The pig-headed Jinzo, whose mind was muddied by militaristic pig fat, was smacked down hard by American President Joe Bosh. The Americans disagreed with starting a war against the Great Dragon Country and opposed any statements or actions targeting the Great Dragon Country under the current circumstances.

"Why? Why!" Jinzo proclaimed vehemently during the video conference, under the sight of a suddenly ruined Tokyo skyline, a reality the Japanese could not accept.

Joe Bosh frowned, "Your Excellency Jisan, don't you understand? Our military influence in Asia has utterly collapsed. Due to the unification of the Taiwan Strait, the rise of the Great Dragon Country, and the meddling of the so-called Taihao Nation, there is no longer a place for us Americans in Southeast Asia. Although everyone on Earth knows that Taihao and the Great Dragon Country have a close relationship, we cannot openly admit it. Moreover, forcing the Great Dragon Country to deny its ties with Taihao is the foundation for everything we will do in the future."

Jinzo looked bewildered, "Mr. President, what do you mean by this? Are you Americans also afraid of the Great Dragon Country? You claim nobility, yet you lack the perseverance of us Japanese!"

Joe Bosh roared with fury, "Understand my ass! Can't you grasp such an obvious point? Do you think Japan genuinely has the capacity to declare war on both the Great Dragon Country and Taihao simultaneously? You think you are a person, but you are actually just a piece of shit! You are completely unworthy of fighting anyone! You are merely a dog slave to us Americans; you must do exactly as we command. If you dare to whine again, we Americans will immediately withdraw our forces back to the Americas. Do whatever you want then; I guarantee the Great Dragon Country's missile barrage will send your Japanese islands to the Western Heaven!"

The reason for Joe Bosh's rage was the immense pressure he was currently under. His homeland was experiencing turmoil; Taihao had established a nation right under their noses, causing an uproar among the American populace. The US military had attempted to dispatch troops to quell this new land mass that had sprung up near Bermuda, but upon encountering hundreds of Mars-class submarines, their carrier fleet retreated. The US fleet felt confident handling one, two, or even five or six Mars-class submarines, but facing hundreds concentrated together—if they managed to repel one, the other hundreds would devour them.

In addition to this, Taihao was achieving continuous victories in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. Many smaller nations that had comfortably relied on America were now having second thoughts, and it was impossible to be certain they wouldn't stab America in the back someday and defect to become vassals of Taihao.

Faced with all these pressures, declaring war on the Great Dragon Country would undoubtedly be a massive error for the US. Joe Bosh believed that the Great Dragon Country, with its vast territory and abundant resources, was absolutely incomparable to the tiny Taihao. This Taihao, having risen rapidly from an unknown source of power, had a fatal weakness despite its speed: a lack of strong reserve resources. If a real war broke out, it would become a war of attrition. Whoever possessed a robust industrial base, rich mineral resources, and vast territory would hold an immense advantage and likely win the war. History had long proven that no war could be won without production bases, raw materials, food, manpower, and resources.

Jinzo was not without reputation; seeing Joe Bosh's fury verging on shame, he knew the Americans were also having a rough time recently. Since the Americans disagreed with declaring war on the Great Dragon Country, he, the prime minister of little Japan, Jinzo A-San, dared not act rashly. After all, today's Great Dragon Country was not the decadent nation of the late Qing Dynasty. Considering this, Jinzo was not angered by Joe Bosh's verbal assault.

"Mr. President, our Great Japanese Empire is willing to follow American instructions. If you believe it is unnecessary to declare war on the Great Dragon Country, then we shall declare war on Taihao. In any case, we cannot just stand by and watch them turn the world upside down without doing anything. Although Taihao has not yet invaded your homeland, I believe it is only a matter of time. As the saying goes, nurturing a tiger invites future disaster; cutting the grass must include eradicating the roots. Now that Taihao has not yet grown too powerful, this is the optimal time to annihilate them. I urge you to reconsider, Mr. President."

This time, Joe Bosh finally nodded and smiled slightly, "What Your Excellency the Prime Minister says is quite right. This 'Red Dragon,' the army of Taihao, actually only made its name relying on slightly advanced weaponry. They are not without weaknesses; the main one is that the Nation of Taihao lacks the necessary territorial support, industry, and mineral resources. While the Great Land Energy is powerful, all its corporate facilities and warehouses are established abroad, making them easy for us to control. We must mobilize the world to impose economic sanctions on Taihao, freeze all their company assets, and leave Taihao with no reserve power, sinking them into an economic mire.

We must also unite with other nations to fight a protracted war of attrition with Taihao—the longer the front line and the longer the war lasts, the better. Russia is our primary partner; the UK, France, and Australia are the main participating forces. Only after Taihao is eliminated can we possibly focus our energy on dealing with the threat from the Great Dragon Country.

Tactically, we must strike where they are weakest and avoid their strengths. We must not engage in naval warfare with Taihao again; their submarine force is too formidable, and those terrifying underwater fortresses are beyond our current capability to handle. Therefore, we must engage in ground warfare, fighting deep into their territory with guerrilla tactics. This will be a war that severely depletes resources. When the time comes, our united world forces will surely drive Taihao into an impossible situation. No matter how advanced the weaponry, without energy, it is useless. Then, they will have no choice but to admit defeat."

"Brilliant, truly brilliant," Jinzo repeatedly gave Joe Bosh a thumbs-up. No wonder America could act as the world's overseer; they were certainly clever. No one wished for their enemy to become powerful. Declaring war simultaneously on the Great Dragon Country and Taihao undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the war exponentially. Dividing and conquering is the best military strategy: Taihao's army excels primarily in its navy; if they fight on land, their limited resources and manpower will surely lead to heavy losses. Avoiding their strengths and attacking their weaknesses is another brilliant tactic.

Seeing that Jinzo agreed with his plan, Joe Bosh continued, "Since you have no objection, our two nations will act separately. I will contact the Russian President and must persuade him to join the great army to eliminate Taihao. As for the UK, France, and Australia, they will follow America's lead. Meanwhile, you in Japan must show goodwill to the government of the Great Dragon Country, expressing your willingness to discard all past grievances and forge a century of good relations. Then, we will use the media to manufacture public opinion to make the Great Dragon Country completely sever ties with Taihao. Even if the Great Dragon Country cannot join our side, we must absolutely prevent them from providing any material assistance to Taihao."

Jinzo nodded, "Understood, I will arrange for people to handle this immediately. Mr. President, where do you think the ground battleground will open up?"

"It should be on the Japanese islands."

Jinzo was shocked, "What? The Japanese islands? Why our Japan? Our land is narrow and surrounded by the sea; it is completely unsuitable for ground warfare. I suggest we open the battlefield on Russia's Siberian plains instead."

Joe Bosh chuckled, "Do you think you are the UN Secretary-General? Will Taihao do exactly as you say? If Taihao strikes at Japan first, must we negotiate with Taihao to fight on the American continent instead of the Japanese islands? Their missiles are already over your head; you dream if you think Japan can remain a paradise aloof from the ravages of war!"

Jinzo conceded helplessly, "Alright, it seems this is inevitable. However, fighting an island-encompassing war makes it easy for their submarine forces to provide fire support to ground troops, which is a huge disadvantage for us."

Joe Bosh countered, "That's why we must unite with other nations to exert military pressure on Taihao's various bases in Haishin City, the Nansha Islands, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific, forcing them to disperse their forces to protect those areas. We, however, can concentrate our strength to annihilate them one by one."

Jinzo swore allegiance to his master, "Mr. President, rest assured. Our Great Japanese Empire has no cowards afraid of life and death. Now that Taihao has cornered us, we have no choice but to fight. They have made sovereign claims over the Ryukyu Islands and bombed our Tokyo. Now is the time for our Great Japanese Empire to strike back!"

Joe Bosh nodded, "Go ahead, but I will remind you of one thing: do not mention the Great Japanese Empire in front of us Americans anymore, because you do not deserve the 'Great' title! How big are you, when even the thing below—that thing—is not as big as our American beauties!"

Jinzo ended the video conference awkwardly. He was furious inside but dared not vent it on Uncle Sam. Japan now depended entirely on the Americans. If they relied solely on Japan's strength, this war probably wouldn't even need to be fought, just as the Emperor had said: destined for failure.

The bombing of Tokyo by Japan caused a global sensation; naturally, some applauded it. Citizens of countries like South Korea, Fei Lu, and Malaysia cheered, just like the people of the Great Dragon Country, wishing the entire Japanese archipelago would sink—a stark manifestation of Japan's wartime crimes from WWII. However, the US, Russia, UK, France, Australia, and others issued condemnations. Coupled with the disappearance of two major cities in New Guinean a while back, they pinned the label of 'enemy of humanity' onto Taihao and called for the whole world to unite against Taihao's atrocities.

The government of the Great Dragon Country currently found itself in a dilemma. Japan had already extended a friendly gesture to the Great Dragon Country, and the high-ranking officials of the Great Dragon Country intended to use this opportunity to mend relations with Japan. Therefore, regarding the bombing of Tokyo, the Great Dragon Country government issued a statement condemning Taihao as a response to Japan's 'friendship.' But this was merely a unilateral wish of the senior leadership. With the opening of the Great Dragon Country's media and the influence of the internet, it was becoming difficult for the government to maintain strict speech control as before. Public opinion outside was overwhelmingly leaning toward Taihao, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the Great Dragon Country government's inaction concerning the New Guinean issue and the Political Bureau's marginalization of the nationally heroic high-ranking general, Zhao Qian, among others! Coupled with the government’s decision to seek a century of friendship with the traitorous Japan, the common people were nearly driven mad. Angry posts cursing the government were endless online, deleting them until the administrator’s hands cramped proved futile. Although the national television station did not explicitly express dissatisfaction with the government, it aired anti-Japanese films daily, shouting slogans like, "Swing your broadswords towards the heads of the Japanese devils!" Anti-Japanese sentiment across the nation became uncontrollable.

This greatly angered the faction in the Political Bureau and the People's Congress. They issued an absolute directive to the National Public Security Ministry's Internet Surveillance Department: block all websites and comments detrimental to the Great Dragon Country government, and execute those responsible with extreme penalty—firing squad—if necessary. The Ministry of State Security deployed all personnel to hunt down 'rumor-mongers and troublemakers,' sentencing them under the charge of obstructing national security. In an instant, chaos erupted across the Great Dragon Country.

The day after the Tokyo bombing, Japan, in alliance with the US, Russia, UK, France, Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, and other nations, declared war on Taihao! Simultaneously, they announced globally: all assets of companies connected to Taihao would be frozen, and any nation or individual providing economic or military aid to Taihao would face a fatal strike from the Joint Military Corps.

On the same day, the Great Dragon Country government issued a statement declaring it would not intervene in the war between the two sides, nor would it provide assistance to either party. The Great Dragon Country was willing to comply with the Joint Army's demand to confiscate and freeze Taihao's company assets within its borders and would not permit any economic or military activities by Taihao domestically. Furthermore, all personnel belonging to Taihao who were originally citizens of the Great Dragon Country would have their citizenship revoked and would be permanently barred from setting foot on Great Dragon Country soil.

This declaration and action by the Great Dragon Country government were utterly intolerable to its people. Demonstrations suddenly erupted in various places. Large numbers of People's Armed Police and the military carried out bloody crackdowns, yet they could not stop the actions. Even more people were heading toward the capital, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was wrong with the new government, which was even more corrupt than the Qing government—had they been kicked in the head by a donkey, or had they forgotten to wear a hat on a rainy day and filled their heads with water?

Chairman Li Zhenyu managed only a small bite of his dinner. After the orderly cleared the dishes, he opened the window and gazed at the night sky. His mind was a mess. The situation had reached this point and had long exceeded his control. Being placed under house arrest now would not be far from the truth. A Provisional Committee, headed by the Political Bureau, had been established to guide all national decisions, euphemistically claiming to relieve him of his worries, but in reality, it had completely stripped him of his power.

Far from being relieved of his worries, he was more troubled than ever. Tan Zhong and his faction, using the pretext of 'the people,' now controlled the military and political power of the Great Dragon Country. This was all his fault for being too soft when dealing with Tan Zhong before; otherwise, this situation would never have arisen. Now, the public's anti-Japanese sentiment was soaring, yet the nation was determined to mend fences with Japan at all costs, even rejecting the Dragon Army, which was loyal to the Huaxia ethnicity. The current strategy should be to unite with Taihao and restore the Huaxia Empire. Taihao had already forced open a passage in the Indian Ocean for the Great Dragon Country, but due to Tan Zhong's opposition, two military regions were driven out of the country. How to resolve this chaotic situation? It was maddening.

A gust of wind brushed across his face, stirring a thought in Li Zhenyu's heart. He turned to look back, "Xiao Zhao! How did you get in here? What's going on, why are you in my office?"

I pointed toward the window, "Just jumped in, sir. I saw you contemplating a problem and didn't dare disturb you."

Li Zhenyu felt a sense of relief. He first opened the door to check the situation outside, and only when he confirmed everything was clear did he turn back and smile at me, "Heh heh, your speed is too fast. I only felt a gust of wind brush my face. Sit down. It's been a long time since you and I had a proper talk. The nation has reached this point, and I am guilty."

I casually sat on the sofa and said to Chairman Li Zhenyu, "Chairman, you shouldn't blame yourself. The matter has come to this pass anyway. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing."

Chairman Li Zhenyu looked puzzled, "What do you mean? Do you approve of what Tan Zhong and the others are doing? He is your sworn enemy!"

"I certainly do not approve, but you know that Tan Zhong and the others represent the people. We cannot defy the will of the people, right? People initially always believe their will is correct. If we insist their ideas are wrong, they definitely won't listen; instead, they will accuse us of usurping power. Now is the time to let everyone see clearly who is actually usurping power. I think if we give them another chance to choose next time, will they still choose wrongly?"

Li Zhenyu nodded, "Next year is the national election. With the incident caused by Tan Zhong and the others, they certainly won't pass next year's election. But we can't rule out them using extraordinary means then, so your idea isn't entirely safe."

I smiled, "Whether they live to see that time is still a question, let alone whether they will still be in charge. The power of the people is immense. When they realize they made the wrong choice, perhaps they will correct it themselves."

Chairman Li Zhenyu sighed, "Xiao Zhao, actually, I don't want to drag the nation into distress just to prove the correctness of a certain viewpoint. Moreover, you are under immense pressure right now. The Great Dragon Country should be your strongest backing, not stand aside."

"Chairman, isn't it that we are the ones who don't have the final say right now? Think about the bright side more. 'When the frontier is lost, we may gain a blessing; calamity may be a blessing in disguise, and blessing may hide a calamity.'… Heh heh, actually, you worry too much. Isolating the Great Dragon Country from the war for now is a good thing; otherwise, it would be our country's common people who suffer if war breaks out. And by the Great Dragon Country declaring neutrality, Taihao can deal with the US, Japan, and others without any worries about the rear guard. As for the common people of their nations? They can do whatever they want. I don't fear what others say about me; after all, they never cared about our people back then. I am just returning their tactics in kind."

Chairman Li Zhenyu said, "Theoretically, I shouldn't support you doing this, but in reality, I also feel that those foreigners should be made to taste what it's like to have their homes destroyed. Didn't they arrogantly burn the Old Summer Palace back then, Xiao Zhao? Give it back to them! Don't let them think we Chinese are easy to bully!"

The Chairman's attitude was quite unexpected for me, "Chairman, I didn't expect you to have such temperaments; I thought you only acted by the book."

Chairman Li Zhenyu replied, "If one has the capability, who doesn't want revenge? But Xiao Zhao, the entire world is united against you right now; can you handle it? It's a pity my military authority has been sidelined, or the Great Dragon Country would certainly not remain neutral."

"Chairman, please don't worry. Others might not understand my strength, but you do. How dare insignificant Vietnam and South Korea declare war on me? I will make them regret it incessantly!"

"Do you have any operational plans? Tell me about them."

"I'm not skilled at making plans because plans always change faster than expected. The preliminary decision is to start by attacking countries surrounding the Pacific from the Japanese islands. The first step currently is to capture the Ryukyu Islands, then use them as a base to advance toward the Japanese islands. From the Japanese islands as a stepping stone, we will march north towards South Korea, Russia, and the US, and south towards Malaysia, Fei Lu, Vietnam, and Australia."

"What is Taihao's current troop strength?" The Chairman was still uneasy.

"Total combat personnel across sea, land, and air is 150,000; we have over 25,000 aircraft, including carrier-based fighters, helicopters, bombers, and transport planes. The Third Fleet consists of one hundred Earth-class underwater fortresses; the Second Fleet is composed of one thousand Mars-class submarines; the First Fleet is made up of 4 modified Venus-class submarine carriers, accompanied by 16 Xia-class cruisers, 64 Xiyu-class destroyers, 40 Mars-class submarines, 80 Mercury-class submarines, and 20 related logistics support ships for escort. Regarding the army's weaponry, aside from ten thousand Tiger-class tanks, there is nothing else worth mentioning."

Chairman Li Zhenyu reminded me, "The main force should be the Earth-class underwater fortresses; their ground attack capability was already demonstrated in the bombing of Tokyo. Absolutely no defense system can intercept their missile clusters."

"Yes, but the Americans are very shrewd. They are gathering forces everywhere to besiege us and expose our targets, attempting to dilute our advantage in concentrated strikes."

Chairman Li Zhenyu considered for a moment, "Xiao Zhao, it's not that I don't trust your ability, but you are still very young. Sometimes you need someone by your side to remind you at all times. I think, let General Yi Tianfeng accompany you on this expedition. His combat experience is exceptionally rich; even if we end up fighting the US and Russia, I will feel at ease. All your current advantages lie at sea. If you attack the US or Russian homelands, ground combat is inevitable, which is where your personnel and weaponry are weak points. However, General Yi Tianfeng's practical combat experience in tactical aspects is unparalleled; he will be of unexpected use to you."

"Chairman, actually, I came tonight with this very intention. General Yi Tianfeng is Xiao Rou's maternal grandfather, so of course, I want to take him with me. But I also want you to come with me. You have nothing left to do here in the country anyway; you might as well go to our Taihao Nation and continue to contribute your wisdom."

"I would like to, Xiao Zhao, but I cannot leave. No matter what, I am nominally the Chairman of the Great Dragon Country's Military Commission, and the entire nation and the world are watching. General Yi Tianfeng can submit a request for retirement to the Military Commission. Currently, Tan Zhong is eager for all my people to withdraw, so this request will certainly be approved. Then he can quietly leave the capital."

I knew the Chairman had his own thoughts, and forcing him to leave might displease him. Before I came, Li Qi had also mentioned that her grandfather would definitely not leave. Successfully persuading General Yi Tianfeng to return to Taihao would count as a complete mission. With his wisdom presiding, I wasn't afraid of the Russians' peerless armored corps anymore.

"Chairman, since that is the case, I will first take General Yi Tianfeng. As for the retirement matter, I will send a letter later to finalize things. I still have some other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb your rest."

Li Zhenyu waved cheerfully at me. "Go on, go on. Talking with you has truly put my mind at ease. Work hard, and don't disappoint my expectations."

I arrived at an underground secret chamber where Yi Xiaorou, General Yi Tianfeng, and others were already waiting. I addressed the group, "The Chairman absolutely refuses to leave. Let's get going then."

General Yi Tianfeng sighed, "I knew that stubborn streak of his. Never mind him; I've been suffocating these past two days. Hurry up and find something for me to do so I can blow off some steam."

I turned to Yi Xiaorou. "Xiaorou, go back and quickly find your grandfather something to occupy him. Whatever you do, don't let the old man stew in boredom. I have to meet someone, so I won't be returning to Wenlai with you all. We can discuss the battle plan first thing tomorrow morning."

Yi Xiaorou cautioned, "It’s chaotic out there. Be careful."

"Don't worry. Those fellows from the State Security Bureau aren't a match for me." With that, I left the secret chamber and headed straight for Longteng University.