The populace of the Starry Sky City also tuned into the Starry Sky Television broadcast. Upon witnessing the graphic on-site footage and hearing the tearful accusations from the Starry Sky Group employees, they were universally outraged.

They felt that Australia had exhibited a severe dereliction of duty in protecting corporate security, and the Australian government must offer a sincere apology to "Starry Sky City."

Liu Hui began to console the visibly shaken Starry Sky Group employees on screen before motioning for them to step down.

Liu Hui spoke with gravity: "Given the Australian government's connivance in allowing mobs to attack legitimately operating Starry Sky flagship stores, leading to their looting, destruction, and arson—resulting not only in significant property damage but also a grave threat to the lives of our staff—we at 'Starry Sky City' hereby issue a solemn declaration to the Australian government: the Australian government must provide a substantive response to the looting, destruction, and arson committed against our enterprises within twenty-four hours."

Liu Hui paused, glancing around before continuing: "A substantive response includes a formal apology from the Australian government to us, and the immediate apprehension of all rioters involved in the looting, destruction, and arson, to be handed over to 'Starry Sky City' for trial. Furthermore, the Australian government must ensure that the officials bearing responsibility for security management resign and present themselves to 'Starry Sky City' for judgment. I must stress one point: we hope Australia will not resort to using temporary personnel merely to meet a quota, as some other nations do. If the sincerity shown by Australia proves unsatisfactory, we reserve the right to take further action against Australia."

Since "Starry Sky City" had not yet established formal diplomatic relations with Australia, Liu Hui chose this public forum to voice his dissent. When he delivered this ultimatum-like warning to the Australian government on television, a wave of shock swept across the globe.

Setting aside the logistical challenge of the Australian government apprehending all rioters within twenty-four hours, the demand to hand these rioters over to "Starry Sky City" for trial alone was something the Australian government could never agree to. It wasn't just Australia; no nation in the world would agree to surrender its own citizens to be tried in the courts of another country under foreign pressure.

As for Liu Hui's demand that high-ranking Australian officials take responsibility for the looting, destruction, and arson, resign, and then submit to trial at "Starry Sky City," no government would ever comply. If the Australian government dared to do so, that administration would collapse immediately. A government that buckles under external intimidation and surrenders its officials and citizens to be dealt with by others would instantly forfeit the sense of security for all its people, prompting spontaneous movements to overthrow it.

Leaving aside the nearly draconian nature of Liu Hui’s demands, the twenty-four-hour time constraint alone put the Australian side in an extremely precarious position, as they simply did not have enough time to formulate a cohesive strategy.

While "Starry Sky City" had made its move and the Australian government had yet to respond appropriately, global media opinion began to scrutinize the potential impact of the looting and arson incident on the relationship between "Starry Sky City" and Australia, analyzing the trajectory this matter might take.

In the view of these media outlets, the Australian government was certainly not going to satisfy the stringent demands of "Starry Sky City," as compliance would mean the immediate downfall of their administration. Conversely, given the assertive stance displayed by "Starry Sky City," the organization would absolutely not tolerate its flagship stores being wantonly destroyed by Australians. Therefore, "Starry Sky City" would naturally reserve the right to escalate action against Australia.

This confrontation between "Starry Sky City" and the Australian government meant that one side was bound to suffer losses, and the global landscape itself might shift after this event concluded, given the multitude of interests entangled behind both parties.

Among the media, some quick-witted individuals immediately recalled Australia’s previous public defiance against Starry Sky electric vehicles. Harnessing their imagination, they began labeling the recent attack on the Australian Starry Sky flagship store as a conspiracy. In their narratives, the perpetrators were supposedly actors arranged by "Starry Sky City" itself—a staged deception orchestrated to achieve some ulterior motive.

Upon seeing these conspiracy theories published, Liu Hui expressed astonishment to Desheng, who stood beside him: "Desheng, these people really have a knack; they suspected us so quickly."

Desheng replied, "They are only suspecting; they have no proof."

Liu Hui inquired, "Are all the personnel involved in this incident safely withdrawn?"

Desheng reassured him, "Boss, please rest assured. The few individuals who led the instigation have all returned to 'Starry Sky City'." "Have they encountered any issues with the Australian side?" Liu Hui pressed.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Before taking action, all these individuals utilized expert disguise techniques to appear as authentic Caucasians, and they shouted in English with Sydney accents. No one would suspect they were actually our people," Desheng explained.

"Since they are safely back and executed the mission flawlessly, ensure they are well taken care of!" Liu Hui instructed.

"Boss, I have already made arrangements. I will send them immediately to the Lunar Base to reside there for a period. This way, no matter how the Australian side searches, they will never find them on Earth," Desheng stated.

"Send them to the Lunar Base? Excellent; that's a superb idea. It resolves any potential lingering issues and allows them a chance to experience the Moon as a form of reward," Liu Hui chuckled.

Desheng concluded, "The Boss is sagacious. This renders the Australian side truly speechless and further solidifies the accusation that they attacked us." Liu Hui sneered, "Even if the Australian side discovers this was our ploy, they cannot stop us from achieving our strategic objectives. They only have themselves to blame for choosing to be the first to stick their neck out. With the immense military might possessed by us, 'Starry Sky City,' if we still cannot achieve the global rollout of electric vehicles, what is the point of all the power I have painstakingly built?" In Liu Hui's plan, he was determined to use Australia, this "guinea pig," to achieve his strategic goals. Thus, he deliberately manufactured the incident and posed extremely stringent demands to Australia.

If Australia accepted these harsh terms, "Starry Sky City" would win without fighting, thereby opening the electric vehicle market in Australia. If Australia rejected the stringent terms, "Starry Sky City" would have the perfect pretext to erupt, making an example of one to frighten others—intimidating nations and factions resistant to electric vehicles.

Upon learning of "Starry Sky City's" rigid stance, the Australian government immediately panicked. They hadn't anticipated that what began as a normal commercial dispute would escalate into such a complex crisis.

Consequently, they initiated a sweeping investigation, starting from the high-ranking official who planned the demonstration and extending down to the participants. They were desperate to understand why a seemingly ordinary protest, which had been under their control, devolved into an incident of violent looting, destruction, and arson.

However, what struck the Australian authorities as deeply bizarre was that no matter how extensively they investigated, they could find no record of the few individuals who led the charge and transformed the peaceful demonstration into a violent mob. By this time, only four hours remained before the twenty-four-hour deadline set by "Starry Sky City."

Seeing no possibility of capturing the alleged ringleaders, the Australian side, in desperation, swallowed its pride and reached out to their senior partner, the United States, seeking protection or mediation to buy themselves crucial time.

After all, "Starry Sky City" had a documented history of severe retaliation. Last year, merely because the Philippine government dispatched naval vessels to blockade "Starry Sky City," they suffered a brutal response.

The Philippines not only had all its sea and air routes blocked by "Starry Sky City" but also lost resource-rich islands in the contested South China Sea. The subsequent six-month blockade caused a complete collapse of their national economy, leading to the collective resignation of the Philippine leadership.

Only after the new Philippine leadership accepted the exceptionally harsh terms dictated by "Starry Sky City" did the organization lift the blockade on its sea and air passages. By the time the Philippines reestablished external contact, its economy was utterly shattered; even if "Starry Sky City" withdrew its forces from nearby waters, it would take the Philippines at least another decade to recover to its former economic standing.

Now, Australia had inexplicably provoked the plague that was "Starry Sky City," and the demands presented were absolutely impossible to meet, as Australia could never hand over its own citizens and high-ranking officials for trial by "Starry Sky City." Therefore, they now faced immense military pressure from "Starry Sky City" and had no choice but to appeal to the US for protection.

The Australian government knew clearly that if "Starry Sky City" did not receive what it demanded, it was highly likely to resort to military force to achieve its objectives. Although Australia's military strength far surpassed that of the Philippines, they possessed a clear self-awareness that they were absolutely no match for "Starry Sky City," as their intelligence agencies were already aware of the formidable, hidden power the organization possessed.

"Starry Sky City's" overwhelming strength was precisely why the US and other nations remained silent when the Philippines faced their blockade. Furthermore, the Australian government recently received intelligence that, not long ago, "Starry Sky City" had destroyed two reconnaissance aircraft belonging to the US and Russia without provocation. In the face of such blatant defiance, the two global military superpowers, the US and Russia, could only swallow their pride and dare not press the issue. If even the US and Russia dared not become enemies with "Starry Sky City," how could Australia, a self-proclaimed second-rate military power, dare to openly confront them?

Thus, the Australian government, in utter helplessness, could only rely on external assistance to navigate this predicament. They first appealed to their patron, the US, and then reported the looting and arson incident to the United Nations, hoping the UN could immediately convene a General Assembly session to resolve this crisis, attempting to frame their conflict with "Starry Sky City" as an international issue, using global influence to constrain "Starry Sky City" and force it to exercise restraint.

However, convening a UN General Assembly is governed by established procedures requiring preparation time, and it was impossible for any resolution to be reached within twenty-four hours. Similarly, whether the US would offer security guarantees to Australia required extensive deliberation by the US Congress and could not yield an immediate conclusion.

Within the twenty-four-hour window stipulated by "Starry Sky City," Australia had no feasible way to secure a counter-response from either the US or the UN.

Because Australia still clung to a shred of hope regarding intervention from the US and the UN, they offered no formal reply within the stipulated twenty-four hours, much less agreed to any of "Starry Sky City's" conditions.

The Australian side merely dispatched diplomatic envoys to "Starry Sky City" to convey their government's position, pleading for a little more time to thoroughly investigate the truth behind the looting and arson incident and then provide "Starry Sky City" with a satisfactory explanation. Meanwhile, although the UN and the US had not issued substantive responses, their spokespersons did emerge to stress the need for both conflicting parties to exercise restraint and resolve the dispute through negotiation.

Gaining this public endorsement from the US and the UN instantly stiffened the spine of the Australian government, making them less fearful. "Starry Sky City" had not received a satisfactory reply, so Starry Sky Television aired a program teaser announcing that in half an hour, "Starry Sky City" would hold another press conference with important news to be revealed.

Instantly, the entire world focused its attention on Starry Sky Television, eager to see what crucial announcement "Starry Sky City" would make at the upcoming press briefing. After being repeatedly granted exclusive rights to broadcast "Starry Sky City's" press conferences, Starry Sky Television had finally garnered enough prestige to become a major global network.

Two hours after the twenty-four-hour deadline set by "Starry Sky City" had passed, Liu Hui reappeared on the screen.

On the screen, Liu Hui wore an expression of displeasure, stating excitedly, "We are profoundly disappointed by the Australian government's response to our reasonable demands. The performance of the Australian government in handling the looting, destruction, and arson directed at enterprises of 'Starry Sky City' has been one of extreme incompetence."

Liu Hui paused, then continued, "I hereby announce that given the Australian government's failure to fulfill its duty to protect its own legitimate businesses, 'Starry Sky City' will assist the Australian government in managing this matter. We will blockade all sea and air passages surrounding Australia to prevent rioters involved in the attacks against our enterprises from leaving the country. We reserve the right to destroy any aircraft or vessel attempting to pass through the blockade line we establish, regardless of their adherence to our warning."

"Please pay close attention to my words: I stated we will destroy all aircraft and vessels attempting to pass this blockade line, not limited to Australian craft. If any aircraft or vessel attempts to breach the established blockade, we will destroy them, regardless of their flag of origin or their stated purpose of travel."

Everyone worldwide listening to Liu Hui’s address gasped in astonishment. They had not anticipated that "Starry Sky City" would adopt such an aggressive posture, choosing to seal off all of Australia’s sea and air routes, intending to cage the nation as they had done to the Philippines. If "Starry Sky City" truly blockaded all of Australia’s sea and air passages, it would be tantamount to a formal declaration of war.

However, Australia was not as weak as the Philippines; they possessed powerful navy, air force, and army components, and crucially, they had the backing of a formidable ally: the United States. How could "Starry Sky City" guarantee the success of such a blockade?

Just as observers began analyzing how Australia would counter "Starry Sky City's" blockade declaration, the Australian Prime Minister delivered a televised address.

In his speech, the Australian Prime Minister asserted that the looting and arson incident was a farce orchestrated and performed by "Starry Sky City" itself to achieve its hidden agenda, and that the Australian people bore no fault. He declared that "Starry Sky City's" unilateral decision to blockade Australia's sea and air routes violated the UN Charter and was illegal. The Prime Minister further stated that Australia's hundreds of thousands of troops were prepared for war and would certainly defeat the "despicable aggressor" that is "Starry Sky City" to safeguard their nation's legitimate rights. He expressed confidence that their righteous ally, the United States, and the United Nations would stand behind them in their just war against aggression.

In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister called upon all peace-loving people worldwide to rise up and resist the hegemony of "Starry Sky City," urging them to immediately cease purchasing products manufactured by the Starry Sky Group.

Thus, thirty hours after the incident involving the looting and burning of a Starry Sky flagship store, a conflict that initially seemed like a minor incident had escalated into a major confrontation teetering on the brink of war. This swift transformation stunned all global geopolitical analysts, as they had never witnessed an international situation shift so rapidly.