On April 5th of the first year of Taihao, a massive joint force from the US, Japan, Britain, France, Australia, South Korea, and Vietnam deployed significant military strength, laying siege to Taihao across Xijin, Wenlai, Nansha, Bermuda, and Zangnan, thus dispersing the majority of Taihao's defending troops. Simultaneously, they feigned an intention to fight a decisive battle against Taihao in the eastern part of Niu Country, to which Taihao’s forces stood ready, making no move to counterattack proactively.

On April 8th of the first year of Taihao, King Zhao Qian of Taihao appointed Zhu Da as the Great General Pacifying Japan, with Cai Bao'er as his deputy. They led an attack force comprised of one Jinxing-class stealth carrier, four Xia-class cruisers, sixteen Xiyu-class destroyers, ten Huoxing-class submarines, twenty Shuixing-class submarines, and five logistics and supply vessels to assault the Ryukyu Islands. An additional ten Diqiu-class underwater fortresses lurked in the Ryukyu waters, ready to provide support at any moment. On the ground, 500 Liebao-armed helicopters and 1,000 Menghu-amphibious heavy armored tanks participated in the operation.

At 8:00 AM local time on April 9th, the ten Diqiu-class underwater fortresses launched three waves of missile bombardments against the Japanese and US bases in Naha, Okinawa, Kunigami, and Setouchi on the Ryukyu Islands. Immediately following, the troops stormed the beaches of Okinawa. The remaining Japanese and US defenders were unable to withstand the savage sweep of the metal storm and the swift advance of the Menghu tanks, quickly collapsing into rout. Beginning on April 11th, the Taihao army swept northwards, taking Iheya Island, Okinoerabu Island, Tokunoshima, Yorojima, and Yakushima, driving directly toward the critical Japanese-American stronghold of Tanegashima, gazing across the Ōsumi Strait at mainland Japan.

The Allied nations, led by the United States, swiftly convened an all-participant conference in Washington. The speed of the Taihao advance had left them utterly exposed and unable to defend. At this rate, the entire Japanese archipelago would fall within half a month, after which Taihao forces, using Japan as a base, would proceed to attack South Korea, Russia, Vietnam, and Australia.

Keto Shinzo was the most concerned party regarding the current battlefield situation. He spoke first: "Esteemed brethren and friendly allies, Japan now stands at the precipice of survival. I implore you to extend your hands of friendship and attack Taihao across all fronts immediately, thereby dividing his forces so we may defeat them one by one, and simultaneously alleviating the pressure on our Japanese islands."

The British Prime Minister responded: "It is not that we are unwilling to engage Taihao, but we have no viable avenue. In naval warfare, our strength is far inferior to Taihao's, and in ground combat, we lack necessary theaters. We wished to engage them in a decisive battle in eastern Niu Country, but the new government of Niu Country refuses us passage. Moreover, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Laos maintain ambiguous stances, and Great Dragon Country remains neutral. From where shall we strike them? It is difficult."

The US President stated: "The immediate course of action is to adhere to the previous plan: we will establish heavy defenses across the Japanese islands and fight a decisive battle against the Taihao forces."

Keto Shinzo’s expression darkened considerably. Fighting on the Japanese mainland meant the core infrastructure of Japanese industry, agriculture, and commerce would suffer grievous damage. Even if victorious, it might take fifty years to recover their vitality; the glory of the Great Japanese Empire would then be nothing more than yesterday's flower.

The Australian Prime Minister voiced his objection: "Fighting Taihao on the Japanese islands seems imprudent. Taihao chose the Japanese islands precisely because they lack natural defenses; attacking them here is tantamount to inviting our own doom. What weapons do you propose to counter the dense missile clusters from the Diqiu-class underwater fortresses? Taihao's armored tanks are impervious, and their armed helicopters possess overwhelming firepower and thick armor. In the battles so far, we have suffered catastrophic losses while only managing to destroy ten of their tanks and three helicopters. Have you witnessed such an imbalance of warfare before?"

US President Bush sneered: "Do you have any other method at this juncture? They refuse to let us lead them by the nose; our only option is to encircle and fortify."

The Russian President said: "Taihao's rapid advance is greatly aided by satellite intelligence reconnaissance. Every move we make is known to them in advance. I suggest we initiate an orbital war, destroying all their satellites. Once their eyes are blinded, the battle will become much easier."

Everyone expressed agreement, but Bush stated coolly: "This plan must not be implemented unless absolutely necessary."

The Russian President inquired: "Why?"

Bush sneered again: "Heh heh, I truly doubt the functioning of your minds. Is our satellite technology truly more advanced than theirs? If we launch an attack against Taihao’s satellites, we must also be prepared for our own satellites to be targeted. This is certainly not a favorable outcome for us. Currently, everyone's satellites coexist peacefully in their orbital paths, but once someone initiates an orbital war, there will be no good end for any party."

Russia, having long prepared for orbital warfare against the United States, would not have proposed this suggestion otherwise. Now that the US and Russia were aligned, the Russian President intended to test the power of these space weapons against Taihao. However, Bush was correct; if one side initiated an orbital war, neither side would emerge unscathed, given that the entire galaxy's power was clearly visible to all.

The General Secretary of the Viet Cong stated: "To capture the bandit, first capture the king; to shoot the horse, first shoot the eyes. I believe that if we can knock out Taihao's eyes, the war will become much easier. Everyone think: what is our advantage? It is our robust logistical support! If our satellites are destroyed, we can manufacture and launch new ones because we possess powerful aerospace bases. But Taihao lacks the industrial foundation, and Great Dragon Country remains neutral and will not offer him any assistance. What will he do when his satellites are ruined and cannot be rebuilt?"

The British Prime Minister dismissed this with disdain: "Fool! Haven't you realized that Taihao does not rely on Great Dragon Country’s industrial system at all? From our inspection of various companies controlling the planet's energy resources, those external enterprises fundamentally lack manufacturing capabilities—or more accurately, the capability to manufacture those super-weapons. Yet, their weaponry continues to pour onto the battlefield ceaselessly. What does this imply? It implies they possess secret production bases! Our paramount priority must be to locate these secret bases and destroy them in one fell swoop."

US President Bush concurred: "Indeed. None of the companies we know of can produce the specialized steel Taihao uses for manufacturing weapons and equipment. Therefore, there must be secret bases in this world that we are unaware of. If we destroy this production base, Taihao will lose the capacity to fight us."

After two days of noisy deliberation, the nations finally settled on a strategy: allies would dispatch troops to assist Japan in homeland defense, while simultaneously deploying a large contingent of intelligence personnel to search for Taihao's secret production base. On the other hand, they prepared to initiate an orbital war as a last resort to destroy the enemy's satellites. Furthermore, the Allied conference also discussed Taihao's next likely targets should the Japanese islands fall, and established defensive measures for those contingencies.

Sunshine, sandy beaches, sea breeze, lapping waves—Okinawa Island was utterly tranquil, showing none of the devastation following a massive battle. Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er were lounging on the sand, sunbathing. Li Qi and the other women and I had just finished a long swim in the ocean. It felt wonderful to finally relax body and mind after so long.

Ouyang Qing swam up behind me and embraced me tightly. "Husband, this place is truly beautiful. Let's move here! I adore it; the beaches are so enchanting. I wish I could sleep right on the sand tonight."

I turned back and caressed Ouyang Qian's chest through her bikini. Ouyang Qian simply smiled and ignored the gesture. Li Qi, however, slapped her own chest and scolded me: "You old rogue, how disgusting! I'm about to gag. What if those two on the shore see? But Qianqian is right, I quite like it here too. It's much more comfortable than Haishén City; the architecture there is too solemn and stern. This place feels far more relaxing."

I replied: "What's the big deal? Let's move here tonight. Look, our home is just across the sea; it’s certainly closer than being in the Atlantic."

Seeing that I agreed, the women cheered, swam ashore, and ran off. Being alone in the water held no more appeal for me, so I went ashore and lay down beside Zhu Da. Zhu Da laughed: "No wonder the little devils fought over our Ryukyu Islands hundreds of years ago; the environment here really is superb. Commander Zhao, why didn't we agree to press the attack straight through to the Japanese islands? Isn't this just giving them time to catch their breath?"

I said: "What's the rush? Our troops also need to reorganize, and the newly conquered territories require administration. Otherwise, as soon as our main army withdraws, those wretched civilians will rebel, and all our efforts will be in vain. We are all novices at managing a nation. Lately, Li Qi and the others have been exhausted. If we had immediately overrun the Japanese islands, they would have been even more frantic. I couldn't bear it. Besides, this battle exposed some of our weaknesses—we wouldn't have lost ten tanks and three helicopters otherwise. Xiaorou and the others are improving the protective systems; the new standard bulletproof vests and individual anti-gravity flight gear will be issued to every soldier to enhance survivability."

Zhu Da nodded, agreeing with my assessment. Constant, unrestrained offense without securing one's rear is detrimental to the long term. It is better to conquer a piece of land and solidify control before moving on. Cai Bao'er, however, interjected: "I say we just slaughter all those Japanese. Keeping them around is just a nuisance, and they waste our rations. Anyway, the A-films they filmed will last us quite a while."

I responded: "I'd like to, but things aren't that simple. If we kill the civilians in Niu Country and Japan today, the US, Russia, and other nations will fabricate rumors and stir up trouble against us everywhere tomorrow. Then, everywhere we go, we'll face universal resistance, much like the people's war in our own nation back then. We don't have enough troops to suppress them all, and future management will rely on local autonomy. Therefore, we cannot afford to push things too far."

Zhu Da laughed: "Commander Zhao certainly thinks further ahead. If it were up to me, the Great General Pacifying Japan, I'd slaughter them all. Right, so what's the next move?"

I explained: "After two days of rest, the main army will land on Kyushu Island, Japan, and then split into two routes. One route will strike directly toward Shikoku Island, and the other will use Kyushu as a stepping stone to enter South Korea."

Zhu Da inquired: "Does that mean my title needs changing? We can't use the name Great General Pacifying Qiao when fighting the Korean dogs."

I clarified: "That's unnecessary. You and Cai Bao'er will sweep northwards across the Japanese islands in separate eastern and western columns, awaiting orders at the La Pérouse Strait. Liu Hu and Yao Guangrong will lead another major army to enter North Korea via South Korea, waiting for orders in Rason along the narrow strip bordering Great Dragon Country. Once both armies converge, we will advance together against Russia from both the Sikhote-Alin Mountains and Sakhalin Island. We will crush them in one go and march to Moscow, letting the old Russians witness the power of our iron cavalry once more."

Cai Bao'er cried out: "Excellent! I've waited for this day. But what about the southern front?"

I commanded: "Zhang Dahai will lead another fleet to sweep across all the Southeast Asian nations, while Qin Yicheng will march through Laos to attack Vietnam. We must strive to unify all nations on the eastern coast of the Pacific within the first half of the year."

Zhu Da rose from the sand: "No more vacation. I'll return to the troops immediately to check on preparation status. Didn't you mention Xiaohui's mechanical police force will be taking over security in the Ryukyu Islands? I need to arrange things."

Cai Bao'er stood up with him: "I’m coming too."