Chapter 763 - 478: Objective

Chapter 763: Chapter 478: Objective

What kind of man was Chief Welta?

He was an old fox who had navigated the political tides of Alaska for decades.

He had lived from the darkest era for the Indigenous People to the present day, weathering countless storms.

What kind of people and what sort of situations had he not seen?

The moment Governor Walker opened his mouth, he understood what the other man was planning.

He was simply trying to learn more about Feng Mountain from him.

Chief Welta had a generally favorable impression of this governor, who had been elected as an independent.

At least, after taking office, he had been proactive in pushing for improvements to the living conditions of the Indigenous People.

He had also done a number of concrete things for them.

For example, fighting for more educational resources, improving medical conditions, and working to reduce the wealth gap.

Furthermore, he played a significant role in the establishment of the FAGT.

After all, an organization like the FAGT, which was similar to a militia, could only be established by the Alaska State Government. It certainly couldn’t have been formed without the governor’s approval.

Governor Walker’s support and push from behind the scenes enabled the FAGT to be created smoothly.

So, having a governor who was, to some extent, biased in favor of the Indigenous People was indeed a good thing for them.

Thus, Chief Welta took the hint and spoke up.

"Yes, Governor. Master Khilla has a strong aversion to politics. He just wants to live a free and unrestrained life in the Crown Territory. If you want to befriend him, that might be a good angle to start from. It could make things much easier."

Governor Walker’s eyes instantly lit up, as if he had found a guiding light in the darkness.

He hurriedly raised his wine glass in a small toast to Chief Welta, his face beaming with a delighted smile.

"God bless! I actually long for a life of freedom myself. I often wish I had more time to just enjoy life. In that case, Master Khilla and I should have a lot in common. I imagine becoming good friends won’t be difficult."

With that, he took a small sip of his wine.

He began to calculate how he could get closer to Feng Mountain.

The reception was halfway through. Everyone had gotten what they came for.

People had either reached tentative agreements for cooperation or made new connections.

A relaxed and cheerful atmosphere filled the entire venue.

"Feng, what are you doing hiding over here?"

Jeff found Feng Mountain playing on his phone in a lounge area in a corner of the reception hall.

The lounge area was relatively quiet, surrounded by elegant green plants that blocked out the lively noise of the party.

"Buddy, can you finally tell me what the hell is going on with the FAGT?"

Seeing it was Jeff, Feng Mountain put away his phone and asked irritably.

Ever since the matter of him inexplicably becoming the FAGT’s director was brought up, he’d been holding back a burning question.

Now, seeing Jeff, he was desperate to get a clear answer.

"It’s not as complicated as you think!" Jeff knew it was time to reveal the real reason. He sat down next to Feng Mountain, leaned forward slightly, and said in a low voice, "You know about the VPSO, right?"

Feng Mountain nodded.

Back in Kivalina, after the incident with Maria, Louise had mentioned it to him.

He recalled it was some kind of Village Public Safety Officer program proposed by the Alaska State Government.

But later, it seemed the plan was shelved due to the state government’s financial constraints and never went anywhere.

Jeff set down his wine glass.

He leaned back and collected his thoughts.

"The VPSO program couldn’t move forward because of the state government’s incompetence. So, the Indigenous Alliance bypassed the VPSO and, using the AGT (Alaska Territorial Guard) as a blueprint, directly established the FAGT."

"The Tribal Alliance paid a huge price to establish the FAGT. You should know that for these twelve FAGT units, the thirteen Indigenous Companies have already prepared at least 500 million US dollars for the initial phase, and that doesn’t even include the later costs for equipment and personnel training."

"What do you mean? The Indigenous Companies are covering all the costs?" Feng Mountain’s interest was suddenly piqued. He looked surprised, as if he found the situation completely unexpected.

"Fuck, of course they’re paying. Who’d do it if they didn’t pay!"

Jeff looked astonished, not understanding why Feng Mountain would ask what he considered a somewhat foolish question.

"As the director of the FAGT, all you have to do is select a training base and recruit members. All subsequent expenses for weapons, equipment, transportation, and everything else will be covered by the Indigenous Companies."

Just the initial funds alone were 500 million US dollars.

Feng Mountain was secretly astounded.

’Who said the Indigenous People were poor?’

’They can just pull out 500 million US dollars like it’s nothing, with even more expenses to come.’

Jeff paused after speaking.

He cautiously looked up past the green plants toward the reception.

He confirmed that none of the Chieftains were paying attention to them.

Only then did he lower his voice and say mysteriously.

"Buddy, don’t be too quick to believe the sweet talk from the Chiefs and the government."

"Although the FAGT is a plan the Alliance pushed for, and while it’s true that it can protect the personal interests and safety of the Indigenous People, there’s another side to it. The Alliance needs to have its own voice in the state government."

Jeff frowned slightly, a hint of resignation in his tone, as if he was tired of these complicated interests.

"Think about it, how many people would be in twelve fully-staffed FAGT units?" Jeff said, gesturing in the air with his hand, trying to give Feng Mountain a more intuitive sense of the sheer scale of the number.

According to what Governor Walker had said earlier,

the maximum number of people in one FAGT Guard unit was 100.

By that calculation, twelve FAGT Guard units would be 1,200 people.

A well-armed and well-trained militia, at that.

Keep in mind, the entire Alaska state police force only has a little over 300 officers.

The number instantly computed in Feng Mountain’s mind.

It was as if he had suddenly realized something.

His eyes shot wide open, and he stared in disbelief at Jeff, who was slowly nodding.