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Chapter 86: Gathering of the Stars
🕑 Added 2024-12-12 16:04:30 +0000 UTCThe next morning, Josh and his group arrived at the airport.
In addition to the six bodyguards and Lynden, the white-gloved assistant another figure joined them—a beautiful woman with blonde hair and a green dress.
Naturally, this woman was Ophelia.
However, unlike her confident and striking demeanor when they first met, Ophelia now appeared utterly depressed and gloomy.
To an outsider, it might seem that Josh had subjected her to some unspeakable cruelty.
Well, strapping an electric shock collar with an irremovable explosive device onto her neck was indeed quite cruel.
Upon learning the collar's true function, Ophelia was left in despair.
Unbeknownst to her, Josh had also implanted a miniature bomb in the back of her head as a double safeguard. If she had known this, her mood might have been even darker.
This time, the plane they boarded was a familiar to DC-3, specifically its military variant, the C-47.
The English Channel, spanning just over 300 miles, was no challenge for the DC-3’s 1,600-mile range.
After the outbreak of World War II, most DC-3s were requisitioned by the military as transport planes, becoming the most widely used aircraft for air drops and logistics during the war. The U.S. airborne forces also relied heavily on them.
Following a two-hour flight, the plane landed at a battlefield airfield near Caen, a city in northern France.
As they landed, the distant rumble of artillery fire echoed in the background, and flying formations of fighter jets occasionally streaked across the sky.
Although it was already late July and nearly two months since the D-Day landings, the Allied positions in France were still dangerous.
France, after all, was relatively small. The Normandy landing zone was merely 200 kilometers from Paris. Within this area, over four million Allied and German troops were scattered, locked in a strong struggle.
The Allies had barely established 100 kilometers of land control in France. The city of Caen, where the Allies had fought for 33 days, had only recently been abandoned by the Germans.
The Allied forward command moved to the outskirts of Caen just last week.
Meanwhile, less than 50 kilometers to the west, in Saint-Lô, the famous General Patton had just led his troops to capture the city a few days earlier.
Overall, the German forces were retreating on all fronts, and the liberation of France seemed only a matter of time.
"Mr. Josh?" Not long after they landed, three jeeps drove up to them and stopped nearby. A lieutenant colonel jumped out of one and approached them.
After all, Josh and his group, dressed in suits and ties, stood out at the military airport.
“That’s me. May I know your name?” Josh extended a hand politely.
“I’m Mark, aide-de-camp to General McGinnis. He sent me to pick you up,” the lieutenant colonel replied as they shook hands.
Since the military’s deployment of Brightlight Serum during the Normandy operations, General McGinnis’s forced retirement had quietly been nullified. Although initially without an official position, he was recently reinstated at the headquarters.
However, a surprising event unfolded just a few days ago.
On July 25th, during the initial stage of Operation Cobra—a massive Allied carpet bombing of German positions—the most unfortunate general of WWII, Lieutenant General Leslie McNair, who was also Eisenhower’s deputy and commander of the U.S. First Army Group, was accidentally killed by a bomb from his own side.
Ironically, McGinnis’s previous position before his removal was commander of the First Army Group, a role McNair had taken over after McGinnis’s dismissal.
It seemed fate was on McGinnis’s side. Under such circumstances, who else but McGinnis, the former commander, could more fittingly assume the role?
Certainly, no one.
Thus, McGinnis happily took over his old position.
For Josh, his investment in General McGinnis had proven to be his most successful venture since arriving in Europe. McGinnis was now almost guaranteed to rise to the rank of general.
As for the coveted five-star rank, that was out of the question. Achieving it required serving as a theater commander during wartime—something neither McGinnis nor even the famous General Patton could meet.
Because Caen was in ruins and cities often became bombing targets, the Allied forward command was located in a forested estate about ten kilometers from the city.
At the command center, after surrendering their weapons, Josh and his party were escorted directly to McGinnis’s office.
“Josh, welcome to France!” McGinnis warmly embraced him as he entered the room.
“Congratulations on your reinstatement. I apologize because of the rush I didn’t have time to prepare a proper gift, so I hope this box of cigars will suffice,” Josh said, presenting an unmarked box of cigars.
“Haha, Josh, you’re too kind. There’s no need for such formality between us!” McGinnis laughed heartily and happily accepted the gift.
Despite its unmarked box, McGinnis, familiar with Josh, knew that his three-no products were often the best quality—just like his wine. (TL/N: "three-no products" refers to items with no brand, no label, and no official identification)
And indeed, these cigars were meticulously crafted using the finest materials by artisans under Daenerys’s rule. They were in such limited supply that Josh himself only had a few, with none available for sale.
"So, what brings you to the frontline? While the Germans are clearly losing, it’s still quite dangerous here, its not exactly safe for conducting business," McGinnis asked after their greetings.
"This is Ophelia Sarkissian, from Austria. We’re here on an important matter and need to see General Marshall!" Josh introduced Ophelia before explaining Austria’s plans for a coup in detail.
"Can she be trusted?" After hearing Josh's explanation, McGinnis’s expression turned serious. He pulled Josh aside to ask, ignoring Ophelia.
"For this matter, yes, she is trustworthy. I’ve confirmed the authenticity of her claims through other channels," Josh assured him.
After Josh's confirmation, McGinnis paced back and forth in his office, deep in thought.
The stakes were high. Even the slightest falsehood could lead to unnecessary Allied losses. And if the plan failed, McGinnis, as the one who supported it, would bear most of the blame.
After several minutes of deliberation, McGinnis clapped his hands decisively, choosing to take the gamble with Josh.
After all, Josh had played a crucial role in McGinnis’s reinstatement. Why not continue to trust him?
If he lost, at worst, he’d lose his rank—a situation he had already experienced once.
"Wait here; I’ll report this to General Marshall!" With that, McGinnis hurried out of the office.
Two hours and several cups of tea later, a colonel entered the office to escort Josh and Ophelia to a spacious conference room.
It was a star-studded gathering.
In that moment, Josh couldn’t help but think, What would happen to WWII if a powerful bomb were dropped in this room?
