The personnel Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. placed under these warlords often wielded considerable power and manpower.
While eliminating a powerful, heavily guarded warlord was difficult and inherently risky, eliminating a few officers coveting power was relatively easy once the army was leaderless and in disarray.
Furthermore, they had been well prepared, launching a coordinated attack the moment a warlord was killed. Their successful, unintended seizure of control was unsurprising.
All this happened with remarkable speed. European and American nations, hoping to capitalize on the opportunity to establish their own representatives, were unable to act before the power shift was complete, leaving them no opportunity to intervene. Some remaining personnel were unceremoniously expelled.
With control of the African military complete, the next phase of their operations could begin.
Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global infiltration and control extended beyond the armed forces; they had already infiltrated the highest levels of government in many African countries.
In this continent-wide upheaval, warlords controlling most of Africa's armed forces were assassinated in a single day, shifting control of much of the continent's military. This immediately created a complicated and turbulent situation across Africa, sparking disagreements and conflicts within the upper echelons of African governments over how to respond to these dramatic changes, leading to the outbreak of conflict.
Uncertainty and intense anxiety plunged African countries into a state of intense political turmoil. Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fueled this conflict, ultimately seizing control of the government while exploiting the chaos.
To the outside world, this was merely a power struggle and turnover within the countries themselves, fueled by political disagreements amidst the military upheaval. The leadership remained within the upper echelons of their respective governments.
Since the warlords directly controlling the military had been eliminated, the remaining government-controlled regular forces remained relatively unrest-free and did not intervene in the power struggles within the upper echelons of government. Rather, they simply had not yet had the opportunity to do so.
Chen Mo's plan of action had long been disseminated through Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. These spies embedded in high-level African states had long been prepared, while others were caught off guard by the dramatic changes affecting the continent. They rushed to respond without any preparation, unaware that they were being plotted against, step by step, leading them to destruction.
Throughout, Chen Mo's forces completely controlled the situation, giving them no chance to turn the tables. The military simply watched as the government leaders engaged in a brawl, and before they could even consider what to do, the fighting was over, thus ensuring a smooth transition of power.
The newly elected governments took no action against the warlords, and similarly, the newly elected warlords showed no unusual behavior. As if by agreement, both sides consolidated their newly acquired power, maintaining a rare tranquility.
Following the dramatic military and political changes, Africa, once ravaged by the chaos of war, suddenly entered a period of remarkable stability and peace, yet it seemed as if a greater undercurrent was gathering, waiting to erupt.
During this period, African governments weren't completely idle. While armed groups withdrew their forces and remained inactive, they capitalized on this rare period of stability and spontaneously launched rescue operations.
Previously, due to the instability of the conflict, rescue efforts had been difficult and dangerous, with rescuers often killed by militants. Now that the fighting had ceased, the need for rescue efforts became more natural.
African nations quickly mobilized to provide aid to their own refugees ravaged by war and famine. Vast resources were mobilized, with doctors, nurses, medicine, medical equipment, food, drinking water, tents, and clothing arriving in various regions.
However, these countries' own resources were limited, and the supplies they could provide were far from sufficient to meet the needs of countless refugees.
Consequently, each nation began to appeal to other nations for assistance, but surprisingly, they limited their requests to African nations, preferring to seek assistance from even poorer African nations rather than from developed countries in Europe and the United States.
Thus, a local rescue operation, initiated naturally in the wake of the dramatic changes in various countries, evolved into an Africa-wide joint rescue effort. Rescue aircraft and personnel from various countries, regardless of national borders, moved freely across the continent, and a vigorous joint rescue operation was launched across Africa.
While European and American countries were somewhat puzzled, for them, rescue operations were inherently a losing proposition. Aside from the occasional, insignificant aid for show, they were unwilling to waste vast manpower and resources on aiding Africans who had nothing to do with them. They preferred sending troops and providing military aid to humanitarian aid.
Humanitarian aid is free and unprofitable, while military aid is funded by enormous profits!
Only a fool would refuse to take advantage of a good deal!
They were content to stand by and watch the African countries' strange, pretentious actions.
Rescue efforts for African refugees are a bottomless pit, offering no visible benefits and a waste of money. They're eager to see how these impoverished and underdeveloped African countries will ultimately fare. They'll likely have to turn to major powers like them for assistance, and perhaps even send a token aid package to maintain international influence.
But what happened next was clearly beyond their expectations.
In this continent-wide joint rescue effort, a small, previously obscure nation primarily focused on agriculture and animal husbandry suddenly erupted with astonishing strength, rising above all other African nations to become the main force of the joint rescue effort. Its name is Wakanda!
...
Dozens of villages, large and small, clustered around a dry lake on a vast, barren, and arid grassland.
The lake had long since dried up, leaving only a small amount of fresh water in a deep well nestled beneath a rock face on the shore. This water supply supported dozens of nearby villages and thousands of people with drinking water. Each person's daily water intake was meager, barely enough for basic survival.
The severe drought caused the death of many plants, and animals also left in search of new water sources. As a result, their food became extremely scarce. Many people were so thin they were just skin and bones, in danger of collapsing at any time and never standing up again.