Fourth French Republic, Élysée Palace.
North African Strategic Intelligence Bureau
In a lavish conference room, beneath glittering glass chandeliers, a group of French officials in suits sat around a round table for a meeting.
"How is that possible?"
An official with a cigar in his mouth leaned back in his chair, holding a document, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Director, what's impossible?"
An official beside him asked curiously.
"How could the Republic of Burkina's new president have signed the new treaty so easily? This is completely different from our earlier analysis!"
Hearing this, another official wearing gold-rimmed glasses spread his hands and speculated:
"Who knows? Perhaps he fears France's strength and had no choice but to sign the new treaty, just like their previous presidents!"
"We can't rule that out!"
The official addressed as director nodded, then shook his head and said gravely:
"But I suspect... no! I'm certain he only pretended to agree when he signed the document. His purpose was to placate us for now. Later, he'll definitely find ways to refuse to fulfill the terms of the treaty."
"Uh..."
Hearing his director's words, an official was somewhat speechless. With an indifferent expression, he said:
"Didn't their previous presidents sign the treaties to placate us temporarily too, so they could secure the seats under their own asses?"
"Even if Sankara only signed for show, his signature is still there. As long as he's signed the treaty, can't we do whatever we want afterward? Does he have the means to resist? He doesn't, does he?"
"I think you're worrying far too much, sir!"
Knock, knock, knock!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in!"
"Good day, sirs!"
An official pushed open the door with a document in hand. He first gave everyone present a French military salute, then said:
"We've just received word that the Republic of Burkina's new president ordered the execution of forty-six government officials, including Makru Shengdido and Weike'er Clinton..."
"What?!"
At the news, several officials who had been sitting comfortably shot to their feet, their eyes filled with shock.
They had never even heard the names that followed.
But they knew the names "Makru Shengdido" and "Weike'er Clinton" very well!
These were the two most important plants their North African Strategic Intelligence Bureau had placed within the Republic of Burkina. Clinton himself was even an agent of the North African Strategic Intelligence Bureau.
So could the other forty-four have been their people too?
And now Sankara had killed them all?
This...
"Wait, that doesn't add up!"
An official caught on and said in bewilderment:
"How did the Republic of Burkina's new president know these people were ours? It makes no sense!"
Hearing the official's words, the others immediately came to their senses and spoke up:
"Exactly! How did he know?"
"If it were just one, that would be one thing. But all forty-six people he ordered executed could very well have been ours. That defies all logic!"
"Isn't this... a little too ridiculous?"
Hearing his colleagues' discussion, a bald official who had yet to speak ventured cautiously:
"Could there be a mole among us?"
"..."
Almost instantly, the entire conference room fell silent. Everyone looked at the official who had spoken as though he were an idiot.
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
Only after a long while did the director of the North African Strategic Intelligence Bureau slowly speak, breaking the awkward silence:
"If you don't know what to say, keep your mouth shut!"
"Everyone in our North African Strategic Intelligence Bureau is a French citizen born and raised in France, with pure French blood."
"Every one of them has a bright future!"
"Who do you think would be out of their mind enough to spy for the Republic of Burkina, a tiny country whose destruction today wouldn't cause so much as a ripple in the international community tomorrow?"
"I'm sorry, director. I misspoke!"
The bald official hurriedly stood and bowed in apology.
The director of the North African Strategic Intelligence Bureau waved his hand, letting the matter drop.
He took the cigar from the corner of his mouth, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke into the air, and continued:
"But regardless of how the Republic of Burkina's new president discovered the identities of Shengdido and the others..."
"It tells us only one thing: he isn't someone willing to obey!"
"So we must find a way to get rid of him! Replace him with someone willing to obey as president of the Republic of Burkina!"
In fact, Sankara really had no idea that Shengdido and the others were banana people backed by the French.
He only knew that these people were not loyal to him and even sought to oppose his rule. That was why he had ordered their execution, to maintain political stability.
Had he known that the French were backing Shengdido and the others, he certainly would not have executed them all so rashly.
Or rather, he would have had them lose their lives one after another in various accidents in the future, rather than directly ordering their execution!
November 8.
It was soon the third day since Sankara had staged his coup and seized power in the Republic of Burkina.
A military coup that might have caused enormous upheaval or even sparked a large-scale civil war in another country had caused no ripples in the Republic of Burkina.
The sun that had set still rose as usual after the moon went down!
Everyone, even the anti-government armed groups, calmly accepted the fact that Sankara had become the Republic of Burkina's new president.
It was the same conference hall as yesterday.
Only now, the potbellied senior government officials in suits had been replaced by senior military officers in uniform, their eyes fierce.
Judging by the ranks on their shoulders, even the lowest-ranking among them was a major!
Tap, tap, tap-
Sankara, also in military uniform, entered the conference hall with Meyev.
At the sight of Sankara entering, the officers who had been sitting in their seats, chatting, laughing, and whispering to one another all stopped.
Only after Sankara reached the head of the table and sat down did all the officers rise, salute him, and call out in unison the form of address they had just agreed upon:
"General!"
This was their way of showing Sankara where they stood!
But then they noticed a seemingly insignificant detail: Sankara's uniform bore no rank insignia!
"Everyone, sit down!"
Sankara did not return the salute. Instead, he waved a hand for everyone to sit. Once they had all sat down, he said with a smile:
"I'm already president now, so it wouldn't be appropriate for you to keep calling me general. From now on, just call me president too!"
"Yes, Mr. President!"
The officers who had just sat down rose again and answered loudly.
"There's no need to stand. Sit down, all of you! You're not to stand during the meeting either. We're holding a meeting in the presidential palace's conference hall, not in the barracks!"
Only after everyone had sat down again did Sankara continue:
"I called you here for this meeting today to personally announce several major policies concerning the military!"