Chapter 1329 - 338: Dialogue

Chapter 1329: Chapter 338: Dialogue

After the British withdrawal, Haimo led a team to survey Diego Garcia island, gaining a preliminary understanding of the area.

"This island is generally elongated and narrow, the narrowest parts being just a few hundred meters wide, so building a military base here will require some thoughtful planning."

"Judging by the island’s layout, we can ascertain that the location where the British constructed their port is indeed the prime spot on the island."

"Although small in scale, it’s a fine wind shelter with usable land scattered around."

Diego Garcia island, though covering more than twenty square kilometers, is actually an atoll with land emerging above water that resembles a ribbon, making it particularly elongated. In the past, the U.S. military utilized this unique terrain to build an airfield for their airbase.

In the days following, Haimo and his team made preliminary modifications to the island, primarily removing traces left by the British military base.

When the British left, they took very little, leaving behind food and ammunition neatly stored in warehouses; however, the stock was limited as the British garrison here only numbered around thirty men previously.

East Africa’s massive mobilization to take control of Diego Garcia island seemed somewhat excessive, so Haimo’s team did not linger long. After leaving thirty naval personnel behind, Haimo returned to the mainland with his fleet.

The subsequent development of Diego Garcia island naturally involved professionals from the mainland, starting with the collection of hydrological data from the entire Chagos Islands. Many reefs here are not easily visible at sea, posing a threat to vessels unfamiliar with local conditions.

Thus, although East Africa took charge of the Chagos Islands, much work remains. The port will be extensively expanded, and warehouses and barracks on the island must be enlarged.

Unlike the British, who did not value Diego Garcia island highly, East Africa plans to make it one of the core military bases in the Indian Ocean.

...

June 5, 1918.

In Rhein City, Ernst summoned Crown Prince Alexei and his entourage, as he had promised the United Kingdom to take action against Russia, so the East African Government was clearly preparing to act.

Ernst said to Crown Prince Alexei: "Little Alexei, I regret to inform you that despite our long-term efforts, we still have not found any trace of your father and his companions."

Ernst was not deceiving Alexei and his party; the East African National Defense Security Bureau genuinely attempted to track Nicholas II but unfortunately most of their strategies failed against the Russian Labor Party.

During the Tsarist Era, the National Defense Security Bureau could operate effectively in Russia through bribery and personal connections, but the Russian Labor Party did not adhere to such practices.

When it came to the whereabouts of Nicholas II, the top "criminal," the Russian Labor Party was obviously more cautious, leaving no evidence.

It’s easy to imagine Nicholas II’s strong appeal; if his location leaked, the Russian Royalist Faction would have quickly rescued him.

Of course, if the National Defense Security Bureau was willing to take the risk and expend significant resources to find Nicholas II, it was still possible to achieve.

After all, the Labor Party is not entirely unified, and the lowest ranks have many opportunists; such adventurers are ubiquitous.

However, to ultimately find Nicholas II through such people would require facing immense risk, gathering a wide array of data, and mobilizing many skilled personnel for analysis.

Unfortunately, the East African National Defense Security Bureau is currently undergoing a "big retreat" in Russia, already understaffed, making it even less feasible to dedicate extensive efforts to finding Nicholas II.

"Based on the information we can gather, your parents and two sisters are likely detained somewhere in eastern Russia, which makes their tracking much more difficult."

"After all, eastern Russia spans an enormous area with sparse population; if the Russian Labor Party wanted to hide a few people in the east, it would be very hard to discover."

Faced with Ernst’s statement, Crown Prince Alexei and his party were obviously convinced.

Crown Prince Alexei expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, and the personnel of your esteemed country for efforts in searching for my father; if we ever find my father and family, I believe they will be thankful for your assistance."

After these experiences, Crown Prince Alexei matured significantly.

Ernst asked, "Have there been any encounters with people coming from Russia recently?"

In reality, Crown Prince Alexei’s group was constantly under East Africa’s surveillance, though this surveillance was understandably subtle, so Ernst asked this to avoid suspicion.

Crown Prince Alexei replied honestly: "Aside from Uncle Balarnov, we’ve met some Russians who came to East Africa, though most were from the original government."

This is entirely normal; in the absence of Nicholas II, Russian nobility naturally turns to Alexei as a leader.

And Alexei’s presence in East Africa is widely known; after all, his visit to East Africa was a public event in Russia.

But at the time the Russians evidently couldn’t foresee the sudden shift in domestic conditions in Russia, resulting in Alexei becoming the Russian aristocracy and the former government personnel’s last hope.

Ernst inquired: "Do you have any plans to reorganize the Russian government?"

Here, the government referred to is naturally the exile government, something quite common to establish in Europe.

Regarding this matter, Alexei was somewhat tempted, driven not by greed for power nor desire to restore the Tsarist Russian regime.

But to consolidate available resources, first to rescue his relatives, then consider other affairs.

Thus, Alexei asked, "Your Majesty, is your government willing to assist those of us who are displaced in East Africa?"

Ernst said: "Of course, we support you in organizing a new Russian government and rallying other forces within Russia to counter the Russian Labor Party."

"Since the Russian Labor Party seized power, the revolution in Russia has not subsided; instead, it has intensified. According to our information, the Russian Labor Party has nearly solidified its hold in the core regions of Europe."

"If allowed to further develop, Russia might truly become a hopeless place, even though there are seemingly powerful forces within Russia, but since your father is detained, they are like headless flies, posing no threat to the Russian Labor Party."

"So, at this time, to avoid being eliminated one by one by the Russian Labor Party, someone must step forward to unite the Russians, and that person can only be Nicholas II. But since he is missing, no candidate can fulfill his role better than you."

After hearing Ernst’s analysis, Alexei felt incredibly heavy-hearted, aware that the Russian Labor Party’s activities in Russia were like a wildfire, with supposedly formidable reactionary forces that couldn’t withstand scrutiny. Otherwise, Russia’s situation wouldn’t have "deteriorated" to this extent.

After briefly contemplating, Alexei said to Ernst: "Please, Your Majesty, help us restore order in Russia."

Ernst nodded and said: "Of course, it is natural. Russia currently lacks a leader. Many Russian nobles have fled to East Africa; we can help you gather them, allowing you to select trustworthy individuals to form the new Russian government."

"Simultaneously, decide where to set the provisional government—regardless of the cities on our West Coast or East Coast, each has its strengths and weaknesses—to help you connect with domestic loyalties to the Tsar and fight against the Labor Party."