At 7:25 a.m., the members of the inspection group shuffled into the terminal from the jet bridge, looking exhausted. They bid each other farewell in the lobby, wishing each other well before heading to the airline counters to arrange their connecting flights.


    Yawning, Deng Shiyang went to the baggage claim to collect his luggage and then found a café in the terminal to sit down. He ordered a black coffee and a French sandwich with smoked ham and grilled cheese. After sending a text message to Haloby, he began his breakfast.


    About half an hour later, his phone buzzed with a reply. The message instructed him to head to the Four Seasons Hotel in Central, where a room had been booked under the name Jason Du.


    After reading the message, Deng lingered at the café for a bit before leaving the airport. He took the Airport Express to Central and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel, located next to the International Finance Centre.


    The room arranged by Haloby was on the 38th floor, a luxury executive suite with a view of Victoria Harbour. The suite was not only elegantly furnished but also had a multifunctional desk in the sitting area, fully equipped with office supplies. Documents could be printed directly using the printer in the room, eliminating the need to visit the business center.


    Once settled, Deng slept until the afternoon, finally overcoming the jet lag. When he woke up, he discovered his phone had fallen onto the carpet, displaying three missed calls from Haloby. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the bedside clock, which showed 4:12 p.m., with the last missed call over an hour ago. He quickly hit "redial."


    The call was answered after just two rings, and Haloby''s voice came through, sounding annoyed. "Finally found time to call me back, huh?"


    Feeling a bit embarrassed, Deng replied, "Sorry, I had my phone on ''vibrate.'' I was sleeping so soundly that I didn''t notice."


    Although Haloby still sounded a little displeased, he accepted the explanation. After a brief pause, he said, "The client wants me to tell you they expect the report by noon the day after tomorrow."


    "No problem, I''ll start organizing the materials tonight and should have it ready by tomorrow night."


    There was a faint "hmm" on the other end, followed by a minute of silence before Haloby said, "How about we meet tonight? I''d like to hear about the situation over there. There are also a few points in the report that need attention; I''ll explain them when we meet."


    "Sure. When and where?"


    "7 p.m., at a French restaurant called Caprice on the sixth floor of the hotel. I''ll make a reservation."


    "7 p.m., sixth floor, Caprice. Got it," Deng repeated, then hung up.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    That evening, the two met at the restaurant. Having only eaten a sandwich in the morning, Deng indulged in the chef''s recommended luxury French set menu. After the meal, he began recounting his experiences in Swaziland.


    Haloby listened carefully, not wanting to miss any details. Although he didn''t say a word throughout, he sighed seven times when Deng relayed the information he had gathered from Dr. Wittney and Xu Zhaoxiong.


    The briefing lasted over an hour. When it was over, Haloby frowned and let out another sigh, summing up his impression in a single sentence: "To wreck a country this thoroughly in three months—Ndofa really is a ''genius.''"


    He lowered his head in thought, slowly digesting the information. After a while, he suddenly asked, "From your personal interactions, what kind of person do you think Ndofa is?"


    Deng pondered for a moment, then took a sip of his coffee. The cold Blue Mountain brew left a bitter taste in his mouth. He set the cup down and took a large gulp of water before slowly replying, "The guy''s a lunatic, ruthless like Pol Pot of the Khmer Rouge. At the same time, he''s a neurotic narcissist. He indulges in fantasies, sees himself as a liberator breaking free from royal servitude, believes isolationism is a great achievement against white colonialism, and tries hard to portray himself as a savior of the people..."


    "I know you don''t like the guy, but that''s not what I''m asking," Haloby interrupted.


    Deng straightened up and responded seriously, "Ndofa has a pathological obsession with power. He''s extremely paranoid, with a delusional fear of rebellion. So, he moved the functioning parts of the government into a fortress-like presidential palace, surrounding himself with wire fences and high walls to protect his wealth and authority."


    Haloby sneered and said with disdain, "The guy''s a blend of Saddam and Kim Jong-il, with political skills akin to Bashir. His idol must be Uganda''s Amin." He paused and then asked, "Based on what you''ve seen, how would you rate the military strength of the government forces?"


    "I didn’t see any tanks, armored vehicles, or heavy artillery there. My informants confirmed that those things don''t exist. Aside from the Presidential Guard, the other government troops were shabby; both soldiers and officers were unkempt, to the point of being repulsive. They may have had some basic training, but it definitely wasn''t extensive, and their morale was low. I suspect their loyalty to the regime isn''t any stronger than their paycheck."


    "The National Gendarmerie are rough, undisciplined thugs who only know how to intimidate unarmed civilians. Their weapons are dirty and old, clearly neglected, and they probably rarely fire them. The gendarmes are meant for riot control, but if faced with real combat, they''d likely flee at the first sign of gunfire."


    "I agree with your assessment," Haloby nodded slightly, then asked, "So, you''re saying that the most capable fighting force in Swaziland right now is the Presidential Guard?"


    "From what I''ve seen, that''s the case. The Presidential Guard members are all from the same tribe as Ndofa, with high loyalty and little chance of betrayal. They''re equipped with Chinese weapons, have higher morale than the other units, and have likely received training from Chinese military advisors."


    Haloby''s expression darkened slightly. Clicking his tongue, he muttered under his breath, "I suspected as much..."


    Annotations:


    - Pol Pot: Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, serving as Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976 to 1979. His rule resulted in the deaths of approximately three million people.


    - Omar al-Bashir: Leader of Sudan, he served as President of Sudan from 1989 to 2019.


    - Idi Amin Dada: Former president of Uganda, whose regime from 1971 to 1979 resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans.