After returning home, I skipped school and slept soundly for a full day. As dusk settled, Xia Hu-ren sent me a text urging me to watch the evening news broadcast. Coincidentally, my father was watching TV, so I sauntered over to join him.

"You didn't go to school today?" my father asked. "Your mother said you've been sleeping all day."

"Yes, Dad. I wasn't feeling well, so I stayed home to rest."

My father asked with concern, "Have you taken any medicine?"

I waved my arm to show him. "I’m all better now. Quick, Dad, watch the evening news—they said there’s big news!"

We waited until the very end of the program, where a segment on international news appeared for less than a minute. After watching it intently, my father still seemed confused. "Which story was this 'big news' you mentioned?"

"That last one," I replied. "The exiled King of Xijin wants to restore his kingdom. He’s already issued a declaration of independence in Country M, demanding that Country N return its sovereignty and territory, and demanding the withdrawal of its troops within 72 hours, or he will launch annihilation operations against the forces stationed there."

My father dismissed it with a scoff. "What does that have to do with us? I thought it was something truly major."

Naturally, my father knew little about international affairs, so I didn't press him. "Dad, you’ll understand soon enough. It matters a great deal. You keep watching; I’m going upstairs to borrow a book."

My father muttered behind me, "What books are you always borrowing? You go up there one day, and they come down the next."

I thought to myself, Our reading material is quite profound. These are matters for young people; you old folks don't need to concern yourselves.

That night, I certainly didn't go back downstairs. Instead, I stayed in Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang's room, finally having both of them as I had long dreamed.

Havasa’s declaration of restoration immediately sent shockwaves through Country N. That evening, Country N convened a hasty cabinet meeting. Regarding Havasa’s delusional declaration, the parliament decided to ignore it, though they agreed to significantly strengthen military control over the Xijin Province to prevent any latent insurgent forces from seizing the opportunity to strike.

Country N’s intelligence apparatus submitted several reports the following afternoon. These reports indicated to the cabinet that, in addition to some embedded armed elements within Xijin Province, there was compelling evidence that Havasa had hired an international organization to aid in his restoration efforts. Since this organization had no prior documented activity, its intelligence remained unknown.

Consequently, the Country N cabinet met again that same afternoon. The involvement of external powers meant this conflict was no longer merely the ravings of a fantasist. Considering the strategic location of Xijin, if any other nation wished to see Xijin restored, that nation could only be Great Dragon Country.

If Great Dragon Country became involved, this would certainly not be a trivial matter. The rulers of Country N were well aware that Great Dragon Country’s military strength far surpassed their own. The primary reason they had felt bold enough to continually infringe upon Great Dragon Country's borders for years was that Great Dragon Country faced numerous adversaries across the vast ocean and lacked the capacity to worry about Country N lurking behind them.

Recent intelligence analysis suggested the likelihood of Great Dragon Country’s direct participation was almost nil. The destruction of a Japanese fleet had heightened their vigilance toward Great Dragon Country, and the recent attack on a US carrier strike group had intensified their hostility toward Great Dragon Country. Under these circumstances, Great Dragon Country had little incentive to invite trouble on its doorstep.

The Prime Minister of Country N quickly arranged a phone conversation with the leadership of Great Dragon Country. During the call, he reiterated Country N’s recognition that Xizang had historically belonged to Great Dragon Country and expressed hope that Great Dragon Country would refrain from interfering in Country N’s internal affairs.

The leader of Great Dragon Country gave the Prime Minister an affirmative response. Great Dragon Country would not participate in disputes between any nations; its defense strategy had always prioritized defense, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were the bedrock of the nation. Furthermore, the Great Dragon leader expressed hope that the government of Country N would treat the Xijin matter seriously and avoid reckless actions that could lead to catastrophe.

With the possibility of Great Dragon Country entering the fray eliminated, Country N’s government reduced the importance it placed on the Xijin restoration declaration. Apart from marginally adjusting military deployment in densely populated areas, they cautiously reinforced the border defenses shared with Great Dragon Country, adding two light infantry battalions to the 3rd and 6th Mountain Divisions, and increasing the aircraft complement of each division's Combat Aviation Brigade by twenty jets. This force seemed more than sufficient to handle a few insignificant international mercenary outfits.

On the third morning, just as the government of Country N believed all was secure, an unusual report surfaced from the garrison locations across Xijin Province: large numbers of rats, snakes, and pythons were swarming the camps. Given Xijin’s subtropical monsoon climate, September was part of the rainy season; such an immense proliferation of vermin, besides potentially causing an epidemic, signaled the imminent occurrence of abnormal events.

Indeed, by noon, a flood of bad news arrived. First, many soldiers were bitten by venomous snakes while attempting to drive out the reptiles and rodents. Next, extensive damage was reported to wooden structures gnawed through by masses of rats. The routine deployment of the two mountain divisions fell into considerable disarray.

In the afternoon, the government of Country N organized helicopters to airlift temporary supplies of rodent and snake repellent to the 3rd and 6th Mountain Divisions. However, before the supplies could reach the units, the rats and snakes suddenly vanished as if evaporated into thin air, leaving the government utterly baffled. Some scientists even proposed an earthquake theory, urging precautionary measures against sudden crustal movements in Xijin Province over the next few days.

Deep into the night, approaching midnight, the time set by Xijin King Havasa for his restoration actions, the three light infantry battalions stationed near the city of Gantok were in utter chaos.

The snake and rat infestation that morning had destroyed most tents and barracks. Hundreds of soldiers were incapacitated by snakebites, their limbs swollen, and much of the defensive infrastructure was damaged beyond immediate repair.

Although the three infantry battalions had received strict orders to hold their positions, they had no energy left to address infrastructure damage. The repairs could not be completed that afternoon and had to wait until morning. If the enemy attacked now, the troops’ combat effectiveness would likely be less than half of normal.

However, the commanders of these three battalions knew that significant forces were arrayed outside Gantok, including an anti-aircraft artillery battalion, a company of 155mm towed howitzers, and two light infantry battalions—all tasked with defending the border sector facing Great Dragon Country’s Gantong region and ready to provide immediate support. These units were considered inland defense, tasked only with suppressing local forces around Gantok City.

The three battalions were positioned in a triangle around Gantok, providing mutual support. Just after midnight, the sentries of all three camps simultaneously spotted large formations of heavy armored tanks surging around their perimeters under the dim starlight. From their shapes alone, the sentries could tell that the cannons on these tanks were not small. Initially, the sentries thought they were seeing things. Given that the total length of drivable roads in all of Xijin Province was only about 1,500 kilometers, how such a large concentration of armored vehicles had assembled without being detected during the day was impossible.

As the first artillery round sounded, the three light infantry battalions were instantly engulfed in fire. After a brief period of confusion, each battalion launched a counterattack. Since the adversary was only using overwhelming numbers of tanks for preparatory bombardment on the perimeter, each battalion quickly rolled out the ten ‘Bee’ anti-tank missile launchers they were equipped with from their hardened shelters. High-penetration, guided armor-piercing rounds streaked outward.

The imported anti-tank missiles of Country N were capable of penetrating 1,030 millimeters of armor, easily handling mainstream tanks. What they failed to anticipate was that the swarm of incoming anti-tank missiles did nothing but blast craters into the ground, leaving the enemy tanks completely unharmed. Furthermore, the distance was too close; every missile launch revealed their firing positions. Each assault point was targeted by approximately 200 heavy armored tanks, and upon detecting a fire position, thirty tanks would concentrate their fire simultaneously. In less than fifteen minutes, all thirty ‘Bee’ anti-tank missile launchers across the three light infantry battalions were disabled. The ensuing battle became a predictable rout.

After thirty minutes of bombardment, no part of the three infantry battalions' defenses remained intact. Then, an astonishing 600 tanks silently vanished from the positions held by Country N's three infantry battalions.

At the exact same moment, the towed howitzer company guarding the southeastern border was ambushed by unknown attack helicopters. Because the enemy helicopters were completely silent, the Country N troops only sounded the air defense alarm after the first wave of incoming missiles struck.

But it was too late. The enemy attack helicopters were numerous—over a hundred were deployed to deal with a single, small towed howitzer company. The first accurate barrage completely paralyzed the entire howitzer company, and the second wave following the initial explosions shattered it entirely.

Simultaneously, the stationed Combat Aviation and Helicopter Battalions came under attack, as did the Communications, Supply and Maintenance, Intelligence, and Engineer Battalions—all struck by unknown forces. The enemy's firepower was overwhelmingly fierce, again relying on superior numbers. By daybreak, the forces of Country N stationed in Xijin were in a state of near-total collapse.

The government of Country N descended into chaos upon receiving the battle reports early that morning. For years, they had been the aggressors, invading and attacking other nations. They had never imagined that a garrison force of over twenty thousand men could be reduced to an empty shell overnight. This speed of attack rivaled that of the US Desert Storm operation.

What baffled Country N most was the identity of the assailant. Which international organization possessed the capability to deploy over a thousand attack helicopters and heavy-caliber artillery tanks? These two types of super-offensive equipment had shattered the two mountain divisions in a single night.

And how had such a massive force been assembled so stealthily? Where had these heavy assets disappeared to once daylight broke? Xijin was sandwiched between Country N, Budan, Nier, and Great Dragon Country. Budan and Nier were largely under Country N’s control, making assembly from that direction unlikely. The only remaining possibility was Great Dragon Country.

However, given the solemn assurances from the leadership of Great Dragon Country, Country N dared not rashly declare war. They reviewed the satellite data from that night and utilized high-precision satellite imagery provided by Country M. Only then could they confirm that the forces had not mobilized from within Great Dragon Country but had materialized out of thin air within Xijin Province and vanished just as suddenly.

This revelation completely stunned the government of Country N. When had Havasa managed to conceal such a vast army across a territory of 7,100 square kilometers? Historically, Xijin’s national strength had been weak, and with the king in exile for years, there was no way for them to secretly build such a massive military force.

Therefore, the only plausible explanation was that King Havasa of Xijin had indeed secured the services of an immensely powerful mercenary force—one so powerful that even Country M would treat it with caution. Furthermore, this force likely had strong ties to the earlier destruction of a Japanese fleet and the US carrier strike group.

Who was directing this force from behind the scenes? How did they manage to evade the surveillance of Country M to quietly amass such a powerful combined air, land, and sea military capability? If they possessed such strength, why hire themselves out to the impoverished King of Xijin? They could simply seize a territory and rule as kings. Did they harbor some concealed political agenda?

On the second day of the war, at precisely nine in the morning, all speculation ended. The official website of the Country N government received an email. The sender claimed to be acting at the request of King Havasa of Xijin to expel all Country N troops stationed within the sovereign territory of Xijin. The message warned that if Country N forces did not withdraw within 24 hours, annihilation operations would resume. The email concluded with the signature: A Soaring Red Dragon.

This email was not only sent to the Country N official website but was also released publicly on the internet. It stated that the military action the previous night was a direct response to King Havasa’s declaration, as midnight marked the expiration of the 72-hour withdrawal deadline. The email condemned the government of Country N for occupying foreign territory for over thirty years despite strong international condemnation, labeling them as the new-generation fascist aggressors whom all peoples of the world should rise against. Moreover, the Red Dragon organization was bound by contract—they took payment to see a job through—and they would see this mission to its conclusion.

This incident caused an uproar in the government of Country N and across the globe. Countries like Country M, Eagle Country, and Japan immediately classified the Red Dragon as the new generation of terrorist organization, designating it a threat far surpassing that of the bearded Laden. Country M even attempted to orchestrate a UN resolution to dispatch a punitive force for the annihilation of the Red Dragon, but ultimately had to stand down due to their inability to locate the organization's hidden base.

The inability to locate the organization's sanctuary presented the greatest difficulty for the government of Country N. The two mountain divisions stationed in Xijin Province were nearly paralyzed overnight. Reinforcements could not arrive within 24 hours, and even mobilizing the remaining forces proved useless as they had no one to fight.

However, the government of Country N was certain that the Red Dragon’s forces had emerged from the mountains, as all available data indicated no military air activity the previous night. Xijin Province is predominantly mountainous with very little flat terrain, with the entire region generally situated above 1,500 meters in elevation. Mount Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, straddles its border with Nipoer. The high altitude, numerous mountains, and complex topography rendered Country N’s surveillance aircraft ineffective in searching the mountainous regions. Deploying ground troops for a full sweep might take a month or two to yield any results.

After a full day of deliberation, the Country N parliament decided to temporarily consolidate forces near Gantok, Tanggu, and Laqin, feigning a withdrawal while simultaneously deploying paratroopers to reinforce key defensive areas in Xijin.

On the third day of the war, at precisely 3:00 AM, Country N’s satellites and automatic air defense systems suddenly failed. Shortly thereafter, residual anti-aircraft and combat aviation battalions stationed in Xijin sent distress signals, reporting that large numbers of strange aircraft were engaging them in air-to-ground attacks. Upon receiving the report, Country N hastily scrambled fighter jets from adjacent areas of Xijin Province as reinforcements. However, without satellite navigation guidance, most aircraft flew erratic patterns, failing to locate the targets. The few planes that did reach the battle zone, guided by long-range AWACS, were vastly inferior in performance to the enemy aircraft. Coupled with the sheer numerical superiority of the opposition, every single reinforcement fighter jet sent was annihilated.

By the morning of the third day of the war, the satellites of Country N were finally brought back online with the assistance of experts from Country M. By that time, all anti-air defenses of Country N within Xijin Province had been completely destroyed, and the ground forces were pinned down in a few narrow valleys. The skies were filled with fighter jets bearing the Red Dragon insignia, and thousands of heavy armored tanks and attack helicopters were spread across the territory of Xijin.

The temporary team of experts dispatched by Country M to Country N were equally stunned. What kind of tactic was this? How did so many troops suddenly appear overnight? Had Xijin Province been engaged in subterranean construction for the past thirty years? Or did this Red Dragon organization possess the ability to burrow through the earth's crust at will?

Havasa then issued a final ultimatum to Country N, declaring that if the government refused to accept his restoration declaration, the remaining ground forces trapped in Xijin would be massacred, and the Red Dragon army would march on New Delhi to capture the President and members of parliament of Country N alive.

The power in Country N had always resided with the parliament; the President was largely a figurehead, and if the President was unable to exercise authority, the Vice President held no right to succeed him. Such naked intimidation was naturally unacceptable to the parliament. Under parliamentary authorization, Country N decided to launch missile attacks against the Red Dragon forces stationed in Xijin.

At 1:00 PM, one hundred tactical missile systems, short- to medium-range, hastily redeployed by the government of Country N, completed their launch preparation. At the order of the wartime commander, one hundred high-yield tactical missiles ascended, flying toward several known Red Dragon troop concentration sites within Xijin.

What the government of Country N failed to anticipate was that as their tactical missiles took to the skies, countless retaliatory missiles erupted from numerous peaks within Xijin. The sheer quantity shocked the world. Computer analysis estimated over a thousand missiles. These missiles had a velocity far exceeding Country N’s newly developed medium-to-long-range missiles, and even surpassed the capabilities of Country M’s Scud missiles. These missiles intercepted all one hundred invading Country N missiles with a stunningly accurate one-to-one ratio outside Xijin’s borders. The remaining nine hundred missiles reversed course and headed directly for the sites where the Country N missiles had been launched.

The government of Country N stared in disbelief. Before the second wave of launches could be prepared, the enemy had used a nine-to-one numerical advantage to utterly shatter the missile defense system that Country N had spent years painstakingly building.

Half an hour later, the Red Dragon organization issued a final warning to the government of Country N: if they did not comply with King Havasa’s demands, the next targets for Red Dragon missiles would be Country N’s nuclear launch silos. They accompanied this threat with coordinates for several fixed secret launch silos and provided the transfer routes for ten of Country N’s mobile nuclear missile launchers within the span of one week.

This time, even the experts from Country M advised the government of Country N to immediately abandon confrontation with the Red Dragon. The Red Dragon’s military capability had surpassed the standard of a superpower. In terms of weaponry, military reconnaissance, and grand strategy, they had absolutely overwhelmed Country N. Even the superpower, Country M, had to regard them differently; if unchecked, the Red Dragon could potentially replace Country M as the world's policeman.

For a nuclear power, the classified nature of such sensitive data being leaked onto the internet was a catastrophic failure in national defense. From this aspect alone, Country N had forfeited any capital for a fight. Their missile interception and counterattack capabilities had already laid bare their cards: their missile accuracy was point-to-point. If they did not accept the terms, the enemy would attack Country N’s nuclear arsenal. At that point, even if the government of Country N refused to submit, the citizens of Country N would rise up and overthrow the government. A regime that disregarded the lives of its own people would never garner popular support.

On the fourth day of the war, at 8:00 AM, the government of Country N issued a public announcement, acknowledging the independence of the State of Xijin, pledging to withdraw all military installations from Xijin in one lump sum, and returning to the pre-invasion border line, hoping for a future of non-aggression and peaceful coexistence between the two nations.

Thus, beginning at 9:00 AM, under the escort of a thousand attack helicopters, the remnants of Country N’s army began their withdrawal from Xijin, with formations of a thousand ultra-high-performance new fighter jets providing high-altitude escort.

On the fifth day of the war, King Havasa announced that he would return to his country by crossing the high seas of the Bay of Bengal and taking passage aboard Red Dragon aircraft through Bangladesh and portions of Country N's airspace. Upon receiving this news, some officials in Country N’s government suggested an opportunity to assassinate Havasa en route. However, they observed a protective formation of five hundred fighter jets; the massive fleet made it impossible to identify Havasa's transport, and Country N could not be certain their own missiles could react faster than the enemy's counter-missile response. The plan died in committee.

After returning to his country, Havasa quickly contacted the underground resistance forces and entered Gantok that same day to reassume authority over the kingdom. Of course, at this point, he only held the title of King; restoring the state structure would take more than a day or two.

The war was officially declared over on the sixth day when the Red Dragon organization issued a statement to the entire world. The Red Dragon, it claimed, was an international mercenary security organization operating strictly for profit. Upon successful application and appropriate compensation, they would provide military and security protection to nations and organizations worldwide. Their intervention to restore King Havasa was merely a demonstration for the benefit of the world. The statement concluded by providing a contact email address and a partial list of their contracted rates.

The government of Country N lost both the battle and the peace. Not only did they lose control over Xijin, but their missile defense systems along the northeastern border were virtually destroyed. The coordinates of several nuclear missile silos had been leaked, and enemy aircraft traversed their airspace as if it were their own backyard. In the end, the organization even presented them with a price tag, welcoming them back for future business. Fortunately, Xijin was a small country covering only 7,100 square kilometers; relative to Budan, Nier, and Zangnan, this loss was negligible.

This regional conflict struck the nation of M the hardest. The simultaneous deployment of thousands of armed helicopters, thousands of heavy armored tanks with large-caliber artillery, and thousands of ultra-high-performance phantom aircraft demonstrated a capability even the Great Dragon Nation could not possess. Based on various signs, experts deduced a tight connection between the mysterious submarine fleet and the Red Dragon organization. How such a colossal military force was amassed, and when it was fully formed, became an enduring mystery to the people of M.

Simultaneously, M’s experts noted with alarm that not a single enemy combatant’s face was revealed throughout the entire war—an unprecedented event in global military history. This made any inference about their ethnicity impossible. Furthermore, the drive systems of these weapons configurations led M’s specialists to severe doubt; post-conflict intelligence indicated these arms were entirely silent, leading many to link the emergence of 'Earth Energy'—coinciding with the recent debut of high-energy batteries on the world stage—directly to the Red Dragon organization.

What perplexed the people of M and the N nation even more was how the Red Dragon managed to infiltrate and exit underground spaces at will. Constructing massive underground military installations should require a long period, impossible to complete without alerting anyone. This implied that the facilities housing such an enormous contingent must have materialized almost overnight. But how, then, was this massive fighting force transported into the landlocked nation of West Jin? Could the Great Dragon Nation have provided them safe passage?

Nevertheless, the war had concluded, and these numerous questions would have to remain topics for future research. Throughout the entire conflict, not a single troop adjustment was made within the borders of the Great Dragon Nation. Even if the people of N and M harbored suspicions, they lacked concrete evidence for an accusation. Moreover, jeopardizing relations with the Great Dragon Nation over a dispute concerning West Jin seemed imprudent. The primary enemy of the current alliance had decisively shifted to the new terrorist organization: the Red Dragon.

The Red Dragon immediately became the top adversary of the Allied nations, yet it simultaneously garnered enthusiastic support from smaller countries and various organizations. Even Base Laden, the bearded leader, publicly declared his willingness to join forces with the Red Dragon to collectively resist the atrocities committed by the nation of M.

Concurrently, several oppressed smaller nations and certain corporate entities began formally requesting the protection of the Red Dragon. Soon after, the Red Dragon published its list of next clients: the Shrek Corporation of M. For the foreseeable future, the Red Dragon would ensure the security of its economic operations on the Wan'an Shoals within the Great Dragon Nation.