With the lesson of last time still fresh in its mind, Portugal had become much more cautious. Grand Duke Verus asked, "You want us to test the waters again this time? Portugal can't withstand any more tossing and turning!"
Williams said, "Rest assured. This time, we can sign an alliance. If war breaks out next time, Britain will definitely enter the fray. Portugal only needs to act behind us. You can reclaim your lost territory and even go a step further. What the Great British Empire wants is merely to strangle East Africa, this potential threat, in the cradle and prevent it from becoming a country like the United States or Brazil."
Williams had deliberately mentioned Brazil, making Grand Duke Verus understand what the British meant. East Africa was simply too vast; it might give rise to a powerful nation in Africa, something a world hegemon like Britain was unwilling to see. If one colony after another became emerging great powers, would Britain's own colonies not follow suit and turn into independent countries as well? India, for instance. Or Australia and Canada.
Just like in his previous life, under America's civil and military might, many countries tortured to the brink of death by the United States seemed to survive only after being driven into a dead end. Not only did they fail to develop according to America's way of thinking, they instead went on to threaten America's hegemony even further.
In the Middle Eastern region, Iran was also a headache for the United States, and it was America that had brought about Iran's rise. Iran indeed showed signs of revival; Ernst was not talking nonsense. One only had to look at the ever-expanding influence of Iranian factions in Arab countries to see it clearly. Iran did not possess Egypt's ability