Chapter Ninety-Two: The Rift

After Kyle and Lucy finished lunch at the restaurant, they headed straight home.

Passing by the yard where the vicious dog lived, Kyle saw the big black hound curled up in its kennel, trembling faintly as though it had been badly frightened. Lucy, still holding his hand, remained lost in thought and had no mind to pay the beast any attention.

Along the way, Hailan Street lay utterly deserted, with not a single pedestrian in sight.

Of course, this was not some kind of mirrored world. It looked far more like a powerful force had intervened and sealed the area off under military control.

It was only when they wandered within ten meters of their own residence that Kyle narrowed his eyes as though sensing something, patted Lucy’s hands, stepped forward to shield her, and said coldly, “Come out!”

No sooner had the words fallen than dozens of armed soldiers emerged from cover at the intersections of the surrounding streets, forming neat ranks in an instant. Fingers pressed together, they raised their hands to their temples and saluted Kyle with military precision.

“Good day, Major General Kyle!”

“And good day to the Major General’s wife!”

The latter greeting was clearly meant for Lucy beside him, and it made her blush crimson with embarrassment. She stammered, at a loss for what to say.

“Did General Chester really need to send so many people just to deliver a message to me? And even go so far as to seal off the entire street with military force?” Kyle asked in mild surprise.

The fully armed soldiers gave no reply. In perfect symmetry, they each turned around, rifles in hand, standing watch face-to-face and leaving a pedestrian lane through the center of the formation.

Not far behind this armed force, three camouflaged armored vehicles stopped on the road. Under the protection of another contingent of armed soldiers, a middle-aged man in a general’s uniform stepped out, five stars on his shoulders, and strode this way with decisive urgency.

No wonder the display had been so grand. It turned out to be a five-star general.

Kyle casually lifted a hand in greeting and asked, “General Chester, why did you come yourself?”

“Who else would I come for if not you?” General Chester shot him a glare. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his face looked gaunt and pale, as though he had not slept all night.

“You were the one who gave me the leave. It’s only the first day, and you’ve already come looking for me at my door,” Kyle said helplessly, spreading his hands.

General Chester’s expression turned grave. “The situation has changed. You already know about what happened this morning, I take it?”

“I do.” Kyle nodded. Glancing around, he suggested, “It’s not ideal to discuss this here. Why don’t you come inside and sit for a while?”

“Fine.” General Chester agreed, then said to the soldiers accompanying him, “You may remain outside the house.”

“Yes, sir!” the armed soldiers answered in unison. They also knew that with Major General Kyle present, their protection was entirely unnecessary.

Inside the villa’s first-floor hall, Lucy was very thoughtful and considerate. She returned alone to her room on the second floor, leaving the spacious and comfortable hall to Kyle and General Chester for their discussion.

“The President’s condition had actually shown warning signs as early as last night. Even after a full night of emergency treatment, we still couldn’t hold onto his life,” General Chester said sorrowfully.

Rost, who had served three consecutive terms as President of the United States, had stabilized the nation’s government while handling foreign affairs, and he had once strongly proposed recommending Chester as the first five-star general in history. The two had understood each other well and trusted one another deeply as friends.

“The sudden death of a sitting president will have a tremendous impact on the country, and even on the overall shape of the war. The most urgent matter now is to select a new president,” Kyle said after some thought.

General Chester slowly shook his head and said in a stern voice, “Choosing a new president is certainly necessary, but that’s the senators’ responsibility. What we in the military must think about now is how to bring this Second World War to an end as quickly as possible.”

“You rushed over to find me because you want to send me to the Asian theater?” Kyle asked bluntly.

Now that Germany had signed a surrender agreement ahead of schedule, the European theater had been completely pacified. The only hard bone left to crack was in Asia, where one stubborn nation still gritted its teeth and held on.

Japan.

“That’s right. You should know about the Pearl Harbor incident, which caused such heavy losses for our army. Whether out of moral obligation or to give the people of the country an answer, Japan is our number one enemy. That is why, over the past year or two, we have committed more and more naval forces to the Asian theater. Our aim is to gradually seize Japan’s coastal islands and, in the end, land on the home islands and conquer Japan.”

General Chester let out a faint sigh after saying this. Kyle naturally understood why this five-star general was sighing in frustration.

The American naval fleet had long wanted to break into the Japanese mainland, but even landing operations on the islands along Japan’s coast met with fierce resistance from the Japanese army.

Battles of every size had raged endlessly across those coastal islands, yet the large-scale naval forces still found it difficult to break through, let alone assault the home islands.

“The Japanese army upholds things like bushido and militarism. Every one of their soldiers seems brainwashed, fighting with a kind of mad desperation that disregards death itself. Though our troops are better equipped and outnumber them, every clash with those Japanese maniacs ends in a costly victory for us,” Chester said with a heavy sigh.

“You want me to go and lead the army to seize Japan’s home islands?” Kyle asked very directly. Whatever bushido was supposed to be, before him there was only the vast difference between ordinary humans and a superhuman hero.

But General Chester shook his head.

Kyle asked again, “You don’t trust me?”

This time, Chester smiled. Looking directly at Kyle, he said with certainty, “Your strength has already been certified by Germany. You are the genuine symbol of national conquest and force.”

Then his tone changed, and he revealed his own misgivings. “But strong as you are, our soldiers won’t be able to bear it. With you leading them, I believe Japan could be completely conquered within a few months, and forced to surrender. But our own army would also have to pay an unprecedented and devastating price for it after this battle.”

Kyle thought for a moment. “In that case, the Soviet Union might get ideas.”

“Right now, we and the Allies are balancing one another. No side can afford to suffer too much loss,” Chester replied.

“Then what mission do you want me to carry out?” Kyle’s curiosity only deepened.

General Chester’s eyes were complicated as he asked in return, “What if I send you alone to Tokyo to assassinate the Emperor?”

Crack.

From Lucy’s room on the second floor came the sound of a cup smashing to pieces.

General Chester paid it no mind. His stern gaze remained fixed on Kyle.

Kyle smiled faintly. “So that’s it...”

He paused, then said, “If you dare send me, I’ll go.”

“As expected of a super soldier,” General Chester said. After a brief hesitation, he went on, “I will also make a public announcement in advance, stating that you are being sent to Tokyo to carry out the assassination of the Emperor.”

Kyle gave a small smile. “I understand. Assassinating the Emperor is just a smokescreen. What you really want is for me to go alone to the Japanese mainland, create pressure and crisis, and force them to surrender as soon as possible.”

If he failed, the world would merely lose one war hero. If he succeeded, the nation’s military would suffer no loss, and the world might gain lasting peace.

What a scheme from a five-star general.