Originally, Deng Shiyang thought that reviewing the plan would take at least two to three days, but the unexpected move by "Diliman Holdings" wiped away his relaxed mood for the weekend. He had a vague feeling that this was a sign that the action was about to begin.

The next morning, Deng Shiyang and Keith were summoned to Harrowby's room.

With a gloomy and uncertain expression, Harrowby led the two into the living room and gestured towards the long sofa against the wall. After they sat down, he took a seat on the single-seater sofa across the coffee table from them and said, "I have one good news and one bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Keith thought for a moment and replied, "Let’s hear the good news first."

"Your plan has been approved."

Deng Shiyang tried his best not to show an expression of "I expected as much" and asked, "And the bad news?"

"Last night, I received news from New York that China plans to hold a special meeting of the UN Security Council next week to discuss lifting sanctions on Swaziland."

Keith frowned and asked, "What's the White House's stance?"

Harrowby's expression suddenly wilted. He shook his head and replied, "According to information gathered from the State Department, the U.S. will vote to 'abstain.'"

A blatant look of mockery appeared on Deng Shiyang’s face, and he said, "Looks like those hundreds of billions in treasury bonds weren’t bought in vain."

"The Chinese government is preparing to act," Harrowby added. "If the U.S. chooses not to use its veto, neither the U.K. nor France will vote against it, and the resolution will definitely pass. Once the sanctions are lifted, China will be able to openly import minerals from Swaziland."

"The minerals import is a minor issue," Keith shared his view as well. "Once sanctions are lifted, China will be able to provide direct military aid to Swaziland. If the military government fully controls the army, it will be very difficult to seize power even if we eliminate Ndofa."

Harrowby’s face turned even grimmer. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Is there a possibility of taking action ahead of schedule?"

"Setting aside whether we can cut down the preparation time, can you guarantee that Ndofa will definitely be in the presidential palace on the day of action?" Keith answered bluntly.

Harrowby said nothing in response, lowering his head in thought.

"I have a question." At this moment, Deng Shiyang broke the silence, drawing the attention of the other two.

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"If the coup succeeds, how likely is it that China will intervene?"

"Since they don’t have the proper means for long-range deployment, sending troops directly is impossible." Keith paused and added, "But I think they’ll support remnants of the military government to launch a civil war or incite Mozambique to intervene under the guise of 'counter-insurgency assistance.'"

Deng Shiyang looked at Harrowby and asked, "Can you try to persuade the British government to use Commonwealth influence to pressure Mozambique to remain neutral?"

"It’s worth a try, but only if the coup is successful."

"Alright, let me share my thoughts. Based on my observations in Swaziland, there are two main reasons for the low loyalty of government forces—low morale and poor conditions. Firstly, morale: the majority of soldiers enlisted simply to avoid being in the camp of either the 'oppressors' or the 'oppressed.' From their perspective, they have no reason to serve the military government faithfully. Secondly, regarding conditions: grassroots soldiers only receive meager pay, and what truly attracts them is the supply of essential goods. As long as those supplies are not reduced, they don’t care whether the boss wears a crown or a military cap."

Keith and Harrowby both nodded.

"Based on these two points, I believe military aid can improve the combat effectiveness of the government forces to some extent, but as long as the military system and power structure remain unchanged, there won’t be much improvement. Moreover, Ndofa—who is paranoid about insurrection—will never allow 'foreign powers' to interfere with his military. As for the common methods like 'cult of personality brainwashing' and 'establishing political commissars,' it would be difficult to achieve results in the short term."

Harrowby seemed to have thought of something and asked with a hint of anticipation, "What’s your conclusion?"

Deng Shiyang glanced at him and replied, "I believe Chinese military aid will not have a significant impact on the plan. If we need countermeasures, more effort should be put into secrecy during preparations. Also, the king should develop some conciliatory policies to prevent civil war after taking power."

Harrowby made a noncommittal "hmm" and said nothing more.

"I support JD's view." As if to bolster his confidence, Keith also chimed in, "We don’t have accurate and timely intelligence, and acting prematurely will only add unnecessary risks."

Harrowby seemed convinced. After a moment of consideration, he looked up and, as if making up his mind, said, "Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"You should rephrase that." Keith did not answer the question directly but paused before saying, "It’s not about what we need you to do but what you can do for us."

Harrowby seemed slightly taken aback by the comment. He thought for a moment and then replied, "I can use my connections to help you recruit the necessary personnel and gather materials. I can also provide training and false identities for the recruits and send them to Richards Bay." He paused and added, "But you’ll have to handle negotiations yourselves."

For an illegal activity like a coup, it was naturally impossible to involve legitimate companies. Thus, although Deng Shiyang felt some resentment toward Harrowby for distancing himself from the matter, he had nothing to say.

"What about the money?"

"The operational funds will be distributed among several bank accounts in Gibraltar, managed by me. I’ll open an account for you in a South African bank and deposit a sum for operational expenses. During the preparation period, I’ll transfer the required funds to you in batches."

"Alright, that’ll do." Keith nodded, extended his hand, and said, "To a successful collaboration."

Harrowby shook hands with both Keith and Deng Shiyang, then said to them, "Now, let’s get started. In two months, we’re going to seize a country!"

Annotations:

- Richards Bay Airport: A South African airport located in the city of Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal Province.