Even the cleverest cook could not make a meal without rice.
Uranium ore was a key raw material for producing atomic bombs.
Had the Soviet Union in his previous life lacked uranium ore? Sankara did not know.
But the Soviet Union in this world...
Its shortage of uranium ore had driven it almost mad!
Buying uranium ore on the international market at a hundred times the price, nearly starting a war over it... these were things the Soviet Union in this world had actually done.
So!
When Yalikovich learned that the Republic of Burkina had reserves of over a million tonnes of uranium ore, he became visibly excited!
"You... are you certain the proven reserves amount to over a million tonnes!? Not a few tens of thousands?"
Still uneasy, Yalikovich repeatedly sought confirmation from Sankara.
"A million tonnes, yes!"
Sankara answered firmly:
"If you don't believe me, Mr. Ambassador, your country can send its own experts to take a look. We'll provide the exact location, and you can see for yourselves!"
Hearing those words and seeing Sankara's firm attitude, Yalikovich was beginning to believe him. But to be safe, he still said:
"I have great trust in you, Mr. President!"
"But I don't trust those subordinates of yours. A million tonnes of uranium ore is no small figure. They may have deceived you about the numbers."
"So we'll send people to verify that figure!"
"If-and I do mean if!"
"If your country really has a million tonnes of uranium ore... no, as long as the reserves exceed five hundred thousand tonnes, then I think a low-interest loan of ten billion rubles should not be a problem!"
On this remarkable land of North Africa, Yalikovich had seen far too many bizarre things.
So he strongly suspected that the figure of a million tonnes might well be something Sankara's subordinates had fed him.
But he did not rule anything out, and even took the initiative to lower the requirement for Sankara.
Because the Soviet Union was desperately short of uranium ore!
"I trust my officials. I believe they wouldn't deceive me. Just as your general secretary trusts you, Mr. Ambassador!"
Sankara knew better than anyone where that figure of a million tonnes had come from. In fact, he knew the more precise figure: 1.05 million tonnes. So he was not worried in the slightest and continued with a smile:
"I hope your experts can arrive soon, so our cooperation can begin sooner as well!"
"Rest assured, it certainly won't take long!"
Yalikovich gave Sankara his assurance.
The Soviet Union, the Kremlin.
"What?!"
"There are a million tonnes of uranium ore buried beneath the Republic of Burkina? Are you sure it's a million tonnes?"
"Who knows? Won't we find out whether it's true by sending our own experts to take a look?"
"Indeed. One look will tell us!"
"Over a million tonnes of uranium ore. If it's true, that really is the best news I've heard all year!"
"Speaking of which, does anyone know where the Republic of Burkina is?"
"Uh... no!"
Less than five kilometers east of the presidential palace stood one lavishly decorated villa after another.
Though they could not compare with the presidential palace, which the former president had spent 1.5 billion North African francs building, all these villas put together probably would not fall far short.
Inside one of the villas...
A group of potbellied officials talked with spittle flying, drinking red wine that ordinary people in the Republic of Burkina might not be able to afford even after ten years of work.
"Minister, did the new president really say that to you?"
"Of course! I heard him say it myself at this morning's meeting. If you don't believe me, ask Minister Shengdido. He was there too!"
"Minister Shengdido?"
"That brat Sankara did indeed say that at the meeting. We just don't know whether he was merely talking or really plans to do it!"
"Hiss... won't that make life hard for us from now on?"
"Hard? We might not even be able to keep our current positions!"
"What! Surely not? Didn't the new president say he wouldn't hold us accountable for what we did before?"
"Hah! You believe whatever he says? Why do you think he dissolved the Ministry of Homeland Security and set up this so-called National Security Committee? It was to put a knife of his own to our necks!"
"Sigh! I opposed making Sankara commander of the Dugagu Brigade back then. I told you long ago he wasn't one of us, but not one of you believed me! And now look... damn it!"
"How is that our fault? That brat used to smoke, take bribes, visit prostitutes... he did it all. Sometimes he was even worse than us. Who knew he'd become a different person the moment he took command of the Dugagu Brigade!"
"I just received word that after meeting the French ambassador, the new president immediately met with the Soviet ambassador. Do you think he believes in..."
"Hiss... I think it's possible! If he really believes in... then we need to start making plans!"
Crash!
A sudden crash, much like glass shattering, startled everyone in the room so badly that the fat on their faces quivered.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
Shengdido, whose belly was so large that it nearly burst the buttons of his clothes, stood up and hurled the stemmed glass full of red wine in his hand hard against the floor. The spilled wine flowed across it like fresh blood.
"I don't care what he believes in! All I know is that if he won't let us keep living the good life, he's trying to kill us!"
"What damned president?"
"If he really pushes me too far, he can't blame me for showing no mercy!"
The sun sank in the west.
The setting sun announced the approaching end of the day with its lingering light.
Having finished meeting with the French and Soviet ambassadors, Sankara sat in his office, his head lowered as he signed a document with a fountain pen.
With help from the autumn breeze, a slanting ray of sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains behind Sankara and stole into the office, reaching his desk.
The blood-red evening light illuminated the document's title and the first name on it-
"Execution list"
"Makru Shengdido"
"Tick, tick, tick..."
The mechanical ticking of the second hand came from the clock on the wall, as though death were counting down the final seconds.
A few minutes later...
A burly officer stood before Sankara's desk. His shoulder insignia marked him as a lieutenant colonel.
Sankara raised his head and looked at the lieutenant colonel.
Name: Baror Kroko Nationality: Republic of Burkina Age: 32 Position: Chairman of the National Security Committee Rank: Ministerial level Loyalty: 87
Before noon that day, Baror Kroko had still been the deputy commander of the Dugagu Brigade's First Regiment.
Originally, Sankara had intended to give this position to Meyev, whose loyalty was higher. But after careful consideration, he had abandoned the idea.
Because Sankara still needed Meyev to control his most essential and elite armed force-the Guard Battalion!
As long as the Guard Battalion remained, Sankara would have a bargaining chip to turn the tables, no matter what happened!
Besides, compared with those whose loyalty was only 70, or even below 60, there was not much difference between 87 and 91. Both were very high.
"I don't want them to see tomorrow's sun!"
Sankara handed the document to Kroko with that instruction.
"Understood!"
Kroko nodded in reply.
After Kroko left, Sankara rose and went to the window. He drew back the curtains and gazed at the sun about to sink below the horizon and the rising moon.
He murmured to himself:
"I already gave you a chance, but you refused to value it! I only finished meeting with you this morning, and by the afternoon you were already discussing how to deal with me?"
"Then don't blame me for showing no mercy!"