not be at the forefront, and could hardly see any blood.

There is no blood splattering, and often no one can hear the cries of their companions...

There was only the rumble of artillery fire.

The air forces of both sides fought over the city, dropping bombs from a distance and then rushing back to the airport to reload. Countless vehicles brought more howitzers from the rear positions, aimed at the city, and fired shells into it.

Although the level of fighting remains at that of the Cold War, it can definitely be said that the war in the Balkans is the bloodiest in the past decade.

"It will definitely be more intense," Asuka commented.

"But I think... as long as the first bombs don't kill us, it won't be a big problem."

Suzune's opinions remained crisp and confident.

She said: "As long as friendly forces do not encounter any major problems, there should not be any accidents."

Raphael and Luhui were much more conservative. In a scenario where both sides were engaged in a large-scale bombardment, it was difficult to find an absolutely safe place.

Even if you hide in the basement, the buildings above are likely to collapse in the explosion.

"When that time comes, we can get two M1A2 or Leopard 2A4 tanks to use," Lu Hui suggested, "especially the unmanned Leopard 2 tanks that work independently. Anyway, we have the production line, and the Wehrmacht will not say anything even if we seize two tanks."

Asuka complained: "It's easier to detain Poland's M1A2."

"So... what about the improved design of Leopard 2?" Raphael changed the subject. This was what she was most concerned about at the moment.

The one who can answer this question must be a bird.

“The turret structure needs to be redesigned, and the design team plans to adopt a tail-mounted automatic loading system to reduce the frontal projection of the turret while enhancing the turret’s protection and the carrying of electronic equipment.

Not only must the anti-interference capability of communication equipment be enhanced, but there must also be enough space to install sensors so that the onboard AI can efficiently identify targets. Although it is unmanned and autonomous, in reality, it still requires two crew members, the captain and the driver. ”

"What's the cost?" Lu Hui asked, "If it's too expensive, the National Defense Forces won't buy a lot."

"Of course, a brand new one is more expensive. If you modify an old Leopard 2 that has been stored away, the price is only 2/8 of the Leopard 1A4, which is still very cost-effective."

Chapter 216 Reliable Connections

Simon Fischer, now in charge of the few remaining personnel at the Leipzig Consulate, was an able and exceptionally clever man, but at this moment he could not bring his strengths into play.

He was not a coward, but the sudden wave of anti-black, anti-Poplar Forest and anti-collapse radiation refugees plunged Leipzig into a state of basic disorder again.

This violent action led by conservative forces directly swept across half of Germany.

Fischer was self-aware of his problem. At Harvard, he ran track—a conscious choice, knowing that scholarships were required and a sign of masculinity—and his internship at the newspaper and his friendships with some very useful professors made it easy for him to get a scholarship.

Later, when he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he became a new generation of outstanding official in the eyes of others.

In reality, it was simply “excellence” as required by duty, because the environment demanded courage in action.

Fisher thought about his character weaknesses for a long time and received some advice from a psychologist, but the core problem was still his mother's excessive concern for him and the accidents that happened in his childhood.

Psychological counseling is of little significance to him.

After all, as an "outstanding official", he must be at the forefront of danger, just like now.

Bad luck had brought him to a place where his profound political knowledge, his intelligence analysis skills, and his language skills were all useless.

All it takes is simple courage.

He just doesn't have this.

He was assigned to stay behind when the consul left, and he was under tremendous pressure.

He had been in a state of panic ever since the riots began, especially as the German military and police forces were overstretched, anxiously awaiting orders to evacuate or disembark so that he and other Americans could leave.

For reasons that could not be explained - he guessed that it was probably related to Raphael and others who came to Leipzig again - he moved out of the apartment with full legitimacy and lived in the consulate, becoming an example of someone who was determined to stay and was not afraid of difficulties.

No one guessed his distress.

That morning, he sat in front of the large desk in the consul's office, a cigarette in his mouth, carefully redrafting his report to the military about Raphael and others and the armored vehicle production and maintenance company.

While trying to remove traces of his personal neurosis, he tried to make clear the urgency and seriousness of the news that "Raphael and others had been attacked by killers."

This was critical, especially as many reports went unanswered.

He couldn't explain the mystery of the assassination directly, so he could only hint at it and try to figure out how murky the water was.

But then again, these four sisters have good means and abilities, and it is unexpected that they can touch the interests of certain powerful people.

"Come in," Fisher said when he heard the knock on the door.

"It seems to be quiet outside," a man in a suit like him walked in and said gruffly, "Do you want to open the curtains?"

"Nothing's happening outside?" Fisher said worriedly.

"Nothing in particular."

"Well, if I don't get some light, I'm going to become a vampire." Fisher laughed. Together, they pulled aside the heavy curtains of the consulate, and a faint sunlight shone through the window: "How's the water, O'Neill."

"The situation in Leipzig is still normal. The key facilities needed to run a city, such as power plants, water supply plants, and communication hubs, are all under the control of the authorities," the middle-aged man called O'Neill shook his head. "To be precise, they are in the hands of the Ministry for State Security (MfS)."

"what do you mean?"