"What do you think?" Excella turned to ask the cool, stunning lady in the same large office.
Christine's gloved hand propped up her chin while the other stirred her coffee. "A probe, to see if Eddie would be provoked. Looks like some people aren't being honest and are planning some little tricks."
These pirates were only mercenaries; finding the mastermind won't be hard. They were definitely hired by Kaplan, which means that fool is getting active again.
"Then just eliminate him. An ant that keeps jumping around isn't a good thing." Excella easily pronounced Kaplan's death sentence.
Killing doesn't need a reason, especially when the other side starts with such dirty tricks—then don't blame anyone for being ruthless.
Chapter 563: Eastern Slav Republic Civil War
When Eddie brought Hilda to the Eastern Slav Republic, a civil war had just broken out. The ridiculous reason: large oilfields had been found on the militants' turf.
Middle East crude was monopolized; buying from outside cost huge amounts of foreign exchange, so local extraction was cheapest right now.
The once-peaceful region erupted in war again, cutting tourist numbers by ninety percent. There hadn't been many visitors anyway; now it was even worse.
Along this time were Jill and Ada; Ada had been caught while on leave.
Caroline, Ada's partner, had to team up with Queen of Balls Rachel to investigate the progress on Spencer's hidden island and see what the two old dogs Spencer and Brandon were up to.
Ada still wore her bright-red qipao and sleek combat leather pants—modified to preserve the look while preventing any wardrobe mishaps.
At home you can wear whatever, but out in public you have to be careful, so the little hubby doesn't get jealous.
Jill was delighted to operate alongside her husband—this was how married couples should be. After all, she and Eddie were the first to get their marriage license.
"It's pretty desolate here; with the war, any business is tough." Jill looked at the run-down city outside the car.
"This place could support some special industries—not exactly booming, but it would solve a lot of local problems." Eddie already had a good idea.
Svetlana's wish as his wife was to end the strife in her homeland—not to surpass the superpowers, but at least to escape war, develop peacefully, and stop people dying in conflict.
"You're up to no good again, huh? No wonder—since I gave you a baby girl, of course you'd come running to help." Ada curled her lips in teasing smile.
"Says the woman who's exactly the same. I treat everyone equally." Eddie said proudly.
"Hmph, I won't be a mere vase, right, Jill?" Ada snorted; this self-reliant woman would never depend solely on her husband.
"Of course. We need careers and hobbies, or such long lives would get boring." Jill gently straightened Eddie's collar, smoothing the creases.
Eddie was smug; Jill was the perfect wife—not the prettiest, but the most capable. She could gun down zombies and keep the household running, had humor and generosity—ideal.
"What are you grinning at, bastard!" Ada Wang pinched him, annoyed; being tied to his side all day grated on her free spirit.
"Nothing. Just can't believe how lucky I am to have you two with me—must've been a huge do-gooder in my last life." Eddie said with certainty.
"Stop flattering yourself. You're just shameless and sincere. I don't even know what I saw in you—I muddled into giving you a daughter. I'll tell Jordana not to be fooled like I was!" Ada huffed, though her smile bloomed like a rose, clearly recalling happy moments.
They drove to a villa in a rich district; only the wealthy lived here. In a capitalist world money buys everything, without it you're nothing.
Inside, Svetlana had long been waiting. Thanks to meeting Eddie, she hadn't entered politics or become president of the Eastern Slav Republic; she was just a retired special-forces instructor.
"You must be tired from the trip—sit down and have a meal." Svetlana smiled gently, a hint of steel in her warmth.
After good food and wine, Pretty Maids cleared the table.
Everyone gathered in the hall on the second floor. Svetlana lit a cigarette. "These are all war orphans I adopted—completely trustworthy. What's your plan?"
"What's the crime rate here?" Eddie asked a totally unrelated question.
"It stays high—muggings happen almost every night, no matter how hard we crack down," Svetlana replied.
"If blocking doesn't work, why not groom a spokesman?" Eddie tapped the table with his fingers.
"If the top's not settled, uniting the bottom is pointless. Remember Las Plagas? The armed fighters started using them to control Lickers; compared with Hunters, they leave no footage."
"I suspect Sergei is beginning to infiltrate here; I first got the lead from Nikolai," Eddie said, lifting his coffee. Ada leaned in, passing him her half-smoked cigarette.
"Didn't you kill Nikolai?" Svetlana frowned.
"The dead one was a clone; the intel he gave me was to help him restore his former country," Eddie said, pointing at the wrist computer.
Svetlana tapped her wristband; a hologram of the briefing popped up. After reading, she smiled. "So their goal is the same as mine?"
"Most likely. The only thing I can't gauge is whether they're sincere. People loyal enough to restore a country just for that?" Eddie asked, arm around Ada.
Svetlana nodded firmly. "Slavs feel deeply about their homeland, especially those who served in the army. After the USSR collapsed, that feeling only got stronger."
"Then I'll tentatively trust them. Only, they don't seem to be Eastern Slav Republic; their purpose here isn't so simple."
"Maybe they're using this place as a pilot. Nikolai's a Western Slav, Sergei's a Northern Slav—essentially the same. East has oil fields, west has mines, north has snow-capped mountains, south faces the sea; each side has its own perks."
"I'll meet them tonight. Get yourself ready and wait in the room for me."
"Hmph, once you're back. Watch out—there are bioweapons in the oligarch group, though I haven't found out exactly what."
Chapter 564: Rich Man's Cocktail Party with a Queen Bee.
The host of the cocktail party was a steady middle-aged man, Derek—a famous financier and renowned lawyer, surrounded by heavyweights of the oligarch group.
Eddie wore a suit while Svetlana, Jill, and Ada donned conservative yet elegant evening gowns.
When you're beautiful, anything you wear looks good.
"Dr. Eddie? Good heavens, what brings you to Eastern Slav Republic?" Derek hurried over, clearly surprised.
"I crashed the party to freeload on food and drinks," Eddie said with a fake handshake.
When the host is this enthusiastic, there's definitely something fishy.
"That's the e-commerce tycoon?" a noblewoman murmured, eyes sparkling.
"Hmph, e-commerce? Doesn't fly here at all!" a suit-and-tie man muttered with envy.
"A pharma tycoon can't be fake—my God, it's Svetlana! No wonder she's rich, snagging a magnate like that!" a socialite exclaimed in jealous spite.
Eddie produced a cigarette; the usually domineering Svetlana lit it for him like a little woman, feeding his vanity immensely.
Men are just that vain!
In the private box, a white-haired man with a scar over his right eye sat on the sofa, idly twirling a sharp blade, clenching it hard as if using self-harm to relieve stress.
Only Colonel Sergei could have such a quirky habit!