Chapter 11 Section ten

In a limousine with bulletproof glass, Secretary Latimer was not too happy early in the morning.Now, he must study a plan to improve the combat effectiveness of US troops in Iraq, but boring questions keep popping up one after another. "What's wrong with the young man of the drug cartel?" Latimer threw the report out of his hand and said impatiently, "Just explain verbally." In the back seat, Director of National Intelligence Watkins and CIA Director Holland made no secret of regret.There is no need to continue mending the rift with the Secretary of Defense.This guy blames intelligence failures for everything that happens to him, and they've had enough.

"To be precise, it's not a minion, it's a backbone," Holland said, "but on the surface, he was an employee of a shell company. This guy was flying from Colombia to the United States in a small plane, and the pilot passed out on the way." Perhaps it was a relapse of an old illness, the pilot fell into a short-term coma, and the altitude of the plane dropped sharply.The backbone of the drug cartel sensed something strange and grabbed the joystick.At this time, the plane was about to crash into the Atlantic Ocean.The backbone of drug trafficking, who is not qualified to fly, took a lot of effort to restore the plane to level flight.The pilot finally woke up after the plane had deviated significantly from the route for half an hour.Seeing the sea close at hand, he turned pale with fright, yanked the joystick, and the plane ascended urgently.An unidentified plane passed through the radar network and appeared in the air defense identification zone 450 kilometers off the coast of Miami, which caused panic all over North America.If the Air Force plane scrambled to take off more than ten minutes later, the president should have been transferred to the underground bunker in the East Wing of the White House.

"Just the result of a series of low-level mistakes," Holland said nonchalantly. "NORAD found out the cause and reassessed the air defense system. It will never happen again." "Then delete this report from this morning's briefing." Latimer stuffed the document back. The limousine is driving on the snow, and the majestic St. Regis Hotel is in front of it.The White House is very close.Latimer glanced quickly at the next briefing.The briefing exposed weaknesses in countermeasures against Russian espionage, pointing to vulnerabilities in Russia's military communications network.This is not the time of the Cold War. This kind of intelligence will not please the President, but it will not make him unhappy.Latimer kept the report in briefing.

The sealed car was unnaturally quiet.Watkins and Holland appear to have no appetite for small talk with a secretary of defense who can interfere with the content of the president's daily briefing. Latimer pondered the last report pointing to the dominance of Russian cyber warfare.Since BC, wars between humans no longer rely solely on force to determine the outcome.Behind the brave and tragic battle of the soldiers, there is another secret war, that is, the intelligence war.The intellectual competition between cipher generators and interpreters controls the trend of many wars.In World War II, Allied forces united under the banner of liberal democracy defeated a fascist state led by a dictator, but the outcome might have been different had the United States and Britain not deciphered the enemy's code.The whole world could also be conquered by the fascists.However, with the cracking of the Enigma code, the ambitions of the Third Reich were shattered; and the interpretation of the purple code also led to the collapse of the Empire of Japan.

However, the intelligence war is almost always carried out in secret and hidden from the outside world, so in the ordinary view, the victory should be credited to the scientists who developed radar technology and nuclear weapons.Today, more than half a century has passed, intelligence technology has made a huge leap forward, and a new form of warfare, cyber warfare, has emerged.The main battlefield of this kind of war is not in the real world, but in the computer network.As long as you have superb hacking skills, you can throw any big country into chaos.Whether it is power plants, sewers, or various transportation infrastructures, as well as financial transactions and military command systems, they are all controlled by computers, and hackers can launch fatal blows to computer communication networks.After entering this century, the United States has suffered several such attacks, and the United States has also launched similar attacks against several imaginary enemy countries.If a large-scale war breaks out in the 21st century, it must be a "war of mathematicians".

"On the last item of the report," said Latimer, "how far have we deciphered the Russian codes?" "Ask the National Security Agency." Director Holland threw out the competitor's name. Perhaps because he felt that it was not polite to answer like this, Watkins added: "There is no doubt that we are in an advantage, especially the ability to decipher the public key, we are top-notch." "what is that?" "It is one of the most commonly used ciphers on the Internet, such as RSA cipher." Seeing that Latimer wanted to hear a detailed explanation, Watkins had no choice but to continue, "RSA cipher uses prime numbers. Prime numbers are divisible only by 1 and itself. numbers. Multiplying two prime numbers is easy, but factoring their product is hard.”

Latimer frowned: "How?" "For example," Watkins mentally calculated for a moment, "Which two prime numbers are multiplied to get 203? It's hard to give an answer to this question immediately, right?" "really." "The answer is 7 and 29." "I didn't know you were so good at mathematics." Latimer praised with the usual sarcasm. "I also learned it from the people of the National Security Agency." Watkins didn't care, "RSA encryption uses the product of two prime numbers as the encryption key, and the receiver of the encrypted information uses these two prime numbers as The decryption key. Even if the encryption key is made public, it doesn’t matter, because no one can decompose the two prime numbers.” The Director of National Intelligence shrugged, “If you want to know more details, you have to consult a mathematician.”

"Wait, that is to say, as long as you know which two prime numbers multiply the encrypted number, you can crack the encrypted message?" "good." "Then multiply the prime numbers one by one and compare them with the numbers used for encryption, and you will be able to try it out sooner or later, won't you?" "In theory it is. But you needn't worry about it because the numbers used for encryption are very large. The strength of the current RSA cipher makes it impossible to factor except using the vast computer resources of the NSA." "Understood." Latimer nodded.The National Security Agency has more than 300 supercomputers, and they no longer calculate by the number of units, but by the installation area. "Those guys like big budgets."

"There are also excellent mathematicians." Watkins said solemnly, "I may be worrying unnecessarily, but modern ciphers have a fatal flaw. If there is a genius mathematician who compiles an epoch-making algorithm for prime factorization of large integers If there is no computing program, the Internet will no longer be safe. State secrets will also be leaked. Such a genius is very likely to control the world hegemony through cyber warfare.” "Is this really going to be a reality?" "Most experts believe that such a calculation program is impossible to design, but it has not been confirmed by the mathematical community. Someone may come up with a new method of prime factorization."

After the limousine arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it entered the White House through the Northwest Gate and went straight to the West Wing where the President's Office is located.Taking advantage of the short time before getting off the car, Latimer brought up another topic: "By the way, what happened to the demon removal operation mentioned last time?" "About Afghanistan?" "No, it's the Congo." "Oh!" Watkins nodded. Holland, who was particularly concerned about the specially approved contact plan, pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the conversation of the other two.

"That 'boy genius' is doing his best?" "You mean the young man at the Schneider Institute?" "Well, that man is capable, and fits in perfectly with Dr. Gardner." "Do you have any new news about the specific progress of the plan?" Obviously, as the Minister of Defense, Latimer knew nothing about the specially approved contact plan led by the Ministry of Defense.Once again, Holland realized that only he was taking the threat seriously. "The people in the special planning room have adjusted their work and rest time to Congo time." Watkins replied, "The plan has been implemented ahead of schedule. The team members who implement the plan are all elites, so the training ended earlier than scheduled." "Excellent team members?" "I heard it is." "That's a pity," sighed Latimer, "but since the President made the decision, there's nothing we can do about it." "I think the president's decision is correct. The plan will be completed in about half a month. Please wait for the final report." Holland stared at the profile of Watkins, who missed the point.The director of national intelligence's sanctimonious expression seemed to say, "Shut up!" In this administration, the president who disappoints with intelligence is doomed.Although there are ominous signs in this specially approved contact plan, the truth must be concealed from the president.Sooner or later, the mild-mannered Dr. Gardner will tell the President about the counterintelligence work being done by Japan. The Guardian program was implemented more than a week in advance, a decision made by Chief of Operations Singleton after observing the training process.The four team members had laid a good foundation of physical fitness in the army. After just ten days of training, they recovered their stamina enough to march in the tropical rainforest for ten days. That would have been nice for Jaeger, so he could go to Lisbon to see Justin sooner. For the sudden departure order, everyone did not panic, but calmly prepared.The four received all kinds of equipment: hammocks, maps, compasses, water bottles, GPS devices, and rations for long-distance reconnaissance.In order to prevent loss, Singleton strictly ordered everyone to pack the special medicine against the deadly virus in a waterproof bag.The weapons and ammunition necessary to carry out the plan are also readily available.However, in order to disguise themselves as civilians, the only weapon they can expose is the AK47.The assault rifles are ubiquitous in Congo, where one is said to be available for less than a dollar.Semi-automatic pistols and night vision goggles must be placed in a normal backpack.After discussing with Mick, Jaeger decided to carry grenades and grenade launchers.In order to prevent encountering militants, they must ensure a minimum firepower. At the last meeting before leaving South Africa, the necessary documents were obtained: fake passports, identification cards from wildlife conservation groups, proof of yellow fever vaccinations, and several passes issued by Congolese militants alone. "The situation in the combat zone," Singleton explained, "is that the rebels have the upper hand despite the large number of Congolese troops. Local militias dominate the central part of the Ituri forest, and the Ituri The vast areas north and south of the forest are under the control of Uganda and Rwanda. If you come into contact with these anti-government forces, don't take the wrong pass. In order not to arouse the resentment of the international community, those guys will deliberately put on animal protection attitude." There was some sarcasm in Singleton's words.Do militants really think that the international community cares more about thousands of gorillas than millions of human lives? "In the end, cash was distributed, each with 10,000 US dollars. As long as the Congolese officials and soldiers are bribed, they will do anything. Sometimes they can also use conflicts between armed forces to protect themselves. Be prepared with both hands." The four mercenaries each received two hundred fifty-dollar bills.Their load is thus increased. "Time flies, and my association with you is over. May God bless you." Jaeger and others shook hands with the Chief of Operations, left the Zeta Security Company after leaving their personal belongings in the dormitory.Packed materials and weapons and ammunition will be shipped out separately.The four took different flights and arrived in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Contrary to Jaeger's expectations, Kampala, located on the shores of Lake Victoria, is full of modernity.He didn't expect to see high-rise buildings in the middle of the African continent.Although it is located right on the equator, it does not suffer from extreme heat due to its high altitude.In this vibrant city of a million people, people can't help but want to go for a walk, but they have to stay in their hotel rooms to avoid being seen. Shortly after the sun went down, the satellite phone rang and stopped.Jaeger put the camouflaged suitcase in the room and left the hotel empty-handed.A suffocating heat hangs over the main road.Amidst the smog emitted by diesel vehicles, crowds flowed like weaves.In the central district of the capital, the lights of row upon row of shops reflect the crowds and vehicles on the road. Jaeger looked at the traffic lanes on the left and remembered that the country was a British colony.None of the passers-by looked back at Jaeger and called him "Muzunge"—the Swahili word for "white man."All I saw on the road were blacks, and there were no Europeans, Americans or Asians at all. Worried about being exposed, Jaeger jumped into the van as soon as he saw the street vendor behind him. Sitting in the driver's seat was a middle-aged African-American man with muscular arms under the sleeves of an old shirt. He looked like a clerk who had already married."Give me the key, please," the man said in accented English. Jaeger took the hotel key out of his pocket and handed it to the driver. "I'm here to check out." The driver started the truck and said while driving slowly, then stretched out his right hand and introduced himself, "My name is Thomas." Jaeger shook his hand and gave his name on his fake passport: James Henderson. "Just call me Jim." "Okay, Jim. This is for you." Thomas handed the paper bag on the seat to Jaeger, "Dinner." "Thanks." The bag contained a never-before-seen hamburger from a fast-food chain, seemingly from a franchise in Uganda.Jaeger, who was already hungry, immediately opened the paper bag and took a bite. "Really tasty." "That's good." Thomas grinned. The friendly-looking driver was probably a local employee employed by the CIA, Jaeger guessed.Thomas is not his real name either.However, Jaeger does not want to delve into this issue.He knew that no matter how much he asked the other party, he would not tell the truth.According to the "right to know" principle that must be implemented when performing classified tasks, unnecessary information will not be disclosed.Thomas probably didn't know why this man named James Henderson was sent to a fighting area in a neighboring country.However, through talking with Jaeger, I learned that Thomas' nationality is Uganda. "If this country can have decent politics and education, it will be able to join the ranks of developed countries." Thomas sighed sincerely. "Hasn't it already started to develop?" Jaeger echoed. A complex smile appeared on Thomas's face: "Over the past few years, Congo's minerals have been imported in a steady stream." Jaeger remembered that Uganda had been involved in the First African War. "Is it the looted supplies?" "That's right. Congo's reserves of mineral resources are among the best in the world. The Ugandan army incited ethnic vendettas in eastern Congo, occupied the area in the name of maintaining peace, and secretly transported the minerals back. But..." Thomas continued with a bitter face, "I I don’t want you to be prejudiced against Uganda because of this incident. It is the high-level leaders who start the war with enthusiasm, not ordinary citizens.” "It's the same in America," Jaeger replied. "It's the same in any country." It took them nearly an hour to get out of the jam.Surprisingly, there are no traffic lights at intersections in this city.The car drove a few more kilometers, and the appearance of the capital was completely different.The vast and deep African starry sky hung low over the dimly lit residential areas.Looking at the light from the oil lamp in the window, Jaeger couldn't help guessing what kind of life the people here lead.Are you annoyed by work and family while looking for little happiness?It must not be an easy life, but it can only be spent like this.Although there are rich and poor in material life, people here are no different from Americans when measured in heart. The car on the red dirt road slowed down.In the light of the headlights, I saw a man standing by the side of the road.It's Garrett.Jaeger moved towards the driver's seat to let his companion who had jumped up take his seat. "How did you get here?" Jaeger asked. Garrett smiled and pointed to the front windshield: "Sit there." A commercial vehicle quickly passed them along the reverse lane.The seven-seater car was filled with more than a dozen passengers. "I carpooled here. What a valuable experience." The truck accelerated and drove for nearly an hour before stopping on a deserted plain.The sound of the handbrake being pulled disappeared into the thick night of the African continent.After Jaeger got out of the car, he stared at the starry sky above him for a while.The stars in the sky seem to be whispering, making people unable to feel the silence around them.Only here and now can we really feel that the earth is a planet floating in the universe. Thomas got out of the driver's seat, flashlight in hand, and headed for the back of the truck.On the cargo platform, only wooden boxes were stacked on the outside, and there was room for several men to lie on the inside.The wooden box was pushed away, and Miles and Mick, who had been lying here before Jaeger got into the car, stood up. "Finally can you rest?" Pointing to four backpacks and an AK47 assault rifle, Thomas said, "Your stuff is all there." Four mercenaries began to prepare to cross the border.Pulling on the tactical vest and leg holster from their respective gear, they slipped it on, then grabbed their firearms and loaded the chambers of their rifles and pistols.Night vision goggle bags are also kept close at hand, but they are only used when necessary to avoid battery drain. Next, they removed the repellant and applied it to skin, clothing and backpacks.After a series of procedures were completed, Thomas handed over the portable radio communicator in the wooden box to them.The four confirmed the radio frequency, put the communicator into the body and shoulder pockets, and put the earphones on their heads. "Is everything ready?" Seeing the four people nodding, Thomas returned to the back of the car, lifted the wooden boxes vigorously, and stacked them in two rows, so as not to see the inside of the loading platform from the outside.Miles turned on the penlight, and the four leaned on the wooden boxes on the left and right sides by the dim light, and sat down. The engine started again and the car drove away slowly.Miles turned off the flashlight, and the cargo platform was completely dark. Jaeger asked, "What's in the box?" "Scrap or something, it's all messy things." Miles replied, "At least it can be used as a sandbag." Jaeger turned on his flashlight and looked at the wooden crates stacked at the back of the cargo platform.Between the wooden boxes, four narrow gaps are intentionally left, which are just suitable for gun holes.Thomas really is a professional. During the long journey, the body has been shaking.The condition of the road came through the tires, and whenever the shaking wasn't so bad, they knew the car was going through the city.Jaeger tried to sleep, but could only doze off and on. In the early hours of the morning, the truck stopped, and Thomas' voice came from the headset: "We are about to cross the Ugandan border." The four people hiding on the cargo platform listened attentively to the sounds coming from outside.Thomas was sitting in his seat talking, in Swahili, to what appeared to be Ugandan border guards.Thomas got out of the car at one point to negotiate, but returned quickly and started the truck. "We have left the border and entered the buffer zone between Uganda and Congo." Three kilometers ago should be the Democratic Republic of the Congo.But within a few minutes, the truck stopped again. "A soldier appeared on the Congo side, two child soldiers, both with rifles." Jaeger and others quietly picked up the AK47 and knelt on one knee, guarding against unexpected battles. Someone outside the driver's seat was yelling at Thomas, a child's voice that hadn't changed, saying "five hundred dollars" repeatedly, as if asking for a bribe.Thomas replied a few words in a strong tone, and finally the two sides reached an agreement.Thomas gave them cigarettes and they let Thomas pass. The four people on the cargo platform remained in the same position inside the rickety car, waiting to enter the Congo.After a while, the truck slowed down, and Thomas reported through the headset: "Three soldiers appeared with rifles. There should be twelve more soldiers in the immigration office, but there is no need to worry." The armed forces controlling this area have received support from Uganda, so Thomas, who is a Ugandan, should be able to pass.But Yeager and others still turned on the night vision goggles, just in case.A fluorescent green electronic image floated in front of both eyes.Jaeger gestured, and the other three moved behind the wooden box. The truck stopped.After talking a few words through the window, Thomas got out of the car.You should go to the immigration office.Still, they heard people walking around the truck.Jaeger peeped out through the gap between the wooden boxes, and he could vaguely see a black soldier in combat uniform, who was obviously interested in the cargo on the cargo platform.Then another soldier appeared, and the two chatted, then laughed, perhaps jokingly.The two put their hands on the loading platform and climbed into the truck. Jaeger gestured for Garrett and Mick to attack, shooting them both, while he and Miles prepared to haul their bodies onto the loading platform. The soldiers unloaded the outermost row of wooden boxes, checked inside, and found nothing valuable, so they couldn't help smacking their lips.Garrett and Mick stood with their feet apart, gripping suppressed Glocks.The moment the second row of wooden boxes was unloaded, they would shoot bullets into the foreheads of two soldiers.However, it was luck on both sides that the soldiers did not continue to unload.They put the crate back in place and jumped off the cargo platform. After a while, Thomas came back.As before, he spent only a small amount of money to dismiss the bribe-seeking soldiers and returned safely to the driver's seat.Thomas's voice came from the headset: "We have entered Congo. Now is not the time for militants to move, but please don't let your guard down." The four people on the loading platform decided to work in shifts, every two hours, with two standing guard and two taking a nap.Sleep when you can sleep, this is the iron rule when performing special tasks. However, after entering Congo, the road conditions deteriorated sharply, making it impossible to sleep at all.It stands to reason that the entry road should be the only paved and repaired arterial road in this area, but in fact it is just a dirt road with uneven surface and very narrow, so trucks cannot avoid those potholes at all.The caravan swayed violently and vibrated.In order to avoid getting stuck in the pit and being unable to move, Thomas removed the long wooden boards from the cargo platform and placed them on the holes and mud on the road to ensure the smooth passage of the truck.All these heavy physical labors were done silently by Thomas alone. The car drove almost overnight.At four o'clock in the morning, they finally reached the finish line.The car stopped slowly and retreated into a side road.Branches scraped against the canopy, snapping and snapping echoed inside the car. "Here we are." The four stood up, flexed their stiff waist and leg muscles, separated the wooden box like a breakwater, and jumped to the ground with various equipment. It was still dark, and there was a strong smell of trees in the air.The temperature is relatively low, and you will feel cold wearing only a long-sleeved shirt. Jaeger turned on the flashlight and was taken aback by what he saw.The path where the truck was parked looked like a tunnel.The branches extending from the left and right form an arcade extending into the distance.As a member of a civilized society, Jaeger's perception was subverted.This is not that there are forests on both sides of the road, but in the deep and vast forest, there is a faintly discernible thin line winding, a beast path trampled by small animals called humans. The four of them took off their combat gear, put it back in their backpacks, and put on a photographer's vest with a GPS device.Everyone is dressed in cotton shirts and processed trousers. Just by looking at their appearance, they should not be recognized. Jaeger spread out the map and said, "Let's confirm the current location." Thomas gestured and explained: "This north-south main road is a dirt road leading to the border. If you go further, the car will not be able to move. First, the road condition is very bad, and second, there is a town called Mambasa at the end of the road. Militia stationed. We are now on the trail west of the main road." The coordinates on the GPS are consistent with Thomas' instructions.The map showed that in front of them was a village called Alaf.Jaeger and others will then enter the forest and go north along the route parallel to the main road.It is about 70 kilometers away from the camp where the targeted Kanga tour group is located.Jaeger deduced that if all went well, the mission could be completed within five days: two days were used to reach the target area, one day was used to determine the camp of the Kanga tour group, and the other two days were used for reconnaissance and annihilation. "The latest news, yesterday, militias fought with Congolese government forces one hundred kilometers away from here in the northeast. Sixty government troops were killed and tens of thousands were displaced. In addition, the peacekeeping force was also ambushed by anti-government forces. Several casualties." At a distance of one hundred kilometers, as long as it is not a regular battle, it is not a problem for them.But this time the situation was different. There was only one road running through the rainforest nearby, and within a few kilometers on both sides of the road, there were scattered villages that might become targets of looting.If the militants march south, they will definitely meet them on the main road.It can be seen that Thomas is wise to put them down here. "The militants will not only attack the villages along the road, but may also attack the tribes in the rainforest. You must be careful." It seems that we must go to the Kanga Tour Group from the depths of the dense forest, Jaeger thought to himself. "One last thing, here are the items you ordered." Thomas took out four machetes from the cargo platform of the truck and handed them to Jaeger and the others.The Ugandan driver did his job perfectly. "Thank you, Thomas." "You're welcome." Thomas smiled. The other three also shook hands with Thomas gratefully. "Then I'm going back to Uganda. I wish you all the best." After speaking, he got into the driver's seat. Turn right with a bunch of broken vans and disappear into the rainforest.It was dark all around.Jaeger took off the night vision goggles pushed on his forehead, temporarily hid in the rainforest, and started marching after sunrise. The four people each carrying forty kilograms silently nodded to each other, and then took a step without hesitation. In this way, the executors of the Guardian Project merged into the dark forest in the center of the African continent.