Chapter 52: Critical Situation

The statement made by the senior Army commander during the tri-service emergency meeting was truly staggering.

He proposed seizing the opportunity to catch the United States fleet off guard in East Asia and deliver a devastating blow.

As everyone knows, the unmatched hegemony of the United States rests fundamentally on two pillars: first, its military might; second, the backing of the US dollar tied to petroleum.

If five of America's carrier strike groups could be dismantled in East Asia, the superpower would instantly lose half of its strength. After all, five carrier fleets account for half of their entire strategic assets. With just this move, the United States could be forced out of East Asia once and for all.

The top military brass were left utterly speechless by the Army veteran's words. Originally, they had thought that merely daring to put up a fight would already show extraordinary boldness. They never expected the Army commander to be even more radical, proposing a strike of unprecedented magnitude.

Seeing that everyone had fallen silent, the Army commander grew even more animated and immediately added:

"Not only must we strike, but we must do it right under the noses of Japan and South Korea—we will beat their master right in front of them!"

A corner of the Army commander's mouth curled upward as he stood up with an aura of absolute dominance, pulled up an image of a kinetic electromagnetic pulse weapon on the computer, and slammed his hand onto the table.

"Let's show them the true grit of Chinese servicemen!"

"Gentlemen, are we going to pull this off, or not?!"

"The devastating power of electromagnetic pulse weapons is obvious to everyone. The Army brother is right; this operation has serious potential."

After a brief moment of silence, the Air Force commander's eyes suddenly lit up, blazing with a brilliance akin to the sun—a light filled with excitement and fervent hope.

"It truly has potential. Damn it, let's do it!"

The Navy general likewise slammed his fist onto the table. They had tolerated that despicable American bully for far too long and were more than ready to settle the score!

"I agree as well. Let's make this one count on a grand scale."

The Rocket Force general wore a smile on his face as he immediately added, "In that case, I will draft a formal document right away to report this matter and let the higher-ups make the final decision."

Calming the surging excitement within his heart, he offered a cautious reminder to his enthusiastic peers:

"This document will require our joint signatures. For now, let's thoroughly argue the rationality of this plan so that we can secure approval from the leadership on the very first try!"

"Hahaha, there's no need to worry."

Hearing the Rocket Force general's concern that the leadership might withhold approval, the Army commander let out a hearty laugh, winked mischievously, and chuckled:

"Elder Zhu has long since reached his limit; when he loses his temper, he makes the radical faction look moderate!"

"We've been laying out our strategic layouts regarding the global situation for quite some time now. This will be the perfect opportunity to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and force the other side to properly weigh their own weight."

On the surface, the attitude of the higher leadership usually appeared quite mild. Yet in reality, it was akin to slicing flesh with a dull knife—testing the United States step by step, probing its bottom line inch by inch.

And what were the results? The United States failed to intervene in Europe, nor did it intervene in the Middle East crisis!

This was a classic case of presenting a gentle facade while secretly sharpening the knives for a vicious stab in the back, simply waiting for the right moment to present itself.

And now, that very opportunity had arrived!

The senior Army officer was well-acquainted with Zhu Cheng. All he needed to do was lay out the facts clearly, especially by thoroughly analyzing the movements and intentions of the United States. By then, once Elder Zhu's temper was triggered, he would likely be more radical than any of them.

Armed with electromagnetic pulse weapons, this war was destined to be a form of dimensional reduction warfare. It would mirror what the United States had done in past decades—except this time, the once-arrogant America would be the one on the receiving end!

***

Late December.

Ordinarily, this would be a monumental day, marking the return of the three lunar exploration heroes.

Yet uniquely, that news only briefly claimed the top spot for a single day. For days now, the enduring headline dominating the number one spot had been:

"Gathering in the South China Sea: What is the US Plotting? Is War Imminent?"

This piece of intelligence originated from a naval discussion forum. Supposedly, a wealthy online enthusiast had rented a commercial foreign open-source satellite to tally the real-time positions of aircraft carriers worldwide.

However, an anomaly appeared when tracking the whereabouts of the American fleet.

Wait, why weren't the US aircraft carriers stationed in the Middle East supporting the regional conflicts?

Upon closer inspection, it became shockingly apparent that the US carrier groups had already reached the Strait of Malacca!

They were heading straight for East Asia!

And across the entirety of East Asia, there was only one nation worthy of such an immense and deliberate mobilization by the United States.

Across the entire region, the only target capable of commanding such a response from Washington was China!

As for nations like South Korea and Japan, despite their usual bluster, they were fundamentally colonies stripped of true sovereignty. Only China warranted such a massive deployment.

In truth, this discovery was largely a matter of coincidence. Realizing that its covert movements had been exposed, the United States had simply dropped all pretense and brazenly sailed directly into the Strait of Malacca, which was how a civilian satellite managed to capture its trail.

The moment this news broke, it swept rapidly across China and the entire globe.

*The Times* of Great Britain: "United States Concentrates Five Carrier Strike Groups: Is History Repeating Itself?"

*France Observateur* urges both Washington and Beijing to exercise basic restraint, declaring that the world cannot endure a Third World War and that all parties must handle differences with cool heads.

*North Korea Satellite News*: "The aggressive ambitions of US imperialism to invade our military ally are doomed to fail!"

News traveled faster than a pandemic virus; within mere hours, the entire planet was abuzz.

By this time, the American fleet had already crossed the Strait of Malacca and entered the waters of East Asia!

East Asia, the epicenter of the gathering storm, remained wrapped in profound silence.

Meanwhile, domestic news networks and social media in China were flooded with frantic discussions and intense speculation.

"If the US dares to come, crush them into dust!"

"Exactly! Five aircraft carriers—could they possibly surpass our entire domestic industrial and military might?"

"To the person above, what if they launch strikes against our coastal cities? I feel a bit uneasy about this..."

"That's true, after all, five carrier strike groups together could easily annihilate most nations in Southeast Asia."

"You guys know nothing. Against land-based airfields, aircraft carriers are worth less than dirt. We must not compromise this time—if they want a fight, let's give them a fight!"

"Right, if we compromise now, we'll just become America's next harvest. Do you really want to lose decades of progress like Japan did?"

"I'd rather die fighting than kneel before the US ever again. Fight!"

As the news broke and its details were digested, the anger among the Chinese populace boiled over, threatening to erupt.

Countless memories of past humiliations resurfaced before their eyes.

Yet now, the adversary had returned.

Today was no longer twenty years ago, let alone a century ago!

They would never allow even the slightest hint of compromise.

The fury of the masses, the resolve to resist, the desire for counterattack, the drive to wash away past shames, and the aspiration to kick the self-righteous hegemon off its pedestal—all these emotions converged into a single torrent at this very moment.

Across the entire nation, the populace was boiling with rage, roaring and shouting as one.

Thus, a remarkable trending topic emerged, surging to the second spot on the social media hot search list within a mere minute of its creation, overshadowing even the return of the lunar heroes.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! We Will Never Surrender!"