History has always held a special allure for me, particularly the legend of Alexander the Great. The way his father accomplished the seemingly impossible always struck a chord with me - it made me realize the importance of pushing oneself to greater heights. Alexander's ambition and drive to go above and beyond were qualities that I found admirable.
If we had been contemporaries, I can't help but think that he would have been the kind of friend I'd love to have by my side. Unfortunately, such a friendship can only exist in the realm of imagination, as we are separated by centuries.
“General!” She barked, I held the position of being the very first general in the Alliance, commanding all military forces in what was considered the most powerful nation following the aftermath of the MAD.
As I lifted my head from the luxurious brown carpet, I couldn't help but admire the intricate Persian patterns woven into its fabric. Each design seemed to hold a mysterious story known only to the skilled hands that crafted it, much like the complexities of life itself.
Across the room, the secretary stood with an air of importance, known to be the trusted aide of Judge Bahman. Rumor had it that he was set to become the next governor of the newly acquired Iranian territories within the East Asian Alliance.
“His honor is ready to meet you.” she said, her English was pretty broken, but you could still make out what she was saying. See, our alliance was a real mixed bag of nationalities, so we had all kinds of languages floating around. It got to be too complicated to choose just one language to use, so we decided to make English the main one.
This way, a man from down south in India could chat with a man from Thailand, and they could both have a chinwag with a Chinese one like me, and we'd all get each other. English ended up being a must-know by 2040, and that was about six years back.
"Thank you," I murmured gratefully, reaching for my cane as I followed closely behind her. As we approached, she graciously presented me, some people said he bore a striking resemblance to his father. Some whispered that he might even fall short of his father's legacy, his stature not quite measuring up.
"Judge Bahman, retired General Zhu," she announced.
"Thanks, Asal, you can go now," he said, and she swiftly made her way out of the room. Once she had left, I casually strolled over to the plush seats positioned right beside his large, imposing desk.
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"Did she say retired?" he asked.
"I don't see retired," I replied, a playful smirk forming on my lips as I tried to lighten the mood. His response was a chuckle, followed by my own.
"How have you been, General?" he inquired.
"Living. I took up gardening," I replied.
"Good for you. I know you're not here to tell me that," he responded.
"Can't two men have a chat before getting into business?" I quipped.
“I remember vividly the days when Zhu used to walk in here, all serious and focused, with no time for smiles or laughter. He would just dive into work, work, work, without a moment's pause.” he said, “Where is he? Still in Africa?”
"He is," I replied, raising an eyebrow. "You know, I was thinking about history the other day, just flipping through some books. Alexander could've easily called it quits after defeating the Persians, right? But no, he kept on marching, expanding his empire to new heights.” I went on, “The Mongols, too, could've said, 'Okay, that's enough conquering for us,' after reaching Poland. Yet, they continued their conquests, pushing further and further. Even the Muslims had their chances to stop after achieving great success in Spain or Persia. What did they do instead? They went ahead and expanded into central Asia and France. It's like once they got a taste of victory, they couldn't resist the urge to keep going, to see how far they could push the boundaries."
"Your point being?" he asked, his expression betraying a hint of amusement. He was well aware of the direction in which our conversation was heading, but he egged me on nonetheless. That's the thing about politicians - they have a way of subtly guiding discussions while making you feel like you're the one in control.
“I want to go back to Africa, it was my operation to begin with, and I think I shouldn’t’ve stopped.” I said, I retrieved the map outlining the next steps of the operation. “The lush green landscapes of Mozambique, the troubled regions of Ethiopia, the struggling territories in the Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all present us with unique opportunities for expansion. These areas provide fertile grounds for cultivating more fields and establishing new factories.” I said, “By increasing our wheat production and tapping into untapped resources, we can further bolster our growing nation's size, economy, and military strength. With our current capabilities, there seem to be no significant threats or adversaries on the horizon. The coalition has proven to be a valuable ally, and any perceived dangers from the horde or RFZ appear to have dissipated over the past two decades with no recent movements to suggest otherwise.”
“Thanks to my dad's connections, he managed to arrange for you to have that operation. It turned out to be a game-changer for the Alliance. Nowadays, we rely heavily on the food produced in our colonies there to sustain us.” he said, he cleared his throat and finished, “I try to contribute as much as I can, but you can count on my support, no doubt about it.”