The City of Stars, after sinking seven cargo ships, reasserted its threat to destroy any vessel attempting to breach the blockade line. Given the bloody reality of the preceding seven, no Australian aircraft or ship dared approach the extremely perilous cordon.

Australian airports were crammed with people desperate to leave the country, but every flight out of Australia had been grounded; they had no means of escaping this land of trouble.

Australian ports and docks were equally swamped with individuals hoping to depart by sea, yet no ship dared risk the threat of being sunk to carry them away.

The sea and air routes were sealed; no personnel could leave Australia. At the harbors of Australia, vast quantities of mineral resources awaited shipment, piled high.

If these mineral resources could not be exported promptly, it would be fatal for Australian enterprises; the substantial breach of contract penalties alone would bankrupt them.

These companies were sitting on pins and needles, consumed daily by the agony of life and death. They even entertained the notion of risking their lives to transport these minerals, refusing to believe that the insignificant “City of Stars” could completely lock down all of Australia’s maritime and air passages.

Despite the firms’ willingness to risk death, not a single cargo ship would venture out to transport the mineral resources under mortal danger. Now, even the fishing trawlers operating near the coast dared not set sail. These fishermen had long heard tales of the brutal atrocities the “City of Stars” had inflicted upon Philippine fishing boats, and now they had witnessed firsthand the resolute determination of the “City of Stars” to sink any trespassing cargo ship. Unwittingly, they had been terrified by the “City of Stars’” hardline stance, never again daring to venture out to fish during this ** period.

When the “City of Stars” decided to besiege Australia, the nation immediately suffered immense economic losses. Not only were domestic mineral resources unable to be exported for cash, but essential goods could no longer be imported. All ships delivering cargo to Australia steered clear of this dangerous zone, fearing they too would be sunk by the “City of Stars.”

Australia found itself unable to export goods, and the movement of people gradually ground to a halt. If the blockade continued, Australia’s economy would collapse entirely, much like the Philippines.

Once the Australian economy shattered, the “City of Stars” would triumph without a fight, easily achieving their desired outcome. Furthermore, once the domestic populace faced the reality of sharply declining living standards, they would surely rise up in rebellion and overthrow the current Australian government.

The “City of Stars” acted with calculated cunning; the operation to blockade Australia’s air and sea lanes was executed with startling swiftness, commencing within thirty hours of the looting, smashing, and burning incidents. In such a short timeframe, the U.S. government, Australia’s steadfast ally, had not yet reacted fully. The U.S. Congress was still embroiled in continuous meetings, but deep partisan strife meant that after continuous arguments, they could not forge a single solution for the Australian crisis. They only managed to voice differing opinions after the cargo ships in Australian waters had been sunk.

The lightning action by the “City of Stars” nullified the customary speed of reaction from the United States, a nation obsessed with democratic deliberation, thus solidifying the fait accompli of the “City of Stars” blockade of Australia’s air and sea lanes.

And blockaded Australia, facing the fierce assault from the ruthless “City of Stars,” found itself without any countermeasures. Coupled with the lack of any tangible support from the United States that they had been anticipating, in this period where no one could foresee the future trajectory, the hearts of Australia’s leaders began to grow decidedly cold.

The Australian military did not fail to attempt active measures after their air and sea lanes were sealed by the “City of Stars,” aiming to eliminate all aircraft enforcing the blockade. However, although their air force was equipped with advanced aircraft identical to those used by the U.S. military, they were still at least one generation behind the aircraft of the “City of Stars.”

When the Australian Air Force attempted to sortie, they could not locate where the “City of Stars” aircraft were concealed along the route. Yet, as these planes neared the actual blockade line of the “City of Stars,” a ribbon of fire suddenly materialized ahead of them. This fiery trail sliced across the sky just two hundred meters in front of their aircraft, leaving the Australians pale with terror.

At such close range, those Australians clearly saw a string of cannon shells that had just flown past their aircraft. But beyond knowing the shells were fired from the sky above them, they had no idea who was attacking. Based on the trajectory of the previous attack, it was clearly a warning; otherwise, that fiery line of shells could have shifted slightly and sent their planes crashing down.

Immediately afterward, the aircraft received a communication request, initiated by the “City of Stars.” In this transmission, the “City of Stars” warned the Australian pilots that they were about to enter the blockade zone and ordered them to turn back immediately, stating that any entry into the restricted area would result in immediate destruction—the preceding shells were merely a caution; subsequent actions would not be so polite.

The pilots immediately reported their encounter upward and soon received orders to return. As they initiated their turn for home, the Australian pilots breathed a collective, long sigh of relief. The terrifying situation of being unable to see the enemy while being attacked had left them shaken by lingering fear; retreating now felt like escaping the gates of hell.

After the Australian planes attempting to strike from the sky were intercepted and forced back, the Australian warships conducting probes on the sea surface were also halted from the air. After several electromagnetic cannon shells struck the water near the warships, causing them to pitch and roll violently from the intense explosions, they too received a warning from the “City of Stars.” Following requests for consultation with headquarters, they too retreated shamefacedly back to their naval bases in Australia.

Following the complete failure of Australia’s attempts to probe the “City of Stars” blockade line, neither Australian aircraft nor vessels dared approach the cordon again.

On the fourth day of the “City of Stars” blockade, the perpetually quarreling U.S. Congress, finally recognizing Australia’s perilous situation, ceased its arguments and appeared close to finalizing an aid package.

Inside the Oval Office at the White House, several individuals sat around a table, discussing the crisis facing Australia.

“Mr. President, the situation is now extremely urgent; a decision is required from you immediately,” stated the newly appointed Secretary of State.

“How are their discussions progressing?” asked the recently inaugurated Black President.

“It seems Congress has reached consensus, deciding to deploy forces to assist Australia and jointly counter the ‘City of Stars’ to maintain regional balance of power,” the female Secretary of State reported.

“General Weich, if we commit troops to aid Australia, what are our chances of success?” the Black President inquired of the new Secretary of Defense.

“Mr. President, please forgive my candor. If we plan to intervene militarily in the conflict between the ‘City of Stars’ and Australia, the United States has absolutely no chance of victory,” General Weich stated.

“General Weich, why do you say that?” the Black President asked.

“Mr. President, you are aware that the America of today is not the America of five years ago.

After the small-scale war we fought against the ‘City of Stars’ in the Middle East, we not only lost two full carrier strike groups but also suffered the loss of numerous combat aircraft and personnel cultivated over many years in the Gulf region. Since that war, the military strength of the United States has been in a downward trend from its peak,” General Weich explained.

The room listened intently as the Secretary of Defense analyzed American military capability, sharing their profound concern over the decline of U.S. martial power.

“The event that truly delivered the final blow to our national strength was the super-earthquake that struck Los Angeles two years ago. In that catastrophe, the entire Los Angeles area was completely devastated, with casualty figures counted in the hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, the U.S. economy suffered immense damage from this super-quake, with all economic indicators sharply declining. It will take us at least ten years of recovery and recuperation to return our economic metrics to their pre-earthquake levels. While we superficially maintain the title of the world’s leading economy, our comprehensive national power has actually fallen to a critically dangerous level—our strength is no longer sufficient to sustain our position as the world hegemon,” General Weich continued.

“If it were not for the influence of military deterrence we established over many years, those strategic competitors we have long suppressed would have already risen to challenge our authority, and the United States would have no means to respond to such a situation,” General Weich concluded grimly.

The people in the room were somewhat disheartened. After years of dedicated effort, they had finally grasped the highest power in the United States, only to discover they had inherited a shambles—a mess far less glorious than it appeared.

“So, what General Weich means is that even if Congress resolves to use military intervention in Australia, we still have no chance of winning—is that the situation?” the Black President asked with reluctance.

“Precisely. Judging purely by weaponry, our American armaments are now lagging behind the ‘City of Stars.’ We already know that the ‘City of Stars’ is equipped with laser weaponry, in addition to possessing a massive, mysterious aircraft that is entirely stealthy, undetectable by radar or optical instruments. This mysterious aircraft likely mounts even more terrifying electromagnetic cannon weaponry. Furthermore, we suspect the ‘City of Stars’ possesses large, deep-sea manned submarines, which would pose a significant challenge to our strategic defense space. Beyond these, we believe the ‘City of Stars’ has other mysterious weapons already deployed or under development for more advanced systems. Whether these are weapons already revealed or those that might exist, the United States possesses nothing capable of countering them. If the situation truly escalates to war with the ‘City of Stars,’ our only hope would be that their arsenal is small enough for us to wear them down using sheer mass of forces,” General Weich explained.

“General Weich, are you saying the United States has no recourse against the ‘City of Stars’?” the female Secretary of State frowned. “Currently, our conventional weapons cannot counter the mysterious weaponry already deployed by the ‘City of Stars.’ To eradicate the ‘City of Stars,’ we would have to resort to our ultimate weapon…” General Weich stated coldly.

“You mean deploying nuclear weapons?” The Black President’s heart hammered.

If nuclear weapons could be deployed to destroy the “City of Stars,” America would remain the sole global superpower, its leadership position unshakeable. If destroying the “City of Stars” could also yield their high technology, the United States’ status as a supreme power for decades to come would be cemented. As a Black President, he would surely be recorded in American history and revered by future generations.

“The ‘City of Stars’ is equipped with laser weaponry capable of intercepting missiles launched from any angle, meaning our nuclear weapons can never reach the apex of the ‘City of Stars,’” General Weich countered.

The Black President, whose mind had begun to race, felt immediate disappointment upon hearing this, but General Weich quickly continued: “However, based on our computer simulations, we have identified a critical vulnerability in the ‘City of Stars.’ If we can exploit this weakness, we can still eliminate the entire ‘City of Stars.’”

The Black President and the female Secretary of State’s eyes lit up simultaneously. “What exactly is the fatal weakness of the ‘City of Stars’?” they asked.

General Weich replied, “Although the ‘City of Stars’ appears vast and heavily guarded, it floats upon the sea; it has no foundation. While our direct nuclear attacks would be entirely destroyed by their laser defenses, we can exploit this lack of foundation to counter them.”

The Black President asked urgently, “General Weich, tell us quickly! How can we deal with the ‘City of Stars’?”

General Weich explained, “Although our nuclear missiles cannot be dropped directly onto the ‘City of Stars,’ we can dispatch strategic nuclear submarines to lurk about two hundred kilometers away. There, we can detonate several high-yield nuclear weapons. With precise calculation and optimal detonation sites, even if the shockwave from the nuclear explosions cannot directly harm the ‘City of Stars,’ the resulting super-tsunami would sweep over and utterly destroy the ‘City of Stars.’ Even with its laser weapons and electromagnetic cannons, it would be powerless against the wrath of nature.”

The Black President and the female Secretary of State exchanged glances; their hearts began to race, for they had finally found a method to completely annihilate the “City of Stars.”

The Black President suddenly posed a question: “General Weich, what if the ‘City of Stars’ also possesses nuclear weapons? If they discover we are using nuclear arms against them, could they launch nuclear strikes against us? With their completely stealthy fighter jets, they could easily drop nuclear weapons right on top of our White House. How would we cope then?”

General Weich shrugged. “Mr. President, the premise of my plan is predicated on the ‘City of Stars’ not possessing nuclear deterrents, meaning they lack the immediate ability to retaliate. If that holds true, we can absorb the damage caused by conventional weapons. But if the other side also holds nuclear parity, then a terrifying balance is established, and my plan becomes meaningless.”

The U.S. President fell silent for a moment, then turned to the new CIA Director sitting beside him, who had remained quiet until now. “Have your agencies detected any indications that the ‘City of Stars’ possesses nuclear weapons?”

The CIA Director responded, “Mr. President, based on our long-term surveillance of the ‘City of Stars,’ we have found no evidence of them conducting nuclear tests. Furthermore, we have detailed records of every nuclear test conducted globally in recent times, and none are connected to the ‘City of Stars.’ Added to our suppression of the international arms black market, it is highly unlikely the ‘City of Stars’ could acquire nuclear weapons through such channels. Therefore, based on current intelligence, the ‘City of Stars’ has neither developed nuclear weapons nor obtained them through any other means.”

The Secretary of State inquired, “Is it possible to develop nuclear weapons without conducting test detonations?”

The CIA Director replied, “It is impossible to manufacture nuclear weapons without experimental verification. After all, no one can know if an unverified nuclear weapon will be effective; the ‘City of Stars’ would never commit such a foolish act.”

The U.S. President and the Secretary of State exchanged satisfied smiles.

The U.S. President announced, “General Weich, you may begin drafting an operational plan based on your concept. Should we receive authorization to take military action against the ‘City of Stars,’ your plan might prove useful.”