bookbashuk Chapter 392 The Long Shadow of Congo
Chapter 392 The Long Shadow of Congo
Lin Yan's journey through Africa began on the Congo River.
He refused any modern transportation offered by Marcus.
With only a Nascent Soul cultivator well-versed in the local situation as their guide, they drove an old off-road vehicle away from the Lubumbashi estate.
The first stop is Kisangani, upstream.
Standing beside the roaring waters of Stanley Falls, a wave of moist mist washes over you.
The tour guide whispered about how the explorer Stanley "opened" this land for King Leopold II, and the ensuing terrifying era known as "Red Rubber."
Lin Yan looked at the rushing river at his feet. The water was murky, as if it contained blood and tears that had not been washed away.
He recalled the lives he had indirectly taken, which seemed trivial compared to the bloodshed of the colonizers.
The laws of nature and cause and effect are sometimes unfair.
He then turned to the vast savanna.
Deep in Saronga National Park, their small boat glided silently through the waterways. Hippos breathed heavily in the distance, and flocks of waterbirds swept across the sky.
A young chimpanzee curiously observed them from among the branches, before being pulled away by its mother.
The tour guide said that the animals here are more at ease than people.
Lin Yan nodded. All living beings seek survival, and there is no inherent nobility or lowliness; being at ease is all that matters.
They traveled north, crossed the border, and entered the Central African Republic.
In Mangua, he witnessed a primitive blessing ceremony.
The tribal elders smeared chicken blood on the foreheads of children, and the crowd chanted around the campfire, the rhythm monotonous yet striking to the soul.
Only the purest desire for life and awe of the unknown. His mortal body warmed slightly as he recorded this unique sample of faith.
He sat alone for three days on the edge of the East African Rift Valley.
Watch the dust cloud from the wildebeest migration blot out the sun, watch the lion pride lazily share their prey, and watch the vultures patiently wait for the scraps.
Life and death alternate, the strong prey on the weak, the rules are naked and simple. The sadness that belonged to "humanity" within him was gradually worn away in the face of this grand natural cycle.
During his journey, he would also pass through some towns.
The market was filled with cheap goods and secondhand European clothing, and the children's eyes held a precocious weariness.
Beneath the fertile soil of this continent flow not only tributaries of the Congo River, but also mineral veins marked by transnational capital, and the genes of conflict deeply rooted in the blood of tribes.
Resources and suffering are two sides of the same coin here.
Three months later, when he stood below the snow line in Kilimanjaro and looked back on the road he had traveled, the initial curiosity he had felt was gone.
The vastness and weight of Africa acted like a powerful medicine, adding a profound, earth-like dimension to his understanding of the world.
Just as Lin Yan was gazing up at the snow-capped mountains, Marcus's operation was nearing its end.
His strategy was precise and ruthless, targeting the heart of Mobutu's regime—the "patron-servant" system based on personal loyalty, tribal ties, and monetary bribery.
This system was particularly vulnerable in the early 1980s due to reduced international aid and a deteriorating economy, making it the perfect time for infiltration.
His one hundred Nascent Soul cultivators transformed themselves into locals, European advisors, Lebanese businessmen, and even staff members of UN agencies, quietly integrating into key nodes.
Marcus's core objective is the "presidential family" and the "political aristocracy."
Two monks most skilled in soul control replaced Mobutu's private secretary and the deputy commander of the presidential guard.
They subtly exerted influence to ensure that Mobutu's "intuition" increasingly aligns with the Lin family's interests—for example, becoming more generous with concessions for certain mining projects while inexplicably increasing his vigilance towards other forces.
Meanwhile, the heads of the State Broadcasting Administration and the trusted advisors of the Minister of Finance were also replaced one after another.
They first laid the groundwork to control the media and the purse strings.
In the second and third months, his focus shifted to the executive level and key regions.
The head of the intelligence department of the National Gendarmerie Corps (Gendarmerie) and the logistics commander of the 1st Parachute Brigade (elite) were replaced. Subtle "efficiencies" began to emerge in the troop movements and supplies.
The vice chairman of the board of directors of the State Mining Corporation and the deputy director of the General Administration of Customs responsible for signing export documents were brought under control.
The flow of copper, cobalt, and diamonds from Congo is becoming more "regulated".
The governors of the resource-rich Upper Katanga province and the strategically important Lower Congo province (which leads to the sea) have had their most trusted chiefs of staff replaced.
Local power began to align with the new will of the "central government".
All control processes strive to be "natural".
The cultivators obtain the original owner's memories through soul searching, imitate their habits and even weaknesses, and only at the critical moment of their decision-making, do they exert irreversible suggestions through the deeply rooted soul imprint.
In this way, death and bloodshed are minimized, and the focus is more on "conforming" to the corruption and desires of the existing system, guiding it onto a predetermined track.
The final step is to weave a network that covers intelligence and legislation.
The head of the National Intelligence Service (ANR) responsible for domestic surveillance, and the chairman of two key committees in the National Assembly concerning mining and budget, were also quietly removed.
As the four-month deadline approached, Marcus gave his final report to Lin Yan's consciousness in a secret room in Lubenbashi.
He submitted a summary of a long control list covering key military, political, and economic nodes:
Political core: Presidential Private Secretary (directly serving Mobutu), Deputy Commander of the Presidential Guard (security).
Security and the military: Chief of the Intelligence Division of the National Military Police (domestic surveillance), Chief of Logistics of the 1st Parachute Brigade (lifeline of elite troops), Director of Domestic Surveillance of the National Intelligence Service (ANR) (core of intelligence).
Economy and Resources: Confidant Advisor to the Minister of Finance (fiscal policy), Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Mining Corporation (Gécamines) (mining lifeline), Deputy Director General of Customs (import and export choke point).
Local and Legislative Affairs: Chief of Staff to the Governor of Upper Katanga Province (Mineral Core Area), Chief of Staff to the Governor of Lower Congo Province (Strategic Access), Member of the National Assembly and Chairman of Key Committees (Legislative Process).
"Young Master,"
Marcus's divine sense carried a hint of restrained smugness.
"The decisions of these people on the list will unconsciously follow our will. President Mobutu still sits on his throne, issuing orders and enjoying adoration. But every order he gives has our echo. The body of the DRC still belongs to him, but the nerves and blood have taken over."
Lin Yan received the report at the campsite at the foot of the snow-capped mountain. A campfire flickered in front of him, and he held a cup of cheap coffee from Congo in his hand.
He didn't praise Marcus's efficiency, but simply asked, "What about those who were replaced?"
"They all suffered from 'sudden illness' or died from 'accidents'," Marcus replied.
"Um."
Lin Yan took a sip of the bitter coffee.
"Maintain the status quo and let Mobutu continue to be his 'leader.' We just want the mines, the access roads, and a stable and obedient backdrop. Don't create any unnecessary complications."
"clear."
Cutting off the telepathic communication, Lin Yan poured coffee grounds into the campfire, creating a crackling sound.
He looked north, towards the Congo rainforest.
Marcus spent four months planting an invisible net in that land.
He spent three months walking on the body of this continent, feeling its breath and heartbeat.
He stood up and decided that his next stop would be the Mediterranean.