Luo Tianmin rushed back to the country and contacted the influential magnates who supported him overnight. After presenting them with the massive prospect Liu Hui had painted and outlining the future distribution of benefits, several key figures immediately switched allegiance to the Luo family's faction.

Consequently, Luo Tianmin quickly secured sufficient backing. Following this, he finally bared the fangs he had kept hidden for so long, seizing absolute advantage at the Giants' Summit in one decisive move. Under the united pressure from the Luo family's faction, the already declining Guo family offered no resistance, choosing to withdraw from the Central stage in obscurity, becoming a mere historical footnote.

The Luo family succeeded the Guo family, formally ascending to the pinnacle. When Liu Hui saw the news on the third day, reporting that the Guo family controller was stepping down for medical recuperation and that Luo Tianmin would fully assume control of operations, he instantly knew the domestic landscape had undergone a seismic shift; his greatest nemesis had finally fallen.

As expected, Luo Tianmin arrived at "Star City" around noon. Liu Hui and Luo Tianmin were closeted together for a long discussion; no one knew the specifics of their private deliberations. However, when they emerged, both men wore beaming smiles—clearly satisfied with the outcome of their conversation.

Swiftly, a new negotiation team from Huaxia was quickly assembled and dispatched to "Star City" to continue talks with the station's negotiating unit. Due to the dramatic shifts in external conditions and the significant consensus reached between the top echelons of both sides, this round of negotiations proceeded with remarkable speed, with an official agreement anticipated within a week.

With the Huaxia matters settled, Liu Hui immediately turned his focus to launching operations against the Philippines. Manila had previously sent a sternly worded diplomatic note to "Star City," which Liu Hui had deliberately ignored at the time. Now, with his hands free, he immediately decided to convene a press conference.

Upon learning that "Star City" was preparing to hold a press conference, journalists from all corners of the globe flocked to the station.

As "Star City" continued to expand in scale, its management structures grew increasingly standardized—it was beginning to resemble a genuine human city. Consequently, these reporters harbored deep aspirations to tour this unique metropolis, planning to use the coverage of this press conference as an opportunity for a thorough visit.

Liu Hui was fully prepared for the media event. Under the watchful eyes of these assembled journalists, the press conference for "Star City" officially commenced.

Liu Hui himself acted as the host for the event, addressing the assembled press: "Distinguished friends from the media, I am delighted that you could attend this conference.

To get straight to the point, I will first play an audio recording for you."

A recording then began playing on the large screen. It was the communication log from earlier when Philippine Navy warships demanded permission to board the station to pursue pirates. Since the previous encirclement of "Star City" by the navies of five nations had been strictly classified by all parties, the reporters were initially confused about Liu Hui's intent after hearing the recording.

Liu Hui then explained, "A few days ago, three Philippine warships arrived near our 'Star City' and engaged in this exchange with us. As you can all hear from this recording, the Philippine side claimed that pirates had boarded 'Star City,' and thus they requested entry to suppress them."

The journalists nodded in unison; anyone with a modicum of intelligence could discern the meaning of the audio.

Liu Hui continued, "Next, I will play the second recording for you."

The second audio file began playing. This recording contained the final ultimatum delivered by the Philippine military to "Star City." In it, the military issued a stern warning: if they were not permitted to board "Star City," they would launch an attack. As Liu Hui presented this ultimatum to the reporters, he had deliberately omitted the names of the United States, Russia, and Japan.

The reporters remained somewhat perplexed, unable to grasp why the Philippines would come to "Star City" to hunt pirates and issue such a drastic final demand.

Some reporters, possessing internal sources, had vaguely heard whispers about the five-nation naval blockade, but they lacked concrete details. Hearing the Philippine ultimatum now, they realized the situation must be far more serious, as Manila was actually threatening military action against "Star City."

Suddenly, the journalists became extremely excited, realizing that "Star City" was about to break explosive news. They had countless questions ready to ask, but remembering the rules Liu Hui had established regarding the Q&A segment, they forcefully restrained themselves and held their inquiries.

Liu Hui stated, "The evening before the Philippines issued their ultimatum, a group of pirates attacked our 'Star City.' We have since captured the majority of these individuals. I will now show you their interrogation videos."

Video footage then appeared on the screen, showing five fierce-looking men. Each was held in a separate room, and all five were recounting their names and objectives to "Star City's" interrogators. Although the men appeared dejected, their facial features were distinct enough to be instantly recognizable.

Liu Hui had ensured the videos were expertly edited so that upon viewing, the audience could immediately see from the testimonies that these individuals were indeed clandestine pirates, acting under directives from the Philippine side to steal high technology from "Star City."

"Ah, I recognize this man, Manio. He is the captain of the Philippine Presidential Guard. How could he turn into a pirate?"

"I also know this one, Kisangchu. He is the chief instructor for the Philippine Special Forces. How did he become a pirate too?"

The five captured Filipino elites were well-known figures in their home country. Many well-informed reporters had seen them on Philippine television before. Seeing their actual identities revealed as pirates, and that they had been apprehended by Star City, left them utterly astonished.

Liu Hui was pleased that reporters recognized the identities of the five men. He announced, "I trust everyone has confirmed the identities of these five pirates. Indeed, they are famous martial arts experts within the Philippines, all serving the Philippine government. However, as you can see, their true identities are that of pirates. It remains a mystery how they infiltrated the Philippine government, and according to their confessions, there are many other hidden pirates operating within the government structure."

A ripple of shock went through the assembled press. They were astounded that Liu Hui claimed the Philippine government harbored hidden pirates.

Liu Hui pressed on, "These pirates, in their pursuit of our high technology, deployed three Philippine warships, using the pretense of 'pirate suppression' to forcibly board our 'Star City.' When we refused their demand, they actually issued us an ultimatum—if we did not meet their terms, they would attack us!"

After viewing the footage and hearing Liu Hui’s account, the reporters immediately grasped the full context of the incident. The Philippine government, they concluded, was utterly shameless, using its own agents disguised as pirates, deploying naval vessels, and exploiting the guise of law enforcement to attempt to breach "Star City" and seize its advanced technology. But their capabilities proved insufficient; in the end, they were caught red-handed and publicly branded as pirates by Liu Hui.

Liu Hui adopted an expression of righteous indignation, declaring, "Ladies and gentlemen, our 'Star City' has always striven for peace and made significant contributions to the health of people worldwide. Yet, as you have witnessed, there exists a rogue nation rife with pirates, constantly seeking unearned rewards, always attempting to seize the fruits of others' labor through piracy. Therefore, in light of the extreme and wicked actions of the Philippine government, 'Star City' will be initiating sanctions against the Philippines."

"'Star City' will impose sanctions on the Philippines?" Some reporters wondered if they had misheard. Did "Star City," an entity outside of sovereign nations, possess the authority and capability to sanction a country?

Liu Hui stated, "Very well, that concludes the general overview. We will now move to the open Q&A session."

The reporters immediately raised their hands high, eager for a chance to ask the multitude of questions forming in their minds.

Liu Hui smiled and pointed toward a female reporter from Star City Television.

"Good day, Boss. I am Xiao Mei, a reporter from Star City Television. My question is: How exactly does 'Star City' plan to sanction the Philippines?"

Liu Hui laughed pleasantly. "To punish the Philippine government, we will first terminate the 'Medical Cooperation Agreement' signed with them. Consequently, their citizens will no longer receive cutting-edge treatment from our 'Star City Terminal Illness Hospital,' and the annual quota of one hundred free treatments for terminal illness will be revoked. Secondly, all 'Star City' industries will completely withdraw from the Philippines. From this day forward, none of our products will be sold within the Philippines, nor will products from other regions be allowed to flow into the country. Finally, given that pirate elements have infiltrated the Philippine government, we will assist the Filipino people in locating and bringing all these pirate elements to justice for the punishment they deserve."

"Respected Mr. Liu Hui, I am Katherine from The Sun in Britain. My question concerns the Philippine government's claim that their warships were sunk by you, and they sent a diplomatic note demanding a response, which you have not yet provided. What is the explanation for this?"

Liu Hui chuckled. "This reporter may not be aware of the full context. Not all those Philippine pirates were captured by us. After they fled 'Star City,' fearing exposure of their mission, they sank their own warships. That is why we offered no reply to the Philippine government's deceptive diplomatic note; they caused the sinking themselves—it has nothing to do with us."

"Respected Mr. Liu Hui, hello. I am Wang Jing from Huaxia Television. Could you elaborate on how 'Star City' intends to sanction the Philippines?"

Liu Hui responded, "Since those pirate elements have infiltrated the Philippine government, we are deeply pained by this. Therefore, for the shared welfare of the Filipino people, we have decided to launch armed strikes against those pirate elements until they are entirely eradicated."

"Respected Mr. Liu Hui, I am Julie from the Los Angeles Times. Why would you choose to impose sanctions yourself rather than taking the Philippine government to the United Nations regarding such a major issue?"

Liu Hui inwardly cursed his bad luck for accidentally calling upon his old adversary again. (Liu Hui’s experience resonated with Qianyu Chuhai; in the book review section, two individuals constantly aimed barbs at him. One incessantly declared he was dropping the book and wouldn't read it, yet he returned daily to post the same comment. The other was even stranger, consistently calling Qianyu Chuhai brainless, an idiot, and writing shallow material, yet he, too, never missed a day of reading.)

Nevertheless, Liu Hui maintained his smile and said, "Miss Julie, perhaps you could consider it from another perspective. Now that these pirates know they have been discovered, they will certainly try to flee. If we were to submit the matter to the UN, a verdict would surely not be immediate. By the time the UN General Assembly passes a resolution, those individuals could be long gone. Thus, for the benefit of the Filipino people and to prevent future harm to everyone from these people, we have decided to launch preemptive military action. We will eliminate all these pirate elements first, and only then will we report this exceptional situation to the UN. This ensures the ruthless pirates cannot escape while not overly violating the UN Charter."

"Mr. Liu Hui, I am Tom from the Washington Gazette. When will your sanctions against the Philippines conclude?"

Liu Hui replied, "The moment we confirm that all pirates infiltrated within the Philippine government have either been captured or killed, this sanction action will cease."

"Mr. Liu Hui, I am Chaishang from the Philippine Times. You are merely a corporation. How do you possess the authority to impose sanctions on our nation? Furthermore, our people have their own representatives; they do not require you to administer justice on their behalf!"

Liu Hui immediately adopted a righteous but specious demeanor. "What does that matter? If you see injustice, you must intervene. If we do not step forward, it would be terrible if those pirates harmed your citizens... While your people may not understand us now, I believe they will ultimately be grateful for our actions..."