With the confirmation that the fleet and air combat wings had been annihilated, Demong Nong and Ruan Lao Er nearly collapsed. Do not underestimate those two forces; for Yue Nan, those strengths were significant, and now to have them completely wiped out—this loss was catastrophic.

Demong Nong muttered to himself, "Mistake, a grave mistake. I have failed the people's hopes; I am guilty."

Ruan Lao Er tried to console him, "This is not the General Secretary's fault. Our intelligence system is far too backward, lacking satellite support, while the enemy's electronic warfare is formidable. We fell into Red Dragon's trap. We will settle this score eventually."

Vice Chairman of the Military Commission Wu Chi demanded, "How will we settle it? Can we defeat Red Dragon? We originally intended to win a victory to use as leverage in negotiations, but now look—we've ended up losing our principal assets instead."

Another Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, Hu Shu, interjected, "Stop with the sarcasm. What should we do next? Declare war on Red Dragon? Red Dragon is causing significant trouble in Wen Lai right now; even M Country, Malay, and Fei Lu can't deal with them. What can we possibly do?"

Demong Nong knew he needed to propose a solution now. After careful consideration, he said, "For now, we must suppress the news of the naval and air defeat. If Red Dragon remains silent, we will issue no statement either. However, we must immediately convene an economic conference of the South Sand Oil Cooperation nations to inform them of Red Dragon's actions. If they do not present a tangible oil protection plan, it will severely affect their own interests."

M Country, Xiong Country, Fa Country, Ying Country, D Country, and Ao Country all had petroleum cooperation and extraction plans signed with Yue Nan. Upon receiving Yue Nan's secret notification, these nations promptly dispatched special envoys to Ho Chi Minh City to discuss future countermeasures.

Regarding the deployment of Red Dragon warships in the South Sand, M Country's stance was particularly rigid. If Red Dragon managed to control the South Sand Archipelago, the Strait of Malacca would become indefensible. To pass Malacca, one must traverse the South China Sea, and if the South China Sea route is blocked, the Strait of Malacca is worthless.

The attitudes of the other nations were largely similar. Nominally, they claimed concern for the interests of their oil companies; in reality, they all feared Red Dragon growing too powerful. The speed at which this organization was developing was astonishing, as was the formidable military strength it commanded. If a decisive blow wasn't struck soon, the consequences would be unthinkable.

After extensive discussion, the participating representatives unanimously agreed that the most pressing matter was to gauge the attitude of Da Long Country. Red Dragon's fleet presence in the South China Sea warranted the primary response from Da Long Country, after all, Red Dragon's forces had entered waters claimed by Da Long Country—this could be considered an incursion.

Since the matter had been brought into the open by various nations, Da Long Country naturally could not remain entirely silent. On the surface, it appeared another force had entered its territory, and making no sound would be difficult to justify.

The next day, Da Long Country issued a press announcement stating that, after solemn national review, Red Dragon's entry into the South China Sea was purely a civilian act to protect local fishermen, akin to ordinary individuals hiring bodyguards. As the government of Da Long Country, they should not interfere with the normal lives of fishermen. However, Red Dragon's fishing protection operations within Da Long Country's borders must adhere to relevant regulations and timely tax payments must be made to the government.

The governments of the various nations were extremely angered by Da Long Country's stance, yet they conceded it held a certain logic. If their government couldn't manage the situation itself, it was understandable for fishermen to hire external protection. However, Red Dragon's conduct was too audacious; if they continued this way, soon no other nations would be operating in the entire South Sand region. Thus, while Da Long Country might tolerate it, other nations could not.

Since Da Long Country had made its position clear—to stay out of it—the representatives attending the meeting moved swiftly. Before long, an Anti-Red Dragon Alliance was rapidly formed. The alliance designated Red Dragon as a new generation of terrorist organization, surpassing the terror level of the Bin Laden bearded men. Nations joining the Anti-Red Dragon Alliance were expected to contribute financially or militarily to smother this super terrorist magnate in its cradle. If allowed to develop further, they believed the entire world would soon fall under their control.

As soon as news of the meeting spread, other countries, including Fei Lu, Malay, R Ben, and Niu Country, quickly responded by joining. Even Yin Ni, which had recently adopted a friendlier stance toward Da Long Country, showed eagerness. After all, Red Dragon’s military base in Wen Lai was beginning to impact Yin Ni’s security, forcing them to treat the matter with caution.

However, deciding how to counter Red Dragon's challenge led to days of inconclusive debate among the representatives, who spoke over one another. The main obstacle was Red Dragon’s immense strength, coupled with the fact that they were currently operating on Da Long Country's territory. If M Country allied with other forces to engage in combat in the South China Sea, Da Long Country would likely be the first to object, making the situation extremely delicate.

Consequently, various nations began exerting pressure on Da Long Country. Under duress, Da Long Country could only promise that as long as the fighting parties did not affect the safety and normal lives of local fishermen, Da Long Country would not intervene. Truthfully, Da Long Country's approach was deeply disappointing, but who could know the true undercurrents? Moreover, pulling the currently developing economy of Da Long Country into the vortex of war would set back decades of progress!

Having secured Da Long Country's assurance, a major conflict, second only to the Iraq War, commenced for M Country. The national war machine was activated. Given Red Dragon’s known tactic of overwhelming force, M Country, after thorough preparation, amassed over 300 warships and 100 submarines, joining forces with 280 warships and submarines from other allied nations, completely surrounding Red Dragon’s First Fleet in the South Sand and the Wen Lai military base. This was further supported by 2,000 fighter jets stationed at bases across the Pacific Rim—a super-war was brewing.

The media declared that World War III was imminent on the seas, taking place within the territorial waters claimed by a nation that professed neutrality. This was certainly an oddity.

The nation most triumphant about this grand mobilization was Yue Nan. Despite losing its advantage in naval and air forces, it had garnered significant international support. With nearly 600 warships, submarines, and 2,000 assorted fighter jets converging on the South China Sea, Yue Nan looked forward to Red Dragon’s response, satisfied that merely trailing in the wake of these great powers would be profitable enough.

Out of caution regarding Red Dragon’s terrifyingly effective tactics, the Allied Fleet refrained from actually entering the South China Sea during the two-week assembly period, cruising only along the periphery. Red Dragon, meanwhile, remained utterly indifferent. While the outside media exploded with speculation, they issued only a simple notice about deploying to the South China Sea to protect fishermen, hoping Yue Nan and other nations occupying Da Long Country's South Sand islands would cooperate, warning that all resulting consequences would be borne by those who refused.

Those unaware of Red Dragon’s true strength assumed they were intimidated by the massive multinational fleet. But M Country and Niu Country, who had truly tasted Red Dragon’s bitterness, knew that this simple notice concealed an enormous threat. Red Dragon was known to follow through on its words. Once the Allied Fleet entered the South China Sea, war would be inevitable, and the final victor remained uncertain.

Due to the looming war crisis, prices for strategic materials like crude oil and minerals soared, with Great Earth Energy being the biggest beneficiary. Having already secured vast amounts of strategic resources globally, their coffers swelled as nations frantically purchased supplies.

The Anti-Red Dragon Alliance, led by M Country, suspected that Red Dragon's heavy weaponry relied on Great Earth Energy’s high-energy batteries—a high-grade type never seen on the commercial market. Furthermore, Red Dragon consistently utilized Huanyu’s satellites for reconnaissance and warfare. Did some unholy secret connection exist among these three entities?

Although M Country harbored these suspicions, it currently lacked the capacity to confront Great Earth and Huanyu simultaneously. While these two companies might not possess Red Dragon’s military might, their economic power—especially Huanyu’s satellites, which demonstrated the capability to attack other nations' satellites during their launch for Da Long Country—was immense. Offending all three organizations at once might truly spell doom for M Country. Thus, even with their suspicions, M Country had to pretend ignorance.

Even more complicated was the emergence of the new super arms dealer, the Arms Maniac. Some of the weapons he sold included specialized versions for Red Dragon, such as the Mercury-class nuclear-powered submarines. This suggested a close relationship with Red Dragon. However, he sold indiscriminately to all sides, regardless of allegiance: he would sell to M Country, and it was rumored Da Long Country had secretly made purchases, as had Xiong Country and R Ben. Recently, Yue Nan had also initiated urgent consultations with him. In this mobilization for war, the Arms Maniac was profiting even more than Great Earth Energy, as weaponry commanded higher prices than strategic materials, reportedly earning billions daily.

The clouds of war hung heavy over the South China Sea. Nations gathered with divergent motives, yet their single objective remained: the annihilation of the Red Dragon organization.

But could they achieve this goal? Global media tracked developments incessantly, 24 hours a day. Some longed for war, seeing it as a path to new opportunities; others loathed it, knowing it could destroy existing civilization.

For now, however, the situation was beyond anyone’s control. The world could only wait and watch. If Red Dragon was defeated, a resurgence would be unlikely. If the Allied Fleet, led by M Country, was defeated, their spheres of influence in the Pacific and Indian Oceans would suffer a severe blow.

In the dilapidated shack at Shen Langhua's home, I, Zhu Da, Cai Bao'er, Wu Gang (Commander of the Red Dragon First Fleet), Shen Langhua, and several core fishermen were meeting to discuss the next phase of our plan.

Thanks to the clean and brilliant victory achieved today, the fishermen's morale had soared, and their desire for a better life grew ever stronger. They were certainly unwilling to let this opportune moment slip away. In truth, many fishermen from the Central Sand and West Sand islands had migrated from the South Sand Archipelago; when the Yue military occupied the South Sand islets in the late seventies, they were forced north to Central and West Sand for survival.

An elder lamented, "A fine fight! I have lived nearly seventy years, fishing for almost sixty, and I have never witnessed such satisfying action at sea. If the Yue Nan people dare claim the South Sand as their land, bah! My ancestors are buried on Nanwei Island. Pity my father and grandfather! How many years has it been since I could return to pay respects since those sons of dogs occupied Nanwei Island?"

A young fisherman urged, "Elder Liu, stop crying. This time, we have Red Dragon backing us. If those bastards dare not spit out the meat they swallowed, we won't let them off easily. You saw the strength today—how powerful Red Dragon is. Those once arrogant Yue Nan planes and warships were beaten without a chance to strike back."

Elder Liu retorted, "Who says I'm crying? I am weeping from joy! I never expected in my lifetime to return to honor my ancestors. I am overcome with happy tears!"

Shen Langhua assured them, "Everyone, rest assured. The commander of Red Dragon's First Fleet, Comrade Wu Gang, has personally come to our fishing village to discuss our next steps. After all, they can only provide escort for our fishing; they cannot enter areas where we cannot fish without authorization. I am too young and unfamiliar with the old fishing routes. Now, we need everyone to share information about our traditional routes so that Red Dragon's warships can formulate a complete plan to ensure our operational safety."

The fishermen chimed in, "Yes, that's the sensible thing! Not just Nanwei Island—many places now occupied by little Yue Nan were our ancestral homelands. We wonder if the Red Dragon officers can help us reclaim our homes."

Wu Gang stated, "Red Dragon's mission is to protect fishermen's livelihoods, and fishermen need places to live while fishing. You can move back to where you originally lived; I can guarantee that. As for the Yue Nan troops on the islands, if you all make a request, we can order their withdrawal. Otherwise, they face only one consequence."

The fishermen slammed the table in agreement, "That's wonderful! This day has finally arrived. We never thought the government couldn't accomplish what you, Red Dragon, are helping us achieve, and without taking a single penny! We can never repay this kindness in this lifetime!"

Wu Gang waved his hand, "You are too kind. We are good friends with these three heroes. Besides, look at my complexion and hear my language—surely you understand?"

"We understand, we understand! We are all Chinese, and naturally, we won't let foreigners bully our compatriots. Commander Wu, just tell us what we should do?"

Wu Gang replied, "Everyone can just call me Little Wu. The method is to follow the suggestion just made by Miss Shen: everyone mark your usual fishing routes on the map. Also, indicate which islands were once your residences and what markings exist there to prove it. Tell me everything. I guarantee that all your wishes will be realized in the future. Whether it's returning home to worship ancestors or visiting old dwellings, everything Yue Nan has taken from us must be returned completely intact!"

The fishermen's spirits were ignited. Wu Gang took out a detailed map of the South Sand, surveyed by satellite, which Shen Langhua spread out on the rickety table. Wu Gang explained the names of various features and sea zones, while the fishermen pointed out the most valuable traditional fishing routes, as well as the islands occupied by Yue Nan and the several resource-rich large fishing grounds.

After half a night of research and discussion, they settled on the plan for the coming steps: The first step is to escort current, habitual fishing routes, a path that largely avoids islands garrisoned by Yue Nan troops. The second step is, based on the voluntary requests of the fishermen, to gradually restore the fishing routes to their original configuration, which includes the large fishing grounds near the Yue-occupied islands. The third step is to progressively restore the original settlements on the Yue-occupied islands to better facilitate fishing operations.

This slow-moving plan is not born of fear of any specific party, but rather to allow the fishermen throughout the South China Sea to gradually become acquainted with the Red Dragon organization, to let them know that Red Dragon genuinely cares for them and is not merely seizing territory.

Wu Gang stated solemnly, "Fellow villagers, as the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap. We in Red Dragon must strive, but you all must also have confidence and courage. Do not lose faith in us because the enemy appears temporarily strong. Only through your demands can we have legitimate cause; otherwise, Red Dragon becomes an unmasked invasion."

The crowd immediately objected, "What invasion? The Yue Nan people are the invaders! Da Long Country’s government can do nothing. It was we who requested Red Dragon’s help. How could it be an invasion? If anyone dares say that, the first ones to confront them will be us!"