Many years later, though civil wars in African countries gradually ceased, small-scale conflicts never truly ended. Casualties among Western troops would swiftly make headlines, and the Middle East's turmoil consistently drew international attention. Yet Africa, with its ongoing urban riots, frequent village massacres, tens of thousands displaced, and countless deaths from diseases, droughts, and hunger, saw millions of unnatural deaths annually, often overlooked by the global community.
It was as if everyone deliberately chose to forget. The continent, home to over a billion people, was treated as a primitive jungle, left to fend for itself.
But had no one attempted to end this chaos? Of course not. Due to his recent plans, Simon had gathered extensive information on Africa, such as the ongoing civil war in Angola, where the United Nations had stationed 7,000 peacekeepers.
However, within just a few years after the Soviet Union's collapse and the rapid shift in international dynamics, the peacekeepers in Angola had burned through billions of dollars, suffering significant casualties themselves, yet failed to change the civil war's outcome. Both the Angolan government and rebel forces fiercely resisted foreign intervention, leading to the peacekeepers' gradual withdrawal.
The situation was similar across other African countries. Politically, economically, militarily, and culturally, Africa's complexities were beyond imagination, not something any random force could change.
The main reason, as the old man had just said, was that everyone was a civilized person, bound by rules. Even with superior equipment and combat power, peacekeepers in Africa were constrained in ways local warlords weren't, leading to their failures.
For instance, in Angola, the total forces of both the government and rebels were less than 200,000. Most of their equipment was outdated Cold War-era weaponry, vastly inferior to modern Western military technology—a gap akin to that between cold weapons and firearms.
During the Gulf War, Iraq's so-called million-strong army crumbled before the powerful US military. African armies, even compared to Saddam's forces, were mere chickens before mighty predators. Hence, Simon's initial idea of organizing a 10,000-strong elite mercenary corps, unbound by rules, seemed feasible for easily claiming a large territory in Africa.
The issue now was that, being part of the 'civilized world,' such blatant actions were unacceptable. However, Simon wasn't ready to give up. After the old man finished speaking, Simon pondered briefly before saying, "Ray, in that case, perhaps I can go to Africa to do business, legitimate business."
Before Simon could elaborate, Raymond Johnston already understood the underlying message: Simon hadn't abandoned the idea of creating a violent machine for the Westeros system.
Thinking it over, it did seem necessary. The Westeros system had grown beyond a mere conglomerate, nearly equivalent to a national economy. To ensure its continued growth, it needed not only economic strength but also political and military influence. Otherwise, even the largest 'economic entity' would be vulnerable to powerful state machinery.
Even without considering the long-term, if those items from Eastern Europe were ever needed, not having someone to deploy them would be problematic.
Organizing mercenaries to seize African territories was inappropriate. But with a legitimate pretext, many things could be smoothly advanced.
Business was the perfect legitimate pretext. To ensure operations in war-torn areas, the Westeros system could legitimately train and maintain private armed forces for employee, factory, or mine security. The larger the business scale, the more private forces needed. If the Westeros system's businesses flourished across Africa, even small groups of private soldiers at each site could form a significant military force when consolidated, capable of altering regional dynamics.
Importantly, breaking it down into smaller units would avoid excessive attention and backlash.
Understanding these points, Raymond Johnston felt a bit regretful. If only it were the 'Johnston system.' It could have left a significant mark in human history.
Privately spreading this kid's identity should be expedited.
Having decided, Raymond Johnston returned to Simon's idea, saying, "That's a good idea, using business to train private forces. This is more reliable than purely hiring mercenaries, who lack loyalty without proper justification and commitment. Without loyalty, even the strongest military force can't be fully utilized in crises. Recruiting private soldiers under the guise of family business from the start can instill a sense of loyalty towards the Westeros system, fostering a sense of belonging and, coupled with benefits, create a devoted army."
Simon nodded, impressed. The old man had pinpointed the essence of his vague idea. Initially, Simon planned to recruit mercenaries from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa, who, with sufficient funding, could form a strong force capable of establishing a puppet regime for the Westeros system in Africa. However, lacking faith and a sense of belonging, they wouldn't be loyal to the Westeros system. Without loyalty, commanding them smoothly, let alone having them undertake dangerous missions to protect Westeros family interests, would be challenging. Some mercenary leaders might even rebel after receiving Simon's substantial support, causing him significant losses.
In the worst case, these mercenaries could turn against the Westeros system.
Now, by recruiting under the guise of protecting Westeros businesses in Africa and training them like a national army, instilling loyalty from the start, the results would be entirely different.
With strong indoctrination measures, Simon could even cultivate a group of family death warriors loyal to the Westeros system.
Traditional national armies' loyalty comes from a sense of duty and belonging to their country. If the Westeros system were merely a large company, instilling similar loyalty in private soldiers would be difficult. But the Westeros system was now a powerful economic entity rivaling many countries. Individuals serving such a massive entity would naturally develop attachment and admiration, fostering loyalty. Coupled with necessary benefits, this loyalty could be further cemented.
Simon quickly thought of more. Besides individual family soldiers, integrating their families into the Westeros system could create a 'Westerosian' group, an idea Simon had previously considered.
Successfully executed, these family soldiers would develop a stronger sense of belonging, viewing their service as 'protecting their home and country.'
Choosing Africa as the base for training the Westeros system's private forces was ideal compared to other regions. Prolonged wars, famines, and extreme poverty left most Africans with little national attachment, providing the Westeros system ample opportunity.
The composition of these private soldiers wasn't an issue either. Simon didn't plan to form an all-black force; this family army would primarily be white. Centuries of colonial rule meant Africa wasn't solely black; there were many European white descendants. Rooted in Africa and having lost their home countries' citizenship, many whites could only live there, especially those gradually sinking to society's bottom, suffering reverse discrimination from blacks. While the Westeros system's private army couldn't entirely exclude blacks, those white descendants, alienated in Africa, were Simon's primary targets for recruitment.
Simon spent the entire afternoon by the scenic Shell Villa's outdoor pool, discussing the detailed execution of this private army with the old man. The conversation then shifted to various recent issues faced by the Westeros system in North America, with the old man providing his insights.
Time flew by during their discussions, and soon it was evening.
Simon, Raymond Johnston, and Anthony, who had joined the discussion, finally got up and walked back to the villa.
At the villa's side door, Raymond Johnston remembered something and asked, "Simon, are you planning to buy a large amount of gold?"
Simon, helping to open the glass door, didn't hide his intention, nodding. "Yes, since we're building the Westeros system into an independent 'economic entity,' we need a certain amount of gold reserves, as per tradition."
The old man, understanding this rationale, didn't ask further. The reasoning was solid. Knowing the Westeros system's financial situation, Raymond Johnston knew Simon had paid $2.5 billion in cash for the acquisition of Rio Tinto, a substantial amount for any company, easily managed by Westeros. Despite this, the system still held significant cash reserves thanks to the profits from Daenerys Entertainment, Cersei Capital, and Verizon Telecom.
Due to unavoidable inflation, it's best to invest large sums of cash quickly. Given Simon's acumen, investing for returns far exceeded the natural appreciation of gold. However, the Westeros system was beyond such limitations. With suitable targets, Simon could easily raise funds for investments, even after using all surplus cash to buy gold. With the Westeros company's low debt ratio and stellar credit, few banks worldwide would refuse to loan him money.
Entering the villa's hall, Raymond Johnston considered for a moment and said, "Buying gold is fine, but storing it yourself is costly. If you don't want to keep it in the USA, London or Swiss banks are good options."
Simon had considered this but dismissed it after recalling the US's refusal to repatriate foreign gold. Other countries might do the same in times of need.
Shaking his head, Simon said, "I don't trust them. It's more reliable to keep the gold myself."
Raymond Johnston, seeing Simon's determination, didn't object. "Then store it in our Melbourne headquarters' basement. The Johnston Holdings Building has three underground levels; the lowest can be converted into a vault, easily holding hundreds of tons of gold."
Simon agreed. The Johnston Holdings Building's basement was perfect—on family territory but not a long-term residence, avoiding unnecessary attention and threats to family safety. Storing it in an unrelated place wouldn't ensure maximum security.
Simon had been scouting for a gold trading team. Once formed, they would start acquiring gold at major exchanges worldwide. Building the vault and its security measures would take time, so initial purchases would be temporarily stored elsewhere until the Melbourne vault was ready.
Gold prices were at their lowest in the 90s, around $350 per ounce, far below the $800 peak during the 80s oil crisis. Simon remembered gold
prices nearing $2,000 per ounce around 2012, over five times the current price. Even post-2012, prices never fell below $1,000 per ounce.
Official media worldwide dismissed gold as a negative-return, valueless investment, hinting at certain monetary standards' secrets.
An ounce of gold, about 31 grams, at $350 per ounce, made a ton worth about $11.25 million. Simon could theoretically buy 100 tons at that price, though it was impractical due to market limits and potential price spikes.
Most countries' official reserves were under 100 tons. Simon's long-term plan was to quietly accumulate around 1,000 tons over the next 10 to 20 years.
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