Damn it, fire if you've got the guts!

Fred sat in front of the desk in the White House office, a swaggering and arrogant smile plastered across his face right in the center of the video frame.

Flanking him on both sides were vertically hung American flags.

He tilted his head slightly upward, pointing his nostrils directly at the screen, and spoke with an affected, haughty tone:

"We demand that a certain Eastern major power immediately comply with the ruling of the United States Supreme Court, ordering Global Mining Corporation to surrender its penalized shares! If you exceed the deadline, don't blame us for being unpolite!"

"If you do not hand them over today, we will simply have to come and take them ourselves!"

His voice was utterly uninhibited, as if the party he was berating were nothing more than a stray dog by the roadside, and he cared not a whit.

That was the entirety of the video.

Emboldened by five aircraft carrier strike groups, alongside his lapdogs in East Asia—the naval fleets of Japan and South Korea—Fred was immensely arrogant for a moment!

The joint fleet of the three nations was riding high, possessing an overwhelming momentum of dominance and unrivaled might across the seas!

This was Fred's backing.

This was his confidence in America's long-standing global hegemony and overpowering military might!

However, Fred had clearly made one crucial mistake.

China was not a couple of minor camel-riding states in the Middle East, nor a handful of agricultural nations in Africa.

This was the current number one industrial power in the world!

What is more, America hadn't even managed to sort out Syria and Afghanistan properly, had it?

The moment Fred's video was uploaded to the Chinese internet, it instantly stirred up monstrous waves, unleashing a continuous chorus of curses and condemnation.

"Damn it, isn't this America's incontinent president? How come after a few days, he thinks he's all high and mighty?"

"You'd better go back and buy a pack of adult diapers, hahaha, stop coming out here to make a fool of yourself!"

"Isn't this just a 'Plaza Accord' aimed at us? Agree? Agree your mother's ass?!"

"Latest intel, the US-Japan-South Korea joint fleet is surrounding the South Sea Fleet, the situation is getting a bit critical!"

"What should we do? Relying solely on the South Sea Fleet alone is a bit dangerous, where are the East Sea and Yellow Sea Fleets?"

"To the person above, they are heading south right now. That spot in the South Sea alone has already gathered over 200 various warships. It's completely a powder keg, the kind that will ignite with a single spark!"

"Everyone don't panic, there are also coastal defense forces, we are overall not afraid of them!"

"..."

The citizens were no fools.

Back in the 1990s, Japan's development was so prosperous it boasted that it could buy out the United States.

Japan failed to recognize its own standing.

Realizing the threat they posed, the United States immediately tightened the dog leash and dropped the Plaza Accord upon them.

It directly bled Japan dry!

It forcibly robbed Japan of its "precious two decades," leaving its economy mired in deepening stagnation, forced to survive solely on its past reserves.

And now, the United States was evidently attempting to replicate that exact move against China.

Regarding this, the citizens of the Eastern major power had only one sentence in reply:

"Go fuck yourselves, you're dreaming!"

China was not Japan. Agree? Never happening!

Not a single hair's breadth of Global Corporation's shares would be given away!

Under these circumstances, the public closely followed the progression of events.

According to the latest satellite imagery obtained by civilian sources.

In the South Sea, the American fleet had already deployed into combat formation, forming a pincer movement alongside the Japanese and South Korean fleets, maintaining a standoff from a considerable distance.

The atmosphere could only be described as hair-trigger tense!

This had reached the most dangerous moment.

Were two major powers about to go to war in the South Sea?

Sensing the unfolding situation in the South Sea.

Those few small nations that used to act extremely daringly in this region, such as Vietnam and the Philippines, instantly turned exceptionally well-behaved.

Before the storm arrived, everything was quiet.

Faced with the "threat" from President Fred's video, the Chinese side offered no response whatsoever.

No, there was a response.

The Joint Three-Services Command sent a short message to the US military:

"Your mother, fire a shot if you've got the guts!"

Immediately afterward, all communications between the militaries of the two countries were directly severed.

The entire Chinese armed forces entered radio silence!

Since the opposing president dared to make such a demand, there was no way they could agree.

This was obviously a provocation designed to pick a fight!

Whoever agreed to this would instantly become a traitor to the nation!

Not only did they refuse to agree, but the forebears who had shed their blood and sacrificed their lives for the dignity and independence of this country would never agree either!

At this moment, the South Sea was quiet, dead quiet.

Frighteningly quiet.

The epicenter of the storm had converged right here upon the ocean, where even the air had grown exceptionally heavy.

Layers of dark clouds hung oppressively over the sky, making it hard for the surrounding small nations even to breathe!

The flagship of the South China Sea Fleet's First Fleet, which was the vessel commanded by Wu Tong, now served as the central node for the Tri-Sea Joint Fleet.

In other words, facing the enemy upon the sea, they were to become the command center!

Standing straight inside the pilothouse, he stared intently into the distance, wishing he could grow ears long enough to reach the radio transceiver.

"Beep—"

The radio communications between the two sides remained in silence!

"Beep, beep, beep-beep-beep—"

Suddenly, the radio let out a flurry of sounds.

The communications officer immediately deciphered the signal, rushed over to Wu Tong, and reported in a loud voice:

"Message received from the Tri-Services Joint Command: Once the enemy opens fire, immediately execute Protocol Number One, saturating the enemy fleet with a barrage of kinetic energy missiles!"

"Kinetic energy missiles..." Wu Tong nodded; he understood.

If the enemy opened fire, he would have to command the entire fleet to launch a full-coverage barrage of kinetic energy missiles against the adversary.

Speaking of kinetic energy missiles...

Wu Tong thought of the orders handed to him by his superior when he first boarded the ship.

Those orders contained a detailed description of this type of missile.

"Electromagnetic pulse missiles!"

Thinking of this type of ordnance, as well as the description of its devastating power in the order, his heart surged with turbulent emotions.

The apprehension of facing death with equanimity that he had originally harbored was now replaced entirely by anger and inner excitement.

Anger that the United States would bully those weaker than them right onto their doorstep.

Excitement that the myth of American military supremacy was about to be kicked down a peg by his very own hands!

They were about to!

Completely tumble off their pedestal!!

"Hum—"

A heavy, roaring whine of a jet engine broke the silence.

Above a certain island, a Chinese fighter jet soared straight toward the South Sea.

The fighter jet was fully loaded with missiles, though what seemed somewhat peculiar was that there appeared to be no pilot inside the aircraft at all!

This was an unmanned fighter jet!

It flew straight toward the position of the American fleet.

Furthermore, a radio broadcast was playing continuously from it:

"This is Chinese territorial waters, I repeat, this is Chinese territorial waters. The invading fleet must leave immediately, the invading fleet must leave immediately, or bear the consequences!"

The voice was resonant and powerful, brimming with anger.

This time, the expulsion warning was not issued in English.

This was a warning to the adversary.

A major battle was ready to erupt at any second.

The pretense of civility was practically torn away.

The military was no longer going to pamper the other side.

If they wanted to understand what these words meant, they could translate it themselves!

The J-10 fighter jet continued its forward flight, drawing very close to the location of the US fleet.

This was the bait cast out by the Tri-Services Joint Command.

As long as America dared to open fire,

And this aircraft was shot down,

Then they would utterly smash those bastards to pieces!

The entire South Sea, owing to the intrusion of this aircraft, saw its original silence instantly shattered.

The entire world, at this very moment, focused its gaze right here.

What would the United States do?